13 Million Cases of Malaria Prevented

Daily Upsider on May 2, 2024

For years, aid workers have understood that while billions of dollars flow into African aid foundations, a relatively small investment in insecticide-treated mosquito nets could rival the impact of a decade’s worth of malaria drug research.

Indeed, the investment in nets has surpassed expectations: a single program, which distributed 54 million nets across 16 countries over three years, is estimated to have saved 24,600 lives and prevented 13 million cases of malaria.

This initiative, known as the New Nets Project, is a collaboration funded by Unitaid, the Global Fund, and the Innovative Vector Control Consortium. It focuses on distributing new types of mosquito nets treated with advanced insecticides like chlorfenapyr and pyroproxyfen, which have shown greater effectiveness than the standard treatments.

Mosquito populations, much like bacteria with antibiotics, can develop resistance to the insecticides used in traditional nets. While these nets continue to act as physical barriers, they degrade quickly due to their delicate material.

From 2019 to 2022, the New Nets Project facilitated the distribution of 38.4 million mosquito nets throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Further, in partnership with the office of the President of the United States, an additional distribution increased this number to 56 million nets in Nigeria and other countries.

In regions experiencing insecticide resistance, these new nets have been shown to increase malaria control effectiveness by 20 to 50%. The use of these nets, compared to standard ones, has potentially saved health systems $28.9 million by reducing malaria cases and deaths.

It is always great to see smart, well organized efforts making a real difference!

Nanogenerator Turns Greenhouse Gas Into Electricity

Daily Upsider on April 30, 2024

University of Queensland researchers made a notable breakthrough by accidentally discovering a method to convert the most prevalent greenhouse gas into electricity.

Using a combination of positive and negative ions of different sizes, the team successfully generated electricity from CO2.

Despite its negative reputation, it’s worth noting that carbon dioxide comprises two oxygen molecules and one carbon molecule, which are essential components of the universe and play crucial roles in various human processes and applications.

Dr. Zhuyuan Wang, a research officer at the University of Queensland’s Dow Center for Sustainable Engineering Innovation, had been working on a nanogenerator powered by ion transport for three years. One day, during experiments, he observed that the device was utilizing CO2 from the laboratory air to produce electricity.

After confirming the phenomenon, Dr. Wang envisioned the technology’s potential to transform energy production. He proposed the concept of developing portable devices capable of harnessing CO2 from the atmosphere to power everyday electronics like mobile phones or laptops.

To verify that CO2 was indeed driving the nanogenerator, Wang and his team conducted controlled experiments, sealing the device in a box and introducing CO2 into the environment. Although the devices were initially small, measuring just 4×6 centimeters, the team speculated that scaling up the technology could provide significant power supplies for office electronics.

Dr. Wang’s colleague, Xiwang Zhang, expressed their commitment to further refining the technology through the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Green Electrochemical Transformation of Carbon Dioxide.

Stunning Photos from the $2 Billion Space Telescope

Daily Upsider on April 28, 2024

One of NASA’s premier space telescopes, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, might be headed for an early retirement due to significant budget reductions.

For the past 25 years, Chandra has orbited Earth, capturing the universe in X-ray wavelengths invisible to the naked eye. Its remarkable images have unveiled a universe abundant with black holes, provided concrete evidence of dark matter, and captured the luminosity of neutron stars colliding, which alters the fabric of space-time.

The observatory, which cost NASA approximately $2.2 billion to construct and launch, has proven its worth over the years. “For many years it was the most productive mission in NASA’s program if measured in publications per dollar spent,” stated Thomas Zurbuchen, former Associate Administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate from 2016 to 2022, in an email to Business Insider.

However, NASA’s financial plans for 2025 have drastically cut Chandra’s funding from $68 million to $41 million. The budget is set to further decrease in the following years, stabilizing at $26.6 million annually until it drops sharply to $5.2 million in 2029.

According to Chandra’s operational team, the proposed budget will just cover the costs needed to decommission the telescope, signaling the end of its journey.

Despite it’s time coming to an end, we have gotten some truly amazing images from it. Many of Chandra’s images come from collaborating with the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes were the combined spectrum’s of the telescopes reveal the stunning universe around us.

Check out this article that has all the best photos to come out of this amazing piece of technology!

Waste Heat Warms Finnish City

Daily Upsider on April 22, 2024

Underground caverns in Finland are being utilized for a groundbreaking seasonal energy storage initiative. This facility near Helsinki, set to become the world’s largest, will store heat during the summer for later use in the winter, providing enough thermal energy to heat a medium-sized city.

Systems like underground thermal exchange heating and domestic heat pumps are viewed as highly effective in reducing the environmental impact of heating and cooling. These systems operate by harnessing natural forces or recycling energy to regulate water temperature, which is then used to provide heating or cooling to buildings.

In Vantaa, neighboring Helsinki, the Varanto project aims to store excess heat from data centers, cooling processes, and waste-to-energy facilities underground. This stored heat will be tapped into during colder months to heat buildings via the district heating network.

The scale of Varanto is immense, with underground caverns equivalent to two Madison Square Gardens filled with water heated by waste heat. This innovative approach enables water temperatures to reach up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit without boiling or evaporating.

According to Vantaa Energy CEO Jukka Toivonen, the Varanto project addresses a critical challenge in the energy transition by providing large-scale storage solutions for intermittent renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. The project, supported by an investment grant from Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, is poised to set a global example.

The fully charged storage capacity of 90 gigawatt-hours could sustain a medium-sized Finnish city for a year, equivalent to 1.3 million electric car batteries. To complement renewable electricity, the project includes the installation of 60-MW electric boilers, offering flexibility and efficiency in heat production.

With construction slated to begin in 2024 and operational targets set for 2028, district heating remains a cornerstone of Finland’s heating infrastructure, with Vantaa boasting extensive underground networks serving the majority of its residents. In 2023, Finland produced 37.3 terawatt-hours of district heat, with over half sourced from renewable and waste heat.

US Removes “Forever Chemicals” from Drinking Water

Daily Upsider on April 22, 2024

Despite significant opposition from the chemical industry, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its initial regulations aimed at limiting the presence of PFAs, known as ‘forever chemicals,’ in American drinking water.

PFAs, also known as Polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been extensively used for their fire, oil, stain, and water-resistant properties in various products such as waterproof clothing, stain-resistant furniture, and non-stick cooking surfaces. Despite their widespread use, PFAs are associated with health risks, prompting the EPA to take action.

The new regulations mandate water utilities to test for six different classes of PFAS compounds, aiming to reduce exposure and lower health risks for an estimated 100 million people in the US. To support this effort, a $1 billion fund for treatment and testing will be allocated to water utilities nationwide, part of a broader $9 billion investment under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at assisting communities affected by PFAS contamination.

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan emphasized the urgency of addressing PFAS contamination, stating that communities have suffered from contaminated drinking water for too long. Under Regan’s leadership, the EPA has been actively working since 2021 to address PFAS contamination, gathering data and requiring increased reporting from businesses regarding the use of these unregulated substances.

Scientific studies have shown that exposure to certain levels of PFAS may lead to various health issues, though the exact effects can be challenging to specify due to the diversity of compounds and sources. Nonetheless, the EPA is giving water utility operators five years to test for PFAS pollution and implement necessary treatment technologies, with an estimated 6%–10% of facilities needing such upgrades.