Tag Archives: health
In Focus: The Chemicals in Chicago’s Air
Scientists have found that Chicago’s air is infested with chemicals courtesy of airborne compounds that are traveling as far as the Arctic. The chemicals, called cyclic siloxanes, are toxic to aquatic life. Where do they come from? From chemicals in deodorants, lotions and conditioners. “These chemicals are just everywhere,” said Keri Hornbuckle, an engineering professor at the [...]
In Focus: Futuristic Green Energies
The Time Lists has released its ‘Top 20 Green Tech Ideas’, and what a list it is. At Decipher CM, we’ve picked our Top 5 favourite futuristic green energies to share with the new breed of technological hippies out there. 1. Biofuels One of the ‘green industries’ best kept secrets is biofuels. This includes products [...]
Energy Questions People Want Answered by Obama and Romney
Tonight’s presidential debate, which takes place in Hempstead, Long Island, is a town hall, where undecided voters get to ask the questions. Unfortunately, the subject matter is limited to foreign policy, so many important questions average voters would ask won’t be allowed (how about their positions on a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United?). Is [...]
Lanai: Future Solar Eco Lab
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison purchased close to 98 percent of the 141 square-mile Hawaiian island of Lanai for $500 million four months ago from billionaire David Murdock in June for an undisclosed price. On the island, Ellison owns “two resorts and golf courses, a variety of commercial and residential structures and vast acres of [...]
Mexican President Felipe Calderon Inaugurates Large Scale Solar Plant
Mexican President Felipe Calderon inaugurated a large-scale solar power plant that he touted as the region’s first, a pilot facility in the northwestern state of Baja California that features 4,000 photovoltaic panels and 1 MW in generating capacity. The current president of Mexico Felipe Calderon Hinojosa has inaugurated a large-scale solar power plant in the [...]
EPA Grant Lowers Dangerous Diesel Engine Emissions
A grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Farmland Management Services (FMS) has helped reduce diesel emissions across six of the company’s Wisconsin cranberry farms.The grant, awarded under the EPA’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program, has curbed the amount of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, which potentially cause adverse health effects, emitted [...]
Catching up to the German Solar Machine
Germany only gets as much sunlight as Alaska, yet it is the largest solar market in the world. The cost of installing solar is much cheaper in Germany – up to 48% less at $3.08 per watt versus $5.90 per watt in the United States, according to recent data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). [...]
In Focus: Dupont’s Solar Quality Standards
Solar installations were removed from twenty-four San Diego Unified School District campuses after corrosion was discovered that threatened the possibility of electrical issues that could lead to fires. The 4.3-megawatt installation was built in 2005-06 by Solar Integrated Technologies (SIT). SIT was acquired by Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) (PINK:ENERQ) in 2009. ECD’s Uni-Solar manufactured the [...]
In Focus: DIY Consumption
There is a revolution underway that is transforming consumption. If the twentieth century was marked by hyper-consumption the twenty-first century will be marked by collaborative consumption. This new form of consumption is being facilitated by a wide range of technological innovations. Social media is a great example of technologies that contribute to the new model [...]