A young Irishman has come up with his own “cool science-y method” to solve the microplastic pollution conundrum, winning Google’s international science fair in the process.
By mixing magnetized iron oxide and vegetable oil, he created a kind of liquid magnet that collects microplastics which can then be removed via magnetism, leaving only glistening water behind.
Biomass—renewable energy from plants and animals
Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals. Biomass was the largest source of total annual U.S. energy consumption until the mid-1800s. Biomass continues to be an important fuel in many countries, especially for cooking and heating in developing countries. The use of biomass fuels for transportation and for electricity generation is increasing in many developed countries as a means of avoiding carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use. In 2020, biomass provided nearly 5 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) and about 5% of total primary energy use in the United States.
If you’re steering your household toward a more self-sufficient lifestyle, maybe you’d like to add do-it-yourself fuel to your list of goals. Biodiesel can be brewed from waste vegetable oil or animal fats, which you can collect free from restaurants, or you can grow soybeans or canola to press your own oil. Process the oil with a couple of chemicals to produce homemade fuel that can run any device powered by petroleum diesel — including pickups, cars, and home heating systems. Do it right, and DIY biodiesel can cost as little as $1 per gallon to manufacture. The scale is up to you: Brew enough to make your homestead fuel-independent, or join forces with neighbors to produce fuel for your collective households.
The Miscanthus genus of grasses, commonly used to add movement and texture to gardens, could quickly become the first choice for biofuel production. A new study shows these grasses can be grown in lower agricultural grade conditions—such as marginal land—due to their remarkable resilience and photosynthetic capacity at low temperatures.
Ford Motor Company and the University of Tennessee announced a new partnership for “a stream mitigation and restoration agreement” that will focus on water streams located on the University’s Lone Oaks Farm.
Lone Oaks Farm is located in West Tennessee and serves as a 4-H and science, technology, education, and math (STEM) education center for K-12 students.
The property is undergoing development projects to expand its reach to students throughout the state.
Newly published Michigan State University research details how switchgrass, a biofuel crop, can mitigate effects of climate change when grown on marginal land—agricultural land of little value. For farmers, it may also provide economic returns in these otherwise unproductive spaces.
The research was published in Environmental Research Letters.
The team was led by Bruno Basso, an MSU Foundation Professor in the departments of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, as well as the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. Seungdo Kim, an associate research professor in the MSU College of Engineering, and Rafael Martinez-Feria, a postdoctoral researcher in Basso's laboratory, were also involved.
Renewable energy is a topic of significant discussion worldwide. Climate scientists warn of catastrophic outcomes if fossil fuels remain the primary energy source into the future. Additionally, countries such as the U.S. are reckoning with the ethical and financial dilemmas of relying on foreign oil.
What if we could capture the carbon dioxide that power plants put into the air and make it something useful?
East Tennessee startup SkyNano is trying to make that possible.
The company has produced its first nanotube made from carbon emitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority’s John Sevier Combined Cycle Plant in Rogersville.
Knoxville startup SkyNano has been named a finalist for Tesla founder Elon Musk’s $100 million XPRIZE Carbon Removal prize.
SkyNano, which has developed a manufacturing technique to capture and convert carbon into useful materials, is the lone Tennessee startup to be named a finalist.
"We're really a Tennessee homegrown company," said Anna Douglas, SkyNano CEO and co-founder. "The technology was born at Vanderbilt, incubated at Oak Ridge National Lab and it's flourishing in the Knoxville region. It's a moment of pride to be able to represent Tennessee."
The Department of Interior announced Friday it planned to resume onshore oil and gas lease sales on federal land, with a higher royalty rate for companies to pay to the federal government.
The Bureau of Land Management will issue sale notices on Monday for upcoming oil and gas projects.Amid predictions of climate change driving up temperatures and causing more extreme heat in the Midwest, a new study led in part by University of Maryland researchers has found that growing one particular perennial grass could cut Midwest warming by 1 degree Celsius.
Miscanthus x giganteus, also known as giant miscanthus, grows up to 10 feet tall with wide bamboo-like stems and green leaves, creating a canopy that's likely to lower regional summer temperatures while increasing humidity, rainfall and overall crop productivity, according to research published in GCB Bioenergy.
