Bacteria Could Grow into Solar Panels

The idea of cheaper and easier to manufacture solar panels is something that many companies have been working towards for a long time now. Solar panels are without a doubt one of the most promising forms of renewable energy which means it could be the future of power. Unfortunately the cost and complexity keep holding back the technology, at least until now.

A group of researchers at MIT successfully grew a number of circuits using bacteria and other cells, these circuits could then be developed into functional solar panels. The process if completely new and unlike anything that has been done before, but the team believes that this could be the future of production due to the efficiency. By adding or removing additional pieces to the bacteria as necessary it is possible to grow them into whatever circuit is desired, and the best part is that they can conduct electricity while also using solar energy. This is an absolutely astonishing scientific breakthrough that has the potential to really change the future, only time will tell whether or not it becomes usable in the real world but researchers are incredibly hopeful that they’ll be able to make this into a reality in the very near future.

This week a group of researchers announced some very promising scientific advancements that could eventually lead the way towards more environmentally friendly power sources. Currently solar power is looking very promising but night time will always be a big problem, this new solution might be the perfect way to store the sun’s energy so it can be used at a later time, all without batteries.

Essentially the system works by combining the incredible energy source of the sun with an already developed hydrogen based fuel cell. The sun’s energy can be harnessed for long periods of time in the hydrogen fuel cell so that overnight the power will continue to be supplied, even after the sun sets. Essentially, according to the report, the cell works in a manner very similar to photosynthesis. So far the theory has only been tested in a very limited scale but scientists are incredibly hopeful that this very well might be the future of power for the planet.

Future studies and development are in the process right now. If this turns out to be as effective and successful as hoped this very well may become the next big green innovation for power. Don’t be surprised if soon we have hydrogen powered photosynthesis power plants providing all of your home power needs.

Since the incandescent light bulb came out there hasn’t really been a whole lot of advancement in the lighting. There are a number of improved designs that are widespread but none of them are drastically different than the original, at least until now. A new light bulb unveiled this week is made of high tech plastic polymers that allow it to create brighter and cleaner light with significant less energy than most bulbs.

Unlike traditional light bulbs this new polymer bulb does not even rely on a single piece of metal to heat up and create a luminescent glow. The poly bulb uses a new technology that actually allows the polymer itself to glow when electricity flows through the body. Because electricity is not being used explicitly for heat and power this bulb will be a significant amount more economical and will require much less power to operate.

The bulb is still in the development stages but researchers say it is looking really good at this point. They are hopeful that this technology will be on the market in the coming years for people to buy which will drive energy costs down. The polymer bulb is also expected to have an incredibly long life time which will save even more money and contribute greatly to the green energy cause.

Renewable energy is a huge focus right now and unfortunately many companies have been avoiding it due to cost, difficulty, or other reasons. Until major corporations begin to embrace these technologies they will never become truly widespread, but the good news is that Google has finally taken the plunge this week.

This week Google announced that they have reached a deal to use the power generated at an Oklahoma wind farm to power one of Google’s largest data centers. The data center is located in Pryor Oklahoma and Google believes that the power generated at the wind farm will be more than enough to completely operate the data center. Google has been using wind power in multiple locations but none of the projects have been nearly as big as this one, so it is absolutely great news.

Most analysts feel that Google’s success with wind power will likely encourage other companies to at least look at and consider renewable energy. There is a pretty high cost to initially get into renewable energy but Google is expected to prove that it is actually fairly simple to save money as well as the environment with renewable green energy sources. Google is expected to continue working with renewable energy companies so hopefully in the future nearly all of Google’s data centers will be completely green.

Coffee has always been staple drink for millions of people around the world for a number of reasons. The caffeine also made it more popular with workers, students, and everyone else but now researchers say that it might have even more benefits than previously though. According to the research elderly coffee drinkers have noticeably lower risk of death.

This is absolutely amazing news because it may show just what it takes to help people live longer. Researchers say that there are still plenty of factors to consider but the results don’t lie, study participants that drank coffee consistently showed significantly lower death rates over the 14 year period.

Doctors don’t yet know what exactly it is about coffee that may be extending the lives of senior citizens, but they say that the results are great news to start with. Follow up studies are being conducted right now to determine what it is exactly in coffee that is making the biggest impact and researchers are hopeful that this will bring good news to the medical industry.

If you’re already a coffee drinker then obviously there isn’t really any reason to stop, and many doctors are even saying it might be worth starting simply because it definitely appears to be connected to health. Coffee might just have more positive effects then ever considered which is without a doubt great news for the millions of people that drink it every single day.

Children who routinely exercise are frequently much better in school than their counterparts for a variety of reasons and a study released today confirms that belief. The study shows that children who exercise either at recess, playtime, or at home are significantly more likely to do well in school for a number of reasons. Of course healthier living is also associated with it say researchers which is very good news for thousands of people.

Exercise is an important part of everyone’s lives and doctors say that many people, including kids, simply do not get enough exercise which may also be why so many kids do poorly in schools. Doctors are now recommending that parents encourage their children to exercise and eat healthy both for health reasons as well as educational reasons. Researchers say that children are likely more motivated and more energized in school when they frequently exercise which is the most likely reason as to why there is such strong correlation. Many officials are encouraging schools to begin new physical education programs that promote exercise and wellness in order to improve school performance as well as children’s health. A follow up study is planned into if there is actually a chemical link between exercise and school performance but for now most people are simply happy to see that there is a solid link between exercise and school. This is great news as it means parents have more reasons to encourage children to be healthy.

Greenest Manufacturing Plant in the US Opens

Greener technologies and green lifestyles have been growing in popularity for years as the constant environmental movement continues to gain strength. Recently many companies have taken heed and have begun to make changes on their own as well; this week one of the biggest changes yet has taken place. Frito-Lay is the company responsible for the change and many analysts say that this could be what leads to the green revolution in the manufacturing industry.

The changes made were quite astonishing; Frito-Lay officially opened a new manufacturing facility this week and it has been dubbed the greenest manufacturing facility in the United States. The name is not just for show either, Frito-Lay really did work hard to develop the new plant into a green plan that uses little to no energy other than what it can produce. The plant which opened in Arizona has a variety of futuristic and cutting edge energy sources that are often unheard of in the industry but thanks to the combination of these Frito-Lay managed to make the new plant function on 75% of the power generated by the plant.

This is an absolutely astonishing feat given that most manufacturing plants do not generate any of their own power in any way. The fact that Frito-Lay’s new manufacturing plant draws 75% of its power from self-sustaining energy sources truly shows how far alternative energy has advanced; it is also a sign of hope for the future of manufacturing and green energy.

NASA Announces Green Airplane Contest Winner-- Source: LATimes

For quite some time now the issue of cleaner aircraft has been a big deal to environmentalists. Currently aircraft including airliners and general aviation planes pollute a substantial amount and despite the money involved there was no real push for any alternative fuels. Fortunately greener technologies were being developed by various people and NASA helped push that drive by creating the first green aviation competition. This week NASA officially crowned the winners of the contest.

According to NASA the requirements for the contest were based entirely on fuel consumption and flight distance. Each aircraft was required to travel 200 miles while only burning a single gallon of fuel per occupant; all of this must be completed within 2 hours as well so the aircraft were required to be somewhat practical. The winning team was the first to successfully build and test a design meeting these requirements and the winning team was a private research team from Pennsylvania.

Thanks to the efficiency and speed of the aircraft the winning team managed to earn the $1.3 million dollar prize from NASA. Obviously there was a substantial amount of money spent to develop the technology but the company behind the design is hopeful that someday they will in fact be able to transfer everything they have learned in this project over to full size aircraft and airliners so that emissions will be reduced and the environmental impact of aircraft will be substantially reduced. All in all this is great news environmentally and technologically.

Government Approves Alternative Energy Funding

The idea of alternative energies to fossil fuels has been around for quite some time and in recent years it has really become a hot topic with many people. In particular the idea of clean solar power has become popular because it offers an abundance of power without any real pollution. Fortunately today the U.S. government took a step in the right direction by approving a budget of approximately 1 billion dollars to further research and implementation of large solar farms.

According to the official budget the 1 billion dollars is actually being given in the form of a loan which the two major corporations will be forced to repay upon completion of the project. The massive solar farms are expected to produce significant advancements in terms of solar technology while also producing significant amounts of energy and power from the solar radiation.

This is good news on multiple levels. First off it is obviously good to see that some major development is being done on clean energy for much of the world; more importantly analysts say that the advancements in solar technology thanks to this project will likely make a huge impact on future efficiency of solar panels. This should, theoretically, mean that in the future it will be cheaper for companies and the government to implement solar power farms; these projects will not only be cheaper, they will also be more efficient which means they are significantly better in a wide variety of ways.

A report released this week is showing some improving signs in terms of power usage around the United States. Homes have generally been using about the same amount of power for quite some time but thanks to recent surges in green technology and more efficient heating and cooling it seems the average power consumption is in fact decreasing.

Amazingly the same report indicates that while power usage is generally down, the number of electronics and technological items is actually up. Most homes have significant more technology than ever before but because everything is getting more and more efficient the amount of power being used is decreasing. This is good news for millions of Americans because it will obviously mean a reduction in monthly power costs but at the same time it is very good news for the environment.

Even more amazing is the future predictions available for power usage; nearly all analysts and experts agree that power consumption will continue to fall and throughout the next decade it will begin to fall even more rapidly. Technology really is becoming significantly more efficient which is very good news environmentally; consumers are essentially helping reduce power waste by simply buying new devices and new technologies rather than using old outdated technology. At this point there is not a solid prediction of how much power consumption will decrease in the coming years but nearly everyone agrees that it will in fact be significant enough to make a major difference.