This Week in the Mercury
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Science! / Green Climate Change Conquered!
Posted by Alex Zielinski on Thu, Jan 12, 2012 at 9:59 AM
Okay, so maybe not entirely. But it's something!
- flickr.com
- Mmmm...carbon
Climate scientists from University of Southern California developed a kind of material — polyethylenimine, or PEI — that virtually acts as flypaper for carbon dioxide emissions. PEI essentially pulls these greenhouse gas molecules out of the air and holds onto them, preventing their proliferation into the atmosphere.
This PEI material is currently designed to snag carbon dioxide molecules from small, indoor spaces, such as chemistry labs, spacecrafts or submarines. But, these scientists believe that in the near future, this small-scale solution can be used to tackler larger enemies, ie: smokestacks and major industrial plants.
Bonus! The carbon that the PEI material catches can be reused to create more useful energy, such as fuel. According to USC chemist G.K. Surya Prakash, widespread use of PEI, could provide an environment where "we wouldn't need to drill or dig for fossil fuels anymore."
Maybe they're counting their molecules before they're caught (prepare to hear this idiom everywhere), but it's definitely an interesting idea in the right direction.
1
Most Commented on Blogtown, PDX
-
City's "Overnight Sleeping" Program Finds First Host—and Neighbors React in Ugly Fashion by Denis C. Theriault
-
Oh, Did You Think The Great Gatsby Movie Was Going to Be Good? by Alison Hallett
-
Happy World Goth Day! by Marjorie Skinner
-
Feds Dish Out $745.2 Million to the Light Rail by Alex Zielinski
-
Game of Thrones Recap: Calm Before the Storm Edition by Joe Streckert
-
Good Morning, News! by Wm.™ Steven Humphrey
-
Portland Button Works Opens on Killingsworth by Alison Hallett
-
Ye Olde Underground Loo by Alex Zielinski
-
We're Number One! by Alex Zielinski
-
Mapping Destruction: City Releases Locations of Portland Hazards by Nathan Gilles
Our Friends
- UrbanHonking
- Culture Shock
- Portland Roundball Society
- Steph Cassano
- Cort and Fatboy
- Street Roots
- Powell's Books Blog
- Portland Transport
- Portland Afoot
- Bike Portland
- Eater: PDX
- Portland Food and Drink
- Mr. Movie
- Sunday Softball
- BlueOregon
- Sightline Institute
- Ultra: Arts Portland
- Bitch Magazine
- Blazer's Edge
- Reading Local: Portland
- Portland Food Carts
- Stumptown Vegans
Our Enemies
The Handyman Pro - Your Honey-Do Specialist
Don’t let our name fool you. The Handyman Pro, LLC is a repair and remodel service provider with over 25-years experience. We cover all aspects of construction and repairs for residential and commercial clients.
RSSGoing to Seattle?
Comments (2) RSS