Arctic Research Station Evacuated Due to Melting

A floating Russian research station on an ice floe in the Arctic is being evacuated far earlier than planned due to the breakup of the floe it is sitting on. A Russian icebreaker has been dispatched to pick up the scientists and their equipment from the ice floe that has housed the North Pole-40 research base since last October.

The station is the latest in a series of floating research stations that the Russians have operated dating back to the late 1930s. It was intended to remain occupied and in operation until September of this year, but the ice floe it is situated on has begun to break up. The floating research station is out of helicopter range, and the floe is too unstable to enable an airstrip to be created.

Finding a suitable ice floe for these research stations is becoming increasingly difficult. The team for this mission spent considerable time trying to locate a suitable floe to set up on last autumn. The Russian government has budgeted 1.7 billion rubles (about US$ 54 million ) to create a "self-propelled, ice- strengthened floating platform to replace the natural ice floes for future research stations."

Hat tip: @HotTopicNZ

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SciShow: A History of Earth's Climate

Is variability in the Earth's climate something new or has the climate always been changing? And, is it something that we should be concerned about?

In this week's Sci Show, Hank goes through a history of Earth's climate and finds a variety of factors that have influenced climate over time.

"Temperatures are increasing faster than they ever have. In the past 100 years, temperatures have risen so dramatically that thay have cancelled out all of the cooling that took place over the past 6,000 years."

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Project Better Place Closing Up Shop

Project Better Place, the electric vehicle company that planned to revolutionize electric vehicles and the automobile market with swapable, leased batteries for EVs, is closing down and liquidating its assets. The company was based in Silicaon Valley, but its main markets were in Denmark and Israel.

Shai Agassi, the company's founder, had a plan to make electric vehicles accessible by making the batteries swappable. Like exchanging propane bottles for your grill, you would pull in to a service station and have the batteries swapped on your EV in about the time it would take to fill a conventional gas tank. Fresh batteries and you're ready to roll.

But the idea never caught on the way it needed to, and Project Better Place is now pulling the plug and entering liquidation. We had some skepticism about the economic model for the company when it was first being rolled out, though we would have been delighted to be proved wrong.

via: Marketplace

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A Small Wind Turbine You Can Make Yourself

As the June 17 deadline to the Instructables Green Design Contest fast approaches, Jaymi Heimbuch at TreeHugger has highlighted one particular entry: a small DIY wind power generator that can sit in your backyard.

The wind generator’s designer, out-of-the-box, offers demo videos and text instructions accompanied by photos. As the designer notes, the amount of electricity the generator can produce depends on the steper motor you choose to use when constructing it yourself. The one shown in the instructions tops out at 8 volts, but on a still day outputs around 4. Modifying the turbine to increase efficiency, out-of-the-box is posting updates after the last step in the instructions, like removing a cup off of each arm to reduce wind resistance and adding unobtrusive solar panels.

This contest’s accessibility stands out among some other green design competitions. It doesn’t involve prototypes that use obscure materials or require years of experience in aerospace engineering. Instead, each entry must provide step by step instructions to show others how to make the project themselves.

via: TreeHugger

image via out-of-the-box

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Wireless Maintenance Robots Ascend Wind Turbines

With a 13.1 inch tall mid-sized model, Helical Robotics’s HR-MP series robots can scale immense wind turbines to inspect them for damage. Unlike the similar tethered prototype GE and International Climbing Machines began developing last year, these wheeled robots are wireless. Controlled by a radio signal and equipped with digital cameras, the climbing robots may serve to replace high powered telescopes used to inspect wind turbines from the ground, which grow less effective as towers get taller and blades get longer. Remote controlled climbing robots also offer a safer, more practical alternative to inspectors climbing up themselves.

Weighing 42 pounds, the HR-MP20 model (pictured above) can carry up to 20 pounds of sensors and other equipment, has a top climbing speed of 43.6 feet per minute, and, according to Helical Robotics, offers a radio control range of 2500 feet. Using five neodymium magnets, the robot is capable of clinging to curved metal surfaces ranging from 7 feet in diameter to flat planes. Controlled by a technician on the ground, once the HR-MP20 scales a tower, it can navigate onto the blades for inspection.

via: TreeHugger

image via Helical Robotics

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Arctic Research Station Evacuated Due to Melting

A floating Russian research station on an ice floe in the Arctic is being evacuated far earlier than planned due to the breakup of the floe it is sitting on. A Russian icebreaker has been dispatched to pick up the scientists and their equipment from the ice floe that has housed the North Pole-40 research base since last October.

The station is the latest in a series of floating research stations that the Russians have operated dating back to the late 1930s. It was intended to remain occupied and in operation until September of this year, but the ice floe it is situated on has begun to break up. The floating research station is out of helicopter range, and the floe is too unstable to enable an airstrip to be created.

Finding a suitable ice floe for these research stations is becoming increasingly difficult. The team for this mission spent considerable time trying to locate a suitable floe to set up on last autumn. The Russian government has budgeted 1.7 billion rubles (about US$ 54 million ) to create a "self-propelled, ice- strengthened floating platform to replace the natural ice floes for future research stations."

Hat tip: @HotTopicNZ

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Soccket Soccer Ball Generator, and Its Critiques

Soccket is a soccer ball that harnesses energy with every kick and volley it gets. Developed by Harvard grads, the toy boasts a successful Kickstarter campaign, surpassing a funding goal of $75,000 by over $17,000 last month. A pendulum inside the Soccket ball swings when the ball moves, generating clean energy for a rechargeable battery stored inside. According to Uncharted Play, Soccket’s makers, thirty minutes of play translates into three hours of light from its companion LED lamp. Pictured above, the little lamp is currently the only appliance it can charge, by being plugged directly into the ball. The ball itself seems relatively unencumbered by its tech features; according to the campaign’s Kickstarter video, Soccket is only about an ounce heavier than a standard soccer ball, and it's filled with specialized foam, so it won’t deflate.

The Soccket is one item among an extensive group of "eco" products that takes an activity usually independent of producing energy (in this case, a fun one) and turns it into an opportunity for clean energy generation. Recalling other kinetic energy devices, like the nPower PEG, which powers handheld electronics while you walk or ride a bike, there’s something immediately appealing about turning play into power. If I want to play soccer anyway during the day, why not get a ball that’ll power a light to read by at night?

However, the primary purpose of the Soccket -- and the main way it’s being marketed, to help poor communities around the world -- has generated some important critiques. There are much more efficiently powered LED lamps available, including these designed and built by a former EcoGeek writer. Is a soccer ball that powers a little lamp truly helpful aid to communities in need, or does it simply sound cool to well-intentioned, privileged individuals?

Aaron Ausland, of the blog Staying for Tea, argues that framing a soccer ball as an eco-friendly "solution" for poor communities "grossly overplays the potential of the ball and misleads investors and buyers about the social impact they get for their money." Ausland, in addition to his thought-provoking list of problems with the Soccket, points out that the Soccket’s generative powers are roughly the equivalent of "four weakly-rechargeable AA batteries." The conversation doesn’t end at his critiques, as Ausland posted a response from Julia C. Silverman, co-founder of Uncharted Play, who emphasized the company’s intent to work with communities, continue their evaluation of the Soccket’s impact, and focus on fun for children, noting that they capped the Soccket’s power so play for kids doesn’t become work for power.

image via Soccket Kickstarter

via: Inhabitat

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Open Pit Mine to Be Reused for Pumped Storage

An abandoned open-pit mine in Canada is being proposed to be made useful once more as a pumped storage facility. The Northland Power Marmora Pumped Storage facility offers the possibility of turning a blighted, destroyed piece of land into something with value for advancing renewable power systems.

The pumped storage would be "five times the height of Niagara Falls,"according to the Globe and Mail, though the fact that it would have far less volume than Niagara gets far less attention. Nevertheless, the proposed facility would have the capacity to provide up to 400 megawatts to the grid for up to 5 hours.

Because of their relatively low cost, pumped storage facilities can have the capacity to provide much more power than more technical power storage methods like batteries or flywheels. Pumped storage facilities have both a rated capacity (like the proposed facility's 400 MW), which determines the peak power they are able to deliver, as well as the number of hours they are able to produce power at that level, which is determined by the size of the reservoir.

The location of the proposed facility is well situated in the midst of Ontario's heavily populated southeast, between Ottawa and Toronto, where there is high demand for power. Surplus power from both renewable and conventional sources can be used to pump water up into the upper reservoir during periods of low demand, and then that power can be used in place of costlier peaker power plants during periods of high demand.

Pumped storage is not for power production, but instead provides storage for power from other sources. It makes renewable power generation more effective by allowing surplus production to be stored for later use, rather than being lost at times when demand is low.

link: Northland Power (video)

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New Mitsubishi EV Has Improved Range and Style

Mitsubishi, which was one of the first mainline automakers to build a production electric vehicle, has unveiled a concept vehicle, the CA-MiEV, which has twice the range of the Nissan LEAF, and three times the range of its own predecessor, the I-MiEV, and it may do so at a lower price.

The CA-MiEV is supplied with a 28 kWh lithium-ion battery and is driven by an 80 kW (107 horsepower) electric motor. It will have a driving range of 300 kilometers (186 miles). It also has a wireless charging system that will allow the vehicle to recharge when parked in its spot, without having to be physically connected to an outlet.

Like many other EVs and hybrids, this also has the ability to connect with a smartphone or tablet so its cabin can be pre-conditioned before the driver arrives, and charging can be managed remotely. Regenerative braking, improved lightweight materials, and a very aerodynamic shape are also all factors in the improved efficiency of the new vehicle.

It's a better looking car than its predecessor, as well, although that is often the case with concept cars. With its far greater range, Mitsubishi is promoting this as a viable suburban EV, rather than just a city vehicle. There is not yet information about when, or if the CA-MiEV will begin production.

link: Mitsubishi Press Release (PDF)

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Enhanced Plant Oil Production May Boost Biofuels

A new development using genes from algae to engineer plants to store oils in their leaves could lead to improvements in both biofuel production and the manufacture of animal feed. Researchers from Michigan State University have made plants with oily leaves, which were demonstrated when worms fed these leaves grew fatter than worms fed the unmodified version of the plants.

Most plant oils are stored in the seeds of the plant, and can be difficult to extract. But plants that store oils in their stems and leaves can be more easily processed to extract those oils. They also may produce greater quantities of oil than the original plants.

In addition to the potential use in biofuels, producing plants that store more oils in their leaves could also be a benefit for animal feed. Greater nutrition density from the same amount of crop could help feed more animals from the same area of cropland.

The lead scientist, MSU professor of biochemistry and molecular biology Christoph Benning, stated, "Many researchers are trying to enhance plants’ energy density, and this is another way of approaching it. It’s a proof-of-concept that could be used to boost plants’ oil production for biofuel use as well as improve the nutrition levels of animal feed."

Ongoing research will next move from demonstration of the concept to begin to explore specific applications "to enhance oil production in grasses and algae that have economic value."

image: by Rosendahl/Wikimedia Commons - Public Domain

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Electrolysis Catalyst Could Produce Inexpensive Hydrogen

Two Canadian researchers have announced a breakthrough that could produce catalysts for electrolysis at a fraction of current costs. The University of Calgary scientists are working to commecialize their discovery by 2014.

The FireWater Fuel (FFC) catalyst is more efficient at releasing breaking water into hydrogen and oxygen, and can be produced at a fraction of the cost of other exotic material catalysts. The FFC catalyst is based on ferrous oxide - rust. And, according to the researchers, the cost could be 1000 times lower than the cost of current materials.

With an efficient and inexpensive means for cracking water into hydrogen and oxygen, the feasibility increases for fuel cell batteries that can readily charge from renewable sources such as wind and solar when those sources are available and then discharge to provide electricity when demand is high.

The electrolytic catalyst is just one of the components that would be required for an entire system, but it has been an exepensive component of the system. With the FFC catalyst, hydrogen power takes another step towards being a greater part of the power mix in the coming years.

via: CBC News

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Tax Credits for Plug-In Hybrid Conversions

If you live in Colorado and own a Prius, here’s a New Year’s Day gift for you: $6,000 off a plug-in hybrid retrofit. Earlier this year, Colorado passed House Bill 1331, “Incentives for Efficient Motor Vehicles,” which creates new tax credits of up to $6,000 for the purchase of, or conversion to, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. The new credit will be a substantial discount off the average price of a plug-in conversion, which generally run around $10-14,000. On top of the Federal Tax Credit of 10% (up to $4,000), plug-in retrofits could start to make a lot of sense for some car owners.

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New Guide to Cell Phone Radiation

Over 4 billion people in the world have cell phones. They’re handy, portable, inexpensive and we wonder how we even got along with out them before we had one. Cell phones are here to stay, there’s no doubt about that. But there are mounting concerns about the adverse health affects from radiation emitted from your [...]

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From Parking Lot to Paradise

Pavement is one of the defining characteristics of our urban existence. From pop-culture terms like “asphalt jungle” to the Joni Mitchell song and its famous lyrics about paving paradise for parking lots, pavement is often used as a symbol of both the progress and peril of our urbanizing ways. Unfortunately, all of this pavement is [...]

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The Phoenix Commotion - Houses From Salvaged Materials

When houses cost upwards of $150 per square foot, the prospect of building a new house can be downright frightening, even if it is green, sustainable and energy efficient. And for many, that price is absolutely out of reach. With prices skyrocketing and wages low, affordable housing is even more important these days, which is [...]

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Project Better Place Closing Up Shop

Project Better Place, the electric vehicle company that planned to revolutionize electric vehicles and the automobile market with swapable, leased batteries for EVs, is closing down and liquidating its assets. The company was based in Silicaon Valley, but its main markets were in Denmark and Israel.

Shai Agassi, the company's founder, had a plan to make electric vehicles accessible by making the batteries swappable. Like exchanging propane bottles for your grill, you would pull in to a service station and have the batteries swapped on your EV in about the time it would take to fill a conventional gas tank. Fresh batteries and you're ready to roll.

But the idea never caught on the way it needed to, and Project Better Place is now pulling the plug and entering liquidation. We had some skepticism about the economic model for the company when it was first being rolled out, though we would have been delighted to be proved wrong.

via: Marketplace

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