Energy

I was impressed by the extensive damage done to an Indiana home and surrounding structures a few days ago. It really did look like a bomb blast. The obvious explanation is that a gas leak was the cause, but could it have been an explosive device? One way t ...

Article - Dave Deamer - Nov 12 2012 - 12:01pm

Solar Panels: Should We Be Paying More For Products People Don't Want?

Earlier this year, the US government opened a new front in its war with China over solar panel manufacturing- tariffs designed to close the gap between U.S. and Chinese labor costs. Tariffs don't work, we have known that since the Depression of the 19 ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Jun 2 2014 - 12:15pm

World War I Artillery Science Could Mean More Bang For Our Biofuel Buck

Clostridium acetobutylicum became popular when the chemist Chaim Weizmann first used the bacterium to ferment the solvent acetone and the alcohols butanol and ethanol, collectively known as “ABE” products, from starch- he wanted to create synthetic rubber ...

Article - News Staff - Nov 25 2012 - 11:32am

Study Shows Saltwater Algae May Become Viable For Biofuels

The findings of a U.C. San Diego study conclude that marine (saltwater) algae can be just as efficient as freshwater algae in producing biofuels. The availability of significant saltwater environments for algae production is obvious. According to a Pacif ...

Article - News Staff - Nov 27 2012 - 10:00am

The Installed Price Of Solar Photovoltaic Systems In The US Continues To Decline At A Rapid Pace

Berkeley, CA — The installed price of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the United States fell substantially in 2011 and through the first half of 2012, according to the latest edition of Tracking the Sun, an annual PV cost-tracking report produced ...

Article - News Staff - Nov 27 2012 - 11:38pm

It Takes Basic Research, Stupid

Hot on the heels of the election, geoscientists are recommending what should be an obvious change of direction for our energy policy; instead of wasting another $72 billion on subsidies for corporations building legacy ineffective green energy technology, ...

Article - Hank Campbell - Dec 1 2012 - 1:36pm

Maybe Its Time To Reboot Synthetic Fuel

A combination of coal, natural gas and non-food crops used to make synthetic fuel could reduce America's need for crude oil. It's been tried various times, even before World War II, with no success, but it may deserve a rethink. ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 5 2012 - 5:28pm

Subwavelength Plasmonic Cavity: Metallic Sandwich May Make Solar Power Delicious

A nanostructured 'sandwich' of metal and plastic may be a way to nearly triple the efficiency of organic solar cells, those cheap and flexible plastic energy devices that could be the future of solar power. The researchers were able to increase ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 9 2012 - 5:30am

Efficient Markets And Sustainable Housing

Current global conditions provide numerous challenges for future generations. The United States has a mind-boggling federal deficit. Developing countries have rapid population growth that will lead to increasing energy demands and a larger carbon footprint ...

Article - Randall Mayes - Jan 7 2013 - 8:28pm

Synthetic Biology Future: Fuels From Ice Cream?

A future without fossil fuels is ideal but impractical in the short term. However, for people not afraid of science, a PNAS paper showing that synthetic biology can be used to manipulate hydrocarbon chemicals, found in soaps and shampoos, in cells is som ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 19 2012 - 10:42am