The theme for Earth Day 2015 revolves around climate change. Our lifestyles can have the effect of contributing to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a major symptom and causal effect of climate change. For example, urban areas account for two-thirds of driving-related greenhouse gases despite public transportation opportunities. There’s been some research lately into the effects of climate change on urban areas, such as those areas of California that have been slammed by drought conditions, and a growing population is an issue that has to be taken into account. With the environment on our mind, we thought a close look at climate-change tech would be appropriate. We focus on a couple of innovations that will keep our society running in the face of a warmer atmosphere and higher sea levels, assuming that sea levels do increase as we keep being told they will.

As our atmosphere warms, there will be more of our country’s population that lives in a hot-humid or hot-arid climate rather than a temperate climate. Keeping energy costs within the home to a minimum is the objective of the technology protected by U.S. Patent No. 8978342, which is titled Residential Radiant Barrier Assemblies. Issued to Auburn University in March, it claims a method of radiant heat rejection by providing a radiant barrier material in a roof of a building along a bottom edge of a rafter to separate an airspace while supporting convective airflow that removes heat from the radiant barrier material. This radiant barrier could be installed in homes and other buildings to reduce summer heat gain in warm climates.

An intriguing fire prevention system for homes which seeks to address the increased risk of fires in climates that are increasing in warmth is discussed in U.S. Patent No. 8893814, titled Roof Top and Attic Vent Water Misting System. The system for protecting a roof-containing structure from fire embers involves at least two fluid containers which include multiple apertures and a water level float sensor suspended within each fluid container, a device connected to each third aperture of the fluid containers that provides an airflow into the containers and multiple lumen-containing conveyances connected to the fluid containers through other apertures which work in concert with a pressure sensor to deliver an atomized fluid for co-segregating fire embers. This fire prevention system is optimal for regions where water supply is limited. This patent was issued to My Bui of San Diego, CA, in November 2014.

Finally, we were greatly interested in one invention looking forward to a day where pedestrians may have to deal with rising sea levels hindering their access to local streets. U.S. Patent No. 8915669, titled Cross Street Transit and Multimodal Multi-Level Station and Pedestrian Oriented Interchange, was issued to a group of four Florida-based inventors during December of last year. It protects a cross street station and interchange for use at a traffic artery intersection of a primary regional traffic artery and a local traffic artery and extending outward to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety, reduce private passenger automotive miles traveled, and which adapts to climate change with respect to sea-level rise. The cross street station and interchange include traffic-calming highway improvements at street level to reduce traffic speeds and multiple features for supporting mass transit and private transportation. This invention is designed to assemble compatible transit options while providing plaza space for pedestrians and a mechanism for raising the station in response to rising sea levels instead of being rendered ineffective through flooding.

Tags: Earth Day, green patents, green technology, patent, patents

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