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Archive for the ‘energy’ category: Page 347

Jun 26, 2015

Paper-thin printed solar cells could provide power for 1.3 billion people

Posted by in categories: energy, sustainability

Thanks to inexpensive printed solar cells, 1.3 billion people currently without electricity may be able to plug in for the first time.

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Jun 24, 2015

Water splitter produces clean-burning hydrogen fuel 24/7

Posted by in category: energy

Unlike conventional water splitters, the Stanford device uses a single low-cost catalyst to generate hydrogen on one electrode and oxygen on the other (credit: L.A. Cicero/Stanford University)

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Jun 24, 2015

3 New Kinds of Battery That Just Might Change the World

Posted by in categories: cyborgs, energy, futurism

The search for smaller and more powerful batteries continues.

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Jun 24, 2015

Dwarf Galaxies Loom Large in Quest for Dark Matter

Posted by in categories: anti-gravity, astronomy, cosmology, energy, general relativity, particle physics, space

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“In its inaugural year of observations, the Dark Energy Survey has already turned up at least eight objects that look to be new satellite dwarf galaxies of the Milky Way.”

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Jun 16, 2015

Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man By Tim Urban | Wait But Why

Posted by in categories: business, energy, engineering, solar power, space travel, sustainability, transportation

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Tim Urban, of Wait But Why, recently received a phone call from Elon Musk’s staff asking if he would like to write about the automotive, aerospace, and solar power industries through personal interviews with Elon Musk and his teams. Tim Urban said yes, and the first three of essays / articles are already posted on his site.

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Jun 15, 2015

Beyond cutting edge: Fusion energy’s front-runners

Posted by in category: energy

Fusion power sounds like an elusive, science-fiction dream, but billions of dollars in investment are pouring into it, according to OilPrice.com.

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Jun 15, 2015

Smart urban planning in Amsterdam — Feargus O’Sullivan | CityLab

Posted by in categories: architecture, economics, energy, engineering, environmental, government, materials, policy, science, sustainability

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“Instead of treating Amsterdam as complete and starting again elsewhere, the IJburg plan has managed to find more space in a city that thought it had no more left.”

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Jun 4, 2015

A New York State of Megabits — Susan Crawford | Backchannel

Posted by in categories: architecture, big data, business, economics, education, energy, information science, internet, moore's law

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So it was great to get back to New York and be able to report on what is called the“New NY Broadband Program.” It involves a $500 million expenditure to help ensure that New Yorkers across the state have access to current-generation Internet capacity. There’s lots of potential in the plan, targeted at providing every New Yorker with access to 100 megabit per second (Mbps) service (10 Mbps uploads) by the end of 2018. Because New York expects a 1:1 match from the private sector for each grant or loan it makes, that means the state hopes to be deploying at least $1 billion on high-speed Internet access infrastructure.

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May 29, 2015

New York State Governor Cuomo Announces Living Breakwaters Project Launch via bfi.org

Posted by in categories: architecture, economics, education, energy, engineering, environmental, governance, government, policy, water

https://vimeo.com/91648619

“Living Breakwaters is a comprehensive design for coastal resiliency along the Northeastern Seaboard of the United States and beyond. This approach to climate change adaptation and flood mitigation includes the deployment of innovative, layered ecologically-engineered breakwaters, the strengthening of biodiversity and coastal habitats through “reef streets”, the nurturing and resuscitation of fisheries and historic livelihoods, and deep community engagement through diverse partnerships and innovative educational programs. The transformative educational dimension amplifies impact to the next generation of shoreline stewards while leveraging the expertise of the members of the SCAPE Architecture team, who are making groundbreaking inroads into state and federal agencies, setting new precedents for multi-layered and systemic approaches to infrastructure planning.”

LINK: Governor Cuomo Announces Living Breakwaters Project Launch

May 28, 2015

Increase Gas Tax as Cartel Price Rises

Posted by in categories: economics, energy, geopolitics, transportation

It’s been awhile since the cost of gasoline topped $4 in the U.S. The national average hit $4.11 on July 11, 2008 and came close in May 2011 at $3.96. On New Years Day 2015, I drove through the night from Chicago to Boston. Despite the cold weather, the economics of fuel made it the best day for a road trip in years. I bought gas at a Pilot service station just off the Ohio Turnpike at $1.92/gallon. For me, it seemed like a bargain. Yet, 23 states charge less for gasoline than Ohio.

gas_price_2014-2015Now, at the end of May 2015, gas is rebounding from that low. Drivers on Memorial Day weekend faced the highest cost for gasoline of the year so far.

It’s tempting for politicians to advocate using tax breaks to smooth price spikes. With energy often surpassing the expense of food and rent and with so many individuals using fuel to make a living, reducing user fees or taxes during periods of very high fuel cost seems like the humane thing to do.

It seems humane, but it has the opposite effect. In fact, it is deeply punitive! That’s because the cost of gas is not an act of nature, nor even of free market economics. It is a product of cartels, special interests, conflict and FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt). Offering relief during price spikes sustains demand while doing absolutely nothing to increase supply. This, in turn, exacerbates the spike, creates shortages for critical services and transfers enormous sums of money from consumers to producers. In effect, it is a free gift for producer nations.

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