Important Innovations

   DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF                                                                                                          By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane OPTIMIZING YOUR RUN WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY                                                                                     Source:  Stock Image                     New tech inventions have the pote...

New System to Fight Climate Change Source:  MIT image of the system New Carbon Capture Technology from MIT Engineers This new technology is from MIT engineers to clean the air of CO2 and fight climate change.  Their invention removes CO2 from air streams at almost any concentration levels from the open air to emissions from power plants.  MIT says it works like a large battery and it requires low energy and low money to operate when compared to other approaches. Like a Battery Like a very large battery, the MIT system absorbs CO2 from a gas stream that passes over its electrodes as it charges up.  While going through the process, the device alternates between charging and discharging.  During the charging cycle, fresh air blows through the system.  During discharging, concentrated carbon dioxide blows through.  As the process is done, pure carbon dioxide is discharged.  The MIT engineers say their carbon capture tech shows t...

Mechanical Trees Pull Carbon Dioxide from the Air Source:  Arizona State University New Technology for a Cleaner Environment Researchers at Arizona State University have invented Mechanical Trees, a new technology that pulls carbon dioxide out of the air and captures it for reuse.  Just 12 trees are capable of removing 1 metric ton of CO2 a day for less than $100 a ton.  That's a significant cost advantage and the team says the technology is ready for commercialization.  For more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Mechanical Trees For Cleaner Environment : New Tech to Cut, Capture & Reuse CO2 Source:  Arizona State University A Start to Reducing Climate Change A team at Arizona Sta...

New Artificial Leaf Technology Could Help Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions Converts CO2 to Oxygen 10Xs Faster than Real Leaves A team of engineers at University of Illinois at Chicago have created the world's first artificial leaf technology that works in the real world - outside, not just in the lab.  And, most importantly, it converts CO2 into oxygen 10Xs better than real leaves do.  For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: Artificial Leaves and Climate Change : New Artificial Leaves Convert CO2 into Oxygen 10X's Better Than Real Ones Source:  University of Illinois at Chicago Learning fr...

CO² into Plastic with No Greenhouse Gas Emissions Source:  Stock Image - Green Plastic University of Toronto Green Research University of Toronto scientists have created a copper catalyst that converts CO² into ethylene to produce plastic.  There are no greenhouse gases, such as methane, output and emissions.  This new technique could lead to the green production of commonly used plastics along with sequestering greenhouse gas through carbon capture technology. How It Works - The "Magic Metal" At the heart of the process is the CO² reduction reaction.  An electrical current converts CO² into other chemicals.  The chemical reaction is triggered by a catalyst composed of copper. Copper is the key to this.  Scientists call it the "magic metal".  Only copper can produce ethylene which is used to produce the most common form of plastic - polyethylene plastic. "Green" Plastic Future This is a promising, new, green and sustainable way to make...

Underwater Canyon off Irish Coast Pulls CO² from Air Porcupine Bank Canyon  What a discovery!  A research expedition of scientists from University College Cork to a huge underwater canyon off the Irish coast discovered a hidden natural process that pulls greenhouse gas carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Mission to Map Underwater Porcupine Canyon They towed a drone out on Porcupine Bank to the Porcupine Bank Canyon, which is a huge, cliff walled underwater trench. It's at the point where Ireland's continental shelf ends.  The scientists are building a detailed map of the canyon's interior and boundaries.  That was the purpose of their just completed journey. Discovery Process Along the way, they spotted a process at the edge of the canyon that pulls CO² from the atmosphere and buries it deep in the sea.  All around the canyon's rim live cold-water coral which thrive on dead plankton.  The plankton build their bodies on carbon from CO² in th...