MIT researchers discover new energy source

Researchers at MIT have devised a process for generating electricity using nanotechnology. They hope that if they refine the process they will able to create a new, environmentally friendly battery, as well as other products. The process they have devised uses tiny wires, called carbon nanotubes, to create a powerful wave of energy. To create the energy wave the tiny wires are coated with a layer of fuel, which results in the generation of a thermopower wave. The reaction which creates the thermopower wave could eventually be able to be used to power electronics, computers and cell phones. "This could lead to batteries that are up to 10 times smaller and still have the same power output. In the portable energy and energy conservation arena, we're trying to find power sources that have a smaller profile but hold more energy," said Michael Strano, one of the researchers who devised this process and an associate professor of chemical engineering at MIT, told CNN Radio. To build a power source, like a battery, electrons must be moved in a material from one end of the battery to the other end, to create an electrical current. The researches found that the thermopower wave that carbon nanotubes generates does this. Strano said "some of the advantages of this technology [are] you can generate a lot of power from a very, very small device." Most of the batteries sold today are made from highly toxic heavy metals. These heavy metals, like lead, nickel and cadmium are very bad for the environment. But, according to Strano, batteries made from this new thermopower technology would be completely nontoxic. There's another potential benefit in using a so-called thermopower battery and that is energy savings. "Most people don't realize a battery sitting unused in your laptop is leaking its power away," Strano said.

Questions: (3-5)
1. Where was this process discovered?
2. What do the researchers hope to use this process for?
3. What is the benefit of this type of power?

Opinion / Reflection
I think this ether could change how portable electronics are powered in the future. Portable electronics could become more powerful, and even smaller with these types of batteries. A lot of heavy metal pollution could be prevented if we begin to use batteries that use this technology. We could stop doing as much environmental damage as we do now, just to power our laptops and cell phones.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/12/mit.research.electricity/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Can Solar Power Lead to Blackouts?

Germany is the leader in solar energy. Their country is currently using the most out of all the other countries, but head of Germany's energy agency DENA, Stephan Kohler, says, "that using to much of the solar energy can cause blackouts." He also goes on to say that the demand for solar energy is low in the morning and high at night. These blackouts can be caused by simply having to much solar energy. The uptake of the solar energy has been so rapid that solar capacity could reach 30 gigawatts, by next year. This is equal to the entire countries weekend power consumption. Germany needs to stop putting up solar panels, this will hopefully help the blackout issue. Daniel Davies looked at the state of California and saw that when they use energy the most is in mid day. They turn on their air conditioners and use them, but in Europe air conditioners are very rare to have.

Reflection- I think that this is a very interesting thing, usually we hear about countries using to much energy, but in Germany's case they are not using enough energy. I never thought that too much solar energy could cause blackouts. It would be very bad if one day you went to go bake a cake and your oven wasn't working, or if you wanted to watch your favorite TV show and were not able to because there was no electricity in your house.

Questions-
1. What is the problem here?
2. Why is this a problem?
3. What is being done to try and help the problem
4. Do you think this is a good idea?
5. What would you do if this was your problem?

Perennial Grains

Article Here

Summary

Jerry Glover, a soil scientist, wants to keep grains growing forever in all seasons. He is trying to create perennial versions of common grians, which will reduce erosion, reduce water runoff and nutrient runoff. This could also dramatically increase our crop yield for grains. Perennials also have very long roots, which go beyond the annually grown grains, as seen in this picture.

These perennials grains will also not require extensive tilling since they grow for years and years. They do not need to be replanted either, and with their long roots, the soil will be more compact and prevent erosion. During bad climates, perennial grains will be more likely to survive too. Jerry Glover is doing this to try and prevent world hunger. Imagine if there was no more people suffering from malnutrition from the lack of food worldwide. 70% of our food comes from grain crops such as corn or wheat. "Regular" grains only last for a season and you have to replant them over and over again while with perennial plants, they continually grow and can be harvested for years and years. Glover thinks that perennials will help stop erosion and protects the soil they are grown in.

Reaction:

I think this is great. Glover has a great idea to help world hunger, protect over environment, and give a higher crop yield, all in one. The roots in these perennial crops prevent as much runoff and save our environment. Farms will also be more eco-friendly and will probably save money with perennial grain crops.

1. How much of out food comes from grain crops?

2. Why is our farms getting worse?

3. Are our regular crops annual?

4. Do you think that this is a good idea?

Sea Turtle Herpes Tumors Linked to Sewage?

Summary
Nitrogen-rich runoff from sewage and farms is causing a rise in invasive seaweed that, when eatten by Hawaiian green sea turtles, may trigger an otherwise dormant herpes virus. This virus causes cauliflower like tumors that grow on a turtle's eyes, mouth, joints, and internal organs. The virus has contributed to declines in the 4 foot-long turtles. Several non-native seaweed species have been introduced into the ocean either accidentally or deliberately to be harvested for food crops and have "escaped" cultivation and spread into the wild. These non-native seaweeds absorb nitrogen from farm run-off and sewage and convert it into an amino acid called arginine. When turtles eat the seaweed with this arginine it awakens dormant herpes viruses in the turtles' bodies that cause the tumors. Because Hawaiian green sea turtles now rely on the invasive seaweed for food because of decline in their native foods, scientists suspect the animals ingest the tumor-causing amino acid at every meal. The scientist, Aguirre said “he suspects other factors, such as water temperature, and possibly additional viruses, are at play.”
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/11/101108-green-sea-turtles-tumors-pollution-science-environment/
Opinion / Reflection
I think what is happening to the Hawaiian sea turtles is a terrible thing. I would have thought that I would have heard more about this because sea turtle are creatures that people all over the world adore. They are one of the reasons that many people go to the tropics. I think that the only reason people haven’t heard about this is because it might hurt tourism to Hawaii.
Questions
1. Where are the locations of the cauliflower like tumors?
2. What does the seaweed convert the nitrogen into?
3. What type of sea turtle is being affected by this?

People come together to form art visible from space.

Sorry I have not been able to post for a while, my internet hasn't been working >:(

Anyways, back to buisness

Link to the article

"One of the things I hope this achieves is to remind people that we live on a planet. Just like Venus and Mars, we are a hunk of rock out in space and our future depends on, among other things, the gaseous composition of our atmosphere,"  This quote is very true. As stated by Bill McKibben regarding the "human art" that people have been joining together to create. The show in which it is in, 350 Earth regards the acceptable number of CO2 in the atmosphere. As of now, it is approximatly 390 PPM, or Parts Per Million.

People all over the world join together in order to create giant pieces of art. The magnitude of said pictures is so large, that they are easily seen, and photographed, from space.
People from all over the world will create different pictures. For example, people from Los Angeles will form a giant "Solar Eagle," while people from Mumbai will form an Elephant, while people in Australia, using torches, will form a "350" to signify global warming.

Reaction: This is incredible. I once heard a quote that stated the humans never lose their motivation, their drive for success. This is a prime example of said quote. I cannot believe that so many people would ban together, from all over the world, for this. Although it is a big issue, I thought it would be impossible for one single person to orginize all of this.

QUESTIONS:
1. Whol orginized this event?
2. What is the PPM for the CO2?
3. Which image is Los Angeles going to form?
4. What is the show going to be called?

MU grad student simulates 100 years of farming to measure agriculture's impact on land and water quality

Click Here To See Article

It's very hard for scientists to find the effect agriculture has had on land because of the time spand. Recently students form the University of Missouri have found a way to see the changes agriculture has had on land. Using a detailed computer model they have entered data for every year through a time spand of a 100 years to see the changes and effects. By doing this project and using this regularly farmers and scientists can see what is happening to the quality of land and water as they use the land. The students first took measurments of soil from 80 acres of Misouri farmland that had been used for ag

riculture over a centuary long, and then land that had

never been cultivated on. These would serve as before and after snapshots in their later testing. They also used silite pictures that had been taken between 1930 and 1990. When they incorperated the data into the program they were able to calculate runn off's,

erosion and flow of sediment. After the 100 year simulation the model showed that there was and 82 percent increase in herbicide atrizine in runoff. This showed that the land would be benifical to enlarge yeild crop use but also reduce non point source of pollution. All the different testes and findings can help farmers, policymakers nad conservation agents make better desicions about the land. Conservation agents can't replace soil that has been lost over time, but they can return properties such as the soil's water infiltration capacity to something closer to the original state. Through studies like this one at MU, new tools are being made to help control erosion, maintain soil productivity, protect watersheds and enhance wildlife habitat.

Reaction: I thought this was really interesting how they used this program to see how land has changed over a hundred years. Obviously it will not be perfectly acurate because they used to different places that might not be fully the same but their information still could be accurate. I believe farmers and the people who decide what is aloud to be done to the land need to make sure the land use will be good in the future. Even though over time we might have used land badly and did not the use the soil as well as we should have but we can fix that. By returning properties back to the soil after we use it we will be able to keep cultivating land for a long time and not wasting the land we use.

Questions:

1. Where did this project take place at?

2. What did they use as a before and after shot for their project?

3. Who are the three types of people that this data coud help?

4. What can conservation agents do to the soil instead of replacing it?

Fertile Cresant Not So Fertile?

In Syria there's a place where most of agriculture started. Where farming really took roots. But lately, the old ways are dying out. There's been a huge drought in that area that's actually spreading towards Iraq. The ancient irrrigation systems are failing after so long, the animals that are grazing are dying and “I had 400 acres of wheat, and now it’s all desert,” said Ahmed Abdullah, 48, who is now homeless and living scantily with his wife and twelve (whoa) kids. Though, admittedly, its from human misuse as it is from drought. The Syrian and Iraqian government is in a lot of trouble because they have to import a lot of their food. And meanwhile Iraq is war ravaged and are facing a water crisis that is almost unheard of. They complain that the Euphrates is being dammed by Turkey and is causing bad tension. Two million to three million people are deep into poverty and its a very sad condition. The Syrians are very touchy about the subject but has acknoledged that they need help and has developed a drought plan. There has been a large increase in illegal water drills, that's how dire the situation is.

Opinion:
This is a very dire situation that cannot be taken lightly. The Syrians are stuck between a rock and a hard place and can't seem to dig themselves out. Hopefully maybe the US will get out of Iraq and realize that they're already in danger from mother nature. If I had enough money, I would probably donate money to their cause.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/world/middleeast/14syria.html?partner=rss&emc=rss