FYI: Electricty Doesn't Ruin Sleep

September 01, 2009

 

(via imgur)

Artificial Leaf Pumps Water and Makes Electricity

August 05, 2009

I can't get enough of this biomimetic stuff. I'm going to have to do a Wide Angle on it. There is so much technology out there inspired by nature. Take this artificial leaf, for example. A team of researchers (Ruba Borno, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Joseph Steinmeyer, MIT; and Michel Maharbiz, Univ. of California-Berkeley) looked at leaves in nature and saw that they work like pumps. Water in trees taken from the roots is pumped to the leaves and down the veins to the leaf's surface, where it meets the air and evaporates. It called transpiration.

These researchers fabricated an artificial leaf that does the same thing. It's made from a glass wafer that contains tiny veins. The end of the vein is open. As water evaporates at the end, it pulls other water out, moving the water at about 1.5 cm per second.

You Could Win $1.5 Million

July 31, 2009

Could you use $1.5 million? Easy. Just develop an aircraft that can average at least 100 mph over a 200-mile flight and burn just 200 miles per gallon.

Oh, and win the competition sponsored by NASA and the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation.

Today they announced the Green Flight Challenge. Be sure to use some cutting-edge technology (cardboard and pulleys are not recommended by me, anyway) and help advance climate mitigation
initiatives in efficiency, conservation and zero-carbon energy sources.

Get going. You only have until July 2011.

Photo: NASA?Ames

Generate Some Negawatts

July 15, 2009

While researching for the Wide Angle on the Smart Grid, I came across a term that I had never seen before: Negawatts. Nega what? Immediately I g=Googled and discovered that this term dates back to at least 1989, when experimental physicist and CEO of the Rocky Mountain Institute, Amory Lovins gave the keynote address (The Negawatt Revolution: Solving the CO2 Problem) at a Green Energy Conference in Montreal. I can't believe I never came across the word, but it's an important one to have as part of your volcabulary.

Smart Grid FAQs and As

July 10, 2009

We're focusing on the smart grid this week with lots of articles, interviews, podcasts and blogs. There's a ton of stuff out there on this topic. I have my Google Alert set to "smart grid," and my mail box is inundated with news and stories daily. It's a bit overwhelming. There are so many components, including hardware, software, infrastructure, standards, protocols, etc. Hardly any of it has been implemented, but the country seems to charging forward and most of us are sitting around thinking, "What the heck does it mean for me?"

One of the stories that popped up in my in box today helps answer that question and others about the smart grid with a short Q&A. It's from CNET and it answers the following seven questions:

1. What is the smart grid?
2. What would a smart grid be able to do that today's not-so-smart grid can't?
3. What are some examples?
4. Who are the companies participating in the smart grid?
5. OK, so the smart grid is supposed to reduce wasted energy, give consumers better information, and allow the grid to use more solar and wind power. What's the hold-up?
6. Is the smart grid more secure?
7. So when will I have my smart grid?

It's a short article and worth reading to get a solid understanding of what this is all about.

Hey Power Grid: Smarten Up!

July 06, 2009

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law. Of the $787 billion intended to stimulate the economy, $43 billion will be spent directly on energy-related matters. And a big piece of the energy pie will be devoted to the the power grid, which works about the same way it did when Thomas Edison conceived of it. Find out what needs fixing and why in this Wide Angle series: The Smart Grid.

• News: Community Genome Could Produce Biofuels
  The genomes of 17 different ants, fungi and bacteria that eat through hundreds of pounds of leaf matter a year could give scientists new clues to how a 50 million-year-old bioreactor operates.

• Puzzle: Plugging Into the Smart Grid
  Spend some time piecing together the power grid.

• Blog: Micro-Curtailment to Curb AC Use
  This is a story about how you can curtail people's air-conditioning use without them noticing, and the big opportunity this represents to do a little micro-curtailing.

• HowStuffWorks: How Living Off the Grid Works
  For most people, paying utility bills is a tiresome and frustrating task. What if there was a way to get out from under the thumb of public utilities and produce your own sustainable energy?

Photo: iStockPhoto

Microbes Make Wind Power Possible

June 05, 2009

I want to point you to a news story, Discovery tech writer Eric Bland published on the Discovery News site back in April. It has to do with a microbe that, in the natural world, consumes electrons emitted by bacteria and emits methane. Scientists think that the microbe, Methanobacterium palustre, could be used to consume excess electricity generated from renewable sources, such as wind, and emit methane that could be used to power a fuel cell or could be stored chemically until it's needed later.

Read Microbe-Powered Fart Machine Stores Energy for more details. It just goes to show that there's more than one way to make renewable energy work.

The Wide Angle: Green Energy

March 09, 2009

The green energy revolution is driven by inventors and entrepreneurs who are making saving the planet a viable and profitable venture. This Wide Angle on Green Energy looks at the different kinds of green power available, from what's going on in the lab to what's being installed in the field and how everyone can benefit. 

And on TV, be sure to watch Earth: The Sequel, March 11, 12 and 15, on the Discovery Channel.

News: Hamster Power Charges Digital Devices
Researchers fitted a hamster with nanopiezoelectric jacket. As the hamster runs, the jacket moves and bounces to generate a current. About 1,000 hamster hours gives a full charge to a typical cell phone.

Video: Alternative Turkey Energy
The turkey industry produces over 1,7 million tons of turkey litter every year. In addition to fertilizer, this can now be used as an alternative energy source. Learn more in "HowStuffWorks" on Discovery Channel.

Video: Underwater Turbines Pump Out Energy
Parts of New York City are getting their power from underwater turbines. Kasey-Dee Gardner finds out more about this type of renewable energy.

Top 10: Ideas for a Greener Roof
Blending modern techniques with tried-and-true methods can turn an empty roof into an environmentally sound space. Here are the hottest ways for roofs to go green.

Puzzle: Green Power
Eco-friendly energy comes in all shapes and sizes. Check out some of the most popular means for acquiring sustainable power.

Quiz: Is it Green or Green-washed?
As the green movement continues to gather momentum and support, more organizations and companies are jumping on the train. But sometimes adopting a truly green business model is complicated and expensive. In other words: It isn't easy being green. As a result, some companies hoodwink consumers into thinking their company's products and services are green, when they are not. Test your green vs. greenwashing knowledge with this quiz.

How To: Go Green
A comprehensive breakdown of the different types of alternative energy available to power and heat your home as well as notes on what you should consider before investing in one.

Work and Connect: Green Your Home, Get a Tax Break
The United States government is extending tax breaks to homeowners who have decided to green up their home. Here's a rundown of 16 green upgrades to a house that could net homeowners a tax break.

Powrtalk Blog: Wet, Green Energy
The earth's surface is seventy percent ocean. Half the world lives within fifty miles of (but not upon) the oceans. More live near (but not upon) lakes and rivers and streams. This represents a lot of energy-laden water, located exactly next to people.

Photo: iStockphoto/Andrejs Zemdega

On Deck for the Week of Dec. 1

December 01, 2008

Monday, Dec. 1: We need to dramatically reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. So, how? Some think we should be burying it in the ground. Others say that's a risky endeavor. We'll have a Double Take, featuring both sides of the controversy.

We'll also have a video from producer Kasey-Dee Gardner about a new endoscope that creates 3-D images. The device provides doctors with a much better (and deeper) image of tissue than conventional endoscopes and that can improve diagnosis.

Tuesday, Dec. 2: Take a break from holiday shopping and do a puzzle. This month, our category is robots inspired by living things. Scientists call them "biomimetic."

Wednesday, Dec. 3: Gene Charleton has his weekly podcast from Engineering Works!

Thursday, Dec. 4: Some ancient buildings are lost and gone forever. But scientists are using virtual reality to rebuild architecture, allowing people to walk along corridors or through courtyards in ways that previously were not possible. Read the IM interview with Jose Kozan.

Friday, Dec. 5: Guest blog from David Alexander Ellis. Does Social Stimuli Expand Time? Recently graduated PhD student, David Ellis, tells us about his area of study and what it's like to be starting down the path of research. Read his guest blog.

On Deck for the Week of Nov. 24

November 24, 2008

Monday, Nov. 24: Podcast from Clark Boyd. Among lots of things, he'll be talking about how experts are trying to reduce internet scams.

Tuesday, Nov. 25: It's Thanksgiving week and everyone is getting on the road. And you know that means traffic accidents and traffic jams. Jorge Ribas has a video for us about "roads of the future" where cars talk to each other, to the roadside and even to other people's mobile phones—all to make driving safer and smoother.

Wednesday, Nov. 26: Our weekly podcast from Gene Charleton. Venice is sinking. Or rather, the sea around it is rising. The Italian government is spending $4 billion on an engineering project to save it. Listen to what it's all about.

Thursday, Nov. 27: We need to dramatically reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. So, how? For starters, we can stop pumping it into the air. But Kurt Zenz House and Julie Shoemaker of Harvard University think we should be burying it in the ground. They give us their take.

Friday, Nov. 28: Guest blog from David Alexander Ellis. Does Social Stimuli Expand Time? Recently graduated PhD student, David Ellis, tells us about his area of study and what it's like to be starting down the path of research. Read his guest blog.