Sunday, August 03, 2008 Energy-101: Here Comes the Sun! POST A COMMENT Storing solar-energy inside batteries right now is way too costly to be used in everyday usage. But, a new breakthrough is about to change all that... Basically, scientists have now figured out a Cheaper way of storing electricity from the sun-rays...'and as one expert offered, this means "you've answered everything." "The breakthrough uses a relatively simple way to use electricity to produce oxygen and hydrogen from water...When the two gases later are recombined in a fuel cell they cause a chemical reaction that spins off electrons that are forced through a circuit, reproducing the electricity." "The discovery shatters the biggest barrier to widespread use of solar power, namely that it's unavailable after dark, said Daniel Nocera, an MIT energy professor. Similar to the way plants store energy from the sun -- "The process uses nontoxic natural materials to convert sunlight into gases..." Researchers also say this could make solar power "in homes a mainstream energy option and might even make power companies obsolete, at least for residential needs." "This is the nirvana of what we've been talking about for years," Nocera told the MIT News Service. "Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now we can seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon." "This is a major discovery with enormous implications for the future," offered another MIT expert. ''It opens up the door for developing new technologies for energy production." Ultimately, this breakthrough would aid us in getting off of our dependence of Foreign Oil. So...I'm sure we'll all be watching this story carefully. Here's a great primer video --(with MIT's Nocera) -- offering a break down of how this actually works: Source: ABC News Labels: Business-101, economy, Education, emissions, Energy-101, environment, fuel economy, hybrid, ideas, MIT Research, News Trends, Oil Prices, science 101, smaller carbon footprint, Solar Power, Trends posted by Henry Cruz at 4:30 PM Sunday, July 27, 2008 Oil Addict: 'rough & costly road ahead POST A COMMENT 'Flashback-Hello-2-the...1970s - when folks called for the 55 mph Speed Limit to conserve on Oil. As fuel costs trickle-down into other areas...that idea for new energy alternatives don't sound so bad. As the Washington Post points out -- two recent factors suggest even rougher roads ahead: 1. That recent announcement from Mexico that it will cut it's crude output by 15 percent... 2. Also news from India's Tata Motors -- "to begin producing a new $2,500 "people's car" called the Nano in the fall. The company hopes that by making automobiles affordable for people in India..." Run the numbers, "supply and demand," will continue to drive world oil prices...and drivers will not see "gas prices retreat to the levels they enjoyed for much of the last generation." Also...while "The high price of oil has sparked recent efforts by technology experts...to come up with ways to wean the world economy off its addiction..." "Developing countries like China and India, however, are in no hurry to embrace this new vision. They want to join the ranks of economic powerhouses and question why they should be forced to temper their aspirations..." Hear that sound? -- It's those huge-SUV makers...'going outta business. Now, if we can only find a decent car battery; 'cause that electric car sounds real good right 'bout now. Source: Washington Post Labels: An Inconvenient Truth, Business-101, economy, emissions, environment, hybrid, Oil Prices, Trends posted by Henry Cruz at 12:49 PM Wednesday, October 03, 2007 Toyota wants to F*ck us from both ends... POST A COMMENT I get smart business, it's how Toyota "overtook G.M. as the world’s biggest automaker" -- by looking ahead and bringing us the "50-miles-per-gallon Prius hybrid" (a half-step in the right direction toward fuel economy)! - Great. However, I read today's NY TIMES article (Et Tu, Toyota) which explains how Toyota is playing dirty politics to ensure they stay number one...by "lobbying against the tougher mileage standards in the Senate version of the draft energy bill" -- so, naturally one would ask -- why would a car company that built it's sudo green friendly empire with the popular Prius....then stop improving standards or innovation??! -- (Good question) -- it's all about greed -- or getting more of the other green-friendly thang: "Toyota wants to slow down innovation in Detroit on more energy efficient vehicles, which Toyota already dominates, while also keeping mileage room to build giant pickup trucks, like the Toyota Tundra..." “Toyota wants to keep its green halo and beat G.M. in the big trucks, too,” said one expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council...in my house, they call that world domination. --------- (Source NY TIMES) --------- Labels: cars, emissions, fuel economy, hybrid posted by Henry Cruz at 5:44 PM     ARCHIVES October 2005 . 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