Improving commerical viability of biofuels
A paper outlines new method to profit from biofuel waste product.
Jul 8th, 2014
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Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines
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Wireless multicore chips could lead to dramatic data farm energy savings
Researchers have developed a wireless network on a computer chip that could reduce energy consumption at huge data farms by as much as 20 percent.
Jul 2nd, 2014
Read morePutting a price tag on the 2 degrees climate target
Addressing climate change will require substantial new investment in low-carbon energy and energy efficiency - but no more than what is currently spent on today's fossil-dominated energy system, according to new research.
Jul 2nd, 2014
Read more$2.5 trillion to be invested in renewables in Asia-Pacific to build the power capacity needed in 2030
Wind and solar together account for just under half of the total 2.7TW of net new power capacity in the region, driven by improving cost-competitiveness, and renewables in total account for 63% (1.7TW).
Jul 2nd, 2014
Read moreNet-zero energy test house ends year with energy to spare (w/video)
The net-zero energy test house at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in suburban Washington, D.C., not only absorbed winter's best shot, it came out on top, reaching its one-year anniversary on July 1 with enough surplus energy to power an electric car for about 1,440 miles.
Jul 1st, 2014
Read moreVideo games could provide venue for exploring sustainability concepts
Could playing video games help people understand and address global sustainability issues such as pollution, drought or climate change? At least two researchers believe so, outlining their argument in a concept paper.
Jul 1st, 2014
Read moreSolar panels light the way from carbon dioxide to fuel
Scientists have devised an efficient method for harnessing sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into a potential alternative fuel known as formic acid.
Jul 1st, 2014
Read moreFinland to lead the way in developing the storage of solar and wind energy
The NEO-CARBON ENERGY project, targeting the storage of solar and wind energy, has been granted major strategic funding by Tekes - the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation for next couple of years.
Jul 1st, 2014
Read moreEuropean renewable energy investment set to surge by 2030 on back of nearly $1 trillion of investment
Further falls in technology costs will mean that photovoltaics and onshore wind dominate deployment; only offshore wind will be subsidised in 2020s.
Jul 1st, 2014
Read moreDesigning new ways to probe aerosols for more accurate climate models
Increasingly sophisticated instruments provide scientists with new details about these transformations; they also point out big gaps between theoretical models and field findings.
Jun 30th, 2014
Read more'Microbe sniffer' could point the way to next-generation bio-refining
A new biosensor invented at the University of British Columbia could help optimize bio-refining processes that produce fuels, fine chemicals and advanced materials.
Jun 30th, 2014
Read moreNew software brings the right wind farm to the right spot
The SOPCAWIND project has developed new software to optimize wind farm placement in Europe, taking into account criteria as varied as wind power, local environment characteristics, potential interference with communication systems, noise, nearby housing exposure to the sun, visual impact or even the existence of archaeological artifacts on site.
Jun 30th, 2014
Read moreMapping greenhouse emissions to prevent climate change
Researchers esearchers have used advanced modelling and geo-spatial information to compile more accurate greenhouse gas inventories for Poland and Ukraine. The approach could substantially improve the accuracy of national inventories of greenhouse gases and boost Europe's efforts to reduce emissions.
Jun 30th, 2014
Read moreInsights from nature for more efficient water splitting
One basic riddle in water splitting is why nature always uses manganese, a fact that is particularly surprising considering that manganese is rather inactive at neutral pH, which is how water is found in nature. Scientists have been able to devise many artificial manganese-based catalysts of their own, but have not been able to make them active at neutral pH. Now, researchers have reported the discovery of a mineral-based catalyst that can efficiently split water into oxygen and hydrogen ions (protons) at neutral pH.
Jun 30th, 2014
Read morePhysics professor offers $10,000 to climate change deniers with hard evidence
A physics professor is offering $10,000 to the first person to present scientific evidence that proves man-made climate change isn't real.
Jun 28th, 2014
Read moreOrganic agriculture boosts biodiversity on farmlands
Organic farming fosters biodiversity. At least that's the theory. In practice, however, the number of habitats on the land plays an important role alongside the type and intensity of farming practices. These are the findings of an international study that looked at 10 regions in Europe and two in Africa.
Jun 26th, 2014
Read moreTofu ingredient could revolutionize solar panel manufacture
The chemical used to make tofu and bath salts could also replace a highly toxic and expensive substance used to make solar cells, a new study has revealed.
Jun 26th, 2014
Read moreManaging specialized microbes to clean stubborn chemicals from the environment
In a series of new studies, researchers examine unique groups of microorganisms, capable of converting hazardous chlorinated chemicals like trichloroetheene into ethene, a benign end product of microbial biodegradation.
Jun 26th, 2014
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