Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Category: climatology – Page 63

The new system uses molten salts instead of traditional fuel rods.

The world is rethinking nuclear power plants in the face of climate change. Your average plant produces 8,000 times more power than fossil fuels and is environmentally friendly. There’s one massive caveat, though, in the form of nuclear disasters, such as the 1986 Chernobyl incident and the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Now, professor Matthew Memmott and colleagues from Bingham Young University (BYU) announced that they designed a new molten salt micro-reactor system that allows for safer nuclear energy production. As per a press release, it may also solve a number of other key issues related to nuclear energy production.

Photo by brooklyn jarvis kelson/byu photo.

Continue reading “Engineers created a safe micro-nuclear reactor that fits in the back of a truck” | >

Scientists are ringing alarm bells about a significant new threat to U.S. water quality: as winters warm due to climate change, they are unleashing large amounts of nutrient pollution into lakes, rivers, and streams.

The first-of-its-kind national study finds that previously frozen nutrient pollution—unlocked by rising and rainfall—is putting at risk in 40% of the contiguous U.S., including over 40 states.

Nutrient runoff into rivers and lakes—from phosphorus and nitrogen in fertilizers, manure, , and more—has affected quality for decades. However, most research on nutrient runoff in snowy climates has focused on the growing season. Historically, and a continuous snowpack froze nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous in place until the watershed thawed in the spring, when plants could help absorb excess nutrients.

Read more | >

New underwater camera could help scientists explore unknown regions of the ocean, track pollution, or monitor the effects of climate change.

More than 95 percent of Earth’s oceans have never been observed, according to estimates by scientists, which means we have seen less of our planet’s ocean than we have the far side of the moon or the surface of Mars.

Mars is the second smallest planet in our solar system and the fourth planet from the sun. It is a dusty, cold, desert world with a very thin atmosphere. Iron oxide is prevalent in Mars’ surface resulting in its reddish color and its nickname “The Red Planet.” Mars’ name comes from the Roman god of war.

Read more | >

Known for its electric vehicles, Tesla Inc TSLA also has a solar power division. Customers who bought solar roofs in Florida might be thanking the company after the lingering damage of Hurricane Ian.

What Happened: Hurricane Ian hit landfall in Florida and has caused severe damage to the region. Benzinga previously reported the impact could be $258 billion in replacement costs in one region and another $149 billion in the area of Tampa Bay.

The impact could be hundreds of millions of dollars for insurance companies as well.

Read more | >

The streets in this meticulously planned neighborhood were designed to flood so houses don’t. Native landscaping along roads helps control storm water. Power and internet lines are buried to avoid wind damage. This is all in addition to being built to Florida’s robust building codes.

Some residents, like Grande, installed more solar panels on their roofs and added battery systems as an extra layer of protection from power outages. Many drive electric vehicles, taking full advantage of solar energy in the Sunshine State.

Climate resiliency was built into the fabric of the town with stronger storms in mind.

Read more | >

Stronger hurricanes that are re-energized by jet stream winds are twice as likely to cross the Atlantic and wreak havoc in Europe than weaker ones, new research has found.

Atlantic hurricanes generate international attention because of the destruction they can cause across North America and the Caribbean. Just days ago, ex-hurricane Fiona impacted Canada as one of their strongest storms on record. While lesser-known, these cyclones can also wreak havoc in Europe.

The question of why some hurricanes make it to Europe as ex-hurricanes while others don’t has been unclear. The scientists investigated this question by studying 180 ex-hurricanes over a 40-year period, finding that stronger hurricanes are far more likely to reach Europe, and that those encountering strong jet stream winds often re-intensify, helping them to move further east.

Read more | >