Important Innovations Collection

Zero Emissions Aircraft Source:  ZeroAvia    Carbon Free, Sustainable Flying ZeroAvia, headquartered in Hollister, CA, is building aircraft powered by hydrogen fuel cells.  It recently flew a modified aircraft with a 350 horsepower powertrain, driven by hydrogen fuel cells.  The US company is part of the UK's HyFlyer initiative which is targeted at moving electric aircraft away from batteries toward fuel cells. Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks Hydrogen Flights ZeroAvia argues that hydrogen fuel cells are highly effective and efficient for electric planes.  They are far lighter and less volatile than batteries.  In fact the ignition point for hydrogen is much higher than for jet fuel or lithium-ion batteries.  Because hydrogen is so light, it tends to disperse rather than collect.  Most importantly an electric powertrain powered by hydrogen fuel cells is twice as efficient as an internal combustion engine. Hydrogen's Futu...

New, Transformative Device to Generate Power from Night Sky Source:   UCLA Renewable and Complements Solar Power This new, inexpensive thermoelectric device may be transformative in energy generation.  It harvests the coldness of space during the night to generate electricity - enough right now to power a LED light at nighttime, but the inventors say it's very scalable.  The device is a significant new innovation from engineers at UCLA and Stanford University.  The gadget works at night when solar systems don't.  The inventors say it's a new approach to power generation when power at night is needed.  It complements solar power that doesn't work at night, giving a 24/7 approach to green, renewable energy. Phenomenon Like Frost Formation The device takes advantage of radiative cooling, the process by which frost forms on grass during above freezing temperatures at night.  The sky facing surface of the technology passes heat to th...

World Ocean Day Source:  Monterey Bay Aqarium - Monterey Shoreline Once Pristine Locations from Monterey, CA to Spain's Basque Coast Facing Plastic Pollution World Ocean Day was marked yesterday around the world.  And sadly the state of world oceans is not good.  Once pristine ocean locations are loaded with pollution.  Two new cases of note. Monterey Bay Monterey Bay, California has been considered an environmental success story because the fish and sardine populations have made a comeback.  Unfortunately that's not the whole story.  Marine biologists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium just tested the water at 3200 feet and found alarming concentrations of microplastics.  They found the plastic pollution concentration to be worst than that of the "Great Pacific Garage Patch", the huge floating mass of plastic and other debris floating in the Pacific Ocean. Bay of Biscay Meanwhile, an ocean away, volunteers worked the beaches of Spain's Basq...