BULGE WAVE ANACONDA Unsustainable Future GMO win: Developing plants that accommodate climate change The ability to promote agricultural and conservation successes in the face of rapid environmental change will partly hinge on scientists' understanding of how plants adapt to local climate. To improve scientists' understanding of this phenomenon, a study in the Oct. 7, 2011 issue of Science helps define the genetic bases of plant adaptations to local climate. The National Science Foundation partly funded the study, which was conducted by Alexandre Fournier-Level of Brown University and colleagues. The study involved growing a diverse panel of strains of the mustard plant, Arabidopsis, in various locations within its native range in Finland, Germany, England and Spain. The adaptability of a strain of the Arabidopsis plant to any particular climate is determined by a relatively small number of genes -- in most cases, around 100 genes. (Photo Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation)
New Piezo Crystals Harness Sound Waves to Generate Hydrogen Fuel It sounds like a strange combination: zinc oxide crystals, water, and noise pollution. But scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that the mix can efficiently produce hydrogen without the need for a dirty catalyst like oil. By submerging a new type of zinc oxide crystal in water, the scientists claim to be able to harvest hydrogen using vibrations from passing traffic and crashing waves. To generate the clean hydrogen, researchers produced zinc oxide crystals that absorb vibrations when placed in water. The vibrations cause the crystals to develop areas with strong positive and negative charges–a reaction that rips the surrounding water molecules and releases hydrogen and oxygen. The mechanism, dubbed the piezoelectrochemical effect, converts 18% of energy from vibrations into hydrogen gas (compared to 10% from conventional piezoelectric materials). + Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters Via New Scientist Lead photo by Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Flying Wind Turbines Reach for High-Altitude Power Airborne wind turbine Airborne wind generator of flip-wing style An airborne wind turbine is a design concept for a wind turbine with a rotor supported in the air without a tower,[1] thus benefiting from more mechanical and aerodynamic options, the higher velocity and persistence of wind at high altitudes, while avoiding the expense of tower construction,[2] or the need for slip rings or yaw mechanism. An electrical generator may be on the ground or airborne. Airborne wind turbines may operate in low or high altitudes; they are part of a wider class of airborne wind energy systems (AWES) addressed by high-altitude wind power and crosswind kite power. Aerodynamic variety[edit] An aerodynamic airborne wind power system relies on the wind for support. Crosswind kite generator with fast motion transfer Miles L. The Dutch ex-astronaut and physicist Wubbo Ockels, working with the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, has designed and demonstrated[7] an airborne wind turbine he called a "Laddermill".