Environment

The CRI plant sells around 4,000 tonnes of methanol produced from waste CO2 per year. Image Credit - Carbon Recycling International

19 November 2018

Waste CO2 to be turned into ingredients for fuel, plastics and even food

Scientists are ramping up efforts to turn waste CO2 from industry into chemicals such as methanol in a bid to reduce emissions and provide a new source of raw materials for use in fuel, cement and food production.

The International Space Station air filter which expels CO2 has inspired scientists to try to create an Earth-based version. Image credit - NASA/Mark Garcia

environment | industry

12 November 2018

System to rid space station of astronaut exhalations inspires Earth-based CO2 removal

When astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) exhale carbon dioxide (CO2), it’s removed from the air and pumped into space. Could an Earth-based version help remove greenhouse gas emissions from our atmosphere?

Through a project called CEMCAP, Kristin Jordal and her colleagues found that when it comes to cement production, 90% carbon capture is a realistic target. Image credit - Kristin Jordal

interview | environment

07 November 2018

To slash emissions, industries must capture carbon and store it

The technology to help limit global warming to 1.5˚C already exists, but there needs to be the will to use it, according to Kristin Jordal, an engineer and senior research scientist at the Norwegian research organisation Sintef.

Firms such as Novamont in Italy are using renewable resources to develop bioplastics and biochemicals, through the use of biorefineries. Image credit - Novamont

environment | industry

31 October 2018

Bioeconomies aim to become a beating heart of local communities, both rural and urban

As the EU aims to head towards a sustainable, low-carbon future, experts in bio-based industries at the forefront of this transition are turning food waste and waste-water sludge into bioplastics and converting decommissioned factories into new biorefineries by working with local populations.

Prototype air filtering stations placed in Paris, France, helped to keep the level of particulates below World Health Organization thresholds. Image credit - Pollution event in Paris by Tangopaso and Mariordo is licensed under CC0 1.0

industry | environment

30 October 2018

Ceramic honeycomb air filters could cut city pollution

A new type of outdoor filter that could cut city air pollution and is scheduled to be debuted at the 2024 Paris Olympics has been awarded the €3 million Horizon Prize on materials for clean air.

Seaweed is one of the fastest growing organisms on the planet, at half a metre per day, and could solve the problem of non-biodegradable packaging. Image credit - Skipping Rocks Lab

environment

24 October 2018

Seaweed coffee cups could help ditch single-use plastics

A significant amount of the single-use plastics that we use ends up in our oceans. As people increasingly ditch these plastics, seaweed — also known as macroalgae — and microalgae could be the solutions to the world’s plastic food packaging problem. These are being used to develop everyday items, from edible water bottles to coffee cups to biofuels.

From the lack of methane sinks to the high suicide rates of indigenous populations, Arctic researchers are studying a range of issues. Image credit - NASA, licensed under CC0

environment | open to the world

23 October 2018

What keeps Arctic scientists awake at night?

In a year when Arctic warming rose to global prominence after temperatures hit a sweltering 32˚C inside the Arctic Circle, what are some of the specific issues that keep Arctic scientists awake at night?

Prof. Rockström says that Earth observation systems are helping us to define national budgets to stay within planetary boundaries. Image credit - M. Axelsson/Azote

interview | environment | policy

22 October 2018

Eliminating coal, oil and natural gas is the easy part of fighting climate change – Johan Rockström

To avoid climate breakdown, eliminating fossil fuels is the easy part, according to Professor Johan Rockström, co-director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. He says that safeguarding biological resources such as water, soil and biodiversity will be the ultimate test of whether global warming targets can be reached.

Advocates of floating offshore wind platforms say they are cheaper to run and install, less disruptive to sea life, and have greater output than near-shore alternatives. Image credit - WindFloat

energy | environment

19 October 2018

Offshore wind farms to test business in deep water

As wind turbines become increasingly familiar sights along shorelines, developers of offshore floating platforms, which harness the powerful winds further out to sea, are seeking to establish their technologies as a major viable source of clean energy.

Bill Gates and Commissoner Carlos Moedas committed to establish a fund to get radical new clean energy technologies to market. Image credit - European Commission

environment | policy | open innovation

17 October 2018

Bill Gates and European Commission launch €100 million clean energy fund

Bill Gates and the European Commission have launched a €100 million investment fund designed to bring radical clean energy technologies more quickly to market in order to promote energy efficiency and cut greenhouse gas emissions.