Throw a fish carcass into a submersible trap, and the ocean’s crabs and lobsters are the first to arrive for a full meal before realizing that they’ve been caught. Lobsters and crabs smell by dragging their antennules through the water where chemosensory hairs on the ends of these antennules come into contact with odor molecules. Researchers are interested in replicating the process in a robotic version, which will be used to sniff out unexploded mines on the ocean floor, and eventually toxic chemical spills.

Mimi Koehl of UCBerkeley and Jeffrey Koseff and John Crimaldi at Stanford, developed a mechanical lobster capable of imitating the flicking of real lobster’s antennules in attempts to understand how the animals “smell” underwater 7 years ago [2001 press release]. More recently, Frank Grasso, a neurobiologist  and professor at Brooklyn College has revealed robotic lobsters-aka RoboLobsters-that can successfully track plumes from over 30 feet away.

Biomimetic Lobster

Biomimetic engineers take cues from nature to create robots for specific environments. Evolution has done the brunt of the work developing animals perfectly suited to handle the ocean environment over the course of millions of years. By replicating the lobster’s shape,designed to crawl the ocean floor,and copying their sense of smell,able to trace odors to specific locations, robotic lobsters can be programmed to find anything that releases specific odor molecules in the ocean.

The potential in these underwater bloodhounds was seen by the U.S Navy which now funds the majority of the RoboLobster project. The Navy is currently interested in using the technology to detect unexploded mines, but the robots may eventually be able to sniff out anything that leaves behind a chemical trail-such as pollutants dumped into lakes and oceans by industrial plants or ships.

Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) Magazine provides more details in a full length article.

Swarms of robotic lobsters released in the ocean will be capable of bringing back more information than any diver could. Plus, these little guys ensure that no divers get harmed when following a chemical spill trail.

The Green movement is advancing at an incredible rate. New technologies, green companies, products and energy policies are popping up all over the world. It’s not so easy to keep track of it all, especially using the typical search engines. All the information is out there but it’s not so easy to find, unless you get a little help from Reegle: a search engine dedicated to everything relating to green technology.

The website went live about three years ago, when the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) decided it was time to create an information portal focusing on all aspects of clean energy and technology.

Reegle defines itself as a “one-stop-shop for high quality up-to-date information on clean energy policy, with a core objective of supporting the global advancement of energy efficiency and renewables. The website facilitates fast access to constantly updated information for politicians, project developers, companies, municipalities, banks, credit institutes and for all those interested in this issue.”

The site was launched with the help of donations provided by various European governments that knew the website would help internet users find local industries. These partners include the U.K Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and Environment (VROM).

When it comes to websites, simplicity is key. Viewers are greeted by a friendly and straightforward webpage with the option of simply typing in a keyword or to take things a step further with the ‘Categorized search’ option. Any results can be fine tuned to match a certain sector (such as climate control, or rural electrification), a geographic region, and even by type of information desired (ranging from grants and laws, to recent news).

Another unique feature of Reegle is their “Actors Catalogue”. This area of the site contains a list of more than a thousand organizations working in the field of renewable energy. The Catalogue allows stakeholders and interested individuals to easily find information about a specific program by directing searches to a country or industry. The site’s instructions tab is a helpful tool if anything needs more of an explanation.

Reegle’s database houses quality information where users can be sure that they won’t be overwhelmed with hundreds of other hits that have absolutely no relation to the original search. Unlike broader search engines, Reegle caters to a unique industry and is a welcome tool to internet users who want to avoid the stress of sifting through general and completely unrelated information.

Snakes are typically associated with horror movies, snake charmers and energetic men showing off their talents for handling various poisonous reptiles on television. Generally speaking, people tend to avoid snakes and are happiest viewing the creatures from a distance, but it was the shape of a snake that spurred the idea for a unique wave energy system-the “Anaconda”. This rubber snake rolls over ocean currents, with an almost soothing motion, absorbing the natural energy created from each passing wave.

Created by Francis Farley (a physicist) and Rod Rainey of Atkins Oil and Gas, the 200 meter long Anaconda device is designed to sit in 40 to 100 meter deep water and generates around 1MW of electricity per year-enough to power around 2000 homes.

The ’snake’ is closed on both ends and filled with water which is affected by the outside pressures surrounding it. As waves push the water in the snake from one end to the other, energy is absorbed. The Anaconda website describes the process in a little more detail: “The velocity of the bulge wave in the tube and the waves in the sea is the same; then the wave energy is transferred gradually to the tube. At the bow, the wave squeezes the tube and starts a bulge running. But as it runs the wave runs after it, squeezing more and more, so the bulge gets bigger and bigger. The bulge runs in front of the wave where the slope of the water (pressure gradient) is highest. In effect the bulge is surfing on the front of the wave.”

More technical information on the device can be found in the Atkins research article.

The idea behind the snake was to create a clean energy harvesting device, with little environmental impact and a low production cost. At 4 cents per kWh, this Anaconda made from cheap materials like rubber and plastic is relatively affordable to make and easy to install.

Professor Chaplin, leader of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) that funded the Anaconda project is quoted saying that  “The Anaconda could make a valuable contribution to environmental protection by encouraging the use of wave power. A one-third scale model of the Anaconda could be built next year for sea testing and we could see the first full-size device deployed off the UK coast in around five years’ time.”

A laser beaming energy to earth isn’t as far fetched as it sounds. Japan, at the forefront of technology, has developed space saving vertical parking lots, is bringing us a solar powered Toyota Prius and their newest venture involves putting a light-absorbing panel into orbit for unlimited solar power. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has already invested millions into a prototype Space Solar Power System (SSPS) which will be up and running by 2030.

Earth Turning Towards the Sun

The idea of sending photovoltaic panels into orbit is not a new one, and was thrown around at NASA as early as the 1970’s, but the estimated $1 trillion cost of building such a device put things on hold at the time. In today’s world, with cheaper solar paneling and newer technologies available, a massive solar power system orbiting the earth is a realistic endeavor. Various countries, including India, China, Russia and the U.S, are optimistic about harvesting energy through solar panels that would float 22,000 miles up in orbit.

Varied degrees of sunlight, clouds, long hours of darkness and limited space are just a few of the obstacles that current solar panels are dealing with. Space solar panels will have other issues to overcome (including repair work, for example), but with constant access to light for absorbtion, the energy generated by one of these impressive space panels is so efficient that it could power 500,000 homes for a year!

In fact the Pentagon’s National Security Space Office 2007 report states that “a single kilometer-wide band of geosynchronous Earth orbit experiences enough solar flux in one year to nearly equal the amount of energy contained within all known recoverable conventional oil reserves on Earth today.” The potential of light absorbtion in space is huge.

With a technology that provides more electricity than all of the earth’s power sources combined, the race is on to see which country will eventually be exporting electricity to the rest of the world. Fuel shortages and air pollution may be a thing of the past in less than 50 years if Space Solar Power Systems function as planned.

It isn’t fog that rolls down the hill these days, but smog. Cars spill noxious fumes out their tailpipes and factories send plumes of smoke into the air. It has come to the point where holding your breath is the only solution when wandering across the street or between shops. These problems won’t exist in Masdar, Abu Dhabi the world’s first carbon neutral city.

Launched in 2007, the completion of this highly ambitious plan will occur around 2020. No cars or any other polluting vehicles are allowed in the city, waste and water are recycled, while recyclable plastics and cement will be used during construction. It is estimated that up to 80% of water used during irrigation will be recycled: water seeps through the earth and while some is absorbed by the plants, the rest will flow into a collection area to be reused again later, while fencing used during construction will eventually be resold and recycled.

Foster and Partners, an architectural company focused on design and function, planned Masdar: “Rooted in a carbon neutral ambition, the city itself is car free. With a maximum distance of 200m to the nearest transport link and amenities, the compact network of streets encourages walking and is complemented by a personalized rapid transport system. The shaded walkways and narrow streets will create a pedestrian-friendly environment in the context of Abu Dhabi’s extreme climate. It also articulates the tightly planned, compact nature of traditional walled cities. With expansion carefully planned, the surrounding land will contain wind, photovoltaic farms, research fields and plantations, so that the city will be entirely self-sustaining.”

The tightly packed city will resemble stereotypical Arabian style fused with modern technology-almost comparable to scenes from the jetsons. Visitors and inhabitants will need to get around on foot, bikes, segways or use the underground personal transit system to get around within Masdar’s walls. This isn’t as restricting as it sounds. For example, the solar powered personal rapid transit system (PRT) doesn’t follow a fixed route, but rather takes its load of passengers (up to 6) to any of the 1500 proposed stations throughout the area.

Trees planted throughout the city will provide the 50,000-100,000 inhabitants relief from the desert’s bright rays while numerous fountains add aesthetic appeal and humidify the dry air.

Building planners are taking task of building a zero-emission city seriously, and it seems feasible with the help of partners such as

• Europlasma-a company that provides a technology that turns toxic ashes to glass and garbage to fuel;
• Solyndra-a company providing one of the world’s most efficient solar panels;
• Segway-company of the famous single passenger standing scooter; and
• Bioregional-an independant environmental organization hired to calculate the carbon footprint left by Masdar’s various stages of development.

Skeptics claim that no city could ever be completely carbon neutral and that an exorbitant amount of energy is wasted making products like solar panels and personal transportation vehicles. This may be the case, but one should look at the bigger picture: Masdar is an experiment and improvements will always be made with technology.

The many years of waste-free living provided by the city will eventually offset the energy consumed during its production, as well. Costa Rica, Norway and Libya have also shown an interest in developing their own zero-carbon cities. It is nice to hear that some people aren’t just wasting their breath when it comes to discussing pollution, but actually trying to do something about it.

Just a little rain transforms the desert floor into an entirely different atmosphere. Branchiopod cysts that mingle with the fine desert sand, survive inconspicuously for up to 200 years. Not only that, but these tiny eggs are unaffected by temperatures ranging from below freezing to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. A curious scientist even went so far as to glue the eggs of brine shrimp (a species of branchiopod) to a space shuttle in a 1980 launch where they survived the tremendous roundtrip completely unscathed to produce healthy animals!

It seems like these prehistoric organisms, capable of enduring ridiculous varieties in temperature and even the vacuum of space, found the secret to survival millions of centuries ago. Branchiopods include tiny crustaceans such as fairy shrimp, clam shrimp, and tadpole shrimp that have learned to live in the most extreme environments.

This practice of Anhydrobiosis-survival without water-occurs in areas with unpredictable rainfall. Anhydrobiotic desert potholes that collect water from chance rains are the perfect area to find algae, nematodes and prehistoric looking tadpole shrimp (a.k.a dinosaur shrimp) that hatch out of tiny eggs. A spot that may have been bone dry only 2 days ago can bubble with life after the accumulation of a few draindrops.

Branchiopods evolved in waters before insects or fish even existed. These crustaceans survived once other animals appeared by migrating to environments where fish and insects wouldn’t follow-evaporating water sources-and have changed little since then. 

These little shrimp have adapted to cover all risks. Not every egg will hatch as soon as it rains, for example. This is an important adaptation, since the batch would go to waste if the rain didn’t last long enough for the eggs to hatch and the shrimp to mature into adulthood (around 10 days total). The eggs require very specific conditions to hatch; not only that, but one individual’s eggs will have different hatching cues than others: One tadpole shrimp may produce eggs that hatch as soon as they are exposed to water, while another’s eggs won’t hatch until they have dried out and frozen multiple times. With this much variety, at least some of the offspring will make it.

Branchiopoda are just another example of awesome life on earth, delivered in the smallest of packages.

Air power is becoming a more common investment. Huge turbines line coasts and hills where constant winds whip through to spin the massive blades. Wind farms comprised of these towering blades are constantly expanding. But why focus on building turbines on such a massive scale, rather than focusing on the alternative; less intrusive smaller turbines on a mini-scale? International award winning designer and exhibitor, Augustin Otegui, asked just that question before coming up with nanoventskin.

In Otegui’s patented design, tiny turbines spin and make the most out of wind energy by being symmetrically designed: If the wind’s direction changes, the turbines adapt by rotating in the other direction ensuring that energy isn’t lost. To make the most out of this system, photovoltaic cells will play a role in the energy capturing process as well.

The design process is covered in Otegui’s nanoventskin blog:

“The outer skin of the structure absorbs sunlight through an organic photovoltaic skin and transfers it to the nano-fibers inside the nano-wires which then is sent to storage units at the end of each panel.

Each turbine on the panel generates energy by chemical reactions on each end where it makes contact with the structure. Polarized organisms are responsible for this process on every turbine’s turn.

The inner skin of each turbine works as a filter absorbing CO2 from the environment as wind passes through it.”

Ensuring that every section of the skin functions properly can be a tedious process. Thousands of turbines make up a small portion of any wall and if any debris causes issues or a malfunction occurs, a round supply unit monitoring the turbines makes it clear that maintenance is necessary in that area.  Not only that, but the unit will relay how much energy is produced.

Nanoventskin is still in the conceptual stages, but Otegui hopes to incorporate the design into existing buildings, allowing for efficient energy transfer on any structure.  He even suggests adding nanoventskin onto wind turbines by placing the ‘skin’ onto the huge supportive trunk. That way, every single part of the turbine converts wind to energy.

Keep an eye on Otegui’s blog to hear about more recent developments.