‘Gasification’ of Waste Tea Powers Factories
The ‘gasification’ of waste tea prunings 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 developed a ‘gasification’ process which can convert biomass and other feedstocks into synthesis gas (syngas), which can be used to generate heat […]
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 (who led the research) suggests, the value may lie in its ability to supply power to […]
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 lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are currently used in a wide array of electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, power tools, […]
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 Metal Printer Although the ISS already has several plastic 3D printers on board, the new Airbus-produced […]
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 – Analysis and forecast to 2026’ highlights how having one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the EU (12.5 per cent) […]
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 […]