https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Carnegie Mellon University Department of Engineering and Public Policy In the ongoing effort to decarbonize U.S. energy production, there is one energy source that often attracts great controversy. Nuclear power has been a part of the American energy portfolio since the 1950s and still generates one in every five kilowatt-hours of electricity produced in the country. Still, for a number of reasons, including the association between radiation and cancer, the general public has long felt a significant dread about it. And this fear, suggest Carnegie Mellon University Department of Engineering and Public Policy Assistant Research Professor Parth Vaishnav, and Ahmed Abdulla of the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, may cause people to want less of this zero-carbon energy source in the nation's electricity generation mix than they otherwise would. https://phys.org/news/2019-05-dread-nuclear-power-limits-deployment.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 06 May 2019 03:18:47 EDT news476331489 The widespread implementation of electric vehicles will go a long way toward eliminating the greenhouse gas emissions of the transportation sector. But these GHGs don't just come from the tailpipe. There's another major culprit of GHG emissions, one that the electric vehicle industry might need some help from policy makers to avoid: battery recycling. https://phys.org/news/2019-02-green-cars-greener-battery-recycling.html Environment Tue, 12 Feb 2019 03:54:03 EST news469166026 For many of us, when we send a text or make a call from our cell phones, we're relying on 4G. Though for as much as we rely on it, very few of us know what it actually means. In reality, the "G" in these terms only stands for generation: generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology. 2G brought us voice communication, 3G gave us access to the web and some video services, and 4G made things like the app economy possible. But with the applications of our wireless technology expanding at such a rapid rate—from smartphones and tablets, to full Internet of Things (IoT) implementation—even 4G is no longer going to cut it. https://phys.org/news/2019-01-5g.html Telecom Wed, 30 Jan 2019 04:57:51 EST news468046623 More than one billion people do not have access to electricity, and gaining access is a critical part of improving economic and human health outcomes in developing countries, where electrification rates can be as less than 10%. Recognizing this need, the United Nations (U.N.) established access to electricity as one of the Sustainable Development Goals. The U.N. has also stated that electrification efforts around the world should increase the use of renewable energy resources and reduce the environmental impacts of energy production and use. While significant efforts are focused on expanding access to populations that have never had an electricity connection, unreliable delivery of electricity to existing customers can lead to additional consumer costs, limited economic benefits, and increased environmental impacts from production and consumption.  https://techxplore.com/news/2018-10-electricity-reliability-sub-saharan-africa.html Energy & Green Tech Fri, 19 Oct 2018 07:58:19 EDT news459154687 Power plants provide homes and businesses with electricity on a daily basis. But plants also consume a daily essential: Water. In fact, the US electrical power industry uses nearly half of all water in the country. Power plants use water for cooling and creating steam to turn turbines, which then generate electricity. But during droughts and water shortages, these plants can put a strain on the entire water system. https://phys.org/news/2018-10-co2-emissions-droughts.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 16 Oct 2018 12:25:12 EDT news458911505 Water is a powerful force, and as such can pose a major threat to our infrastructure. Thanks to our changing climate, that threat is greater than ever. U.S. stormwater infrastructure—including sewer lines and curbside grates—is designed using precipitation data gathered the Federal government and used by State Departments of Transportation (DOT). But according to Carnegie Mellon University Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Ph.D. student Tania Lopez-Cantu and Associate Professor Costa Samaras, these data may not be sufficient for designing and building adequate infrastructure—increasing the risk of flooding. https://phys.org/news/2018-10-flooding-caused-by-old-data.html Environment Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:40:01 EDT news458483431 Transporting freight by road accounts for around seven percent of the world's total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. Recognizing that heavy road freight is particularly hard to decarbonize, Carnegie Mellon University researchers have published a paper to review the ways that goods can be transported via alternate means, such as by rail or water, to reduce both emissions and energy use. https://phys.org/news/2018-10-shipping-freight-rail-environment.html Environment Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:29:28 EDT news458483359