In case you haven't heard, our planet is getting warmer. At what rate it is occurring or how much human activity has to do with the increasing temperatures is a heated debate. One thing we do know for sure...carbon dioxide (CO2) is a contributing factor in global warming and humans are responsible for a large portion of these emissions. Things are much different today than they were even five years ago; individuals and businesses alike are trying to reduce their environmental impact and GHG (Green House Gas) emissions. What the average person does not realize is that they have two types of footprints, a primary and secondary. The primary footprint is a measure of our direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy consumption and transportation, e.g. car and plane. The secondary footprint is a measure of indirect CO2 emissions from the whole lifecycle of products we use, those associated with their manufacturing and eventual breakdown. To put it simply – the more we buy, the more emissions will be caused on our behalf.

As electricity costs increase, people are looking for more and more ways to reduce everyday costs. One such way to reduce costs while using vibratory feeders is to use a full wave/AC feeder instead of a half wave/DC feeder. Even though up-front costs are greater, by switching to full wave vibratory feeders, one can quickly reclaim costs by taking advantage of up to 60% energy savings!

Ethanol (also known as E-85) has been the talk of the world in recent years. Although it has great benefits to our current global warming problem, amongst others, it does not seem to be the great golden solution. The process of generating ethanol has its own problems, as discussed inside.

In light of ever increasing gasoline prices, General Motors Corporation has recently made an announcement that they hope to have fuel cell powered vehicles in showrooms by 2012. Let's hope this is the case.

The United States Military is currently developing new techniques to diagnose closed head traumas. Some of the latest techniques involve gamma rays and radio isotopes. Recent studies have shown out of over 13,000 troops, about 2,400 of them had some form of brain damage.

Professor Wysession, a seismologist at Washington University, has discovered a large body of water the size of the Arctic Ocean at the core-mantel boundary of Earth. Interesting enough, this discovery happened while studying earthquakes!

It has been reported that over 20% of the commercial bees in Europe and the USA have been mysteriously killed off. Various research has showed that one possible reason for the drop in bee population is the use of cell phones and the radiation they emit! If this is indeed the case, who knows what other harm this may bring us.

In looking for aerodynamic designs, what better place to look than nature! Designers and researchers have created a vehicle imitating a fish, and an airplane resembling bat wings -- all in less time than you may think.

In April's outstanding issue of Scientific American, the world of Plasmonics as applied to nanotechnology is explored and discussed in depth. It explains how plasmonics works. The author, Harry Atwater, makes this fascinating, but difficult subject very understandable to those of us who lack engineering or physics degrees.

As if American manufacturers don't have enough trouble to worry about, now they must pay attention to foreign Internet hackers and spies. Zycon provides some basic tips on how to limit your company's exposure to hackers and pranksters.

The Internet is becoming more and more of a place for businesses to concentrate their advertising, innovations, and even main products on. Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney, is no stranger to this phenomenon.

Technology is a wonderful thing, but without any imagination, the applications of technology are very limited. The Smithsonian Magazine has an article that shows that through technology, some things previously lost are now found right "in plain sight."

There's a popular saying, "Garbage in...garbage out". The US Military, assisted by Purdue University, has a different idea, "garbage in...power out!" A new Tactial Biorefinery has the ability to convert garbage into energy. In fact, it produces far more energy than it actually consumes. Will landfills be a thing of the past?

In continuation of our discussion of alternative energy sources like wind power, we are happy to note that Texas has leased 11,000 acres of land in hopes of producing enough electricity through wind to power 40,000 homes. In addition, we also learned some interesting statistics...

Researchers are working on something only thought of in sci-fi -- a cloaking device. Although it's no where near perfected and only works in various wavelengths, the advancements in technology are happening so fast, it's probably only a matter of time to when we'll be saying "engage cloaking device!"

It seems many products today come out of thin air. Of course, we know this is not true. Products evolve from technological advances over time. In fact, two scientists who came up with the basis for today's massive hard drives are being recognized for their extraordinary work.

An update to a previous blog, the Daimler-Chrysler Smart Car ("Smart Shoe") is coming to America in 2008. Many got a first look at it during the Detroit Auto Show in the previous couple of weeks.

Plastic Logic has developed a process that allows, amongst other things, electronic flexible newsprint that can be helpful to the environment by reducing countless sheets of paper now utilized in the printing industry.

An American manufacturer, HelioVolt Corporation, has received an Innovation Award and Technology Award from the Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine, respectively, for its more efficient method for producing solar cells.

In following our previous "pig poop" blog entry, we've come across an article about a professor and his staff of graduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) that have found a way to extract oil from swine manure.

Researchers have found an alternative for separating water into hydrogen and oxygen. Typically this is done with electrolysis, however, now it can be done with only solar energy and blood, possibly paving a new way for creating hydrogen gas for use as fuel in the future.

In going along with our solar power and alternative energy discussions, we have come across a site by Anna Stone that offers portable devices to harness solar energy and power your laptop, radio, and so on.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT) has found a way to replace the standard, and sometimes very costly tool steel used in deep drawing with more cost-effective high-performance ceramics.

Automobile makers throughout the world are playing the "Small Car Race" making small, safe, fuel-efficient vehicles. In Germany, DaimlerChrysler has come up with a baby shoe-shaped "Smart" car that can get over 50 MPG and is safe.

Coal, an old, but necessary fuel, is still widely used due to its abundance, however the emissions from burning coal are harmful to the environment and contribute to global warming. There is a solution however...

People and organizations are always seeking renewable energy sources. Siemens AG has announced an investment of over $17 million to build wind turbines in Iowa.

Pigs aren't just for ham and bacon anymore. A farmer from Germany has found another use for them...energy.

In this time of ever-rising fuel, oil, and gas prices, we are all looking for alternative energy sources. Australia has been working to find a way of creating solar power more cost-effective and practical.