Silver lining? Greenhouse gas could be vast, untapped source of energy

Environment

John Roach NBC News

6 hours ago

AP

In this file photo, piles of coal are shown at a power plant in Thompsons, Texas. The plant, which operates natural gas and coal-fired units, is one of the largest power plants in the United States.

The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide emitted from power plants and other industrial activities around the world is a vast source of untapped energy, according to new research that describes a proof-of-concept technique to harvest it.

Akin to harvesting energy from the wind, this combination of chemistry and mechanics would generate electricity from the carbon dioxide (CO2) already flowing out of plants. While it wouldn't destroy the CO2, it would pull far more energy from existing waste gas. It could arguably even enable plants to resist scaling up and becoming more wasteful, just to keep up with demand.

"The energy is there," Bert Hamelers, a program director at Wetsus, the Center of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology in the Netherlands, who led the research, told NBC News. "Only you need a turbine to get it."

The system he and colleagues devised to get energy from CO2 involves alternately mixing water or another liquid solution with combustion gas containing a high concentration of CO2 such as that from a power plant and air with a low concentration of the gas.

These liquids are pumped between specialized membranes to produce an electric current. The current comes from the concentration gradient between the combustion gas and air, Hamelers explained. The process is described in detail in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters.

Other teams are working on a similar mixing approach to exploit the chemical differences between seawater and freshwater. But, until now, no one has tried to mix a combustion gas with air, Hamelers noted.

Like wringing energy from the wind, harvesting energy from CO2 does not increase greenhouse gas emissions. "For the same CO2 emissions," he said," you get more energy."

The approach, he emphasized, does not get rid of the CO2. "You use the energy that is now wasted. You bring it in and get the extra energy out, but you cannot sequester it."

The CO2 released from power plants and other activities around the world could produce 1,570 billion kilowatt hours, or the equivalent of about 400 times the annual electrical output of the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River between Nevada and Arizona, Hamelers and colleagues noted in their paper.

For the proof-of-concept, the researchers used a well-known technique to bubble the gas and air through the liquid solution. That process uses more energy than the energy it produces, "but there are alternatives like membrane-based processes that use less energy," Hamelers said.

"The objective for us was to show that, yes, there is this source of energy and, yes, you can harvest it," he added. "Of course you need a lot more technological development before this is a system that can be practiced."

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News. To learn more about him, visit his website.

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Boy Inhales Blowgun Dart

A 15-year-old boy in Ohio required a visit to the emergency room after he inhaled a dart from a homemade blowgun, according to a new report of his case.

The dart lodged in the boy's airway after he inhaled deeply while holding the blowgun in his mouth. Blowguns are designed to allow darts to be propelled outward by the force of an exhaled breath. The gun mostly consists of a narrow tube.

When he arrived at the emergency room, the boy had already been coughing for three hours. Although the boy said he had just been playing with his siblings ? with no mention of the blowgun ? X-rays of his airway revealed the dart. After further questioning, the boy admitted to using the blowgun.

The case highlights the potential dangers of blowguns for teens, especially when the blowguns are made by using instructions on the Internet, which the boy had done. Most websites that provide instructions regarding how to make blowguns do not adequately warn about the guns' risks, the researchers said. [See 9 Weird Ways Kids Can Get Hurt].

"It's really a setup for foreign body aspiration," study researcher Dr. Kris Jatana, an ear, nose and throat doctor at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, said of blowgun use by teens. (Aspiration means inhaling a foreign material.)

When a child inhales deeply (to produce a forceful breath to propel the dart forward), their vocal chords open fully, which makes it easier for objects to enter their airway, Jatana said.

The boy underwent a nonsurgical procedure ?in which a tube is inserted down the throat to view objects in the airway, and the dart was removed. Despite inhaling a sharp object, the boy was not harmed by the ordeal, according to the case report.

Over the next three months, the doctors saw two more cases of teen boys (ages 14 and 15) who inhaled darts from homemade blowguns. In both cases, the darts were removed without complications.

But the three boys were all very fortunate not to have any serious complications, Jatana told LiveScience. Anytime an object is inhaled and trapped in the airway, it can be a life-threatening problem, he said. A dart could puncture a hole in the airway or lungs, or injure the voice box.

Because of their risks, blowguns should probably not be used by children or teens, Jatana said.

With the Internet providing easy access to blowgun instructions, such cases may become more common in the future, the researchers said.

As shown in this case, teens do not always tell the truth, which can complicate receiving a correct diagnosis. If a teen boy comes to the emergency room with vague respiratory symptoms, doctors should be suspicious that he may have inhaled something, the doctors wrote in their report. Symptoms of aspiration include difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing and spitting up or coughing blood.

The report is published in the July 22 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow?LiveScience @livescience, Facebook?&?Google+. Original article on?LiveScience.com .

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boy-inhales-blowgun-dart-112932844.html

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Testing Out The Ford Fiesta ST, Ford Focus ST & The Hybrid Ford C-Max

Last week, I had a chance to test-drive the new 2014 Ford Fiesta ST, Ford Focus ST and Ford C-Max, Ford?s hybrid car. My favorite of the three was the Fiesta, although the C-Max blew me away in terms of quiet power and gee-whiz visual controls. But it was the Fiesta that partied its way into my heart.

The reason is actually quite simple. The Fiesta ST is a world car and what you?re buying in the U.S.A. is a European spec car, which means it handles like a German car. Ford invited me to test their cars as part of their Ford EcoBoost Challenge, which is visiting cities throughout the U.S. Here is what my impressed me most of the Fiesta:

Engine
The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST is equipped with 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers an impressive 197 hp and 202 lb.-ft. torque. That is more power than my Mercedes Benz SLK, and it weighs 3,110 lbs., while the Fiesta tips the scales at just 2,742 lbs. As you might expect, with a weight-to-horsepower ratio that?s better than a 2006 Porsche Boxster, the Fiesta is satisfyingly quick. The turbo-charged four-cylinder engine boosts power when needed and does a great job to keep the Fiesta ST moving.

Access
The Ford Fiesta ST has a keyless, pushbutton ignition and the trunk features, thankfully, a full-size spare. Entry and egress was very easy, even for a six-footer like me, although I did see a rather rotund test-driver struggle with getting situated. My sense is that unless you wrestle in the heavy-weight class, you will do just fine.

Navigation
I could not test the Ford SYNC system since it requires registering an account, but the navigation and entertainment system worked as advertised, once you figure out that to call up the individual system elements, you have to press the outer corners.

My Ford Fiesta ST featured the must-have Recaro seats with red contrast insets that will blow your, and your passengers?, mind. Available in ?Molten Orange? or ?Smoke Storm? colors.

Audio
This Fiesta was equipped with the optional Sony Audio System with HD Radio, which played music well, although in our, albeit limited, testing, the audio quality did not exactly take our breath away. But it should satisfy anyone, lest you have ?golden ears,? you know who we?re talking about?you!

Climate Control
We had no problem with the Fiesta?s climate control, which worked well, although on a chilly San Francisco summer day, it was hard to tell how well. Suffice it to say, we think it should function correctly in most of the world.

Steering Wheel Controls
I also liked the Ford Fiesta?s layout controls the best of the trio of Ford cars I drove. Both the Ford Focus ST and C-Max have unbelievably cluttered steering wheel controls. I don?t understand why Ford designers can?t standardize on one particular layout, with an easy-to-use human interface, and run with it.

iDevice Integration
The Ford Fiesta ST comes equipped with a USB plug and can accommodate both USB thumb drives or SD cards filled with music. You can also directly integrate Android phones, although iPhones need to be plugged in. Ford?s SYNC has too many features to list here, so read this page.

Bluetooth syncing with my iPhone worked immediately and the Ford Fiesta comes with a trial subscription to SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link. The entertainment system also features a Pandora internet radio4 and, for optimum parking. a rear-view camera is available as an option.

User Experience
What can I say about the Recaro seats? They?re world famous for providing great support and you simply can?t go wrong with this option. The doors closed solidly and there was no evidence of any rattles or poor assembly.

The Fiesta offers a lot of standard niceties and options that make motoring pleasant, including power moonroof, ambient lighting, Bluetooth integration, cap-less fuel filler, heated front seats. Ford SYNC Services are complimentary for the first three years and offer turn-by-turn directions, 411 business search, personalized sports scores, news, stock quotes and even your horoscope.

Front-wheel-drive, four-wheel disc brakes, 205/40WR17 tires and not an overly assisted rack-and-pinion power steering added up to a very drivable experience. The Fiesta ST is rated at 26 mpg in city driving and 35 mpg highway. It is also only available with a six-speed manual transmission, which, unfortunately, does not offer hill assist (a big plus in San Francisco).

The Ford Fiesta has a full complement of navigation and digital controls that should make any Digital Lifestyle denizen very happy indeed. Hands-free calling using your Bluetooth phone allows you to answer calls at the touch of a button, and even issue commands to get news, stock quotes or, gasp, your horoscope.

Conclusion
Car and Driver notes that the Fiesta ST went from zero to 60 mph in 6.7 sec, which supports our observation that the car is fast enough. The steering was good and not wobbly like the Ford Focus ST I drove, which may have needed some type of steering adjustment. Driving position was great and the Recaro seats hugged my body in the right way.

Performance
ACCELERATION: 0-60 in 6.7 seconds
BRAKING: N.A.
TOP SPEED: 137 mph
POWER: 197 hp (turbo-charged DOHC, four valves-per-cylinder engine)
FUEL ECONOMY: EPA city/highway: 26/35 mpg (projected)
LENGTH: 160.1 in (4.64 m)
WEIGHT: 2742 lb (1244 kg)
PRICE: $25,475 (as tested)

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Source: http://www.weblogtheworld.com/formats/photos/testing-out-the-ford-fiesta-st-ford-focus-st-the-hybrid-ford-c-max/

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Panasonic takes super-zooms to new levels with 60x FZ70

panasonic

Devin Coldewey NBC News

8 hours ago

Panasonic

The FZ70, with zoom lens extended.

Panasonic's latest super-zoom camera is a strange-looking beast, but if you need to get close to the action, it's certainly a good way to do it. The FZ70's massive lens provides a 60x optical zoom ? the 35mm equivalent of a 1200mm lens.

There's a fairly large class of people who want the ease of use of a point-and-shoot combined with the zoom capability of a large-lensed DSLR. Shooting at the kid's soccer match, catching birds at the feeder in the backyard, and other common photographic tasks can always use that extra range provided by a zoom.

The 16-megapixel FZ70's lens has a 60x magnification factor, meaning you could probably read the date on a penny from across the room.

That is, if you can keep it steady. It has built-in optical image stabilization, but even so, at that level of zoom you'll want a tripod or at least something to steady the camera with if the image is to be sharp or the video smooth.

The cannon-sized lens is F/2.8-5.9; it could certainly be worse, but remember that it has a rather small point-and-shoot size sensor, so even decent lens numbers won't let you shoot in poor conditions. Nighttime game? Good luck.

Still, it's a notable accomplishment to provide such an insane zoom in a package that is, if not exactly pocketable, is certainly more so than a DSLR with a two-foot lens on the end.

The FZ70 should be available in September for about $400.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.

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Student loan deal would be a mixed bag for borrowers

consumer

Kelli Grant CNBC

1 hour ago

Mario Tama / Getty Images file

Federal student loan debt has topped $1 trillion, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau announced Wednesday. All outstanding student loan debt, including private loans as well as federal, tallies $1.2 trillion.

The Senate could vote soon on a student loan fix, but parents and students may not have reason to rejoice.

After Congress was unable to reach a compromise, rates for new federal subsidized Stafford loans doubled on July 1, from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. A Senate deal reached Wednesday evening would reportedly set a cap for Stafford and PLUS loans, and peg their rates to the 10-year Treasury note.

Under the proposal, undergraduates could borrow at an expected rate of 3.86 percent for the 2013-14 academic year. Graduate students could borrow at 5.4 percent and parents at 6.4 percent.

House Speaker John Boehner, D-Ohio, was encouraged by the proposal. "(The Senate bill) follows the structure of the House bill: market-based reform, market-based rates, similar what the president called for and what the House has already passed," Boehner said, "So when we see the details, I'm hopeful that we'll be able to put this issue behind us."

(Assuming the proposal becomes law, rates would retroactive to July 1, benefiting consumers who have already taken out federal loans for the coming school year, said Joseph Hurley, a certified public accountant and chief executive of Savingforcollege.com.)

Student loan rates would reset every year on July 1. Undergraduate rates would be capped at 8.25 percent, graduate rates at 9.25 percent and parents' rates at 10.5 percent.

The lower rate provides a little relief for students like Blake Crist, 21, who has relied on a mix of sources, including subsidized and unsubsidized loans, work study and scholarships, to finance his degree in integrated marketing communications from Ithaca College in New York.

"Just the thought of finding a job when you graduate is scary enough," said Crist, who hopes to work in marketing. "It becomes terrifying when you have to worry about paying off loans." He expects the proposed deal will keep his payments a bit lower than they might be, otherwise.

Later students may not see the same benefit. "It's still going to be, effectively, an interest rate increase masquerading as a decrease," said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Edvisors Network. Students currently enrolled will benefit from the low interest rates, but as the economy recovers and rates rise, today's high school students could end up paying more than 6.8 percent. "It's far from a permanent solution," he said.

That said, government-subsidized loans are still the cheapest option for student borrowing. Private loans often have higher rates that fluctuate, and may charge students interest while in school or during periods of deferment.

Under the proposed deal, that wouldn't change. "It may not be as cheap down the road, but then, comparable rates will be up too," Hurley said.

But the rate deal doesn't alleviate what experts say is the real problem with student loans: The amount of debt, rather than its cost.

Federal student loan debt has topped $1 trillion, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau announced Wednesday. All outstanding student loan debt, including private loans as well as federal, tallies $1.2 trillion.

On an individual basis, the average college senior in 2011 had student loan debts of $26,600, according to The Project on Student Debt, up from $25,250 in 2010.

"There's no cheap way to do undergrad right now," said Jonathan Meier, 18, of Manchester, Conn. An incoming freshman heading to Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey to study quantitative science, Meier plans to take on $5,500 in unsubsidized loans each year.

Kantrowitz said the cost of college, up about 4 percent in just the last year, has outpaced available grant money. The cost to attend a private college in 2012-13 totaled $39,518, according to the College Board, while in-state public colleges ran $17,136.

Read more: The Most expensive colleges in America

Higher costs force families to take on more loans or choose alternatives like a lower-cost college, which may affect students' ability to graduate on time, he said, and some families are priced out of attending college entirely.

With growing loan debt and higher rates on the horizon, it's more important for families to take steps to prepare financially for college by saving and hunting for scholarships. "Every dollar you save is a dollar you don't have to borrow," Kantrowitz said. For students in school, installment plans for tuition can help spread out the cost, potentially enabling families to pay more out of current income instead of taking out loans.

? 2013 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved

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Conservatives join Gillibrand's effort to change military justice system

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Habitat Running Out for Rare Primate in Cameroon

Primates don?t get much more spectacular than the furry, short-tailed, long-faced, pink-rumped monkeys known as drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus). But despite their striking looks, drills?which are closely related to baboons and the even more wildly colored, blue-faced mandrills (M. sphinx)?have not fared well in the wild over the past few decades. Drills have become one of the most endangered primate species in Africa, with an estimated population as low as 3,000 animals. Now new research shows that drills have been hunted and pushed out of most of their historic habitat, leaving few remaining territories where they can safely thrive. The study, published in the April 2013 issue of the International Journal of Primatology, suggests that active conservation may be necessary to safeguard the remaining drill habitats and keep the species from extinction.

According to the study, 80 percent of the world?s remaining drills live in Cameroon. Unfortunately for the primates, Cameroon?s human population has surged from 15.4 million in 2000 to more than 20 million in 2012. Meanwhile its economy has also grown, especially in the areas of palm oil plantations and oil exploration. That rapid expansion has put the squeeze on drills and their habitats.

The researchers?from the Zoological Society of San Diego and other institutions?divided the drill?s historic habitat in Cameroon into 52 zones, then conducted field surveys and village interviews to find out where drills remained. The results were not encouraging?the researchers only found direct evidence of drills in 16 zones. They also ranked each zone for its suitability to sustain drill populations, and those results were even worse. Only four sites ranked highly on their scale, indicating that they had the high levels of tree cover, less hunting, more law enforcement and more local recognition that drills are a protected species under Cameroonian law. The four sites also had populations of chimpanzees and elephants, indicating that the government would be more inclined to stop poaching in those regions.

In the less optimal habitats the researchers found that many drills are stuck in tiny forest fragments within landscapes dominated by human development. This leaves the animals with few opportunities to migrate and disperse their populations as generations mature. For example, there are small populations on both Mount Kupe and Mount Manenguba, but each is separated from the other by several kilometers of agricultural development.

Despite the drill?s legally protected status, the researchers also found that the animals were frequently hunted, often with the assistance of hunting dogs, which drive the primates up into trees where they can all easily be shot. Drill groups usually stay together rather than scatter when threatened by predators such as dogs. The researchers say the bushmeat trade drives much of the hunting, with middlemen providing villagers with guns and ammunition and then trading any animals collected for alcohol or illegal drugs.

That?s where things stand today, and the researchers wrote that the future might be even worse. Several planned new oil palm plantations could carve out even more of the drill?s current habitat. One 210,000-hectare plantation would cover the entirety of one of the study?s 52 zones, as well as significant portions of two others.

So what comes next? The researchers hope that this study can be used to identify the best areas necessary for the drill?s long-term survival. In particular, the study gives extra support to the proposed Ebo National Park, which has been in the works for several years and could end up protecting more than 110,000 hectares of biodiversity-rich forest. That pales in size when compared with some of the palm oil plantations, but for the drill, it?s certainly better than nothing.

Photo: A male drill at Limbe Wildlife Center in Cameroon, photographed by Bernard DuPont. Used under Creative Commons license

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/~r/sciam/basic-science/~3/0057TwHTVPg/post.cfm

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