Aiding the environment by more than a nanostep
“Some of the grandest ideas about how to preserve the environment involve molecular-scale engineering known as nanotechnology. Such visions might inspire more confidence, though, if there were real products available to achieve them.”
Apparently author Barnaby J. Feder, writing in today’s New York Times article, Aiding the Environment, a Nanostep at a Time, hasn’t seen Nanotechnology for Green Building, the 117-page report from Green Technology Forum that identifies 130 startups and established companies offering or developing nanomaterials for green building.
To his credit, and despite his initial cynicism, Federer cites several green building products available today that benefit from nanotechnology, including heat-reducing windows and white LEDs.
But oddly, he says nanotechnology “could enable innovations like increasingly efficient batteries for electric cars and solar energy panels for homes” when in fact all of these innovations are available today as commercial products enhanced by nanotechnology.
He’s right that nano-enhanced products typically come with a higher price tag than their conventional counterparts, but isn’t it time we started looking beyond first costs at how much money and energy new, innovative products can save over their whole life cycle? When we consider economic and environmental life cycle costs, many nano-products have their counterparts beat by more than a nanostep.
April 15th, 2008 at 6:22 am
People are increasingly looking to alternative energy powered vehicles in light of reducing environmental impact and to reduce running costs.
If nano technology is able to improve the improve products like electric cars, so much the better! -http://www.zapworld.com