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NEC, NEC TOKIN and Tohoku University develop spin-Seebeck thermoelectric device w/ 10x better conversion efficiency

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NEC Corporation, NEC TOKIN Corporation and TOHOKU UNIVERSITY have jointly created a thermoelectric (TE) device using the spin Seebeck effect (SSE) with conversion efficiency 10 times higher than a test module that was produced based on a multi-layered SSE technology published by the Tohoku University group in 2015.

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Rio Tinto to invest $1 billion over 5 years to help meet new climate change targets

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The production of aluminium, copper and high-grade iron ore will play a part in the transition to a low carbon economy. Rio Tinto introduced its first climate change target in 2008 and beat its most recent target. The company’s previous target was for a 24% reduction in intensity from 2008 levels by 2020.

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San José International deploys 10 Proterra electric buses in airport fleet

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Funded in part by a $5-million zero-emissions grant from the Federal Aviation Administration, the electric buses replace the aging compressed natural gas bus fleet that has been operating at SJC since 2008. The buses and charging systems were designed and manufactured locally by Proterra, based in Burlingame, Calif.

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Study concludes environmental regulations drove steep declines in US factory pollution even with increased production

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The federal Clean Air Act and associated environmental regulations have driven steep declines in air pollution emissions over the past several decades, even as US manufacturers increased production, according to a study by two University of California, Berkeley, economists. —Joseph Shapiro, co-author. Manufacturing Declining?

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Rice University to Collaborate with nanoAlberta on Oil Sands Research

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Rice University President David Leebron and Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in Edmonton, Alberta outlining a research collaboration between nanoAlberta , part of Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, and Rice’s Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology.

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Unifrax introduces Battery Advisory Board to support SiFAB silicon fiber anode battery technology

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The SiFAB technology becomes part of a Unifrax battery portfolio that also consists of thermal management products and separator media. From 2008 until her retirement in 2014, she served as Vice President of Operations at Apple, where she oversaw the launch of the iPad and manufacturing of the Mac desktop and accessories product lines.

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Study: Americans working from home are using more power and paying higher bills

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With an economic downturn, one would expect electricity use to drop across the board as it did during the 2008 financial crises. Cicala is a non-resident scholar at the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) and an assistant professor of economics at Tufts University. Source: Steve Cicala.

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