Energy and Climate Change


Greenstar Recycling Helps Houston Lead Green Job Economy Growth

A new study by two of the nation’s top consulting organizations that demonstrates Houston’s impressive record at creating environmentally responsible “green jobs” helps spotlight the contributions of Greenstar Recycling.

Graphite and Water: The Battery of the Future

A combination of two ordinary materials – graphite and water – could produce energy storage systems that perform on par with lithium ion batteries, but recharge in a matter of seconds and have an almost indefinite lifespan.

Rising Above The Recycling Decline

The United States is lagging behind other countries when it comes down to overall recycling efforts. As the world’s largest trash producing country at 1,609 pounds of trash per person, per year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it raises questions why the land of opportunity isn’t taking advantage of its position to help reduce some of the Earth’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Fuel Cell Mobile Lighting System Featured at Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch

Fuel cells are used in the space shuttle as one component of the electrical power system, so perhaps it was appropriate that a hydrogen fuel cell-powered mobile lighting system could be seen on the grounds of the Kennedy Space Center as the Space Shuttle Atlantis launched into space last week, the 135th and final mission for the NASA Space Shuttle Program.

Tsunami Airglow Signature Could Lead to Early Detection System

Researchers at the University of Illinois have recorded an airglow signature in the upper atmosphere produced by a tsunami using a camera system based in Maui, Hawaii.

Thomas Edison Descendants Support Choice in Bulbs: "Technology Changes. Embrace It"

Four direct descendants of Thomas Edison, the man who invented the incandescent light bulb 132 years ago, strongly oppose a House vote seeking to limit consumer choice and block progress on more modern, more energy-efficient bulbs.

Desalinating Seawater with Minimal Energy Use

At a pilot facility in Singapore, Siemens has cut the energy needed to desalinate seawater by more than 50 percent.

Researchers to Study Effect of CO2 Injection on Geological Formations

In a test project, researchers plan to inject some 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide into a coalbed methane field in southwest Virginia, at a site that is not suitable for underground mining purposes.



Indoor Air Pollution Linked to Cardiovascular Risk

An estimated two billion people in the developing world heat and cook with a biomass fuel such as wood, but the practice exposes people – especially women – to large doses of small-particle air pollution, which can cause premature death and lung disease.

University Looks to Install Solar ‘Ivy’

Solar-generated electricity is taking a new form – that of solar panels shaped like artistically fashioned ivy leaves decorating a wall’s surface. The first location in the United States to apply this colorful array is the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. This new product called Solar Ivy was developed by Sustainably Minded Interactive Technology (SMIT), a company in New York.

Tulane Univ. Gets Grant to Study Effects of Gulf Oil Spill on Pregnant Women

The NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has awarded Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine $6.5 million for a five-year study exploring the potential health impacts of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on pregnant women and women of reproductive age living in Louisiana’s coastal parishes.

Ambient Energy Harnessed for Small Electronic Devices

Researchers have discovered a way to capture and harness energy transmitted by such sources as radio and television transmitters, cell phone networks and satellite communications systems.

Report: Car Engine Improvements Should Spark Sufficient Emissions Reductions

Internal combustion engines are improving their ability to cut CO2 emissions at a lower cost than expected, and, as a result, carmakers should be able to meet 2020 emissions targets mainly through improvements to conventional technologies, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group.

Pew Calls for Obama Administration to Raise MPG Standards (with video)

The Pew Clean Energy Program launched a video this week to raise awareness of the benefits of increasing the fuel efficiency—or miles-per-gallon (MPG)—standards for cars and light trucks to as high as 60 MPG by 2025.

Aviation Fuels Can Now Include Bioderived Constituents

Renewable fuels can now be blended with conventional commercial and military jet (or gas turbine) fuel through requirements in the newly issued edition of Specifications for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons.

Tips Tuesday: How to Save Money and Energy While Staying Cool this Summer

The average American home spends almost 20 percent of its utility bill on cooling. Increased energy production to run cooling systems raises your costs and contributes to pollution that adversely affects the quality of the air we breathe. We've got seven simple ways to help protect your wallet and the environment.

University of Texas Professor Hosts Presentation on Fracking Facts and Myths

A professor at The University of Texas at Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering said the risks incurred during hydraulic fracturing are low when compared to the risks of energy production from any other energy source and that some commonly believed notions about the gas extraction process are incorrect.

DoE Offers Conditional Loan to Support Three California Photovoltaic Solar Power Plants

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced offers of conditional commitments for loan guarantees, of approximately $4.5 billion, to support three alternating current Cadmium Telluride thin film photovoltaic (PV) solar generation facilities.

Butte College First in Nation to Generate More Than 100 Percent Renewable Electricity

California's Butte College is the first college in the history of the United States to go 'grid positive,' meaning that it will generate more electricity from its solar arrays than it consumes and will deliver power back to the electric grid.

Texas A&M Teams With Siemens to Save $1.1 Million in Annual Energy Savings

Texas A&M University has set its goals high – including being recognized as a national leader in energy efficiency and sustainability.