Green roofs are a cost-effective means of preventing sewage system overflows, according to new research from Columbia University. The ability to stop overflows of course stems from the fact that green roofs retain water and thus prevent said water from simply flowing into the sewers. As an example, the green … [continued]
A new means of generating electricity, one that utilizes bacteria to harness the energy of evaporating water, has been created by researchers from the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University. The completely new means of generating electricity could potentially be used to capture the energy released by … [continued]
A research team at Columbia University has figured out a way to bridge the gap between our three-dimensional world and the two-dimensional world of graphene, an alluring but notoriously fickle “miracle material” only one atom thick. The finding brings us one step closer to a new generation of smaller, lighter, … [continued]
It looks like more trouble is looming ahead for communities that host fracking operations. Two new studies have linked fracking-related operations to earthquakes in Texas and Ohio, and a recently settled lawsuit in Arkansas indicates that swarms of tiny earthquakes can damage surface structures. Add earthquakes to a list that … [continued]
Shell Oil’s ill-fated Arctic oil drilling venture has just been put on hold, and in an epic piece of timing, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have just proposed a magnet-based method for cleaning up oil spills that could, for the first time ever, link the words “simple,” “fast,” and “energy efficient” with the tedious job of separating oil from water. As an extra sustainability bonus, the cost of the operation could be offset by recycling the harvested oil, and the magnets would be reused, too. The Big Question is, will it work? […]
By the time President Obama announced the Better Buildings Initiative last week, forward-looking players in the energy efficiency game were already a few steps ahead. One example is New York City, which has partnered up with Columbia University to create the NYC Urban Technology Innovative Center. Its mission is to … [continued]
Graphene is emerging as a futuristic materials superhero that will drive us toward more energy efficient, durable, scaled-down electronics, among many other new technologies. However, every superhero has a weakness and researchers at Columbia University have just found it. If graphene was Superman, this would be its kryptonite. Perhaps a … [continued]
Scott Banta, a chemical engineering professor at Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, has won a federal grant to come up with a bacteria that can produce the biofuel butanol by growing on carbon dioxide and ammonia. The carbon dioxide will come from ambient air, not … [continued]
IBM and Columbia University are set to groom the next generation of workers in the emerging green economy through an initiative called the “Smarter Cities Skills Initiative.” The two innovation powerhouses have joined forces to engage students in becoming part of a global movement that is transforming aging urban infrastructure … [continued]
A team of students at Columbia University has made it to the next round of Walmart’ s Better Living Business Plan Challenge. They achieved their spot in the sustainability-focused competition by yes, reinventing the wheel. The team has proposed a business venture that would make energy efficient, lightweight composite wheels … [continued]
