Plant Power: Dutch company harvests electricity from living plants to power streetlights, Wi-Fi, and cell phones A Dutch company harnesses electricity from living plants, and then uses it to power cell phone chargers, Wi-Fi hotspots, and now over 300 LED streetlights in two sites in the Netherlands. Plant-e debuted its “Starry Sky” project in November 2014 at an old ammunition site called HAMbrug, near Amsterdam, and plant power is also being used near the company’s headquarters in Wageningen. Many researchers are looking for ways to basically generate electricity from thin air, and this idea is similar. Harvesting energy from growing plants has come a long way since middle school science fair projects featuring clocks run by potatoes. Related: Biophotovoltaic moss tables generates electricity through photosynthesis For the Netherlands streetlight projects, Plant-e’s electricity generation process involves plants growing in two-square-foot plastic containers. Via Yes Magazine Images via Plant-e and Shutterstock
12 Technologies We Need To Stop Stalling On And Develop Now The pace of technological change is governed by many factors — including public demand. Which is why we need to be demanding more. Here are 12 transformative technologies whose development should be expedited right now. Top image: Conceptual space elevator (Credit: Obayashi Corporation) To make this list meaningful, I only included those items that are within reasonable technological reach. 1. Image: Biosphere 2 Before we can venture out into space and build long-term space habitats, we have to figure out a whole bunch of stuff, including how to make viable and self-sustaining artificial biospheres. 2. 3D Bioprintable Vaccines West Africa's current Ebola epidemic is a sober reminder that we're only a mutation or two away from a larger world-scale catastrophe. Imaging having one of these in your home. Biotechnologist Craig Venter has envisioned a remarkable solution to this problem, what he calls "a 3D printer for DNA." 3. 4. The global demand for meat is steadily rising. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
plant-e.com Home BioLite - BioLite Stove Children Who Get Flu Vaccine Have Three Times Risk Of Hospitalization For Flu, Study Suggests -- ScienceDaily The inactivated flu vaccine does not appear to be effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations in children, especially the ones with asthma. In fact, children who get the flu vaccine are more at risk for hospitalization than their peers who do not get the vaccine, according to new research that will be presented on May 19, at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego. Flu vaccine (trivalent inactivated flu vaccine—TIV) has unknown effects on asthmatics. "The concerns that vaccination maybe associated with asthma exacerbations have been disproved with multiple studies in the past, but the vaccine's effectiveness has not been well-established," said Avni Joshi, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend annual influenza vaccination for all children aged six months to 18 years.
Biomimicry Pictures: Nature Yields New Ideas for Renewable Energy and Efficiency Renewable Energy, forms and types of renewable energy There are many forms of renewable energy . Most of these renewable energies depend in one way or another on sunlight. Wind and hydroelectric power are the direct result of differential heating of the Earth's surface which leads to air moving about (wind) and precipitation forming as the air is lifted. Solar energy is the direct conversion of sunlight using panels or collectors. Biomass energy is stored sunlight contained in plants. Solar. Wind Power. Hydroelectric energy. Biomass is the term for energy from plants. Hydrogen and fuel cells. Geothermal power. Other forms of energy. If you think 100% renewable energy will never happen, think again. What are renewable energy sources? These tools and more can help make the transition from non-renewable to renewable and environmentally friendly energy.
Oxygen absorbing material may allow us to breathe underwater Using specially synthesized crystalline materials, scientists from the University of Southern Denmark have created a substance that is able to absorb and store oxygen in such high concentrations that just one bucketful is enough to remove all of the oxygen in a room. The substance is also able to release the stored oxygen in a controlled manner when it is needed, so just a few grains could replace the need for divers to carry bulky scuba tanks. The key component of the new material is the element cobalt, which is bound in a specially designed organic molecule. In standard form – and depending on the available oxygen content, the ambient temperature, and the barometric pressure – the absorption of oxygen by the material from its surroundings may take anything from seconds to days. The crystalline material changes color when absorbing or releasing oxygen: black when saturated, pink when oxygen released (Photo: University of Denmark) Source: University of Southern Denmark. Share
Types of Alternative Energy The UK Government’s strategy is to lower the national carbon emissions for 80 percent by year 2050 and replace fossil fuels with alternative types of energy. The plan it to utilise a variety of technologies in order to prevent dependence on a single source of energy similarly as we are currently dependent on fossil fuels as well as to ensure a stable and cost-effective energy supply for both the industry and households. In order to achieve this goal, the Government supports development of technologies that utilise alternative types of energy such as: Solar energy The light and heat that are radiated by the Sun are an inexhaustible, clean and inexpensive source of energy that can be used for heating and generation of electricity. Wind power About 10 percent of total electricity in the UK comes from wind farms which are located all over the country including offshore. Geothermal energy It refers to utilisation of thermal energy that is stored or generated under the Earth surface. Wood fuel