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Joshua M. Pearce

Joshua M. Pearce

Professor, Michigan Technology University

Dr. Joshua M. Pearce received his Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. He then developed the first Sustainability program in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education as an assistant professor of Physics at Clarion University of Pennsylvania where he also started their nanotechnology program. Then he was cross-appointed in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering and the School of Environmental Studies at Queen's University, Canada. There he helped develop the Applied Sustainability graduate program and currently still runs the Queen's Applied Sustainability Research Group as an adjunct professor.

He currently is an Professor cross-appointed in the Department of Materials Science & Engineering and in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the Michigan Technological University. He runs the MTU laboratory in open sustainability technology, whose research concentrates on the use of open source appropriate technology to find collaborative solutions to problems in sustainability and poverty reduction. His research spans areas of electronic device physics and materials engineering of solar photovoltaic cells, but also includes applied sustainability, energy policy, and engineering service learning. He is the Manuscript Editor for the International Journal for Service Learning in Engineering: Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship.

Dr. Pearce has a personal interest and strong track record in promoting open and applied sustainability in the real world. These efforts of moving science and technology of sustainability forward have also been widely covered in the media including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, blogs, documentaries and films.

How better and cheaper software could save millions of dollars while improving Canada’s health-care system

Feb 05, 2024 05:18 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

Billions of Canadian tax dollars have been funnelled to private companies to develop proprietary medical software. More tax dollars were then paid to the same companies to use the software to run our medical...

Small-scale solar has key benefits, and one critical weakness, over large solar farms

Jan 10, 2024 08:51 am UTC| Business

A new study shows size matters in solar energy. The first ever life-cycle analysis comparing big and small solar photovoltaic systems has concluded that small-scale solar systems are in fact better for the environment than...

Oil in Global Economy Series

How to ensure Alberta's oil and gas workers have jobs during the energy transition

Nov 01, 2023 07:00 am UTC| Economy Business

Retraining Albertas oil and gas workers for the solar industry costs far less than you think. The results of our new study clearly show that a rapid transition to sustainable energy production is feasible, as costs of...

How shading crops with solar panels can improve farming, lower food costs and reduce emissions

Apr 27, 2023 08:18 am UTC| Business

If you have lived in a home with a trampoline in the backyard, you may have observed the unreasonably tall grass growing under it. This is because many crops, including these grasses, actually grow better when protected...

Why we need open-source science innovation — not patents and paywalls

Dec 08, 2022 11:03 am UTC| Technology

As we prepare to invest money to prevent the next global pandemic and find solutions to many other problems, science funders have a large opportunity to move towards open science and more research collaboration by offering...

As the coronavirus interrupts global supply chains, people have an alternative – make it at home

Apr 26, 2020 05:21 am UTC| Technology

As COVID-19 wreaks havoc on global supply chains, a trend of moving manufacturing closer to customers could go so far as to put miniature manufacturing plants in peoples living rooms. Most products in Americans homes...

Global Geopolitics Series

Nuclear war could be devastating for the US, even if no one shoots back

Mar 01, 2020 13:34 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The White Houses 2021 budget calls for US$28.9 billion for the Pentagon for nuclear weapons and a 20% increase to $19.8 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration. Yet the U.S. already has over 3,000...

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Economy

Digital trade protocol for Africa: why it matters, what’s in it and what’s still missing

In February 2024, African heads of states adopted a draft protocol to regulate digital trade within the continent. This significant yet challenging course for Africas digital economy fits into the broader trade agreement,...

Industry shutdowns are messy and painful: 4 lessons Australia’s coal sector can learn from car-makers about bowing out

Shifting Australias electricity sector to low-carbon technologies and closing coal plants is vital to tackling climate change. But such transitions are easier said than done. People and economies are often deeply...

Food prices will climb everywhere as temperatures rise due to climate change – new research

Climate change, and specifically rising temperatures, may cause food prices to increase by 3.2% per year, according to a new study by researchers in Germany. As climate change continues to worsen, this price inflation will...

Industrialisation is still vital to economic development but some countries are struggling to reap its benefits

Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the US, wrote a wealth of reports that served as building blocks for the countrys economic system. In 1791, during his time as secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton...

This is how President Ramaphosa got to the 25% figure of progress in land reform in South Africa

Nearly three decades into democracy, land reform remains central to South Africas transformation policies and agricultural policy. We have over the years pointed out that the progress on land reform has been incorrectly...

Politics

US and Japan Boost AI, Semiconductor Alliance; EU Eyes Reduction in China Dependence

Japan and the United States are poised to deepen ties in the high-tech sector, signaling a strategic move to enhance their global partnership with a focus on artificial intelligence and semiconductor...

US Finalizes Ban List for Chinese Chipmakers; Boosts Mexico Semiconductor Ties

The United States is finalizing a list of Chinese chip factories banned from receiving vital technology, aiming to curb Beijings tech advancements amid national security concerns. Concurrently, a US-Mexico semiconductor...

China's Commerce Minister to Advocate EV Sector in Europe Amid Subsidy, Tariff Probe

Chinas Commerce Minister Wang Wentao is set to visit Europe in April to address concerns and advocate for the Chinese electric vehicle (EV) industry amid a European Commission investigation into alleged unfair...

South Africa’s electricity crisis: what political parties say in their election manifestos about solving it

South Africa is in the middle of a deep electricity crisis. In 2023 the public, many of whom are voters, experienced the worst loadshedding to date, losing power for an average of five hours a day. The power shortages...

Science

Exploding stars are rare but emit torrents of radiation − if one happened close enough to Earth, it could threaten life on the planet

Stars like the Sun are remarkably constant. They vary in brightness by only 0.1% over years and decades, thanks to the fusion of hydrogen into helium that powers them. This process will keep the Sun shining steadily for...

An eclipse for everyone – how visually impaired students can ‘get a feel for’ eclipses

Many people in the U.S. will have an opportunity to witness nearly four minutes of a total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024, as it moves from southern Texas to Maine. But in the U.S., over 7 million people are blind...

How do airplanes fly? An aerospace engineer explains the physics of flight

Airplane flight is one of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century. The invention of the airplane allows people to travel from one side of the planet to the other in less than a day, compared...

The mystery of consciousness shows there may be a limit to what science alone can achieve

The progress of science in the last 400 years is mind-blowing. Who would have thought wed be able to trace the history of our universe to its origins 14 billion years ago? Science has increased the length and the quality...

What is minoxidil, the anti-balding hair growth treatment? Here’s what the science says

Hair loss (also known as alopecia) often affects the scalp but can occur anywhere on the body. Its very common and usually nothing to worry about; about half of Australian men show signs of visible baldness at age 50 and...

Technology

Tesla Halts $25,000 Model NV9, Redirects Focus Despite Musk's Earlier Promises

Despite Elon Musks prior claims, Tesla has shelved its anticipated $25,000 electric car, codenamed NV9, prioritizing other technological advancements. The projects delay contradicts earlier projections of a cheaper,...

Adobe Unveils Acrobat AI Assistant Tool for Acrobat and Reader Users

Adobe Inc., formerly known as Adobe Systems Incorporated, announced it has made its artificial intelligence (AI) assistant tool available to users of Acrobat and Readers. The computer software firm said that starting...

Analyst Predicts Bitcoin Could Reach $650K with New Hong Kong ETFs

As Hong Kong licenses new Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, top analyst Willy Woo forecasts a potential Bitcoin price spike to $650,000, inspired by robust ETF investments and favorable market conditions. Analyst Willy Woo...

China's New ETFs Set to Boost Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP Prices

As China approves new cryptocurrency ETFs, expectations rise for a significant price surge in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP. These developments amidst fierce competition between Hong Kong and U.S. markets for cryptocurrency...
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