Science & Tech

NEWS ANALYSIS: 'Clean coal' and those pesky negative externalities

In 'econ-o-speak', an externality is an external cost or benefit that is not reflected in the market price. Electricity generation from coal-powered power plants is a perfect example of a negative externality; the cost of generating electricity does not reflect the health and environmental impacts that arise from using coal. Thus, these costs are ignored by producers.

N.M. labs lauded in Business Week

New Mexico's two national laboratories are lauded as "national treasures" in an article in Business Week this month.

Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory are the focus of a piece that has private industry executives praising the labs as essential partners in coming up with new product technology, including "green" technology.

Proctor and Gamble president Thomas J. Lange, for example, tells Business Week the company is trying to "go green" but "natural materials may not be as pure, as strong, or as stable over time" as petro-plastics, and the company needs Sandia's supercomputers and expertise to create eco-friendly materials.

Solar fiesta to shine light on energy efficiency

Interested in lowering your energy bills? Or (finally) heating your water -- or your home or business -- with the sun?

This weekend's 2008 Solar Fiesta organizers promise to help consumers "plan your route to increased energy independence" with workshops and demonstrations that range from easy conservation tips to full remodeling and solar installation information, and will have on hand the vendors who can help you transition to increased conservation, efficiency and renewable energy.

FAA rush job on Eclipse jet certification?

Governor to create "21st century showcase"

As the New Mexico State Fair kicked off on Friday, the governor's office released a number of broad ideas for use of the EXPO New Mexico fairgrounds year-round, promising the state "will move forward to turn EXPO into a 21st century showcase."

Frankenstein as a voting machine

You, too, can watch your electricity meter go backward

A foundation that teaches organic agriculture and sustainable living in Costa Rica has sought to apply "wise use" principles to its Albuquerque office. Founder Franklin Wilson -- who says the foundation has cut its energy use and produces power that is sold back to PNM -- wants to spread the word that anyone can pretty much do the same. In fact, he says, it's "rather easy."

The changing face of intelligence

As the Bush administration prepares its exit, new domestic spying tactics are being pushed to solidify security measures enacted shortly after 9/11.

A recent Justice Department proposal would allow local law enforcement agencies to investigate individuals or groups suspected of terrorist activity. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has just released information about its Border Crossing Information system, which records border activities of all U.S. citizens and stores it in a database for 15 years.

TODAY'S TOP STORIES: Secrecy lifted on Sandia's anthrax scientists

Since February 2002, scientists at Sandia Laboratories have worked in secrecy to determine if anthrax that killed five people in the autumn of 2001 came from a terrorist group or foreign state. Now they're laying out the chronology of their research to the Albuquerque Journal's John Fleck.

Not only was New Mexico State University in Las Cruces host to retiring Sen. Pete Domenici's Policy Conference this week, NMSU is getting papers and memorabilia the senator accumulated over his 36 years in Congress, the Las Cruces Sun-News reports and which the Independent noted yesterday.

Analysis of June's 17-acre Ancho fire near a weapons test facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory has led to some changes to prevent recurrence, the Los Alamos Monitor reports.

Biofuels get a boost

Principals from the New Mexico Biodiesel Policy Summit held in March have taken that groundbreaking summit a step further, forming the Southwestern Biofuels Association to promote and guide policy in use of this "green" source of energy.

Those who attended the summit received letters earlier this month about the formation of the association, which includes members of the industry, government and Sandia National Laboratories.

The group made its debut on the opening day of the Legislature's special session and has a Web site touting the Southwest, and New Mexico in particular, as well-suited for biodiesel fuels production:
 

The potential for New Mexico and the Southwest to become major players in the production of biofuels and biodiesel feedstocks is very promising. While the region's climate is too arid for the production of many agricultural products, some of the most important biodiesel crops are well suited to the region's high altitude, low moisture levels, and high summer heat. Where other crops would fail, crops used for biodiesel production -- such as Camelina and Jatropha -- prosper favorably in the Southwest's climate.

Hydrogen tour comes to Albuquerque

By Denise Tessier 08/20/2008

 

Eleven hydrogen-powered vehicles from major automakers like BMW, GM, Honda and Toyota will be available for public view -- and some for short test drives -- from 2 to 4 p.m. today at the Sandia Science & Technology Park.

 

According to Sandia National Labs, several of the hydrogen-fueled cars will be displayed in the parking lot of the Ktech building at Eubank Boulevard and Gibson Avenue SE, and some will be available for test drives.

New Mexico Internet speed lags behind

By Matthew Reichbach 08/15/2008 | 1 Comment

Is this page taking a while to load? If you're in the United States, and especially rural states, then the answer is probably yes. Especially compared to other countries around the world.

According to the second annual state-by-state Internet speed report by the Communication Workers of America, the United States' average download speed is 2.35 megabits per second, good for 15th in the industrialized world. New Mexico is below average, with just a 2 megabit per second average download speed.

"Over the last year, people who live in New Mexico have gone to the speedmatters.org site to take an Internet speed test and measure how fast their computers can upload and download data," the report says. "The results of the speed test show that the Internet speeds of people who live in New Mexico, like those of the entire country, lag behind."

Keeping tabs on TB

By Denise Tessier 08/14/2008 | 3 Comments

International travel and bio-terrorism have upped the ante in the need for quick turnaround times in disease forensics. But quick turnarounds require that scientists and clinicians have access to a pathogen-centric database. Three scientists explain to NMI how such a national database for one of today's greatest health threats -- tuberculosis -- could be up and running in six months at the University of New Mexico.

The Internet arrives as a weapon

By Trip Jennings 08/13/2008

In a sign of the times, it appears that the Internet has arrived as a weapon. For all of you who have been victimized by spam attacks, this may not be news to you. But the New York Times is reporting today that cyber attacks preceded Russia's invasion.

Those in the know have been predicting this kind of use of the Internet, computers and servers for some time. And the U.S. is considering a Cyber Command to launch and guard against such attacks. And New Mexico is in the hunt to land the operation.

Post-9/11 intelligence goes local

By Trip Jennings 08/12/2008

Day in, day out a handful of analysts sit in a nondescript building at the National Guard Center off Highway 14 south of Santa Fe taking in raw data from an alphabet soup of federal, state and local agencies. New Mexico's program -- also known by the more friendly moniker "fusion center" -- is one of several dozen facilities to have opened, often quietly, across the country in the years following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

NMI Interview: Pearce sticks to his guns on energy, aims at Udall

By David Alire Garcia 08/11/2008 | 9 Comments

Pearce brings years of experience in the oil industry to bear on what he sees as a pivotal issue in this year's campaign. And his prescriptions -- more domestic drilling, expanded nuclear power and renewable alternatives too -- flow from his view that the major problem is not enough supply.

TODAY'S TOP STORIES: Creepy crawlers and a massive sink hole

By Denise Tessier 08/08/2008

We're not making this up, but some of the news from around the state sounds like something out of the National Enquirer.

Streets in affected neighborhoods around Las Cruces are being painted greenish yellow as vehicles squish thousands of crawling caterpillars, reports the Las Cruces Sun News, which posted graphic pictures and an up-close-and-personal YouTube video of the creeping critters that have arrived by the millions, thanks to abundant rainfall and food sources.

Can cow manure power homes? NY firm and Amarillo dairy give it a go.

By Joel Gay 08/05/2008

A company in west Texas is doing what its competition couldn't over the border in New Mexico — using cow manure to power homes.

Using a process known as methane digestion, the New York company Microgy is planning to turn millions of tons of cow manure, food scraps and bacteria every year into natural gas at a plant now under construction about 40 miles southwest of Amarillo, The Amarillo Globe-News reports.

Cnossen Dairy, which has about 10,000 head of cattle near the town of Hereford, will remain in the milk business, and therefore in the manure business. Microgy, a subsidiary of Environmental Power, plans to install six large digesting tanks that turn the manure and other materials into clean methane gas. The resulting methane, which the company markets under the trademark name Renewable Natural Gas, will be pumped into an existing natural gas pipeline.

Solar eureka? Not so fast!

By Joel Gay 08/01/2008

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they have discovered a cheap and easy way to convert solar energy into energy that can power homes and cars. Already it is being touted by some as a "giant leap" and "major discovery that has enormous implications" for mankind.

But at least one solar technology researcher at Sandia National Laboratories says it's a bit early to break out the champagne. While the MIT crew may have a significant discovery, "I don't think they can go so far as to say this will lead to a revolution in solar energy," said Nathan Siegel.

McCain attempts to challenge Obama where he is strong: Online.

By Trip Jennings 07/24/2008

GOP presidential candidate John McCain appears to be trying to give Democrat Barack Obama a run for his money in an area of strength -- the Internet.

The Boston Globe's political blog reports today:
 

Trying to catch up with Barack Obama's online machine, John McCain's told supporters this evening that it has created "McCain Nation," a way for them to connect and organize.< /blockquote>