Energy Research@Stanford

ENERGY RESEARCH@STANFORD

How to Store Carbon Dioxide Underground - and Keep it There Lou Durlofsky and David Cameron are using speedy parallel computing to find the optimal way to store carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions underground. Center for Computational Earth & Environmental Science   Could Methane-Sourced Polymers Save the World? To address climate change, Craig Criddle is developing a technique to convert methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into a useful polymer that stores CO2. Criddle Group   X-rays Capture Electron 'Dance' SLAC scientists and colleagues have observed how electrons move in and between molecules, offering potential insights for solar cell researchers. SLAC Linac Coherent Light Source

Black Carbon Is a Major Contributor to Climate Change, Study Finds Black carbon, a key component of soot, is the second most important contributor to global warming behind CO2, say Mark Jacobson and colleagues. Jacobson Lab

New Insights on Graphene Could Have Applications for Solar Research A single sheet of graphene is 100 times more chemically reactive than double or triple sheets, say researchers in David Goldhaber-Gordon's lab.  Goldhaber-Gordon Group

POLICY & FINANCE

Carbon Tax Necessary but Not Sufficient to Fight Global Warming Experts at a U.S.-Australia energy dialogue agreed that a carbon tax plus other government actions are needed to prevent the worst effects of climate change.

Rational Approaches to Renewable Energy Jeffrey Ball discussed domestic and global challenges facing the cleantech industry during recent appearances on radio and at the World Affairs Council.

ENERGY EDUCATION & LITERACY

Students Build Sustainable Home for Solar Competition Stanford engineering students competing in the U.S. Solar Decathlon have designed a house that could become a model for sustainable homebuilding.

Weekly Radio Program Offers News and Information on Renewables Green Grid Radio, a program on clean energy produced by Stanford students, airs Thursdays at 6:00 pm (PST) on KZSU-FM and at greengridradio.org.

New Course on Smart Grid Technology Available Online The Stanford Center for Professional Development is offering a new online course, "Smart Grid: Sensing, Data Analytics and Control." Tuition is $195.

PEOPLE

Obama honors Sidney Drell with National Medal of Science Jens Norskov receives Boudart Award for Advancement of Catalysis Mark Zoback elected Einstein Chair Professor by Chinese Academy of Sciences

IN THE NEWS

Video: Dan Reicher on new financing options for renewable technologies Op-Ed: Janine Zacharia on Saudi Arabia's focus on renewable energy Burton Richter comments on France's nuclear power program  U.S. coal sales to China could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, says Frank Wolak Column sites study by Peter Nolan and Mark Thurber on frontier petroleum risks Q&A: Ian Monroe reflects on the challenge of launching global sustainability startups Ken Caldeira discusses the impact of tar sands oil on climate change Jesse Levinson is developing autonomous vehicles at the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford

FUNDING & RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship (SIGF) Program: Apply by March 14 Student Projects for Intellectual Community Enhancement (SPICE): Apply by March 4 School of Earth Sciences undergraduate research opportunities: Deadlines vary Undergraduate Advising and Research (UAR) Student Grants:  Deadlines vary U.S. Department of Energy Postdoctoral Research Awards: Deadline February 28

EVENTS

Energy Seminar, Mondays, 4:15-5:15pm, Huang Engineering Center, NVIDIA Auditorium Vail Global Energy Forum, March 2-3, 2013, Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek, Colorado Save the Date: April 19, Connecting the Dots Conference, Stanford University