‘Gold Hydrogen’ Is an Untapped Resource in Depleted Oil Wells

https://www.wired.com/story/gold-hydrogen/


There was no prospect of getting any more oil out of the old well. It was just a depleted cavern hiding beneath the sun-baked Texas soil. But then some folks came along and squirted a special liquid into it. They went away for five days, and when they came back it was no longer an oil well. It had transformed into a hydrogen source.

Cemvita Factory, a biotech firm in Texas, had spritzed a carefully selected combination of bacteria and nutrients down the bore hole. Once inside the well, the microbes began breaking down the residual oil hydrocarbons in there—dregs that would be unprofitable to extract—to generate hydrogen and CO2. This field test in July, though small in scale, was a “huge success,” says chief business officer Charles Nelson.

Nelson would not comment on what bacteria and nutrients the company is using, but he says his firm aims to produce hydrogen for $1 per kilogram, which would be competitive against other methods of obtaining the fuel. He estimates there are more than 1,000 depleted oil wells dotted around the United States that are suitable for the same kind of microbial treatment: “A lot of these reservoirs are abandoned, they’re in the custody of the state, they’re orphaned and waiting to be cleaned up.” 

Hydrogen, which releases zero carbon emissions when burned, has long been touted as a future fuel. Even though it’s the most abundant element in the universe, with copious amounts on the Earth’s surface in molecules such as water, some effort is required to obtain large quantities of pure hydrogen. There’s a long list of techniques currently vying for supremacy. People have taken to color-coding them, and there is now a veritable rainbow to choose from.

There’s green hydrogen, where renewable energy is used to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen. Blue hydrogen, meanwhile, involves extracting hydrogen from natural gas. Cemvita Factory describes its product as “gold hydrogen”—“to pay homage to the past era of oil as the black gold and it now being used as a feedstock to make subsurface hydrogen,” says cofounder and CEO Moji Karimi.

Nelson explains that the firm’s goal is to treat oil wells with bacteria to enable steady, long-term hydrogen production—perhaps lasting for decades. Existing, disused infrastructure above and around the well for taking off gasses could be brought back into service in order to collect the hydrogen, he adds.

It will be important to prevent the CO2 byproduct from leaking into the atmosphere and contributing to climate change, however. Cemvita Factory argues that it can keep the CO2 locked underground, use other microbes to fix it somehow, or find commercial uses for the greenhouse gas. There could be barriers to simply storing it below ground, though. A major blue hydrogen project in Louisiana is currently on hold due to local opposition over a plan to store any CO2 generated beneath a lake, as some residents fear it could pollute local water resources. Exactly what solution Cemvita would use in each location—and how successfully—isn’t yet known. 

via Wired Top Stories https://www.wired.com

November 24, 2022 at 06:08AM

The Planet Desperately Needs That UN Plastics Treaty

https://www.wired.com/story/the-planet-desperately-needs-that-un-plastics-treaty/


This week in Uruguay, scientists, environmentalists, and government representatives—and, of course, lobbyists—are gathering to begin negotiations on a United Nations treaty on plastics. It’s only the start of talks, so we don’t know how they will shape up, but some of the bargaining chips on the table include production limits and phasing out particularly troublesome chemical components. A draft resolution released in March set the tone, acknowledging that “high and rapidly increasing levels of plastic pollution represent a serious environmental problem at a global scale, negatively impacting the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development.” 

Which is a bureaucratic way of saying that plastic pollution—both macroplastics like bags and bottles, and microplastics like fibers from synthetic clothing—is a planetary catastrophe of the highest order, and one that’s getting exponentially worse. Humanity is now churning out a trillion pounds of plastic a year, and that’ll double by 2045. Only 9 percent of all the plastic ever produced has been recycled—and currently the United States is recycling just 5 percent of its plastic waste. The rest of it is either chucked into landfills or burned, or escapes into the environment. Wealthy nations also have a nasty habit of exporting their plastic waste to economically developing nations, where the stuff is often burned in open pits, poisoning surrounding communities. Plastics are also a major contributor of carbon emissions—they’re made of fossil fuels, after all.

Environmentalists and scientists who study pollution agree that the way to fix the plastic problem isn’t with more recycling, or with giant tubes that collect trash floating in the ocean, but by massively cutting its production. But while we don’t know what will eventually make it into the treaty—negotiations are expected to extend into 2024—don’t expect it to end the manufacturing of plastic the way a peace treaty would end a war. Instead, it could nudge humanity toward treating its debilitating addiction to polymers, by for instance targeting single-use plastics. “We’re not going to have a world without plastic—that’s not in the very foreseeable future,” says Deonie Allen, a plastics scientist at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. “However, the way we currently use it, that is a choice we can make today.” 

Think of the unmitigated flow of plastic into the environment as a stream. If you want to treat the problem downstream, you remove the waste that’s already in the environment, the way a beach cleanup does. Farther upstream—literally so—you might deploy river barges to intercept plastic before it reaches the ocean. But the farthest upstream you can go is just not producing the plastic in the first place. 

That’s why the treaty needs to include a limit on plastics production, an international team of scientists argued in the journal Science after the draft resolution was published. “What we’re really going to be pushing for is for mandatory and obligatory caps on production,” says Jane Patton, campaign manager of plastics and petrochemicals at the Center for International Environmental Law, who’s attending the talks. “We’re going to be pushing for changes in the way the plastics are produced, to eliminate toxic chemicals from the production and the supply chain.”

The draft resolution does indeed call for addressing the “full lifecycle” of plastic, meaning from production to disposal. But time will tell how successful negotiators will actually be in getting agreement on a cap. Ideally they’d agree to an internationally binding limit, but it’s also possible that individual countries will end up making their own commitments. 

via Wired Top Stories https://www.wired.com

November 29, 2022 at 06:10AM

Unreal Engine 5.1 Feature Highlights

https://www.gamespot.com/videos/unreal-engine-5-1-feature-highlights/2300-6460074/

Unreal Engine 5.1 builds upon the work delivered with UE5, making the process of creating next-generation real-time 3D content and experiences even easier and more efficient. With 5.1, we are bringing the features we introduced in UE5 to the next stage of development for users across industries, making them more robust, workflow-friendly, and versatile.

via GameSpot’s PC Reviews https://ift.tt/1OQLwSq

November 23, 2022 at 10:48AM

This Simple USB Dongle Could Help the Average Person Type 600% Faster

https://gizmodo.com/type-600-faster-charachorder-x-dongle-1849816271


It sounds like an ad you’d find in the back pages of Popular Science for a miracle gadget that couldn’t possibly deliver on its promises, but the CharaChorder X dongle can legitimately and dramatically improve a user’s typing speed—assuming they’re willing to put the work in to learn how to use it.

So how can a device claim to “elevate average human typing speed from 40 words per minute up to 250 words per minute” without jabbing a probe deep into a user’s brain to detect what word they’re thinking of faster than their fingers can type it? The secret to the CharaChorder X, and its creators’ previous products, like the CharaChorder Lite keyboard, is that it simply reduces the number of keys that need to be typed to spell out words. So instead of needing 28 separate key presses to type out antidisestablishmentarianism, a user would only have to hit a combination of three or four keys just once.

The secret to the CharaChorder X is in its name: chords. Like a piano player hitting several keys at the same time to play a group of notes with a unique sound, or a guitar player strumming several strings, the CharaChorder technology allows an alphanumeric keyboard to be used in a similar fashion. But instead of producing sounds, pressing several different keys at the same time triggers a much longer word to be automatically typed, making a keyboard a far more efficient input tool.

The original version of the CharaChorder looked more like a gaming peripheral covered in a collection of wiggly unlabelled joysticks, but the follow-up, the CharaChorder Lite, looked like a regular compact keyboard, making it easier for users to slowly transition from traditional typing techniques to the benefits of typing with chords. And as happy as the company was for everyone to drop $200 on their special keyboard, its latest creation is a much cheaper solution, giving any existing keyboard CharaChorder powers.

The CharaChorder X dongle is connected to a device’s USB port, and then a keyboard is connected to it. No special drivers or software needs to be installed as the CharaChorder X monitors what’s being typed all on its own, and automatically inputs longer words when a three- or four-key combination is detected. It comes with a library of existing chords, but users can also program their own custom chords through a website interface, with the dongle having enough capacity to store over 65,000 presets. And because it’s a self-contained device, it works with Windows, Linux, macOS, and even Android, iOS, and iPadOS.

There are two catches to reaping the typing speed benefits of the CharaChorder X. First, you have to learn all those chords and the muscle memory required to accurately hit three or four keys at a time. This is made easier through web-based training tools the company provides, but it will take some practice to memorize enough of them to significantly improve your typing speed.

Second, is that its creators are using a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to help put the CharaChorder X into production. The campaign has already surpassed its $10,000 funding goal, and you can score one of the dongles for just $39 with a contribution, with full retail pricing eventually being $100. Delivery is expected sometime in July of next year, but as with any Kickstarted product, particularly electronics, there’s always the chance of unforeseen delays. The company has already brought several products to market through Kickstarter so it has a solid track record, but it’s always a good idea to be cautious with products where all the risk is put on those pre-ordering one in advance.

via Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com

November 23, 2022 at 09:48AM

Car companies want to make billions by charging subscription fees for features like heated seats

https://www.autoblog.com/2022/11/21/car-companies-want-to-charge-monthly-fees-for-features/


The 2022 Lexus IS sedan.
Lexus
  • Car companies expect to make billions charging customers recurring fees for vehicle features. 
  • Today, carmakers offer subscriptions for automatic high beams, remote start, and other functions. 
  • Manufacturers see dollar signs, but buyers aren’t thrilled about the idea. 

How would you feel about paying $5 each month for the ability to lock and unlock your car from a distance through an app? What about a $25-per-month charge for advanced cruise control or $10 to access heated seats? What if those charges continued long after your car was paid off? 

As vehicles become increasingly connected to the internet, car companies aim to rake in billions by having customers pay monthly or annual subscriptions to access certain features. Not content with the relatively low-margin business of building and selling cars, automakers are eager to pull down Silicon Valley-style profits.

But unlike with Netflix, you won’t be able to use your ex-girlfriend’s uncle’s login in your new BMW. And car buyers don’t seem too thrilled about the idea. 

For automakers, the advantage of this model is clear. Not only do they get a stream of recurring revenue for years after an initial purchase, they can hope to maintain a longer-term relationship with the customer and build brand loyalty, said Kristin Kolodge, vice president and head of auto benchmarking and mobility development at J.D. Power. 

This approach can also allow carmakers to streamline manufacturing by building cars to more uniform specifications, Mark Wakefield, who runs the automotive and industrial practice at the consulting firm AlixPartners, told Insider. Down the line, owners can add on the features they want à la carte. 

It’s all made possible by the advent of over-the-air software updates, which were pioneered by Tesla around a decade ago and are now entering the mainstream. Today’s vehicles are more internet-connected and computerized than ever before, meaning car companies can reach deep inside a vehicle to add new capabilities and tweak things from a distance. 

Brands including Lexus, Toyota, and Subaru invite owners to pay for the convenience of being able to lock or start their cars remotely through an app. In some BMWs, you can pay to unlock automatic high-beam headlights, which dim for oncoming traffic. In 2020, BMW floated the idea of pay-as-you-go heated seats and steering wheels. General Motors and Ford both offer subscription plans for their hands-free highway driving systems. 

Some people may welcome the ability to only pay for the features they actually want, rather than a big bundle of add-ons. But car companies still haven’t figured out exactly what customers are willing to pay for, and what feels like a frustrating upcharge. 

In 2019, BMW abandoned a plan to charge $80 per year for Apple CarPlay after widespread pushback. In December, Toyota said it would review a subscription plan that unintentionally paywalled use of the key fob for remote start.

“I think we’re going to see some interesting ebbs and flows of what really sticks,” Kolodge told Insider.

Automakers run the risk of making customers feel like they’re paying twice — once for a function to be built into a vehicle and again to activate it, Kolodge said. They may have more luck asking people to subscribe to brand-new services, rather than familiar features, she added. 

Understandably, drivers aren’t nearly as excited about recurring fees as carmakers are. 

An April study by Cox Automotive found that 75% of consumers are not willing to subscribe to most vehicle features. Drilling down deeper, 92% of respondents said heated and cooling seats should be included in a car’s up-front price, and 89% said the same for remote-start functions.

There’s a bill working its way through New Jersey’s legislature that would ban carmakers from charging on a subscription basis for features that use hardware already built into a vehicle and don’t cost the company anything to provide over time. Hackers have helped car owners upgrade their vehicles for years, and subscription features could be their next target, Vice reported

Still, automakers see dollar signs. Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler), Ford, and GM each aim to generate at least $20 billion in annual revenue from software services by 2030.  

Over-the-air capabilities open up huge opportunities for carmakers to introduce new subscription or pay-per use features over time, Wakefield, of AlixPartners, said. Someday, you may be able to fork over extra to make your car more efficient, sportier, or — in an electric vehicle — unlock extra range for road trips.

Got a tip about the auto industry? Have a story about buying or owning a car that you’d like to share? Contact this reporter at tlevin@insider.com

via Autoblog https://ift.tt/6L7STi5

November 22, 2022 at 09:05AM

This Plastic Packaging Alternative Can Compost in a Year

https://www.wired.com/story/wired-impact-shellworks-biodegradable-plastic/


Every year, people in the United Kingdom throw away around 96 billion pieces of plastic packaging—an average household tosses 66 pieces every week. Almost half of this packaging waste ends up being incinerated, while a quarter is buried in landfills, according to a May 2022 survey by Everyday Plastic and Greenpeace. The scale of the waste is hard to fathom.

“The plastics crisis can be daunting,” says Insiya Jafferjee, the CEO and cofounder of packaging company Shellworks. Speaking at WIRED Impact in London this November, Jafferjee said that even small, seemingly simple pieces of plastic—such as scoops included in baby formula packaging—result in hundreds of millions of pieces of plastic waste every year. Shellworks was created to start making a dent in the amount of plastic packaging that gets thrown away. To do so, Jafferjee and cofounder Amir Afshar developed an entirely compostable material that can be used to package goods.

Dubbed Vivomer, the company’s material is created from microbes found in the soil and marine environments and can be shaped into solid jars or containers, as well as more flexible droppers that release liquids. “The catch, or the benefit of this, is that if you throw this jar away, the very same microbes in the soil and the marine environment will see it, recognize it as its food essentially, and break it down,” Jafferjee says.

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The packaging doesn’t need any special environment to degrade: It can be composted at home or in industrial recycling. If a Vivomer product is thrown away with regular trash, Jafferjee says, it will still degrade, and it doesn’t produce any microplastics in the process. Depending on the size of the packaging, it can take anywhere between a year and five years to degrade.

Jafferjee told WIRED Impact that since Shellworks was founded in 2019, it has faced multiple challenges. While creating its proof of concept, the team worked in a shed and had to use machinery it was able to get for free. Then, on the eve of its first major delivery, an electrical fire decimated the firm’s stock. It has since learned to outsource manufacturing and started producing products en masse.

The company’s most significant order to date, Jafferjee says, was recreating the packaging for beauty brand Haeckels’ skincare products. In total, it produced more than 300,000 Vivomer items for 100,000 products, designed to hold everything from face creams and serums to oils and exfoliating powders. “We’re trying to scale,” Jafferjee says. To tackle the plastics crisis, scale is needed.

via Wired Top Stories https://www.wired.com

November 17, 2022 at 06:09AM

FDA Finally Says Lab-Grown Meat Is Safe to Eat

https://gizmodo.com/lab-grown-meat-upside-fda-1849792440


One of UPSIDE Foods’ chicken products on display, in all its glory.
Photo: UPSIDE Foods

Lab-grown meat is one big step closer to grocery store aisles and your dinner plate. The Food and Drug Administration announced its first-ever rubber stamp for a cultured meat company on Wednesday. UPSIDE Foods completed the FDA’s pre-market consultation process, and the agency found no reason to doubt the company’s safety claims.

Though technically not an “approval process” the FDA’s assessment of UPSIDE amounts to a green light for the company’s technology and production method, which uses small amounts of chicken cells + a growth medium to culture larger quantities of meat, minus the slaughter.

“We have no questions at this time regarding UPSIDE’s conclusion that foods comprised of or containing [its] cultured chicken cell material…are as safe as comparable foods produced by other methods,” the FDA wrote in its letter to the company—which is a clunky way to say: ‘sure, looks good.’

Cultured meat has been hyped up for years as a potential solution for the multitude of environmental downsides of standard, animal-made meat. Though some studies have called into question the actual environmental benefits of lab-grown steaks, filets, and drumsticks, the reality is it’s hard to measure the relative climate and pollution costs while “meat minus animals” has stayed mostly theoretical.

Cultured meat is typically grown in large vats, where a small amount of animal cells are fed with a medium or feed stock.
Photo: UPSIDE Foods

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Companies have been vying for regulator approval of cultured meat in the U.S. for a long time, to no avail. Without the FDA’s blessing, no manufacturer has actually started producing their product at marketable scale. There are lots of different environmental considerations involved in accurately determining a food’s impact.

In the case of cultured meat, important factors like the land used to grow the grains included in cell growth medium and the energy needed to run these facilities are big question marks. Lots of varying estimates are out there, but until a company actually navigates those decisions and manages to make money—it’s hard to say how cultured meat’s environmental footprint compares to that of factory-farmed livestock.

In 2020, Singapore was the world’s first country to approve the sale of cultured meat. In that case, the product was Eat Just’s chicken. Wednesday’s FDA announcement isn’t quite the same thing—one specific product hasn’t gotten the go-ahead for grocery aisles quite yet. And if UPSIDE wants to sell their stuff in stores, they’ll have to navigate further oversight from the USDA and the Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Nonetheless, it’s one of the biggest steps in recent years towards expanding cultured meat from the conference-circuit sample tray to actual consumers. Well over a hundred companies and start-ups have invested in the idea that lab-grown meat could be food’s future, and now we might actually get to find out.

via Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com

November 16, 2022 at 05:00PM