Not all plants are as sensitive to drought, though, and it is the genetic makeup of these more resilient plants that is of interest to scientists who feel the need to develop crops that can handle drastic shifts in their environments.

U.S and Finnish researchers recently discovered the specific gene responsible for controlling the amount of water released by the plant as it absorbs carbon dioxide-more specifically, the gene that controls the plant’s stomata.

The stomatic pore in a tomato leaf. (Photo: Wikipedia)

All leaves are covered with stomata, which are tiny pores used to suck up carbon dioxide and to release water vapor back into the air.

Some of the ‘hardier’ plants close up their stomatal pores when ozone levels increase.

This reaction also reduces the amount of water lost during the harsher seasons. (It is interesting to note that plants suffer from excessive amounts of ozone rather than thriving in a CO2 rich environment when they use this specific gas for growth.)

The gene in question controls when the stomata are open or closed. Unfortunately, with their stomata closed, plants are unable to absorb the excessive amounts of CO2 in our atmosphere.

Up to 95% of water loss occurs through these pores while they are open, so manipulating the genetic makeup of plants to increase their sensitivity to droughts (forcing them to close their stomata) could have a positive effect on their survivability: A little water lasts much longer.

This may slow plant growth since CO2 is a necessary component for photosynthesis and plant development (with the stomatal pores closed, less CO2 makes it into the plants’ system), but a smaller plant is still better than a dead one.

Researchers claim that within the next few years plants could be genetically modified to hold on to the precious water that is so hard to come by during a drought, while still being able to absorb the CO2 they need for photosynthesis.  

This is a win-win situation: It will allow crops to survive in arid regions while also sequestering the atmosphere’s CO2.

via Science Daily

Machines aren’t so lucky. Tiny cracks that form in all plastic structures widen over time. Fixing these cracks before they become an issue would increase the overall integrity of anything made from plastics. This isn’t an unrealistic concept: In 2001 aeronautics engineers at the University of Illinois developed a self-healing man made material. The idea was to eliminate microscopic cracks that form on a material’s surface.

The whole process works with the help of microcapsules filled with dicyclopentadiene (a liquid) that are dispersed throughout the plastic surface. These microcapsules rupture as soon as a crack reaches them. Once these capsules burst and release the diclopentadiene inside, the liquid comes into contact with a catalyst which turns the liquid into a more solid state while it fills the crack, thereby healing the plastic. The healed plastic is then about 80% as strong as it was before it acquired the (now healed) crack.
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Self-healing plastic hosts a microvascular network containing a healing agent that automatically oozes in to repair cracks. (Photo: National Science Foundation)

It may take a while before this technology is perfected but self healing plastics have obvious benefits: We tend to grow less interested in our gadgets as they get scratched up. If our cell phones or ipods stayed scratch free, we would probably hang on to them a lot longer. Not only that, but it would be incredibly practical to incorporate self healing plastics into structures that are difficult (and costly) to get to, such as satellites, wind turbines and the inside of complex machinery.

Self healing plastics have already evolved since 2001: The original researchers in Illinois have eliminated the need for the catalyst (thereby cutting down production costs) while Biswajit Ghosh and Marek W. Urban from the University of Southern Mississippi have also taken things a step further by developing a polymer that uses natural sunlight to repair itself. (Polyurethane networks have been proven to exhibit self-repairing tendencies with exposure to ultra-violet light.) Click HERE to link to the scientific article.

As a whole, I look forward to when my cell phone looks new for longer than a day.

Fortunately, there may soon be a way to humanely reduce pest animal populations in areas when hunting isn’t a feasible or appealing option. Though many people scoff at the idea, a birth control is the answer. It may seem unfair to manipulate the breeding behavior of various species when we have already affected everything else in their environment, but it is a more appealing choice than killing off the animals-especially when it comes to non-prey animals. It is also ironic that some of the species in question-like white-tailed deer and Canadian geese-were encouraged to reproduce when they faced extinction earlier in the century, but now their increasing numbers have made them a nuisance. Not only that, but with a huge population, animals are more susceptible to disease and starvation when food is harder to come by.

Gonacon is an effective sterilization technique intended to be used on a variety of pest species such as deer, horses, squirrels and feral hogs, cats and dogs. One dose of Gonacon ranges from $2-10, but trapping or darting a deer to administer the injection can cost upwards of $500-$1000. Researchers are trying to find alternative methods for administering the drug, though. Once injected, the animal in question is sterile for 2-4 years and this puts a dent in the population. Gonacon is not currently available, but The Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing applications to market the drug.

Pest species come in a variety of forms and can cause a surprising amount of damage to public areas. The Clemson Campus in South Carolina, for example, is eager to find a way to humanely deal with their squirrel population: Gray squirrels may be cute, but their habit of gnawing away at tree bark can destroy countless mature trees. In a research paper discussing the damage caused by the squirrels, researchers found that “the loss of one mature tree from gray squirrels on Clemson’s campus to be $13,275.00. Using these estimates, damage caused by gray squirrels on Clemson’s campus may exceed $1.3 million dollars.” For more information regarding the research paper click HERE.

Naturally, there are concerns dealing with the gonacon, like whether remnants of the drug will make their way into the environment. The Gonacon Q and A sheet explains that this is not an issue: “The vaccine consists of proteins; therefore, a secondary consumer could not be contracepted as proteins are broken down in the stomach.”  Another frustration is that a deer can still get run over by a car, or succumb to disease after the government has already spent hundreds of dollars trapping the animal for treatment. Unfortunately, this is a variable that we don’t have any control over.

Diazacon is another contraceptive that is administered orally. It is mainly used on bird species that are easily fed. Diazacon needs to be ingested daily for maximum effectiveness, but this isn’t a problem since birds are eager to return to an easy meal fairly quickly. (They gobble up the treated feed quickly and don’t leave anything for native wild birds to accidentally peck at either.) Feeding geese and monk parakeets is definitely a less stressful way to control their populations than it is to force them into nets and relocate the birds. It probably would not have a drastic effect on their behavior either, since much of their food is already provided by people who happily feed the birds. Diazacon is currently available for controlling certain avian populations and using the product is as easy as feeding the eager birds every day.

Canadian geese are one of the target species. Thanks to the International Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the introduction of flocks to various areas in the 60’s, the once almost extinct Canadian Goose population has exploded into giant flocks that no longer feel the need to migrate from the public parks that they call home. Canadian geese are now a formidable challenge on golf courses. They also damage crops and lawns, and the feces they leave behind makes areas less appealing and degrades the water quality of nearby ponds or lakes.

Another bird that could benefit from diazacon is the monk parakeet mentioned previously. These birds are intelligent, beautiful and long lived (up to 35 years) and they have made their home in various U.S cities after escaping captivity (and being released by well meaning owners) years ago. They are a gregarious species that work together to weave giant nests around trees, and on numerous occasions, around electrical towers. This interferes with communications and utility companies have exterminated the birds via trapping and gassing in the past.

Using either diazacon or gonacon on pest populations could help reduce pest animal numbers without having to resort to traumatic population control techniques in our own backyards.

Just a dash of Gonacon, and fewer deer without culling. (Photo: EcoWorld)

As an inventor, Kazius was used to looking for solutions in novel places. He decided that a radio frequency generator (RFG) may work against cancer cells and he used anything available, such as pie plates to build the first prototype, dubbed the Kanzius RF device, in his basement. It seemed fitting for this self-taught inventor to look towards radio waves for a solution since he had once owned a radio station and operated a ham-radio in the past.

The theory was that the RF device would target cancer cells that had been prepped with nanoparticles, made of either gold or carbon. These metallic nanoparticles absorb the energy created by the radio waves more readily than living tissue. The frequency emitted from the Kanzius RF device would heat up the metal and destroy the cancer cells bound by it while healthy cells are left intact. Kanzius’s device was successfully tested at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 2005 but has yet to be tested on human patients.

The late John Kanzius: Is his process a promising desalination technology?

That the RFG could potentially help make the treatment of cancer bearable was a major breakthrough, but what is even more impressive was that Kanzius came up with yet another use for the RFG by sheer coincidence in 2007: Kanzius’s mind was constantly at work and he decided that the transmitter could also function as a way to desalinate water. While testing out his theory, the salt water bombarded with radio waves did something that nobody expected-it ignited and never stopped burning.

The idea that saltwater could burst into flame was considered to be a hoax at first. How could something used to put out fires be flammable? Eventually, the truth was confirmed by Penn State University chemists. Saltwater could indeed burn.

The RFG disrupts the chemical composition of water, separating the bonds between the sodium chloride (salt), hydrogen and oxygen molecules that make up the water particles. Once the volatile hydrogen molecules are released, they ignite and continue to burn at an incredible 3000 degrees Fahrenheit as long as the RFG continues to subject them to the radio waves.

Videos of Kanzius’s invention have gone viral since they aired on national television.  Some people claim that the RFG is a stepping stone for utilizing the saltwater gushing around our planet as fuel. The RFG does create an incredible phenomenon, but it is not a realistic solution as far as converting saltwater to energy: Producing the necessary radio frequencies takes more energy than is acquired from ‘burning’ the saltwater. Not only that, but once the water molecules are separated, the toxic chemical chlorine is emitted. The device coupled with saltwater isn’t efficient enough as an energy source yet.

On the other hand, using the machine as a non-invasive cancer treatment is definitely feasible. Unfortunately, Kanzius would never experience the treatment he had invented to cure the cancer that eventually took his life. Weakened by two recent sessions of chemotherapy, he succumbed to pneumonia and he passed away early last month. Kanzius, a self-educated inventor, made a place for himself amongst the scientific elite and he will be remembered, and admired, for it.

The biggest problem with self sustaining machinery is fuel. Just like we consume countless varieties of foods to keep us going throughout the day, a machine’s hunger pangs are generally alleviated with gas, electricity and batteries. The ideal machine, however, should be able to ’survive’ on naturally occurring foods that are sustainable and abundant.

Science projects today, voracious self-serving servants tomorrow. (Image: Bristol Robotics Lab.)

This is where the Ecobot comes into play. Engineers at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory were motivated by the idea of developing autonomous robots able to collect energy from their surroundings, foraging for items like rotten fruit (similar to any other animal), while eliminating unnecessary waste from their systems after having consumed the ‘meal’. The design is nothing short of genius (if not eerie) and revolves around the robot’s Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC).

Bristol explains the MFC design for their Ecobot model: “the Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) technology is employed to extract electrical energy from refined foods such as sugar and unrefined foods such as insects and fruit. This is achieved by extracting electrons from the microbial metabolic processes. To be truly autonomous, robots will be required to incorporate in their behavioral repertoire actions that involve searching, collecting and digesting food. The robot will be designed to remain inactive until sufficient energy has been generated to complete its next task.”

The first Ecobot (aptly titled Ecobot I) was developed in 2002. E.coli bacteria were incorporated into the design and they powered the robot after ingesting sugar. The first ecobot was a small, simple robot that used the microbial energy charging its fuel cells to do nothing more than roll towards areas with more light. The light-loving Ecobot is described as a “960g robot, powered by microbial fuel cells (MFCs)…This robot does not use any other form of power source such as batteries or solar panels. It is 22cm in diameter and 7.5cm high.”

In 2004, an alternative robot was developed that used sludge microbes instead of E.coli bacteria. These sludge microbes seem more capable; digesting more complicated foods like dead insects and waste (like rotting produce) to fuel the MFC. Also, this technology seems much more beneficial to the environment.

Bristol has also been working on an underwater version of an ecobot that uses mechanical ‘gills’ to strain microorganisms into its fuel cell.

It is important to note that the robots developed by the laboratory are the first step towards the creation of incredible machines that are comparable to metal animals-foraging for foods that naturally surround them when fuel cells run low. Bristol’s findings are essential for the development of these complicated machines. Right now all we see is potential, but it would be incredible to have robots slurping up garbage strewn through parks, simultaneously cleaning up our messes and energizing themselves in the process. But, that is a long way off.

Wind turbines are constantly evolving into bigger, more efficient, and quieter machines. Unfortunately, individuals living next to these farms may complain of illnesses linked to the slow humming of the blades cutting through the wind. Symptoms range from migraines and mood swings to stomach aches and ulcers.

As if that isn’t enough, many individuals find that the large structures ruin the flow of the landscape, while others are horrified at the sight of a dead bird or bat lying near the turbine, after having suffered fatal injuries from flying near the blades.

The rapid spinning of the blades causes the air pressure around them to fluctuate. Decreases in the air pressure around turbines on exceptionally windy days have been known to kill bats by destroying their sensitive lungs, while vibrations in the air may not be heard, but can travel for miles effecting individuals living nearby.

Wind turbines are an excellent source of alternative energy, but not when human health is put on the line. This is a controversial topic, since organizations like the American Wind Energy Association claim that the noise from a wind turbine (1,000 feet away) is comparable to the light hum of a kitchen refrigerator, while neighbors to the farms are adamant that the contraptions have a detrimental effect on their lives.

Engineers are constantly improving wind-power technology with sound-dampening technologies, while researchers recommend that a wind farm should be surrounded with a buffer zone up to 3 miles wide. In theory, wind turbines are a great energy source: They are clean, efficient, self sustaining and create numerous jobs in an economy where finding employment is becoming more and more difficult. But nobody accounted for the health problems that the turbines seem to blow into homes.

Wind turbines are an innovative solution to the energy crisis. However, we can assume that there are going to be issues associated with wind farms until the design has been perfected.

The Enercon E-126 6.0 Megawatt Wind Turbine, the largest wind turbine in the world, stands 656 feet (198 meters) from base to top of rotor sweep.

The North Pacific Gyre, noted for calm stable waters, and circular undersea currents, is calculated to contain over 100 million tons of trash. After its discovery in 1997, the area was dubbed the Eastern Garbage Patch by oceanographer, Curtis Ebbesmeyer.

During the late 1980’s, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had speculated that huge quantities of debris were trapped by ocean currents. They explained that these masses of garbage would continue to accumulate where currents flowed around in circles, creating an effect similar to a vortex by trapping the garbage inside. The North Pacific gyre had been mentioned by NOAA, but didn’t receive much attention until Moore sailed through the area during the 1997 Transpac competition.
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The gyres of the world’s oceans. (Photo: Algalita Marine Research Foundation)

It was no surprise that Moore, having grown up by the ocean and raised by an avid sailor, founded the Algalita Marine Research Foundation in 1994. This organization, based in Long Beach, California, started out studying the ocean’s chemical and bacterial properties, but their focus changed after Moore discovered the seemingly endless plastic soup during his unforgettable race.

Algalita quotes Moore on the subject: “there were shampoo caps and soap bottles and plastic bags and fishing floats as far as I could see. Here I was in the middle of the ocean, and there was nowhere I could go to avoid the plastic.”

Scientists estimate the swirling mass of plastics and debris is two times the size of Texas. In fact, the Pacific gyre has now separated into two ever increasing patches known as the Western and Eastern Pacific Garbage Patches (combined, they are called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch). This oceanic dumping ground is now a major spot for studying the effects of plastics on marine life.

Eighty percent of the trash floating in the patch is plastic. These plastics are slowly broken down into little pieces by the streaming sunlight and corrosive saltwater. Over time, these plastic chips will degrade to the size of dust particles which can easily become ingested by zooplankton. The effects of this on the entire marine food chain could be catastrophic. Even now, part of the ‘sand’ we find on the popular shorelines is composed of eroded plastic pieces mixed in with the natural crumbled coral and volcanic rock.

Algalita is one of many foundations dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans. One can hope that the growth of these giant garbage patches may be slowed down with the foundations’ restoration projects and outreach programs. If not, at least, their constant research on the effects of plastics and contaminants on marine environments will be better understood. This is the first step for finding a solution.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where almost everything is disposable, and it will take some time for that to change.

Tomorrow’s sustainable future is REEEP’s challenge today (Photo: REEEP)

This is where REEEP comes in. This unique organization is backed by governments, banks, NGO’s and businesses that all have an interest in the sustainable energy market.

REEEP has distributed millions of dollars to fund various projects focusing on renewable energy and energy efficiency: In 2005, REEEP disbursed a modest 1.1 million euro throughout the world, but with their constant success and the addition of interested parties, available funding has continued to grow and in 2008 they had over 4 million Euro to hand out to worthy projects.

Some examples of recently funded projects include the following:

-Amazonia Energy Initiative to increase energy access for isolated communities

-Developing a vehicle for mass Implementation of solar water heating in South Africa

-Development of a business plan for rural electricity generation (DG) system based on biomass

-Financing Small Hydro Projects in the Sugar and Tea Industry in East and Southern Africa

-The Implementation of the Brazil grid-connected solar photovoltaic roofs program

-Compiling Renewable energy Legislation for Kazakhstan

-Promoting low energy building programs in China

These and other projects sponsored by REEEP display impressive variety, but a characteristic shared by all these projects is that they can be mirrored by interested countries and replicated on a larger scale.

Besides funding hundreds of unique projects, REEEP is proud to have initiated other activities as well: One of their major claims to fame is Reegle - “the information gateway for renewable energy and energy efficiency.” Launched in 2006, Reegle is a unique search engine that shows only the highest quality websites dedicated to green technology and energy efficiency. Reegle.info is definitely a better option than sifting through the thousands of sites that come up when using more general search engines.

Another core activity is the “Twinning Cities” idea. REEEP explains that “City Mayors have an important role to play in becoming leaders of sustainable energy systems at the local level. REEEP, in listening to its local partners, determined that cities in the Southern Hemisphere were requesting assistance and models for replication from OECD countries. For this reason, REEEP has established the City Twinning program as a mechanism to exchange experiences between cities.”

REEEP calls itself a catalyst for change. The organization has definitely proven its point by improving the global market for alternative energies while helping dozens of communities in the process.

After growing in the sun for a few weeks, fruits-and the insects that come with them-are plucked from trees and piled high into trucks. While rifling through the colorful produce section, it doesn’t occur to most people that there are a few more steps involved before the year’s harvest rolls into the grocery store:

A common way to destroy any stowaways is to place harvested fruits and vegetables in a chamber that is filled with methyl bromide (aka Bromomethane) gas for eight hours. This poison kills any bugs it comes into contact with. Bromomethane was widely used as a pesticide on open crops and in soils until a few years ago, when agriculturalists came to realize how harmful the substance actually was.

Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens)

To put things into perspective; Bromine is 60 times more harmful to the ozone than chlorine, and like many pesticides, exposure to the gas causes a variety of ailments in people-from dizziness and nausea to kidney failure, convulsions and death.

Nobody wants a dose of pesticides with their salad. Unfortunately, many pesticides are still used to gas harvested produce before it reaches the grocery store. The solution comes in the form of a cost-effective, non-toxic pressurizing method called the metabolic stress disinfection and disinfection (MSDD) system. The name is a mouthful, but the concept is quite simple:

Developed by UCDavis Physical Chemist, Manuel Lagunas-Solar, the MSDD device exposes pests to cycles of vacuum and pressurized carbon dioxide. First, air pressure is reduced by 90%. Then, after a few minutes, carbon dioxide fills the chamber. Ethanol vapor seeps into the chamber once in a while as well. (Ethanol, also known as pure alcohol, is harmless to humans in these small quantities. There is more ethanol in a shot glass of beer than there would be on the exposed fruits). Any bugs, eggs and microbes trapped inside these chambers with the food can’t survive the pressure changes coupled with the ethanol mist.

Making a chamber big enough for the large-scale farmer is not out of the question either. It is nice to see yet another innovative idea to cut back on our pesticide use.

The eventual goal is for buildings to generate much of their own energy. Burj-al-Taqa (translated to mean energy tower), which will hopefully break ground in Dubai soon, follows this principle and will supposedly be completely self-sufficient.

Plans for its creation began in 2007 when the German architect Eckhard Gerber, dreamt up the design. Virtual images of the building popped up in hundreds of articles and we all wondered if this candle-shaped building would revolutionize the green building industry.
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The proposed Burj-al-Taqa zero-energy skyscraper.

A couple of interesting differences between this burj and all the rest, is its cyclindrical shape and the building materials used-both meant to help dissipate the heat. The tubular design is meant to minimize the surface area exposed to the sun while the special vacuum glazing used on the glass covering the entire structure will also help keep the heat out. This type of glass was only recently made available.

Burj-al-Taqa’s architects are also learning from history: Ancient Arabian houses used energy efficient technologies at a time when there were no other alternatives. (It is ironic how many buildings are reverting back to older technologies these days.) These old homes used a natural air conditioning system that sucked cold air into the living space via lateral vents which in turn forced the hot air out into the 120 degree summer heat.

The Spiegel describes how Burj al-Taqa hopes to use a similar process with their in-depth article: “The negative pressure created by winds breaking along the tower will suck the spent air from the rooms out of the building via air slits in the façade. The plan is for fresh air to be pumped into the interior of the building by means of a duct system at the same time.”

It doesn’t stop there. Seawater running through the cellar and under each floor will cool the air, while a large wind turbine on the roof of the 322 meter building will help generate enough electricity to power the skyscraper. Massive photovoltaic facilities will help charge the rest of the power grid.

After construction, burj-al-Taqa will be the 22^nd tallest building in the world, but if all goes well, it will tower above the rest when it comes to energy efficiency.

Editor’s Note: For more on buildings like the burj-al-Taqa, a very interesting website we have uncovered is the skyscraper category of “Jetson Green,” dedicated reporting on innovative green building design.