Turning Off the Air Conditioning Helps Save Fuel, Swiss Study Finds

ScienceDaily (June 28, 2010) — Automobile air conditioning systems do not run "free of charge." In fact in the hot parts of the world they can account for up to thirty per cent of fuel consumption. Even in Switzerland, with its temperate climate, the use of air conditioning systems is responsible for about five per cent of total fuel usage, rising to around ten per cent in urban traffic, as shown by a new study undertaken by Empa on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN). Furthermore, two thirds of the additional fuel usage could be saved if air conditioning systems were simply turned off when the air temperature falls below 18 degrees Celsius.

Using Carbon Nanotubes in Lithium Batteries Can Dramatically Improve Energy Capacity

ScienceDaily (June 21, 2010) — Batteries might gain a boost in power capacity as a result of a new finding from researchers at MIT. They found that using carbon nanotubes for one of the battery's electrodes produced a significant increase -- up to tenfold -- in the amount of power it could deliver from a given weight of material, compared to a conventional lithium-ion battery. Such electrodes might find applications in small portable devices, and with further research might also lead to improved batteries for larger, more power-hungry applications.

The Future of the "Gods" of Energy

"...Prometheus was sorry for mankind and he went to Zeus and asked him if he might have some sacred fire for his poor creatures.

But Zeus said no, fire belonged to the gods alone.

Prometheus could not bear to see his people suffer and he decided to steal fire, though he knew that Zeus would punish him severely. No longer did men shiver in the cold of the night, and the beasts feared the light of fire and did not dare attack them...."