Across the world, countless trees, shrubs, and algae perform photosynthesis, where sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water are turned into organic matter by a series of complex chemical reactions. Perhaps you had to memorize some of the steps for a high school biology class. As a process that takes CO2 out of the air and can …
Tag Archives: Energy
Hydrogen Trains: India and Elsewhere
Hydrogen trains are those that use the element hydrogen as their source of fuel. The hydrogen generates electrical energy in a fuel cell when oxygen is added, and steam containing water vapor is the only output. Electrolysis, or the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen, is the process used to obtain the hydrogen for …
Fusion Energy Breakthrough in July
On 30 July 2023, scientists at the US’ California-based National Ignition Facility (NIF) produced a fusion reaction that produced more energy than it consumed, leading many to renew speculation as to whether using fusion as an energy source is possible. Nuclear fusion occurs when two atoms collide to form a heavier atom. For instance, two …
Ancient Natural Nuclear Reactor – How Did it Work?
Uranium-based nuclear reactors rely on the isotope uranium-235 to make energy. Currently, there is far more uranium-238 (146 neutrons) than 235 (143 neutrons) in naturally occurring ore, where the isotopes vary greatly in their stability. Therefore, uranium goes through a process of enrichment to extract the U-235, since this isotope makes up only about .72% …
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Environmental Injustice: A History of Uranium Mining on the Navajo Reservation
The Navajo Nation is a Native American reservation that lies on a tract of land that is spread throughout Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. In total, the nation takes up 71,000 square kilometers (27,413 sq mi) and has a population of around 174,000 based on 2010 census data. The area also contains something toxic: 500 …
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New Large-Scale Solar Project in Maine
As of 2021, only around 3% of the net energy produced within the state of Maine comes from solar energy. About half of the state’s energy comes from hydropower and wind power. According to a 2016 US Department of Energy study, solar panels could potentially provide 60% of the state’s electricity needs. Construction on Maine’s …
New Bladeless Rooftop Device Generates Energy from Wind
Right now, solar power is the main way that renewable energy is produce in a decentralized manner. Rooftop solar panels are not an uncommon sight in many countries across the world, but a new technology for decentralized wind power may soon by joining those panels. In collaboration with researchers from Texas Tech University, the company …
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Finland Builds Giant Sand ‘Battery’!
One of the major challenges of creating a 100% renewable energy grid is finding cost-effective ways to store excess energy in a variety of environments. That is not to say that current methods do not exist. For instance, we can use excess energy to pump water uphill and then release it when demand is higher. …
The National Coal Policy Project: A Political Experiment
The 70s were a tumultuous time in many senses. The realm of energy and the environment is one area in which the policy scene changed rapidly in just a few years. Nuclear energy, once seen as so promising in the public eye, was now viewed with more distrust. Protests and negative public opinion made it …
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Green Steps on the Great Western Railway & Chicago-Seattle Amtrak Line
The Great Western Railway is an iconic British transportation line that has been running trains since 1838. Its original locomotives were painted a striking shade of green, and soon garnered routes serving southwest and west England, as well as Wales. Over the course of its history, the GWR has switched back and forth from government …
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Green Humanist 