Drain brain: Paris pool uses sewer heat to cut costs and emissions
Aspirant Dunand swimming pool in French capital inaugurates system that recycles residual warmth from sewers and drains A Paris swimming pool has inaugurated a heating system using warmth recovered from sewers in an attempt to cut costs and reduce carbon emissions. The Aspirant Dunand pool in the 14th arrondissement is the latest in a series […]
Is Novamont’s new production plant a step towards 100% renewable materials?
One of the world’s leading bioeconomy companies, Novamont, has opened the world’s first production plant for biological butanediol (BDO) on an industrial scale derived directly from sugars using bacteria. It might sound like technical details, but Novamont’s latest innovation could enable the production of materials like bioplastics from 100% renewable sources. BDO is a crucial […]
Can you hear the difference between these cod's accents? – video report
Scientists say the sounds cod make with their swim bladders to communicate differ from region to region – and may be vulnerable to noise pollution. Cod often use the sounds to attract mates and warn of nearby predators. But if the sounds are disrupted by human marine activity it may affect cod’s breeding by inhibiting […]
Hurricanes will worsen as planet warms and sea levels rise, scientists warn
Some say Hurricane Matthew, which slammed Haiti and is headed towards the US, is the sort of fierce lashing that will be more common due to climate change Major storms such as Hurricane Matthew, which has slammed into Haiti and is now headed towards the US, will grow in menace as the world warms and […]
The future belongs to clean energy | Anders Runevad
Wind power is projected to more than double in developing countries and increase by one-third in developed nations by 2030 As we close out a summer marked by uncertainty in news and events, one trend for which analysts voice increasing certainty is the accelerating pace of the clean-energy transformation reshaping how the world generates electricity. […]
Has hope become the most endangered species in conservation?
As wildlife continues to decline around the world, conservation has become a bleak calling. Can a new Optimism Summit help reframe the mission to save life on Earth? Want to hear a sad story? You could read this article of mine about the first mammal lost to climate change. Or this one about how there […]
Green 'abuse' warrants Australian law review, says resources minister
Matt Canavan cites leaked 2011 ‘disrupt and delay’ anti-development strategy of NSW environmental group as clear ‘abuse of our legal system’ The resources minister, Matt Canavan, says the abuse of Australia’s legal system by green groups seeking to delay mining projects warrants a “fundamental” review of environmental law. Canavan on Wednesday used a Queensland Media […]
UK's billions of takeaway cups could each take '30 years' to break down
Campaigners call for use of eco-friendly options and tax on paper and plastic takeaway cups as most are not recyclable Coffee-addicted Britain is leaving a mountain of toxic waste for the next generation as scientists warn it could take decades for paper cups from Starbucks, Pret a Manger and other chains to decompose. The environmental […]
Cod may have regional accents, scientists say
Cornish fish moving north with climate change may struggle to understand Scouse counterparts, study says, making it harder for them to mate Scientists are attempting to discover if Cornish cod moving north with climate change will be able to understand the accents of their Scouse counterparts. Experts believe the fish, which make sounds with their […]
'Wicked' windfarms and how to separate the facts of the blackout from the storm of spin | Katharine Murphy
Thundering about windfarms ignores a complex set of factors that still includes several unknowns We had the terrible storm that triggered a statewide blackout in South Australia last week – and, ever since, we’ve had the unfulfilling storm of spin about what caused the lights to go off. The release on Wednesday of a preliminary […]