Archive for the 'Environment' Category

Why Don’t We Dump Nuclear Waste Into Volcanos?

Sunday, January 6th, 2008

VolcanoAlthough it would be really nice if we could get rid of nuclear waste just by incinerating it, I think someone’s been watching a bit too much Lord of the Rings. Wonder what would’ve happened if the One Ring was made of Plutonium? Alternatively, sending the waste into the Sun would actually be an effective (but hideously expensive) solution.

Link: http://www.slate.com/…
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Say Goodbye to Incandescent Light Bulbs

Friday, January 4th, 2008

Light bulbCome 2012, US retailers will no longer be able to sell “normal” incandescent light bulbs. This means that either most people will have to switch to compact fluorescents (CFLs), or manufacturers will have to design incandescents that are more efficient. LED-based light bulbs are also a possibility. For me, first thing I did when I moved in was replace all my light bulbs with CFLs.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/…
(via Engadget)

Using Waves To Generate Electricity

Saturday, December 29th, 2007

EnvironmentI like seeing this type of energy production. Hopefully it will gain popularity.

Link: http://www.news.com/…
(via Engadget)

Self-contained Micro Nuclear Reactors

Thursday, December 20th, 2007

EnvironmentToshiba is creating micro nuclear reactors that are capable of powering a single building (or a city block). They’re self-contained and totally automatic, and last for about 40 years.

Link: http://www.nextenergynews.com/…
(via engadget)

Biofuels: A Crime Against Humanity?

Saturday, November 3rd, 2007

EnvironmentA United Nations expert says that it’s a “crime against humanity” to create biofuels from food (such as sugar cane or corn). He has a point, but I think he’s abusing the term.

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/…

Hybrid Cars Are Too Quiet

Tuesday, October 9th, 2007

CarWhen running on electric only, hybrid cars are silent. This turns out to be a safety problem for people (both blind and sighted) who use their ears to identify moving automobiles.

Link: http://ap.google.com/…

Properly Disposing Of A CFL

Saturday, September 29th, 2007

CFLChad’s News has previously discussed compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). They last longer and use less energy than regular incandescent bulbs. Turns out, however, that CFLs also contain mercury, so when one finally burns out it’s important that it be properly disposed of. The linked article lists five ways to recycle a CFL.

Link: http://lighterfootstep.com/…
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Northwest Passage Now A Reality

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

EnvironmentAs a side-effect of global warming, the fabled Northwest Passage has opened up for the first time in recorded history. Wonder if anyone is actually going to use it for commercial shipping?

Link #1: http://www.esa.int/…
(via Slashdot)

Link #2: http://news.bbc.co.uk/…

Creating Oil Instead Of Pumping It

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007

EnvironmentFor some time now I have been wondering why we can’t just directly create the stuff that we currently rely on nature to provide: oil, food, etc. These items are basically made from four very plentiful elements—carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen—and I see no reason why we can’t just combine the elements in the right manner to create what we need. A company named LS9 has made a step in the right direction. They have developed bacteria that take corn-based sugars and convert them to oil. (They hope to eventually use switchgrass instead of corn.) One neat thing is that gasoline created from this oil is free of contaminants, such as sulfur, that exist in natural oil.

Link: http://www.technologyreview.com/…
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Are Printers Harmful To Your Health?

Tuesday, August 14th, 2007

PrinterA recent study has revealed that office printers release a significant amount of toner particulates into the air. Some printers were as bad as cigarettes in the amount of particles released. Printer manufacturer Hewlett-Packard, of course, was very quick to send out a press release denying the claims.

Link: http://arstechnica.com/…

How Ethanol Can Affect The Price Of Milk

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

RecycleNo matter what you do, there always seems to be side effects.

Link: http://www.consumerist.com/…

Hybrid Mileage Ratings Go Down

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007

CarThe official mileage estimates for hybrid vehicles, long known to be too high, have been reduced. The Toyota Prius, for example, had its city mileage drop from 60 to 48 MPG.

Link: http://www.wired.com/…
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