Urban and Residential Living in a World with Climate Change
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.
A Greener Footprint with Carbon Capture and Next Generation Energy Production
On Wednesday, April 22, 2015, more than 22,000 partner organizations and more than one billion people in 192 different countries will honor the 45th annual Earth Day. According to organizers, this will be the world’s largest non-secular celebration. The theme of this year’s festivities is “It’s Our Turn to Lead,” sounding a call to action among anyone with an interest in environmental issues. With this in mind, we thought we would take a look at some intriguing, recently patented green innovation relating to carbon capture and energy production.
Our society is tied to our quick access to electricity throughout the home and across our communities. It’s hard to picture a consumer economy without the easy ability to obtain electrical energy from a wall outlet to power a variety of electronics. All of that electricity generation occurs at power plants which release a lot of carbon dioxide directly into the atmosphere. As a result, many have discussed the use of carbon capture and storage technologies as a way of counteracting some of the negative aspects of energy production.
04.21.15 | Patent Issues | Gene Quinn
Carbon Capture Innovations for a Greener Planet
The history of Earth Day traces back to 1970 when then United States Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) came up with the idea. He had long sought a way to inspire people to become more environmentally conscious, and after reading about anti-Vietnam War “teach-ins” on college campuses, he was inspired to start a nationwide teach-in on the environment. His efforts worked and an estimated 20 million people participated in various education activities on April 22, 1970.
In 2009, the United Nations unanimously adopted a resolution designating April 22 each year as International Mother Earth Day. With this in mind, we take a belated look at some interesting patented technologies that relate to a cleaner, greener environment. Today we profile several carbon-capture innovations that caught our attention during a recent search.
05.1.14 | Patent Issues | Gene Quinn
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04.22.15 | Patent Issues | Gene Quinn