E-journal post #4 - Unit 8 (Innovations)

In the summer, most of people cannot wait 24 hours without the air conditioning. Even if people are wearing the light summer clothes, wearing them are too hot. What can be done to make it cooler in the summer? More recently, a new type of fabric published in the journal Science may be able to meet your requirements - it will be much cooler to wear than the regular clothing.

         Researchers at the Stanford University have innovated this super "cool" nano-porous polyethylene (NanoPE) fabric. It can be achieved with the traditional clothing material permeability and wearing resistance, but also allow people to maintain a more comfortable body surface temperature in the summer. In the simulation experiment, this new material showed excellent heat dissipation: the surface temperature will rise by 0.8 ° C after covering the NanoPE material on the simulated skin heating device. Under the same conditions, the cotton made the temperature increase of 3.5 ° C, a non-woven material also increased the temperature by 2.9 ° C.

The cool secret is that this material can block the visible light. At the same time, it can make the body's own heat radiation easily go through. In terms of heat radiation, the common fabrics such as cotton cloth are detrimental to heat dissipation. The human body constantly exudes heat radiation in the infrared band, and the general fabric will not only block the visible light, will also be intercepted by the heat radiation. The polyethylene film can make infrared light through, but it cannot directly be used to make clothes: it is the lack of ventilation, and visible light will go through. People cannot wear pieces of transparent clothes to hang out on the streets. This time, the NanoPE is supposed to retain the transmission of infrared light, at the same time, the polyethylene also has the potential to make clothing.

In the future, this material can not only be used as an excellent heat dissipation material to process all kinds of clothing, but also can be used in the tents in the field, and the open-air vehicle sunshade, and even can be used in the beer greenhouses and the other outdoor facilities. The good ability can also reduce the using needs of air conditioning, which is also very good for energy conservation.

Next, the researchers will pay attention to improving the comfort of this material, and let them become economical enough. With this new fabric, perhaps we do not have to open the air conditioning all day.

E-journal post #3 - Unit 7 (Ensuring a sustainable future)

How to Ensure A Sustainable Future

 

         Imagine that the natural resources on the earth are going to be worn out after 50 years. As a consequence, what will happen? Maybe people will move from one place to another in order to find clean and precious water. The soil will be difficult to be used for planting because of the lack of the clean soil. The price of fossil oil will be so high that people can’t afford it. This scene of future is so scaring, isn’t it? In order to avoid this situation, it is essential to figure out how to ensure a sustainable future. Here are three important things that people need to do to ensure a sustainable future.

         First of all, it is important to make a plan of sustainable development about now and future. The reason why people should found a plan is that the pan could help people see the situation clearly. This time table is supposed to include four important points—when to find the way to solve problems of nondegradable plastics, when to make the emission of CO2 under the control totally, when to improve the conditions of the lack of fresh water resources, and when to find out the alternative to the essential nonrenewable resources. In order to ensure a sustainable life, this kind of global view should be established.

         On the other hand, one of the most important steps in the plan is to find out the alternative to the essential but nonrenewable resources, such as fossil oil. At the same time, the alternative should be renewable. This is the key to ensure a sustainable life. The core of future is to change nonrenewable resources into renewable resources by searching for alternative.

         Lastly, whether people are able to ensure a sustainable life or not depends on their attitudes towards the normal life. ensuring a sustainable life should not be regarded as a slogan. It is useful to form the consciousness of saving energy. When you forget that you are doing things like saving energy, you have combined it with your normal life, and that is the best attitude towards a sustainable future.

         After taking consider of things above, people will establish a plan of sustainable future full of global view, then catch the radical solution, and finally take a correct attitude. As a result, a sustainable future will be guaranteed. Now are you still worried about the future after 50 years?