Energy Highlights
A bi-monthly energy news update from MMPEI
October 15, 2007
Vol. 1 No. 3
U-M News
Hail, Hail to the Research at Michigan
Seeking to learn about cutting-edge research and technology, Matt Roush of the Great Lakes IT Report was not disappointed during his recent visit with faculty at U-M on the first Fall Tech Tour of Michigan universities. Among the research technologies on display were Levi Thompson's work to produce hydrogen from renewable sources, Joe Giachino's next-generation wireless systems, Jerome Peter Lynch's wireless sensor system for bridges and a new, environmentally sustainable window system developed by Harry Giles.
Rising Energy Prices Affecting the Great Plains
It’s harvest time on the Great Plains and a new study by Myron Gutmann, director of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research at the U-M Institute for Social Research, and other researchers shows how energy prices and the demand for biofuels are affecting the nation’s breadbasket. Although Great Plains agricultural production, population and income trends have been surprisingly stable during the past 100 years, the recent rise of energy prices offer both challenges and opportunities for the future of this region. Growing demand for biofuels can increase profits for farmers, but the rise of energy prices affects the operating costs of irrigation and equipment.
Energy News
Tapping Tidal Energy: The Wave of the Future
"It's the Kitty Hawk days for tidal energy" - The future of clean power in the Northwest may look like the 75-foot-tall yellow buoy now bobbing like a cork in the waves off the Oregon coast. Or maybe it will more closely resemble a gargantuan red snake, riding the swells and capturing their energy. Several of the contenders will be tested in the waters off Washington and Oregon in the coming months and years, as inventors and entrepreneurs jockey for dominance in a field so new some compare it to aviation in the era of the Wright brothers.
Green Power a New Clean Mantra in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley pushes hard for the legislation it wants. And this year, it wants a new federal energy law. A climate change law, too.The valley has thrown its considerable clout behind legislation that would increase America's reliance on renewable power and provide tax breaks for new energy technologies. Federal legislation, tech leaders say, could help new ideas aome to market and compete against the fossil fuels that are slowly warming the globe.
Green Chemistry Attracts Fans on Campus
Carnegie Mellon University chemistry professor Terry Collins paints a bleak picture of the Earth's future, a planet damaged by global warming and ravaged by toxins, with a population sickened by poisonous chemicals. But Collins also is an optimist, hoping science can solve those problems. He is encouraged by an increasing number of colleges and universities that incorporate the principles of green chemistry — the idea that chemical processes and products can be designed without using toxins or generating hazardous waste.
Game Maker Joins Forces With Energy Company
Electronic Arts, the No. 1 video game publisher, announced last week that it has collaborated with BP, the energy company, in developing the latest installment of the hit SimCity computer game series. For the latest version, SimCity Societies, due in stores on Nov. 15, Electronic Arts and BP worked together to build what the companies describe as a more nuanced power generation and pollution simulation. The companies say the game is meant to show the trade-offs among three aspects of electrical power: cost, power output and pollution.
Faculty News
Carbon Strategies: How Leading Companies are Reducing Their Climate Change Footprint
A new book by Andy Hoffman, Holcim Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at U-M, offers business leaders, practitioners and students a clear, practical guide to sustainable climate change. Building on his successful 2006 report for for the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Hoffman shows that companies can implement sustainable practices that are not only good for the environment but also good for the company's bottom line. The book presents real-life "lessons learned" at each step of the climate-strategy development process and six corporate case studies.
Funding Opportunities
Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy - Due Date 11/13/2007 (Pre-application)
The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), announce their interest in receiving applications for genomics-based research that will lead to the improved use of biomass and plant feedstocks for the production of fuels such as ethanol or renewable chemical feedstocks.
Additional funding opportunities are listed on the MMPEI Opportunities Page.
Upcoming Events
Driving to a Sustainable Future: A New DNA for the Automobile
When: Friday, October 19, 2007 - 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where: Arthur Miller Theater, Walgreen Drama Center
Due to limited seating, attendees must register for tickets. There is no charge.
The Mechanical Engineering Department presents the inaugural Michael Korybalski Distinguished Lecture featuring Lawrence D. Burns, GM Vice President of Research & Development and Strategic Planning. The DNA of the automobile has changed very little over the last 100 years. Vehicles continue to be largely energized by petroleum, powered by internal combustion engines, and operated by mechanical controls. Dr. Burns will explain how advanced propulsion, electronics, telematics, and materials technologies contribute to a new automotive DNA that will revolutionize the industry. The convergence of these technologies will enable the industry to reinvent the automobile and move toward a sustainable future.
