Technology

Big Data + Technology = Improved Global Health

June 20, 2016 By WAMC WEB

Scientists are calling for the creation of a global early warning system for infectious diseases. Such a system would use computer models to tap into environmental, epidemiological, and molecular data – gathering the intelligence needed to forecast where disease risk is high and what actions could prevent outbreaks or contain epidemics.

The Debate Over GMOs

June 16, 2016 By WAMC WEB

GMO crops have been the source of a great deal of controversy over the years. A major concern has been whether they potentially cause health issues for consumers, which is an understandable worry.

Sometime early in May, the United States installed its one millionth solar energy system. Achieving this milestone took the solar industry about 40 years to accomplish. Because of the phenomenal growth of solar power in this country, industry experts predict that it will only take two more years to reach the second million and there are predictions that by the year 2025, there will be one million new installations in the U.S. each year.

[Read more…] about One Million Roofs

Storing Energy With Rocks

June 2, 2016 By WAMC WEB

Energy storage is hot topic because more and more electricity is being generated from renewable sources like solar power and wind power that can’t operate all the time because the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. So we need ways to store surplus energy when it is produced and be able to use it later when it is needed.

Solar Rooftops Looking Better Than Ever

May 26, 2016 By WAMC WEB

The price for installing solar panels continues to get lower and lower as volumes increase and technology improves. There are also more ways than ever to get solar installed with leases and other creative financial arrangements.

Recycling CO2

May 24, 2016 By WAMC WEB

The X Prize Foundation provides financial incentives for innovative solutions to various technical challenges. Topics have ranged from developing spacecraft to trying to create a real-world version of the Star Trek tricorder. Last year, the foundation launched a $20 million challenge to come up with technologies by the year 2020 that turn carbon dioxide captured from the smokestacks of power plants into useful products.

[Read more…] about Recycling CO2

Electric Buses And Trucks

May 13, 2016 By WAMC WEB

We hear a great deal about electric cars these days. Will people buy them? Are they worth it? And, of course, there is the tremendous buzz surrounding Tesla’s forthcoming moderately-priced car. But there is also lots of activity in electrifying larger vehicles, including garbage trucks, city buses, and medium-sized trucks used by freight companies like FedEx.

Preventing Toxic Algal Blooms

May 12, 2016 By WAMC WEB

We have talked about the growing problem of toxic algal blooms on a number of occasions. The increasing occurrence of these blooms has been associated with rising temperatures and carbon dioxide levels as well as the presence of wastewater nutrients and agricultural fertilizers in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. The most notable incident occurred in the summer of 2014, when algae contamination in Lake Erie left 400,000 residents in Ohio and Michigan without water for 72 hours.

Clean Fossil Fuel Electricity

May 11, 2016 By WAMC WEB

Renewable energy sources like wind and solar power are getting cheaper all the time and are, in many places, competing head to head on price with traditional fossil fuel generation. The ultimate goal is to replace polluting energy sources entirely, but even under the most optimistic scenarios, fossil fuel plants aren’t just going to disappear very quickly.

A Floating Wind Farm

May 2, 2016 By WAMC WEB

The world’s first floating wind farm is being built 15 miles off the northeast coast of Scotland. The Hywind pilot park, expected to come online late next year, will generate enough power for 20,000 homes. The location will take advantage of average local North Sea wind speeds in excess of 20 miles per hour.

[Read more…] about A Floating Wind Farm

Greener Friendly Skies

March 30, 2016 By WAMC WEB

In March, United Airlines began using a new biofuel for flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The fuel is a renewable product called Honeywell Green Jet Fuel that can replace up to half of the petroleum jet fuel used in flight without any changes to the aircraft technology and it meets all current jet fuel specifications.

Pulling Water From Air

March 25, 2016 By WAMC WEB

As droughts have become more commonplace, researchers are looking at natural systems for effective ways to capture water from the air. A team from Harvard University has drawn inspiration from three different organisms to develop a better way to promote the condensation and transportation of water droplets.

Global Water Scarcity

March 23, 2016 By WAMC WEB

Water is a simple chemical compound containing two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom connected by covalent bonds. It covers 71% of Earth’s surface and is vital for all forms of life. Despite its abundance, water that is safe for drinking is globally in short supply.

Drones And Wildlife Preservation

March 14, 2016 By WAMC WEB

We hear more and more about drones these days. There is plenty of controversy about their use in warfare. Drones are also used to snoop on construction projects. Drones are spotted at the beach being used as high-tech toys. And drones are becoming a powerful tool in wildlife protection.

Natural Geoengineering

March 11, 2016 By WAMC WEB

The term geoengineering has started to appear in discussions about how to combat climate change. Mostly, it is used to describe using technology to tinker with the global environment, for example, by artificially enhancing the atmosphere’s ability to reflect the sun’s rays back out into space and thereby cooling the planet.

Keeping Up With Light Bulbs

March 8, 2016 By WAMC WEB

Light bulbs entered people’s lives in the 1880s. Tungsten filament lightbulbs have been around for about 100 years. Fluorescent lamps were invented in the 1920s. These two mainstays dominated most lighting applications for most of the twentieth century.

Turning Air Into Fuel

February 26, 2016 By WAMC WEB

There is a global effort underway to combat climate change. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the primary culprit. As a result, there are two things to do about it: reduce the amount of CO2 we are dumping into the atmosphere and try to remove some of what is already there.

British Columbia’s Carbon Tax

February 12, 2016 By WAMC WEB

The recent Paris summit on climate change produced a global treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are multiple strategies to reduce emissions including both technological and economic ones.

Preservatives

February 8, 2016 By WAMC WEB

Augmenting food with preservatives is not a recent practice. For thousands of years, we have canned fruits with sugar, preserved meats with salt, and pickled vegetables so that they could keep in hot humid environments.

[Read more…] about Preservatives

Big Data + Technology = Improved Global Health

Hidden Costs of E-Waste

Recycling is often a great thing. But, when you hear about the conditions under which electronic waste is disassembled by impoverished peoples of developing nations, it gives one pause. [Read more…] about Hidden Costs of E-Waste

The Debate Over GMOs

GMO crops have been the source of a great deal of controversy over the years. A major concern has been whether they potentially cause health issues for consumers, which is an understandable worry.

One Million Roofs

Storing Energy With Rocks

Solar Rooftops Looking Better Than Ever

The price for installing solar panels continues to get lower and lower as volumes increase and technology improves. There are also more ways than ever to get solar installed with leases and other creative financial arrangements.

Recycling CO2

Electric Buses And Trucks

Preventing Toxic Algal Blooms

Clean Fossil Fuel Electricity

A Floating Wind Farm

Greener Friendly Skies

Pulling Water From Air

Global Water Scarcity

Water is a simple chemical compound containing two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom connected by covalent bonds. It covers 71% of Earth’s surface and is vital for all forms of life. Despite its abundance, water that is safe for drinking is globally in short supply.

Drones And Wildlife Preservation

We hear more and more about drones these days. There is plenty of controversy about their use in warfare. Drones are also used to snoop on construction projects. Drones are spotted at the beach being used as high-tech toys. And drones are becoming a powerful tool in wildlife protection.

Natural Geoengineering

Keeping Up With Light Bulbs

Light bulbs entered people’s lives in the 1880s. Tungsten filament lightbulbs have been around for about 100 years. Fluorescent lamps were invented in the 1920s. These two mainstays dominated most lighting applications for most of the twentieth century.

Turning Air Into Fuel

British Columbia’s Carbon Tax

The recent Paris summit on climate change produced a global treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are multiple strategies to reduce emissions including both technological and economic ones.

Preservatives

Augmenting food with preservatives is not a recent practice. For thousands of years, we have canned fruits with sugar, preserved meats with salt, and pickled vegetables so that they could keep in hot humid environments.

Technology

Recycling is often a great thing. But, when you hear about the conditions under which electronic waste is disassembled by impoverished peoples of developing nations, it gives one pause. [Read more…] about Hidden Costs of E-Waste

GMO crops have been the source of a great deal of controversy over the years. A major concern has been whether they potentially cause health issues for consumers, which is an understandable worry.

The price for installing solar panels continues to get lower and lower as volumes increase and technology improves. There are also more ways than ever to get solar installed with leases and other creative financial arrangements.

Water is a simple chemical compound containing two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom connected by covalent bonds. It covers 71% of Earth’s surface and is vital for all forms of life. Despite its abundance, water that is safe for drinking is globally in short supply.

We hear more and more about drones these days. There is plenty of controversy about their use in warfare. Drones are also used to snoop on construction projects. Drones are spotted at the beach being used as high-tech toys. And drones are becoming a powerful tool in wildlife protection.

Light bulbs entered people’s lives in the 1880s. Tungsten filament lightbulbs have been around for about 100 years. Fluorescent lamps were invented in the 1920s. These two mainstays dominated most lighting applications for most of the twentieth century.

The recent Paris summit on climate change produced a global treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are multiple strategies to reduce emissions including both technological and economic ones.

Augmenting food with preservatives is not a recent practice. For thousands of years, we have canned fruits with sugar, preserved meats with salt, and pickled vegetables so that they could keep in hot humid environments.

WAMC Northeast Public Radio