Tag Archives: energy
Efficient future gadgets could be driven by piezoelectric graphene
Graphene seems to be the favorite subject of research off late and it is understandable why. Every modern gadget and cutting edge technology, that ranges from simple transistors to nanotechnology, use graphene at some level. But till very recently it was thought that one could not induce piezoelectric effect in materials with a carbon molecular structure....
Scientists claim that trees contain electrical properties
We know that trees take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen so we can all breathe easy but according to scientists from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), they have found that trees also play a big role in the concentration of negative and positive ions in the air or in other words, ‘trees electrify the atmosphere’.
A team of scientists...
Sluggish??? Six Snappy Spirit Sparks
Do you spring out of bed in the morning, ready to face the day, or is life one long struggle and you feel tired all the time? No you’re not just getting old, no it’s not the weather, your hormones, or that bottle of red you downed last night (actually, that may have something to do with it!). Lethargy is a terrible feeling and one that...
It’s Time to Pay Up: Unearthing the True Cost of Fossil Fuels
Senor Codo via Flickr/CC BY 2.0
For decades now, fossil fuel company executives and D.C. politicians have worked together to ensure that coal and oil prices stay low enough to keep the American people hooked. In his new book Greedy Bastards, Dylan Ratigan explains how “vampire industries” like oil and coal have forged “an unholy alliance with...
Joint BioEnergy Institute researchers develop CAD-type tools for design-driven engineering of RNA control systems; potential for advanced renewable biofuels and chemicals
Researchers at the US Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) have developed computer-assisted design (CAD)-type models and simulations for RNA molecules that make it possible to engineer biological components or “RNA devices” for controlling genetic expression in microbes. This holds tremendous potential for microbial-based...
The Top 10 Trends for Cleantech in 2011
Yep, it’s that time of year where we look back at the trends of the year and then look forward to what we think the next year has in store. We know these lists have become a bit cliche by now, but they really do enable us to reflect on the big picture.
So, here we go. The top 10 trends in GreenTech in 2011:
1). Solar prices plummet: One of the most...
The reality behind the green jobs disillusionment
It seems that these days, everyone from Capitol Hill to the media is an expert on the job creating power of clean energy firms. Two high profile bankruptcies – Solyndra and Evergreen Solar – have cast a pall over the industry and have led many to ring the death knell of the clean energy economy. As an independent researcher who has conducted numerous...
Those Romantic Wood Stoves
We’re one cord into an expected six-cord winter and starting the colder part of our year in the Maine woods off the grid with three kids and two cats from the New Jersey suburbs. It’s the first time I have heated with wood, and I miss the simplicity of a thermostat connected to a furnace.
There are some good things about heating with wood. I like...
NASA Energy Forum Announces Top Ten Energy Innovations
Launch is a global joint venture formed by NASA, USAID, Department of State, and Nike to “identify and support the innovative work poised to contribute to a sustainable future and accelerate solutions to meet urgent challenges facing our society.” The group, whose name is a terrific leveraging of NASA’s brand, works primarily through it’s identification...
Serious Energy to Bring Efficiency-as-a-Service to Market
One of the biggest challenges facing energy efficiency retrofits has long been the complicated nature of the process.
Whether it’s making the business case to justify the upfront costs, negotiating the tax liens from PACE programs, or even getting in the door with building owners, there is no shortage of obstacles to picking up what is one of...
