First solar canal project is a win for water, energy, air and climate in California

Good News Notes: “Mounting evidence suggests the western United States is now in its worst megadrought in at least 1,200 years. Groundwater supplies are being overpumped in many places, and the dryness, wildfires and shrinking water supplies are making climate change personal for millions of people. As an engineer, I have been working with colleagues on a way to both protect water supplies and…

Kenya Company Wants Buses, Utility Vehicles to Go Green by 2030

Good News Notes: “The United Nations Environment Program on Monday marked the official end of toxic leaded gasoline use in vehicles worldwide. A company in Nairobi, where the UNEP is headquartered, is working on the next step — converting all buses and utility vehicles to electric power by 2030. Lucy Mugala goes about checking on…

Diesel Killing Locomotive of the Future Runs on Solar Power

Good News Notes: “The creators of the solar-powered locomotive of the future were aiming to set a Guinness record for speed last weekend, and that is more than just your ordinary attention-getting stunt. Demonstrating the functionality of PV panels on rail cars could help set the stage for solar power to knock diesel fuel out…

Can This Sun-Reflecting Fabric Help Fight Climate Change?

Good News Notes: “IN 2020, A graduate student from Zhejiang University in China donned a seemingly plain white vest and sat in the direct sunlight for one hour. A few feet away, researchers monitored his body temperature with infrared cameras and sensors on his skin. Half of the vest was made from ordinary cotton; the other…

Engineer discovers how to extract water from air and sunlight

Good News Notes: “When you have sugar in a bowl, that sugar gets a little clumpy over time,” says Cody Friesen. “Have you ever thought about why?” Friesen, who teaches materials science at Arizona State University, explains that the sugar absorbs moisture from the air around it. “The science term for that is the sugar…

Anchorage engineer plans to recycle ocean garbage into plastic lumber

Good News Notes: “The cost of lumber and other building materials is sky-high, and it’s even more expensive when shipped to small coastal communities in Alaska. Patrick Simpson of Anchorage has an idea that might help. He wants to create artificial lumber from an abundant material no one wants: Plastic ocean debris. Simpson, an engineer,…

Innovations in water accessibility

Good News Notes: “Growing up in coastal Connecticut, Flora Klise’s childhood was shaped by water. She spent summers taking sailing lessons and working at a local marina. But it wasn’t until she stood next to a well in rural Tanzania that she realized she wanted to pursue a career in water innovation. The summer before…