We always lead off with our favorite snippet of the month, that being technological advances, so here we go! A new catalyst converts carbon dioxide into a liquid fuel. A fully-recycled battery. Alcohol-based fuel cells are one step closer to commercialization. Improved process for converting carbon dioxide into liquid fuels. Rapidly charging batteries has negative consequences. Batteries from abundantly available sodium and sulfur closer to a reality. And here is another advance in sodium-based batteries. Perpetual motion robots could innovate pharmaceutical delivery in the human body. New catalyst shows promise for the commercialization of hydrogen gas. Diamonds might be hydrogen gas’ best friend too. The NOAA extreme weather events map for November 2021 shows that Africa had its warmest November on record while Australia had it’s wettest November on record. The Artic Sea ice extent was at its 9th smallest for November with the Antarctic ice extent at its 2nd smallest. Yep, you guessed right if you guessed November was hot – in fact we have been hot for 443 consecutive months as the most recent NOAA global climate report shows. How hot was it? Well, it was the 4th hottest November at some 1.64°F (0.91°C) above the 20th Century … testContinue reading →

It’s time again for my favorite part of the News Snippets, that being technology advances in the past month! Droplets of liquids can move across surfaces without outside forces applied. New catalyst both breaks down water and recombines hydrogen and oxygen to generate power. From wastewater to hydrogen fuel with a single atom catalyst. Bee hives and solar cells combine to improve agriculture. New technique to improve algae power generation. New way to harvest wave and tidal energy in oceans and lakes. Nature improves this solid-battery design. New material developed for improved computer memory. This idea creates on-demand fuel from sunlight and air. Stride forward for solid-state battery production. Ammonia could replace carbon-based fuels in the future. The NOAA extreme weather events map for October 2021 shows that North America had its second warmest October on record while Europe had its coolest since 2016. The Arctic Sea ice extent was the 8th smallest for October while the Antarctic Sea ice extent was the 4th smallest on record. As you might have expected, the October 2021 NOAA Climate Report is out and it shows the global warming trend is continuing. In fact, the October 2021 temperatures were some 1.60°F (0.89°C) above … testContinue reading →

It’s time again for our latest review of technological advances in the world of sustainable development, so here we go! Microbial fuel cells are improved with the addition of metallic ions. Self-healing, water-resistant coatings developed. New research proves liquids can be ‘steered’ on surfaces. From nuclear waste to biofuel additive. Silicon solid-state batteries closer to reality. Low-cost method to remove lead from water developed. New method to keep solar panels working properly. This research uses CO2 to produce starch. Research sheds light on pathway to improved organic solar cells. New method to upcycle used plastics. The NOAA extreme weather events map for September 2021 shows that South America had its warmest September on record, while it was the coolest September in Europe since 2013 and in Oceania since 2018 – that said, both regions still had above average temperatures in the month. The September 2021 NOAA global climate report is out and, well, as you might expect, we saw temperatures far above the 20th Century average. Temperatures in the month were some 1.62°F (0.90°C) above the 20th Century average making it the fifth warmest September on record, behind 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020. Record warmth was noted over 6.43% of … testContinue reading →