Chemistry: General Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
Published

A solar cell you can bend and soak in water      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed an organic photovoltaic film that is both waterproof and flexible, allowing a solar cell to be put onto clothes and still function correctly after being rained on or even washed.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Heat, cold extremes hold untapped potential for solar and wind energy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Conditions that usually accompany the kind of intense hot and cold weather that strains power grids may also provide greater opportunities to capture solar and wind energy. A study found that widespread, extreme temperature events are often accompanied by greater solar radiation and higher wind speeds that could be captured by solar panels and wind turbines. The research, which looked at extensive heat and cold waves across the six interconnected energy grid regions of the U.S. from 1980-2021, also found that every region experienced power outages during these events in the past decade. The findings suggest that using more renewable energy at these times could help offset increased power demand as more people and businesses turn on heaters or air conditioners.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Marine Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Severe hurricanes boost influx of juveniles and gene flow in a coral reef sponge      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study is the first to evaluate substrate recolonization by sponges in the U.S. Virgin Islands after two catastrophic storms using genetic analyses to understand how much clonality verses sexual recruitment occurs on coral reefs post-storms. Results show that populations of clonal marine species with low pelagic dispersion, such as A. cauliformis, may benefit from increased frequency and magnitude of hurricanes to maintain genetic diversity and combat inbreeding, enhancing the resilience of Caribbean sponge communities to extreme storm events.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Engineering: Nanotechnology Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Research lights up process for turning CO2 into sustainable fuel      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have successfully transformed CO2 into methanol by shining sunlight on single atoms of copper deposited on a light-activated material, a discovery that paves the way for creating new green fuels.

Chemistry: General Computer Science: General Computer Science: Virtual Reality (VR) Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Pairing crypto mining with green hydrogen offers clean energy boost      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Pairing cryptocurrency mining -- notable for its outsize consumption of carbon-based fuel -- with green hydrogen could provide the foundation for wider deployment of renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, according to a new study.

Ecology: General Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Unintended consequences of fire suppression      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study reveals how fire suppression ensures that wildfires will burn under extreme conditions at high severity, exacerbating the impacts of climate change and fuel accumulation.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Energy: Technology Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Researchers take major step toward developing next-generation solar cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers have discovered a new way to manufacture solar cells using perovskite semiconductors. It could lead to lower-cost, more efficient systems for powering homes, cars, boats and drones.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

Revolutionizing hydrogen production: Economical and efficient solutions unveiled      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists introduce superaerophobic three-dimensional nickel nanostructured catalysts for accelerated water electrolysis.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

A new way to quantify climate change impacts: 'Outdoor days'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

'Outdoor days,' a new measure, describes climate change impacts by noting the number of days per year that outdoor temperatures are comfortable enough for normal outdoor activities.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Satellite data assimilation improves forecasts of severe weather      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In 2020, a line of severe thunderstorms unleashed powerful winds that caused billions in damages across the Midwest United States. A new technique that incorporates satellite data could improve forecasts -- including where the most powerful winds will occur -- for similar severe weather events.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Offbeat: General
Published

Research suggests how turbulence can be used to generate patterns      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists show how patterns can emerge from chaos in turbulent fluids.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

The heat index -- how hot it really feels -- is rising faster than temperature      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers showed in 2022 that heat index calculations by NOAA based on analyses from the 1970s don't adequately reflect the heat stress humans feel during the extremes of heat and humidity accompanying climate change. Using their revised heat index, the researchers looked at Texas's summer 2023 heat wave and found that the 3 degree F rise in global temperatures has increased the state's heat index as much as 11 degrees F on the hottest days.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Harnessing hydrogen at life's origin      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new report uncovers how hydrogen gas, the energy of the future, provided energy in the past, at the origin of life 4 billion years ago. Hydrogen gas is clean fuel. It burns with oxygen in the air to provide energy with no CO2. Hydrogen is a key to sustainable energy for the future. Though humans are just now coming to realize the benefits of hydrogen gas (H2 in chemical shorthand), microbes have known that H2 is good fuel for as long as there has been life on Earth. Hydrogen is ancient energy.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Self-heating concrete is one step closer to putting snow shovels and salt out of business      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers recently reported on the science behind its special concrete, that can warm itself up when it snows, or as temperatures approach freezing.

Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Physics: Optics
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Reimagining the future of solar energy      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

New research suggests that there might be other ways to generate solar energy than just trying to make individual solar cells super-efficient.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Meteorology: Weak polar vortex makes weather more predictable      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Events in the stratosphere are making long-range weather in Northern Europe easier to forecast, researchers have discovered.

Biology: General Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Severe Weather
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Diverse habitats help salmon weather unpredictable climate changes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Restored salmon habitat should resemble financial portfolios, offering fish diverse options for feeding and survival so that they can weather various conditions as the climate changes, a new study shows.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Physics: Optics
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Perovskite solar cells: Vacuum process may offer a short track to commercialization      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Which process is best suited for mass production of perovskite solar cells? While solvent-based manufacturing processes are used in laboratories around the world, vacuum vapor-phase deposition processes are still the standard for the production of thin films for photovoltaics or organic light-emitting diodes. A new study that reveals major differences in the scientific discussion of these production processes.

Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Severe Weather
Published

Tropical birds could tolerate warming better than expected, study suggests      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

We expect tropical animals to handle a certain degree of heat, but not wild swings in temperature. That seems to be true for tropical ectotherms, or 'cold-blooded' animals such as amphibians, reptiles, and insects. However, in a new study of 'warm-blooded' endotherms, a research team found tropical birds can handle thermal variation just fine.

Geoscience: Severe Weather
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Ready for the storm: Researchers analyze infrastructure, demographics to see where tornadoes are most disruptive      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers examined demographics, infrastructure and more than seven decades of weather data to determine which places in Kentucky are most vulnerable to tornadoes.