man made photosynthesis

professor Daniel G. Nocera of MIT and Matthew Kanan have found a way for humans to do something plants do naturally. to create energy from the sun's rays and water.

what the scientist have found is a way to split water apart so you have oxgen and hydrogen.

They dissolved cobalt and phosphate in water and then zapped it with electricity through an electrode. The cobalt and phosphate form a thin-film catalyst around the electrode that then use electrons from the electrode to split the oxygen from water. The oxygen bubbles to the surface, leaving a proton behind.

A few inches away, another catalyst, platinum, helps that bare proton become hydrogen.

this process could be a cheaper way to power fuel cell batteries.

Reef In Peace

Eternal reefs is a company selling man made reefs that they place into the sea.

by man made I think I should also state it's made of man.

the company takes the ashes of people (or animals) and turn them into short of coral reef balls (or half balls) and then drops them to the bottom of the ocean.

the ideal is that these reef balls are not only underwater tombs/urns but well also serve as an environment for sea life.

solar or else

Germany as a country has been a world leader when it comes to using alternative energy.

The German government has many programs in place that make it easy (and to expense) for people to switch over to things like solar energy.

but recently the German town of Marburg may have step the line by not giving people the choice to switch to solar but instead demanding it.

if people don't get solar panels for their homes and business they will face a $1,500 fine.

many people in Marburg are upset about this. The people don't seem to have a problem with going solar but the problem is that they don't like the ideal of being forced to go solar.

giving the cost of solar one may not be able to afford it.

now when a government really wants it citizens to do their part to save the earth, they are bound to have a bad policy here or there. the thing is that before this city (and Germany as a whole) was using a plan that seems to be working by making it cost effective for people to go solar, but not by forcing them.