Alternative energy sources

One of the biggest interests in research right now is to find alternative energy sources to help overcome the current energy crisis we are facing. One important research topic is to find a way to purify water at a lower price and using less energy; this will help people in both industrialized and developing countries considerably. Eric Hoek and his research team at the University of California at Los Angeles created a membrane of nanoparticles that aims to reduce the cost needed to desalinate seawater and clean wastewater. This groundbreaking technology may be adapted in municipal desalination plants in water-thirsty areas. In an effort to bring about new energy sources, a newsletter, NanoFrontiers, discusses the international nanotechnology research and development news. It explores the question of whether developing nations will share the benefits of nanotechnology with other countries. The examples include nanotechnology advances in therapeutic and preventive treatments for HIV/AIDS, "fog harvesting" in Thailand, China and Nepal and improved desalination technology to turn seawater into drinking water.
The publication of these investigations was led by Visions for the Future of Nanotechnology and written by Karen F. Schmidt
To listen the podcasts available online, click here.