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Earth News

June 10, 2008

  • Dot Earth: Academies Urge Action on Climate and Health
    Thirteen of the world’s scientific academies have issued joint statements calling for action to curb health risks and limit the threat posed by human-driven global warming.

    - 7 months
    source: (NYT > Environment)
  • More on Social Networking for Small Business
    Zappos uses Web 2.0 with creativity to try to lure customers. - 7 months
    source: (U.S. News)
  • Monkeys that go fishing discovered

    A long-tailed macaque monkey looks for fish in a river in Lesan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, in Sept. 2007. Long-tailed macaque monkeys have a reputation for knowing how to find food, whether it be grabbing fruit from jungle trees or snatching a banana from a startled tourist. Now, researchers say they have discovered groups of the silver-haired monkeys in Indonesia that fish. (AP Photo/Mel White)Long-tailed macaque monkeys have a reputation for knowing how to find food — whether it be grabbing fruit from jungle trees or snatching a banana from a startled tourist.


    - 7 months
    source: (msnbc.com: Environment)
  • Green news harvest: 500-mile fuel cell car, Linux gets 'green flag'

      Here's a sampling of green-tech news and quick commentary:

  • Linux captures the 'green' flag, beats Windows 2008 power-saving measures - Network World
    Tests give Linux the edge on energy efficiency, although your "wattage may vary."
  • Toyota develops improved hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle - Reuters
    The fuel cell vehicle,
    • ...

    - 7 months
    source: (Green Tech )
  • Cars Hurt Most by $4 Gas
    Auto sales are down across the board, but these vehicles are free-falling. - 7 months
    source: (U.S. News)
  • Fashion - Beklina Sale!
    If you’re an EcoSalon regular (and we hope you all are), by now you may have noticed my affinity for Beklina products. I’ve already scouted great sale items from this site, but if you haven’t visited already, now’s the time to check it out. ... - 7 months
    source: (EcoSalon - The Green Gathering)
  • Natural gas prices on the rise
    Despite the arrival of a hot summer, natural gas prices are almost double what they were in December. Ashley Milne-Tyte explains last winter's effect on current supplies and other culprits to the rising costs. - 7 months
    source: (Marketplace - Sustainability)
  • 3M Fuel Cell MEA In Operation More than 7,300 Hours, Beating DOE 2015 Target
    3mmea1
    One of the catalyst formulations has run in the MEA for more than 7,300 hours. Click to enlarge.

    A research team led by 3M is developing high-performance fuel cell cathodes (catalyst and support) based on 3M’s nanostructured thin film (NSTF) catalyst technology platform. A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) featuring one formulation of an NSTF catalyst has operated for more than 7,300 hours, significantly exceeding the Department of Energy 2015 target of 5,000 hours (equivalent to about 150,000 miles).

    Mark Debe from 3M presented the status of the project at the DOE Hydrogen Program annual merit review, running this week in Washington, DC. Partners in the four-year project, which is now 30% complete, include Dalhousie University, JPL and Argonne National Laboratory.

    DOE Electrocatalyst/MEA Targets
    Parameter 2010 2015
    Lifetime Hours, > 80°C 2,000 5,000
    Mass Activity (A/mg) 0.44 0.44
    PGM (g/kW rated) 0.3 0.2
    Performance (W/cm2)
    @ rated
    @ 0.8V    		 1
    0.25    		 1
    0.25

    To achieve the durability results, research team used a PtCoMn catalyst with 0.2 mgPt/cm2 on a mechanically stabilized but neat 3M ionomer to achieve the durability results. An earlier effort with the same catalyst but on a non-chemically or mechanically stabilized 3M PEM showed an average lifetime of about 3,500 hours—about a 7x gain in lifetime to failure (defined as OCV < 0.8V) versus the results produced by a dispersed Pt/C catalyst.

    Other results of the work with NSTF catalysts on which Debe reported include:

    • Improved catalyst roll-good fabrication and membrane integration. The team produced current density improvements by reducing the microstructured feature size of the NSTF roll-good substrate.

    • The NSTF catalysts were resistant to Pt dissolution and corrosion. The catalysts showed a mass activity loss under a DOE test protocol of about 13%. DOE’s target for this is < 60%.

    Dalhousie University is working to determine new advanced catalysts by using compositional spread screening. Sixty-four-electrode arrays of think film catalysts are deposited onto NSTF whiskers, made into MEAs at 3M, and tested at Dalhousie. More than 60 libraries have been fabricated and tested to date.

    Eight new catalyst material sets from one configuration were found to have higher initial surface area compared to pure Pt control materials. Most of these indicated surface area increases dependent on the mole fraction of the additive compound or element. Five of these indicated higher surface areas after 3,000 CV cycles than the Pt controls.

    Future work on this project is focused on three main areas:

    • Mass activity gain. The team will continue to fabricate and test new catalyst compositions, structures and processes for a specific activity gain of 2x over current NSTF baseline, targeting no loss of durability under most severe accelerated test. The best resulting candidates will be moved to 50 cm2 sized electrodes.

      The team is also seeking to achieve a more than 100% gain in catalyst surface area over the current NSTF baseline without loss of specific activity or durability.

    • Durability improvement. Reduce by 50% any losses in surface area, activity or mass transport over-potential.

    • Water management improvement. The team is seeking to deliver more effective liquid water transport at low temperatures without compromising high-temperature performance under dry conditions.

    3mmea2

    Current project status against targets. Click to enlarge.
    - 7 months
    source: (Green Car Congress)
  • Microinverters track solar panels via the Web

    Enphase Energy on Monday released a solar power system that takes a dramatically different approach to harnessing energy from the solar panels.

    With an inverter on every solar panel, owners can view performance of each individual module via the Web.

    (Credit: Enphase Energy)

    The start-up company, which raised initial earlier this year, ...

    - 7 months
    source: (Green Tech )
  • The Lenny Dykstra Flip?
    Gutsy ex-baseball star goes for a multimillion-dollar flip in the treacherous California market. - 7 months
    source: (U.S. News)
  • Artisan - Today You Are a Mensch
    Where have all the flowers gone?That's a question some Bar and Bat Mitzvah guests have been asking as more and more party throwers replace costly, throw-away floral centerpieces with food baskets for the needy. It's a concept that challenges the Keeping up with the... - 7 months
    source: (EcoSalon - The Green Gathering)
  • Environment ministers sign deal: ?good news for wildlife' (The Kings County Register)
    By Kirk Starratt kstarratt@kentvilleadvertiser.ca NovaNewsNow.com It was a historic day in terms of environmental management in Atlantic Canada. Federal and provincial environment ministers signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on environmental cooperation and announced significant federal project funding in Wolfville June 6. The federal and provincial governments signed the deal at the ... - 7 months
    source: (Yahoo! News Search Results for environment)
  • Bush: Global climate pact possible on my watch

    US President George W. Bush delivers a speech during the EU leadership meetings at Brdo Castle in Ljubljana. Bush said Tuesday that a global climate change deal was possible before he leaves office in January 2009.(AFP/Jim Watson)AFP - US President George W. Bush said Tuesday that a global climate change deal was possible before he leaves office in January 2009.


    - 7 months
    source: (Yahoo! Green News)
  • Artisan - Today Your Are a Mensch
    Where have all the flowers gone?That's a question some Bar and Bat Mitzvah guests have been asking as more and more party throwers replace costly, throw-away floral centerpieces with food baskets for the needy. It's a concept that challenges the Keeping up with the... - 7 months
    source: (EcoSalon - The Green Gathering)
  • The Energy Underworld
    With prices soaring, the oil and gas business has become ripe for criminal behavior. - 7 months
    source: ( Forbes.com: Energy News )
  • News Buzz: Iran Sanctions, Tainted Tomatoes, and More
    U.S. and allies discuss further Iran sanctions, FDA hunts for source of salmonella outbreak, and more. - 7 months
    source: (U.S. News)
  • Grant will allow school to study environment (Mississauga News)
    Playgrounds aren't only meant for play. Come September, Plowman's Park Public School students will use one to study the environment. HP Canada awarded 10 schools and five universities and colleges in Canada more than $775,000 in technology, cash and professional development. - 7 months
    source: (Yahoo! News Search Results for environment)
  • Bush says climate deal possible during his term
    BRDO, Slovenia (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday a global agreement on fighting climate change could still be reached during his presidency, which ends early in 2009.
    - 7 months
    source: ( Reuters: Environment)
  • Bush says climate deal possible during his term
    BRDO, Slovenia (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush said on Tuesday a global agreement on fighting climate change could still be reached during his presidency, which ends early in 2009.
    - 7 months
    source: ( Reuters: Environment)
  • New environment boss 'sceptical' (BBC News)
    NI's new environment minister says he is sceptical that all climate change is caused by CO2 emissions. - 7 months
    source: (Yahoo! News Search Results for environment)