Green Technology

A typical US household uses 120 barrels of oil and generates about 50 tons of CO2 a year !

The CO2 estimator in the the video below allows, you to model your carbon footprint based  on where you live … so it looks  at your energy use and how  power in your region  is generated.  You  can  also see how your compare it to others in your region. 

There are recommendations to to lower your carbon footprint if you want to give it a try.

Here is the link to the CO2 calculator …

Via:  SmartPlanet  LINK

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Graduate and undergraduate education in energy efficiency is offered at the University of California, Davis with a focus on fundamentals, economics, and innovation.  …

Via UC, Davis: Energy Efficiency.

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Students as Mira Loma Middle School in Riverside California will be taught about solar energy to encourage and prepare them for future education in the sciences.  …

…   “The first class, on Feb. 11, will be an introduction to solar energy.

During the next two classes, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25, the students will be learning about how different factors such as shade and angle influence the amount of energy generated from solar cells.

These lessons will prepare the middle school students for an engineering design project on solar cars.”   …

Via University of California: Middle School Solar Class Taught by College Prof and Students.

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UC Davis and UC Santa Cruz researchers will deploy nanotechnology for solar cell construction, hoping to demonstrate sustained efficiency gains.  …

…   “But by constructing solar cells from extremely small nanoparticles, the UC researchers aim to generate several electrons for each photon, raising the maximum efficiency to between 42 and 65 percent.

The one-photon-in/multiple-electrons-out paradigm has been demonstrated at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Zimanyi said — but the Los Alamos group did not build a functioning solar cell based on this paradigm.

The UC Davis/UC Santa Cruz team includes scientists with experience making solar cells from nanoparticles, giving hope that the group will be able to construct a fully functioning and well-optimized solar cell from germanium and silicon nanoparticles, he said.”   …

Via University of California, Davis: Solar Cell Project Funding, Press Release.

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University of California, Davis faculty are researching solutions to a number of climate and environmental challenges, ranging from using energy more efficiently, transforming our transportation systems, and producing renewable energy.  For example, Cal prof Michael Siminovitch leads the UC Davis California Lighting Technology Center and pursues the development and deployment of more efficient lighting systems.  …

…   “more efficient lighting systems can lead to energy savings throughout the nation. The CLTC conducts both cooperative and independent activities with lighting manufacturers, electric utilities and the design/engineering professional community.”   …

Via University of California, Davis: Faculty Focused on Solving Climate Change Challenges.

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Can bacteria power the hydrogen economy?  University of Washington professor will explore the opportunity and insights from research projects at this local lecture.  …

…   “Caroline Harwood, a distinguished microbiologist at the University of Wisconsin, will discuss microbial production of hydrogen gas as a biofuel in a lecture at UC Santa Cruz on Tuesday, November 9, from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 240, Physical Sciences Building. ”   …

Via University of California at Santa Cruz: Bioenergy Lecture.

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Chemists at UCLA have created a "gene" that might capture CO2 and help control CO2 emissions.

"UCLA chemists report creating a synthetic "gene" that could capture ... carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming, rising sea levels and the increased acidity of oceans."

" ... taken organic and inorganic units and combined them into a synthetic crystal which codes information in a DNA-like manner ... no means as sophisticated as DNA, but it is certainly new in chemistry and materials science."

" ... could lead to cleaner energy, including technology that factories and cars can use to capture carbon dioxide before it reaches the atmosphere."

" ... invented a class of materials called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), sometimes described as crystal sponges ... openings on the nanoscale ... which ... can store gases that are usually difficult to store and transport. ..."

Via:  UCLA  LINK

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... "UCLA will not only administer the collaborative, but will also create a technical advisory committee to work with the writers of the action plan. The committee will also provide some of the support science, such as fire hazard models, details on how urbanization impacts water runoff, and - the centerpiece - a localized climate model for the region. " ...

Continue reading "Scenario Planning Climate Change Impacts" »

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... "The higher molecular weight of the polymers, reflecting the creation of longer chains of the polymers, has a major benefit in increasing current density in plastic solar cells by as much as a factor of more than four. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 08:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "When complete, UC San Diego’s system will consist of 5,790 Kyocera KD205 solar modules that will be mounted on the Price Center, the Gilman parking structure and other buildings across the 1,200-acre campus. This system will contribute to the 29 million kilowatt hours per year of green energy that UC San Diego expects its overall efforts to produce, which is enough electricity to power more than 4,500 homes. UC San Diego’s program will offset approximately 10,500 tons of carbon emissions, which is the equivalent of removing 1,500 cars from the road every year. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 07:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Governor Schwarzenegger signed an Executive Order establishing a groundbreaking Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) for transportation fuels sold in California. By 2020 the standard will reduce the carbon intensity of California's passenger vehicle fuels by at least 10 percent. This first-of-its kind standard will support AB 32 emissions targets as part of California's overall strategy to fight global warming. " ...

Via California Office of the Governor: Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs Executive Order Establishing World's First Low Carbon Standard for Transportation Fuels

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