President Obama to Appear on TV Show “MythBusters”

President Obama has been trying to stress the importance of math and science education since he first took office.  However, some overshadowing, big-ticket items have been keeping the math and science education push on the back burner.  Specifically, agenda items like health care reform, lingering war related political issues and the upcoming elections have drowned out his ability to turn the spotlight on earning better incentives for students looking to attend college -  specifically in math and science related fields.

On December 8th, 2010 President Obama hopes to rekindle the educational component of his mission for “change” by capturing the attention of millions of viewers (especially the vast majority of teenagers) that tune into The Discovery Channel’s TV show “MythBusters”. By appearing on Mythbusters, Obama will show that the pursuit of innovation, creativity and astonishment within the math and science field is a recognizable and a heavily rewarding career choice, at least according to the President.  Presumably, the appearance should show the younger generation that if they decide to stick with an educational path that will lead them to pursue degrees in engineering, or similar math, science and tech divisions, they can count on having a President that supports their decision, hopefully proven later on by government incentives that will only sweeten the deal through awarded research grants, scholarships and job opportunities.

Sounds like a cause worthy enough to receive a vote from fellow Democrat, Niranjan Shah, who has supported President Obama in the past, and will surely be in favor of any incentives tied to the engineering field, as Niranjan Shah himself is an expert in the field and has dedicated his career to engineering genius through the work of his company Globetrotters Engineering Corp.

Motel 6 Goes Environmental Nationwide With LEED Certified Hotels

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building certification is known throughout the world in many buildings in top of the line apartment and homes, beautiful office buildings, and state of the art complexes.  But one place where you’d least expect to find environmental designed buildings would be a Motel 6. The low rent motel chain is getting the thumbs up from environmental conscience designers and the U.S. Green Building Council for being the first economy hotel in the country to be LEED certified. This could open up other chains both high and low to jump on the LEED bandwagon and change the ways their buildings are designed.

Some eco-friendly features include thermal solar water heating, a reflective roof, e-glass tinted windows, and low-energy lighting, and 80% recycled mater. This first LEED certified building is located in Northlake, Texas but Motel 6 hopes to open up more in many areas across the country in the upcoming years.

Motel 6, like Niranjan Shah, took steps to incorporate LEED design into their building plans by opening up environmentally friendly motels.  This is one success story that shows the LEED rating system is reaching across the architecture industry and proving that green building design is achievable for all businesses, regardless of size and type.  We can expect to hear more stories like this as a result of continued work by Niranjan Shah, and other businesses like Motel 6, as policies become geared more towards environmental preservation.

Solar Plane Makes History, Flies For 24 Straight Hours

In mythology, Icarus flew too close to the sun and had his wings made of wax melt, which sent him crashing back to an unforgiving Earth. If only Icarus could see how far we’ve come when it comes to flying and the sun. On Thursday, an experimental solar-powered plane flew and did so because of solar rays that are provided by the same sun that took down Icarus. The plane gained enough energy from the sun during the day that it completed a 24-hour flight. This shows that not only can a plane run off of solar power but also can collect enough energy during the day that it will stay in the air even at night.

This is a milestone not just for aviation but also from an environmental standpoint. This historic flight (before the plane made it’s 24 hour flight it only flew briefly in the air) may one day lead to larger planes being able to be charged and powered by the sun. This will not only save fuel that is used on planes but will also be a stepping stone to the next step in aviation. In fact, the team that ran the flight are already planning a global flight for 2013 that will hopefully have the solar plane fly around the world while being powered on the sun alone.  Breakthroughs in technology like this compliments the green design (LEED certification) that Niranjan Shah incorporates into this projects out of Globetrotters Engineering Corp.  It’s a great sign that multiple industries are starting to catch the energy efficiency bug.  With all of them working together, the likelihood of a green infrastructure being implemented and operating in full swing becomes much greater.

Icarus may have flown too close to the sun and fell to the Earth, but if he were like this historic plane then he would have not only been able to fly in the sun safely, but also into the darkest of night.

In The Search For New Energy Resources, Lithium May Be The Key

Lithium may be the world’s lightest metal, but it may hold the biggest weight when it comes to powering the future of the country. Lithium is the substance that helps us power our everyday lives even if we didn’t realize it. Do you use your cell phone regularly? Well, lithium is the battery that powers most cell phones in the world. How about a laptop? It’s also what powers most laptops and other portable devices. However, the best thing about the substance is that it comes from the earth and is basically a clean renewable energy that is being underutilized.

The way lithium is produced is through an extraction process, which is natural that takes place in most dry areas like deserts. Melting snow and water run into underground pools of salt water that later pump out lithium brine that is left after the salt water dries up from the sun. This brine becomes a powder, which is your standard lithium that can later be used on a number of electronics via batteries and energy sources. This makes lithium lightweight and a powerful energy source that could help bring an end to a lot of dirty energy practices.

The greatest use of lithium may come from its use in electric cars that will allow automobiles to travel hundreds of miles off a single charge. Being that the type of lithium found in your everyday cell phone battery is around one-tenth of an ounce, it is likely that a much bigger (more powerful), yet remarkably lightweight, lithium battery could be developed to power your car.  Car companies are actually starting to develop these type of batteries in order to produce a mass market auto. Stay tuned…lithium could be the future of the auto industry.

Niranjan Shah Technical Expertise

Niranjan Shah is more than just a symbolic C.E.O. of Globetrotters Incorporated. He founded that company and sits at the top of it because he’s qualified to do so and because he is one of the most talented technical engineers in the world. Niranjan Shah has had over 25 years of experience and expertise in the field of engineering design, construction, and management. Niranjan Shah is a licensed professional engineer in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana and his company is a force in Midwest construction. Niranjan Shah has shown off his technical expertise on many projects ranging from small and meaningful enterprises to large million dollar projects like:

• Design and Construction Management of 911 Emergency Response Center in Chicago
• Civil Design for McCormick Place Expansion
• Management of Chicago O’Hare International Terminal

Niranjan Shah has earned his spot amongst the top professional engineers in the world.  He will continue to innovate in order to maintain that status.

Toyota Invests In Tesla Motors, Electric Automobiles

Tesla Motors may not be a well known company to the general public, but Toyota is making an investment that the future of car manufacturers may be given a healthy jolt by Tesla. Tesla Motors is a Silicon Valley based company that is creating some of the most state of the art electric cars in the world. Now, up to this point, Tesla has flown under the radar of the majority of the general public but now with a major car company like Toyota putting an investment and financial backing into the company there’s a real possibility that Tesla’s electric cars could become commonplace on the road.

By reopening the NUMMI plant, which is located in Northern California, Toyota has made a play to get Tesla cars manufacturered and out onto the street. Investing over $50 million dollars in the car company, Toyota is banking that the time for Tesla Motors and their electric cars have come. Being that the company is somewhat small (Tesla Motors employs about 500 people) it’s hard for them to be competitive in such a big market, but now with the help of Toyota, they can expand their company and their resources and go from being primarily an expensive carmaker into a common car company that can hit all types of the market.

So far Tesla Motors has been known for it’s Tesla Roadster which was it’s first automobile and also the first automobile to us a lithium-ion battery that had a charge that could last longer than 200 miles. For many, it’s considered to be a state of the art vehicle that is great for the environment and has the speed and kick (can go from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds) that many other electric cars are missing. Yet, the car is still very expensive and out of the price ranges for many in the marketplace. This is why Toyota teaming up with Tesla Motors is a good thing because it will allow state of the art automobiles to be a big part of the market and may just open new clean doors to the way people get around.

MIT Designs Environmental Friendly NASA Plane

Air travel is one of the popular ways to get around in the country, but unfortunately airplanes are also some of the most polluting modes of transportation. The popularity of air travel and the pollution they cause is one of the major factors of affecting climate change and is a concern for the environment as a whole. This is why so many have been trying to create and design aircraft that would be a functional transport while also being environmentally friendly. It now looks like researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may have done just that.

MIT researchers have designed a 180-passenger aircraft that they hope will one day take over for the Boeing 737 aircraft that is currently being used for domestic flights. The design incorporates partial cylinders, which help power the plane from the plane’s tail rather than the plane’s wings like most commercial airliners. This is where the environmental progress comes in for the aircraft. By having the engines located on the back of the plane rather than the wings, the researchers at MIT changed the design of the aircraft to have less drag on the plane which gives the plane better fuel economy. This ultimately cuts down on the amount of emissions the plane puts out into the atmosphere.

Currently, these planes are being tested by NASA and don’t seem to be taking off from any runway for at-least several years. However, if they are implemented, it’s another step in the right direction.

New York State Makes Plans For Multibillion Dollar Solar Heating Investment

Solar power has always been thought of as a green energy that had everything to do with electricity and little else. However, New York State plans to show that solar power has more to offer than bringing light to the darkness. It can also keep you warm.

Different organizations in New York have come together to come up with plans to install millions of solar powered hot water heating systems all over the state. This installation is set to take place over the next decade. The Solar Thermal Consortium devised a strategy that would give incentives to homeowners for switching over to solar powered heating from the conventional standards. The plans facilitate investments in the green service, incorporate training for installers, and aspects to attract manufactures to build them.

The Consortium hopes to have the plan up and running soon so that it can boost around $2.6 billion worth of economic activity and give over 20,000 jobs to the state. The 2010 conference in New York Solar Industries proposed the plan, which puts forward a map to promote New York State as a prime location for solar power and solar power manufacturing, invest in research and development, educate consumers on solar power, and most importantly, install multiple solar powered systems around the state.

Solar power is a renewable energy resource that benefits the consumer and the environment. With New York backing the plans to heat homes using the technology it helps make the state one of the leaders in green initiatives.

Techniques to Clean The Gulf

When the Deep Horizon oil rig exploded and sunk into the ocean, millions of gallons of oil seeped into the clear blue ocean of the Gulf of Mexico. Some environmentalists are touting this as the worst disaster in the history of oil drilling ahead of the Exxon Valdez disaster. However, many are also doing whatever they can to stop the oil from spreading even more so in the gulf. Since the sinking of the rig, cleaning crews have gone into high gear to prevent any more of the ocean’s environment from being affected and are using many different techniques to clean up.

One of the ways that the cleaning crews are working to stop the spill from further spreading in the ocean is utilizing a containment dome. A containment dome is a 40-foot tall coffer dam that will be put over the leaking areas of the pipeline. This would hopefully plug the pipe and capture any remaining oil that is still leaking out.

Another way they are trying to clean up the oil is by pouring chemicals over the spill site. Now, while this sounds like putting out fire with gasoline, which will just make things worse, most of the chemicals being spilled into the site are no more harmless than laundry detergent. What these chemicals would do is break up the oil and help the major spill areas from completely changing the environment of the ocean.

Cleaning crews are doing whatever they can to help protect the Gulf and are using every innovative technique they can think of.   Getting this spill cleaned quickly and efficiently is a number 1 priority.  One can bet that fellow Democratic citizens and green design pioneers like Niranjan Shah will be supporting the President to revisit his oil drilling policy and redirect the resources towards a clean energy initiative instead.  While new initiatives will most likely focus on hybrid automobile technology to reduce our dependence on oil, perhaps business owners like Niranjan Shah that operate in the architectural engineering industry will see policies that will be beneficial to their mission.

CharlieCrist’s Plans To Move To Independent Could Effect Fall Elections

It seems like the Republican party will be losing a member of its party on Thursday when Charlie Crist presumably changes his political affiliations. Crist will seek election to the U.S. Senate as an Independent, which makes waves and affects party lines in Washington and in the GOP. The decision has been somewhat of a rumor up to this point, but many close confidants of Crist and some Republican Party members feel as if it’s only a matter of time before Crist moves away from the GOP and becomes an Independent. Thursday seems to be that day.

Many top republicans like former Vice President Dick Cheney feel that this move affects the power that the party has and have said that Crist should stay in the primary as a Republican or bow out completely. By becoming an Independent many people in the GOP feel that Crist could split the vote which could help the Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek by setting up a three party vote between Meek, Crist, and Marco Rubio for the upcoming fall elections.

Either way, Crist plans to make an announcement sometime Thursday that will put an end to the argument of whether or not he’s leaving the Republican Party to become an Independent.