Energy

Sustainable Jet Fuel: Sunshine And Seawater Could Power Flight

The aviation industry is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2011 aviation contributed around 3% of Australia’s emissions. Despite improvements in efficiency, global aviation emissions are expected to grow 70% by 2020 from 2005. While the indus ...

Article - The Conversation - Jun 10 2015 - 1:00pm

The Real Science On Wind Farm Impact: Noise, Infrasound And Health

In a radio interview, Prime Minister Tony Abbott raised what he described as the “potential health impacts” of wind farms. ...

Article - The Conversation - Aug 30 2015 - 11:01am

Metal-Organic Framework Compounds: Solar Cell Made Of Highly Ordered Molecular Frameworks

Researchers have developed a functioning organic solar cell consisting of a single component has been produced on the basis of metal-organic framework compounds (MOFs). The material is highly elastic and might also be used for the flexible coating of cloth ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 22 2015 - 9:30am

Better Switchgrass Optimization Means Better Biofuel

Using biofuel is one way to decrease the United States' dependence on oil. And switchgrass is an excellent candidate for biofuel production. It is an adaptable plant that can grow on millions of acres of U.S. lands that cannot support crop or food pr ...

Article - News Staff - Jun 25 2015 - 11:41am

RAM, Flash? What To Do About The Cost And Power Consumption Of Big Data?

Random-access memory, or RAM, is where computers like to store the data they're working on because a processor can retrieve data from RAM tens of thousands of times faster than from the computer's disk drive. ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 15 2015 - 7:33am

More Biofuels Will Lead To Water Shortages

Climate change mitigation could actually increase water shortage in some areas rather than reduce it, according to new research. The source of the problem is clear: greater demand for biofuels, intended to reduce emissions from fossil fuels, requires mass ...

Article - The Conversation - Aug 7 2015 - 7:30am

Small, Modular Fusion Plant Proposed Thanks To Superconducting Tapes

It's an old joke: Practical nuclear fusion power plants are just 30 years away-- and always will be. Maybe sooner, this time. Advances in magnet technology have led researchers at MIT to propose a new design for a practical compact tokamak fusion rea ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 14 2015 - 8:30am

Is Methane A Problem? Or Just Environmental Framing To Go After Natural Gas?

Methane has 23X the short term warming impact of CO2 but, it was noted by environmentalists when they used to advocate for natural gas, methane is very short-lived and the amount released due to natural gas usage is negligible. Yet now the Environmental Pr ...

Blog Post - Hank Campbell - Aug 19 2015 - 7:25am

Framing Science Through Politics Common In Keystone XL Pipeline Debate

When government scientists determined that there would be negligible environmental impact due to the Keystone XL pipeline, another 400 miles of new, safer pipeline in an area where 20,000 miles of older pipeline already existed were not going to ruin the ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 27 2015 - 5:20pm

We Need To Save Eagles From Wind Turbines- There May Be A Solution

If you are a hunter and accidentally shoot an endangered eagle, you could go to jail and you will certainly have a criminal record. If you are a wind turbine company, you kill 100 eagles a year and pay a token fine.  An estimated 75 to 110 golden eagles d ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 28 2015 - 11:23am