Salt-Water as Fuel

In a search to cure cancer, engineer John Kanzius chanced upon what may be the single most important step to solving our energy needs - discovering how to use salt water as engine fuel.

Through the manipulation of radio waves, Kanzius was able to burn the oxygen and hydrogen from salt water, generating heat registering as high as 1,300C! Further research could help create an engine which uses one of the world's most abundant, and underutilized, materials.

See the video.

Cooking with the Sun

CNN reports a novel method of cooking cheap enough that it can be readily used in the 3rd world, and will simultaneously help clean the environment.

Jon Bøhmer's 'Kyoto Box' is made of cardboard, a black interior, aluminum foil-covered top panels, and a plexiglass cover, trapping sunlight to cook, bake, clean water and dry food. The box avoids smoke inhalation, fire hazards, and time loss due to the gathering of firewood. It also helps in the fight against carbon emissions, rising energy costs, and deforestation.

So how much of a background in science does one need to help discover the next big green solution? Not much if you have Bøhmer's luck, "This took me about a weekend, and it worked on the first try. It's mind-boggling how simple it is."

Oil Companies Going Green?

Biofuel is the next big thing. The problem is that today's biofuels (ethanol, soybean biodiesel) come with many socio-economic externalities, or harmful side effects.

With fossil fuel consumption having largely contributed to global warming, and biofuel consumption having similar bad side effects, can mankind ever go green? YES.

Teaming up with the likes of Craig Venter, ExxonMobil, among others, has invested extensively into biofuel development - using algae.

Algae, unlike other currently existing biofuels, does not occupy arable land, is extremely cheap, readily available, and consumes carbon dioxide in the process.

To understand the process, check out this short clip.