Resource: DesignNews

Wood and pulp giant Weyerhaeuser says it has figured out how to make a thermoplastic composite using engineered cellulose fiber from trees, instead of the short glass fibers usually used for reinforcement. Applications for the material include automotive parts and industrial components.

The composite, called THRIVE, is targeted at low-load applications such as office furniture, consumer appliances, kitchenware, and household goods, in addition to car parts. According to the company, compared to composites made with short glass fibers, or natural fibers like sisal, hemp, and kenaf, the new material has several advantages.

Resource: Edie Newsroom

Concerns over resource scarcity are creating "unprecedented" investment opportunities as companies seek to exploit clean-tech solutions and technologies to drive value creation in this field.

According to environmental investment firm Impax Asset Management, rapidly depleting resources coupled with rising population growth is set to trigger a "revolution in efficiency" which will both be fundamental and long term in nature - making it a highly attractive proposition for investors.

Resource: The Star Online    By S.S. YOGA

A recent conference looks at ways to tap oil palm biomass.

At a recent conference on oil palm biomass, one of the presenters brought up the story of the mythical Lost City of El Dorado in the Amazon, reputedly a place with untold gold riches. Many treasure hunters had tried to locate it, but unsuccessfully. They found something else though – naturally occurring biochar.

Resource: BusinessMirror       Written by Jennifer A. Ng / Reporter

THE Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has set aside P160 million next year to purchase equipment that will boost the government’s bid to develop the coco-coir industry.

PCA administrator Euclides G. Forbes said a team from the agency went to Kerala, India to look for equipment that will be add value to coco coir fiber.

Resource: DiscoveryNews

Not every item of clothing we own needs to be laundered with soap and water after each wearing. But they could stand to be freshened up. Design graduate Lisa Marie Bengtsson has just the thing: a clothes hanger that has an activated charcoal filter.

Resource: Charles E. Schumer

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the U.S. Navy, via the Department of Justice, which is representing the Navy in legal proceedings, to immediately agree to reimburse the Bethpage Water District (BWD) for the money it has spent on equipment and treatment plants to purify drinking water contaminated by the toxic Bethpage plume.  The district has had to issue bonds of almost $14 million for the construction and operation of equipment to treat the drinking water, and repaying those bonds will cost approximately $3000 per household if the district is not reimbursed.  The BWD has already had to make the first payment of $1 million, which will cost ratepayers approximately $100 this year.  Schumer, who has been a leading advocate for aggressive cleanup of the plume, called on the U.S. Navy to immediately begin paying the Bethpage Water District for the cost of the equipment and treatment plants so that ratepayers are not charged for cleaning up a mess they did not create.

Resource: BusinessWorld ONLINE

Resource: equities.com

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Energy Weekly News -- Current study results on Renewable Energy have been published. According to news originating from Harbin, People's Republic of China, by VerticalNews correspondents, research stated, "Composites of LiFePO4 and activated carbon (LFP-AC) were prepared by a ball milling method, Their morphologies were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. Hybrid supercapacitors were assembled using the LFP-AC composites as the positive electrode and Li4Ti5O12 as the negative electrode (LFP-AC/Li4Ti5O12)."

Resource: WaterWorld   By Jeff Gunderson

Industrial WaterWorld Correspondent
A wide variety of products are made in the chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries, typically requiring large volumes of chemicals, materials, and substances that are used throughout process operations. Waste streams generated in these industries can be heavily laden with contaminants, toxins, nutrients, and organic content, presenting unique challenges in terms of treatment, especially as regulations become more stringent.

Resource: Triple Pundit    By Andrew Burger

The number and extent of so-called marine “dead zones”–areas of coastal ocean waters where nearly all forms of marine life have been snuffed out due to lack of oxygen—has been on the rise for decades now, posing increasing threats to commercial and subsistence fisheries, recreational fishing and human health. Terrestrial runoff containing relatively high levels of phosphorous, primarily from agricultural fertilizers, has been identified as one of the main culprits.