https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j en-us 2018-04-10 12:17:11 UTC 2018-05-11 03:22:09 UTC hello@padlet.com 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250238979 An enzyme that was found in a bacteria can clean soil contaminated with petroleum products. Oil spills are a huge environmental problem today. The clean up in unimaginable and affects are a disaster. A bacteria known as Alcanivorax borkumensis feeds on hydrocarbons in the petroleum in soil or water. This process to cleaning up oil spills is eco-friendly. The bacteria is also found in every ocean and flows with the current, and populations increase exponentially where oil concentrations are high. The enzymes found in this bacteria degrade almost everything that is found in oil. The next steps for the scientists is to find out how to send the bacteria into these sites. ]]> 2018-04-10 12:57:19 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250238979 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250656427 Researchers found that a composite thin film made out of two different inorganic oxide materials can help increase the performance of solar cells. The material is made by combining bismuth, manganese, and oxygen. The combination of these elements increases the material's ability to absorb solar radiation and then transform it into electricity. This discovery could lead to more productive future solar panels which could lead to more people using them and getting more out of them. The new material compound absorbs more of the sun's wavelengths than the film that was used before. ]]> 2018-04-11 11:55:49 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250656427 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250661373 A synthetic mineral known as pentlandite was used by scientists to observe hydrogen production. This helps scientists find out new designs for cost effective catalysts for hydrogen production. Pentlandite is seen as a substitute for materials like platinum in the process of catalyzing the reaction of water into hydrogen. Pentlandite is made up of iron, nickel, and sulfur. The researchers were able to find hydrogen production rates for pentlandite within a small drop of liquid. This showed them how the structure and composition of the mineral form the electrocatalytic properties of iron nickel.]]> 2018-04-11 12:09:48 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250661373 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250666043 Sea grass meadows are at risk in the Coral Triangle which is found in the western Pacific Ocean. This area is seen as the center of the world's biodiversity. Most of the habitats in this area are highly productive and are home to many plants and animals. Research shows that 90% of this sea grass has been damaged or degraded over the past five years. Scientists have been stressing the importance of community conservation action. In one of the areas, the sea grass was threatened by sedimentation run off from islands. The runoff has been reduced because of efforts by farmers to plant riparian vegetation. Losing this sea grass would drastically effect Indonesian people. Without the fishery in the sea grass many families would have no food. ]]> 2018-04-11 12:22:21 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250666043 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250680641 A team of researchers has recently discovered that a bacterium that is isolated from mushroom crop residue can be used as a bio fuel. Usually bio fuels are derived from food crops, but this is very expensive and uses a lot of land, water, and energy. The bio fuels from the mushroom crop are expected to meet future energy demands which will not increase green house gas emissions. The biobutanol is seen as a promising petrol substitute because of it's high energy density. It can also replace gasoline in cars with no problem. The production of this bacterium is cost effective and sustainable. ]]> 2018-04-11 12:56:47 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250680641 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250690304 North San Diego County is one of the counties that plans to mechanically move sand on to the beach to preserve the naturally white sandy beaches. Their plan for instance, is a 50-year $160 million series of sand placements that will help stop flooding and erosion. Some of the effects from the sand are unintended though. For example, thousands of gallons of sand were dumped on a beach and moved north and south over time. The moving sand led to the closing of an estuary which sealed the entrance to the ocean. Another problem is the size of the sand grains. If the sand grains are different sizes, it could lead to problems with how far and fast the grains of sand are moving. ]]> 2018-04-11 13:15:54 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/250690304 18greerr https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/259841525 2018-05-11 03:22:09 UTC https://padlet.com/18greerr/5cnhx0dq834j/wish/259841525