by Kate Mothes | May 14, 2024
Merging organic forms with timeless craft, Susanna Bauer emphasizes incredible details in her intimate leaf sculptures. Working with a range of foraged species, from ginkgo to magnolia to oak, the artist (previously) meticulously stitches around the edges or fills in tiny incisions, creating intricate lacework compositions.
A new monograph Susanna Bauer: IN LEAF, published by 5 Continents Editions, celebrates her use of natural ephemera to create elegant pieces exploring the relationship between strength and fragility. More
Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Susanna Bauer’s Intricately Crocheted Leaves Celebrate the Elegance and Ephemerality of Nature appeared first on Colossal.
by Komoneed | May 12, 2024
In promising news for the aviation industry, researchers from the University of Sydney have developed a chemical process that could create sustainable jet fuel from the methane gas emitted from landfills.
Their research has been published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (CO2), trapping far more heat per molecule. According to the International Energy Agency, the concentration of methane in the atmosphere is currently around two and a half times greater than pre-industrial levels and is increasing steadily, with waste emissions and the burning of fossil fuels accounting for a significant proportion.
Australia recently joined the international methane mitigation agreement with the United States, the European Union, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
“Globally, landfills are a major emitter of greenhouse gases, mainly a mixture of CO2 and methane,” said lead author of the study Professor PJ Cullen from the University of Sydney’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Net Zero Initiative. “We have developed a process that would take these gases and convert them into fuels, targeting sectors that are difficult to electrify, like aviation.”
Global landfill emissions are estimated at 10–20 million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, a value comparable to the emissions of the global energy sector.
Aviation currently accounts for approximately 3% of the world’s emissions. If the research team’s process becomes viable, it could lead to a ‘closed loop’ fuel based on existing emissions, eliminating the need for traditional, unsustainable jet fuels.
“Modern landfill facilities already capture, upgrade and combust their gas emissions for electricity generation; however, our process creates a much more environmentally impactful and commercially valuable product,” Cullen said.
Professor PJ Cullen with Veolia Australia and New Zealand CEO and Net Zero Initiative board member Richard Kirkman next to a Veolia methane well. Image credit: Luisa Low, University of Sydney.
The researchers’ process works by capturing gas in a ‘methane well’ at the landfill site via a shaft-like mechanism, then treating it with plasma.
“The beauty of this is that this simple process captures almost the exact composition that we need for our process,” Cullen said.
Plasma in the lab. Image credit: PJ Cullen, PlasmaLeap Technologies.
“Non-thermal plasma is an electricity-driven technology which can excite gas at both a low temperature and atmospheric pressure. Essentially, what this means is this approach facilitates the conversion of the gas into value-added products by inducing plasma discharge within forming gas bubbles,” Cullen explained.
“The process doesn’t require heat or pressure, meaning it requires less energy, making it highly compatible with renewable energy power sources.”
Cullen and fellow study authors Emma Lovell and Tianqi Zhang are associated with PlasmaLeap Technologies, the supplier of the plasma technology employed to generate plasma bubbles in the study.
Top image caption: Methane wells. Image credit: Luisa Low, University of Sydney.
by Komoneed | May 12, 2024
Scotland’s climate hasn’t historically been supportive to large mosquito populations, as it tends to be cooler. But now, scientists have discovered widespread populations of mosquitoes around Scotland, and they fear warming temperatures could lead to increasing public health risks from mosquito-borne diseases. Scientists at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Virus Research found 16 different […]
The post Mosquitoes Newly Spreading in Scotland as Temperatures Rise, Scientists Say appeared first on EcoWatch.
by Komoneed | May 12, 2024
The standards-setting organization plans to address stakeholder feedback, including updates to climate science and challenges related to Scope 3 target setting.
by Komoneed | May 12, 2024
Editors note: Kyle Johnson is a forester with the Bureau of Land Management’s Missoula Field Office. Mr. Johnson is not affiliated with Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities but gave us permission to share his message. Just over a year ago, a
