World Future Energy Summit Showcases Solar Thermal Reactor

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Thu, 2010-01-21 16:28
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World Future Energy Summit Showcases Solar Thermal Reactor

A recently unveiled solar thermal reactor promises to turn solar energy into base load power.
The heat exchangers and reactor of a solar thermal reactor.

The World Future Energy Summit, held in Abu Dhabi, is showcasing some of the biggest and most imaginative technologies the green sector has seen in decades. One of the most unique items on display is a solar thermal reactor by a group calling itself Solar Fusion Power. With a 1-megawatt demonstration reactor set to be ready in about nine months, the solar thermal reactor could shake up our expectations for solar power.

Could the Ocean Benefit from More CO2?

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Thu, 2009-12-03 10:04
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Could the Ocean Benefit from More CO2?

New research may reverse theory that ocean CO2 levels will harm coral and other sea creatures.
New Guinea Coral Reefs

In recent years, ocean acidification has become a talking point for climate scientists as an additional symptom of increased atmospheric CO2. It was believed that carbon dioxide diffused in ocean water would slightly acidify it, wreaking havoc on coral, crustaceans, and mollusks that require a specific chemistry to grow their shells and skeletons. Scientists believed that these populations and habitats would be devastated, and turn the ocean food chain upside-down.

Research suggests global warming will trigger instant ice age

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Thu, 2009-12-03 09:08
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Research suggests global warming will trigger instant ice age

Scientists revealed research that shows that a previous warming period triggered a massive global ice age in a matter of months, and that it's certain to happen again.
Beach snow. Photo by Peter Urwin on Flickr

Climate scientists recently released a new report which claims that global warming could trigger an ice age that would grip the planet in a matter of months, not years. According to the biogeochemists and climate scientists involved, melting ice from a previous warming period slowed or stifled ocean currents. Geological evidence that points to a deluge of cool freshwater suggests that a melting ice sheet in North America effectively shut down ocean convection and insulated the polar ice caps from the equator's warm waters.

David McConville on perspective, ecosystems, and climate change as a symptom

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2009-11-16 16:53
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David McConville on perspective, ecosystems, and climate change as a symptom

Green TV

David McConville of Elumenati shared insights with us at West Coast Green, 2009 about addressing human problems from a different level. David's work, which largely revolves around using immersive displays to explain complex concepts from molecular biology to galactic ecosystems, has given him insight into how perspective plays into the decisions we make as a species.

"Endless Oil" Theory Given New Life by Carnegie Institution

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Wed, 2009-11-11 13:51
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"Endless Oil" Theory Given New Life by Carnegie Institution

Carnegie Institution researchers following 100 year old notes from the father of chemistry discovered that we may be dead wrong about where oil comes from.
Oil wells and Dimitri Mendeleev, father of modern chemistry.

Aside from the harmful link between burning petroleum products and increasing the temperature of our atmosphere, the ever-looming knowledge that oil will eventually run out brings extra urgency to finding ways to heat our home and power our cars without it. Conventional wisdom says that oil is made from a limited supply of pressurized remains of prehistoric plants and animals trapped thousands of feet under today's crust, but new research from the Carnegie Institution says that we shouldn't act so certain.

UN Finishes New Climate Study, Finds Severe Global Warming Inevitable

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Fri, 2009-09-25 08:08
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UN Finishes New Climate Study, Finds Severe Global Warming Inevitable

The UN released the research that replaces their 2007 findings on climate change, and brings greater understanding to how our planet works.
Orange Clouds over a sleepy suburb. Photo by Jason Dunn

UN scientists released their latest findings on climate change in an update to the 2007 research that established human-caused climate change as the scientific consensus. The new information suggests that severe climate change will still occur even if developed nations adopt aggressive carbon emission cuts.

EPA adds Ohio's Little Scioto River to Superfund National Priorities List

Submitted by Gabe LeBlanc on Thu, 2009-09-24 20:25
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Press Release:

EPA adds Ohio's Little Scioto River to Superfund National Priorities List

EPA

(CHICAGO - Sept. 23, 2009) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has added the Little Scioto River, near Marion, Ohio, to the Superfund National Priorities List of hazardous waste sites. Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country. A public comment period on the proposed listing of the site ended in June.

Mountaineer Coal Plant Launches First Carbon Storage Project

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2009-09-22 07:43
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Mountaineer Coal Plant Launches First Carbon Storage Project

The Mountaineer coal plant launched the first carbon storage project in the nation, drawing negative comments from environmental groups.
Mountaineer Power Plant, scrubber stack and coal conveyer visible

Mountaineer power plant in West Virginia recently unveiled their breakthrough in carbon storage technology. As the first coal-fired power plant to implement this technology at a commercial scale, mountaineer will be liquefying their carbon-dioxide and pumping it deep underground. While this will drastically decrease the carbon footprint of the Mountaineer power plant, environmental groups are upset that the utility is using research money on carbon sequestration rather than renewable technology like solar and wind power.

EPA Proposal to Rexamine Smog and Air Quality Standards

Submitted by Gabe LeBlanc on Wed, 2009-09-16 14:05
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EPA Proposal to Rexamine Smog and Air Quality Standards

The EPA may push for tougher rules concerning smog and other issues impacting air quality.
Inhaler

The EPA announced it would reexamine the 2008 smog standards to determine whether it there was data suggesting current smog standards were sufficient to meet human health standards. According to the release, smog is a contributor to asthma and other respiratory conditions. Lisa P. Jackson, the EPA Administrator said regarding the potential new regs, "Smog in the air we breathe can cause difficulty breathing and aggravate asthma, especially in children...

Nanosolar Unveils Ultra-Cheap Solar Tech

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Thu, 2009-09-10 12:09
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Nanosolar Unveils Ultra-Cheap Solar Tech

After 7 years, Nanosolar unveils their ultra-cheap solar tech that can printed on flexible low-cost aluminum foil.
Nanosolar thin film printed solar panels.

Nanosolar has been seeding the greentech sector with rumors of how they were going to revolutionize solar power since the company's inception in 2002. Today, seven years later, this Silicon-Valley startup finally revealed its technology to the public and announced that they've already taken $4.1 billion in orders for their product.