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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

10 Wonders of the Solar System These celestial marvels are truly out of this world. Our solar system is big. Way big. In fact, if Earth were the size of a marble, the solar system out to Neptune would cover an area the size of San Francisco. Within this vastness lies an array of celestial wonders: the sun with its surface of plasma, the Earth with its abundance of life and massive oceans, the mesmerizing clouds of Jupiter, to name a few. For this particular list, we've decided to highlight some well-known celestial wonders, as well as a few you might not know about. With new discoveries happening all the time, and so much left to explore, the cosmos is never short on beauty and astonishment. Below are just a few of the scattered jewels of our solar system. The impact crater of Utopia Planitia, Mars The largest recognized impact basin in the solar system, Utopia Planitia features a crater that stretches more than 2,000 miles (about 3,300 kilometers) across Mars' northern plains.

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.

The Auto Industry Alone Will Blow the 1.5-Degree Carbon Budget It's making too many cars between now and 2030. A new study from researchers in Australia and Germany, published by Greenpeace in Germany, finds that internal combustion engine (ICE) light duty vehicles (LDVs, or cars, light trucks, and SUVs) alone could pump out as much as 116 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide. The report, based on current projections by manufacturers, states: "Phasing out the internal combustion engine and fully electrifying LDV sales is necessary by 2030 to stay within a 1.5°C carbon budget. However, the industry’s plans—at least the plans of traditional manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai/Kia, and GM—lead to projections of only 52% of battery electric vehicle sales by 2030." Cue up the commentariat, who will say, "What 1.5-degree Celsius carbon budget? It's already blown." To which we respond that every fraction of a degree matters, every kilogram of carbon dioxide m

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

Can We Reduce Carbon Emissions by Burning Dead Trees? New research suggests that burning dead trees could reduce coal consumption. A recent study finds that specially treated wood from beetle-killed trees could replace some of the coal in existing power plants, reducing emissions of fossil carbon. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the carbon dioxide emitted from burning wood (biomass) doesn't count. That's because it is not fossil carbon but is biogenic "fast" carbon. The best explanation comes from the International Energy Agency: "Burning fossil fuels releases carbon that has been locked up in the ground for millions of years, while burning biomass emits carbon that is part of the biogenic carbon cycle. In other words, fossil fuel use increases the total amount of carbon in the biosphere-atmosphere system while bioenergy systems operates within this system; biomass combustion simply returns to the atmosphere the carbon that was

Can You Recycle Used Motor Oil? Used motor oil can be ‘re-refined’ and used again. Used motor oil can and should be recycled. It poses significant health and environmental risks if discarded improperly, and it offers a more efficient, less carbon-intensive alternative to making new motor oil from scratch. What Is Motor Oil? Motor oil is any oil used as an engine lubricant. It typically includes gasoline- and diesel-engine crankcase oils, as well as piston-engine oils for cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, locomotives, and heavy equipment, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Motor oils may be petroleum-based or synthetic, although synthetic oils are still primarily made from fossil fuel sources. Motor oil itself is highly durable, but its dirty job still takes a toll. During normal use inside your engine, motor oil accumulates impurities ranging from dust and dirt to metal scrapings and various chemicals, eventually impeding its lubrication. On top of its own toxic

How to Recycle Laptops Safely and Responsibly Plus ideas for reusing your old laptop. Old laptops are typically not accepted in curbside recycling programs, but they can be processed through special e-waste recycling programs. And because laptops may contain valuable materials, including gold, silver, and platinum, recycling them is actually profitable, which means plenty of eager recyclers are willing to take them off your hands.  Since laptops do contain heavy metals and hazardous chemicals that can negatively impact the environment, they should be handled carefully and recycling should be left to the professionals. Laptop Recycling Facts Generally, all parts of a laptop are recyclable. Laptops consist of things like glass, metal, batteries, and electronic parts that can all be recycled at specialized facilities. Some of a laptop’s electronic parts, like motherboards and hard drives, can even be sold and reused in refurbished products. How to Prepare Your Laptop for Recycling Your la