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Josie Garthwaite

Journalist covering science, technology & environment

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Hot spots: Australia daily maximum temperatures. Photo credit: Australia's National Meteorological Service

Coal-Fired Australia, Buffeted by Climate Change, Enacts Carbon Tax (National Geographic)

October 6, 2012 by Josie Garthwaite

Drought, rampant wildfire in the outback, and the degradation of the treasured Great Barrier Reef have forever altered how Australia views its energy endowment. Facing a future as one of the places on Earth most vulnerable to climate change, and one of the nations with the world’s highest per capita carbon emissions, Australia has taken steps to change its fate.

Categories: Energy, Environment, National Geographic, Policy

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The basic steps of hydraulic fracturing. (Image credit: U.S. EPA)

Fracking FAQ: The Science and Technology Behind the Natural Gas Boom (Grist)

September 19, 2012 by Josie Garthwaite

By turns demonized as a catastrophic environmental threat and glorified as a therapy for our foreign oil addiction, fracking has become a flashpoint in our national energy policy. But how does fracking really work?

Categories: Energy, Grist, Technology

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A researcher at GM's facility in Warren, Michigan prepares to view lithium-ion battery components in a "glove box" filled with argon gas. (Photo credit: © General Motors)

A Rare Look Inside Carmakers’ Drive for 55 MPG (National Geographic)

August 18, 2012 by Josie Garthwaite

The next generation of cars will look much like today’s, but will weigh less, have better aerodynamics, and smarter systems that can ramp power up or down as needed.

Categories: Energy, Mobility & Transport, National Geographic, Policy, Technology

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Arun Majumdar speaks from the podium at the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: ©Ken Shipp/DOE Photo, via Flickr user Energy.gov)

Q. and A.: A Panoramic View of Energy Innovation (The New York Times)

June 12, 2012 by Josie Garthwaite

Arun Majumdar, founding director of ARPA-E, reflects on his time in Washington, the future of energy innovation, his experience seeking bipartisan support from Congress and what he has coming up next.

Categories: Energy, Policy, The New York Times

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Brown seaweed

Unlocking Seaweed’s Next-Gen Crude: Sugar (The New York Times)

January 24, 2012 by Josie Garthwaite

A start-up pins its hopes on research showing that a genetically modified strain of bacteria can break down the sugars in brown seaweed, or macro-algae, to produce ethanol.

Categories: Energy, Science

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Image credit: Maxwell Technologies

How Ultracapacitors Work (and why they fall short) (GigaOM)

July 13, 2011 by Josie Garthwaite

Hang around the energy storage crowd long enough, and you’ll hear chatter about ultracapacitors. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has said he believes capacitors will even “supercede” batteries. What is it that makes ultracapacitors such a promising technology? And where do they fall short?

Categories: Energy, GigaOM, Technology

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A team of officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission visits the spent fuel pool of reactor 4 at the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex. (Photo courtesy of TEPCO via NRC)

Would a New Nuclear Plant Fare Better than Fukushima? (National Geographic)

March 24, 2011 by Josie Garthwaite

Would brand-new reactors have fared better in the power outage that triggered dangerous overheating at one of Japan’s oldest power plants? Not necessarily. The vast majority of plants under construction around the world are the same 1970s vintage as Fukushima Daiichi, and without integrated passive safety systems.

Categories: Energy, National Geographic, Policy, Technology

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LED lights illuminating this Walmart parking lot in Guatemala City have cut energy needs by half. (Photo credit: Walmart)

LEDs Are Getting Ready for the Spotlight (Technology Review)

January 13, 2011 by Josie Garthwaite

Nearly half a century after their invention, light-emitting diodes are moving into the spotlight for businesses looking to save energy.

Categories: Business, Energy, Technology, Technology Review

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Coyotes now inhabit every state in the country except Hawaii, eating mostly rodents, rabbits, and fruit.

— "Learning to Live With Urban Coyotes"

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