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Serving and protecting – and saving money in the process
As municipalities battle tight budgets and rising gasoline prices, law enforcement fleets across in the United States have found a way to save taxpayer dollars by shifting to clean-burning, American-made propane autogas
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Europe faces rare Earth metal shortages
The EU’s ambitious low-carbon energy production goal depends on five technologies: nuclear, solar, wind, bio-energy, and carbon capture; these technologies, in turn, depend on rare Earth metals; the EU estimates that a large-scale deployment of only one of these technologies — solar energy — will require half the current world supply of tellurium and 25 percent of the supply of indium
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Ionized plasmas as cheap sterilizer in tough places
Scientists show that ionized plasmas like those in neon lights and plasma TVs not only can sterilize water, but make it antimicrobial; these plasma devices could be life-savers in developing countries, disaster areas, or on the battlefield where sterile water for medical use is in short supply and expensive to produce
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Sector Report for Monday, 14 November 2011: Infrastructure protection
This report contains the following stories.
Plus 1 additional story.
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Nations could cripple U.S. with retaliatory cyberattack
Last week Richard Clarke, a top adviser to three presidents, sounded a dire warning that the United States should avoid going to war with other nations because its computer networks systems are so vulnerable to attack
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Smart grid security market to jump to $2 billion in 2016
Analysts project that spending on smart grid security will exceed $2 billion in the next five years; according to ABI Research’s report, titled “Smart Grid Security,” $590 million was spent on securing the smart grid in 2010 and by 2016 that number will rocket to $2 billion
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Innovative ultrasonic nozzle changes the way water cleans
Scientists have developed a revolutionary ultrasonic attachment for taps, which massively enhances the ability of water to clean; currently, industry uses excessive water, power, and additives for cleaning
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Hairline cracks discovered in Ohio nuclear plant
The discovery of several hairline cracks at a nuclear power plant in Ohio has watchdog groups questioning its structural integrity; on Monday a team of inspectors found several hairline cracks including one thirty-feet long at the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant, located outside of Toledo
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Protecting infrastructure from natural hazards
Accurate mapping data plays an important role in improving the resilience of the U.K.’s critical infrastructure to disruption from natural hazards
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Chemical industry hit by “Nitro” cyberattacks
In a string of cyberattacks, hackers have stolen critical formulas and plans from major chemical companies; the latest attacks, dubbed “Nitro,” were uncovered by Symanetec, which reported the hackers aims were corporate espionage rather than a terrorist attempt to procure chemicals
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Eight months later, Fukushima reactor could still be active
Troubles continue at the beleaguered Fukushima Daichii nuclear power plant in Japan with officials detecting radioactive xenon gas, a byproduct of nuclear fission, from reactor two nearly eight months after the dangerous meltdowns
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New source of energy: urine
Urine is the most abundant waste on Earth; American chemists have combined refueling one’s car and relieving one’s bladder by creating a new catalyst that can extract hydrogen from urine
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Hybrid power plants: cost effective way to go green
Hybrid cars, powered by a mixture of gas and electricity, have become a practical way to “go green” on the roads; now researchers at Tel Aviv University are using the hybrid approach to power plants as well
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Big asteroid to fly uncomfortably close to Earth
A hefty asteroid — dubbed asteroid 2005 YU55 — will zoom uncomfortable close to Earth on Tuesday, 8 November; the asteroid is classified as a potentially hazardous object, but it poses no threat of an Earth collision — for at least the next 100 years; scientists say the asteroid is a reminder that our planet is just a sitting duck in a cosmic shooting gallery
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DHS warns Anonymous may target critical infrastructure
DHS is warning critical infrastructure operators that the international hacking group known as Anonymous has threatened to attack industrial control systems, the software that governs automated processes for nearly every major utility or production facility including factories, power stations, chemical plants, and pharmacies
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More headlines
The long view
Falling Space Debris: How High Is the Risk I'll Get Hit?
An International Space Station battery fell back to Earth and, luckily, splashed down harmlessly in the Atlantic. Should we have worried? Space debris reenters our atmosphere every week.
Using Drone Swarms to Fight Forest Fires
Forest fires are becoming increasingly catastrophic across the world, accelerated by climate change. Researchers are using multiple swarms of drones to tackle natural disasters like forest fires.
Strengthening the Grid’s ‘Backbone’ with Hydropower
Argonne-led studies investigate how hydropower could help add more clean energy to the grid, how it generates value as grids add more renewable energy, and how liner technology can improve hydropower efficiency.
LNG Exports Have Had No Impact on Domestic Energy Costs: Analysis
U.S. liquified natural gas (LNG) exports have not had any sustained and significant direct impact on U.S. natural gas prices and have, in fact, spurred production and productivity gains, which contribute to downward pressure on domestic prices.