Technology
Energy efficient cities
Energy efficiency is the most affordable way to lower our carbon footprint and reduce our consumption of non-renewable energy resources. While the federal government continues to struggle with developing any kind of energy efficiency policy, at the local level, there is plenty going on. [Read more…] about Energy efficient cities
Farming crops and sunlight
In many places around the world, using farmland for solar generation has become a profitable enterprise. Farmers have found that they can often make more money producing electricity instead of food crops. In Japan, where farmland is relatively scarce, this practice was actually prohibited by law. [Read more…] about Farming crops and sunlight
Storing energy in volcanic rock
The Pacific Northwest has abundant renewable energy resources, being the home to one of the largest networks of hydroelectric dams in the U.S. But state mandates for renewables on the grid have driven a boom in wind installations, which has actually led to a problem. The Bonneville Power Administration has forced wind farm owners to curtail their output of power at times of limited demand on the grid. [Read more…] about Storing energy in volcanic rock
Crowdfunding for environmental science
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Social media has made it easier than ever to connect with people, share information, and raise awareness. This has led to new forms of fundraising, among them crowdfunding. [Read more…] about Crowdfunding for environmental science
Carbon-free shipping
There is lots of interest these days in buying local. There is of course the desire to bolster local economies and support the businesses of the people who live in our community. But there is also an energy conservation issue because importing products over vast distances uses large amounts of energy and adds to greenhouse emissions. [Read more…] about Carbon-free shipping
Solar power at night
Recently, the Solana solar power plant in Gila Bend, Arizona began commercial operation. At 280 megawatts capacity, it is the largest concentrating solar power or CSP plant in the world, using parabolic trough mirrors to focus the rays of the sun. But it has another notable feature as well: it keeps generating electricity long after the sun goes down. [Read more…] about Solar power at night
An algal biorefinery
Oil production from the tar sands of Alberta is a charged topic, and the impetus for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project. But while that debate rages on, the Canadian government is investing in various ways to mitigate the effects of oil production in the region. [Read more…] about An algal biorefinery
Giving women equal footing in science
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A recent pair of articles in The New York Times and Scientific American looked at the under-representation of women in science, technology, engineering, and math. Why, at a time when women are alleged to have equal opportunities, are their numbers so limited? [Read more…] about Giving women equal footing in science
The killing fields
To control weeds, American farmers apply vast amounts of herbicides to their fields each year. Glyphosphate is one of the most widely used herbicides; it’s effective at killing grasses, broadleaf, and woody plants. Crops tolerate it because they are genetically modified to be glyphosphate-resistant. [Read more…] about The killing fields
Fuel from landfills
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Landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States. About 18% of the human sources of this potent greenhouse gas comes from the decomposition of solid waste. [Read more…] about Fuel from landfills
Fracking waters contaminate river sediments
Wastewater is produced during oil and gas production, from both conventional and non-conventional wells, including fracking. In the exploitation of the Marcellus shale formation for natural gas, some of the flowback water is derived from the fracking fluids used to release the gas at depth. Some is derived from the shale itself. [Read more…] about Fracking waters contaminate river sediments
Crowdfunding energy
Crowdfunding has become very popular for musicians, artists, and even inventors. Recently, 1,700 Dutch households set a crowdfunding record by raising $1.8 million in just 13 hours. What did they get for their money? A 2-megawatt wind turbine. [Read more…] about Crowdfunding energy
Composting: Recycling's final frontier
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the US produced 250 million tons of municipal solid waste in 2011 and more than half of it was compostable materials such as yard trimmings, paper and cardboard, and food waste. [Read more…] about Composting: Recycling's final frontier
The road to better batteries
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Electric cars are becoming more popular all the time, but are still a very small niche in the overall vehicle market because they cost too much and they don’t drive far on a single charge. [Read more…] about The road to better batteries
Testing the value of storage
As the electrical grid comes to depend more and more on intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind power, it is becoming important to be able to store electricity for later use. [Read more…] about Testing the value of storage
Science in Massachusetts
We’ve heard time and again that American students lag behind in the sciences, especially compared to students in many Asian countries. [Read more…] about Science in Massachusetts
New York's electric truck incentive program
The transportation sector is responsible for three-fourths of U.S. petroleum consumption, and 40 percent of New York State’s greenhouse gas emissions. In 2010, the Obama administration announced the first fuel economy standards for heavy vehicles. New York State’s Governor Cuomo is taking fuel savings for trucks even further. [Read more…] about New York's electric truck incentive program
A debate over trash
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There is no shortage of trash in the world. Figuring out what to do with it is a challenge that grows larger all the time. [Read more…] about A debate over trash
Old car or new car?
