Pecologix Political Ecology Blotter

The U.S. Department of Energy has estimated that if the United States is to generate 20% of its electricity from wind, over 50 GW will be required from shallow offshore turbines. Hurricanes are a potential risk to these turbines. Turbine tower buckling has been observed in typhoons, but no offshore wind turbines have yet been [...]

A controversial method of drilling for natural gas, called fracking, has boomed in recent years—as have concerns over its potential to cause environmental contamination and harm human health. But a major review of the practice, released today, uncovered no signs that it is causing trouble below ground. “We found no direct evidence that fracking itself [...]

A protracted legal battle over an $11.5-million health study into whether diesel exhaust damages the lungs of miners has suddenly widened to take on scientific peer review. Editors with at least four research publications say they have received a letter advising them against “publication or other distribution” of data and draft documents. The warning, including [...]

Scallop larval production systems in Norway have changed from the use of batch to continuous flow through systems (FTS) during the last decade. Energy use to heat water in both larval and spat nurseries is considerable. Two experiments (June 2010 and February 2011) using water recirculation technology (RAS) were performed in large scale systems (3500 L [...]

Here are a few notable projects. Turns out that researchers at the Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Science Center, located Caldicellulosiruptor obsidiansis, a naturally occurring bacterium, onsite at Yellowstone, Sure enough, it thrives at extremely high temperatures, breaks down organic material such as sticks and leaves in its natural environment, and scientists hope to transfer this [...]

New composite proton exchange membranes prepared through layer-by-layer coating of a biopolymer has shown superior methanol barrier properties, while maintaining a high affinity to proton transfer same time. The highly selective skin layer in the composite system significantly increases the fuel utilization efficiency in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201100366

The design of an ionic liquid that has the ability to dissolve cellulose has been attempted from the viewpoint of a cellulase. N,N-diethyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)-N-methylammonium alanine ([N221ME][Ala]) is a good solvent for cellulose. Dissolution in [N221ME][Ala] converts the crystalline structure of cellulose from Type I to II, which is known to be a form easily digested by cellulases. [...]