Seeking Transformational Energy Technologies

[ This special issue podcast is longer than the usual 60 seconds. ]

Last week, the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for energy held its inaugural conference in Washington, D.C.–a direct response to a growing sense that the U.S. is losing its technology lead when it comes to the race for cleaner ways to produce and use energy. "We have a Sputnik moment right now. We are losing our technology leadership and we are falling behind."

[More]

Fish Fry: How Will a Warming World Impact U.S. Trout Populations?

Dear EarthTalk: A fisherman friend of mine told me that trout populations in the interior West of the U.S. are already shrinking due to global warming. Is this true? And what is the long term prognosis for the trout? –Jon Klein, Portsmouth, N.H. [More]

Shift happens: Will artificial photosynthesis power the world?

One drinking- water bottle could provide enough energy for an entire household in the developing world if Dan Nocera has his way. A chemist from M.I.T. and founder of the company Sun Catalytix, Nocera has developed a cobalt-based catalyst that allows him to store energy the same way plants do: by splitting water. [More]

Haiti’s Legacy of Environmental Devastation Compounded by Earthquake

Dear EarthTalk: What are the primary environmental concerns in the aftermath of the big earthquake in Haiti? –Frank Dover, Portland, Ore. [More]

Do the Engine-Performance Benefits of Nitrogen-Enriched Gas Outweigh the Added Emissions?

Dear EarthTalk : Since nitrogen oxide compounds are components of smog and are common water pollutants, does nitrogen-enriched gasoline create additional pollution? –Rick Oestrike, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. [More]

Next Page »