John Platt

John R. Platt is a journalist, humorist, activist and publicist specializing in environmental issues, entrepreneurship and new technologies. He founded Extinction Blog, the world’s first news source devoted entirely to endangered species, which is now published by Plenty Magazine. He has written for RiverWired, Kyoto Planet, Today’s Engineer, Experience.com, and numerous other publishers. He can be found online at JohnRPlatt.com.

John's articles:

Butterfly Wings Inspire A New Idea in Solar

Posted on February 9, 2009 by John Platt .

Oh, the things we can learn from nature! Take butterflies, for example. An examination of the microscopic properties of butterfly wings by scientists in China and Japan has led to a new idea in solar cells, one which the scientists say could yield a greater efficiency than most other solar cells on the market.

Student Brings Solar-Powered Refrigeration to Areas without Electricity

Posted on January 29, 2009 by John Platt .

There are still many parts of the world without ready access to electricity. This makes it hard to preserve medicines or to store foods that could quickly go bad.
But 21-year-old Emily Cummins — previously named as one of the Future 100 Young Entrepreneurs of the Year and the Ultimate Save-The-Planet-Pioneer in the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women [...]

At Last, a Greener Idea in Clothes Drying

Posted on January 26, 2009 by John Platt .

Little known fact: there is no ENERGY STAR rating for energy-efficient clothes dryers. That’s because they really don’t exist. Until… now?
Later this year, Hydromatic Technologies Corporation will introduce their new DryerMiser technology which promises to cut the energy use of clothes drying in half.

Ready to Put Some E. Coli in Your Tank?

Posted on January 15, 2009 by John Platt .

Around the world, scientists are working on new kinds of biofuels that could help reduce our reliance on oil- and coal-based energy. The latest development comes out of UCLA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, where a team led by professor James Liao has come up with a way to convert E. coli bacterium into [...]

Turning Coconuts Into Car Parts?

Posted on January 9, 2009 by John Platt .

Researchers at Baylor University are have come up with a method to turn coconut husks — which would otherwise become waste — into car parts. Talk about your new-car smell!
The outer husks (which you normally don’t see in the grocery store) have been blended with polypropylene fibers, then hot-pressed to become car parts that are [...]

Coffee as Biofuel: Good to the Last Drop

Posted on December 23, 2008 by John Platt .

Ah, that first cup of coffee in the morning. It really gets you moving. And soon, it could get your car moving, too.

Sinking Carbon with Biochar

Posted on December 19, 2008 by John Platt .

There’s probably no such thing as “clean coal,” but a form of charcoal could be of benefit to the environment, and help prevent global warming.
Biochar, first used hundreds of years ago to enrich soil in the Amazon, is a carbon-rich form of charcoal made from burning biological materials. Unlike regular charcoal, biochar is so resistant [...]

Reuse Heat, Save the Planet

Posted on December 11, 2008 by John Platt .

Electric and mechanical power produce heat. That heat, according to research from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), could be a ready source of energy — enough to cut U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2030.

Zounds! Sound Is Energy!

Posted on December 3, 2008 by John Platt .

Solar, wind, biofuels, tidal power — all green, all sustainable. But they are not the final word in power.
In fact, your very words could create power, according to new research out of Texas A&M University.

Fish Movements Inspire a New Idea in Energy

Posted on November 25, 2008 by John Platt .

“If we could harness 0.1 percent of the energy in the ocean,” says Professor Michael Bernitsas of the University of Michigan, “we could support the energy needs of 15 billion people.”
With that goal in mind, Bernitsas has developed a novel approach to water-based power that takes its inspiration from the movements of fish to generate [...]

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