EcoMerge Project at Portland State University

The Harm of Air Freshners

2013-05-22T15:18:00.002-07:00

There are many types of scented air freshners on the market. Some release scents continously and others spray scented fumes at specificed times. It is a fact that air freshners contain many chemicals that can potentially cause health problems.

Studies have proved that exposure to pthalates can alter hormone levels which can harm the fetus. Furthermore, they can even alter hormone levels in males, leading to reproductive problems. The Environmental Protection Agency warns that sicne pthalates are found in many household items, therie isa danger of high exposure and of being exposed to more than one type. Therefore, over time this can lead to a build-up of dangerous levels in the body.

Other health risks would be headaches,gastrointestinal symptoms,asthma,allergic reactions- which many scented products contain chemicals known as volatile organic compunds,nerve and organ damage. The Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia states that many ari freshners workd by deadening the sensitivity of nerves that help pick up scents.

Therefore, it would be best to avoid the usage of air freshners which could cause medical conditions.

http://www.environmentalhealth.ca/

The Effects of Chemical Fertilizers

2013-05-22T14:45:00.004-07:00

We all are aware that fertilizer are any substance used to add nutrients to the soil to promote soil fertility and increase plant growth. However, my question is "Are all fertilizers healthy for the soil"? The answer is no, the effects of chemical fertilizers aren' spoken about because they are largely untested.

Soil health relies on a balance of macronutrients and micronutrients, as well as microbial health. It's vastly more complicated then simply adding nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium to the ground.

The biggest issue facing the use of chemical fertilizers is groundwater contamination. Groundwater contamination has been linked to gastric cancer,goitre,birth malformations,hypertension,testicular cancer and stomach cancer.It is a fact that excessive air and water-borne nitrogen form fertilizers may cause respiratory ailments and cardiac diseases. We shouldn't forget that they can "inhibit crop growth and increase allergenic pollen production and potentially affect the dynamics of several diseases.

The awareness and understanding the effects of chemical fertilizers doesn't help us without taking action. What is important is that we have to protect our health. We can consider to have our water tested regularly by reputable tab,support organize and sustainable agriculture,take part in safeguarding organic practices and educate ourselves more about chemical fertilizers.

Shouldn't we think twice and care about our health?

Changing Minds-- Approaching a new form of intelligence

2013-05-21T13:28:00.003-07:00

Changing Minds-- Approaching a new form of intelligence

Understanding what knowledge on multiple intelligences means can help make a better blog by attempting to convince an audience through various effective strategies. Howard Gardner speaks on the matter of how individuals can distinctly learn and process information. Some are born with certain inclinations or intuitional methods of synthesizing information, thus developing target strategies for these “target markets” can greatly influence such individuals. Those that are characterized by a form of intelligence can better create a channel for those who empathize with that capacity. The benefit of having a group work on the same material is crucial to better deliver the content of the blog. Allowing for diversity in methodologies and information synthesis by a broad group of individuals that can identify with these varying forms intelligence can help achieve better results. In finance and economics, diversification is a term that is of great discussion, although loosely used at times, but in the case of this class—having a group of students with different intelligences can better promote the message of this term’s goal i.e. achieve greater results.

A pseudo-intelligence that struck me most was something Gardner calls “Existential Intelligence”. This pseudo-intelligence depicts the demeanor one possesses when filled with passion about something. Consequently, turning those around you into a believer due to one’s own conviction about what one feels. This form of capacity can replace science under certain circumstances by answering some of the most complex questions. Although, many believe the world of business is mundane and practical, this form of conviction can be used as a tool or skillset to provide people with faith and reassurance that they are doing the right thing. An audience can be moved and persuaded when directed with passion and utter genuineness—existential intelligence can provide that.

Although, Gardner does not believe that “Existential Intelligence” does not qualify as a true intelligence. I believe that this form of biological cognition is often used in television, film, music, and rhetoric effectively. In all, using all forms of intelligence at once may be impossible but attempting to understand them all individually can help us (the authors) better reach our audiences more effectively. In the book, Gardner uses the example of a Musician, who encompasses all feedback from an audience and learns to adapt to what the audience wants. In fact, we can this strategy by using the analogy of the Musician, by putting information out there and waiting to hear feedback—what appeals more to the majority of our audience and what does not.

Are Agricultural Treatments, Pesticides, and Fertilizers Truly Bad for Our Environment?

2013-05-12T13:44:00.002-07:00

Farms produce and release a ton of chemicals to promote growth and to treat for diseases. When farms distribute these chemicals it eventually goes back into the environment. It does this in the form of water, air, and soil. The chemicals can eventually flow into rivers, lakes, streams, oceans, and even the air. The chemicals can also be sucked into the ground and can harm soil and other water resources. This creates a serious environmental issue for everyone on this planet. To answer the question above yes, treatments, pesticides, and fertilizers are extremely bad for our environment and other methods must be used to stop the devastation that they are creating.

According to the GRACE Communications Foundation a group that, “Builds partnerships and develops innovative media strategies that increase public awareness of the relationships among food, water and energy systems” estimated that, “Only 0.1% of applied pesticides reach the target pests, leaving the bulk of the pesticides (99.9%) to impact the environment.” The rest of the pesticides are not doing what they were intended to do and that will have a huge impact of health worldwide.

This is a topic of discussion that should not be pushed aside and needs to be discussed in an open forum. Change will happen and people are continuing to think of news ways to prevent health risks and promote farm growth.

http://www.gracelinks.org/

What's in Your Water?

2013-05-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

What's in Your Water?

Summer is coming and many of us are going to start heading for our local lakes and river to have some fun in the sun, but have you ever thought about what is in your local recreational water source? Since we are learning about factory runoff I have also learned about algal blooms, which are the result of the excess nutrients that can originate from fertilizers that farms are using. These fertilizers that farms are using contain phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium in large amounts. These seem like extremely harmful chemicals to be swimming in don’t you think. These chemicals seemed to be used in excess so when it rains these chemicals are washed away into our ecosystem. These chemicals then are washed into our lakes, stream, and oceans. When phosphates enter into a water system in a high concentration it causes increased growth in algae plants. What is so crazy is that the algae grows so quickly but is also short lived with the high concentrations so if dies off quickly leaving behind a dead organic matter which then in turn starts to decay. When this happens the decay starts to consume the oxygen in the water resulting in hypoxic conditions this then kills off fish, plants, and animal in the water. This can result in the shutdown of local lakes and rivers because they become so toxic to everyone and everything that comes in contact with them. So my concern is how can we as a community come up with some ideas to prevent these toxins from continuing to pollute our lakes and streams.What can you do as an individual?

Do you really want to swim in this?

How Big is Your Carbon Footprint

2013-05-02T16:39:00.002-07:00

I recently thought about what I have been leaving behind for later generations to deal with. What I realized was that almost everything I do impacts the environment in some way. I also learned that I can offset the negative carbon footprint I leave behind by doing a few things that are not burdensome at all.

I can change a few light bulbs, drive my car one or two times less per week, unplug some appliances when I'm not using them or just take a bath instead of a shower one time each week. By doing these things I will reduce the size of my footprint by more than half.

To see how big, or small your carbon footprint is go to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPAs) Household Carbon Footprint Calculator at: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/ind-calculator.html

I did this and after committing to some very simple suggestions from the EPA I will reduce my total annual carbon emissions from 2,483 pounds to 79 pounds. Pretty impressive wouldn't you say?

The ultimate goal we all should be striving for is to, not only reduce our carbon emissions, but to reverse their overall effects. The commitments I made are really minimal compared to all the things I could do. For example, I never committed to buying organic or locally produced foods, buying products that are minimally packaged, drinking tap instead of bottled water, washing my clothes in cold water or, and this is a big one, having family and friends over for dinner once or twice a month.

The idea is to leave the world in better condition than it was in when I got here, my legacy if you will. I know I can do my part but I cannot expect everyone to do the same, especially if they do not know what they can do because they haven't been informed. I choose to inform every person I know and encourage them to do the same.

It doesn't take much to change the world. We can start by educating just one other person about the possibilities and then see where that goes. Try asking a friend if she knows how many trees it takes to make a ton of paper (a pallet or about 50 reams). According to this page: http://www.conservatree.org/learn/EnviroIssues/TreeStats.shtml, it takes about 24 trees, 40 feet tall, and about 6-8 inches in diameter. This is a good place to start when wanting to bring the issue up.

Stormwater Runoff

2013-04-30T10:52:00.001-07:00

Stormwater runoff is what comes from your home when you park your car in your driveway or when you fertilize and use insecticide on your planets. It can also come from not cleaning up after your pet properly. Any sort of chemical or harmful substance that gets onto your lawn or driveway will run down with the rainwater into the stream and harm nearby rivers and streams. Most of this water doesn't even get filtered through and does immediate damage to the environment when it could have been prevented.

Stormwater runoff not only harms the environment around the lakes, rivers, and streams it runs into, but it hurts the wildlife that live there and your community too. Stormwater runoff can contaminate what would have been drinking water for your community and can cause water shortages.

The Federal Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Endangered Species Act help Portland keep our water clean and safe for use and also helps the animals and environment safe from stormwater runoff. But they need your help too to keep everyone, including animals and the environment, safe and free from pollutants that can come from stormwater runoff.

Here are some things that you can do at home to help your community:

To keep the street from flooding rake leaves and debris at least one foot away from the curb and storm drains/catch basins in front of your house.
If you notice that a catch basin is clogged in front of your house and you are unable to clear it yourself, call the city (the number for Portland is 503-823-1700) and they will come clean it out for you.
Make sure water directs away from your homes foundation and not onto your neighbor’s property
Never dump water over the side of a hill
Keep your gutters clean
Be sure to keep an eye on the trees on your property to make sure they aren't leaning and be sure that there are no cracks in the ground or pavement as this could indicate ground movement.
Recycle used oil, antifreeze, and other fluids properly, never dump them out in your lawn or on your driveway and be sure to check your car for oil leaks as well.
Don't wash your car at your house, take it to a carwash. The extra few bucks out of your pocket is nothing compared to how much you're helping the environment by not letting all of that soap and oil run off into a storm drain.
Use less fertilizers and pesticides in your lawn or switch to all organic products.
If you have a septic system keep it properly maintained. If it fails and breaks it will cause massive damage to the nearby lakes and streams.
Always clean up after your pet and dispose of the waste properly.

These are just a few things that can help in your community to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff. Any little bit helps!

For more info on this topic check out:

Stormwater runoff pollution and how to reduce it

Stormwater Drainage

The Importance of Recycling Batteries

2013-04-25T16:01:00.001-07:00

The Importance of Recycling Batteries

I never knew the importance of recycling batteries. Batteries include mercury, lead, cadmium and nickel which react with chemical electrolytes to produce power. Furthermore, they can cause dangerous health and environmental consequencess because of the heavy metals the batteries contain. Also, when batteries burn completely they release heavy metals in the air. Therefore, these metals will enter the environment in the ash created during they were completely burnt. It is a fact that batteries that end up in a landfill can make chemicals and hevy metals into soil, groundwater, lakes and streams. Which would result into contaminating our soil and water.

Batteries can be divided into two broad categories: dry-cell and wet-cell batteries.The dry-cell type is used in most consumer electronics, and includes alkaline and carbon zinc batteries and lithium batteries.As for wet-cell batteries are typically found in cars, boats and motorcycles.However,both types of batteries can be recycled.The wet-cell batteries we use in our cars are the easiest to recycle and most retailers of car batteries are also authorized collection and recycling centers for them. On the other hand,a variety of places where dry-cell batteries can be recycled, including municipal sites and for-profit entities such as retailers and sanitation companies.

After doing a thorough study, I have figured out that Portland's Metro Recycling website provides extensive information about where you can recycle old household batteries around downtown Portland.

http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=24197

http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/importance-recycling-batteries-2966.html

How does Polluted runoff effect me?

2013-04-18T13:03:00.002-07:00

Many times Environmental issues are not taken seriously by a community until they directly effecting it's specific day to day living. It is very hard for someone to put forth the effort to make a change when the issue they see is miles away. With that being said, how concerned should we be about Industrial farm polluting our own communities in Oregon? The answer, much to the surprise of many, is that it effects us all more than we probably think.

In reports done last year Zollner Creek, which runs through the heart of the Willamette County, has been registered to have high counts of pollutants and pesticides which have continued to effect drinking water. This was among a group of seven streams that were also deemed to be effected immensely from pollution from various farm plants. These streams which have been polluted have accounted for over 15,000 miles of waterway throughout the middle of the Willamette County. This was not even accounting several more that were very close to also being considered over polluted as well. With this much runoff so close to so many communities in Oregon, there are several implications that come from it.

Nearby to the factories, there are very harmful gases that people can breath in and get sick from. These come from manure that begins to decompose and release toxins. Many of these gases, especially hydrogen sulfide, can get into the water streams nearby and even at low levels can cause serious health problems for people. The waste produced from animals can also be a health concern as it enters community water supply.

Many of these waterways are various communities main drinking water supply. By not doing our part to try and combat factory runoff and pollution we are turning a blind eye to this negative phenomena effecting many of our neighboring cities. With help from local city officials, the Department of Agriculture and citizens like you and me, we can really make a difference in awareness for a great cause.

for more on the topic please read: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/10/oregons_landmark_farm_pollutio.html

Environment Runoff

2013-04-15T17:39:00.001-07:00

Environmental Runoff

Every year we have the same problem, storms. When a storm comes, it brings storm water, which can attract debris, chemicals, dirt, and pollution. This flows into our sewer system or worse our lakes, beaches, and ponds. When storm water enters the sewer system, it brings untreated water, which contaminates drinking water. If we can’t have safe water to drink, this causes a big concern for our environment.

When, water is polluted it can have bad effects on plants, fish, animals, and us. Same goes for drinking water. Polluted drinking water can cause illness and raise the cost water treatment.

Some solutions where you can help include:

recycle
lawn care
septic system
auto care
and pet waste

If everyone does their part, we can live in a better environment
!

We don't want to see this.

We want to see this.

Managing storm water is not an easy task. It can be expensive and time consuming. doing our part is important as finding solutions. We can do a lot by getting involved. Here is a list of ways to get involved: read the local newspaper and stay informed, we must keep public officials accountable, attend public hearings about town planning and new construction permits, volunteer, participate in contaminant monitoring, encourage testing water upstream of drinking water, and most importantly ask public officials questions.

Working with Diversity to Solve Environmental Issues with Factory Farming

2013-04-14T23:50:00.001-07:00

Diversity is something that every human faces at one point or another and can create a problem when looking at environmental issues. What is diversity and why does it sometimes cause such an issue with the environment? The Merriam Webster dictionary defines diversity as “The condition of having or being composed of different elements.” When we think about that definition we can look closely at social economic diversity for a possible answer. This can be areas like people who are very wealthy or the very poor. This will cause many factors when these groups think about the same issue. When looking at the topic of environmental runoff from farming we can see how these two groups might have different viewpoints on a topic like this. Let’s take a closer look at this environmental problem and try to understand the different viewpoints on the subject.

If you have two different groups and ask them about an issue currently going on in the world like environmental runoff from factory farms you might possibly get a different prospective from them both. The reason it will differ is not only a different prospective but the wealthy might have some stronger viewpoints due to vested interest in factory farming then the poor. The very rich might be owners of the factories and make way too much money to care about the environmental runoff and the possible impacts that the farm is having on the environment. At the same time the lower income population might have a lot to say about the topic due to runoff of chemicals and all the pesticide that is being used causing environmental issues to their small communities. They might feel that no one is listening to their cries for help to end this environmental catastrophe that is affecting their health or their family’s health. Because of being in the lower income category they might not be able to up and move to get away from all the risks that the farms are creating for them. They in turn will blame the farm for the runoffs and might try and find ways to shut the farm down. Both groups in the end might blame each other for the current issue and both have strong valid reasons for standing their ground on the issue.

It does not mean that one group is right or another is wrong there are just many different answers that might come up from both groups. This is what diversity is all about when talking about the environment. You can get a rich amount of answers from all walks of life and still get the same results you are looking for. Perhaps these two groups can come together to find a solution to this environmental problem. Factory farming creates so many problems that down the road the very rich will also be affected from all the issues being created.

Diversity and the environment can be very tricky but must be celebrated by everyone. It is the many backgrounds and different statuses that makes the world such a great place to live. Being able to have an open debate about the environment and having so many rich backgrounds and viewpoints makes people not only think about the topic but might also bring people together to try and solve a problem. This is what the spring 2013 Capstone class will accomplish this semester. We will bring our diverse backgrounds and come together to find a solution to problem of environmental runoff from factory farms.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle or Rethink....

2013-03-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

We often talk about how to recycle batteries, but what if we thought about instead of recycling, we concentrated on reusing. Cell phones are replaced about every two years and they still have a life of maybe four to five more years of reusable life. For example, consider cell phones and how far we have come from Motorola's first cell phone in 1983. It cost about $4000, and only the rich cold afford them. Today almost everyone has a cell phone. Do you know any eighth grader that doesn't? Some 285 million people have cell phones in the U.S. The materials in batteries are a limited natural resource. When was the last time you replaced your cell phone? Most people replace their cell phone when their carrier's contract runs out in less than just two years. What do people usually do with that old phone? They keep it thinking they will sell it but never do and then it becomes junk. Manufacturers have made continued improvements such as Apple's iPhone, which gained 40 percent of market share in its first three years and as a result, the initial lifespan is between 18 and 24 months. In other words, roughly half of the phones in use one year are retired the next year. That is a lot of cell phones.

An estimated 10 to 15 percent of these are simply discarded and merge invisibly into the municiple waste stream. A much larger percentage of those retired are "stockpiled." Because of their small size, but high perceived value, roughly 65 to 70 percent of old phones end up in a drawer as a rarely used backup.

That leaves less than 20 percent of retired phones in the U.S to be collected for reuse or recycling. That phone could be used for another four or five more years. To rethink this situation, instead of leaving your old cell phone in a drawer, consider helping a person in Africa get an education by donating your used cell phones.

Sharon McNeill, Student Sponsorship Program Coordinator of Nomad Charities says, "Each phone donated sells for an average of 5500 schillings ($65.00). It costs a University student about 70000 schillings a quarter for tuition. That is only 13 phones per quarter that each student needs. Each additional phone they get provides them with living expenses, food, medical needs, transportation and clothing. It is wonderful to be able to provide the phones in lieu of asking for money. We definitely fund raise money for high school students but this added program allows our high graduates the opportunity to continue their education. BTW, over 75 percent of our high school sponsored students are in University. One of our GIRLS is in Law School on a full paid scholarship! Another student has graduated college and has been traveling around the world working for the United Nations." To donate your cell phone
go to: http://www.nomadcharities.org/index.php?id=62

Resources: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink....
By T Laseter, Anten Ovchinnikov
G Raz Issue 61, 2010.
Interview: Sharon McNeil,
Nomad Charities

Converting....

2013-03-24T00:42:00.001-07:00

Converting... Bringing old cars to the light, car companies and shuttle services are now aiming their attentions at what some may consider a better way of investing funds into alternative energy power. These companies that may not have the ability to create their own hybrid or electric car can now take matters into their own hands by retrofitting an electric motor into their car to convert it to a hybrid or take it all the way to full electric. This in my opinion is much better than creating a brand new electric car because if we create all new models, we are going to have to use much more energy disposing of or recycling the old cars. This route allows the owners whether they be large companies or the average joe, to put their environmental conscious at ease. This article looks at the pragmatic components that go into this and how it can be very doable and profitable for many companies simply by applying for the grant funding, and even if they do not achieve what most would consider adequate funding, the math and statistics behind the products should sell themselves as the savings in gas and maintenance alone quickly payoff the conversion costs.

All of this is great, but on some level I am skeptical of what is going on. I feel as if people are doing this as a normal person, with one or so car as an ethical solution or they sincerely want to contribute in reducing their carbon foot print. It just seems so much that these companies are benefiting too much from the conversion processes, not only are they receiving grant funding, if applied for usually, but they get a whole new market of people who choose to live more sustainably, and not only that but most of the time they try to charge extra because of the prestige to say of the service as it is so environmental trendy as opposed to friendly similarly to that of organic fruits and vegetables. Don't get me wrong I think it is perfectly fine that companies are doing this conversion because after all it does help, but all of these articles just make them out to benefit from the trend and realization that we need change and they are just going to find more and more ways to fatten their wallets as opposed to general sincerity for eco and environmentally friendly solutions.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/420222/converting-gas-guzzlers-into-hybrids/

How Safe Are Electric Vehicles?

2013-03-23T23:18:00.002-07:00

How safe are electric vehicles? Safe for the environment, yes. Safe for the user, possibly not... Currently electric vehicles are making their way onto the market and replacing the need or demand for fossil fueled cars. Without the sounds of a combustable motor how will people in our surroundings know where we are? They will soon not be able to smell the exhaust, hear the sounds of the car, completely relying on what we see. This not only proposes a problem for pedestrians and bicyclists but as battery power takes over, motorcyclists could be endangered. Many motorcyclists including myself will agree that their exhaust pipes have saved them from a few close calls on the freeway or in town. If electric motorcycles begin to take over how will other motorists hear them coming?
A new york times article begins to shed light on a solution for the pedestrian end of things, but at the end of the day it is safe to say that electric motorcycles could be far to dangerous in the first place to not have any noise at all.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/business/make-electric-vehicles-noisier-at-low-speeds-for-safety-us-says.html?_r=0
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/08/electric_motorbike_breaks_100_mile_range/

The Clean Way To Play Dirty

2013-03-23T21:31:00.003-07:00

Interested in motorsports? Worried about the impact of the hobbies you love? A company has begun to look at these impacts and concerns and are finally aiming their funding and development into creating a solution. Every die hard motor sport fan can appreciate this machine, a fully functional SCORE baja 1000 ready full electric pre-runner buggy. Since the 60's hundreds of people have been racing thousands of tons of metal through a 1000 miles course in southern California, most do not finish the race and end up with a broken down vehicle on the side of the course with all of its gas, oil, coolant, etc. draining into the desert substrate below. Technology and eco-conscious are at their peak right now and many racers are becoming aware of the impacts of the past and pushing for a better solution without outlawing their sport. SRD (strategic racing designs) are taking the lead and created one of the first high powered electric racers. The creators state that the car at only an 80% efficiency rate can get up to 450 horsepower and 700 foot pounds of torque!!! The car tops out at around 100mph and can get from the 80 to 120 mile mark on a battery. The interesting part of this is how they switch out the batteries, at a normal stop they would put in gas and tires, this crew is designed to replace the cars batteries which takes about 5 minutes. Something that is also very amazing is that with all the wear and tear on these batteries they are expected to last about 15 years. The life span for a standard car battery is about 5 years. The high performance auto industry is going to be the hardest group to transition into electric automotive simply because no one has been able to deliver (in recent years) a high performance high power machine, this could save auto racing throughout the country as urban sprawl has made suburbs push further and further out mainly to where existing race tracks are and then they establish sound ordinances and shut down the tracks, electric cars could be the solution to these problems!

http://www.race-dezert.com/home/ev1-electric-race-car-35312.html

Joining the NiMH Revolution!

2013-03-21T18:16:00.003-07:00

Because of an earlier post on our blog, and some personal research and reading of Amazon reviews, I decided to purchase these NiMH batteries:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UG41XW/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And this smart charger:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003GS6FIE/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I looked at my battery usage and made some calculations, and I think my initial investment of about $34 will easily pay for itself sometime next year--possibly sooner! I am so excited to be able to do my part in reducing waste and pollution while also saving money in the long run. I hope you will take the time to do some of your own research or simply jump in with me now to start making the change from using alkaline batteries.

It can be done little by little too! Buy a charger and one pack of batteries, and as your alkalines die, simply replace them with your new rechargeables! When necessary, buy a pack of rechargeables if you start running out. That way you don’t see a huge cost up front!

The Amazon review I listed below was very clear and backed up much of the research I found on other websites: please check it out if you have further questions!

Sources:

http://www.amazon.com/review/R9VPVQ0UO2MKH

Air Breathing Batteries – No Joke!

2013-03-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered how we would get all those cool gadgets to work that we see in Star Trek or Sci Fi movies? You know, things like contact lenses with mini computers that display images right to your eye or maybe an implanted health sensor that automatically releases insulin or other medications directly into the blood before you even know there’s a problem or (my favorite) light-emitting tattos! It’s one thing to think up things like that, it’s another to find a way to actually make it work. We mentioned in an earlier post how a heart device could be powered using the body’s own blood, but now scientists have constructed a bio-battery that actually RECHARGES BY TAKING OXYGEN DIRECTLY FROM THE AIR! Did anyone else just have a nerdgasm? From the Polish team developing the battery, the lead, Dr Jönsson-Niedziółka, said, “One of the most popular experiments in electrochemistry is to make a battery by sticking appropriately selected electrodes into a potato. We are doing something similar… [but] we’d rather replace the potato with… a human being.

Here’s a picture of a stack of four of the batteries powering a bike light:

Get excited, but don’t go planning your new tats just yet, because the limiting factors are the properties of the enzymes that interact to produce the power, both in lifespan and power output. Still, very amazing work being done at the moment!

Sources:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130307092326.htm

http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=129123&CultureCode=en

http://www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/polish-biobattery-bicycle-lamp.jpg

Stretchable lithium-ion battery!

2013-03-18T16:23:00.000-07:00

Maybe my dreams of a real, walking and talking Gumby and Pokey can finally be realized! Northwestern University's Yonggang Huang and the University of Illinois' John Rogers demonstrate in the picture above how their battery continues to power the red LED even when they stretch it to 300% its original size! As soon as they let go, it immediately pops back into the beginning size and shape. According to the scientists, the battery will work for 8 or 9 hours before needing to be recharged--which can actually be done wirelessly. This means it can likely be used inside the human body to power heart or other devices. Or live-action Gumby dolls. Whichever application makes more sense to you.

Source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226113828.htm

Gravel Batteries?

2013-03-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Is plain old gravel a solution to low-cost, grid-scale energy storage challenges? This is one of the questions being explored by such companies such as Isentropic in England and Energy Cache in the U.S. Isentropic uses gravel and compressed argon gas to create temperature differentials/ thermodynamic processes, in two connected but separate tanks where the gravel is held. The two tanks are separated by a reversible heat pump that expands the gas in one tank and compresses it in the other, creating temperature differentials of 500 degrees Celsius and -160 degrees Celsius, of which energy is stored in the gravel. During times of high energy demand, the process is reversed and the energy that was stored in the gravel is released.

Another technology underway is the Pennsylvania company Energy Cache’s “ski lift” system that has received heavy investments from Bill Gates. This system uses gravel that is used in the energy production and storage via a motor generator, buckets, storage slots, and a lift system as shown:

Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3nz_kU604s&feature=youtu.be

Both systems, provided they work as planned, are cheap, simple, efficient, and easily set up (not as many permits and regulations) alternatives to large-scale energy storage.

Sources:

http://www.economist.com/node/21548495

http://gigaom.com/2012/03/27/the-story-of-energy-cache-a-drop-dead-simple-energy-idea/

http://gigaom.com/2012/06/12/the-new-hotness-in-energy-storage-gravel/

http://www.energycache.com/

2013-03-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

Ferrari's new powerplant is a hybrid!

With the release of the new hybrid Ferrari, the market can see just how to incorporate the demand for being more efficient while not compromising any horsepower. The new model known as the laferrari is the next generation of Ferrari replacing the enzo.
This new hybrid powerplant was released at the Beijing auto show last spring and just a few weeks ago the car was unveiled at Geneva. The bar for the hybrid has been set. Using a patented combination of expert interviews, online research, and sheer fabrication, here they have attempted to break down this complex machine into language we can all understand. Follow along on the photo below:

The immense, and immensely confounding, hybrid power train of the upcoming Ferrari supercar, explained for you below.

1. Air gets sucked in through this pair of pearlescent purple alto saxophones.
2. Oxygen is mixed with fuel and flame inside this giant, red, crinkle-finished Hohner Chimewood harmonica.
3. The resultant horsepower is blown into a supine WALL-E, where, as in the eponymous movie, it is compacted. Unlike in the film, where the output is used to build life-choking towers of trash, here compression converts kinetic energy into electricity.
4. Said current is fed into the Hulk lunchbox you had in elementary school. Its presence here explains why you couldn’t find it in your mother’s attic in 2003—after that shitty Ang Lee movie came out—when you wanted to sell it on eBay.
5. Surplus energy is fed into this 1950 Electrolux iron, where it is stored as heat and used to warm the cabin on chilly days.
6. Three giant orange Pixy Stix carry this power to three giant orange Push-Ups—a dyadic sextet of mouth-puckering confections.
7. The Push-Ups perform as their name suggests, each creating approximately 300 units of sherbet-y thrust—for a total of 900—enough to propel the car from zero to 60 in a chiropractically functional 1.9 seconds on the way to a very practical top speed of 350 m.p.h. (V.F. estimates).
8. This energy output is fed into a special scrubber, which removes any traces of carbon dioxide, sulfur, or shame.
9. The carbon is disposed of in the wingless body of Darth Vader’s Tie Fighter, where it is zapped with cheap special effects resembling the fluorescent tube lights in a Dan Flavin sculpture.
10. Wheels turn. Car goes fast.
Sources http://www.vanityfair.com/style/stick-shift/2012/05/four-wheeled-future-new-ferrari-supercar.
http://www.vanityfair.com/style/stick-shift/2013/03/ferrari-laferrari-preview-geneva-auto-show, PHOTOGRAPHs BY BRETT BERK.

2013-03-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Prius batteries to end up at scrap yards

 As the first generation Toyota Prius hybrid cars begin to hit 11 years old, Toyota officials say the number of used hybrid batteries showing up in the waste stream is expected to skyrocket in the coming years.

The car manufacturer wants to collect those batteries so they can be recycled, said Toshi Fukui, a manager of Toyota Tsusho America, a subsidiary of the car manufacturer.

He said Toyota wants to set up a hub-and-spoke system so when an aged or destroyed Prius comes to a scrap yard, the smaller facilities could remove the batteries and send them to a local hub, where Toyota could collect them for demanufacturing.

"We're really concerned about the safety issue," Fukui said. "Even a dead hybrid battery may have over 200 volts inside, which can cause serious injury or death."

He said scrap yards shouldn't attempt to disassemble the batteries or shred them.

"Please don't shred, bale or crush any of the hybrid batteries," he said. "They still continue a great deal of energy inside of them."

Mark Saxonberg, manager of advanced fuel vehicles for Toyota Motor Sales USA, said there are a small number of batteries being returned today, mostly to the dealerships, but that will change in the coming years.

"You will start to see a lot of these batteries," he said. "We expect more than 50,000 a year and doubling year after year. They are going to be entering the scrap industry."

He said by 2025, Toyota expects that 300,000 batteries will be returned per year, with the vast majority of them not being taken to the local Toyota dealership.

He said Toyota is committed to making sure the hazardous parts of the batteries are not harming the environment, and the precious metals inside are reused.

"We have a social responsibility to get these batteries out of the scrap stream as best we can," he said.

Saxonberg said the Prius started off as a niche vehicle and was popular in only a couple of markets, so the company expects that the first wave of batteries will show up in the California, Texas, Oregon, Florida and Arizona.

Toyota has partnered with Toxco Inc. to demanufacture and recycle batteries in North America. Todd Coy, vice president of battery operations, said Toxco has three permitted facilities in North America: one in California, Canada and Ohio. A second Ohio plant is under construction and was partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Energy Department.

Sources: http://www.wasterecyclingnews.com/article/20120504/NEWS02/120509952/toyota-expects-prius-batteries-to-end-up-at-scrap-yards

2013-03-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Battery companies team up to store renewable energy

Trojan Battery Company, manufacturer of deep-cycle batteries, and Palladium Energy, manufacturer of custom lithium-based battery packs, last year formed a strategic alliance to develop clean energy battery solutions for a broad range of industries. Together, the companies will explore the development of lithium-based battery packs.

This partnership enables Trojan to expand battery offerings to meet evolving customer demands for lithium-based technology. The use of Palladium's expertise in cell technology and engineering, coupled with Trojan's 85 years of lead-acid battery, allows for the opportunity to discover new and more efficient batteries. This would benefit the environment as the use for batteries grows and the need for a better way to manage them becomes more evident. The renewable energy market is going to continue to grow and therefore the demand to store that captured energy will need to move hand in hand with the technology. The better they are able to make the capabilities of the batteries the more effective the use of wind and solar energy can be.

Art Salyer, president and chief executive officer for Palladium Energy said "This partnership will catapult our company into new and emerging verticals and medium and large format applications, allowing us to have an even larger role in powering the world with green technology."

Sources: http://www.energyharvestingjournal.com/articles/battery-companies-team-up-to-store-renewable-energy-00003783.asp?sessionid=1

Recycling Batteries Straight Talk

2013-03-15T21:55:00.002-07:00

Batteries contain different metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium. And nickel. If a person disposes of these batteries in an unsafe manner, it can lead to more contamination within the environment. Different batteries such as lead acid batteries can be recycled and up to 96% of the battery can be disposed of.

Dry-cell batteries which include alkaline and carbon zinc (9 volt, D, C, AA, AAA), button style batteries, and lithium (9-volt, C, AA, coin, button, rechargeable batteries can easily be recycled.

Get the facts about what your local and state regulations are when it come s to recycling batteries.

Sources:

http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/battery.htm

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-7HvhlHWYw5s/UUP44LwVG5I/AAAAAAAAELg/4nHSvt4LxRE/h120/download%2B%25285%2529.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O3QwlRpC_tU/UUP6swm-KeI/AAAAAAAAELo/Wicc4-opi2Y/h120/images+%282%29.jpg

Battery Recycling

2013-03-15T21:09:00.001-07:00

Battery Recycling Is Easy And Makes You Feel Good Too!

Did you know that you could simply put your used alkaline batteries into your recycling bin or save them up and take them to a Batteries Plus, Best Buy, or other recycling centers? Is it so easy and you can do your part to help reduce the metals and chemicals in our landfills, help the environment, and feel good too.

U.S. consumers purchase over three billion household batteries a year! Although the United States has made significant progress in increasing rechargeable battery use, 80% of all primary batteries sold are disposables.

Those single-use alkaline AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V batteries are made up of 60-70% Zinc & Manganese Concentrate, 10-20% steel, and 10-20% paper and plastic. All of which can be recycled successfully if we just turn them in.

A recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology life cycle battery analysis of household batteries demonstrates that recycling rather than disposal has a higher environmental payback. When recycled, the chemicals and metals are reclaimed and reused, cutting down on the raw materials needed to manufacture new batteries.

Of course, an even better way to help the environment is to use rechargeable batteries in the first place, but just take the first step by recycling those alkaline batteries and you will find out how easy it is, eventually you can take the next step and transition to rechargeable batteries.

Go ahead and try it…it is the right thing to do and will make you feel good!

Sources:

www.call2recycle.org

http://earth911.com/recycling/hazardous/rechargeable-batteries/

http://www.wikihow.com/Recycle

http://www.batterygiant.com/batteryfaq.asp

http://www.greenbatteries.com/

http://www.batteryrecycling.com/

Battery Life

2013-03-15T21:08:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been confused about how to, when to, and what type of battery to use for your new device? I guess being confused can set in when a person loses his/her owner’s operation manual.

Do you understand what kind of power drainage is caused when you use certain function on your mobile device? I guess the question to ask, “Is why do I have to charge my mobile device almost daily?

If you want to save the life of your batteries, be sure you understand the facts. After all why do harm to your new device when it can be avoided.

Sources:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/25319/complete-guide-to-maximizing-your-android-phones-battery-life/