Three Steps to Cut Your Carbon Footprint 60% Today. Green Book - Environmental Justice Book. Researchers Develop a Cheap Battery to Power Your House—and It’s Organic. Here’s a dirty little secret about the batteries we increasingly rely on to power our emissions-free cars and store clean, green energy from the sun and wind: They contain metals that must be mined and can contaminate groundwater if they end up in landfills.
But an eco-friendly alternative could be coming soon. Researchers at the University of Southern California have developed a first-of-its-kind battery that replaces metal catalysts with quinone—an organic molecule that stores and transfers energy and can be found in fungi, bacteria, and even our bodies. The scientists predict such a battery will be 10 times cheaper to make and will last five times longer than a lithium-ion battery. A race is under way to develop battery technology to store electricity from wind farms and solar power plants, the growth of which has been exponential in recent years. The problem: Existing battery technology is expensive. Here’s how their technology—a variant of a redox flow battery—works. Environment America. With more wind and solar, we can move to 100% clean energy Too much of our energy comes from coal, oil and other dirty sources that wreak havoc on our environment.
We are surrounded by clean energy options — the power of the sun, the movement of wind and waves, the heat of the earth, even the energy leaking from drafty windows in our homes and businesses. By using energy more efficiently and tapping our vast renewable energy resources, we can move to 100% clean energy that doesn’t pollute and never runs out. Efficient buildings will spur energy savings America’s homes are like cars that only get 10 miles to the gallon.
Millions of Americans are already weather-stripping doors and windows, insulating attics and making their homes more energy efficient and thus healthier, more comfortable and less costly to heat and cool. How A New Rhubarb-Based Battery Could Massively Increase Renewable Energy Use. By Jeff Spross "How A New Rhubarb-Based Battery Could Massively Increase Renewable Energy Use" A group of Harvard scientists recently hit on a new form of battery that could massively expand the potential for renewable energy use.
And the linchpin of the technology is an organic compound nearly identical to one found in — wait for it — rhubarb. To explain: most of the batteries found in our cars, laptops, smartphones and whatnot rely on chemical solids. And the nature of the technology requires combining the two key parts of the battery — the material that holds the charge and the hardware that converts the charge to electricity — into one complete unit. This comes with several advantages. Enter the Harvard team. The reason this could such a big deal for renewable energy is that, right now, renewable sources like solar and wind are mostly dependent on when the sun shines and when the wind blows to generate their power.
Crowdfunding renewable energy investments – green, ethical, social. Solar Energy. Wind Energy. The Global Community for Sustainable Energy Professionals. Energy Program. Going Green?
12 Ways to Reduce Your Impact on the Food, Water and Energy Nexus When going green, consider these actions which can help ease tensions within the food/water/energy nexus. Power Plants Kill Fish - Animation Many older thermoelectric power plants require tremendous amounts of water for cooling. This animation takes you through the process and illustrates why there are such devastating consequences for fish and other aquatic life.
Freeing the Grid: Foundations for the New Energy Economy In a new video produced by Brainvise for the Vote Solar Initiative, renewable energy policies that let you spin your electric meter backwards are explained in a simple, engaging manner through sharp animation. Water and Energy It takes a significant amount of water to create energy, and a significant amount of energy to move and treat water. All Pain, No Gain: New York Power Plants Kill Fish Even When Not in Use Bloomberg to Cuomo: We Can Frack Safely.