A warning on the health impact of nanotechnology; all those shiny new wind turbines need shiny new transmission lines to match; and tracking your fuel mileage has never been cuter. It’s the midweek edition of The Daily Five.

Study Says Carbon Nanotubes as Dangerous as Asbestos: Nonotechnology figures prominently in the development of quick-charging, high capacity storage batteries. But now a paper by the Queen’s Medical Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh suggests that carbon nanotubes may be as dangerous as asbestos. Researchers believe that the nanotubes — which are not much thicker than an atom — may behave a lot like asbestos fibers in the lungs after being inhaled. The study was strictly focused on carbon nanotubes, and may not reflect the effects of other nanomaterials. The Edinburgh scientists recommend more safety precautions be taken where nanotubes are being manufactured or disposed. (Scientific American)

First Look at MTI Micro Fuel Cells: We’re getting a lot closer to low-profile fuel cells in consumer electronics. MTI showed off three of its models this week to the staff of Good Clean Tech. Particularly striking: an ultra-thin cell designed to replace traditional cellphone batteries. Fuel cells provide greatly improved energy storage over current technologies. MTI is still shopping for an OEM distributor, but hopes to come to market next year. (Good Clean Tech)

Blade Runner: Investment Surges in Wind-Power Transmission Lines: So what is the holy grail for achieving a windpower economy? Not just turbine production capacity: the big prize is getting windpower-generated energy from places with wind to consumers. That means a new generation of long-distance transmission lines — and a rush of new investment. Quantas Services is among the companies pushing to serve new wind farms. They’re looking at $400 million in new construction, while oilman T. Boone Pickens announced this week he’ll build an all-new grid to serve his north Texas turbines. (WSJ.com)

Eni to Invest US$3B in Republic of Congo; Focus on Tar Sands and Palm Biodiesel: There’s a race of another kind in Africa: to sign as many energy leases as possible. The Chinese have been building strategic new investment relationships in Africa for years. Now Italian gas and oil company Eni has announced an $3 billion venture of its own. Eni will mine coal tar and develop biodiesel in partnership with the Congo. The former French colony has undergone severe political turmoil since the 1990s. While possessing considerable energy reserves, most of the country remains without potable tap water. (Green Car Congress)

FuelFrog tracks your gas consumption, Twitters: If you’re a Web 2.0 kind of person, use Twitter, and want to track your gas mileage, here’s the site for you. It’s called FuelFrog. Sign up at FuelFrog, then send the service a “reply tweet” with your mileage, fuel price, and gallons purchased from your mobile device after you gas up. FuelFrog grabs the info and sends it to your account for later analysis. Bonus points for their cute logo. (Autoblog Green)

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