Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates:

• Research led by the University of Leicester suggests people today and in future generations should look to the past in order to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. The dangers of rising sea levels, crop failures and extreme weather were all faced by our ancestors who learnt to adapt and survive in the face of climate change;
• The UK’s biggest funder of agri-food research, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), has launched a consultation on future research to tackle the growing but preventable food security crisis;
• The unique material that exists in Europe’s, and above all the Nordic countries’ and Sweden’s, biobanks is a goldmine for research. To put them to their best possible use, this information will now be coordinated, as will the ethical and technical guidelines regarding the use of the biobanks;
• An anti-wind farm group says Europe should halt the construction of any more wind farms until it has further examined their impact on wildlife, landscapes and the value of nearby houses, Reuters reports;
• Oerlikon Solar says it has achieved a new record efficiency level for commercial thin film silicon photovoltaic modules;
• Evergreen Solar Inc. will use Intersolar, one of the world’s largest solar trade shows, to roll out its new brand campaign;
• Rainbow Solar Inc., a clean-energy company that introduced the world’s first transparent photovoltaic window, announces the SuperPV: a breakthrough technology that increases the power generation of silicon solar cells by 60 to 200 per cent;
• The Biotechnology Industry Organization will host a side event at the upcoming UNFCCC Climate Change Talks in Bonn to address ways in which biotechnology can be used to deal with climate change;
• Yahoo! News reports that France and Germany say rich nations should collectively guarantee deep cuts in greenhouse gases by 2020 while giving flexibility to laggards such as the United States to catch up later;
• A new article from Frost & Sullivan discusses the merits of the zero-waste strategy in the context of long-term sustainability and business profitability.

• Green technology investors seek safer havens in 2011
• New US consortium plans $1.4bn in cleantech investments
• What does 2011 hold for China, US?
• World Economic Forum: Cleantech rules
• Virtual design speeds green reality
• Opinion: Darling’s green bank idea is laughably small
• Some guys and Holy Grails: 5 rules for spotting ‘cleantech porn’
• Despite some ‘green shoots,’ cleantech VCs see trouble ahead
• Cleantech Connect Awards recognise fast-growing innovators
• Irish cleantech firms seek opportunities in Silicon Valley