Kat Knauer enjoyed science classes as a young girl but her understanding that science could be used as an instrument for good was solidified when a beloved family member grew ill.
Her childhood dog, Penny, was having a severe reaction to the pesticides her mother applied to fire ant mounds dotting the landscape around their south Florida home. Knauer became concerned for Penny’s health and turned to the scientific method for potential solutions
NREL develops laboratory analytical procedures (LAPs) for standard biomass analysis. These procedures help scientists and analysts understand more about the chemical composition of raw biomass feedstocks and process intermediates for conversion to biofuels.
Eva Wolfe could not see the flames, but she knew they were out there.
It was early September 2020, a hot end to a hot summer, and Wolfe and her husband were living in Oregon's backwoods. The state was experiencing its worst drought in 10 years. Trees went thirsty and died. Scrub brush crinkled into kindling. And pandemic lockdowns drove Oregonions into one of their few escapes: the woods.
Four scientists affiliated with the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory were named Battelle Distinguished Inventors during the lab’s annual Innovation Awards on Dec. 1 in recognition of being granted 14 or more United States patents.
An ongoing study dedicated to identifying and accessing renewable energy source options suggested switchgrass could be a contender.
“Switchgrass is a grass that is native to the United States,” said Katrien Devos, research professor of crop and soil sciences at the University of Georgia. “It's a component of the tall grass prairies. Since the 1950s, it’s been grown as a forage for animal feed. Around the 1990s, the (U.S.) Department of Energy looked into potential grasses for bioenergy production.”
A multidisciplinary approach has enabled researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to quantitatively define the relative positioning and arrangement of the polymers in Populus wood and to create a computer model that details the findings.
When it comes to making fuel from plants, the first step has always been the hardest — breaking down the plant matter. A new study finds that introducing a simple, renewable chemical to the pretreatment step can finally make next-generation biofuel production both cost-effective and carbon neutral.
It takes three to five years to see results from implementing regenerative agricultural practices, both in the field and in the ledger book. That gap of time before a return on investment is realized can often be a stumbling point for farmers who are considering implementing regenerative agricultural practices.
t least eight states plan to ban sales of new gas-powered cars after 2035, and several others are thinking about joining them.
The rules being adopted specify that only zero-emission vehicles — including electric vehicles and some plug-in hybrids — can be sold in participating states beginning with the 2035 model year.
It was 2001 when a semi-unknown Luisa Ranieri, now a famous Italian actress, starred in a commercial that became a cult hit in those years and a real catchphrase, especially for those like me whose name is Antonio. In the summer heat, dripping with sweat on her bed at home, she rejects the advances of her fiery companion by repeating "Antò, fa caldo!" (Antò, it's hot!) until the desired refreshment arrives directly from the fridge. An iced drink.