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[Pomerlaw]

So how long before Trump does a 180 on climate change?

New technique could capture carbon from air, check video at 2:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvwmZKqPgKQ

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

So how long before Trump does a 180 on climate change?

New technique could capture carbon from air, check video at 2:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvwmZKqPgKQ

I don't know if he will ever but he might.

 

[Pomerlaw]

Artificial photosynthesis is both an energy source and a climate change solution

A team of chemists from the University of Central Florida has invented an artificial form of photosynthesis, one which can convert the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into energy.
The production of CO2 has been identified as the cause of climate change, as the burning of fossil fuels pumps more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere further strengthening its ability to retain the sun’s heat once it reaches the Earth.
Scientists have long been curious about the possibility of copying the natural process of photosynthesis that bacteria, algae and plants have been using for billions of years to take the sun’s energy and transform it into a usable fuel source. But so far, investigation into synthetic photosynthesis has been stalled by the fact that the materials that can potentially serve as catalysts for the reaction are mostly expensive ones like platinum and iridium.
For the new discovery researchers developed a synthetic material called a metal-organic framework (MOF) made of the common metal titanium and organic molecules to form a molecular structure with a honeycomb pattern found throughout. The empty spaces in the honeycomb are the key, says Fernando Uribe-Romo, of UCF’s Department of Chemistry and lead author of the new study.
“That empty space, we can use it to store gasses, to do chemical reactions inside,” says Uribe-Romo, “In this case, we’re using it to diffuse carbon dioxide and using sunlight to promote the reduction of that carbon dioxide.”
The team exposed their MOF to blue light (one of the light wavelengths found in sunlight) from an LED photoreactor and found that the light turned the captured CO2 into formate and formamides, two forms of carbon that can be used as fuel sources.
The process, as it does in natural photosynthesis, effectively accomplishes two jobs at once, producing an energy source from readily available sunlight all the while cleaning the air of excess carbon dioxide.
“The idea would be to set up stations that capture large amounts of CO2, like next to a power plant. The gas would be sucked into the station, go through the process and recycle the greenhouse gases while producing energy that would be put back into the power plant,” said Uribe-Romo in a press release.
Artificial photosynthesis and solar energy systems in general have been progressing in leaps and bounds of late, with advances in fuel cell technology and continuing reductions in manufacturing costs driving the market. The year 2015 marked a milestone as more people were employed worldwide in the production of renewable energy than in oil and gas extraction. Over 260,000 people are now employed in the solar industry in the United States, more than double that from 2010 figures.
According to a new report from industry analyst Analytica Advisors, Canada’s clean tech sector is currently suffering, however, with many companies having trouble raising financing. “We can’t count on this sector as part of the positive side of the transition to a low carbon economy unless the companies get access to capital, and unless the capital comes not just from public sector but the private sector,” said Celine Bak of Analytica Advisors. The one notable exception has been energy providers that are profiting by selling power back into provincial energy grids.

More here : http://www.cantechletter.com/2017/0...thesis-energy-source-climate-change-solution/

 

[BAW]

I truly hope something comes out of this, it's the only way for us to be saved.

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

Artificial photosynthesis is both an energy source and a climate change solution



More here : http://www.cantechletter.com/2017/0...thesis-energy-source-climate-change-solution/

Interesting stuff.

 

[Freeza Under The Shower]

Ironic place to come from. I guess not every Florida (wo)man wants to drown.

 

[Pomerlaw]

http://www.offshorewind.biz/2017/03/08/artificial-north-sea-island-plan-moves-ahead/

Artificial North Sea Island Plan Moves Ahead

From the Power Link island(s), the generated wind energy can be distributed and transmitted over direct current lines to the North Sea countries of the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Norway and Belgium with the transmission cables simultaneously functioning as interconnectors between the energy markets of the aforementioned countries.

An island will facilitate connecting large wind farms located far offshore to it, allowing for a potential total connection capacity of between 70,000MW and 100,000MW. This way, far-shore will become near-shore and economies of scale will reduce costs, according to TenneT, which presented its vision of an artificial island acting as a power hub in June 2016. Staff, components and assembly workshops can be stationed on the island, thus optimising and simplifying complex offshore logistics.

The location of the Power Link should satisfy a number of requirements: optimal wind conditions, centrally located and in relatively shallow water, and the Dogger Bank area meets all the conditions

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

That is really cool. It makes you wonde about artificial islands and what they can do for us in the future.

 

[Sarek]

This animation shows really welll how temperatures have changed over the past 100+ years in different countries around world. Didn't want to a new thread just to post this, but it definitely fits well here. Recommend everyone watch this as it is very short:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/150411108@N06/35471910724/

The Paris accord goal of keeping the change under +2 celsius doesn't seem very likely since many countries are already there, or almost there.

 

[Pomerlaw]

https://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/...e-campaign&utm_content=body-content-learnmore

Supercharging Environmental and Climate Change Research
10 juil. 2017

IBM invites scientists to apply for grants of supercomputing power through World Community Grid, meteorological data from The Weather Company, and IBM Cloud storage to support their environmental and climate change research projects.

World Community Grid supports research that tackles our planet's most pressing challenges, including environmental issues. That's why we're pleased to announce a new partnership with The Weather Company (an IBM business) and IBM Cloud to provide free technology and data for environmental and climate change projects.



Environmental scientists have long been warning the public about the effects of climate change, and many researchers attribute events such as this summer's record temperatures in western Europe and the worst drought since the 1940s in parts of Africa to climate change caused by humankind's activities. The future consequences of climate change could include rising sea levels, potential crop loss, and harsh economic consequences throughout the world. And as funding for scientific research shrinks in many countries, the gap between what scientists must discover–how to mitigate or adapt to climate change–and their resources for such discovery is growing ever wider.

Thanks to the contributions of volunteers all over the globe, World Community Grid is ready to address that gap. Since 2004, our research partners have completed the equivalent of thousands of years of work in just a few years, including enabling advances in environmental science.

For example, scientists at Harvard University used World Community Grid to run the Clean Energy Project, the world’s largest quantum chemistry experiment with the goal of identifying new materials for solar energy. In just a few years, they analyzed millions of chemical compounds to predict their efficiency at converting sunlight into electricity. Their discovery of thousands of promising compounds could advance the development of cheap, flexible solar cell materials that we hope will be used worldwide to reduce carbon emissions and contribute to the fight against climate change.

Other environmental research projects conducted with help from World Community Grid have included new water filtration technology, watershed preservation and crop sustainability.

That's why we're pleased to announce that IBM is inviting scientists around the world to apply for grants of supercomputing power from World Community Grid, meteorological data from The Weather Company, and IBM Cloud storage to support their climate change or environmental research projects. Up to five of the most promising environmental and climate-related research projects will be supported. This support, technology, and data can support many potential areas of inquiry, such as impacts on fresh water resources, predicting migration patterns, and developing models to improve crop resilience.

Proposals for projects will be evaluated for scientific merit, potential to contribute to the global community's understanding of specific climate and environmental challenges and development of effective strategies to mitigate them, and the capacity of the research team to manage a sustained research project. And like all other World Community Grid projects, researchers who receive these resources must agree to abide by our open data policy by publicly releasing the data from their collaboration with us.

Scientists from around the world can apply at climate.worldcommunitygrid.org, with a first round deadline of September 15.

There's still time to mitigate or adapt to the effects of climate change, and scientific research will continue to play a crucial role in how our planet addresses this crisis. We hope you will join us by giving your computers the ability to work around the clock for science.