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Posts Tagged “

Environmental

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geoscientific futurism

This Summer the Northwest Passage Opens, When the North Pole Melts

The ice-clogged, impassible North Pole of yesterday is about to melt away this summer, and may be one of the first examples of economic benefit coming from global warming. When the Pole shrinks away, it creates a wide path through the so-called Northwest Passage, a treacherous and icy route between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. With more melting, ships will be able to get from one continent to the next without having to do crazy navigational feats around giant ice sheets. Shipping becomes cheaper and more convenient. And when it becomes a major shipping lane, nations who control the area are sure to get richer. More »

7:00 AM on Fri Jun 27 2008
By Annalee Newitz
1,969 views, 36 comments

Latest by Annex1: @darcymcgee: Here, here Brother! more »

freaky polymers

Crispy Noodles Fuel Next-Gen Hydrogen Cars

Crispy noodles are the missing link between today's carbon-emitting cars and tomorrow's clean hydrogen cars. It turns out that the structure of crispy noodles — rigid, twisty, and porous — perfectly matches that of a new polymer developed to trap and reuse hydrogen atoms in new "green" cars. University of Manchester researcher Peter Budd helped develop the polymer, which he calls a 'polymer of intrinsic microporosity,' or PIM. And he explains it entirely in terms of noodles. More »

1:15 PM on Tue May 6 2008
By Annalee Newitz
522 views, 7 comments

Latest by jood42: Religion and science finally merge in an acceptable way! more »

architecture

Now Your Car Can Pollute an Environmentally-Friendly Garage

Could this parking garage in Santa Monica, California, become the first certifiably "green" parking garage in the U.S.? LEED, a green building organization that awards certifications to structures that are demonstrably eco-friendly, says it may grant its certification to the garage any time now. More »

4:24 PM on Mon Apr 14 2008
By Annalee Newitz
874 views, 6 comments

Latest by n/a: Oh the irony. Sure, it was built green, but it won't be used green. How much time to people waste in those damned things with their engines running just sitting in dreaded parking lot traffic? I suppose more »

environmental disaster

Western U.S. Cooked by Climate Change Sooner than the Rest of the World

Over the past five years, the western United States endured temperature increases that caused droughts, deadly heat waves, mass death of trees, and insect infestations. Now a new report from the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization demonstrates why: the U.S. West has experienced an average temperature increase that is 70 percent greater than the world as a whole. The warming is directly related to greenhouse gas emissions. More »

8:40 AM on Mon Mar 31 2008
By Annalee Newitz
1,463 views, 34 comments

Latest by Stueymon: @codydog: famous banjos in sci-fi? all i can think of is the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy tune I live in england, i'm not really sure how climate change will inevitably effect me, other than more rain, hang on i live more »

environmental apocalypse

Pollution is Mutating Your Sperm at an Alarming Rate

People living in areas with airborne toxins and pollution are likely to develop 60 percent more mutations in their sperm than people living in areas with relatively clean air. Sperm mutations could lead to infertility for the man, or might make his children suffer any number of birth defects. Will this quickly lead to a world where more than half the population is some kind of mutant? Possibly, though a recent study suggests an easy solution if you want to protect your precious reproductive fluids. More »

7:30 AM on Wed Feb 6 2008
By Annalee Newitz
1,659 views, 13 comments

Latest by Flyne: This is perhaps not unrelated to the recent studies finding that the rate of human evolution has been increasing. more »

mega environmentalism

Giant Tree-Powered Machine Supplies Energy, Air to Madrid

This industrial environmentalist building/machine in Madrid is packed with solar cells and trees, and will apparently generate enough energy to sell to local electric companies. Called an "Air Tree," and created by Urban Ecosystems, the mega-device is supposed to have a significantly beneficial impact on the climate. Plus it just looks seriously badass, as you can see in these wide-angle views. More »

3:30 PM on Thu Jan 24 2008
By Annalee Newitz
3,708 views, 15 comments

Latest by Klebert L. Hall: What makes it a 'machine'?-Kle. more »

art

A Frozen Water Planet Begins Its Thaw

Amado Becquer Casaballe is a photographer who recently had the chance to work on an ice-breaking ship as it floated around Antarctica. He wanted to capture the beauty of this frozen desert before climate change transforms it forever. His images of glowing icebergs and shattered glaciers are truly otherworldly. You can see some in our gallery. More »

2:05 PM on Mon Jan 14 2008
By Annalee Newitz
2,741 views, 7 comments

Latest by n/a: My guess is that the icebergs aren't really glowing. The blue in the water is just the ice itself being seen through shallow water. The "glow" in the above-waterline parts is just light shining through the exposed ice. more »

climate change

By 2050, Smog Monster Will Be Eating Mostly Cars

A new study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that about 20-25% of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2 and ozone) are coming from railway, shipping, and car or truck transportation. But the most interesting part of the study are its future projections. "In 2050, as much as 30-50% of total CO2 emissions are projected to come from the transport sector," write the authors. In addition, they say that many of the emissions causing climate change from transportation are not covered in the Kyoto Protocol. Climate forcing from the transport sectors [PNAS]

7:20 AM on Mon Jan 7 2008
By Annalee Newitz
313 views, 15 comments

Latest by IronicSans: It eats Cadillacs. Lincolns too. Mercurys and Subaru. more »

environmental apocalypse

Rubberized Gas Mask for Raccoons in Polluted Forests

As toxins invade environments where small animals dwell, and as those animals are bio-engineered to be smarter, you're going to see a booming market in safety gear for tiny creatures who want to stay pert for their Cute Overload closeup. I predict a run on artist Bill Burns' rubberized gas masks. They're made for any creature with a snout who is about the size of a possum or raccoon. Burns has got a whole line of safety gear for the post-apocalyptic Cheezburger set, including safety goggles and biohazard suits in diminutive sizes. Below the fold are pictures of some of the most useful gear. More »

4:33 PM on Fri Jan 4 2008
By Annalee Newitz
1,150 views, 13 comments

Latest by cde: Screw the welding squirrels, *I* want those red cross and biohazard tents/suits. Redcross + black looks cool as hell, and so do the mostly black with a bit of yellow biohazard, as opposed to mostly yellow + little black. more »

environmental collapse

Which of Your Toys Will Suck Most Next Year?

Good magazine has whipped up an amazing chart that shows how much energy your electronic toys will suck up next year — even when they're turned off. Most electronics stay in standby mode when turned off, maintaining a clock in a microwave, say, or a timer in your DVR that tells it when to turn on. After the jump, see the full chart showing how much money people in the US will spend next year just to keep devices on standby. It ain't pretty. More »

7:00 AM on Mon Dec 17 2007
By Annalee Newitz
243 views, 2 comments

Latest by MirDreams: Ok, except for the plazma TV I don't think that's too bad. I'd like to know what it'd be for other types of TV's. more »

enviro-mania

Airborne Wind Turbines Are Floating Eco-Powerhouses of Tomorrow

Wind turbines produce energy by harnessing the wind, and usually they look like windmills. But a new breed of airborne wind turbine is heading into production. Many of them are house-sized and blimp-shaped, inflated with helium and left to churn in the rapid winds that are always blowing 1000 feet off the ground. Others are shaped more like helicopters or ladders. Still others cling to bridges. Someday I totally want one of these floating over my house, powering my Mac while I blog. Check out our gallery of gorgeous, airborne wind turbines. More »

2:00 PM on Thu Dec 13 2007
By Annalee Newitz
144 views, Comment

mad science

Microwaving Old Tires to Brew Fuel

Now you can use a microwave to transform old tires into energy. Here you see Jay Gill, an employee of New Jersey company Global Resource Corporation, doing just that using an awesomely homebrew-looking setup. The process is completely revolutionary, and the company has just announced it's about to get a ton of money to expand. But of course all we kept thinking about was how that gas chamber looked like a bong. Photos by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images. Energy from Tires [Minnesota Post-Bulletin]

7:30 AM on Thu Dec 13 2007
By Annalee Newitz
64 views, Comment

Artic Ice Will Melt Entirely in Summer 2013 BBC News is reporting on a disturbing study presented this week at the American Geophysical Union meeting that shows the polar ice sheet is melting more quickly than anyone imagined. This past summer, the sheet retreated to a size of 4.13 million sq kilometers, the smallest in recorded history. You can see a flash animation of the ice cap's size over the past 27 years with the BBC story. The scientists who worked on the study say this new data means the ice cap might melt entirely by summer 2013. [BBC News]

Comment

environmental collapse

Are You in a Climate Change Hot Zone?

An international team of scientists has crunched the numbers and predicted which areas of the world will be hit hardest by the effects of climate change. They created this map of the "socioclimatic" future of the world. The reddest areas, which include China, India, and the United States, are in the most danger because they suffer from a deadly combination of social problems and lax policies on toxic emissions (it's no coincidence that all three countries are not signatories to the Kyoto Treaty). Check out the stats for yourself. [Eurekalert] Image by Pamela Burroff-Murr/Diffenbaugh et al./Dan Annarino/NOAA.

7:30 AM on Tue Dec 11 2007
By Annalee Newitz
384 views, 1 comment

Latest by jak2rocks: Aww, damn! I'm in FL and that's part of the 1 out of 2 reddest areas... more »

environmental design

Two Visions of New York's Future Waterfront

Will the New York waterfront become a flooded nightmare or bland paradise? Two artists' renderings reveal all. The first is a collage by Japanese satirist Tsunehisa Kimura, the second a mockup for a projected waterfront park.

2:00 PM on Thu Dec 6 2007
By Annalee Newitz
180 views, Comment

environmental disaster

Climate Change Traced to High Divorce Rate

Divorce is pushing global warming into the danger zone. Each time a family splits up, according to a study released yesterday, it creates a double-sized carbon footprint. And since global warming is causing a general rise in thunderstorms across the planet, when you and your spouse consider splitting up, you are threatening the world with shittier weather. STAY MARRIED EVEN IF YOUR LIVES ARE HELL. THAT'S THE WAY THE BIOSPHERE WOULD WANT IT. More »

7:00 AM on Tue Dec 4 2007
By Annalee Newitz
74 views, Comment

tabloid science

Tropics Expand and Stem Cells Repair Major Skull Damage

  • It's official: the Earth is getting more tropical. Global warming has expanded the tropical band around the center of the planet over the past two decades, and it looks like it will expand more over the next century. [Reuters]
  • Researchers repaired major skull damage in mice using human embryonic stem cells. They grew new bone on a special tissue-engineering edifice and popped it right into the mouse skulls. So stem cells are good for something, after all. [Science Daily] Why chimps are smarter than humans and dinosaurs had hooves after the jump.
More »

11:00 AM on Mon Dec 3 2007
By Annalee Newitz
36 views, Comment

environmental apocalypse

Freakishly Huge Algae Bloom in London

Massive algae blooms killed seals, birds and sea lions on the California coast earlier this yea because algae exudes a toxin called domoic acid. When these blooms got out of control, aquatic animals would ingest the toxin because the fish they eat had been nibbling on these super-blooms. But those algae blooms were nothing compared to this one, seen in London's Hyde Park last year. More »

3:00 PM on Fri Nov 30 2007
By Annalee Newitz
219 views, Comment

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