In a development arising from nanotechnology research, scientists in Madison have created a spongelike material that could provide a novel and sustainable way to clean up oil spills.

 

It's known as an aerogel, but it could just as well be called a "smart sponge."

 

To demonstrate how it works, researchers add a small amount of red dye to diesel, making the fuel stand out in a glass of water. The aerogel is dipped in the glass and within minutes, the sponge has soaked up the diesel. The aerogel is now red, and the glass of water is clear.

 

 

 

FERNDALE — Extremely cold temperatures helped the Ferndale Fire Department in their efforts to contain a chemical spill at Gage Products, 625 Wanda, at around 10 p.m. Tuesday night.

 

Fire Chief Kevin Sullivan said that 390 gallons of ethanol from a 500 gallon tote were spilled on the property and into the sewer. This also caused steam to billow into the air. A Gage crew placed “pigs,” a tubular absorbent device, to prevent any further drainage.

 

“An emergency cleanup crew has been dispatched to clean catch basins and sewer,” Sullivan said. “Everything is under control at this time. I have notified Michigan DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) and other parties required by law.

 

 

The world runs on energy- the change from animal to wind power has changed the face of the Earth forever. Life as we know it today is impossible without the use of energy. From transport to communication, from agriculture to medicine, from cradle to grave, modern man is totally dependent on energy to provide the goods and services he needs. As a result, energy resources are now more important than ever before.

Fossil fuels, which have been instrumental in taking mankind from an agrarian society to a modern technological and information-based society of the 21st century, are depleting. This has brought into light the need for newer energy sources.  The world is conscious of the need to find new and renewable sources of energy, but finding the right solution is not easy- everything comes at a price. With the present state of scientific development, almost every source of alternate energy has one or more negatives that balance out the positives.

 

 

ST. PAUL (AP) — Recent crude oil train catastrophes in North Dakota and Canada show that Minnesota needs to beef up its ability to protect its communities from similar disasters, a pair of lawmakers said Wednesday.

 

Against the backdrop of a large rail yard in St. Paul, Rep. Frank Hornstein and Sen. Scott Dibble outlined a bill they plan to introduce at the start of the upcoming legislative session that would impose a fee of about one-one hundredth of 1 cent per gallon of crude oil transported across Minnesota by rail or pipeline. The Minneapolis Democrats said the fee would raise $15 million to $30 million a year to help state agencies and local authorities with planning and training for potential oil spills.

 

The state's ability to respond to oil emergencies is "woefully inadequate due to a lack of preparedness and a lack of resources," Hornstein told reporters.

 

The drilling  boom that's made North Dakota the country's No. 2 oil producing state behind Texas has led to a boom in crude oil shipments by rail, because existing pipeline networks can't handle the volume. The shipments involve long "unit trains" that typically haul around 100 tanker cars each to refineries elsewhere.