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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

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.

Trucks on Orkney carry hydrogen produced by wind- and tide-powered electrolysis in special lightweight high pressure cylinders, designed to adhere to the low weight limit of the island roads. Image credit: Colin Keldie for BIG HIT

energy | environment

17 October 2018

Hydrogen use doesn’t emit carbon but its production often does. That could soon change

Hydrogen can be used to power cars, supply electricity and heat homes, all with zero carbon emissions. The snag is that the vast majority of hydrogen itself is derived from fossil fuels – a fact that scientists are now hoping to change. They plan to clean up production to kickstart a dedicated economy – something that has already found small-scale success in Scotland’s Orkney Islands.

A freesia's root architecture helps the plant store food to survive seasonal weather conditions. Image credit - Brian Atkinson

agriculture | environment

16 October 2018

Root architecture discoveries could help breed drought-resistant crops

We should breed new varieties of crops based on their root architecture rather than just focusing on the top half of the plant, according to scientists looking at how to cultivate plants that use water more efficiently and better withstand drought conditions.

Recycling can be inefficient when parts such as dashboards from cars are too hard to dismantle, says Felipe Maya. Image credit - Felipe Maya

interview | industry

15 October 2018

In a zero-waste society, people will need to share and repair

Businesses and consumers need to stop thinking of products as things to own and move towards a culture of sharing and repairing if we are to fulfil the ambition of creating a circular economy, according to Felipe Maya, project and innovation manager at sustainable engineering firm Exergy, headquartered in Coventry, UK.

Dr Keywan Riahi said the first step in limiting global warming should be curbing energy demand. Image credit - Dr Riahi

environment | energy

12 October 2018

Climate actions that lift people out of poverty are often most cost-effective

The most cost-effective climate change actions are also those that could help us achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as ending poverty and hunger, according to Dr Keywan Riahi, director of the energy program of the International Institute Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria, who says the first step should be to cut our energy demand.

Dr Helbich hopes his research will help urban planners to design neighbourhoods that promote good mental health. Image credit - Dr Helbich

health | interview

10 October 2018

Studies linking green space to lower suicide risk are ‘just a snapshot’

Research suggests that where we live can affect our mental health but Dr Marco Helbich, an urban geographer at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, believes these studies only offer a limited snapshot of our lives. Using a smartphone app and register data, he is tracking people through their daily routines and their residential history to see whether mental health is affected by where we live, work and socialise. His findings could change how we design our cities.

Researchers are using computer simulations to estimate how 11 different species of extinct archosaurs such as the batrachotomus might have moved. Image credit: John Hutchinson

environment | ict

09 October 2018

Models of dinosaur movement could help us build stronger robots and buildings

From about 245 to 66 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Although well-preserved skeletons give us a good idea of what they looked like, the way their limbs worked remains a bigger mystery. But computer simulations may soon provide a realistic glimpse into how some species moved and inform work in fields such as robotics, prosthetics and architecture.