Scott Denning, Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University writes on The Conversation website about efforts in the US to eliminate hydrofluorocarbons used as coolants in refrigerators, air conditioners and heat pumps. How cleaning up coolants can cool the climate – why HFCs are getting phased out from refrigerators and air conditioners The U.S. … Continue reading It’s time for another generation of cooling equipment that is much gentler on the climate system
Category: technology
Novel energy storage technology involves suspending heavy weights above deep mine shafts
Under this novel system, weights are winched above mine shafts using green power generated on sunny or windy days, ready to be dropped to generate power when renewable output slumps or the grid needs power to “balance” its output. Madeleine Cuff discusses the technology in an article on the inews website. Mine shafts set … Continue reading Novel energy storage technology involves suspending heavy weights above deep mine shafts
‘Whitest ever’ paint reflects 98% of sunlight
Scientists in the US have developed a paint significantly "whiter than the whitest paint currently available". Tests carried out by researchers at Purdue University on their "ultra-white" paint showed it reflected more than 98% of sunlight. That suggests, the scientists say, that it could help save energy and fight climate change. Damian Carrington discusses the … Continue reading ‘Whitest ever’ paint reflects 98% of sunlight
In search of a more sustainable tire
The Russian dandelion helped supply the Allied forces with rubber through the Second World War. Now, tire makers are hoping it could make a commercial comeback to help tires become more sustainable. Jack McGovan explains in an artlcle on the Deutsche Welle website. Could rubber from dandelions make tires more sustainable? In 1931, Soviet … Continue reading In search of a more sustainable tire
‘Skybrators’ can generate clean energy without environmental impact of large windfarms, says green start-up
Clean energy technologies are evolving and one company has pioneered a new approach to wind power by forgoing the need for turbine towers and blades. Jillian Ambrose explains in an article on The Guardian website. Good vibrations: bladeless turbines could bring wind power to your home The giant windfarms that line hills and coastlines … Continue reading ‘Skybrators’ can generate clean energy without environmental impact of large windfarms, says green start-up
Rethinking cement
The production of cement, the binding element in concrete, accounted for 7% of total global carbon dioxide emissions in 2018. Given the scale of the industry and its greenhouse gas emissions, technologies that can reinvent concrete could have profound impacts on climate change. At the University of Michigan, we are working on composites that produce … Continue reading Rethinking cement
Is new fast-charging battery a gamechanger?
With the increased attention to switch to electric vehicles, one of the weak points concerns batteries. One Israeli company has come up with a battery that can be fully charged in just five minutes. While five-minute charging is not a complete gamechanger, it makes the transition to electric vehicles an easier sell, according to an … Continue reading Is new fast-charging battery a gamechanger?
Researchers show possibility of making wood transparent raising possibility of it being an alternative to glass
One day, in the future, you might be sitting in a home or working in a building with wooden windows. Steve Eichhorn, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Bristol, writes on The Conversation website that materials scientists have been experimenting with making wood transparent. Transparent wood is coming, and it … Continue reading Researchers show possibility of making wood transparent raising possibility of it being an alternative to glass
Tackling “planned obsolescence” of electric goods
Britain is considering how it can tackle the number of products that end up in landfill. Ministers are also looking at laws to force manufacturers to make spare parts available for at least seven years and encourage repairs rather than replacement of broken products. Andrew Ellson discusses latest developments in an article on The Times … Continue reading Tackling “planned obsolescence” of electric goods
Why AI technology is so power-hungry
Kate Saenko, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Boston University explains why AI technology requires so much energy in an article on The Conversation website. AI is computationally intensive because it needs to read through lots of data until it learns to understand it – that is, is trained. It takes a lot of … Continue reading Why AI technology is so power-hungry
