Category: Energy

Aluminum Amperage

The CBC Radio show Quirks & Quarks has an excellent podcast on using aluminum to power mobile electronic devices (mp3 link).

“Instead of pumping gasoline, for example, you get a shoe-box of aluminum powder…”

More detail can be found in the podcast or on the Quirks & Quarks archive page.

In related battery news, Panasonic has created a new technology called Oxyride that is supposed to be just as big as the use of alkaline in batteries. The new batteries are supposed to have 1.5 times the life of an alkaline battery and cost the same as a regular set of batteries according to BetaNews.

Wind Power Potential!

Map of Wind Power PotentialAccording to a Stanford University study there is enough wind to generate five times more energy than the world currently needs. The total output of power is predicted to be 72-terrawatts – and that’s a conservative number.

The researches placed 8,199 wind monitoring devices around the globe to reach their conclusion. Wind monitoring devices used in the study were located primarily in the developed world, as a result they had to generalize in the majority world.

Wal-Mart Tries to be Good

Wal-Mart, known by most to be a horrible corporation, is trying to be environmentally conscious. CNN has an article on a new store Wal-Mart is opening that has a windmill and a roof that opens and closes based on sunlight.

Wal-Mart is doing this to save money and also to try to improve its reputation. I never thought that Wal-Mart would ever make it onto this site in this way, but it does make sense since energy is becoming more and more expensive. Wal-Marts have huge roofs that can be used for solar panels; their buildings are surrounded by huge parking lots that would allow wind to be generated for windmills.