IceCycle is a neat idea of storing energy at off peak times to use during peak periods. I believe Energy storage technology goes hand in hand with renewables. To bad nobody has a lead on storing heat energy. I would love a device that cools my house in the summer and stores that heat for the winter. See the article here.
research
Eco Challenge
The finalists are now online for the Eco Challenge, which is something that MTV and GE have conceived together.
“The mtvU GE ecomagination Challenge is asking college students from around the country to develop new, creative ways to green their campus. We’re looking for innovative and groundbreaking ideas that can have a positive impact at the local level or the global level — or both. The sky is (literally) the limit.”
To me this seems like an odd partnership for an environmental cause, but whatever their reasons I’m glad they are doing it.
Thanks, mkb!
Mine Heat for Energy
MIT researchers have come to the conclusion that geothermal energy is a good thing! They figure that a “significant” amount of energy that the USA uses can be produced using the earth has power.
“The goal of the study was to assess the feasibility, potential environmental impacts and economic viability of using enhanced geothermal system (EGS) technology to greatly increase the fraction of the U.S. geothermal resource that could be recovered commercially.”
The Mystery of the Northern Lights
Next month, in a joint Canadian / American project, five satellites will be launched to help figure out the mystery behind aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights. This project, called THEMIS, includes recording interaction between charged particles expelled by the sun and the Earth’s magnetic field.Â
When these particles interact with the magnetic field, they sometimes release energy near the polar regions, resulting in aurora substorms. The electron release interacts with molecules in the atmosphere and appears as the northern lights.
The scientists involved are from Canada and the United States, including NASA. In addition to the satellites, twenty observatories will take digital images and monitor magnetic signatures from substorms. Most of the observatories will be located in northern Canada, including Whitehorse, Inuvik, and Gillam, Man.
Denmark is Happy
Denmark is one happy place, and has been that way for decades. When measuring life satisfaction, researchers have consistently concluded that the Danes are the most satisfied, but what is their secret to their happiness?
It’s that Danes have low expectations.
“It’s a David and Goliath thing,†said the lead author, Kaare Christensen, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense. “If you’re a big guy, you expect to be on the top all the time and you’re disappointed when things don’t go well. But when you’re down at the bottom like us, you hang on, you don’t expect much, and once in a while you win, and it’s that much better.â€
The above link is for the NY Times, so use bugmenot.