Author Archives: Stephanie Susman
Where Do I Get My Pass? by Stephanie Susman In the global race for green superiority, China is often seen as a frontrunner. In fact, China recently announced plans to invest 5 trillion yuan ($739 billion) in energy industries including nuclear, wind, solar, biomass, clean coal, smart grid, distributed energy and green autos by 2020. This is good news for the 1.3 billion people living in China who need clean air, jobs and transportation. Unfortunately, according to this week’s Newsweek, “a new study shows that in the first half of 2010, China’s air quality actually deteriorated for the first time in five years.” The reason? “China’s swarms of new cars and industries are damaging the environment faster than the country’s efforts at green retooling can save it.” But, according to NYTimes.com, China’s Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment has a solution: The 3D Express Coach, “a decidedly odd-looking, extra-wide and extra-tall … Continue reading
In 1960, Corning Incorporated, the world leader in specialty glass and ceramics, launched “Project Muscle” to find a glass as strong as steel. The project was a success. According to the Associated Press (AP), in 1964, “Corning devised an ingenious method called ‘fusion draw’ to make super-thin, unvarying flat glass.” They called the glass “Chemcor™.” But, “Project Muscle” was also a failure because they didn’t know how to use Chemcor commercially. According to the AP, “Corning thought Chemcor sheets created this way would be the material of choice in car windshields, but British rival Pilkington Bros. intervened with a far cheaper mass-production approach. And another Chemcor adaptation in photochromic sunglasses also fizzled in the retail market.” But now, 48 years after its invention, Chemcor is getting a second chance. Now called Gorilla® Glass, this glass is “up to three times as strong as chemically strengthened versions of ordinary soda-lime glass … Continue reading
It’s been more than eight years since former President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) into law. Designed to help students improve their reading and math skills, NCLB requires states to set high standards and establish measurable goals for their students. Indeed, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress’ (NAEP) 2009 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) Report Cards, students have improved in reading and math since 2003, but not significantly. The TUDA tests samples of students in fourth and eighth grade in 18 different urban district public schools. The 2009 assessment found that both reading and math scores for 4th graders were unchanged. Scores for 8th graders improved only slightly. Yet in 2008, American 15 year olds still ranked 25th in math out of 30 industrialized countries, according to Strong American Schools. What’s more is that the United States’ competitiveness continues to … Continue reading
Well it’s about time! The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced in May that it’s launching three Energy Innovation Hubs, designed to “help advance highly promising areas of energy science and engineering from the early stage of research to the point where the technology can be handed off to the private sector.” These hubs not only demonstrate the nation’s commitment to tackling our energy and climate challenges, but they also represent an innovation endeavor not often associated with the U.S. government. Each of the three hubs will tackle a different energy challenge in a highly collaborative way that welcomes diversity of thought. They will “bring together top researchers from academia, industry and the government laboratories with expertise that spans multiple scientific and engineering disciplines under the leadership of a dynamic scientist-manager.” They differ from other DOE R&D projects that have smaller teams, more clearly defined leaders and few disciplines … Continue reading
