Writings and videos about science activities with an emphasis on environmental science and energy measurement

Browsing Archive: June, 2015

A Realistic Assessment of the Hydrogen Economy and Fuel Cell Cars

Posted by Antonio Chaves on Saturday, June 27, 2015, In : environmental news 
Even though I have a personal fascination with fuel cells and even incorporate a fuel cell activity into my lab manual, I think it is a waste of resources to invest in the "hydrogen economy". This article does a great job of summarizing the economic and technological hurdles of using hydrogen as a major transportation fuel. First, it utterly demolishes the myth that hydrogen is a "green" fuel since the only practical source of hydrogen is natural gas. Second, it shows how lithium batteries ar...
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The High Cost of Carbon Emission Reduction

Posted by Antonio Chaves on Monday, June 22, 2015, In : environmental news 
Realistic economic trade-offs of policies designed to reduce carbon emission are seldom addressed by environmentalists outside the Copenhagen Consensus, so it is refreshing to see this issue brought up in this journal. Even though the authors rightly emphasis the problem of using agricultural land for biofuel (a policy that I have always strongly opposed), they also touch upon the high cost of carbon reduction technology, which in turn gives consumers less disposable income. The proponents of...
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Battery-Powered Ferry in Norway

Posted by Antonio Chaves on Monday, June 15, 2015, In : environmental news 
Given the range limitation of battery-powered transportation I do not expect to see electric cargo vessels in the near future, but this electric ferry that carries passengers and cars takes advantage of the fact that ferries usually cover the same small distance. The installation of a battery unit at the port has cut down fueling time to 10 minutes, making this lag time comparable to that of its diesel counterparts.
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Off-Grid Microshelter

Posted by Antonio Chaves on Wednesday, June 10, 2015, In : environmental news 
This charming little shelter that provides all its utility needs was developed in Eastern Europe. It looks tiny from the outside, but the pictures of the interior convey an efficient use of the limited space. While this may be too small for regular housing, it may provide an interesting model for larger plans. I look forward to seeing the price tag when it becomes available.
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About this blog

This blog was originally created in January 2013 to serve as a means for providing updates on science activities from the environmental science lab manual Ecology, Development, and Sustainability. I have now expanded its purpose to include other items of interest to science teachers. 

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