When modern-age electric vehicles first became “a thing” about 10 years ago, supercapacitors were a frequent topic of discussion, due to their value in delivering large amounts of power—far more energy per unit than batteries could provide. As it turns out, however, lithium-ion batteries have come to offer acceptable power density, and thus this initial conversation has gone dormant. (more…)
Civil engineering is an integral part of life today. Buildings, bridges, and cities are all designed by civil engineers. So too is waste management, water supply lines, and many aspects of green infrastructure. Today, in the age where communities are working to improve urban and suburban city designs, environmental civil engineers are more vital than ever.
City Design (more…)
For those too young to remember, The Smothers Brothers had a popular television comedy show in the 1960s, noteworthy among other things as the first bit of mainstream media that openly poked fun at the U.S. president. Here’s a letter that Lyndon Johnson wrote when they went off the air in 1969: (more…)
Environmental protection may seem like an intimidating task, too big for one individual to tackle on their own, but there are many simple steps you can take to preserving the environment. Making just a few simple changes in your lifestyle can make a huge difference in the health of your local ecosystem!
Avoid Fertilizing Your Lawn (more…)
The roof is your home’s first line of defense against severe weather conditions, such as extreme heats, rain or snow. Its condition can affect your whole house and really add up to heating and cooling costs if it’s not done properly. By making your roof energy efficient, you’ll be able to heat or cool your house easier and, therefore, save up on bills. The type of roof you need depends on many factors, such as the climate you live in and the type of house you have, but here are some of the most cost-effective solutions out there. (more…)
When your house starts to feel like the walls are slowly closing in, your family has become to big or you’ve stuffed your home full with large tables and other space-eating items that now means you have to breathe in every time you walk through the kitchen? (more…)
Commenter “Mark” writes: Craig, here is a link to the work of IBM. Heat, cooling, desalination and electricity in one machine.
Yes, this is another take on Concentrated Solar PV, and apparently holds great potential. It’s another example of a couple of important phenomena: (more…)
A friend writes: I don’t “believe that all this anti-Trump rhetoric is actually vital to the needs of America.” On the contrary, history shows that America must have its people united to prosper. This anti-Trump stuff, promulgated by the far-left, tears us apart.
Well, we’ll have to agree to disagree, if you’ll pardon the cliche. IMO, the Americans who are sitting around in silence watching this outrageous stuff happen are no different than the common German citizens in the 1930s, quietly keeping their heads down as their neighbors were carted off in boxcars. (more…)
A reader notes on a Facebook post on the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education: (Your) kind of anti-Trump rhetoric is painfully damaging to America.
I believe that it’s not nearly as “painfully damaging” as Trump himself, but I grant that we’ll have to wait and see how all this turns out. (more…)
For some reason, environmental issues tend to be controversial, perhaps because of the (deliberately misguided) notion that regulations in this arena stifle economic growth. For those interested in a few facts on the matter, I give you this snappy video by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Enjoy.
