Pecologix Political Ecology Blotter

Our goal at Blu Homes is to save you time on being “green.” Through extensive research on materials and use of advance computer modeling and consultation with experts, we make sure that our products are healthy for you, your family and the natural world.We can ensure that your home achieves LEED certification, depending on the [...]

Researchers at George Washington University have bolted together an ungainly contraption that they say efficiently uses the energy in sunlight to power a novel chemical process to make lime, the key ingredient in cement, without emitting carbon dioxide. The device puts to work about half of the energy in sunlight (solar panels, in comparison, convert [...]

Fly ash from municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWI) is classified as hazardous in the European Waste Catalogue. Proper stabilization processes should be required before any management option is put into practice. Due to the inorganic nature of MSWI fly ash, cementitious stabilization processes are worthy of consideration. However, the effectiveness of such processes can be [...]

A startup in Germany has developed a new kind of solar panel made of small, organic molecules deposited on polyester films. The technology is similar to what’s used for OLED displays for phones and flat-screen TVs. The panels are flexible, and far lighter than conventional solar panels, yet in some locations—particularly where it’s hot or [...]

Commonly used materials in the construction of the building façades located in warm climates, often entrap a great amount of heat from the incoming solar radiation, leading to a respective thermal increase in the interior. The aim of the present study is to examine mineral-based coatings as a passive solar technique that contributes to buildings’ [...]

Presently, appropriate waste management is one of the main requisites for sustainable development; this task is tackled by the material construction industry. The work described herein is focused on the valorization of granite waste through incorporation, as a filler-functional admixture, into cement-based mortar formulations. The main components of the waste are SiO2 (62.1 %), Al2O3 (13.2 %), [...]

Biological processes may provide great and previously unexplored opportunities for cost-effective, in situ improvement of the engineering properties of soil. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the changes in geomechanical properties of sand attributable to the formation of calcium precipitates induced through ureolysis catalyzed by Sporosarcina pasteurii (S. pasteurii). Specifically, direct shear and California [...]