Energy

Energy derived from the moon now trickles into a village near the Arctic tip of Norway via a novel underwater windmill-like device powered by the rhythmic slosh of the tides.

The so-called tidal turbine is bolted to the floor of the Kvalsund Channel and was connected to the nearby town of Hammerfest’s power grid on September 20. It is the first time in the world that electricity directly from a tidal current has been fed into a power grid.

As the world watches the price of crude oil fluctuate in response to the conflict in Iraq, chemists and advocates for alternative energy technologies are training their sights on the grease used to cook French fries.

They say that oils derived from soybeans, corn, and other vegetables hold promise as a cleaner and renewable alternative to the finite resource sucked up from the ground.