Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines

Duckweed as a cost-competitive raw material for biofuel production

The search for a less-expensive, sustainable source of biomass, or plant material, for producing gasoline, diesel and jet fuel has led scientists to duckweed, that fast-growing floating plant that turns ponds and lakes green.

March 6, 2013 Read more

Statistical physics offers a new way to look at climate

New research suggests that statistical simulations rooted in basic physics could make for new climate models that are more useful and require less brute-force computing power. A new paper shows how statistical simulations can be applied to fluid jets like the ones in Earth's atmosphere and oceans.

March 5, 2013 Read more

New method for greenhouse gas predictions

Until now, greenhouse gas emission estimates have been limited by the mathematical models used to predict them. Researchers at Concordia University have recently developed a new dynamic method to better predict the emission content of these gases.

March 5, 2013 Read more

Analytical theory may bring improvements to lithium-ion batteries

Researchers have shown theoretically how to control or eliminate the formation of "dendrites" that cause lithium-ion batteries to fail, an advance that if realized would improve safety and might enable the batteries to be charged within a matter of minutes instead of hours.

March 5, 2013 Read more

Chemists develop efficient material for carbon capture

Chemists have discovered a more efficient, less expensive and reusable material for carbon dioxide capture and separation.

March 5, 2013 Read more

New wastewater treatment technique protects fish from antidepressants

Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have developed a new technique to prevent pharmaceutical residues from entering waterways and harming wildlife.

March 5, 2013 Read more

Bringing energy innovations from lab to market

Annual MIT Energy Conference focuses on how innovations can have a real impact on the world's energy issues.

March 5, 2013 Read more

Researchers develop solar-to-fuel roadmap for crystalline silicon (w/video)

New analysis points the way to optimizing efficiency of an integrated system for harvesting sunlight to make storable fuel.

March 5, 2013 Read more

Spanish solar energy: A model for the future?

Solar energy holds promise, but fossil fuel subsidies must be reduced.

March 4, 2013 Read more

Honda to reuses rare Earth metals extracted from nickel-metal hydride batteries for hybrid vehicles

Honda Motor Co. established the world's first process to reuse rare earth metals extracted from nickel-metal hydride batteries for new nickel-metal hydride batteries to recycle precious resources.

March 4, 2013 Read more

Customized motor fuels from biomass residue

On the way to the production of environment-friendly fuels from biomass residue, the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie in cooperation with the technology partner Air Liquide, has realized another important milestone: the second process stage of the bioliq pilot plant is ready.

March 4, 2013 Read more

Non-glaring photovoltaic installations

Before a photovoltaic installation may be constructed, engineers calculate, for some selected days in the year, when and where the interfering light reflections occur, especially if airports, highways or larger residential areas are close by. In the future, this will be easier and more comprehensive: with software that creates a three-dimensional depiction of the glare at the touch of a button.

March 4, 2013 Read more

Cooling solution for supercomputer heralds new age in renewable energy

The development of a renewable system for cooling Australia's largest supercomputer is a step closer, following the start of an innovative geothermal energy project in Perth.

March 3, 2013 Read more

NASA studies use of alternate jet biofuels

NASA researchers have begun a series of flights using the agency's DC-8 flying laboratory to study the effects of alternate biofuel on engine performance, emissions and aircraft-generated contrails at altitude.

March 2, 2013 Read more

Ford aims to cut waste-to-landfill 40 percent per vehicle by 2016 (w/video)

Ford's new five-year global waste reduction strategy calls for a 40 percent per vehicle reduction in the amount of waste sent to landfill between 2011 and 2016 - equal to just 13.4 pounds per vehicle worldwide.

March 1, 2013 Read more

Crunch year for biofuels

US biofuel policies are set to collide this year - with each other and with reality - Bloomberg New Energy Finance finds in new "What to Watch for" biofuels white paper.

March 1, 2013 Read more

Improving climate protection in agriculture

Agriculture is responsible for around ten to twelve percent of all greenhouse gases attributable to human activities. This raises the question of how these emissions could be reduced. A recent study has investigated - for the first time - the full range of factors that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, namely soil and climate conditions, the agricultural model and the farming intensity on both organic and conventional holdings.

February 28, 2013 Read more

Physicists demonstrate the acceleration of electrons by a laser in a vacuum

Scientists have established that an electron beam can be accelerated by a laser in free space. This has never been done before at high energies and represents a significant breakthrough. It also may have implications for fusion as a new energy source.

February 28, 2013 Read more