Steel is such an important material in our modern world, but making it also produces quite a bit of greenhouse gases (an estimated 5% of the world’s total GHG emissions), as well as consuming copious amounts of energy. But that may change, as news of a new steel making method developed at MIT hints at cheaper, cleaner, and more efficient steel production in the future. Currently, for each ton of steel produced from iron ore, almost two tons of CO2 emissions are generated, so reducing that figure would be a big step in the right direction. The new method goes… read more

Paper use on a global scale is enormous. We have no one to blame but ourselves as many daily transactions still require paperwork despite technological advances towards a paperless society. In an effort to preserve forests and the environment, Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) have unveiled a promising and cutting edge “rewritable electronic paper”. The interesting part about this e-paper is that it can retain information written upon it without using electricity and it is designed to replace paper products that only have a limited lifespan such as tickets or daily office papers, thus saving on waste and energy. This phenomenal project… read more

Over the past few years, glass used for windows has become increasingly more energy efficient due to new techniques and designs. Traditionally made windows can lose up to 30% of a home’s energy and cause heat fluctuations. Smart glasses are one innovative update in the window design world that considerably increases energy efficacy. Researchers have found that thinly coating vanadium dioxide nanoparticles with a specialized film helps windows function at a heightened level, therefore increasing energy saving capabilities. Applied to films and the materials used to make glass, smart glasses like BioGlass use this application. Glass for windows has customarily… read more

The European Space Agency are to launch a satellite that will assess the amount of forest left in the world and its relationship with carbon dioxide. By weighing the earth, albeit electronically, the new satellite, called Biomass, can work out very quickly how much forest area is left. The satellite, due for service in 2020, will have unique radar technology that can access the contours of trees even at such a far distance away. The Biomass satellite will be used to work out how much of the world’s carbon lies in forests and supervise data in real-time during a five… read more

With steep increases in the price of electricity a reality,  and ongoing concern about carbon emissions many homeowners around the globe have started to think about using solar power to keep their household costs down. People living in stand alone houses are able to use rooftop solar panels to generate their own power but what about people living in apartments? One solution may be to install “smart” windows. These are in development and integrate solar panel technology into window glass allowing you to power your house. UCLA’s Material Science and Engineering Department has come up with a solar cell made of polymer…. read more

Since its introduction, Mark Stibich’s disinfecting robot  has been earning comparisons to R2-D2, to which it vaguely resembles. But that wouldn’t be doing the wheel-clad bot justice. These robots, which are appropriately given names like “Violet” and “Ray”, keep hospitals safe from microscopic minions by smiting them with ultra-violet rays. Robots are operated  with the use of a remote. Upon command, UV light,  which is created as electricity is run through xenon gas, flashes for 5 to 10 minutes as the robot rotates it’s “head” to scan the room. The robots can effectively wipe out hospital-acquired infections, the leading cause… read more

For those of you who try to grow some of your own food, you know how difficult it can be sometimes to overcome challenges such as early or late frosts, a drought, or hungry wildlife. But we learn as we go and we try harder (or try different tactics), and we find that those challenges, while daunting, can be met successfully. And much of that success can be chalked up to the fact that most of what we’re doing is enabling the plants that live in our world to do what they do best, in their natural environment. Now imagine… read more

Solar energy continues to evolve, in particular, finding ways of installing solar panels in densely populated areas. Many states and cities within the USA are so densely populated that the space simply isn’t there to roll out vast, traditional solar paneling systems. The dynamic is beginning to change from roof-top panels to linking areas to a solar farm. Brown field sites that are not attracting building use are now being taken over by the solar energy industry. In the state of New Jersey, over 6 acres of solar paneling worth 4 million dollars is being installed. These brown field sites are often contaminated land… read more

Bionic Power, a technology company in British Columbia, has developed a knee brace that allows you to possess energy-generating powers. It comes in the form of a biochemical energy harvester, called the PowerWalk. Whilst walking, whenever you brake, and your knees buckle, you have the potential for generative braking. The PowerWalk knee brace has the ability to capture this motion, allowing you harvest the energy generated from the bending and locking of your knees whenever you wear it. Each PowerWalk knee brace weighs 1.7 pounds, and  generates around 12 watts of energy at the average walking speed. Kept steadily, you… read more

Now that green technology has become an established part of engineering, focus has moved onto greater innovation within the sector. Southwest Airlines have begun to renovate some of their aircraft with greater environmental awareness in mind. These new planes are using a combination of eco-friendly materials that could save round five pounds per seat, allowing for sizable savings in fuel costs and better fuel conservation. South West estimate that collectively this amounts to a saving of nearly 10,000 gallons of fuel per plane. Put into practice, this could save around $10,000 US dollars in fuel costs for every journey. In… read more