Acidification of the Arctic Ocean is occurring faster than projected according to new findings. The increase in rate is being blamed on rapidly melting sea ice, a process that may have important consequences for health of the Arctic ecosystem.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed an internal combustion engine that emits less than half the CO2 compared to a regular engine without compromising performance. This corresponds to fuel consumption of less than 2.4l per 100km. This natural gas-diesel hybrid engine is based on a system of sophisticated control engineering.
Reporting on research done by undergraduate students at a community college, Douglas Schauer, Ph.D., said that cilantro - also known as coriander and Thai parsley - shows promise as a much-needed new 'biosorbent' for removing lead and other potentially toxic heavy metals from contaminated water.
Further delay in the implementation of comprehensive international climate policies could substantially increase the short-term costs of climate change mitigation. Global economic growth would be cut back by up to 7 percent within the first decade after climate policy implementation if the current international stalemate is continued until 2030 - compared to 2 percent if a climate agreement is reached by 2015 already, a study to be published next Tuesday by scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) shows.
Clean energy financing by the world's development banks increased 19% last year to break through the $100bn-a-year barrier for the first time. The top three banks were Germany's KfW, China Development Bank and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES).
The newest catalytic converters in diesel engines blast away a pollutant from combustion with the help of ammonia. New research shows that the catalyst attacks its target pollutant in an unusual way, providing insight into how to make the best catalytic converters.
Vestas has produced the first prototype 80 meter blade for the V164-8.0 MW - the world's most powerful offshore wind turbine - at the R+D centre on the Isle of Wight, UK. The blade will now undergo an extensive testing regime to ensure total reliability.
Gas flaring by the oil industry and smoke from residential burning contributes more black carbon pollution to Arctic than previously thought - potentially speeding the melting of Arctic sea ice and contributing to the fast rate of warming in the region.
For many of us, it's the fuel that wakes us up and gets us started on our day. Now, University of Cincinnati researchers are discovering that an ingredient in our old coffee grounds might someday serve as a cheaper, cleaner fuel for our cars, furnaces and other energy sources.
Already noted for saving gasoline and having zero emissions, electric cars have quietly taken on an unlikely new dimension - the ability to reach blazing speeds that rival the 0-to-60 performance of a typical Porsche or BMW, and compete on some race courses with the world's best gasoline-powered cars, an authority said here today at a major scientific conference.
Renewable energy holds the promise of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. But there are times when solar and wind farms generate more electricity than is needed by consumers. Storing that surplus energy in batteries for later use seems like an obvious solution. But a new Stanford University study finds that when you factor in the energetic costs, grid-scale batteries make sense for storing surplus solar energy, but not for wind.
A University of California, Riverside assistant professor of electrical engineering and several colleagues have created a new measurement tool that could help avoid an energy crisis like the one California endured during the early 2000s and better prepare the electricity market for the era of the smart grid.