technofender - by Ivan Cadena

Are worldwide natural resources reaching THE limit?

April 13th 2007 05:00

I just don't know for sure. But, in the meantime many people who are currently doing extensive research and environmental assessment seems to think so. If we google-map the world nowadays and compare the pictures against those taken in the 60s and 70s, it is highly remarkable the strong difference shown by the reduction of green areas all throughout the whole globe. The human race for the span of the wave of consumism released since the late 70s has practically predated most of the resources that Nature had provided for every living creature to survive. The deforestation of the Amazon Jungle is the most pathetic example of how much we have lost due to our intense and voracious comsumptioness. But, it's not the time and this is not the place to weep and yell for the lost paradise. We can ammend. But, we have to start right now. Let's assume our role: we are the most intelligent creatures ever. Let's show how smart we can be.

I throw a proposal, not the air, to YOU, please consider this when you look at your young children, they have the right to live in a safe, healthy place, don't forget it:

1.- Let's recycle. Did you know that many trees are destroyed to turn them into clean sheets of paper? Well, now you know. If you use (and reuse) the same sheet of paper in a wise manner, then maybe you're helping to save one or two trees, maybe more.

2.- Let's buy our books in a digital format, or if we are compelled to buy a printed one, then try to purchase a book that is made of recycled paper. Please, our grandchildren will thank you.

3.- Don't spend water in a spoily, irresponsible way. Are you used to wash your car in the old fashion style? Don't. Do it with a bucket of water and a sponge. Use a shower to take a bath. Please, do everything you can to reduce your water consumption (but don't stop taking a shower daily). The fresh water won't last forever if keep on wasting it.

4.- Use public transportation whenever possible. To go-and-return from work, consider using the public transport, such as the subway, autobus or the like. That way you will reduce the consumption of fuels. Remember that among our main concerns nowadays is the topic of Global Warming. If we don't stop the emissions of CO due to excessive combustion, we will inherit our descendants an earth with about 30% of the current living species in a museum, just for the fossile record. Not to tell that the temperature will be higher, and many of our cities will be underwater for the time my first grandchild gets born.

5.- Let's grow more trees. A simple tree (or plant, whatever the like) can help to purify thousands of cubic meters of air per year. The more plants that we have, the healthier our enviroment will be. It's easy to follow. We can. Most of all, we MUST.

Remember that sooner or later we'll be dead, but our children and the children of them will pursue their fate on a planet that will be shaped the way we decide TODAY.

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Biofuels, the next challenge

April 13th 2007 04:48

Haven't you heard about the global warming? Didn't you know that the earth is experiencing changes in its global climate due to the huge emissions of carbon oxydes to the atmosphere for decades? Of course you have noticed. One of the solutions spinning at the table-top nowadays is the commercial and industrial use of biofuels. As the biofuels come from simpler and lighter carbon sources - mainly organic - they are more easily degraded and recycled. Also, they produce less carbon monoxyde (the invisible killer gas), sulphurs and other toxic materials as a subproduct of combustion. The advantages of using biofuels are enormous. But, the main disadvantage is that they are still very expensive to produce at an industrial scale. That's why the biodiesel keeps being a non-economically viable solution to the fuel question. But, recent studies into the field of applied biotechnology show that there are strong chances to improve this situation. In fact, researchers have conducted studies to include some genes capable of producing enzymes that can utilize the lignocellulose material of the plants to produce bioethanol. The process is simple and it's very well known as fermentation.

The issue is to obtain a strain of bacteria (Escherichia coli, so popular in microbiology as Paris Hilton on the Internet) that is capable of reproducing itself at a fast, constant pace and also with the ability to produce huge quantities of ethanol via fermentation of vegetable stock. Biotechnology is the clue. And it seems to be the future trend of human technology. We hope so, as the planet can't stand more gas emissions from the smart bipeds.

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Cheap Solar Energy

April 13th 2007 04:38

I recently read a report describing a new technique for generating solar energy at a lower cost than with traditional photo-electric solar cell made of silicon. The research have been conducted at the Nanomaterials Research Center of Massey University, New Zealand.

These new experimental photo-electric cells consists basically of dye-sensitized cells. What’s this? Basically, the researchers tried with differente dyes, usually organic or primarily derived from organic compounds.

For example, they use a green dye, very close -chemically speaking- to clorophyle. Clorophyle is such an abundant substance in Nature, as long as is the main pigment used by the plants for the process of photosynthesis. Exactly, every green leaf in the world has it.

Among the other dyes used, the haemoglobine is the main pigment used to obtain the final dyes. That is, the pigment contained in human (and many animals also) blood.

The use of porphyrins, which is the term that englobes the clorphyle, cyanine and haemoglobin as organic pigments is much more efficient in terms of energy conversion and also are more environmentally friendly. Professor Ashton Partridge (Director), says that they now have the most efficient porphyrin dye in the world and aim to optimise and improve the cell construction and performance before developing the cells commercially.

In the field tests the new cells have proven to be more efficient to transform solar energy into electricity, which turns them into a practical, inexpensive solution for the places that have a generally cloudy sky. They are also cheaper to be manufactured, as the process of purification of silicon is somewhat expensive. It’s been calculated that the cells once produced at a commercial scale will cost only 10% of the price of the conventional photo-electric solar cells.

This is a good news for the people that feels a real concern for the planet’s health. Vows to avoid global warming effects… in the near future.

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Nanofleas: the future of surveillance

April 9th 2007 00:41

Recently, Technology Review published an article about a new standpoint in Technology: specifically Nanotech. There's a new device, totally autonomous - a flea - designed by Berkeley scientists that is capable of jumping even 30 times its size thanks to help of rubber bands, possibly the tiniest ever produced. The device itself had been created under 2001 Berkeley project"Smart Dust", but recently experienced the addition of a rubber band that makes it real for the particle to jump almost freely.