Archive for the 'Energy' Category
U.S. Adds Forces in Persian Gulf
July 4th, 2012Via: New York Times: The United States has quietly moved significant military reinforcements into the Persian Gulf to deter the Iranian military from any possible attempt to shut the Strait of Hormuz and to increase the number of fighter jets capable of striking deep into Iran if the standoff over its nuclear program escalates.
Mid Atlantic: Three Million Without Power
July 1st, 2012Via: CBS: Utility crews untangled downed power lines and tree limbs Sunday, working to get the electricity turned back on for millions of people facing a second day of 100-degree temperatures without modern conveniences like air conditioning and refrigeration. On Saturday, many people flocked to places like malls and movie theaters in the hope the […]
Injection Wells: The Poison Beneath Us
June 26th, 2012Via: Pro Publica: Over the past several decades, U.S. industries have injected more than 30 trillion gallons of toxic liquid deep into the earth, using broad expanses of the nation’s geology as an invisible dumping ground. No company would be allowed to pour such dangerous chemicals into the rivers or onto the soil. But until […]
U.S. Plans Significant Military Presence in Kuwait
June 19th, 2012Imagine our shock. Via: AP: The United States is planning a significant military presence of 13,500 troops in Kuwait to give it the flexibility to respond to sudden conflicts in the region as Iraq adjusts to the withdrawal of American combat forces and the world nervously eyes Iran, according to a congressional report.
MIT: Textured Surface Could Reduce Thickness of Silicon Used in Solar Cells by More Than 90 Percent
June 18th, 2012Via: MIT News: Highly purified silicon represents up to 40 percent of the overall costs of conventional solar-cell arrays — so researchers have long sought to maximize power output while minimizing silicon usage. Now, a team at MIT has found a new approach that could reduce the thickness of the silicon used by more than […]
Japan Restarting Two Nuclear Power Plants
June 18th, 2012Via: ABC News: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda ordered the restart of two idle nuclear reactors Saturday amid widespread public opposition, more than a year after a powerful earthquake and tsunami triggered three nuclear meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Power Plant, and halted all 50 reactors in Japan. The decision to reactivate the Ohi reactors […]
MIT Researchers Create Glucose Powered Fuel Cell for Medical Implants
June 14th, 2012Via: MIT: MIT engineers have developed a fuel cell that runs on the same sugar that powers human cells: glucose. This glucose fuel cell could be used to drive highly efficient brain implants of the future, which could help paralyzed patients move their arms and legs again.
Saab Auto Sold to China-Japan Group In Electric-Car Push
June 13th, 2012Via: Bloomberg: A Chinese-Japanese investment group agreed to buy Saab Automobile and convert the bankrupt Swedish manufacturer into a maker of electric cars. The first vehicle under the plan will be based on Saab’s 9-3 car and will go on sale early in 2014, with China as the main market, purchaser National Electric Vehicle Sweden […]
Michigan: Nuclear Power Plant Shut Down After Leak
June 13th, 2012I’ve been following the Michigan/Indiana radiation spike meme for days, but I haven’t seen anything to convince me that anything weird was actually happening there. And now… Via: Reuters: Entergy Corp shut its 793-megawatt Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan on Tuesday due to leakage from a refueling water tank, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission […]
Water Grab in Kansas Oil Boom
June 12th, 2012Via: CNN: In the farm country of southern Kansas, water is a precious commodity. And not just for farming — for fracking. In hydraulic fracturing, water is injected into the ground at a high pressure to help crack shale rock and bring oil to the surface. The industry says it takes as much as 2 […]
