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14 Sep

Confirmed: Atmospheric helium levels are rising

by TMR Desk
Technology
A by-product released by use of fossil fuels has been increasing since 1974 Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego used an unprecedented technique to detect that levels of helium are rising in the atmosphere, resolving an issue that has lingered among atmospheric chemists for decades. The atmospheric abundance of the 4-helium (4He) isotope is rising because 4He is released during the burning and extraction of fossil fuels. The researchers report that it is increasing at a very small but, for the first time, clearly measurable rate. The 4He isotope itself does not add to the greenhouse effect that is making the planet warmer, but measures of it could serve as indirect markers of fossil-fuel use. The National Science Foundation-supported...
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14 Sep

Researchers create method for breaking down plant materials for earth-friendly energy

by TMR Desk
Education
These chemical tools can access renewable energy from plant matter that could lessen our dependence on fossil fuels With energy costs rising, and the rapidly emerging effects of burning fossil fuels on the global climate, the need has never been greater for researchers to find paths to products and fuels that are truly renewable. "We use 20 million barrels of oil a day in the U.S.; that's about a fifth of the world's usage," said Ned Jackson,a professor of organic chemistry in the College of Natural Science at Michigan State University. "All our liquid fuels and nearly all of our manufactured materials, from gasoline and gallon jugs to countertops and clothes, start with petroleum -- crude oil." Developing the tools to move from...
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