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 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). GNoME The Graph Networks for Materials Exploration (GNoME), is an AI-powered deep learning tool and […]
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 New EV Charging Points The move, as part of a pilot scheme beginning […]
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 et al, if a high emissions scenario raised global temperatures by 4 ∘C warming, this could produce […]
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 Covid Recovery Fund, is designed to motivate people to repair rather than throw away old electrical appliances (and add to a growing pile […]
The Battery ‘Domino Effect’ That Could Put Climate Goals Within Reach
A report by the Rocky Mountain Institute highlights how a domino effect of surging battery demand could put global climate goals within reach by enabling a 22 Gigatons per year reduction in CO2 emission. The Surge in Battery Demand – A Domino Effect The report suggests that the world is witnessing a shift in energy […]
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 has been developing its “green search” since 2019 to help users make climate-active decisions about what/who they click on has announced the introduction of its Ecosia AI […]
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 glass can be used to switch windows between three modes: transparent, or “normal” windows, windows that block […]
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 Batteries? Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are a type of rechargeable battery which function by moving lithium ions between the battery’s positive and negative […]
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 kite” and a “powerful, lightweight, and modular power plant” which can be made with a wingspan ranging from 4.9 – 12m and weighing […]
London Data Centres To Heat 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 centres in our digital society and cloud-based business world now play a crucial role in supporting countless industries, […]
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’ Houses? Hard-to-Decarbonise (HtD) houses/buildings are really a subset of residential structures that present unique challenges in reducing carbon emissions due to […]
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 supply. Five Years Ago Ember’s review report, which analyses electricity data from 78 countries representing 93 percent of […]