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How to Recycle Batteries As the world slowly transitions to cleaner energy, batteries are increasingly in the news. But batteries come with a perplexing twist: What to do with them once they've died? Do you find yourself with a drawer full of loose batteries that you don’t really know what to do with? Whether single-use, rechargeable, or from your vehicle, batteries are recyclable—but it's not as simple as tossing them into the curbside bin.  States have different policies regarding battery disposal. California, for example, considers discarded batteries as hazardous waste, making them illegal to throw into the trash. The state has plenty of resources for ways to safely dispose of batteries, however, from local drop-off centers to mail-in services. In San Francisco, residents who live in single-family homes or small multifamily buildings can put loose household batteries inside a tightly sealed plastic bag, and place them on top of their closed landfill bin, while larger apartm...

Blue Hydrogen Study Finds It Isn't Climate-Friendly, Igniting Fierce Debate Over Emissions A recent study casts doubt on the green credentials of so-called “blue hydrogen” and it has caused a stir in the scientific community. Blue hydrogen, a purportedly green fuel that is typically extracted from natural gas, has long been touted as a climate solution but a controversial peer-reviewed study released last week argues its production is linked to high greenhouse gas emissions. Robert Howarth, a professor of ecology and environmental biology at Cornell University, and Mark Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford, say that when compared to burning coal and natural gas to produce heat, blue hydrogen produces 20% more emissions. Hydrogen itself is considered a clean fuel because it can be used to produce energy or heat without releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, other than water vapor. Many researchers have long argued that blue hydrogen shoul...

The Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative Says Nuclear Hydrogen Is a Critical Climate Solution We have seen this movie before and we didn't like the ending. More than 40 global participants announced the formation of the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative, which is described as "a coalition working to advance nuclear hydrogen as a critical climate solution." A statement said: "The initiative will engage policymakers, businesses, investors, and other key stakeholders to raise awareness of the important role nuclear hydrogen can play in delivering carbon-free, secure and affordable energy." "We envision our nuclear plants becoming versatile clean energy centers that not only generate 24/7 carbon-free electricity for the grid, but also bring together clean hydrogen, renewables and other new and emerging technologies to power every corner of our economy," said Colleen Wright, vice president of Corporate Strategy for Constellation, the largest American nuclear operator with...

5 Reasons Why the James Webb Space Telescope Is Such a Big Deal Many scientists believe there's another planet like Earth somewhere in the universe, and the search to find it is underway. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is be more powerful than its predecessors and will be able to see further into space to discover distant planets in far-off galaxies. It will even give us the tools to search for indications of an atmosphere that could sustain life. Its current mission launched into space on December 25, 2021. There are certainly larger Earth-bound telescopes, but as its name implies, the JWST will roam above the atmosphere, providing more powerful unobstructed views of the heavens than even the historic Hubble Space Telescope could offer. Funded by NASA in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the infrared Webb telescope weighs 6 metric tons and will orbit 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. It boasts many new technological advan...

Black Holes Power Some of the Brightest Objects in the Universe, So Why Is Ours So Calm? Despite their reputation as all-consuming voids of darkness, it might come as a surprise to learn that black holes are responsible for the brightest known phenomena in the universe. This remarkable contrast is possible because of the violent forces that black holes generate, ripping apart all matter that approaches and turning gas clouds into searing beacons of light. Sometimes, as shown in the animation below from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, these light shows can be on an order of magnitude that's difficult to comprehend. On July 31, 2019, NASA's Spitzer telescope captured an orbital clash between two black holes that generated an explosion of light brighter than that of a trillion stars or more than twice the brightness of our own Milky Way galaxy! A hungry cosmic furnace Black holes are capable of generating these light shows due to the way they wreak havoc on everything that d...

Air Canada Electrifies Its Lineup With Hybrid Planes Do planes with short range make sense in such a big country? Air Canada ordered 30 hybrid aircrafts being developed by Sweden's Heart Aerospace. The carrier also announced an investment in the company. "Air Canada has taken a leadership position in the industry to address climate change. The introduction into our fleet of the ES-30 electric regional aircraft from Heart Aerospace will be a step forward to our goal of net zero emissions by 2050," said Michael Rousseau, president and CEO of Air Canada. The plane is powered by four electric motors and carries lithium-ion batteries to let it fly with a full load for 125 miles (200 kilometers) in all-electric mode. Then the hybrid generators kick in, extending the range to 250 miles (400 km). With the number of passengers reduced from 30 to 25, they can push the range to 500 miles (800 km). As a Canadian, my first thought was this is a very silly idea—Canada is a big country....

Renewable Energy Sees Strong Growth But Not Enough A coal rebound, high energy demand, lack of ambitious goals, and multiple financial, political, and social challenges threaten clean energy growth. The renewable energy sector saw record growth in 2021 but the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that the ongoing surge in investments won't be enough to put the world on track for net-zero emissions by 2050. The IEA's "Renewables 2021" report forecasts that by 2026, global renewable electricity capacity will reach 4,800 gigawatts (GW), a 60% increase from 2020 levels. That means that over the next few years, the world should be able to produce more than half of its electricity from renewable sources, up from nearly 37% at the end of 2020. However, to avoid a climate catastrophe, renewable energy capacity would need to grow twice as fast and, on top of that, biofuels and the use of renewable space heating would need to grow exponentially. When it comes to growth, ...

How Much Energy Is in Lightning? And could we use it to power our lives? Lightning is the discharge of electricity caused by an imbalance between the positive and negative charges that build up in a thundercloud. Most lightning flashes occur between or within clouds, but about 40 million lightning strikes hit the ground in the United States each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tracks lightning strike injuries and deaths. Is it possible to harness that energy to power entire communities? Here, we explore that question. Amount of Energy in Lightning Lightning produces 10 times more electricity than flows on high-tension wires. It also produces heat energy hotter than the surface of the sun, and sound energy (thunder) that can travel 25 miles. While only lasting a millisecond, a flash of lightning is thought produce up to 10 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, which would be a sixth of the capacity of all the rooftop solar panels in the U.S. in 2021. Ca...