Learning from the Roller Coasters - Urban Transportation

Japan for Sustainability. The Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo (IIS), and Senyo Kogyo Co. and its group company (the companies are specialized in the construction of amusement park facilities) recently built a track line to test an energy-saving urban transportation system at the Chiba Experimental Station of IIS in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

The aim of the Eco-Ride joint project is to develop an energy-saving drive system using the height differences of rail tracks, as well as to develop a high-performance train and rail that produces less vibration and noise, by adopting an advanced coupling structure to prevent derailment.

The test track was constructed as a rail course about 100 meters long with a height difference of about three meters and a maximum downward slope of 7.4 degrees. A box-type vehicle will operate at 20 km/h (12 mph) on the track to generate electricity using the forces of air resistance and the speed of the train.

On commercial rail tracks, lift motors will be used at multiple places to move the train up slopes to gain potential energy using the same principal as a roller coaster. It will operate at an average speed of 20 km/h, with a maximum of 40 km/h.

The project has been in progress since the 2006 fiscal year, under the sponsorship of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The system is aimed at traveling short distances of less than 10 km, and is expected to operate between mass-transit sites such as rail and subway stations and local transit systems such as minibuses and taxis.

Energy consumption of this transport system is estimated to be one-third the energy consumed by a bus. The construction cost is projected to be between ¥2-3 billion (about US$22-33 million)—about one-fifth the cost of monorail construction. The project launch is planned for 2012.

Definitely sounds like a good contender and a concept to reflect onto the mass transit options in US cities. Wouldn't steps like these save or at least contribute to save our environment to an extent? That is up for debate as and when concepts like these are considered for US cities.

Volvo - Regenerative Charging

Volvo Cars is presenting seven new DRIVe models across its full range at the upcoming Geneva auto show, three of which are equipped with a start/stop system and regenerative charging. Volvo introduced its first three DRIVEe branded models—indicating uprated environmental properties—at the 2008 Paris motor show.

All the new DRIVe models are equipped with a conventional diesel engine and manual gearbox optimized for extra-low fuel consumption. These cars are also tailored specifically for low rolling resistance and reduced air drag.

Our dedicated focus on the DRIVe models in 2009 demonstrates Volvo Cars’ ability to quickly respond to customers’ increasing demands for products with low fuel consumption and low environmental impact. At the Paris motor show in 2008, we began our broad-based launch of the DRIVe models via the C30, S40 and V50. Now both the market and we are ready to step up to the next stage

—Stephen Odell, President and CEO of Volvo Cars

The Volvo Cars DRIVe range is divided into three categories linked to three emission levels: 120, 140, and 160 gCO₂/km.

DRIVe performance, CO2 emissions and fuel consumption
Model	Engine	Power/Torque	CO2	Fuel consumption
C30 Start/Stop	1.6D	109 hp/240 Nm	104 g/km	3.9 L/100km
S40 Start/Stop	1.6D	109 hp/240 Nm	107 g/km	4.0 L/100km
V50 Start/Stop	1.6D	109 hp/240 Nm	107 g/km	4.0 L/100km
V70	1.6D	109 hp/240 Nm	129 g/km	4.9 L/100km
S80	1.6D	109 hp/240 Nm	129 g/km	4.9 L/100km
XC60	2.4D	175 hp/420 Nm	159 g/km	6.0 L/100km
XC70	2.4D	175 hp/420 Nm	159 g/km	6.0 L/100km

120 g level. As of spring 2009, the Volvo C30, S40 and V50 1.6D DRIVe will be offered with a Start/Stop function. The 1.6D delivers 109 hp (81 kW) of power and 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) of torque. This helps lower emissions to 104 gCO₂/km for the Volvo C30 and 107 gCO₂/km for the S40 and the V50 family estate model. The C30 thus also meets the lowest eco-tax levels (105 g) in Europe.

In order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to such an extent, the new DRIVe versions of the C30, S40 and V50 have been equipped with two intelligent new features. One is a Start/Stop function that allows the engine to switch off when the car is at a standstill, for instance while waiting at traffic lights or when stuck in traffic queues.

If the driver puts the gear lever into neutral and releases the clutch while at a standstill, the engine switches off. The next time the driver presses the clutch, the engine starts up again. This technology can reduce fuel consumption and thus carbon dioxide emissions by 4-5% in mixed driving conditions. Start/Stop technology is particularly effective in urban traffic, when the saving may be as much as 8%.

While the car is at a standstill and the engine is switched off, some electronic systems such as the air conditioning step down to standby level in order to save fuel. However, the Start/Stop system continuously monitors the comfort level and automatically reactivates the relevant systems if for instance the temperature increases in the passenger compartment. The system does not set any limits for comfort-enhancing features such as the sound system or other facilities that the customer wants to maintain.

This monitoring system, which is specific to Volvo Cars, and the resultant high comfort level have been made possible owing to an additional small battery that supports the larger battery by providing extra power. Thanks to this extra battery, Volvo’s DRIVe models also feature particularly quick and smooth start-up and the audio system, for instance, remains totally unaffected when the starter motor is activated. The standard larger battery has been upgraded to handle up to 175,000 Start/Stop cycles.

The driver continuously receives feedback about system status via the in-car information display. The Start/Stop function can be engaged and disengaged via a special DRIVe button in the centre console. In the default setting, the function is activated. In the future, this special DRIVe button will also regulate additional systems such as the DRIVe “economy settings” for particularly fuel-efficient performance that are on the way in forthcoming models.

The other new feature in the C30, S40 and V50 DRIVe 1.6D with Start/Stop is a regenerative charge facility. This is a function that charges the battery as soon as the driver releases the accelerator or brakes while a gear is engaged. By harnessing the car’s kinetic energy, the alternator does not have to use diesel fuel as a power source when the battery’s charge level dips. Fuel savings of between 2 and 3% can be achieved with this function.

140 g level. The Volvo V70 and S80 are now also being offered in DRIVe versions. The cars are equipped with the same powertrain—1.6-liter diesel engine and manual gearbox—as the smaller models but with specially tailored engine software and different ratios in third, fourth and fifth gears.

The optimized powertrain is a major aid in helping Volvo’s larger sedans and family cars cut their fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. The V70 and S80 are down to 4.9 l/100 km (48 mpg US) and 129 g, an improvement of 18% and 15%, respectively, compared with the current two-liter diesel.

Other factors also contribute to the reduction in fuel consumption, including low rolling resistance tires, and and an electric power steering pump.

• Covered grill
• Lowered chassis (20 mm front, 15 mm rear)

160 g level. For model year 2010, the powertrain range for the new Volvo XC60 crossover and the XC70 adventure estate will expand with a front-wheel drive DRIVe version powered by the 2.4D engine. The 2.4D delivers 175 hp (130 kW) of power and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) of torque. CO₂ emissions will be 159 g/km with fuel consumption of 6.0 L/100 km (39 mpg US) for both cars.

In addition to front-wheel drive, a number of minor improvements all help deliver the new model’s competitive fuel consumption and CO₂ figures. Volvo Cars’ engineers succeeded in reducing friction and pump losses in the diesel engine and in cutting the pressure drop in the intake and exhaust systems.

Injection pressure has increased with the latest generation of high-pressure pumps and the injection architecture has been refined with the help of a piezo-electric system. The engine now has lower compression, more efficient combustion and the latest generation of engine management software. The turbocharger has been optimized to deliver high torque from low revs.

The gear ratios have been optimized so the car can be driven economically. For instance, when driving at 100 km/h in top gear, engine revs and thus also fuel consumption are lower with the new powertrain.

The fuel-reduction measures of these cars will also benefit the rest of the range. Also, all the current automatic transmissions will be 5-7% more efficient in forthcoming versions within the coming two years.

India Food Specialities

Traveling to India? Don't know what to eat and what to try when you cross borders into various states, that not just sport a different set of customs, but a totally different language too !

Check this cool picture that gives you a great breakdown of the foods and delicacies that one can't miss. (Thanks Sandy!)

I am sure there are many that you will find, you might have tried already, but there surely are many more, that you've heard of and wondered what they were, and wanted to try. That is what Incredible India! is all about.

Eco News

ShopToEarth Adds Four New Eco-Friendly Retailers - MSNBC
ShopToEarth Adds Four New Eco-Friendly RetailersMSNBC�- 11 hours agoLAS VEGAS, NV - ShopToEarn's Shop To Earth, an online shopping site featuring Eco-friendly products and services, announced four new retailers have joined ...

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Urban World - A little different

Courtesy: weburbanist

You might find an urban wonder right around the corner - from the narrowest and most windy streets of the world (respectively) to the biggest building moving project and the most profound rich/poor divide on the planet. Someone has even put the world’s largest urban bat colony on the map. Here are seven profoundly strange recording-setting wonders of the modern world.

1) The Narrowest Urban House in the World

The narrowest urban house in the world is surprisingly spacious - though only in one direction. It contains multiple rooms including bedrooms, a kitchen and laundry room. Located in small-town Brazil this house has become something of a tourist attraction. However, there are other compelling contenders for this record - each with their own narrow claim to fame.

2) The Skinniest Urban Street in the World

What better to compliment the most narrow house in the world than the skinniest urban street in the world? Parliament Street in England is hundreds of years old and, in reality, is something more of a very scary alley than it is a thin street. At its thinnest, this passage is a mere 25 inches wide and got its current name when the Parliament upset the city council centuries ago.

3) The Most Windy Urban Road in the World

Speaking of streets, this one in San Francisco holds the record for the most switchbacks in a single urban block. After a total of eight turns motorists are able to escape this dizzying snake of a road. Races down Lombard Street on all kinds of odd vehicles are also not unheard of. Click here for even more random and ridiculous record-setting roads and streets.

4) The Highest Urban Fountain in the World

Shooting to heights greater than the Eiffel Tower, this incredible Saudi Arabian fountain shoots jets of water at speeds of over 200 miles per hour - hundreds of gallons per second. As you can see, this glorious (if incredibly wasteful) urban phenomenon can be seen from miles away - the uncontested largest urban fountain ever constructed.

5) The Largest Urban Gathering in the World

Every ten years, over seventy million people come together at the Ganges River to wash themselves literally and spiritually. Despite isolated violent or chaotic incidents, the entire process is surprisingly tame and well-organized considering the massive scale of it. Click here for even more strange and gigantic gatherings of the world.

6) The Greatest Economic Boundary in the World

This aerial photograph of the ‘Paradise City’ area of San Paulo, Brazil, illustrates the division between rich and poor in the world in a way rarely seen so starkly in photographs - compare the sizes, shades and textures of what you see - could anything be more different? Click here for even more incredible rich/poor divides.

7) The Biggest Building Moving Project in the World

Shown in the upper left is the 15,000-ton Fu Gang Building in China - the largest building ever moved by a long shot. However, it is not the only structure to be moved or to even be designed to move on its own. Above, right, is a church floated from one location to another and below, right, is the moving tower being designed for Dubai. Click here for even more unbelievable moving buildings and building moving projects.

Source: Urbanist postings here

Presidential Transformation

Are republicans turning over to Democrats?
Or
Are Democrats derived from Republicans ?

Regardless, this time, its about time for, well "Transformation" !!

Market Crash - And how the recession effects America

Check out this amazing interactive map with time line of how various business factors shaped America in the past few years. http://www.theatlantic.com/floridamap/


“No place in the United States is likely to escape a long and deep recession. Nonetheless, as the crisis continues to spread outward from New York, through industrial centers like Detroit, and into the Sun Belt, it will undoubtedly settle much more heavily on some places than on others. Some cities and regions will eventually spring back stronger than before. Others may never come back at all. As the crisis deepens, it will permanently and profoundly alter the country’s economic landscape. I believe it marks the end of a chapter in American economic history, and indeed, the end of a whole way of life.”

"The housing bubble was the ultimate expression, and perhaps the last gasp, of an economic system some 80 years in the making, and now well past its “sell-by” date. The bubble encouraged massive, unsustainable growth in places where land was cheap and the real-estate economy dominant. It encouraged low-density sprawl, which is ill-fitted to a creative, postindustrial economy. And not least, it created a workforce too often stuck in place, anchored by houses that cannot be profitably sold, at a time when flexibility and mobility are of great importance."

Real deal about what New York is all about. Don't miss out reading the whole article.
Must read: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200903/meltdown-geography

Bridgestone - Better fuel economy Tires released

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BTAO) officially launched the Ecopia EP100, a low rolling resistance tire which provides drivers with improved fuel economy without sacrificing wet handling performance.

The Ecopia tire line targets fuel efficient vehicles, including hybrids and electric vehicles and will be used in original equipment and replacement applications. The new Ecopia EP100 is the first aftermarket product in the Ecopia tire line for the North American market, and is a summer replacement tire fitment for popular fuel efficient, hybrid and electric vehicles including the Mini Cooper, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Nissan Versa, Toyota Corolla and a selection of other conventional vehicles.

Available in H- and V-speed ratings, the Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 has a UTQG of 400AB and will be offered in six different sizes ranging from 14-16 inch. The tire will be available in March in the first phase of a two-phase rollout in 2009.

The Ecopia EP100 incorporates Bridgestone’s NanoPro-Tech materials technology which controls the interaction between polymers, filler materials and other rubber chemicals used in the manufacture of the tire. (Earlier post.)

Design elements in the Ecopia EP100 include 3D Cut Circumferential Ribs to help reduce irregular wear and lessen road noise. Consistent Surface Contact, through a special tread block design, improves wet and dry handling and reduces irregular wear. Interconnected Rib Blocks enhance wet performance and help reduce energy loss. High Angle Lateral Grooves are incorporated into the Ecopia EP100 to help avoid hydroplaning.

Microsoft takes carbon reporting to the mainstream

Sometimes it is the smaller stories that can have the largest implications.

On the face of it this week's update to one of Microsoft's many business application packages, allowing firms to track their environmental performance looks like just another software release - of interest only to software developers and a few tech-savvy green executives.

But placed in the context of Microsoft's never ending quest to dominate the world of business software it marks a significant step along the path towards carbon becoming the next universal currency.

Other software developers have, of course, got their first.

IBM is pushing its various carbon emission reporting and management systems hard and only this week launched new functionality to help firms track energy use by non-IT systems such as lighting and air conditioning units, while reporting software specialist SAS has been heavily promoting its new tools for tracking environmental performance, and business apps giant Oracle is also rumoured to be preparing a new environmental management product. Meanwhile, smaller specialists, such as carbonetworks and CarbonView, have been offering various emissions management software packages for years.

But these various reporting and accounting suites are, almost without exception, aimed at those large Global 500 companies that have made the clearest commitments to tracking and reducing carbon emissions and as such require automated systems for keeping track of how much carbon their sprawling operations are emitting and where.

In contrast, Microsoft is going after the mainstream. In fact, if you look at its history, Microsoft is the mainstream.

Microsoft's Dynamics AX 2009 business application suite - to which it has just added a free Environmental Sustainability Dashboard capable of providing execs with access to data on their company's fuel consumption, energy use and carbon footprint, amongst other performance indicators - is aimed squarely at midmarket firms (US companies tend to define midmarket organisations as having revenue of less than $1bn a year, which means they are still pretty hefty by my reckoning, but are still not quite at that global level where green commitments have become an almost default corporate reality).

The new functionality provides ample evidence that Microsoft is convinced the need to track environmental performance will not be confined to the big beasts of the business world for long.

Moreover, the addition of environmental reporting to its Dynamics suite shows Microsoft wants to provide the standard tool mid-sized firms use to keep track of their green performance.

The company's Dynamics strategy - born way back in 2002 when Microsoft went on a spending spree and snapped up a number of business application software developers - has always been about replicating the dominance of the desktop the company has achieved through Windows and Office in the business application market.

Industry watchers may still be divided on the strategy's success, but one fact remains: when Microsoft sets out to dominate a market it usually gets there in the end.

As such we are faced with the tantalising prospect of environmental and carbon reporting software becoming a standard feature of not just the world's largest firms, but the vast global midmarket as well. And once all executives, regardless of their company's size, know how much carbon their organisation is emitting they are in the perfect position to start doing something about it.

DNA - Telepathy Properties

DNA found to have "Impossible" Telepathy properties:

DNA has been found to have a bizarre ability to put itself together, even at a distance, when according to known science it shouldn't be able to. Explanation: None, at least not yet.

Scientists are reporting evidence that contrary to our current beliefs about what is possible, intact double-stranded DNA has the “amazing” ability to recognize similarities in other DNA strands from a distance. Somehow they are able to identify one another, and the tiny bits of genetic material tend to congregate with similar DNA. The recognition of similar sequences in DNA’s chemical subunits, occurs in a way unrecognized by science. There is no known reason why the DNA is able to combine the way it does, and from a current theoretical standpoint this feat should be chemically impossible.

Even so, the research published in ACS’ Journal of Physical Chemistry B, shows very clearly that homology recognition between sequences of several hundred nucleotides occurs without physical contact or presence of proteins. Double helixes of DNA can recognize matching molecules from a distance and then gather together, all seemingly without help from any other molecules or chemical signals.

In the study, scientists observed the behavior of fluorescently tagged DNA strands placed in water that contained no proteins or other material that could interfere with the experiment. Strands with identical nucleotide sequences were about twice as likely to gather together as DNA strands with different sequences. No one knows how individual DNA strands could possibly be communicating in this way, yet somehow they do. The “telepathic” effect is a source of wonder and amazement for scientists.

“Amazingly, the forces responsible for the sequence recognition can reach across more than one nanometer of water separating the surfaces of the nearest neighbor DNA,” said the authors Geoff S. Baldwin, Sergey Leikin, John M. Seddon, and Alexei A. Kornyshev and colleagues.

This recognition effect may help increase the accuracy and efficiency of the homologous recombination of genes, which is a process responsible for DNA repair, evolution, and genetic diversity. The new findings may also shed light on ways to avoid recombination errors, which are factors in cancer, aging, and other health issues.

No nuclear negetivity says Sweden

Just a year before it reached the original deadline to phase out its nuclear power (in 2010), Sweden instead reversed its decades-old dismantling policy and instead will now keep the 10 nuclear reactors it currently has, and lift bans on both new nuclear technology research and new plants.

Perhaps to silence its critics, Sweden simultaneously promised it would raise carbon taxes, and reduce carbon emissions 40 percent (from 1990 levels) by 2020, also in industries not covered by the EU's emissions trading scheme - continuing toward the supposed goal of "oil independence" and zero emissions by 2050. In a kind of humorous side note, the country will also up its share of energy from renewables, from the EU mandated 49% to a nice round 50%, also by 2020.

Politically expedient, but also popular
In a 1980 referendum, the majority of Swedes called for phasing-out nuclear, but ever since then each government has hemmed and hawed without actually closing many reactors (of 12 total reactors, 2 have been closed). Now the tides of public opinion have turned, and a majority favors keeping nuclear, which is considered to be a cleaner and less carbon intensive energy source than coal or gas. Swedes also believe that their reactors are safe, and their waste management superior. Some scary near accidents at Swedish reactors within the last two years didn't even raise many eyebrows.

There are some political reasons why now is the time the Swedish government has made a stand. Sweden will assume the EU presidency this fall and needed to have a coherent energy policy among the four-party center-right Alliance currently in power. That's the first step to getting a national energy policy together (due to the EU in 2010) describing how Sweden will meet the 49% renewables goals by 2020 mandated by the EU Renewable Directive.

And strangely enough, some within the wind and alternative energy camps say Sweden had to get to the point to decide to keep nuclear so that it could get past the question mentally and go on to other things - like how to develop 20 TWh of wind onshore and as much as 10 TWh offshore. Others are worried that if Swedish industry decamps to the nuclear bandwagon, wind won't have a chance. But Fredrik Dahlström of the Swedish Energy Agency put it like this:

"The nuclear question effects all our energy decisions. In Sweden it's always wind against nuclear. Wind can't replace nuclear - it's 65 TWh that we can't just do without. However, if we want to build CO2-free going forward we also need wind. Taking the middle road...that would be such a relief."

Cell phone explosion in China - No seriously, No kidding.

While the Zippo application of Iphone is both cool and stupidly useless, it can surely serve as a purpose to Zippo addicts, who recently quit smoking, but quite cant give up the urge to keep flipping one.

Here is something more interesting and factual...

Dieing Battery? Need a replacement. Sure, hit the stands and shop for one, its as easy as tick-tack-to. Recharge it, replace it, power on the phone and you are good to go, right?

Wrong!

Read on:
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article5648440.ece

Here are some tips to avoid a situation like this, as per this article:

- Always use original batteries. Be sure that batteries by the manufacturer are meant for your mobile phone.

- Never modify your phone

- Always use original battery chargers

- Do not expose your mobile phone to high temperatures, and avoid exposing it to direct sunlight

- Avoid long phone conversations

- Do not make or answer calls when the phone is charging

- Try to keep your phone in a bag instead of in a pocket

- Do not use damaged batteries

Now those are some tips that are hard to adhere to in today's hitech world :)

Just how dependent are we on Google ?

The internet was initially intended as a distributed network able to continue functioning even when partially destroyed. It's an interesting idea that engineers once built systems with the condition "Will this still work if half my country is nuked?", and luckily one that no longer applies - because if anyone ever targets the Googleplex in Mountain View the whole thing could come crashing down.

Google demonstrated their importance last Saturday by blocking the entire internet, marking every single page with warnings that they was bad for the user. While that's probably true, overall, it didn't help users whose computers were constantly redirected to web security firm StopBadware.org. It didn't help StopBadware.org either, actually, since they were slightly unprepared for connections from the entire world and their servers went down due to the massive Google-directed denial of service attack.

The whole thing was over inside an hour, with the problem traced to a single slash typo in a malware site list. The blocked-site file included a "/", and if you look at that little browser bar above this article you'll see that every single site in the world has one of those.

Now, we're not suggesting that this is some kind of warning shot from an ultrapowerful cyber-corp that's been reading Neuromancer and thinking "Those online megacorporations who can bend the world to their will are an awesome idea!" We are, however, saying that literally with a single keystroke Google just broke both the internet AND an anti-breaking-the-internet site.

Checkout the official word: http://www.physorg.com/news152630976.html

Intel - Science Fair Finalists

Aniruddha Deshmukh (the finalist from CA) being notified that he's a finalist and receiving his check; Photo via Intel

Intel's Science Talent Search is an annual event that encourages high school seniors to take an interest in math, science and engineering. Three of the finalists for the grand prize take aim at environmental issues, including clean drinking water, deforestation from wildfires, and climate change - showing that students are also taking a keen interest in environmental issues.

Read on for details about these great projects.

The competition is no small-beans science fair. The 40 finalists will go to Washington DC in March for the judging, and their projects will be on display at the National Academy of Sciences. On top of that, the contestants will get to rub elbows with national leaders and scientists. The grand prize winner gets a heart-stopping $100,000 in scholarship money, and, get this, seven former Finalists have won the Nobel Prize while others have been awarded the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Science and MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. Pretty exciting stuff.

All the more exciting that environmental issues are part of the running.

“Answering the call of critical challenges in medicine, technology and the environment, the 40 Finalists of the Intel STS 2009 are making real impact on our world through their independent research—while serving as inspiration to the next generation of young researchers,” said Elizabeth Marincola, president of SSP.

The Intel Science Talent search encourages students to tackle challenging scientific questions and develop the skills necessary to solve the problems of tomorrow. The Finalists’ independent research projects include topics such as human-seeking robots, revitalizing ecosystems affected by wildfires, implications of gender on stem cell transplants, climate change, and potential cures for Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

So - here are the projects that have earned such a fantastic spot in a major event:

Smitha Ramakrishna, a 17 year old from Arizona, focused her research on clean, safe drinking water. For this project, she tested the breakdown of artificial sweetener in an environment more rigorous than that of our wastewater treatment plants and found that the sweetener didn't break down, therefore concluding its prevalence in our water sources. Her research suggests that our facilities for clean water are to blame for contaminants in drinking water and that unless we act soon, these contaminants may compromise our future sustainable water supply and impact people's health and lifestyles.

Her inspiration came from a trip she took to India where she was moved by the disparity between her comfortable life in Arizona and that of her peers in India where children struggle to have access to potable water. When she returned home, she made a commitment to help fight environmental injustice and with some friends founded the Arizona Water Activists Karing for the Environment (http://www.geocities.com/awake_az/), whose mission is to help underprivileged children in India and spread awareness in her own community about environmental issues. She also founded Earthworks - her school's environmental club - and re-energized her school's Science Research Club.

Patrick Abejar, a seventeen year old from New York, looked at boron isotopes in carbons in the ocean to determine the effects of climate change. By looking at the composition of fossilized shells he was able to measure the amount of climate change that took place in the ocean spanning as far back as 8 million years ago.

His research ultimately concluded that there is a growing increase of transformation taking place in the ocean due to climate change. The data he collected has enormous potential to help scientists grasp a better understanding of the causes and consequences of CO2 emissions throughout geologic history, and may help them determine our own fate. According to his mentor, the data he acquired would be impressive for a Ph.D. student, and he's a high school senior!

After reading about the recent surge in California wildfires, which haslaid waste to many local environments, Aniruddha Deshmukh, a 17 year old from Cupertino, CA, wondered if there was an effective way to revitalize these environments. Thus, for his project, he studied the decline of a native coastal plant species - which has declined 70 percent due to wildfires caused by global warming - and he examined how to regenerate the species using cobalts.

Aniruddha is saddened by global warming and the general nonchalance towards environmental destruction. His goals are to not only restore native vegetation, but also to explore the uncertainties associated with many plants. His mission is to improve nature, and by doing so, improve humanity.