Technology12
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Science, Technology and Economic Development
On April 27th, President Obama gave an inspiring speech at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C about the importance of scientific research and education. He began by describing the threats to global sustainability and economic well being faced throughout the world and here in the United States. He observed that: “At such a…
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Water Center Conference: Water Security in India
Last night (Wednesday, April 15) the Water Center kicked off its conference on Water Security in India with a lecture and reception at the Asia Society in New York. Led by a formal talk given by Alok Sikka (see here for more information about Sikka and the other panelists), the evening addressed pressing water issues…
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Intelligent Infrastructure
As part of the Obama administrations’ new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, $80 billion dollars have been dedicated to investment in infrastructure. Rather than regurgitating traditional infrastructure that is based on an outdated conception of human-environment interactions, this influx of capital for infrastructure has the potential to be leveraged for innovation instead. Building Infrastructure that…
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Where is the Water-Powered Car?
This week, General Motors has been in the news as they scramble to plan for bankruptcy after the US government announced it would not grant their request for a larger financial lifeline. A year ago, however, GM was making headlines (albeit smaller ones) for their Equinox Fuel Cell— technology that promised to make the nearly…
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Renewables May Gain Momentum in Response to Water Shortages
Most of the time, when you hear about environmentalists decrying the construction of a new coal-fired power plant, their objections are in relation to localized pollution or carbon dioxide emissions. Less frequently do you hear about protests related to the vast amounts of water that are needed to keep these plants running – water that…
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Water Wars in Ethiopia
For centuries tribal people in the Omo River Valley of Ethiopia have been content to live according the flood cycle of the river. In recent years, a certain development has caused much blood to be spilled over territorial claims on the river. Automatic weapons are now in the hands of almost every male in the…
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Mexico City to Treat Water Runoff
During last week’s World Water Forum, Conagua, Mexico’s National Water Commission, announced plans to build a purification plant to treat rain and water runoff. The US$1.3 billion project is expected to be completed in 2012 and is a build/operate contract. Mexico’s per capita water availability declined to 4,312 cubic meters in 2007 from 18,035 cubic…
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Fishing for Pollution
Scientists at the University of Essex have developed robotic fish that can detect pollution. Unlike previous robotic fish, these fish have autonomous navigation capabilities which enable them to swim independently. For recharging and data transmission, the fish are able to return to their charging hub where the data provide real time source and scale of…
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IBM’s Water Membrane
Scientists at IBM Research, together with collaborators from Central Glass, KACST and the University of Texas, Austin have created a new membrane that filters out salts as well as potentially harmful toxins in water such as arsenic while using less energy than other forms of water purification. According to the press release, this materials in…
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