Author: Megan Treacy

A new study published in the journal Science states that rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere aren’t just affecting climate, but could affect the nutrition contained in the world’s food crops too.  Scientists at the University of California, Davis found that increased CO2 could reduce the protein content of crop plants by as much as 20 percent.

This slash in nutritional value happens because higher concentrations of CO2 interfere with a plant’s ability to convert nitrates into proteins, which leads to a less protein-rich food.

The scientists tested two common forms of soil nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) with wheat plants that were exposed to elevated CO2 and the plants had reduced abilities to produce proteins.  This suggests new fertilizers will have to be developed to counteract this response, and soon, as the researchers see this 20 percent decline happening in the coming decades.

via Yale e360

Google has been tinkering with the idea of a floating, wave-powered data center for a while, but it looks like a better solution could come from a more basic power source:  manure.  Hewlett Packard has released a research paper that states that tech companies like themselves, Google, and Microsoft could benefit from a partnership with dairy farmers, using the cattle waste for fuel.

The research paper says that the dairy farmers could rent out land and power to the tech companies with a return on investment in waste-to-fuel systems in two years, making it a great arrangement for the farmers too.  Farmers want to build biogas plants where manure is processed and the methane produced is used in place of natural gas or diesel, but the cost of equipment is often too expensive for them to finance on their own.  This is where the tech companies come in.

As companies move their larger and larger data centers into rural areas with plenty of land, teaming up with local farms seems to be a natural fit — farmers need a way to get rid of the vast amounts of waste and tech companies need an affordable, clean source of energy.

An average cow produces enough manure to power a 100-watt light bulb and 10,000 cows could potentially power a 1-MW data center, a small computing center.  But another possible link between the farms and companies is that the biogas systems require a lot of heat to make fuel and computing equipment in data centers produce a lot of waste heat, so a loop could be created where the biogas plant powers the data center and the waste heat from the data center helps power the biogas plant.

The paper sees California and Texas as being the testing grounds in the U.S. for this partnership, while China and India could also benefit from such an arrangement.

via NY Times

Major lighting companies are working tirelessly towards becoming the first to own the LED market.  The super-efficient light source is the future of lighting, but so far, for most consumers the available LED bulbs have been too expensive and dimmer than the incandescent bulbs we’re used to.

But that seems to be changing.  In the next few months, 60-watt equivalent bulbs in the $30 – $40 price range will be hitting the shelves.  In comparison, just two years ago, a 60-watt equivalent cost $90 and a 100-watt dimmable bulb went for $360.

Osram Sylvania is releasing an LED bulb in August that emits 810 lumens (similar to a 60-watt incandescent) that only consumes 12 watts and should last 12 times longer than an incandescent bulb.  That bulb should cost around $40.  The company is also releasing a 75-watt equivalent next year.

Lighting Science will soon start selling a 770 lumen, 9 watt LED bulb at Home Depot with a price in the low $30 range.  Other lighting companies like GE, Panasonic, Lemnis Lighting and Philips are all scrambling to hit a similar lumen-per-price ratio.

Why is $30 for a 60-watt equivalent an important milestone?  Well, first-off, the 60-watt bulb is the best-selling incandescent, so being able to convert an equivalent consumer LED bulb into an affordable price range is key.  Secondly, industry experts say that once LEDs hit $20, utilities could give them away to customers because the energy saved would cover the cost of the bulbs and would allow them to postpone bringing on new power plants.  So, getting the cost of these bulbs into the $30 range means that a $20 bulb is right around the corner.

via Greentech Media

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has approved the Cape Wind offshore wind farm project!  In addition to giving the go-ahead, Salazar outlined a few tweaks to incorporate the concerns of those who have opposed the project.

• The project will be reduced in scope from the original 170 turbines planned to 130.
• Additional marine surveys will be required before construction to make sure the archaeological heritage of the site can be preserved.
• Other measures will need be incorporated to minimize the “visual impact” of the wind farm.

It’s hard to believe it’s been nine years since the first announcement of the project in the Nantucket Sound.  Some residents of the surrounding area, including Wampanoag Indian tribes and the late Sen. Kennedy, have opposed the project because they believe it would obstruct their views (and disrupt spiritual rituals and ancient burial sites of the Indians).

But environmentalists around the country and five East Coast governors all rallied for its approval, and in the end, the U.S. is finally getting its first offshore wind farm.  The wind farm will have a capacity of 420 MW — enough to meet 75 percent of Cape Cod and the Islands’ electricity needs.

The U.S. leads the world in wind energy capacity, but we’ve lagged behind other countries, especially in Europe, that have forged ahead with offshore wind.

Why is this a big deal?  Because offshore wind is stronger, more consistent and near coastal population centers, meaning more power generation, less gaps in electricity and no need for huge transmission networks (like those needed to distribute wind energy generated in the middle of the country).

via  Boston Globe

Japan’s solar sail-powered “space yacht” is all set to launch on May 18.  Ikaros (Interplanetary Kite-Craft Accelerated by Radiation of the Sun) will be the first spacecraft of its kind to attempt to reach deep space.

The craft’s 46-foot sails, outfitted with ultra-thin solar cells, will be steered by mission control from the ground, tweaking the angles to ensure enough of the sun’s rays are hitting the craft to keep it powering on into space.  Other solar-sailed crafts have gone into space, but none have made it beyond orbit.  One reason could be that it’s not a cheap mission.  The JAXA space program has already spent $16 million on this project.

Ikaros will be launched into space by a rocket along with Japan’s first Venus-bound satellite before they separate and Ikaros goes fuel-free for the rest of its journey.

The Planetary Society also has a solar-powered space flight planned for sometime this year.  It will interesting to see how the two fair.

via Popular Science

Scientists from the University of South Florida have discovered the water purifying power of the prickly pear cactus.  An extract from the desert-dweller is very effective at removing sediment and bacteria from dirty H2O and, even better, it grows all around the world.

The scientists aren’t the first to realize this plant’s ability.  Nineteenth-century Mexican communities used the cactus as a water purifier. The thick gum in the cactus that stores water is responsible for the purification.  The scientists extracted the gum and then added it to water that had been dirtied up with sediment and bacteria.

The gum caused the sediment and bacteria to combine and settle to the bottom, filtering 98 percent of the bacteria from the water.  The next phase is to test it on natural water.

The scientists see communities in developing countries using the cactus on daily basis.  They could boil a slice of it to release the gum and then add it to water just like the scientists did.  But there are hurdles to overcome.  What resources would be necessary for widespread growth of the cactus for this purpose and how can people ensure the “treated” water is truly bacteria free?  If these problems can be solved, cheap, clean water could be accessible for millions who are currently without.

via New Scientists

Indonesia’s 17,000 islands are home to hundreds of volcanoes and approximately 40 percent of the earth’s geothermal energy potential and the nation’s government is ready to harness that hot, clean energy.

The country has set a goal of bringing online 4GW of geothermal capacity by 2014, which will almost quadruple the current capacity of 1,189 MW.  If you think that sounds ambitious, you’re right.  It generally takes three to five years just to complete field exploration and then another three years to actually build a geothermal plant.

And then there’s the cost of the project — $12 billion to be exact. The country is looking to the World Bank, private investors and developed countries like Japan and the U.S. for help raising the money.  But once the plants are up and running, they’re basically tapping into endless, clean energy with little overhead required.

Plus, this plan will go a long way towards reaching the Indonesian president’s goals of cutting emissions to 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and adding 10GW of clean energy capacity by 2014.

via AFP

Australian scientists have discovered that whale poo is not only helping ocean plant life to flourish, but also increasing the ocean’s ability to absorb CO2.

Because whales’ diets are made up largely of iron-rich krill (small crustaceans), their droppings are a great fertilizer for marine plants, helping them to grow like weeds (or algae).  These plants then do their part by absorbing CO2 as they grow, a process that scientists have tried to amp up (unsuccessfully) in Antarctic waters with iron fertilization.

Researchers say one-third of the world’s oceans are low in iron.  On the other hand, whale excrement contains a very high concentration of the mineral — about 10 million times the concentration in Antarctic seawater.  But how will scientists use this information?  That’s not clear yet, but it’s a great reminder of how intricately well-tuned nature can be.

via AFP

Solar company Sungevity is offering President Obama a free rooftop solar power system for the White House, and to get his attention they’ve launched the Globama campaign.

Sungevity is offering the 102-panel, 17.85 kW solar system, installation and warranty as a free donation, at no cost to the Obamas, the government or tax payers.  The only costs associated with the panels would be the upkeep and maintenance.  In case the president isn’t comfortable with the $107,900 donation, they’re also offering a 10-year lease of the equipment at $537/month with maintenance and monitoring included.

To sell the idea and to get us all onboard, Sungevity created a website, SolarOnTheWhiteHouse.com, where the company has laid out a full quote, detailing the financial aspects, utility savings, technical information and environmental benefits of the installation.  Also at the website, you can sign a petition asking the president to accept Sungevity’s offer.

According to Sungevity, the solar array would reduce the White House electricity bill by 81 percent, or $1,610/month.

via SolarOnTheWhiteHouse.com

As you may recall, last August the Navy put out a call to biofuel companies for 40,000 gallons of fuel to start testing in their F/A-18 Super Hornet jet.  Sustainable Oils ultimately won the contract to develop biofuel for the military branch and now the Navy is prepared to take the Hornet on a supersonic flight using a blend of 50 percent jet fuel and 50 percent camelina-based oil.

Tomorrow, at the Air Station at Patuxent River, Maryland, the so-called “Green Hornet” will fly over the Chesapeake Bay, hopefully proving that biofuels can perform well in a full range of flight operations, including traveling faster than the speed of sound.  The Super Hornet was picked as a test craft for biofuels because it’s the Navy’s largest aviation fuel-consumer.

Camelina biofuel has shown itself to be a great choice for jet fuel blends because it can work as a drop-in replacement for jet fuel.  All aircraft systems — fuel gauge, etc. — operate the same as if it were straight petroleum.  Also, a recent study found that the use of camelina jet fuel could reduce carbon emissions by 84 percent compared to regular jet fuel.

The Hornet won’t be the only naval craft to get a makeover though.  The Navy has committed to getting half of their energy from renewable sources by 2020, which will include cleaning up ships, aircraft and all of their power systems.  The U.S. military is the world’s greatest consumer of petroleum, so their commitment to reducing that consumption is an important one.

National Geographic News

Imagine the Toyota Prius.  Now imagine it stretched a little longer and taller, perhaps a “Baby on Board” sticker attached to the back, and that may just be what’s in store for a new version of the hybrid vehicle.

Japanese news source Nikkei is reporting that Toyota will be releasing a Prius minivan sometime next year. The minivan would be the first expansion of the Prius brand by the automaker.

Beyond being the first hybrid minivan on the market, the vehicle may also be the first Toyota to use an in-house developed lithium-ion battery pack.  Details are scarce, but it would likely be a three-row, sliding-door vehicle, capable of seating up to seven people.

The automaker reportedly expects to price the minivan in line with its fully gas-fueled competition.

via Reuters

A vague, but potentially exciting announcement from Chrysler this week says that the automaker and NASA are pairing up to “share knowledge” and resources on advanced technologies.

The topics that this new alliance will discuss and investigate include materials engineering, robotics, radar, battery systems and other energy storage mediums.  Chrysler has obviously gained a very valuable resource for creating cutting edge (most likely electric) cars, but what’s in this partnership for NASA?

The car company says that they have a history working with NASA in their space program, specifically, building rockets and boosters for some of the manned Mercury and Apollo missions in 1961 and 1968.  Could Chrysler be offering the same type of help again?

So while the press release is vague with its mentions of “synergies and shared interest,” the possible outcomes of this partnership could be exciting.  But let’s face it — we’re ecogeeks.  Any discussion of robots, electric cars and space exploration has us giggling with anticipation.

via Autoblog Green

There’s been a lot of press lately about EV launches and pricing strategies of big auto companies, like Nissan with their LEAF. But out of the shadows, practically unknown Envision Motor Company has emerged and announced that they will be launching not one, but three EVs this summer, all with a price tag under $30,000, once the $7,500 federal tax credit is applied.

The all-electric vehicles will include a seven-passenger wagon, a utility van and a small pickup truck.  All models will be sold at a selection of dealerships across America.

The vehicles will be outfitted with 24kWh sodium nickel chloride batteries and AC motors.  The company states they’ll have a max speed of 75 mph and a 200-mile range.  They have onboard chargers and can juice up at home on a 110V circuit in six to eight hours.  The vehicles have already passed crash testing.

The EVs will make their debut on a test-drive tour around the country that starts in May.

via Autoblog Green

IBM has made a significant step in cleaning up its global operations.  It’s now requiring all of its suppliers in 90 different countries to install management systems to track environmental data like energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste and recycling levels.  All suppliers must set environmental goals and publicly report their progress.

For large global companies like IBM, turning over a greener leaf starts with gathering environmental data on all parts of your supply chain.  Once armed with that information, IBM will know where and how to make changes.

IBM is also requiring any subcontractors of their suppliers to track the same data if they’re a significant part of the supply chain.  The company says their goal with this project is to systematize environmental management and sustainability so that all of its global partners are working with the same type of information and are easily able to set and reach environmental goals.

All suppliers will need to have these systems installed by early 2011.  If they don’t comply, IBM says it will no longer do business with them.

via NY Times

Yamaha, one of the best-known names in motorcycles, is finally entering the electric bike fray.  The company has announced that it will be selling shares in order to raise $812 million to go towards developing low-cost, all-electric motorcycles and “motor-assisted” bicycles.

So far, electric bikes haven’t really taken off — they’re expensive and haven’t had that “it’ factor — but not many of the big players have been designing them, until now.  With Yamaha’s presence in the market, electric motorcycles may make a name for themselves.

Yamaha won’t be spending all of that money just on all-electric motorcycles, though it will all go to cleaning up the business.  The company’s R&D team will also be working on more efficient engines for its bikes and boats.

via Reuters

Image via Yamaha

NextGen Solar has announced that it has raised half of the $1 million it needs to bring its “solar paint” to customers.  The company claims its paint-on solar cells can hit 40 percent efficiency and will cost only a third of traditional solar PV panels.

The NextGen solar paint is a liquid material that forms webs of nanoscale solar cells when it dries and it can be painted onto practically any surface.  Developed by the Argonne National Laboratory, the solar paint beats out thin-film PV cells in efficiency because it captures more wavelengths of light.

The company is working with ambitious clean tech investors, hoping to get the prototype out of the lab and onto roofs, windows and walls soon.  A commercial breakthrough of this type of clean energy technology – one that is cheap and efficient enough to go up against coal – could make a big impact.

via Cleantechnica

Amtrak is on course to break its annual ridership record this year.  By the halfway point (their fiscal year starts in October), 13.6 million passengers have traveled on the rail system.

Ridership for March 2010 was up 13.5 percent from March 2009 on its popular Acela line and five short-haul routes had double digit increases in the past six months too.  All this bodes well for the rail system’s request to Congress for a $446 million budget increase that would go towards upgrading to more fuel-efficient trains, possibly including GE’s diesel-electric rail cars.

If this trend continues and more passengers choose rail travel over air travel, the environment stands to benefit greatly.  The Guardian has reported that train travel reduces greenhouse gas emission by a factor of five to 10 compared to air travel on domestic trips.  And if Amtrak upgrades to more efficient trains, the emissions savings could grow even more.

via DC Streetsblog and Guardian

The largest nonprofit health maintenance organization (HMO) in the country is getting into the solar game.  Kaiser Permanente has announced plans to install 15 MW of solar PV arrays on their buildings throughout California, saying “what’s good for the environment is good for our health.”

Hospitals, offices and other buildings will be outfitted with the arrays by next summer by solar company Recurrent Energy.  Recurrent will own and operate the systems with Kaiser agreeing to purchase the power over 20 years.  The solar energy generated by the installations will equal 10 percent of Kaiser’s energy usage at those facilities, getting them closer to their goal of having 25 percent of their energy come from renewable sources by 2020.

Over the course of the 20-year agreement, Kaiser will pay about the same amount for the solar energy as they would for power from the grid, but if energy prices go up, the company could save quite a bit of money during that time, while cutting emissions in the process.

via Green Inc.

Japanese company Teijin Ltd has designed an ultra-light concept EV that barely tips the scales at 963 pounds, showcasing technologies and manufacturing methods that shed weight, but, unfortunately, also make the car unsafe to drive.

The PU_PA EV is a two-seater that weighs about half of a normal EV and almost 60 percent less than a smart fortwo, which weighs in at 1,600 pounds.  The designers used techniques like integral molding to reduce the amount of parts to 100, compared to 20,000 parts for a normal EV.  The core structure was made of feather-weight carbon composite material and the interior fabrics were made from biodegradable PET.

The car does run — it’s capable of reaching 35 mph and has a range of about 60 miles — but it would be illegal to take it on the road.  The polycarbonate resin windshield is half the density of glass, making it weigh less, but also making it unsafe.  Other problems include the headlights not having enough light density and the lack of airbags.

But the point of the car is less about putting it on the road now than inspiring new ways to shed weight in our cars and therefore increase fuel efficiency (electricity or gas).  The designers think that a road-safe version of the PU_PA EV (hopefully with another name) could be ready in five to 10 years.

via TechOn

Microsoft has a new partner for its Hohm software:  Ford Motor Co.  The two companies are pairing up to outfit Ford’s electric vehicles with Hohm’s energy management tools.

The partnership will allow the EV drivers to charge their cars in a more affordable and responsible way, lessening the strain on the grid during peak hours and allowing the utilities to better cope with the demands of EVs as they become more commonplace.  Smart grid tools are necessary for electric cars to be successful, so integrating this type of energy management software right into the car is a great step by Ford.

The software will be installed in future all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles from Ford, beginning with the all-electric Ford Focus in 2011.  Ford and Microsoft will also be working with individual utilities and cities to bring together what they’re calling the “entire energy ecosystem.”

via GreenBiz