Science Daily Energy & The Environment

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Metal-mining bacteria are green chemists Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:00:00 EDT Microbes could soon be used to convert metallic wastes into high-value catalysts for generating clean energy, say scientists.

Off-the-shelf dyes improve solar cells Wed, 01 Sep 2010 08:00:00 EDT Scientists report success in boosting the ability of zinc oxide solar cells to absorb visible light simply by applying a blended mixture of various off-the-shelf dyes commonly used in food and medical industries -- in a soak-then-dry procedure not unlike that used to color a tee-shirt in a home washing machine.

A decade of studying the Earth's magnetic shield, in 3-D Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:00:00 EDT Space scientists around the world are celebrating ten years of ground-breaking discoveries by "Cluster," a mission that is illuminating the mysteries of the magnetosphere, the northern lights and the solar wind. Cluster is a European Space Agency mission, launched in summer 2000. It consists of a unique constellation of four spacecraft flying in formation around Earth, studying the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere.

Batteries for battery powered cars are more environmentally friendly than expected Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:00:00 EDT Battery powered cars will play a major role in future of mobility. What was not known so far, was how environmentally friendly the manufacture, operation and disposal of the batteries are. Researchers have now calculated the ecological footprint of the most commonly used type, the lithium-ion battery. A car with a petrol engine must consume less than 4 liters of fuel per 100km or about 70 mpg (miles per gallon) in order to be as environmentally friendly as modern electric cars.

'Greening' your flat screen TV: Engineers develop an organic LED light source for home electronics, medicine and clean energy Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:00:00 EDT An estimated 70 percent of heavy metals in US landfills come from discarded electronics, and as big screen TVs get less expensive, environmental costs continue to mount. To remedy this, researchers are applying organic nano-technology to "green" the optics and electronics industry. Their technology could make flat screen TV production more environmentally friendly and can even make medical devices more sensitive.

Electricity collected from the air could become the newest alternative energy source Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:00:00 EDT Imagine devices that capture electricity from the air -- much like solar cells capture sunlight -- and using them to light a house or recharge an electric car. Imagine using similar panels on the rooftops of buildings to prevent lightning before it forms. Strange as it may sound, scientists already are in the early stages of developing such devices, according to a new report.

Can the world be powered mainly by solar and wind energy? Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EDT Continuous research and development of alternative energy could soon lead to a new era in human history in which two renewable sources -- solar and wind -- will become Earth's dominant contributor of energy, a Nobel laureate said at a conference.