The Why Files » Energy

Energy and climate: The hidden stories

admin — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:33:23 +0000

Climate scientists worry about feedbacks, glacial melting, sea level rise, using tax policy to slow warming, and the complexity of climate science. Is it realistic to base our economy on endless growth? What does human behavior tell us about dealing with warming?

Buried charcoal: Global warming star?

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:41:58 +0000

Buried charcoal stimulates microbes and plant growth, helping farmers on poor soil. Studies show that charcoal is stable for hundreds of years.

Green as a garbage dump? Waste rots, makes energy…

schulte — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:24:56 +0000

Decay is part of life, and death. When garbage decays in a landfill, or manure decays in a tank, the result is methane. Is this natural gas a problem — or an opportunity?

Questioning candidates

schulte — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:07:13 +0000

The candidates are skirting issues related to environment, energy and science policy. Heard promising plans for greener energy, solid science advice, or coping with the decline of oil? We neither...

New plug-in hybrid claims 640 miles per tank

schulte — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:34:31 +0000

Plug-in hybrids mean more than just extra spending cash for drivers, though. They could offer a new path through the maze of the electric grid, and help to boost the use of alternative energy.

Electric Cars: Meet the plug-in Hybrid

schulte — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:36:31 +0000

Hybrid cars and plug-in hybrids boost auto efficiency and reduce pollution, but it's a long struggle from the idea to the reality.

Miracles of migration

schulte — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:47:09 +0000

The fall migration of birds and monarch butterflies is under way. How do birds navigate between summer breeding grounds and winter refuges? Why do 400 million monarchs spend the winter on a few remote mountaintops in Mexico?

Carbon Storage: A Low-Carb Solution to Global Warming?

schulte — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 22:24:58 +0000

Could carbon storage help control warming? The oil industry already injects CO2 into deep rocks. Is it possible to capture CO2 from coal plants, and pump it deep underground?

New Trick for Water Pistol of the Sea

schulte — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 19:26:27 +0000

How’s a hungry fish supposed to make a living in the shallow water below tropical mangrove trees?

Ash-crete: Concrete Process to Turn Ash into Cash!

schulte — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 20:31:08 +0000

Coal ash is one of the biggest garbage problems around. Should we try to recycle more ash into concrete? A new process might make concrete and save cement, rock, and landfill space.