New concrete recipe soaks up twice the carbon of the conventional one
One tiny ingredient could make the most used construction material in the world more sustainable
Feb 2021 18
Prachi Patel
Prachi Patel is a Pittsburgh-based freelance journalist who writes about energy, materials science, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and computing. Writes for Scientific American, IEEE Spectrum, Chemical & Engineering News, and MRS Bulletin. Find her at www.lekh.org.
Feb 2021 11
Airplanes could cut emissions by being better wind-surfers
It’s a quick, safe and relatively simple way to save up to 16 percent of fuel burned on transoceanic flights while the industry waits for biofuels and electric craft
Feb 2021 4
With lab-grown wood, researchers envision a future of furniture without deforestation
"If you want a table, then you should just grow a table,” they say
Jan 2021 28
To boost EV adoption, add a lot of charging stations and a few gas-powered backup cars
It's all about convenience: MIT researchers identify strategies that increase electrification by fitting it into people’s existing lifestyles
Jan 2021 21
To stop the climate clock, fund technologies to pull carbon dioxide from air, researchers say
Investments of war and pandemic proportions in direct air capture could reverse the rise in atmospheric CO2 and global temperature before 2100
Jan 2021 14
How do renewable energy sources hold up in a warming world?
Pretty well overall. A new study shows that the impact climate change will have on the supply of wind, hydro, solar, and other renewable energy sources is modest.
Jan 2021 7
EV emissions depend on the time of day that you charge them
The varying mix of renewables by the hour on power grids across the US significantly impacts how much EVs reduce emissions
Dec 2020 17
A new carbon capture method that actually makes energy sense
Simple, high-efficiency electrolysis process produces commercially valuable products—and could run on renewable energy
Dec 2020 10
This material can store the sun’s energy for months, maybe even years
Thin coatings of the material could soak up sun in summer months and provide heat to buildings in winter, all without using fuel or electricity
Dec 2020 3
Ultrafast spray method boosts next-generation solar cell production
Easy one-step technique could speed up commercialization of perovskite solar cells, which promise to be cheaper and more efficient than silicon.
