by Tia Ghose
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Plastic makes a comeback
Recycled plastic products gain ground 3
Posted 1 year, 6 months ago The New York Times has an interesting article up about recycled plastic products. They're profiling a company called Recycline, which makes those bright green recycled plastic cutting boards, strawberry red colanders, and even toothbrushes.According to the article: Read More
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More signs of the Apocalypse?
Soy, corn, and wheat prices puzzling economists 11
Posted 1 year, 7 months ago Just in case you weren't worried about rising food prices, The New York Times has an article out that makes the food markets seem even more volatile. Apparently, identical bushels of corn, wheat, and soybeans are selling for two different prices on the derivatives and cash markets. Read More -
If you build it ...
Green building may be quickest path to decreased emissions 8
Posted 1 year, 8 months ago Reuters has the skinny on a new report on green building. The report concluded that building green would reduce greenhouse emissions more quickly than any other approach.According to the article:
North America's buildings release more than 2,200 megatonnes, or about 35 percent of the continent's total, of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. If the construction market quickly adopted current and emerging energy-saving technologies, that number could be cut by 1,700 megatonnes by 2030, the report said.
Alas, there are "obstacles" preventing the rapid adoption of green building techniques:
One is the so-called split incentive policy, where those who… Read More
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You feisty devils, you 1
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Here comes the sun -- again
Solar thermal plants make a comeback 24
Posted 1 year, 8 months ago
Photo: nrel.govAs part of the Back to the Future alternative energy series, The New York Times has an article today about the rising demand for solar thermal power plants, which use solar panels to heat water and operate a steam turbine.
Among the advantages cited:
On sunny afternoons, those 10 plants would produce as much electricity as three nuclear reactors, but they can be built in as little as two years, compared with a decade or… Read More
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Keep your laws off my germ-resistant hook
EPA versus the antimicrobial keychain 1
Posted 1 year, 8 months ago The EPA is deciding whether to class an antimicrobial keychain as a pesticide, according to an article in the New York Times.The product, called the handler, is basically a small, plastic pirate's claw impregnated with nanoscale silver particles. The particles prevent bacteria from getting a foothold on the hook. Have to go to the ATM and come into contact with filthy keys that other flu-ridden people have pawed? No problem, just pull out your hook.
Not so fast!
Apparently, the EPA thinks that, because of those pesky silver particles, the product may be considered a pesticide according… Read More
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Making lemonade out of lemons ... out of lemonade
Scientists suggest transforming atmospheric CO2 into gasoline 6
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago An article published in The New York Times today describes a proposal to use carbon in the atmosphere to make gasoline. The principle itself is quite simple -- similar ideas have been proposed before. According to the article:Air would be blown over a liquid solution of potassium carbonate, which would absorb the carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide would then be extracted and subjected to chemical reactions that would turn it into fuel: methanol, gasoline or jet fuel. This process could transform carbon dioxide from an unwanted, climate-changing pollutant into a vast resource for renewable fuels. The closed cycle… Read More
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Cross pollination
Israel trades irrigation technology for access to India’s ag-gene bank 1
Posted 1 year, 9 months ago Israel is seeking to invest in Indian agriculture, according to this article in the India Times. The two powers signed a bilateral agricultural agreement a couple years ago; in the pact, India agreed to trade information on "genetic resources" from their crops in exchange for Israel's dryland farming expertise. As part of the agreement, Israel would share its expertise on water recycling and irrigation. It would also help India "intensify" its agricultural production, share greenhouse farming techniques and "livestocks feed, dairy equipment, and technology," according to the article. Israel's biggest dairy producer, TNUVA, is also interested in… Read More
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