If only the problem was just carbon dioxide
A new study is the first to assess the impacts of curbing only CO2 emissions—versus cutting other pollutants causing nearly half of all warming
May 2022 26
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.
May 2022 19
Algae powers computer for a year using only light and water
Made of common, inexpensive, and non-toxic materials, an algae-powered battery could be a sustainable option for powering electronics
May 2022 12
Jet fuel from paper industry waste could make airplanes cleaner
Why burn lignin when you could use it to fly an airplane? Research shows lignin-based jet fuel performs better with lower emissions than petro-fuels
May 2022 5
AI-designed enzyme devours plastic trash in days
The new enzyme works at lower temperatures than previous ones, which would make it greener, faster, and cheaper
Apr 2022 28
To decarbonize the grid, we need extraordinary power storage. This new device gets us closer.
With no moving parts, the solar cell-like device generates heat from electricity with a record-breaking efficiency higher than that of steam turbines
Apr 2022 21
Engineers have made solar cells produce electricity at night
It's enough power to keep LED lightbulbs on or charge phones at night, and could offset the need for expensive batteries
Apr 2022 14
A simple chemical twist turns plastic waste into a carbon-soaking sponge
Compared to today’s sorbents, the new super-porous material could absorb carbon dioxide from smokestacks at much lower cost and energy
Apr 2022 7
This battery could freeze solar and wind energy for months
With its use of low-cost, non-toxic materials, the new molten-salt battery could offer cheaper grid storage than rivals
Mar 2022 31
Squid-inspired packaging keeps contents not too hot, not too cold, but just right
The inventive, heat-regulating material is cheap and recyclable, and provides an energy-efficient and sustainable solution for food and beverage containers.
Mar 2022 24
Scientists take on food waste and fashion pollution—fabricating faux cotton and leather with fungi.
Bread-eating fungus spores produce natural fibers that can be treated to mimic cotton and leather, using far less water and energy than conventional materials.
