energy

When I served in the U.S. Army back in the waning days of the Cold War, about the only battery-operated equipment I needed to worry about taking into the field was the standard-issue L-shaped flashlight, the one with the red lens we needed to swap in to reduce the risk of (a) night blindness and (b) giving away our position to the bad guys.

Things are a lot different now. While the Army is still a long ways off from its Land Warrior, Future Combat Systems and related "every soldier a sensor" goals, today's GIs pack … Read more

You're not the only one paying more of your paycheck to energy bills.

Energy bills as a percentage of income in the U.S. are at their highest point since 1987, according to a report in the Christian Science Monitor. Overall, they are still below the levels seen in the 70s and early 870s, but energy bills in some low income households is approaching 10 percent.

Polls show Americans believe energy prices will continue to rise.

"If it rises much more, it will become a significant problem, particularly for lower-income households," Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody'… Read more

Hydrogen is lightweight and efficient as a fuel. When it burns, you get water as the exhaust, and the fuel cell technology that burns the gas is well developed. The major hang-up has been how to produce hydrogen without needing lots of fossil-derived energy.

Apparently, the way to cheap hydrogen is through aluminum. Purdue researchers earlier this year announced they'd found a way to use aluminum to get hydrogen from water. Today a Chinese ceramicist who did graduate work in Portugal says there's an even simpler way to derive hydrogen. This process uses powdered aluminum at room temperature, … Read more

Carbon footprint, energy use, green tech: some phrases that won't be going away. From gasoline prices to global warming, we're likely to become more aware of what energy we burn up, just as most of us now have some sense of whether we're eating wisely (or not).

Just today the Live Earth concert folks e-mailed me a link to their carbon calculator. This one walks you through several pages of simple questions about how you live, and especially how you travel. This calculator was built by Earthlab.org. They want to know the size of your dwelling, … Read more

As far as we're concerned, this is proof positive that solar energy has finally arrived for the mass market. Supermodels and dorks alike can appreciate the "Mini Solar Racer," which is billed as "the world's smallest solar-powered car."

Given its 1.3-inch-long chassis, we tend to believe the claim. The only quibble we have is with its design--it looks kind of like a microchip on wheels in the photo on Gizmodo. But hey, the Model T wasn't exactly a thing of beauty either. And for $20, what do you expect, a Phantom?… Read more

Thank goodness for Ermenegildo Zegna. We shudder to think what the convergence of clothing and technology would wreak without some Italian fashion sense.

Zegna, one of the earlier designers to embrace the concept with its iPod jacket, is now incorporating alternative energy into its apparel with its "ZegnaSport Solar JKT," a coat that has a solar panel sewn into its collar. Gizmodo says it can charge a battery in eight hours, but it's the discreet design that we appreciate most.

Why do we care? Because without such aesthetic sensibilities, we might all end up wearing solar fan hats.… Read more

American coal experts want more information. And they want the U.S. government to pay for it. Today the National Research Council issued a call for more federal money to find and assess America's coal deposits.

Currently over half of the U.S. electricity is generated by burning coal. But there is uncertainty about future use and availability of coal. And there is the issue of CO2 emissions and other pollution from coal-burning power plants. Plus the U.S. must now compete with China and other nations for use of the world's coal.

In short, says the Council'… Read more

Money is pouring into renewable energy. And it's a global trend. The United Nations on Wednesday reported that $100 billion went into renewable energy and efficiency technologies last year. That's a record--up $20 billion from 2005. Indications are 2007 will set another record. You can read a summary of the United Nations report here.

Once dominated by North America and Europe, renewable energy investments are spreading out. Last year, 9 percent went into China. Investors from India were active in acquisitions.

Money's coming from stock markets, venture capital investments and private individuals. Publicly traded renewable energy stocks … Read more

The unnamed blogger at "Yosemite Outside" would probably be interested in this. Months after going through pains to assemble a DIY backpack solar charger, this rugged and creative individualist can now buy a remarkably similar item that doesn't even require any unsightly duct tape.

The adjustable "Mana Solar Claw" can apply the sun's energy to a backpack of practically any reasonable size, keeping one's phone and gadgets charged at all times with an array of six-watt solar panels, according to ProductDose. It does cost $230, but that's a lot less than you'… Read more