Scientists create stem cells for CO2 capture and conversion of solar energy fed

A team of scientists at Princeton University in the United States, in partnership with a starup in New Jersey, the Liquid Light Inc, created an electromechanical cell capable of transforming a combination of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water in formic acid, using solar energy to a local supplier of electricity.

These cells used to convert CO2 are made of channels that contain liquid, which in turn is surrounded by metal plates the size of rectangular Lunchbox, and are constructed from parts of easy attainment.

The researchers used a process called matching impedance to balance the power generated by the solar panel with the amount of energy that the cell could deal, in order to create an optimal efficiency for the system.

Such a process has an energy efficiency of 2% through the superimposition of three cells together â€" totaling twice the efficiency of natural photosynthesis and the best energy efficiency of a device created by man. The process is similar to artificial photosynthesis system developed by Panasonic, but with a 10 times greater efficiency, referred to Inhabitat.

The product of the process, the formic acid is found naturally in the Ant poison and is currently used as a preservative, antibacterial agent for animal feed and for the production of a salt used to thaw the runways of airports. In addition, the formic acid also has the potential to store energy inside the fuel cells that produce.

Foto: Juan Antonio Capó / Creative Commons

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Giant salamanders travel around Kyoto with police escort

When a Japanese giant salamander decided to take a walk by the river earlier this month, was far from imagine that would end a privilege usually reserved for important people â€" a police escort.

Taking into account the preference of this species of salamander for cold areas and nocturnal habits, these animals are rarely seen and much less during the day to take a walk by the river. As such, the ride of this salamander alarmed some residents of Kyoto, which ended up calling the police.

The Japanese giant salamander is a species endemic to Japan and is the second largest salamander in the world, with about 1.5 meters, after Chinese giant salamander. This animal inhabits freshwater courses usually chain. Is a species and aquatic venues. Unlike other salamanders, which lose their gills at the beginning of life, the Japanese giant salamander just raises his head out of the water for air, without venturing out of the water and go ashore.

Due to its characteristics and size, the sighting of the animal by residents was cause for alarm. When he received the first calls, Quito police thought it was a joke. "Not only are rarely seen on land, as if you leave out of water is usually at night. As such, view a on the side of the road to enjoy a sun bath is very rare, "said the police spokesman in Kyoto, Fuyuki Fujino, cites the Dodo.

After arrival at the scene, the police escort was watching the animal, to ensure that no one disturbed him nor the animal feria nobody.

When threatened, these salamanders emit a milky substance through the skin, with a rather strong scent, reminiscent of Japanese pepper. If you live in freedom, this species can reach 80 years. The Japanese giant salamander is a survivor of the late Jurassic Period, about 140 million years ago.

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Inhabitants of Boston will be able to charge gadgets smart banks with solar energy

There are smart phones, smart watches, smart homes and intelligent banks soon â€" at least for those who live in Boston, in the United States. A new initiative in this American city wants to implement Soofas-solar energy fed banks which not only allow load technological devices such as monitor air quality and the sound levels â€" in several parks in a pilot program which is funded by Cisco.

Banks, also called "smart urban furniture", were developed by Changing Enrironments, a spinoff company from the MIT Media Lab, and are able to carry electronic devices via two USB ports, thanks to solar panels installed and an energy accumulator.

At the same time they carry cell phones and allow updates from social networks, these smart banks also collect environmental data on air quality and noise levels in the vicinity, sending the data to a map that is online, referred to the Tree Hugger.

Besides the possibility of carrying electronic devices and aggregate environmental data, these banks can still serve to realize solar people that aren't exposed often to these themes, to the viability of renewable energy and other environmental initiatives.

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Culturgest receives Conference "Cities for people"

The Green Project Awards (GPA) performs tomorrow a conference devoted to the theme of "Cities for people". The initiative will take place in Culturgest in Lisbon, and will be chaired by the Secretary of State for spatial planning and nature conservation, Miguel Castro Neto.

The Conference will consist of two panels of debate. The first panel dedicated to the theme of urban regeneration will count with Ricardo Guimarães, will participate in the Confidential real estate, Rui Fragoso, of Adene-Agency for energy, Kings, of the Association of Industrial Fields of Civil construction and public works, Salvador Malheiro Ferreira da Silva, of the municipality of Ovar, Isabel Santos, the Ecochoice, and Pedro Rutkowski, the real estate consultant Worx.

In the second panel discussion on the theme of Sustainable Mobility will intervene Luis Reis, Portuguese electric vehicle Association, Mário Alves, consultant in mobility, Paulo Rodrigues, João Dias, Abimota's of EMEL, Xavier Martinet, the Renault Portugal, Luís Paulo, CTT, and Rui Vasques, creator of the Eco-Village Community. Between the two panels there will also be a space for reflection on the theme "Sustainable Mobility: the challenges of an integrated approach", to be addressed by Franco Caruso, the breeze. See the program here.

During this Conference, participants will have the opportunity to participate in "Electric Renault Experience". Between the 8:30 and the 04:00 pm, Renault Portugal will be at Culturgest with ZOE and the TWIZY, symbols of a new era, to get to know more about these electric vehicles. Join the Conference and schedule your test drive here.

The Conference "Cities for people" has the sponsorship of Renault and ADENE support, Breeze and SPV.

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Boom Festival: more than 80% of the building materials are reused

Between 4 and 11 August, the Herdade da Granja, in Idanha-a-Nova will receive another edition of the Boom Festival, which is held every two years, by the time of the full moon. Awarded and recognized for its ecological component, this year's event will be similar to previous editions with regard to sustainability.

More than 80% of the materials that the Organization will use in the construction of the festival, which extends over an area of 150 hectares of land, are reused or natural origin. In total, there are more than 15 thousand tons of wood, 50 thousand tons of plastic and 600 tons of recycled metal that will be used in the construction of the facilities and structures. Most materials is reused from previous editions of Boom or courtesy of other festivals like Rock in Rio.

The reuse of these materials allowed prevent 2012 Edition of the festival were sent 315 tons of garbage to landfills, the corresponding to 800 tons of carbon dioxide, refers to the Organization in a statement.

Throughout the various editions, the organisation has been to use sustainable energy resources, water treatment systems, the reuse of building materials, regenerating habitats and ecosystems, promote recycling and composting, as well as public transport and car-sharing and implement composting toilets.

"With the aim of sharing a concrete example of the fun and sustainability can coexist in a festival, and bearing in mind that the construction industry is responsible for 25% of CO2 emissions, the Boom Festival opts for alternative methods such as bio-construção, minimizing the use of materials that require a great deal of energy in its manufacture or transport", reads the statement. In this way, the event draws on natural products, such as straw bales, Earth, wood, bamboo, reeds and stones to build the enclosure.

In 2012, the Boom Festival recycle about nine tons of trash and the organization expects to surpass this value at this year.

The Boom has been distinguished by its ecological component and has already received awards as "Outstanding Greener Festival" and the "Green 'n' Clean Festival of the Year" in 2010, and even the "Green Inspiration", in 2012.

Foto: yvette Soler / Creative Commons

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Solved mystery of matter out of black holes supermaciços

One of the oldest mysteries about the dynamics of black holes supermaciços, and their impacts on galactic evolution, was revealed by an international team of astrophysicists.

Through the ESO Very Large Technical (VLT), located in the Atacama desert, in northern Chile, researchers from the United Kingdom, Netherlands and United States have studied the nucleus of a nearby galaxy of the milky way with great detail. The Galaxy, called IC5063, has a black hole supermaciço which seems to have central jets of fast exit of molecular hydrogen. The IC5063 is a very active Seyfert Galaxy with bright core.

Many active galactic nuclei were observed with these jets of hydrogen and, once the molecular hydrogen is key to the formation of stars, astronomers have concluded that his ejection has impacts on star formation and, as such, in galactic evolution.

Supermaciços black holes are the largest type of black hole, with solar masses in the hundreds of thousands of millions. It is believed that all, or almost all, of the galaxies have a supermaciço black hole at its Center. Thus, the activity of these super black holes can control the amount of gas supplied to the regions of star formation.

But how is that black holes propel this hydrogen thousands of miles per hour? Until now, scientists have not realized how was the process. On the basis of the comments made by the VLT, astrophysicists found that the output of hydrogen is propelled by jets of relativistic electrons, which are ejected from the dynamic environment of the black hole. Whenever highly energetic electrons pass through the clouds of molecular hydrogen, the gas is transported out of the Galaxy, serving of food to the nurseries of stars.

"Much of the gas that comes out is in the form of molecular hydrogen, which is fragile in the sense that it can be destroyed with relatively low energies," says Clive Tadhunter, University of Sheffield, who led the research, cites the Discovery News.  "It is extraordinary that the molecular gas can survive the acceleration of electron jets that move at speeds close to the light", indicates the astrophysicist.

The research was published in Nature and provides a little clue of what may happen to the milky way when it collides with the nearby Andromeda, in five billion years. The merger of the two galaxies will inject material into the Centre of black holes supermaciços, giving rise to powerful jets of molecular hydrogen. When this occurs, the matter for the formation of new stars will occur by changing the evolutionary result of the milky way.

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Ex-spy station is a new hotel in the middle of the Arctic

Some people like to spend their holidays in tropical climates and warm. Others prefer colder locations or even snow and locations more coy. For the latter there is a new retreat halfway of the Arctic â€" the Isfjord Radio.

This hotel is located in the Svalbard archipelago, which belongs to Norway, located between the Mainland and the North Pole. During the cold war, the building of the Isfjord Radio was a spy station and an important center of telecommunications between the archipelago the continent.

The only way to reach the place is by snowmobile or dogsled, during the winter, or by boat through ice fjord-a trip of a few hours where you can see Arctic birds, walruses and even whales. Visit the hotel during April and August you can experience the midnight sun, since the Sun during the day 12:0 am is also sometimes possible to see polar bears, although it is rare. It is estimated that 3,000 live polar bears in Svalbard, referred to the Daily Mail.

The hotel can accommodate 49 people and has 23 rooms available and even your own wine. The Isfjord Radio is open between the beginning of February and the end of September, with prices ranging from € 234 and €288 per person with dinner and breakfast included.

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