• water tap
    Business,  RE-THINK

    Bottled Water: A Shrinking Market

    Some cities have gone as far as outlawing the sale of bottled water. Some states charge a refund deposit on water bottles in an effort to corral the burgeoning number of discarded one-use water bottles. Here are some facts from TwilightEarth.com: Bottled water costs up to 4,000 times more than tap water. Bottled water is essentially tap water Bottled water does not fall under FDA guidelines, and often has more mercury and other pollutants in it than public utility water. 80% of water bottles end up in landfills, streams and the environment. It takes 5 bottles of water to create the plastic for 1 water bottle. The good news is…

  • OSU doctoral student Wen Bai develops rubber composites in an OSU laboratory
    ENERGY,  TRANSPORTATION

    Tires Made from Trees Save on Fuel and Energy

    Kaichang Li, an associate professor of wood science and engineering in the OSU College of Forestry believes that microcrystalline cellulose, a material made from trees and other plant fibers, may be able to replace about 12% of the silica used as a reinforcing filler in rubber tires. Photo: Materials scientist and OSU doctoral student, Wen Bai, develops rubber composites in an OSU laboratory using a new technology that incorporates microcrystalline cellulose – an approach that may lead to automobile tires which cost less, perform better and produce improved vehicle mileage. Lower production costs, more heat-resistant, fuel-efficient tires similar in traction and strength to conventional tires appear to be some of…