The quest for cleaner energy generation is one that is going to be a main focus for the next several decades. Without a doubt, humanity has finally realized that our insane overdependence on oil and other fossil fuels is, if nothing else, simply not healthy. It will eventually run out, … [continued]
The environmental movement is one that has, lately, received a rather large amount of attention. This is not solely because of the contention about whether the global warming is as a result of man-made greenhouse gases, but because of its subsequent timing with a revolution on the internet. New research … [continued]
I’ve long had a theory that many people enjoy golf because of the picturesque surroundings of the typical golf course. Wooded areas, rolling hills, green grass, lakes and ponds, rivers and creeks, sand…sadly, it is the closest that many people will get to “nature”, and the longest chunk of time … [continued]
Geo-Engineering is “the deliberate modification of Earth’s environment on a large scale “to suit human needs and promote habitability”‘ (via Wikipedia). Until recently it was the stuff of science fiction, a god-like power regulated to unseen aliens or super-futuristic societies. Occasionally planetary catastrophe also ensued. Yet with climate change and … [continued]
Urwerk is getting a lot of notice right now. Not for it’s quirky company name, but for it’s UR 202 wind-powered watch that is quite the hit among high rolling technophiles, stylephiles and ecophiles alike. The watch, which uses compressed air from integrated wind turbines and kinetic energy to keep … [continued]
(Quote shamelessly borrowed from Star Wars via Lucasfilm Ltd.) There’s a basic law of physics that everyone can agree on: you can’t create energy from nothing. So when an invention comes along and seems to do exactly that, scientists are skeptical. Some get downright prickly. The problem is, these inventions … [continued]
StatoilHydro, a state-run oil company in Norway, recently announced a 2 year test of a floating 2.3 MW wind turbine off the coast of Norway. Cables will be used to transmit the power to shore for this $80 million pilot project. The turbine has a height of 65 meters above … [continued]
As a barrel of oil hovers around $130, the news has been bombarding us with the obvious effects of high oil prices. As most people weep at the pump, some environmentalists are rejoicing. Gas consumption is down, but there are additional hidden costs to high gas prices that leave even … [continued]
Picture a kelp bed on the ocean floor swaying in the current. Done? Now picture an underwater field of bioWave turbines (pictured to your left) doing the same. But, unlike the kelp, supplying one half megawatt of electricity. (In kelp’s defense, it does provide oxygen, food, and a place for … [continued]
I ran across this article at The Oil Drum and thought it was too tasty to pass up. It describes a new design to help concentrated solar power (CSP) increase efficiency and reduce cost. Here’s the problem: solar thermal collectors focus the sun’s heat onto a clear tube of fluid … [continued]
