Nissan Unveils A Car That Cleans Itself

What’s the best part about a car wash? Your ride looks new and shiny and you feel like a conqueror when you take it out of the car wash, and the worst part? The feeling and the shine will last only for a day or two or maybe only a few hours before you run into muddy water or if rain comes falling down. So, what other long term solutions do we have to keep our cars clean?

Well, in case you do not know, Nissan is currently busy with testing a prototype that will not require any sort of washing and therefore, you could say that Nissan is busy in tinkering with a self cleaning car.

The idea is to employ a latest paint technology that makes use of nano-paint treatment to repel grime and dirt. Right now, Nissan is putting the prototype to test and so far so good. Why is this technology being developed? Because car wash is expensive, time consuming and a short term solution as mentioned earlier in this article. According to Nissan, it is the first automaker that has incorporated an industry treatment known as Ultra-Ever Dry to a car body.

This method ensures that all water and some of the oil based liquids are repelled away by the car. This is performed by employing the use of a protective layer of air placed on top. In simple words; if your car runs through a puddle, the paint will prevent the mud and other ‘dirt’ from sticking to your car and hence, your car will remain wash-free.

Jumping into specifics; Nissan Europe has employed the use of Ultra-Ever Dry in co-operation with a test Note and as per Nissan Europe, the prototype has performed quite well in spray, sleet, standing water, rain and frost. The company is planning to further test the prototype for a few months before bringing it to market. For those of you who are wondering what Ultra-Ever Dry is; it was launched back in 2012 by Ultratech International which is based in Florida.
Nissan will most probably not make this treatment a standard for its cars but rather introduce is as an option available after purchasing a Nissan vehicle


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Optical Spectrum Analyzer (OSA)

What is an Optical Spectrum Analyzer?

Fundamentally, an Optical Spectrum Analyzer (or OSA) is an instrument designed to measure and display the distribution of power of an optical source over a specified wavelength span. The absolute power of the signal is typically displayed in dBm and the wavelength of the signal is typically expressed in nanometers (nm). The instrument can also be set to display alternate units such as Milliwatts (mW) for Power in the vertical scale and THz for frequency in the horizontal scale.

Why use an Optical Spectrum Analyzer?

There are numerous methods for measuring spectral information in the industry. These solutions include Spectrophotometers, FTIR or CCD based spectrometers to name a few, Despite the multitude of alternate spectroscopy solutions available, a traditional monochromator based Optical Spectrum Analyzer is considered by many to be the most useful and conveniently packaged solution for many reasons. These reasons include:

·         Broad wavelength range

·         High resolution and level sensitivity

·         Fast measurement sweep speed

·         Self-Contained stand-alone system with a built-in display screen

·         A stable, reliable and repeatable platform

·         Built-in data analysis features

·         Built-in calibration light source to ensure accuracy (Standard on all Yokogawa models, added cost option for most others)

·         Certified Calibrations

·         Multiple built-in remote control ports

·         Standardized interface software and drivers

Who needs an Optical Spectrum Analyzer?

The number of new optics related applications has experienced tremendous growth and has created a vast variety of industries/organizations that require advanced optical spectral measurements. These industries span across a multitude of sectors including; Telecommunications, Consumer Electronics, Healthcare, Life Science/Medical Research, Security, Sensing, Microscopy, and Gas/Chemical Analysis, and Environmental Monitoring just to name a few. More specifically, below is a summary of the categories of OSA users.

·         Optical Component Suppliers (Lasers Diodes, LEDs, Optical Transceivers, etc.)

·         Communications Equipment/System Manufacturers (Network Equipment, Laser Systems, Biotech Systems)

·         Internet/Voice/Data Service Providers, Carriers (Telcos, Wireless backhaul, Cable TVs, Video sites, Cloud services)

·         Universities, Educational organizations

·         Research Labs (Private and Government)

·         Government Agencies and Sub-Contractors

·         Aerospace Companies

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Earth Day 2014 : Facts about this global tradition

Earth Day is the day we celebrate our amazing planet and pledge to protect it. Our beautiful planet is constantly being ravaged by human activities and we seem to have forgotten that this is our home. Over the centuries we have mercilessly utilized and depleted the Earth’s resources and thus as a result we have to face Earth's wrath. This day is a wakeup call to enforce some action and bring about a change.

Here are some facts that we all should know about Earth Day: 

• Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. 

• April 22, 2014 marks the 44th anniversary of Earth Day. The theme of the 2014 Earth Day is Green Cities inspiring millions of people to create a sustainable, healthy environment by greening communities worldwide. 

• This year the Earth Day will be marked by Lyrid meteor shower. It is expected to peak in the early morning on Tuesday, April 22 from midnight until dawn. 

• Earth Day began on April 22, 1970, when 20 million people across the United States gathered for increased protection of the environment. Thus began a revolution.

• U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson was the founder of Earth Day who launched a new wave of environmental activism. The idea came to Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. 

• President Bill Clinton awarded Senator Gaylord Nelson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995 for his role as Earth Day founder. 

• In 2009, the United Nations renamed Earth Day and called it International Mother Earth Day. 

• Earth Day Network members host 10,000 Earth Day events around the world. 

So, on this day, we should realize what a gift planet Earth is. Even any small effort of ours can go a long way in saving the mankind. It is in our hands that we leave behind a healthy and prosperous planet to our future generations and create a peaceful co-existence.

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Green Economy - A Sustainable Concept?

In the context of the Green Economy Initiative, the Environmental Program of the United Nations (UNEP) defines green economy as “one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.” Thus green economies are not based on the demand for sacrifice, but on the idea of qualitative growth, where low-carbon and environmentally friendly technologies, as well as international cooperation in this area play a key role. While the emergence of worldwide markets of green technology and products are seen by some as an opportunity, others fear a new, green protectionism and that the Green New Deal will cement the North-South dependency given highly different economic performance and innovation.

Against this backdrop, six international young professionals explore the chances and limitations of the concept of Green Economy.

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Designing Climate Policy in Line with Social Equity

 

Climate change is making us aware of the limits of our planet – and at the same time confronting us with the fact that the consequences of our actions know no borders. It is incumbent on us to redesign, together, the forms of human coexistence.

At the World Summit on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 154 states signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), thereby setting themselves the goal of stabilising »greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system« (UNFCCC, Art. 2). Twenty years later the now 194 treaty states have managed to agree on a maximum of 2°C as the ceiling for average global warming, as well as wishing to negotiate an agreement by 2015 containing binding emissions targets for all treaty states. But the hesitant progress made so far within the framework of the UN’s annual climate negotiations stands in direct contrast to what is needed to address climate change properly: rapid, decisive and ambitious action.

The difficulties encountered in the course of the international climate protection negotiations are due not least to the fact that they cannot be detached from the problem of the current world order being perceived as profoundly unfair. The fact that those countries above all that have contributed least to triggering climate change are now suffering the most from its effects is no accident, but rather expresses a historical structural injustice which climate policy must take into account. The historical experience of colonialism and the reluctance of the industrialised countries to acknowledge their environmental and climate policy responsibilities not only in words but also in deeds have created a climate of mistrust which overshadows the negotiations and repeatedly results in deadlock. All the more so because climate change confronts us ruthlessly with our mutual dependency with regard to the environment.

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung is working on a socially compatible and development-oriented climate and energy policy based on a viable international regime. To that end we are supporting a differentiated approach to the key issue of climate justice in order to achieve progress with regard to a political practice based on common, but differentiated responsibilities through intensive exchange at regional and global level. Justice, here, not only must be the benchmark for the assignment of rights and obligations in the areas of mitigation and adaptation, but must also, from the outset, be the principle against which the necessary building of sustainable economic and societal structures has to be measured.

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Methane: The Other Important Greenhouse Gas

                      Methane: The other important greenhouse gas

“By emitting just a little bit of methane, we're greatly accelerating the rate of climatic change”

Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is the gas we hear most about, but it isn't the only dangerous greenhouse gas. Methane also can significantly damage the atmosphere. 

Much more potent.

Methane is the primary component of natural gas, which, when burned, emits less CO2 than coal. But unburned — when it is vented or leaked directly into the atmosphere — methane is far more potent, packing a much bigger punch over the first 20 years after it's emitted.

In other words, methane has the potential to undo much of the greenhouse gas benefits we stand to gain from switching from coal to natural gas. An aging pipeline infrastructure and a rapid expansion in natural gas development are just two reasons methane emissions are increasing.

It's not expensive to fix

The good news? Fixing methane leaks isn't financially burdensome.

An EDF-commissioned analysis by an independent consulting firm found that by adopting available emissions-control technologies, industry could cut methane emissions by 40 percent below projected 2018 levels at a cost of less than one cent per thousand cubic feet of produced natural gas.

In fact, the most economical methane reduction opportunities would save industry a combined $164 million per year.

Two examples of ways that industry could make changes: First, by shifting to low-emitting valves, or pneumatics, that control routine operations; and second, by improving leak detection and repair. 

But fully addressing methane emissions requires us raising the bar on detection, as you can’t fix what you don’t measure. That’s why we’re tapping tech innovators to invent the next-generation of low-cost air pollution monitors to help companies identify methane leaks in real-time. 

"Some of these solutions have a positive payback because sales of the captured methane more than offset the costs of the technology," says EDF senior analyst Sean Wright. "This is actually a smart investment for companies."

More work to be done

Meanwhile, we're also focusing our efforts on filling an important data gap: Studying the magnitude of the nation's methane emissions problem. We've launched a series of landmark studies to hone in on where and how much methane is emitted as gas travels from the well to its final destination.

But lowering methane emissions alone is not enough. We must also address the other major causes of climate change: deforestation and the burning of traditional fossil fuels, like coal. 

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Did You Know WiTricity ?

"We're going to transfer power without any kind of wires," says Dr Hall, now Chief Technology Officer at WiTricity, a startup developing wireless "resonance" technology.

"But, we're not actually putting electricity in the air. What we're doing is putting a magnetic field in the air."

It works like this: WiTricity builds a "Source Resonator," a coil of electrical wire that generates a magnetic field when power is attached.

If another coil is brought close, an electrical charge can be generated in it. No wires required.

"When you bring a device into that magnetic field, it induces a current in the device, and by that you're able to transfer power," explains Dr Hall.

And like that, the bulb lights up.

Wireless homes

Don't worry about getting zapped: Hall assures that the magnetic fields used to transfer energy are "perfectly safe" -- in fact, they are the same kind of fields used in Wi-Fi routers.

In the house of the future, wire-free energy transfer could be as easy as wireless internet.

If all goes to WiTricity's plans, smart phones will charge in your pocket as you wander around, televisions will flicker with no wires attached, and electric cars will refuel while sitting on the driveway.

WiTricity has already demonstrated the ability to power laptops, cell-phones, and TVs by attaching resonator coils to batteries -- and an electric car refueler is reportedly in the works.

Hall sees a bright future for the family without wires:

"We just don't think about it anymore: I'm going to drive my car home and I'm never going to have to go to the gas station and I'm never going to have to plug it in.

"I can't even imagine how things will change when we live like that."

World outside

Beyond these effort-saving applications, Hall sees more revolutionary steps.

When Hall first saw the wireless bulb, she immediately thought of medical technology -- seeing that devices transplanted beneath the skin could be charged non-intrusively.

WiTricity is now working with a medical company to recharge a left-ventricular assist device -- "a heart-pump, essentially."

The technology opens the door to any number of mobile electronic devices which have so far been held back by limited battery lives.

"The idea of eliminating cables would allow us to re-design things in ways that we haven't yet thought of, that's just going to make our devices and everything that we interact with, that much more efficient, more practical and maybe even give brand new functionality."

What's next?

The challenge now is increasing the distance that power can be transferred efficiently. This distance -- Hall explains -- is linked to the size of the coil, and WiTricity wants to perfect the same long-distance transfers to today's small-scale devices.

For this reason, the team have high hopes for their new creation: AA-sized wirelessly rechargeable batteries.

For Hall, the applications are endless: "I always say kids will say: 'Why is it called wireless?'"

"The kids that are growing up in a couple of years will never have to plug anything in again to charge it."

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