Eco Nana

Japanese and German scientists have made a big breakthrough in solar energy—and it could change how much power we get from the sun. Normally, solar panels follow a basic rule: one particle of light (called a photon) creates one unit of energy. Because of this, there’s been a “limit” on how efficient solar panels can be. In fact, they usually capture only a fraction of the sunlight that hits them. But now, researchers have found a way to go beyond that limit. They used a special process called singlet fission. This lets one particle of light split its energy into two usable energy packets instead of just one. To make…

An exciting new study led by Mark Jacobson at Stanford University found that using geothermal energy—which is power from heat deep inside the Earth—could be a big help in moving the world toward clean, renewable energy. Geothermal energy works kind of like this: deep underground the rock is super hot, and we can turn that heat into electricity that doesn’t produce pollution. The cool thing is, it can run 24/7—even when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing. This study shows that if we add this underground heat energy to wind, solar, and batteries, we wouldn’t need as much land or as many big energy systems to make…

Imagine you’re walking through a field close to home. Except, here’s the twist: above parts of the crops are solar panels. These solar panels are quietly making clean electricity while lettuce, beans, or even sheep thrive underneath. That’s agrovoltaics — combining farming and solar power on the same land. And guess what? It’s not just theory — there are real examples! A City Girl in Farm Country Although I’ve always been a city girl, about three and a half years ago I moved to an agricultural area. I hear a lot about struggling farmers here — and even more about the challenges in California’s hot, dry Central Valley. Water is…

Part One I’ve been lucky enough to travel to the Peruvian Amazon. Many families there live without electricity, refrigerators, and wash their clothes in nearby rivers. Something as simple as flipping on a light switch or keeping food is a daily struggle. For many Indigenous communities in the Amazon, this is just everyday life. But even with all these challenges, something amazing is starting to shine through — a spark of hope powered by the sun and built on deep respect for the land. The Big Problem: Power and Pollution in the Amazon The Amazon isn’t just a forest — it’s is one of the most amazing places on Earth.…

Scientists at MIT have recently come up with a cool way to brew clean energy fuel using ingredients like seawater, caffeine, and even aluminum from empty soda cans. This fuel doesn’t release carbon dioxide, which makes it much better for our planet. Here’s How It Works: Aluminum is a super reactive metal. When it touches water, it creates hydrogen gas. Hydrogen can be used as fuel to power things like cars, generators, or even rockets—without causing pollution. But normally, aluminum has a layer of protection on it that stops this reaction. The MIT team found a way to make aluminum react with water by mixing it with something called a…

Can we build better battery storage? In January 2025, a large fire broke out at the Moss Landing battery storage site in California—one of the biggest in the world. Even though the site started running in 2020, it was built before today’s stronger safety rules for large battery systems were in place. What Happened at Moss Landing? The fire started in the Vistra Energy part of the battery storage facility, where numerous lithium-ion batteries were used to store extra energy from renewables like solar and wind. These batteries are extremely important, because they help provide power when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. But lithium-ion batteries can…

I live on the Central Coast of California and am up to my eyeballs in offshore wind. I moved here about three years ago after retiring from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in 2024. I thought I was done working—but surprise! I’m busier now than I was when I had a full-time job! Why? We have three offshore wind lease areas covering about 376 square miles of ocean waters located roughly 22 miles off the coast of San Luis Obispo County, near Cambria and San Simeon. I got involved in offshore wind after reading opinion pieces and social media posts saying that wind farms were killing whales and birds. Since I…

Electric ferries are here! A new article from CleanTechnica shows a big change in how ferries are being made. Around 70% of new ferries being built around the world now run on electricity instead of gas. This is happening to cut down on pollution and help fight climate change. Why Electric Ferries Are a Big Win Most ferries today use diesel fuel, which gives off harmful gases that pollute the air and contribute to air pollution. Electric ferries, powered by batteries, produce no emissions during operation, making them cleaner for the environment and healthier for people, especially in coastal communities where ferries often operate. From Norway to Uruguay: The Ferry…

Hope is on the horizon! Amid the challenges, there’s good news: people everywhere are stepping up to protect our planet. From coral reef restoration and reforestation projects to massive clean energy expansions and some wildlife making a comeback, change is happening. Some endangered sea turtles are recovering. Countries are phasing out coal. Kids are leading climate marches. Nature is resilient—and so are we. A Bright New Record for U.S. Power In March 2025, something big happened—clean energy made more electricity than fossil fuels in the U.S. for the very first time! That month, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower provided 51% of the country’s electricity, while fossil fuels…

Renewable energy is a critical solution to climate change. Renewable energy is energy from sources we can’t run out of. Some types of renewable energy, like wind and solar, come from sources that are not depleted when used. Others, like biomass, come from sources that can be replenished. Common types of renewable energy are wind, solar, hydropower, biomass and geothermal. Renewable energy has two advantages over the fossil fuels that provide most of our energy today. First, there is a limited amount of fossil fuel resources (like coal, oil and natural gas) in the world, and if we use them all we cannot get any more in our lifetimes. Second, renewable energy produces…