Plus: Crunching The Numbers On Alternative Fuels
Tom McGurr, a New Jersey contractor, has found a new way to beat the high cost of diesel--by scrounging used vegetable oil from fast-food restaurants, which are usually happy to give it away. But McGurr doesn't just pour fry oil into his tank. ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Timber Smugglers—And How You Can Stop Them
This multibillion-dollar black market business occurs in more than 70 countries, and contributes to the annual destruction of more than 32 million wooded acres ? an area nearly the size of New York state. "We are losing forests around the world ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
My Job: Avalanche Forecaster
There's no such thing as total avalanche safety in Bridger-Teton National Forest, but Chris McCollister does what he can to improve the odds for the area's skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers. The 37-year-old geographical information system ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Pond-Powered Biofuels: Harvesting Algae Energy
GreenFuel Technologies Corp., based in Cambridge, Mass., is focused on cultivating algae that can produce high yields of both biodiesel and ethanol. There are more than 100,000 strains of algae, with differing ratios of three main types of ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Green Beer: Tapping St. Patrick's Day's Energy Potential
The only thing ?lite? about the full-bodied beers crafted by New Belgium Brewing is the environmental impact. By reducing the energy, water and waste involved in making its award-winning Fat Tire Amber Ale and other beers, the Fort Collins, ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Plus: The Best Of Green Design
"Green design" may be a relatively new term for describing ideas that are environmentally sensitive, but the concept is timeless ? particularly as it applies to the home. The principles are simple: Use materials wisely, conserve water and ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Underwater Wind Turbines Tap River Energy
Underwater wind turbines ? it's an idea so simple you wish you?d patented it. Actually, they're called tidal turbines, and their rotors are propelled by tidal currents instead of wind. The largest test of this new type of power production is ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Las Vegas Tries To Prevent A Water Shortage
Two simple facts about Las Vegas: Its population has doubled since 1990, to 570,000; and 90 percent of its water comes from the Colorado River, which is in the throes of the worst drought in recorded history. To meet the looming water crunch, the ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Earlier: How Scientists Sniffed Out The Nuke Test
For tests that take place under the ocean, pressure waves travel through water. These waves can be detected by hydroacoustic detectors. Similarly, infrasound monitors pick up pressure waves traveling through the air after above-ground explosions. ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Future Shocks
Winters in the Northeast begin to bite with a ferocity last seen during the deep freezes of 1936 and 1978, when icebreakers plied the Mississippi and Hudson rivers. Winter temperatures in Washington, D.C., begin to approximate those of Boston. ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Plus: Debunking The Myths Of Hurricane Katrina
Not the federal agencies tasked with preparing for catastrophes. Not the local officials responsible for aging levees and vulnerable populations. Least of all the residents themselves, who had been warned for decades that they lived on vulnerable ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
Plus: The Great Nuclear Debate
The argument that nuclear energy is our best bet to reduce global warming emissions only makes sense if you pretend that coal is the only other option. That's a false choice, and it ignores the rapidly developing range of energy efficiency and ... [... more]
Popular Mechanics |
