Engineering & Sustainable Practices

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals of Cambrdige, Mass., “is approaching the finding and fixing of cancerous tumors as an engineering challenge.”

With a belief that solid tumors are “triggered by one or more of six distinct systemic signaling mechanism breakdowns” the company is developing drugs to repair the signaling breakdowns. Read full article

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A recent study concluded that Texas, the nation’s leading greenhouse-gas producing state, could greatly reduce future energy demands by building new homes with solar power so they become “net-zero” homes, which generate the same amount of energy that they consume.

The Environment Texas Research and Policy Center’s study concluded that if “10 percent more net-zero homes are built each year for the next decade” that consumers would save $5 billion, seven new power plants would not be needed, and it would equal cutting pollution of more than 3 million cars by 2030.

Read more about efforts in Austin, Tx, to develop net-zero homes.

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Through Congress’s energy and water appropriations bill, Oregon will have six “sustainable” projects funded.

One of the projects being funded is a green building research laboratory at Portland State University. The “university-industry partnership will test new green-building technologies, provide work force training, and promote energy-efficient technology throughout the building industry.” Read article for more

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