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Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 70

Mar 2, 2024

Singapore to have world’s largest ocean-based CO2 removal plant

Posted by in category: sustainability

Equatic-1 will be built in two phases over the next 18 months.

UCLA and Equatic, a startup formed by UCLA researchers, are gearing up for the construction of Equatic-1.


Equatic-1, a $20 million ocean-based carbon removal plant in Singapore, will remove carbon generated by 850 people annually.

Continue reading “Singapore to have world’s largest ocean-based CO2 removal plant” »

Mar 2, 2024

China’s Li Auto just unveiled the world’s biggest EV

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Li Auto, a Chinese EV automaker, has just unveiled the 7-seater Mega.


Li Auto, a Beijing-based automaker, has just unveiled what it has called the world’s biggest electric vehicle (EV). Called the Mega, this is tailored towards large family consumers in China (the world’s most crowded car market).

Continue reading “China’s Li Auto just unveiled the world’s biggest EV” »

Mar 2, 2024

Scientists use whey protein sponges to extract gold from computer parts, like motherboards — the process is 50X less expensive than the cost of gold and eco-friendly

Posted by in categories: computing, food, sustainability

Recycling previous metals from electronic waste is very expensive and, at a large scale, often requires exorbitant amounts of power and very expensive machines to recycle efficiently. However, scientists have discovered a food byproduct, whey protein, capable of recovering gold from electronic waste, making the recycling process substantially more efficient than it once was. With this byproduct, the energy cost of the entire recycling process can be 50 times lower than the value of the gold extracted from electronic components. The team found they could extract around 450mg of gold from 20 motherboards using this method.

This magical organic material comes in the form of whey proteins, a byproduct of dairy. Scientist Raffaele Mezzenga from the Department of Health Sciences and Technology discovered that an organic sponge made from whey proteins is exceptionally good at extracting metals from electronic components. To make this sponge, the scientists denature whey proteins under an acidic bath and high temperatures so the substance turns into a gel. Then, the scientists dry the gel, creating a sponge out of the whey protein fibrils.

But before the sponge can be used, the electronic waste must be prepared so it can do its job. First, electronic waste is dissolved in an acid bath to ionize the metals; then, the sponge is placed in the metal ion solution. Once in the bath, the ionized metals attach to the protein sponge, like a magnet picking up metal shavings. Mezzenga and his team of scientists discovered that most metal ions can adhere to the sponge, but gold ions do so a lot more efficiently.

Mar 2, 2024

Dubai Solar-Powered Rail Bus System Will Bring Us a Marvel Once Again

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Dubai, a city known for pushing the boundaries of innovation and technology, is set to redefine its transportation landscape with two groundbreaking projects. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has recently entered into partnerships with international experts to develop sustainable and futuristic transport solutions. The first memorandum focuses on the development of the Floc Duo Rail system, while the second aims to create a solar-powered rail bus system. These initiatives mark a significant leap forward in Dubai’s commitment to embracing advanced technologies, sustainability, and the future of urban mobility.

Designer: Urban-Mass Company and RAIL BUS Inc.

Mar 2, 2024

Fisker is talking to Nissan for a lifeline and electric pickup partnership

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Nissan has been revealed as the potential savior of Fisker. The Japanese automaker is reportedly talking with Fisker to invest in the company and partner on electric pickup trucks.

Earlier today, we reported on Fisker’s disastrous fourth-quarter results showing that the electric vehicle startup lost $400 million in 2023 and it now has less than $400 million of cash on hands.

The automaker had to admit that it wouldn’t be able to continue operations past next year without a big cash injection.

Mar 2, 2024

A strategy to further boost the efficiency of copper indium gallium selenide solar cells

Posted by in categories: solar power, sustainability

Until recently, chalcopyrite-based solar cells have achieved a maximum energy conversion efficiency of 23.35%, as reported in 2019 by Solar Frontier, a former Solar Energy company based in Japan. Further boosting this efficiency, however, has so far proved challenging.

Researchers at Uppsala University and at the First Solar European Technology Center AB (former Evolar AB) in Sweden recently attained a higher efficiency of 23.64% in chalcopyrite-based . This efficiency, reported in Nature Energy, was achieved using two primary techniques, namely high-concentration silver alloying and steep back-contact gallium grading.

“A primary objective of our study was to increase the efficiency of CIGS-based thin-film solar cells to ultimately lower the price per Watt-peak of corresponding large-scale modules,” Jan Keller, first author of the paper, told Phys.org. “Our work makes use of the findings from many research groups around the world, obtained during the last decades.”

Mar 2, 2024

Chemical etching method opens pores for fuel cells and more

Posted by in categories: chemistry, climatology, economics, sustainability

A chemical etching method for widening the pores of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) could improve various applications of MOFs, including in fuel cells and as catalysts. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan and East China Normal University in China developed the new method with collaborators elsewhere in Japan, Australia, and China, and their work was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

MOFs are composed of metal clusters or ions interconnected by carbon-based (organic) linker groups. Varying the metallic and organic components generates a variety of MOFs suitable for a wide range of applications, including catalysis, , and gas storage.

Some MOFs have clear potential for catalyzing the inside fuel cells, which are being explored as the basis of renewable energy systems. Because they don’t use , fuel cells could play a key role in the transition to a low-or zero-emissions economy to combat climate change.

Mar 1, 2024

Doroni unveils production-intent H1-X eVTOL, offering personal air travel up to 120 mph [Video]

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Young urban air mobility (UAM) developer Doroni Aerospace is stepping out of the shadows and into the eVTOL startup with the official reveal of its flagship aircraft – the H1-X. The two-seat eVTOL was showcased during a livestream event today and is damn close to being market-ready, touting some impressive specs.

Doroni Aerospace was founded in 2016 by Doron Merdinger – a lifelong entrepreneur with 25 years of design, manufacturing, and firm management expertise.

To bring his dreams of sustainable aviation transportation to life, Merdinger assembled a team of engineers and technicians working together to democratize flight in a growing eVTOL segment.

Mar 1, 2024

2024 U.S. Electric Cars Compared By Price Per Mile Of EPA Range

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Electric vehicles’ price and driving range are probably the two most important factors for most buyers. In today’s post, we will look at the mix of the two parameters—the price per mile of the EPA Combined range.

That may sound complex, but it’s merely a metric that indicates the best value proposition overall, and something that gives us an idea of the “cost” of range. By checking this metric, we can also see whether there is progress over time compared to earlier reports: see February 2022, February 2021 or April 2020. As it turns out, progress is happening on this front, and the cost of the driving range is going down.

Before we jump into details, let’s just explain the basics. There are more than 300 individual EV configurations on sale, including different battery sizes, ranges, powertrain setups, and wheels—all of which directly affect the price and range. We collected numbers for about 300 configurations, that are currently available for order or reservation, some upcoming models, and a few that have been discontinued but may still be found on dealer lots as reference points.

Mar 1, 2024

Tesla is showing that rapid supply chain sustainability improvements are feasible: study

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Tesla has made significant strides in improving its supply chain sustainability and human rights practices, as per a new study by environmental group Lead the Charge. This was highlighted by the fact that the electric vehicle giant jumped from ninth to third place in the group’s annual Auto Supply Chain Leaderboard and Report.

Lead the Charge’s Auto Supply Chain Leaderboard and Report analyzes publicly available data from 18 of the industry’s leading automotive manufacturers. The study also provides rankings of automakers’ efforts to eliminate emissions, environmental harms, and human rights violations from their supply chains. In a press release, Lead the Charge noted that its study comes at a crucial time as industry experts are calling for automakers to foster a cleaner supply chain.

Tesla is among the automakers that stood out in Lead the Charge’s study. As per the environmental group, Tesla achieved the largest score increase among its peers in the study, with the company jumping from ninth to third place. Tesla was also the only company to make improvements across all eight of the study’s indicator categories.

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