Jul

30

A New Look At the Carbon Cycle

July 30, 2010 | 5 Comments

Two new studies with international participation might change the way scientists view the crucial relationship between Earth’s climate and the carbon cycle. The reports explore the global photosynthesis and respiration rates — the planet’s deep “breaths” of carbon dioxide, in and out.  The researchers say that the new findings will be used to update and [...]

Jul

29

Generate Your Own Power in Battery Sizes

July 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment

You might have seen those shake and charge flashlights on sale.  They’ve come a long way since the first ones only a few short years ago.  Now the impressive Japanese Firm Brother Industries has developed small vibration-powered generators that can replace the little AA and AAA batteries.  This is good. Called a “Vibration-powered Generating Battery,” [...]

Jul

28

Catching CO² to Make Some Useful Fuel

July 28, 2010 | 10 Comments

George Washington University’s Dr. Stuart Licht and colleagues have published the first experimental evidence of their new solar thermal electrochemical photovoltaic (STEP) process, which combines electrical and chemical pathways to convert CO2 to carbon or to carbon monoxide for subsequent use in synthesizing a range of industrially relevant products including hydrocarbon fuels. According to the [...]

Jul

27

Laugh Until It Sinks In

July 27, 2010 | 1 Comment

Occidental Petroleum is running a very clever and funny ad supporting and informing about what petroleum is used for as well as natural gas, gasoline and diesel. As you’ve seen in the video lots of things will disappear.  They even missed important stuff like the concrete foundation of the house, the asphalt roadway and the [...]

Jul

26

Getting that CO² Back Into Fuel

July 26, 2010 | 6 Comments

University of Cincinnati researchers in Ohio are reporting the development of a catalytic hydroboration system for the “highly efficient” reduction of CO2 with a borane and then hydrolysis of the resulting methoxyboryl species to produce methanol (CH3OH) with a good yield.  In short form – the researchers have a system to take CO2 gas and [...]

Jul

23

The Endless Supply of Energy Hunt

July 23, 2010 | 11 Comments

It’s out there, or so they say in the cosmic physics community.  There is a mysterious “dark energy” believed to constitute nearly three-fourths of the mass and energy of the Universe out there.  That’s a lot of power. Dark energy is the label scientists have given to what is causing the Universe to expand at [...]

Jul

22

The New Nuclear Controversy

July 22, 2010 | 9 Comments

Big is better – or so many have believed for decades about atomic fission reactor and the generator sets needed to use the output.  Now Rod Adams from Atomic Insights Blog has entered the Controversy – or more on point – sets out a basis for no controversy. Realistically, small fission reactors have been used [...]

Jul

21

New Space Heating Technology from an Old Idea

July 21, 2010 | 4 Comments

Starting with the Ericsson Cycle idea, Purdue University researchers have developed a new type of heat pump that could allow residents in cold climates to cut their heating bills in half. Eckhard Groll, a professor of mechanical engineering who is working on the project with James Braun professor of mechanical engineering and W. Travis Horton, [...]

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