energy efficiency

A New Vision for Farming: Chickens, Sheep, and … Solar Panels

A New Vision for Farming: Chickens, Sheep, and … Solar Panels

By Lynn Freehill-Maye When Jackie Augustine opens a chicken coop door one brisk spring morning in upstate New York, the hens bolt out like windup toys. Still, as their faint barnyard scent testifies, they aren’t battery-powered but very much alive. These are “solar chickens.” At this local community egg cooperative, Geneva Peeps, the birds live […]

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    5 Products Improved in 2018, Thanks to Obama-Era Efficiency Standards

    5 Products Improved in 2018, Thanks to Obama-Era Efficiency Standards

    By Lauren Urbanek Hotels, offices, stores and other commercial spaces across the U.S. are reaping benefits from new energy efficiency standards taking effect this year, one of which is the largest ever set by the Department of Energy (DOE). Consumers will see lower bills from these efficiency efforts, which were finalized during the Obama administration, […]

    Are Microwaves Really as Bad for the Environment as Cars?

    Are Microwaves Really as Bad for the Environment as Cars?

    According to many headlines blared around the Internet this week, “microwaves are as damaging to the environment as cars.” But this misleading information, based on a new study from the University of Manchester, hopefully doesn’t make you feel guilty about zapping your next Hot Pocket. The research, published in the journal Science of the Total […]

    District Heating Warms Cities Without Fossil Fuels

    District Heating Warms Cities Without Fossil Fuels

    By Paul Brown Heating homes and offices without adding to the dangers of climate change is a major challenge for many cities, but re-imagined district heating is now offering an answer. A district heating scheme is a network of insulated pipes used to deliver heat, in the form of hot water or steam, from where […]

    Seaweed Could Revolutionize How We Power Our Devices

    Seaweed Could Revolutionize How We Power Our Devices

    The answer to powering our devices might have been hiding in our sushi all along. An international team of researchers has used seaweed to create a material that can enhance the performance of superconductors, lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells. The team, from the U.S., the UK, China and Belgium, came up with the idea to […]

    7 Solutions to the Climate Crisis

    7 Solutions to the Climate Crisis

    It’s no secret—here in the U.S., there’s an election coming up. It’s soon. It’s a big decision for American voters. And it’s a big deal. It’s also not the only decision with global consequences this fall. Because at the same time the U.S. campaign season was getting into the business end of things, more and […]