Renewable Energy and the Environment
Few issues are of greater long-term importance to society than renewable energy and the impacts of energy production and use on the environment. The Institute for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) has for several years supported research in this area, with an annual conference to showcase progress. This year's conference is Tuesday, November 28, and will feature more than 70 poster presentations on
- Nanowire and Nanoparticle Based Solar Cells
- Biofuels Research at the U of M Center for Diesel Research
- Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration
- Genetic Improvement of Woody Crops and the Potential Role of Energy Crops
- The Potential of Electrons from Bacteria
This is an area of research where extremely interesting science and technology challenges intersect with pressing societal needs. Minnesota, with its large expanses of land for growing biofuels, stands to benefit greatly—both economically and environmentally—if the challenges can be solved, so the state has been unusually generous in its support of renewable energy research. Seldom is the case for the public engagement aspects of research so clear.
More details are available on the UM News Service website.