This Redesigned Pedestrian Overpass In Barcelona Is Like A Mini High Line

A pedestrian bridge in Barcelona is being redesigned as a place where people might actually want to spend time. Surrounded by plant-covered walls, the new design includes shaded spaces to sit and look at views of the city. Smog-eating concrete helps clear the surrounding air, and glow-in-the-dark pavement lights the path at night. The photocatalytic concrete used in the new bridge absorbs pollution from the cars below. It's an experimental product that the architects wanted to test. "Using this in reality will give the possibility to measure how much and how well it works," says Casamor. "We don’t have much to lose, and if it works it would be a good choice for using in other more extensive parts of the city." READ MORE |

Wind may supply a third of the USA's electricity by Twenty Fifty | *Report

Since President Obama took office, wind electricity has increased threefold, and from 2009 to 2013 wind represented 30 percent of new electricity generation in the United States, according to a White House summary of the report. The U.S. ranks first in the world in wind power generation with 4.5 percent of total electricity—enough energy to power 16 million homes. Utility-scale wind energy plants are located in 39 states, supporting more than 50,000 jobs.

Read More |

City of Science in Rome is turning a former military district into a self-sufficient urban ecosystem |

Città della Scienza - the City of Science - in Italy aims to turn a former military district into a self-sufficient urban ecosystem. The project by Vincent Callebaut Architecture is part of a plan to regenerate the urban area in the north of Rome by focusing on visual appeal in addition to sustainable, natural design. The design consists of green public spaces, and a mix of residential and business spaces spread throughout several new buildings.                         Read More |

Hawaii may become the first state to declare a 100-percent renewable energy goal |

Hawaii is one of the more stunning corners of the world and receives millions of visitors annually: over 8 million arrivals alone in 2014. And those guests, along with the 1.4 million residents of the nation’s 50th state, use a lot of energy. Powering all those homes, businesses and, of course, resorts is pricey. The state is heavily reliant on energy imports ...   Read More

First round-the-world solar flight takes off from UAE |

The plane is only as heavy as a family car (2,300 kg, 5,100 pounds) but has a wingspan as wide as the largest passenger airliner. Its journey will span approximately 25 flight days broken up into 12 legs at speeds between 50 and 100 km (30 to 60 miles) per hour.
Read more | As it circles the world, aiming to arrive back in Abu Dhabi in July, its progress can be monitored via live video streaming at www.solarimpulse.com.

Astronomers find dust, PANHs in early Universe |

March 2, 2015
Source: University of Copenhagen - Niels Bohr Institute
Summary: Dust plays an extremely important role in the universe -- both in the formation of planets and new stars. But dust was not there from the beginning and the earliest galaxies had no dust, only gas. Now an international team of astronomers, led by researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute, has discovered a dust-filled galaxy from the very early universe. The discovery demonstrates that galaxies were very quickly enriched with dust particles containing elements such as carbon and oxygen, which could form planets. The results are published in the scientific journal, Nature.                                    
Read More |

Galactic 'rain' explains why some galaxies are better at creating stars |

      
Some of the galaxies in our universe are veritable star nurseries. For example, our own Milky Way produces, on average, at least one new star every year. Others went barren years ago, now producing few if any new stars.
Why that happens is a question that has dogged astronomers for years. But now, more than 20 years of research by a team led by Michigan State University has culminated in what might be the answer to that elusive question.
Read More |


[ PAHs ] polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles | Life's Building Blocks 'Abundant in Space' 

New flow battery to keep big cities lit, green and safe |

February 25, 2015 |  RICHLAND, Wash. –  Ensuring the power grid keeps the lights on in large cities could be easier with a new battery design that packs far more energy than any other battery of its kind and size. The new zinc-polyiodide redox flow battery, described in Nature Communications, uses an electrolyte that has more than two times the energy density of the next-best flow battery used to store renewable energy and support the power grid. And its energy density is approaching that of a type of lithium-ion battery used to power portable electronic devices and some small electric vehicles. "With improved energy density and inherent fire safety, flow batteries could provide long-duration energy storage for the tight confines of urban settings, where space is at a premium," said Imre Gyuk, energy storage program manager at the Department of Energy's Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, which funded this research. "This would enhance the resiliency and flexibility of the local electrical grid."
Read More |

Wind-powered freighters |

February 27, 2015 Source: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Summary: International shipping is transporting 90 percent of all goods on the planet. To make ships more eco-efficient, engineers have been working with alternative fuels. A Norwegian engineer is currently pursuing a new approach: With VindskipTM, he has designed a cargo ship that is powered by wind and gas. Software will ensure an optimum use of the available wind energy at any time. Read more |