Posted on October 19th, 2009 by axb
In a move that brings to mind the all-powerful Greek weather god Zeus, Moscow’s mayor Yir Luzhkov has announced plans to eliminate the city’s snowfall this winter. Luzhkov intends to use the Russian Airforce to spray liquid nitrogen and cement particles into the clouds, forcing the snow to fall before it reaches the city. His idea, which is estimated to cost about $6 million, is expected to increase rainfall in rural areas, benefiting crops, while saving Moscow the expense (approx. $12 million each year) of cleaning snow from its streets. No word yet on how Russian schoolchildren feel about the impending lack of snow days. [TIME]
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Filed under: Agricultural, e-News, Environmental | Comments Off on Moscow Mayor Cancels Snow
Tags: Agricultural, Environmental, Weather
Posted on October 8th, 2009 by axb
In a study that would make Willy Wonka proud, an engineer from the University of Hertfordshire demonstrated on BBC1’s Bang Goes the Theory that a rocket-powered bicycle fueled with a mixture of toffee and nitrous oxide (laughing gas) could reach speeds up to 30mph. [St. Alban’s Review]
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Filed under: Aerospace, e-News, Environmental | Comments Off on And Now: Toffee-Fueled Rockets!
Tags: Aerospace, And Now, Energy, Environment
Posted on October 1st, 2009 by axb
Eco-architect Mitchell Joachim (who earned a PhD in Architecture Design from MIT) has designed River Gym: a mobile, human-powered gym that stores excess energy and helps purify water at the same time. [EcoFriend]
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Filed under: e-News, Environmental, Mechanical, Transportation | 2 Comments »
Tags: Sports, Transportation
Posted on September 30th, 2009 by axb
It is up to middle school students to solve one of the country’s most difficult dilemmas: creating affordable housing for the poor that is energy efficient and leaves a low carbon footprint.
The 18th annual National Engineers Week Future City Competition is challenging seventh and eighth graders nationwide to design cities that adhere to LEED approved environmentally sustainable building standards.
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Filed under: Civil, e-News, Environmental, Explore Engineering, Mechanical, Transportation | 1 Comment »
Tags: Civil, Competitions for Students, Environmental
Posted on September 28th, 2009 by axb
Efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions and energy costs are giving rise to . . . poo power! That’s right – for the past few years engineers have been implementing new ways to convert waste products into usable biofuels. The process involves a series of chemical reactions know as anaerobic digestion, which ultimately produces a biogas composed largely of methane and carbon dioxide.
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Filed under: Agricultural, Chemical, e-News, Environmental, Transportation | 2 Comments »
Tags: Energy, Environmental, Green Technology, Green Transportation
