MIT scientists have developed a revolutionary process to store solar energy, inspired by the photosynthesis performed by plants.  This process allows the sun's energy to be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. The oxygen and hydrogen are then recombined inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity to power your house or your electric car, day or night.

According to this article, the system can duplicate the water splitting reaction that occurs during photosynthesis:  James Barber, a leader in the study of photosynthesis who was not involved in this research, called the discovery by Nocera and Kanan a "giant leap" toward generating clean, carbon-free energy on a massive scale. "This is a major discovery with enormous implications for the future prosperity of humankind," said Barber, the Ernst Chain Professor of Biochemistry at Imperial College London.

An inexpensive, easy to deploy system that can seperate hydrogen and oxygen for use by fuel cells.  This could be the Holy Grail of alternative energy.

The $2.5 billion in new development (starting in 2000) here in GR is getting some national attention.  Land Development Today (PDF) explains that one of our driving forces is environmental stewardship.  In fact, the Grand Rapids metro area has more LEED certified buildings per capita than any other location in the United States. 

Grand Rapids is a leader in green buildings. The United States Green Building Council estimates that metro Grand Rapids now has more square footage per capita under LEED certification than any other city in the United States. The area boasts many LEED firsts, including the first transit center,the first YMCA, the first church, and thefirst municipal building in Michigan.This trend has been promoted by local businesses, government, and schools. Local philanthropist Peter Wege(Steelcase heir), a longtime environmentalist and conservationist, recognized the value of green buildings and has made LEED certification a requirement for many of the building projects he has supported. As a result, buildings such as the new Art Museum are being built to qualify for LEED certification. The region has also begun to realize that sustainability can lead to economic development. Mayor George Heartwell has been a strong supporter of sustainability. Last year, he joined more than 150 other mayors in signing the US Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement.

From "The Revitalization of Grand Rapids", Land Development Today (November/December 2006)

I was lucky enough to hear David Gottfied speak at the Herman Miller Environment conference this summer.  David was one of the founders of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and he helped start the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standard.

Why is the Grand Rapids metro area so green?  Conservative and green don't usually go together, and yet we lead the nation in green building.  That is remarkable, and it should serve as a warning to the forces who would like to see the sustainability movement identified with a bunch of tree humping hippies.

In fact, much of the angel startup money flowing to cutting edge technology companies today is focused on sustainability.  Green is the new thing, with many of the internet visionaries of yesterday betting the farm on green technology startups.  Grand Rapids is obviously in a great position to take advantage of this national global trend.

Was Gerald Ford one of our first leaders to advocate for sustainability?  From the Ford presidential library Website, here are some of the proposals he submitted to congress:

• Stimulate effective conservation, including revitalization of our railroads and the expansion of our urban transportation systems;
• Develop more and cleaner energy from our vast coal resources;
• Create a new national Energy Independence Authority to stimulate vital energy investment;
• And accelerate development of technology to capture energy from the sun and the earth for this and future generations.

Of course he was responding to the threat posed by middle east oil cartels forcing gas prices through the roof.  At the time his solutions seemed like the right approach, especially for the long term health of the country.  Sadly we didn't choose to make these goals a priority, but it's not too late.

These folks want to ban trans fats.  I understand the immediacy of the situation, we are facing an epidemic of obesity and heart disease in America.  But I'm not convinced that we should ban hydrogenated oils.

This is actually a little more complicated than you might think.  The process of creating trans fats causes the removal of Omega 3 from fatty acids.  Susan Allport points out that it could be this lack of Omega 3 that is truly the problem.  She agrees that trans fats are bad -- but the real culprit in her eyes is the lack of Omega 3 relative to Omega 6.  She points out that you could give up trans fats completely and still not be healthy, if you did not get your Omega 3s.

Susan also makes a good point about fish oil:  It is the Omega 3 in fish that makes them such healthy meals for we fish eaters.  Even beef could be high in Omega 3 if those cows were eating the right stuff!

Studies are now revealing the importance of Omega-3 fatty acids in maintaining brain chemistry and mental health.

"For the clinician in charge of the US study, Joseph Hibbeln, the results of his trial are not a miracle, but simply what you might predict if you understand the biochemistry of the brain and the biophysics of the brain cell membrane. His hypothesis is that modern industrialised diets may be changing the very architecture and functioning of the brain.

We are suffering, he believes, from widespread diseases of deficiency. Just as vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, deficiency in the essential fats the brain needs and the nutrients needed to metabolise those fats is causing of a host of mental problems from depression to aggression. Not all experts agree, but if he is right, the consequences are as serious as they could be. The pandemic of violence in western societies may be related to what we eat or fail to eat. Junk food may not only be making us sick, but mad and bad too."

The recent jump in autism cases is reason for concern, especially if these trends continue.  A just released study by Cornell University (Waldman, et al) reveals a significant correlation between autism rates and young children who watched TV frequently.

Previously, vaccines were a leading suspect, but numerous studies have failed to show any definitive link between autism and vaccines. 

Gregg Easterbrook of Slate Magazine points out that further study is needed to clarify the link between autism and television:

"Research has shown that autistic children exhibit abnormal activity in the visual-processing areas of their brains, and these areas are actively developing in the first three years of life. Whether excessive viewing of brightly colored two-dimensional screen images can cause visual-processing abnormalities is unknown. The Cornell study makes no attempt to propose how television might trigger autism; it only seeks to demonstrate a relationship. But Waldman notes that large amounts of money are being spent to search for a cause of autism that is genetic or toxin-based and believes researchers should now turn to scrutinizing a television link."

This study conducted by Yale University in 2005 measured environmental sustainability by country.  The United States ended up with a rating below most of the advanced nations, and also below many of the smaller, less fortunate among us.

http://www.yale.edu/esi/ESI2005_Main_Report.pdf

Given the fact that we are capable of just about anything when we put our muscle behind it, the greatest country on earth will no doubt improve on this number in the coming decades.  Go USA!

Kevin Drum over at the Washington Monthly explains how the CEI (Competitive Enterprise Instititute) is launching a new add campaign claiming that the billions of tons of CO2 we are emitting is actually good for you.

I am therefore submitting the following viral marketing strategy for the CEI to consider:

       GOT CO2?

Looking for an energy efficient vehicle?  In terms of total energy efficiency including production, actual usage, and disposal, Scion xB leads the list, significantly better than even the best hybrids.

 

That’s the conclusion of long-term study of “dust to dust” energy costs for cars and trucks. The research tracked and calculated the energy cost of each model sold in the U.S. in 2005 from initial concept to the projected time it is scrapped.

 

http://www.cnwmr.com/nss-folder/automotiveenergy/

Al Gore is coming out with a movie in which he "...weaves the science of global warming with Al Gore’s personal history and lifelong commitment to reversing the effects of global climate change. A longtime advocate for the environment, Gore presents a wide array of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way. The film is not a story of despair but rather a rallying cry."

Here is the movie trailer.

And here is an interesting Washington Post editorial on Gore and the movie.

Update:  I completely missed this link to the main Website for the movie the first time around.

Our family went to Frederick Meijer Gardens for Valentines day.  We had a delicious dinner and then got an early peek at the butterflies that are just emerging from their chrysalis.  On the window sat a translucent butterfly that had just finished its metamorphasis.  It was dusk outside and the natural lack of light in the tropical conservatory made for a dark and mysterious adventure.  I took this picture with a flash and the reflection on the window was a pleasant surprise.

Human-primate chimeras are genetically engineered animals that contain both human and primate genes.  Apparently there is some controversy surrounding this possibility. 

Link

If you are a middle class (or higher) American you live better than 99.4% of all the people who have ever lived, including those that are alive right now. This is according to Greg Easterbrook in his book "The Progress Paradox".  Apparently there have been approximately 80 billion people who have lived on earth until now.  Most of them lived without refrigerators, air conditioning, computers, great big television sets, high tech health care, and cell phones.

In fact, half of the worlds current population lives on less than two dollars a day (in US dollars).  That's 3 billion people living on a little over $700 a year, if they are lucky.  1.3 billion of them make only half of that.  And things have really improved over the last 100 years.

So the next time I am feeling sorry for myself because I don't have a tablet PC, or I can't afford a new windsurfer, I will try to remember that I am a spoiled, fat, happy, healthy American with very little to complain about.

But I wonder, why are we so wealthy compared to the other 99%?  Answer:  Western society exploited fossil fuels early and often.  Once we gained power through fossil fuel energy we used that power to gain more energy.  Because of this early advantage we now have the equivalent of 80 slaves doing work for each and every one of us every day. 

In other words, it would take the strength and energy of 80 people to provide the resources that each of us Westerners consume and use every day.  Our "slave equivalents" can be found in our electronics, cars, washing machines, dish washers, vacuums, factories, and most importantly in the food we consume (and waste). 

If you look at the societies that live on $1 a day or less, you'll see that they consume very little (if any) slave equivalents.  They aren't exploiting fossil fuel energy like us.  Their societies somehow missed out on the fossil fuel bonanza.

And it's too late now, I'm afraid.  The US production of domestic oil peaked in 1970, and world discovery of new oil peaked soon after that.  Those of us who are used to living with our 80 slave equivalents are going to fight like hell to keep them, like the southern plantation owners who wouldn't give up their slaves during the civil war.  In fact, our entire economy of debt is based on the premise that we will have more and more slave equivalents as time goes by.

I won't be surprised to see many of us joining the other 99.4% over the coming decades.  There just isn't enough cheap oil and natural gas to keep this party going for much longer.  I wish there was another cheap energy alternative, but sadly there is not.

So it's time for all Americans to stop and think about the future.  Do you want our children to grow up without the comfort and safety that cheap fossil fuel provides?  We need leadership and strength to prepare for an uncertain future.  This could be the biggest disaster that mankind will ever face, and right now we are ill prepared.

For starters we've got to conserve oil and reduce energy use.  When America gets serious about solving a problem, we are nearly unstoppable. It's now or later, and later will be much harder when the cost of technology innovation skyrockets with the cost of energy.

We need to build walkable communities, not sprawling faceless suburbs connected by highways.  We need to reorganize our production and distribution systems to work locally.  And we all need to think about how we can get along with fewer slave equivalents every day. We have an incredible amount of work to do in preparation for some huge changes, now is the time to act. 

The USA Today thinks that the debate over global warming has concluded:

Link

I'm not so sure that those who reject science and it's conclusions are going to give up so easily, but I do agree that there has been a major shift in recent months toward the obvious truth.  General Electric and other corporations are finally getting the message.

Many of us in the United States are still in denial, clinging to the hope that our fossil fuel dream world can belch carbon endlessly without repercussions.  The US has fallen way behind the rest of the world in our response to this crisis, even though we are responsible for 25% of carbon emissions.  We have apparently chosen the path of least resistance -- do nothing and deny responsibility.

Years from now our children and grandchildren will look back at this debacle with disgust and shame.  They will be paying the cost of the crisis we selfishly ignored.  They will wonder why our country, the worst offender, was unwilling to face the facts and take action with the rest of the world to protect their future by adhering to the Kyoto Protocol.

April was the 2nd warmest on record, and so far 2005 looks to be in the running for the 2nd or 3rd warmest year on record.  Here is a link to the latest global temperature trends:

Link

From Slate.com:

To attain the rank of grand master of memory, you must be able to perform three seemingly superhuman feats. You have to memorize 1,000 digits in under an hour, the precise order of 10 shuffled decks of playing cards in the same amount of time, and one shuffled deck in less than two minutes.

Wow.  Ten shuffled decks of playing cards.  Knowing my drivers license number by heart no longer seems impressive.

Later in the article they mention the advice of the Frank Felderbaum, who is recognized as one of the worlds leading memory experts.  His advice to contestants:  Eat a large helping of wild Alaskan salmon the night before the contest - high in Omega 3 fatty acids.

Update:  Apparently my two year old daughter chews fish oil tablets like they are candy.  My wife decided to give one to her, just on a whim.  She chewed it up and asked for another one.  We expect her to reject Teletubbies shortly and start earning a living on the intellectual talk circuit. 

The Kyoto Protocol took effect today.  One small step toward the reforms that are needed to avoid disaster in the coming decades.

From the Associated Press:

"We have been calling on the United States to join. But the country that is the world's biggest emitter has not joined yet, and that is regrettable," Japan's top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda, told reporters.

In case you are interested, the global temperature for 2004 averaged 0.97° Fahrenheit (O.54°C) above the 1880-2003 average.  2004 was the 4th warmest year on record.  Here is more information.

As engineers scramble to utilize the new found efficiency in car power known as hybrid technology, it's interesting to watch "the big 3" as they attempt to portray Fuel Cell technology as the next big thing.

Hybrids like this one are already making a big difference and research has barely been fully funded.  Hybrid efficiency is not hype or fantasy, it is real.

Fuel cells, on the other hand, are not a real source of saved energy.  Their net result, when introduced into an energy system (such as car energy), is a NET LOSS of energy.  

But then it gets worse.  The cheap way to keep that hydrogen flowing to fuel cells involves burning more coal or natural gas.  That's right, we'd have to burn more to get less energy, polluting more in the process. 

So why on earth are fuel cell solutions being portrayed as environmentally friendly?  I suppose it's because they would actually increase consumption of energy, and therefore cause a boost to the economy.  Anything that'll get us some short term bling is automatically on the fast track.  Corporate America is shaping our perceptions, instead of science and technology.  Imagine that.

Update:  You can read more about hybrid drivers here at The Onion. 

Climateprediction.net is a huge computer program designed to produce a forecast of the climate in the 21st century.  You can donate your computer's processing power if you have broadband access.  The system will utilize your resources (while they are not in use by you) to help compute the climate forecast.

http://www.climateprediction.net/

This system makes use of shared processing time by coordinating the computation of seperate code blocks across the Internet.  You might recall that SETI uses a similar architecture to compute their radio signals.

Their first set of results have just been released:

http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050124/full/050124-10.html

"Recently awarded a Dream Time Fellowship by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, Grand is working on giving Lucy better eyesight, hearing, stronger muscles and a more powerful brain. Steve hopes Lucy will be able to learn to crawl before taking those first steps and repeating simple sounds, just like other toddlers do. Lucy's brain was built to explore ways in which machines could be given the capacity for imagination. The design of the bot's brain was guided by a key set of hunches about how such a mechanism could be artificially engineered using simulated neurons and biochemicals."

Nice hair, too. This style is apparently all the rage among baby/monkey robots.

I've always presumed that the first remarkable results from AI would come from a machine that mimics the developmental process of young humans.

Link to Wired

It's amazing how animals and humans adapt to changing environmental conditions. Evolution has apparently built in the propensity for animals and humans to spawn more females during food shortages:

Overall, the ratio of boys to girls born dropped to 0.88. Sons require more reproductive effort than daughters. "They grow a bit faster, they're bigger when they're born," Mace says. Males are also less likely to survive if malnourished as children, and stunted males are less attractive as potential mates.

So the girls are easier to raise during troubled times. I'll vouch for that :)

Link

"An exhaustive study of 643 children from before birth to 9 years of age shows no detectable risk from the low levels of mercury their mothers were exposed to from eating ocean seafood..."

These people were eating an average of 12 meals of fish per week! Looks like another myth has been exposed...

Link

For those of us who believe in the importance of fish oil as a source of Omega 3, news like this is particularly distressing.

90% and counting...

Link

Microsoft is developing a virtual brain -- a database that holds human memories. As one analyst put it -- this is Web logging run amok.

"By 2047, almost all information will be in cyberspace -- including all knowledge and creative works," said one of the project's leaders, Gordon Bell. "The most significant benefit will be a breakthrough in our ability to remotely communicate with one another using all our senses."

Gordon is actually the guinea pig and lead researcher on this project.

Link

Quite possibly the most important medical discovery of our generation, especially for those of you with ADHD, depression, heart problems, memory problems, kids, or diabetes/low blood sugar: Omega 3.

Learn about it here:

Link

"Along with major epidemiological evidence that shows lower rates of depression in those cultures that consume a great deal of omega-3s, Stoll's own studies indicate that boosting their intake can reduce depression symptoms. And Stoll cites stacks of additional studies suggesting that omega-3s can also help with major depression, schizophrenia, and postpartum depression. Going even further, Stoll makes a strong argument that omega-3 deficiency could be contributing to rising rates of teen violence and attention deficit disorders." -Amazon.com

Traverse City was buried by a blizzard in '78 of epic proportions. The same blizzard hit my home town (Grand Rapids). My friends and I hollowed out a snow drift that was big enough to handle furniture. I still remember eating cereal inside the drift. This storm was huge. At the time I had no idea that it would turn out to be a unique weather event. I've been waiting for another storm like this for 25 years. For you amateur weather buffs, check out the meteorlogical details, thanks to the Detroit NWS.

"Once upon a time, some thousands of generations ago, a threshold was crossed. Somewhere in the evolutionary backwoods of the brain, something unprecedented happened in the story of life on Earth."

Find out why you have such a big-ass head.