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Fracking water use rose by up to 770% over a few years
The amount of water that hydraulic fracturing uses per well surged by up to 770 percent between 2011 and 2016 in all major US shale gas and oil production regions, according to a new study. If this...
View ArticleSandy rivers could be an untapped source of green energy
In-stream flow (or hydrokinetic) energy converters in rivers may offer a workable and effective option to expand renewable energy and limit carbon emissions in the United States, according to new...
View ArticleNew tool diagnoses ‘sick’ solar panels in real-time
Researchers have created a new tool that analyzes how well a solar farm is generating electricity. Diagnosing degraded, or “diseased,” solar panels would contribute to lower electric bills on clean...
View ArticleReducing oil ‘flaring’ could cut emissions in a big way
The burning of unwanted gas associated with oil production—called “flaring”—remains the most carbon-intensive part of producing oil, according to a new analysis. Until renewable sources of energy like...
View ArticleWhy Americans are eating less meat
Two of every three US consumers surveyed report eating less of at least one type of meat, according to new research. “Many Americans continue to have strong preferences for meat,” says Roni Neff, an...
View ArticleCan banning plastic straws save the oceans?
Growing public concern has led to calls to ban single-use plastics, most notably straws. But can that have a meaningful effect? Plastic waste, mostly in the form of tiny particles, floats in huge blobs...
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Tiny spheres make concrete greener and stronger
New micron-sized calcium silicate spheres could lead to stronger and greener concrete, the world’s most-used synthetic material. To researchers, the spheres represent building blocks that can be made...
View ArticleSoft materials could replace silicon to cut solar cell costs
The way a certain class of photovoltaic materials y converts sunlight into electricity could position them to replace traditional silicon solar cells, researchers say. The study, which appears in Chem,...
View ArticleFor more energy, wind turbines should go with the airflow
Researchers have developed new ways to improve the productivity of wind farms. You’ve probably seen them, perhaps on long road trips: wind turbines with enormous, hypnotic rolling blades, harnessing...
View ArticleMachine learning makes a cost-effective environmental watchdog
Machine learning could help safeguard public health and spot environmental dangers, according to new research. As Hurricane Florence ground its way through North Carolina, it released what might...
View ArticleWatch: Grass-eating animal gut microbes could lead to better fuels
Could the study of grass-eating animals lead to the discovery of new sustainable fuels and chemicals? It’s not as far-fetched as you might think. Cows and other large herbivores evolved to graze on...
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‘Master switches’ could make plant cell walls extra useful
New research shows how scientists could manipulate plant walls in the future to change the way we produce biofuels, bioplastics, and other biomaterials Plants produce walls on a daily basis and these...
View ArticleHow risk and money shape our climate change decisions
New research digs into how links between economic development, technology, politics, and decision-making affect actions people are willing to take against climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on...
View ArticleWant to eat more sustainably? Try the squid
New research shows how cephalopods—including squid, octopus, and cuttlefish—could become an important and sustainable food source in the future. Among chefs and researchers in gastronomy there is a...
View ArticleSoda can metal may solve hydrogen fuel cell problem
Manganese is known for making stainless steel and aluminum soda cans. Now, researchers say the metal could advance one of the most promising sources of renewable energy: hydrogen fuel cells. As...
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New methane fuel cell fixes temperature issue
Researchers have created a new fuel cell that runs on cheap fuel at temperatures comparable to automobile engines and could slash materials costs. Fuel cells have not been particularly known for their...
View ArticleMassive urban expansion threatens natural habitats
City expansion has accelerated in recent decades, so much so that, by 2050, we could be creating a city the size of London every seven weeks if current trends continue, a new study warns. Urban growth...
View ArticleNew solar panel material can take more heat
A new synthetic material will make solar energy a more cost-effective, efficient, and reliable source of power Clean energy is at a crossroads. To become a viable replacement for fossil fuels, solar...
View ArticleDemand for ‘sustainable’ palm oil ravages forests
Demand for palm oil has surged in the past decade and deforestation is rising in major oil palm-producing countries—most notably in areas certified as “sustainable.” Food, biofuels, and cosmetics all...
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Clothing patch is like a personal heating system
Instead of turning up the thermostat, high-tech, flexible patches sewn into your clothes may one day keep you warm and significantly reduce your electric bill and carbon footprint at the same time....
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