A new study from University of Michigan researchers challenges the widely held assumption that biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel are inherently carbon neutral._ Jim Erickson/The University of Michigan
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Ετικέτα: Environment
Polar ice reveals new secrets of Earth’s climate
A team of scientists have used air bubbles in polar ice from pre-industrial times to measure the sensitivity of the Earth’s land biosphere to changes in temperature._CSIRO
Sun-Petrol
The sun is a clean and inexhaustible source of energy, with the potential to provide a sustainable answer to all future energy supply demands. There’s just one outstanding problem: the sun doesn’t always shine and its energy is hard to store. For the first time, researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and the ETH Zurich have unveiled a chemical process that uses the sun’s thermal energy to convert carbon dioxide and water directly into high-energy fuels: a procedure developed on the basis of a new material combination of cerium oxide and rhodium. This discovery marks a significant step towards the chemical storage of solar energy. The researchers published their findings in the research journal Energy and Environmental Science ._ Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) by Uta Deffke
Lionfish invading the Mediterranean Sea
Rising sea temperatures in the Mediterranean are encouraging alien lionfish species to invade and colonise new territories with potentially serious ecological and socioeconomic impacts._ Andrew Merrington, Plymouth University
Chemically Storing Solar Power
Scientists at TU Wien (Vienna) have now developed a new concept: By combining highly specialised new materials, they have managed to combine high temperature photovoltaics with an electrochemical cell. Ultraviolet light can be directly used to pump oxygen ions through a solid oxide electrolyte. The energy of the UV light is stored chemically. In the future, this method could also be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.__TU Wien
Will we ever stop using fossil fuels?
In recent years, proponents of clean energy have taken heart in the falling prices of solar and wind power, hoping they will drive an energy revolution. But a new study co-authored by an MIT professor suggests otherwise: Technology-driven cost reductions in fossil fuels will lead us to continue using all the oil, gas, and coal we can, unless governments pass new taxes on carbon emissions. __MIT News
Beauty of science displayed in annual PNNL calendar
Enjoying the beauty of science year-round is easy with a new digital calendar and computer wallpaper containing captivating images that illustrate research at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory._PNNL
Three new technologies to make energy cleaner, more efficient
Three technologies — a computational tool to improve power grid planning, a process to create biofuel from kelp and a hybrid device that makes hydrogen and stores energy — are being developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and its partners under new projects just announced by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E._PNNL
Weekly Science Kaleidoscope (weeks #46 #47, 2015)
Εβδομαδιαία επιστημονική επιθεώρηση
Icy Rosette Recovery
A rosette with seawater from various depths is retrieved from the Arctic Ocean by Coast Guard Cutter Healy._ Scripps Institution of Oceanography
CSIRO calls on researchers worldwide to join forces to save honey bees
Honey bees are essential for the pollination of about one third of the food we eat – including fruit, vegetables, oils, seeds and nuts – yet their health and ability to pollinate our crops is under serious threat.-CSIRO
Shifting Winds, Ocean Currents Doubled Endangered Galapagos Penguin Population
The new study shows how large-scale changes in the climate can act locally, said Michelle L’Heureux, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, and not an author on the new paper.
Major Advance in Artificial Photosynthesis
– Συνδυάζοντας βιοσυμβατές φωτοευαίσθητες νανοσυρμάτινες συστοιχίες με επιλε-γμένους πληθυσμούς βακτηριδίων, το νέο σύστημα τεχνητής φωτοσύνθεσης καθίσταται διπλά επωφελές για το περιβάλλον: ηλιακά τροφοδοτούμενη »πράσινη» χημεία, με χρήση απομονωμένου διοξειδίου του άνθρακα.
– Berkeley Lab Researchers Perform Solar-powered Green Chemistry with Captured CO2
Connecting Vehicles
-Υπολογιστικό πλαίσιο για τη βελτιστοποίηση της ροής της κυκλοφορίας θα μπορούσε να είναι η αρχή μιας οδικής επανάστασης
– Computational framework for optimizing traffic flow could be the beginning of a road revolution
