Posts
Sustainability-in-Tech : UK Startup Makes ‘Lab’ Leather
Cambridge-based startup ‘Pact’ has raised £9 million in (seed round) funding to expand its factory space and scale-up production of its “world-first” biomaterial – a skin made from collagen that’s a convincing alternative…
Rapidly Growing Water Demand For Data Centres
Information recently obtained (by the Financial Times) has revealed that a huge spike in water consumption by dozens of facilities in Virginia’s “data centre alley” likely means new initiatives to replenish or conserve water resources…
New Device Could Reduce AI Energy Consumption By 1000 +
Engineering researchers at the US University of Minnesota Twin Cities claim to have demonstrated a state-of-the-art hardware device that could reduce energy consumption for artificial intelligent (AI) computing applications by a factor of at…
Floating Solar Panels Could Power Entire Countries
New research has concluded that floating solar panels could have the potential to meet the entire electricity needs of certain countries.
Helping To Decarbonise National Economies
The findings of the research (from Bangor…
Marvellous Microplastics Magnets
UK startup ‘The Tyre Collective’ has developed a tyre-dust magnet to attach to electric vehicles (EVs) to tackle the often-overlooked problem of tyre-dust microplastic pollution.
The Problem – The Dangers Of Tyre-Wear
As…
Amazon’s Energy Success
Amazon recently boasted reaching its 100 per cent renewable energy goal seven years earlier than the 2030 goal. However, with Microsoft and Google disclosing an increase in greenhouse gasses due to infrastructure expansion, we look at whether…
New Bioplastic Straw Degrades Faster Than Paper
Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) research scientists, in partnership with bioplastic manufacturing company Eastman, have reported developing a new a prototype bioplastic straw that degrades even faster than paper.
The…
New Apps Tackle World’s Fishing Sustainability
With the world facing challenges like tackling overfishing while trying to support those in local communities who rely on fishing for a living, a South Africa-based company has developed apps to address both issues and more.
What Are…
China Set To Dominate World Green-Energy Budget
New research from the International Energy Agency (IEA) has revealed that even though Europe may outspend the US on clean energy this year, China’s clean energy spending plans will massively surpass that of Europe and the US combined.
China…
Finns Finally Fabricate Fungus Fodder
Finish company Enifer is bringing back a protein made from fungus (a microprotein) that was first developed and used in the 1970s for animal feed but could now work as a sustainable protein source for the human diet.
Pekilo ®
Enifer’s…
Underwater Data-Centres Vulnerable to Soundwaves
A study by cybersecurity and robotics researchers at the University of Florida and the University of Electro-Communications has revealed how powerful sound waves could disrupt the operation of underwater data-centres.
Why Underwater…
World’s Largest Carbon Vacuuming Plant Opens
The world’s largest direct air capture (DAC) plant, dubbed ‘Mammoth’ (which can suck polluting carbon from the air to help tackle global warming) has started operating in Iceland.
Mammoth
Started on the 28th June 2022…
Designer-Material Absorbs Carbon Faster Than Trees
Scientists at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University have published details of the discovery of a new material that can absorb carbon faster than trees, giving hope to efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
Can Absorb The Most Potent…
New 3D Printer Automatically Identifies Different Sustainable Materials
There’s an increasing range of renewable and recyclable materials now available yet 3D printers have historically been limited by the need to create new parameter sets for each one. However, MIT researchers have now made a 3D printer that…
Ultra-Fast Charging Sodium Battery Developed
Research by a team of doctoral candidates, supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, has resulted in the development of an ultrahigh-energy density and fast-rechargeable hybrid sodium-ion battery.
Why?
As highlighted…
Why Sugarcane’s Genome Mapping Matters
Following a decade of research, it’s thought that the recent decoding of the complex genome of sugarcane could pave the way for advanced breeding techniques, more agricultural sustainability, and perhaps for developing a cost-effective…
Prototype Means Solar Farms In Space Getting Closer
Oxfordshire-based Space Solar has reported a world first with the development of a UK Prototype for space-based solar panels that could mean a constant, sustainable energy supply to the planet.
Solar Farms In Space
Space Solar’s…
600% Data-Centre Electricity Increase In a Decade
In a speech shared on LinkedIn, National Grid Chief Executive, John Pettigrew, highlighted how demand for electricity from commercial data centres will increase six-fold, within just ten years.
Double The Demand On The Grid By 2050
Comparing…
World’s First Bio-Circular Data Centre
French data centre company, Data4, says its new project will create a world-first way of reusing data centre heat and captured CO2 to grow algae which can then be used to power other data centres and create bioproducts.
Why?
The…
First For Energy-Saving Magnetic Levitation Train
Italian firm IronLev has claimed to have completed the first-ever magnetic levitation (maglev) test on an existing train track.
Energy Saving Potential
The use of maglev technology for trains is particularly valuable because,…
How Cheese Helped Extract Gold From E-Waste
ETH Zurich researchers have reported discovering an effective method for recovering gold from e-waste with the help of by-products from the cheesemaking process.
Protein Fibre Sponge
The group of researchers, led by ETH Professor…
New £4 Billion EV Battery Factory in Somerset
Tata Group’s global battery business ‘Agratas’ has confirmed previous announcements that it will invest £4bn in a brownfield site near Bridgwater in Somerset to make it the UK’s biggest electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing facility.
Somerset…
‘Gasification’ of Waste Tea Powers Factories
The ‘gasification’ of waste tea pruning's is being used to both provide free energy for factories in Kenya and to decarbonise the tea sector.
Gasification
UK-based waste-to-energy company Compact Syngas Solutions (CSS) has…
Dirt-Powered ‘Forever’ Fuel Cell
Researchers at Northwestern University in the US have created a fuel cell that harvests energy from microbes living in soil so that it can potentially last forever (or as long as there are soil microbes).
Why?
As Bill Yen…
Promising Lithium Breakthrough For EV Market
Stanford researchers have discovered a simple way to boost the range of lithium metal batteries to twice the range of conventional lithium-ion batteries which could provide a massive boost to the EV market.
Lithium-Ion Batteries
Rechargeable…
First 3D Metal Printer in Space
With the world’s first metal 3D printer being sent to the International Space Station (ISS), we look at what impact being able to print metal parts in space could have on space-travel plus potential environmental considerations and more.
3D…
Data-Centres Using One-Third Of Ireland’s Electricity By 2026
A report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that almost one-third of electricity demand in Ireland is expected to come from data-centres by 2026.
Doubling Of Electricity Demand
The IEA’s ‘Electricity 2024…
Google’s AI Discovers 380,000 New Materials
A new AI tool called GNoME from Google’s DeepMind artificial intelligence lab has reportedly discovered and contributed nearly 380,000 new compounds to the Materials Project, the open-access database founded at the Department of Energy’s…
Green BT Street Cabinets To Become EV Charging Points
In line with the government’s aim to increase the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging points from 50,000 to 300,000 by 2030, the BT Group has announced that it will be repurposing its old, green street cabinets to EV charging points.
60,000…
Map Shows UK Areas Under Water By 2050
An online map from non-profit climate science organisation ‘Climate Central’ shows which areas of the UK could be underwater due to climate change by 2050.
Sea Level Rise
As highlighted in a 2021 report by Benjamin H Strauss…
Austria’s Tech Gadget Repair Scheme
Austria’s Repair Bonus voucher scheme sees the government pay citizens up to €200 (£173) towards getting old electrical appliances, devices and tech gadgets fixed.
Why?
The Austrian government scheme, financed through the…
Tree-Planting Gen-AI Search/Chatbot Released
Berlin-based green search engine company Ecosia has released a chatbot with a “green answers” option and ploughs all its advertising profits into tree-planting.
Ecosia AI Chat
The not-for-profit company, which…
Dynamic Window Breakthrough
Researchers at North Carolina State University in the US have developed a new dynamic window material that can tune out certain wavelengths of light and block heat to suit the conditions.
Three Modes Now Possible
The Dynamic window…
Friendlier Alternatives To Lithium-Ion Batteries
In this article, we look at what the issues around lithium-ion batteries are, why we need more sustainable alternatives, then we’ll look at some examples of the latest, environmentally-friendly alternatives.
What Are Lithium-Ion…
Tidal Energy ‘Kite’ That Can Power A Town
Swedish startup Minesto has developed a subsea ‘kite’ style mini power plant that generates renewable energy from tidal streams and ocean currents.
How It Works
The ‘wing’ technology, described by Minesto as a kind of “subsea…
London Data Centres To Heat New Homes
A new £36 million UK government project is to use data centre waste heat to provide heating and hot water to 10,000 new homes and 250,000 square metres of commercial space in London.
Using Heat From Data Centres
Data…
New AI Model Classifies Energy-Wasteful Homes
A new deep-learning AI algorithm, developed as part of a study by the University of Cambridge, can identify and classify ‘Hard to Decarbonise’ houses (energy-wasting homes) with 90 per cent accuracy.
What Are ‘Hard-to-Decarbonise’…
Fossil Fuels Peak as Solar & Wind Rise
Independent energy thinktank Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2023 reports that fossil fuel power generation has peaked for the half the world and that clean energy sources now account for nearly 40 per cent of the world’s electricity…
Giant Solar Space Farm By 2035
Oxfordshire based Technology firm, Space Solar, says that giant solar panel farms could be in orbit and operational above the Earth by 2035.
The Challenge
There are significant energy and environmental challenges facing everyone,…
AI Energy Usage As Much As The Netherlands
A study by a PhD candidate at the VU Amsterdam School of Business and Economics, Alex De Vries, warns that the AI industry could be consuming as much energy as a country the size of the Netherlands by 2027.
The Impact Of AI
De…
Microsoft’s Green Concrete In Data Centres
As part of its commitment to be carbon negative by 2030, Microsoft is trialling cement containing microalgae-based limestone in its data centre builds.
The Issue For Microsoft
The main issue for Microsoft is that it needs to decarbonise…
Smart 5G Street Lamps Trial
Six areas across the UK will receive funding to trial a new multi-purpose smart street lamps that house EV charging hubs and boost wireless coverage including 5G.
Funding
As part of The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology…
‘Cobots’ To Restore Reefs
With many of the world’s coral reefs being damaged by heat and acidification, one startup has developed a system to restore reefs at scale with the help of trained AI robots.
Coral Reefs Struggling
The world’s coral reefs only cover…
Disappearing Packaging Made From Seaweed & Plants
London-based Notpla Ltd makes sustainable, biodegradable, and home compostable packaging from seaweed and plants.
Naturally ‘Disappears’
Notpla Ltd, a start-up founded in 2014, manufactures different sustainable packaging…
Offshore Wind Makes Green Renewable Hydrogen
German company Lhyfe is showing how the challenges of producing green hydrogen can be met by using offshore floating wind-to-hydrogen turbines and electrolysers.
The Advantages of Hydrogen
The great advantages of hydrogen as a…
Cargo Ship Sails Help Reduce Pollution
The recently launched Pyxis Ocean cargo ship uses giant foldaway ‘WindWings’ to help supplement engine power and could cut lifetime carbon emissions by 30 per cent.
The Cargo Ship
A Mitsubishi Corporation cargo ship is currently…
World’s First “Superfast Charging” EV Battery
China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) has announced the launch of world’s first 4C superfast charging LFP battery.
The ‘Shenxing’ EV Battery
CATL says the ‘Shenxing’ battery can deliver 400…
‘Zero-Bills’ New-Build Properties
A new partnership between Octopus energy and sustainable housebuilder Verto aims to develop new homes across two south-west sites that will have no energy bills because all their energy and heating will come from with solar, battery and heat…
Aviation Fuel From Farm Waste
International Airlines Group (IAG) has announced another “significant” investment in Nova Pangaea Technologies (NPT), a company that makes aviation fuel from non-food agricultural waste and wood residues.
IAG & NPT
International…
Data Centres May Have Their Water Restricted
The recent announcement by Thames Water that it may restrict water flows to London data centres and charge them more at times of peak demand may be the shape of things to come.
Thames Water Ltd – Considering Restrictions
The…
Buildings Made Of Re-Usable Parts
Dutch architecture firm MVRDV and start-up Madaster have taken sustainable design to new levels by creating a whole office building that’s made of 90 per cent re-usable parts.
Matrix One – Made of Re-Usable Components
The…
Hydropanels Produce Pure Drinking Water From The Air
Hydropanels are an innovative and sustainable way to extract clean, reliable drinking water from the air off-grid.
How Hydropanels Work
Hydropanels (such as those made by Arizona-based SOURCE®) work by using a solar panel to…
Art Solar Panels That Are Practical And Beautiful
A group of solar panel start-ups is producing panels that enhance the look of buildings by combing them with art or making them as coloured cladding, facades, or roof tiles.
Solar Panels That Blend In
A group of Dutch…
Sustainable Seafood … Cultivated Codswallop?
According to German-startup ‘Bluu Seafood’, its range of cultivated seafood is a way to protect oceans and animals as well as ensuring a high-quality, sustainable supply of nutritious food.
What Is ‘Cultivated Seafood’ ?
Cultivated…
Millions Of Hard Drives Being Scrapped Is Preventable
The Circular Drive Initiative (CDI) has reported that millions of usable hard drives are being unnecessarily destroyed, adding to the growing pile of e-waste.
How Big Is the Problem?
According to reported comments to the BBC from…
‘Try Before You Buy’ Wind Turbine At Glastonbury Festival
A huge pink, purple and crucially temporary wind turbine that was erected to help provide Glastonbury Festival with green energy will also act as a ‘try before you buy’ promotion for similar turbines to be set up in other UK sites.
Turbine…
Huge Global Demand For Green Skills
New LinkedIn research has highlighted a shortage within the kind of green skills that are needed to help develop green industries and help it achieve it climate ambitions.
Green Skills Shortage In The Workforce
LinkedIn’s Global…
Paper Packaging … Vodka Be Better?
Absolut Vodka has begun a 3-month trial of its first commercially available single-mould, paper-based bottle.
Trial – 22 Tesco Stores In Greater Manchester
As part of what it describes as its “journey…
Wood-Based Satellites That Stop Atmospheric Pollution
Japan’s Kyoto University, working with Nasa and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa), plan to launch wood (rather than metal-based) satellites into orbit from next year.
LignoSat
As part of the LignoSat Space Wood…
Artificial Leaf Makes Petrol Alternative
University of Cambridge researchers have developed an ‘artificial leaf’ that uses sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into ethanol and propanol that could be used as a low-emissions petrol alternative to power car engines.
Inspired…
Low-Cost Underground Heating For 4,000 Homes
£22 million of the UK government’s £91 million Green Heat Network Fund will be used to build a geothermal heating network that could provide low-cost heating for nearly 4,000 homes in Cornwall.
Drilling Near Truro
The…
Solar-Powered Aquatic Drone Purges Plastic In Waterways
The ‘WasteShark’ solar powered aquatic drone from Dutch company RanMarine removes floating pollution like plastics, algae and biomass from lakes, ponds, waterways, and harbours.
The WasteShark
The WasteShark is a mini-robot…
Green Code To Reduce Software Emissions
Cloud-based CRM company Salesforce has announced the launch of its ‘Green Code,’ a new initiative which it says will help reduce carbon emissions associated with the software development lifecycle.
The Software Development Lifecycle…
Pioneering Power: Solar Panels Float In The North Sea
Dutch start-up ‘Oceans of Energy’ has been awarded the contract for installing and operating an offshore solar farm inside the Hollandse Kust Noord offshore wind park by CrossWind, a joint venture between Shell and Eneco.
World First
Oceans…
UK’s First Co-Owned Solar Park
Ripple Energy has announced that it is creating the UK’s first co-owned solar park, allowing those who buy shares to benefit from green electricity and money-off bills, plus the feelgood factor of the climate/environmental benefits.
Where?
Ripple…
Sustainability-in-Tech : Quantum Magnetic Material Discovery Could Deliver Ultrafast Sustainable Devices
The discovery of new quantum materials with magnetic properties could bring ultra-fast, more energy efficient, and sustainable computers and mobile devices.
Quantum Breakthrough In Sweden
A research team at team at Chalmers…
Could ‘ATES’ Be The Green Future For Heating and Cooling Buildings?
A new study has shown that using underground water to maintain comfortable temperatures could reduce consumption of natural gas and electricity in this sector by 40 per cent, thereby offering a green heating and cooling solution.
The…
Electric Roads Promise 70% Smaller Car Batteries
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden say that if an electric car charges while driving, the size of the battery can be reduced by up to 70 per cent.
Aim Of The Study?
The aim of the Chalmers University study…
Waste Data Centre Energy Powers Rooftop Farm
Equinix, the largest global data centre and colocation provider for enterprise network and cloud computing, has installed a rooftop farm at one of its sites that uses waste datacentre power to grow fruit and veg.
Paris Rooftop Greenhouse
As…
Heating Swimming Pools For Free With Digital Boilers
UK data centre startup Deep Green is using servers submerged in mineral oil as “digital boilers” to turn server heat into free heating for hot-water for swimming pool owners, distilleries, and large apartment blocks.
Digital Boilers
Harnessing…
How Businesses Are Cutting Their Website’s Carbon Footprint
In this article, we look at how slimming-down and optimising websites is yet another way that businesses are helping to cut their carbon emissions.
Websites And Carbon Emissions
According to the Eco-Friendly Web Alliance, the…
How Edible Food Packaging Could Reduce Plastic Waste
With eco-friendly packaging being considered as part of the green product decision-making process of today’s customers, here we look at food packaging that could save on plastic waste because it is edible!
Edible Food Packaging
The…
Sustainability-in-Tech : Bacteria Ink Gives Bonelike 3D Printed Structures
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) have developed a way for using a 3D-printing ink that contains calcium carbonate-producing bacteria, giving a result similar to mollusc shells or bone.
‘BacktoInk’…
Sustainability-in-Tech : Search Engine Sustainability Shock
With the integration of large language models (LLMs) into search engines, some people are predicting that the massive increase in computing power needed could mean huge carbon emissions.
What Are Large Language Models?
Large language…
Sustainability-in-Tech : Will Warm Wallpaper Really Replace Radiators?
Hull-based company iHelios has developed a system of using temperature controlled, energy-efficient electric infrared ‘wallpaper’ to heat homes and businesses which may have the potential to replace traditional central heating systems.
Heating…
Sustainability-in-Tech : Hydrogen Hybrids
Engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) say they have modified a conventional diesel engine to run (mostly) on hydrogen which could lead to CO2 emissions being cut by up to 85 per cent.
Engine Converted
The UNSW…
Sustainability-in-Tech : Clean Water From Thin Air – No Power Required!
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a zero-energy condenser that can harvest drinking water from the humidity in the atmosphere 24/7.
Could Solve Shortage Challenges
In some parts of the world, fresh drinking water is scare.…
Nuclear-Powered Data Centre
CumulusData has announced the completion of a key milestone in the construction of Phase 1 of its 475-megawatt zero-carbon “Susquehanna” data centre that’s directly connected to 2.5-gigawatt nuclear power stations.
First Phase…
Window-Film Cools Buildings
Scientists from Kyung Hee University in Seoul have developed a clear window film that can cool the inside of buildings, thereby reducing the energy consumption from air conditioning in hot cities.
Why?
Cooling buildings in hot…
Sailing Towards Sustainability
Here we look at the new technologies which could lead to a more environmentally friendly and ‘cleaner’ shipping industry, plus we look briefly at promising clean tech innovations for air freight.
The Challenge
With 90…
Fuss Over Fusion
US scientists have announced a major breakthrough in their efforts to create nuclear fusion energy after they were able to produce more energy from a fusion experiment than was put in, for the first time, ever.
What Is Nuclear Fusion?
Whereas…
Hydrogen Aircraft Fuel & 2050 Net Zero
FlyZero’s and UK Aerospace Technology Institute’s (ATI) study has concluded that green liquid hydrogen powered aircraft could deliver the net-zero 2050 target for aviation.
Two Technologies
The 12-month study results suggests that…
Report Questions Benefits Of Electric Cars
A report which shows huge sales of EVs in the US only resulted in only a 0.54 per cent fall in gasoline consumption in 2021 has led to disappointment and questions about the beneficial impact of EVs so far.
EV Sales
A recent Argonne…
World’s First 3D-Printed 100% Bio-Based House
The University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) in the US has unveiled the first 3D-printed house made entirely with bio-based materials.
BioHome3D
The 600-square-foot prototype ‘BioHome3D’ has 3D-printed…
How Investment In Sustainability Could Protect Against Disruption
After a new report published which says that most business leaders plan to increase investment in sustainability initiatives to protect against disruption, we look at what this means.
Report
A recent Gartner report highlighted…
Data Centres In Space?
A feasibility study is to be carried out into whether solar powered data centres could be put into orbit to reduce their carbon footprint.
Who And What?
The European Commission has chosen Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between…
Environmental Benefits Of Lab-Grown Meat
With lab-grown, cultivated meat looking as though it could tackle environmental and animal welfare issues, we look at the Dutch origins of this new produce, its benefits, and how tech has played an important role in creating the product.
What…
Microplastic-Eating Robot Fish Takes To The Water
A prototype of an award-winning robotic fish design that filters water to trap microplastics has now been tested in lakes as well as the lab.
Gilbert Wins
Eleanor Mackintosh’s design for the glow-in-the-dark, water-filtering…
An End For Forever Chemicals
In what could be a huge step forward for environmental clean-ups, a team of researchers from the University of Washington has created a new technique for destroying so-called ‘forever chemicals’.
What Are Forever Chemicals?
‘Forever…
Potentially Endless Power For Gadgets
The ‘Powerfoyle’ mini, screen printable solar cells produced by Swedish startup Exeger could be a breakthrough in providing a renewable, sustainable, potentially endless power source for all kinds of gadgets and devices.
What Is…
Venue Uses Human Heating for Renewable Energy
Glasgow arts venue SWG3’s innovative new heating and cooling system uses the captured body heat emitted from its visitors to provide a renewable energy source.
The BODYHEAT System
As part of its drive to become a net zero…
Noise-Powered Camera Could Help Climate Change Science
The development of a battery-free, wireless underwater camera by MIT engineers could help to build more accurate climate models and help scientists to better understand how climate change impacts the underwater world.
Challenges
A…
Fracking Up
With the UK’s ban on fracking for shale gas in England that has been in place since 2019 now formally lifted, we look at the technology involved and how fracking fits in with the idea of sustainability.
What Is Fracking?
Fracking is…
Environmental Ethereum?
The most popular altcoin and second-largest cryptocurrency by volume, Ethereum, has switched to a new operating model which uses 99.95 per cent less energy!
The Merge
‘The Merge,’ which the change is being called, and which…
Stockholm’s E-Ferry : World’s Fastest Electric Passenger Vessel
The Candela P-12 Shuttle electric ferry, recently unveiled and due to enter service in between Stockholm city and the Ekerö suburb next year, can dramatically cut journey times.
Faster Than Stockholm’s Cars and Subway?
The makers of…
Are Wind Turbines Really All That Green?
A study by the University of South Australia’s Future Industries Institute has revealed that with no plans in place for the recycling of end-of-life wind turbines has meant that they are causing a waste problem that looks set to get worse.
What’s…
World-First All-Hydrogen Train Just Emits … Water!
French company Alstom has announced a renewable energy world-first by operating a 100 percent hydrogen train which only emits steam and condensed water while operating with a low level of noise.
Replacing Diesel Trains
The train…
Last-Mile Drone Deliveries Offers Sustainability Benefits
Researchers from US Carnegie Mellon University have concluded that quadcopter drones produce much less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional alternatives for last-mile delivery.
The Problem
The point of the research was to…
All iPhones To Be Powered By Renewable Energy By 2030
Apple’s Vice President of the environment, Lisa Jackson, has announced that all iPhones will be powered by renewable energy by 2030.
Acquiring Renewable Energy From Wind Farms
The announcement was made in Australia while celebrating…
Sustainability-In-Tech : Graphene For Greener Business?
In this article, we look at how super-strong Graphene can be used to make projects and products more environmentally friendly.
What is Graphene?
Graphene is a one-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional…
Algae-Grown ‘Limestone’ For Cement Could Be Sustainable Solution
Researchers at the University of Colorado in Boulder have developed a net carbon neutral (or even carbon negative) method of producing Portland cement by substituting quarried limestone with limestone produced by microalgae.
The…
Sand Battery For Year-Round Heat
Finnish engineers, Markku Ylönen and Tommi Eronen have made a giant battery which stores heat from green energy within sand that can be used as an all-year-round energy supply.
Sand Battery
The Finnish engineers’ company, Polar…
EScooter Rentals – Not Everything They’re Touted To Be?
Nipping along the road on an EScooter sounds like a perfect way to get around which is touted as being easily-accessible, cheap and pollution-free. So, it should be a no-brainer, right? However, with some research now showing that rental Escooters…
UK’s Largest Carbon Capture Facility Opens In Cheshire
Tata Chemicals Europe has opened the UK’s largest industrial-scale carbon capture facility at its chemical plant in Cheshire to convert carbon dioxide into food and pharmaceutical-grade sodium bicarbonate.
Capturing 10% Of The Carbon…
New Ultrafast Saltwater Purification Device
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a device that can desalinate water at least one thousand times faster than existing methods.
A Membrane Made From Tiny Fluorine-Based Nanoscopic Rings
Scientists…
Sustainability-in-Tech : Renewable Cement Made Entirely From Waste Materials
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have created renewable, sustainable ‘biocement’ made entirely from waste materials, making it a greener and more sustainable alternative to regular cement.
How?
The…
IT INDUSTRY’S SUSTAINABILITY ACTION-GAP
A report by datacentre energy management company Schneider Electric has highlighted a sustainability action gap between the statements of intent and actions of IT companies.
The Research
The research for the report, carried…
FIRST U.S. MORATORIUM ON CRYPTO-MINING PASSED
New York state lawmakers have passed a two-year ban on energy-hungry ‘proof-of-work’ crypto mining that uses carbon-based fossil fuel power plants.
Energy-Hungry Crypto-Mining
One of the big environmental challenges of cryptocurrency…
SWAPPABLE BATTERIES
Rather than EV drivers waiting for 40 minutes to re-charge the car battery at a charging station, could the solution be stations where drivers can quickly swap their battery for a fully charged one?
Swap Battery Rather Than Wait To…
All At Sea For Carbon Capture
With container ships being bigger greenhouse gas producers that aeroplanes, London-based company ‘Seabound’ has developed technology that reduces up to 95 per cent of CO2 emissions per ship.
The Problem
The shipping…
Using Bubbles To Fight Plastic Pollution
A fast-growing Amsterdam-based start-up, The Great Bubble Barrier, has created a barrier (as the name suggests) that uses bubbles to stop plastic waste from entering waterways and to remove plastic from them.
Most Plastic Travels…
THE IMPACT OF LITHIUM MINING
With our devices using lithium-ion batteries and with Electronic Vehicles (EVs) currently dependent on lithium for their rechargeable batteries, we look at the environmental impact of lithium mining, and what the possible alternatives could…
Sustainability-In-Tech : Switch Off ‘Vampire’ Devices And Save An Average Of £147 Per Year
New research by British Gas (Centrica) has revealed that UK households could save an average of £147 per year on their electricity bills by switching off their ‘vampire electronics’.
What Are Vampire Devices?
So-called ‘vampire…