Joel Barker's Good News

#5 - Algae to Oil--a gusher

A Texas company claims it can grow algae at such volumes that they can produce 100,000 gallons of "algae oil" per acre per year. This compares to corn which yields only 200 gallons of ethanol per year.  The secret is a vertical system that allows a 3 dimensional growing space for the algae and a closed-loop system that keeps contanimants out and re-uses water with more than 90% efficiency.  Given the numbers, one-tenth of New Mexico could supply all the land necessary to provide 100% of the United States' transportation fuel needs, assuming all vehicles can burn diesel fuel.

The really impressive thing about this company is that they are not seeking public funding and have many venture capitalists waiting to help.  This is a project that could change the face of the earth because it takes carbon out of the air (via the algae) to create the lipids in the algae that are then converted to bio-diesel. And anywhere there are moderate temperatures and good access to sunlight, you can have a "factory."

 

Category: ENERGY

 

Google: Vertigro 
or http://www.globalgreensolutionsinc.com/s/VertigroFAQ.asp

 

Source: Global Green Solutions;
graphic: Microsoft Office Home

Joel Barker's Good News Blog
at the Global Dialogue Center

#4 - Electricity in the right places improves engine mileage!

Research done at Temple University confirms that an electric field generated near the fuel injectors of a diesel engine can improve mileage by as much as 20%. It looks like it should work for standard gasoline engines as well. That means a 20% decrease in fuel consumption across the boards for all internal combustion engines.  No comment on whether old engines could be retrofited, but, from the research, it sounds possible.

 

Category: ENERGY

 

Google:  electric field, gas mileage

or  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925111836.htm

 

Source: Science Daily

 

Joel Barker's Good News Blog
at the Global Dialogue Center

 

Research done at Temple University confirms that an electric field generated near the fuel injectors of a diesel engine can improve mileage by as much as 20%. It looks like it should work for standard gasoline engines as well. That means a 20% decrease in fuel consumption across the boards for all internal combustion engines.  No comment on whether old engines could be retrofited, but, from the research, it sounds possible.

 

Category: ENERGY

 

Google:  electric field, gas mileage

or  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080925111836.htm

 

Source: Science Daily

 

Joel Barker's Good News Blog
at the Global Dialogue Center

Category: ENERGY

 

Google:  electric field, gas mileage

 

#3 - Pollution Eating Concrete

An Italian company has invented a concrete that takes pollution out of the air. It is self-cleaning so it always looks white. But more than that, it neutralizes air pollutants thus improving the quality of the air nearby.  In the United States its first use will be near schools to reduce the effects of pollutants.

Category: MATERIALS

Google: TX Active cement   

or http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/11/tx-active-a-new-pollution-eating-cement-for-europe/

 

Source: Engadget;
graphic: Microsoft Office Home

Joel Barker's Good News Blog
at the Global Dialogue Center

Google: TX Active cement   

or http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/11/tx-active-a-new-pollution-eating-cement-for-europe/

 

Source: Engadget;
graphic: Microsoft Office Home

#2 - Nanopaper--As strong as Iron and made out of wood

In Sweden, another kind of "paper" has been invented.  Using a very old material, cellulose extracted from wood, Swedish researcher, Lars Berglund have changed conventional paper into a much stronger material. He has figured out a way to make celluose nanofibers and then use a standard paper making process to make paper out of these fibers.  The result is paper stronger than cast iron and almost as strong a structural steel.

Here, again, we see a common, easy to grow material, provide new and important qualities of strength simply by finding a new way to process the material.  The concept of a "paper house" stronger than steel is very interesting.

Category: MATERIALS

Google: nanopaper 
or http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080609090706.htm

Source: Science Daily

Joel Barker's Good News Blog
at the Global Dialogue Center

#1 - Buckypaper: super strong and super light

Florida State University researchers have developed a new kind of material made out of carbon nanotubes that promises to be 10 times lighter than steel of the same thickness and potentially 500 times stronger!  Nanotubes have been manufactured for years, but this is the first time someone has assembled them into a sheet.

Each tube is 50,000 times smaller than a human hair but extremely strong.  Buckpaper is made like paper except, instead of wood fibers, it is made up of layers of nanofibers. Of course, we are just at the beginning, but, just like computer chips, once we figure out how to make it, it will improve dramatically.

Think of the impact of a material made out of a highly abundant material--carbon that is so light and strong.  Airplanes, bridges, buildings, cars--all will be stronger and lighter. For cars and planes, it means much less fuel needed to go from point A to point B.  For buildings, it means cheaper foundations, or much taller buildings. And safer, lighter, longer-lasting bridges. Just when we were worrying about the cost of iron ore, along comes Buckypaper which could make steel, if not obsolete, used a lot less than it is now.

Category: MATERIALS

Google Search: buckypaper
or http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/10/17/buckypaper-material.html

Source: Discovery Channel - Discovery News

Joel Barker's Good News Blog
at the Global Dialogue Center

Joel Barker's New Ideas to Consider

This is the beginning of a long exploration. It is a response to people asking me where they can find good news about the future. This will be one place, though it won't be exhaustive.  I will add new items as I see fit on my schedule, so the examples will grow in fits and starts.  My goal is to give you as a parent or a grand parent or an older sibling, a place for find stories that give the younger children and adolescents around you reason for being positive about the future.

I went through more than 200 positive articles to sort out the first 10 new ideas to share with you.  I'll try to add betweeen 5-10 each week which means about 300 stories a year that show how human beings around the world are working to make it a better place.  Of course, it is my definition of "better" and I am sure some of you will disagree with my choices. That's what's nice about a free market. You can disagree with me at no cost.

One more thing: if you have a report on some positive idea for the future, feel free to drop me a note about it. If it meets my own criteria, I'll happily include it with a reference to you.

I will always try to give you a URL to go to to gather more extensive data and, if there are pictures, I'll try to include them since kids love pictures!

See the posts that follow to  to see my first 10 new ideas for you to consider.

Here we go!

-- Joel

Joel Barker
futurist, filmmaker, author

Joel Barker's Good News Blog
at the Global Dialogue Center
 

Joel Barker's Good News Blog
at the Global Dialogue Center
 

An epiphany

This blog is the result of me having an epiphany.

Over the years, I’ve exhorted my audiences to make sure they share positive news about the future with their children to demonstrate that good things are being done all over the world by good people. People have asked me where to find this good news and I’ve given them a vague answer like, “It is scattered all over the media.” One day I realized that I read all over the media and I know the good news. Why the heck wasn’t I summarizing it for others to read?

So, that’s what this blog is about: the good things I run into as I read and research more than 45 publications a month, plus the stuff I run into on the Internet. My goal is to put five to ten stories each week about something that I consider good news. You can follow up if you want more information by visiting often:
www.globaldialoguecenter.blogs.com/jbgoodnews

If you have some good news that I am missing, you send me a note. I’ll be happy to take a look at it. If I agree, I’ll post it.

So, for those of you who are tired of running into bad news on the front pages and lead articles, here is an antidote:

Some good news about the future!

-- Joel

Joel Barker
futurist, filmmaker, author

Some good news about the future!

-- Joel

Joel Barker
futurist, filmmaker, author