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For chemicals, mega is out and bio is in![]() Houston TX (SPX) Jan 10, 2017 Ramon Gonzalez sees flares burning methane from the stacks above Houston's refineries and thinks, "What a waste." He believes that methane represents an opportunity for biomanufacturing that should not be missed. The Rice University professor and director of its new Advanced Biomanufacturing Initiative, aka iBIO, already knows what an entire sector of the chemical manufacturing industry is beginning to realize: Waste methane can and should be turned into profit. Given the steady advance of b ... read more  | 
 
Species diversity reduces chances of crop failure in algal biofuel systemsWhen growing algae in outdoor ponds as a next-generation biofuel, a naturally diverse mix of species will help reduce the chance of crop failure, according to a federally funded study by University ... more  
Researchers design one of strongest, lightest materials knownA team of researchers at MIT has designed one of the strongest lightweight materials known, by compressing and fusing flakes of graphene, a two-dimensional form of carbon. The new material, a sponge ... more  
2-D materials enhance a 3-D worldIn the past decade, two-dimensional, 2D, materials have captured the fascination of a steadily increasing number of scientists. These materials, whose defining feature is having a thickness of only ... more  
Robots show their 'personality' at big tech showProfessor Einstein rolls his eyes, sticks out his tongue, and can give a simple explanation of the theory of relativity. With his lifelike rubbery "skin" and bushy mustache, he can almost make you forget he's a robot. ... more  | 
| Previous Issues | Jan 12 | Jan 11 | Jan 10 | Jan 09 | Jan 07 | 
 
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Trump, China's Ma hold 'great' meeting on jobsPresident-elect Donald Trump and China's billionaire founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba held "great" talks in New York on Monday focused on creating US jobs and enabling trade with Asia. ... more  
US deal won't end 'dieselgate' pain for VolkswagenWoes related to the 'dieselgate' scandal will dog German car giant Volkswagen even after a deal with US authorities to close criminal and civil cases against it, industry experts said Wednesday. ... more  
Renewable energy investment value fell 18% in 2016: studyGlobal investment in renewable energy dropped by 18 percent in 2016 due to sharp falls in equipment prices and a slowdown in China and Japan, a study found Thursday. ... more  
Smartphone, internet use at record high in US: surveyMore than three-fourths of American adults now use a smartphone, helping to boost internet adoption to a record level, a survey showed Thursday. ... more  
Researchers reveal world's most precise metronomeScientists in Germany have synchronized a system of lasers with record precision. The metronome's laser-microwave network stretches a kilometer wide, or 3,280 feet, and is synched within 950 attoseconds. ... more  | 
![]() U.S. solar groups to speak after Trump inauguration  
US hits China with WTO complaint over aluminumIn its final days, the Obama administration on Thursday filed a trade complaint against China for using "artificially cheap" loans and raw materials to boost its aluminum industry at the expense of US competitors. ... more  
Taiwan microchip giant to boost US jobs: companyMicrochip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) says it will create more jobs in the United States as the firm posted record profits. ... more  | 

 
 China's State Grid Corporation is set to build a $1.5-billion power line across Pakistan to enable the transmission of 4,000 megawatts of electricity from the country's north to south, the government said Friday. 
Pakistani and Chinese officials signed an investment agreement in Beijing on Thursday to build the country's first high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) line, according to a governmen ... more MIT Energy Initiative report provides guidance for evolving electric power sector Toward energy solutions for northern regions Energy-hungry Asia slowing down, lender says | 
 
A UK company has been selected to lead a collaborative project that promises to result in significant carbon reduction and ultra-low air quality emissions for thousands of vehicles in China within the next 10 years. Liverpool based ULEMCo, arguably the UK's most experienced integrator of H2 systems for transport, has received grant funding via Innovate UK from the cross Government Newton Fund. T ... more Scientists discover a molecular motor has a 'gear' for directional switching Tenfold jump in green tech needed to meet global emissions targets | 
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 Stunning is how one renewable energy group described a decision by the state of New York to build the nation's largest offshore wind farm. 
 Kit Kennedy, the director of energy and transportation initiatives at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said New York was setting the bar high with its wind energy commitments to 2030. 
 "New York State will become the nation's leader on cl ... more The answer is blowing in the wind French power group aims to double wind capacity New rules for micro-grids in Alberta | 
 
 Global investment in renewable energy dropped by 18 percent in 2016 due to sharp falls in equipment prices and a slowdown in China and Japan, a study found Thursday. 
After reaching record levels in 2015, investment fell last year to $287.5 billion, according to researchers at Bloomberg New New Energy Finance (BNEF). 
The fall was due in part to "further sharp falls in equipment prices, pa ... more U.S. solar groups to speak after Trump inauguration An ordered route to improved performance of solar cells U.S. offshore regulator joins solar power trade group | 
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 France has sold a 4.1-percent stake in energy company Engie, pulling in 1.14 billion euros ($1.2 billion) to help finance a state-led rescue of troubled nuclear firm Areva. 
The sale of 100 million Engie shares was 10 million above the amount initially offered, the APE agency which manages shareholdings for the French state said in a statement late on Tuesday. 
The sale leaves the French s ... more UK asks regulators to assess Chinese nuclear reactor EU clears French rescue of troubled nuclear firm Areva Controversial nuclear power plant near New York to close | 
 
Today many biofuel refineries operate for only seven months each year, turning freshly harvested crops into ethanol and biodiesel. When supplies run out, biorefineries shut down for the other five months. However, according to recent research, dual-purpose biofuel crops could produce both ethanol and biodiesel for nine months of the year - increasing profits by as much as 30%. 
"Currently,  ... more Open-source plant database confirms top US bioenergy crop Species diversity reduces chances of crop failure in algal biofuel systems Potential biofuel crops in Hawaii may successfully sequester carbon in soil | 
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 After steep losses, efforts from Saudi Arabia to broadcast compliance with a production cut deal gave crude oil prices a lift early Wednesday. 
 Crude oil prices lost ground quickly Tuesday after a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast a rise in domestic crude oil production in 2017, after previous estimates predicted a decline. 
 Last year's decline in crud ... more Putin's spokesman expects tough, but listening, Tillerson After $900 million sale, Tullow primed for growth Egypt set for a gas turnaround | 
 
 President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state said Wednesday he wants the United States to keep "a seat at the table" regarding global warming, despite Trump's pledge to abandon the Paris climate deal. 
At his Senate confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, former ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson also said "the risk of climate change does exist, and the consequences could be seriou ... more Obama again defends climate deal Global warming hiatus disproved yet again Scientists disprove global warming took a break | 
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When the Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Clean Power Plan in 2015 it exercised its authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions to protect public welfare. The Plan, now the focus of escalating debate, also put the nation on course to meet its goals under the Paris Climate Agreement. Given that other pollutants are emitted from power plants - along with carbon dioxide - research h ... more China to cut coal capacity by 800 million tonnes by 2020 Norway fund blacklists more coal groups over climate concerns Black coal, thin pickings: China's miners face decline | 
 
The rocket Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) has sent three satellites into space in its first commercial mission on Monday. 
The rocket, carrying the satellite JL-1 and two CubeSats XY-S1 and Caton-1, blasted off from northwestern China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at around 12:11 p.m. Monday Beijing Time, according to a statement from the center. 
The KZ-1A was developed from the Kuaizhou-1 r ... more China Space Plan to Develop "Strength and Size" Beijing's space program soars in 2016 China Plans to Launch 1st Mars Probe by 2020 - State Council Information Office | 
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 The U.S. Marines have relocated the first operational F-35B Lightning II squadron from a base in Arizona to Japan. 
 The relocation makes the Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan, the first location to receive the branch's F-35 variant as part of the plane's worldwide deployment capability. 
 Defense News reports 10 F-35Bs from the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, or VMFA-12 ... more Birds circling trash threaten Beirut flights: minister Vanilla aircraft proves to be anything but plain Russian Defense Ministry discusses aircraft modernization plans | 
  Auto sales in China, the world's biggest car market, surged at their fastest in three years in 2016, an industry group showed Thursday, jumping nearly 14 percent after authorities slashed a purchase tax. 
The world's second-largest economy is crucial to global auto manufacturers, but the market took a hit from slowing economic growth in 2015. 
However a total of 28.03 million cars were sol ... more New technology will cut plug-in hybrid fuel consumption by one third US deal won't end 'dieselgate' pain for Volkswagen VW directors knew of emissions scandal earlier: press | 
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Led by Yilin Hu, UCI assistant professor of molecular biology and biochemistry at the Ayala School of Biological Sciences, the researchers found that they could successfully express the reductase component of the nitrogenase enzyme alone in the bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii and directly use this bacterium to convert CO2 to CO. 
The intracellular environment of the bacterium was shown to  ... more Crystallization method offers new option for carbon capture from ambient air Diamonds are technologists' best friends Graphene able to transport huge currents on the nano scale | 
 Taiwan microchip giant to boost US jobs: company Illinois team advances GaN-on-Silicon for scalable high electron mobility transistors Germanium's semiconducting and optical properties probed under pressure | 
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 US startup Hyperloop One on Friday disclosed a list of locations around the world vying to put near-supersonic rail transit system to the test. 
The startup company keen to revolutionize the way people and cargo travel said that 35 contenders remained from a field of 2,600 teams in a Hyperloop One Grand Challenge launched in May 2015. 
Viable submissions had to be condoned by government ag ... more China firm to sell first high-speed trains to the EU German rail giant steps up 'Silk Road' freight line to China Dubai studies super-speedy transport system | 
  The U.S. Army has posted a solicitation for biodegradable ammunition to be used during training exercises. 
 In the solicitation, the Army notes the branch manufactures and consumes hundreds of thousands of rounds for training events that may require 100 years or more to biodegrade. 
 By replacing existing ammunition with biodegradable alternatives, the Army says it can reduce potent ... more Judge orders Beirut dump shut after birds threaten flights Father of Russian environmental movement dies New lease of life for Jakarta's once-filthy rivers | 
 
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