The history of our country, and the growth of our prosperity, has come from innovation, ingenuity, and a belief in the ability of science to improve our quality of life.
An Independence Day tribute to science and democracy
"Admittedly, not every American president is remembered for his eloquence. More than a few, however, have spoken insightfully and inspiringly about the inseparable relationship between science and our democracy. From George Washington to Barack Obama, in the words of both Republicans and Democrats, our presidents express continuity in their thinking about the essential role of science in American society."
Projections of how much of our future energy will come from renewable sources relies on assumptions about the way technology will develop. In our country, and around the world, we constantly find new ways to improve the transfer, storage, and utilization of energy.
Too much wind energy? Save it underground in volcanic rock reservoirs
"Focusing on subterranean basalt reservoirs in eastern Washington State, the authors of this new study have examined the feasibility of deploying a system known as compressed air energy storage, or CAES. They analyzed geological data from petroleum exploration to identify a pair of sites where these volcanic rocks could store enough energy to power a total of about 85,000 homes per month."
The future looks bright if we can inspire and cultivate the next generation of inventors and entrepreneurs.
15-year-old creates flashlight that runs on body heat
"The concept is pretty simple. The flashlight gets its power from plates that create electricity using a heat differential — one side needs to be hot and the other cool. In this case, the heat comes from the palm of a person’s hand. The flashlight is hollow, so that air can cool the other side of the plate."
We have seen that even at a city level, politicians can support the implementation of technology to maintain quality of life while reducing environmental impact. The solution for each city varies based upon the resources available to it, but we can make it happen if we want.
Villaraigosa leaves office with his key goals for L.A. accomplished
"Environmentalists welcomed the utility's growing reliance on renewables, along with the drop in truck pollution at the Los Angeles Harbor, synchronization of city traffic lights and installation of energy-saving LEDs in city streetlights. Evan Gillespie, a deputy director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign, called Villaraigosa's record 'phenomenal,' particularly in addressing climate change. 'We now have a road map from the largest public utility in the nation for how you rapidly cut carbon pollution,' he said."
Even in my hometown, we stand as the first city to use transparency to allow consumers to make better decisions about the homes we purchase. This hopefully will lead to market choices that force home sellers to improve their homes in order to compete in the market.
Mayor Emanuel announces Chicago is first city in the nation to include energy costs in home listings
"Mayor Rahm Emanuel in partnership with CNT Energy and Midwest Real Estate Data LLC (MRED) announced today that Chicago home listings on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) will display annual and monthly gas and electric cost to help home buyers make more informed purchasing decisions. Chicago will be the first city in the nation to provide this information on home listings. The new system launched this week on the Chicago MLS. Residents should talk to their realtors®to see this information online on MRED’s connectMLS site. Realtors can also provide potential homebuyers with a detailed energy report; a sample can be viewed at retrofit.cityofchicago.org/report."
As a bonus to the five, proof that even in America, we can have a city where we do not need cars in order to survive. It is time for our communities to look to each other for ways to improve quality of life for all.
Meet the one city in America where cars have been banned since 1898
"Although the small island is home to only around 500 people, in the summer, that number swells to 15,000 during tourism season; aside from a couple of emergency vehicles, there's nary a car to be seen. Transportation on Mackinac is limited to walking, horse-drawn carriages, and bicycling -- a pleasant departure from the car-centric society that exists beyond its borders."
Happy Friday!
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