Wind turbines are having an effect on songbird communication

Mark Whittingham, Professor of Applied Ecology at Newcastle University writes on The Conversation website about a different issue concerning birds and wind turbines. We are used to reading about the deaths of birds flying into the turbines.  Well, now we are reading about how it changes their voice.   Robin hushed: wind turbines are making … Continue reading Wind turbines are having an effect on songbird communication →

How one family is following a low-carbon lifestyle

Undoubtedly, this low-carbon energy transition makes us wonder what it means for us.  Tereza Stastna writes on the Deutsche Welle website about the efforts of one family in Berlin. It ends with a very good quote we should all reflect on: "It's not just a project, and it's not a game," she says. "Our kids … Continue reading How one family is following a low-carbon lifestyle →

A mother has won the right to a fresh inquest over whether air pollution caused the death of her nine-year-old daughter

EiD writes regularly about the impact of air pollution. Jasmine Andersson writes on the I newsletter website about the efforts of one mother to have a new inquest to determine whether air pollution caused the death of her nine-year-old daughter. It will be important to follow future developments in the inquest.   Death of nine-year-old … Continue reading A mother has won the right to a fresh inquest over whether air pollution caused the death of her nine-year-old daughter →

More than 90% of the heat trapped by humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions has been absorbed by the seas

Damian Carrington writes in The Guardian that seas absorb 90% of climate change’s energy as new research reveals vast heating over past 150 years. This has to be a big concern.  Now to solve it.   Global warming of oceans equivalent to an atomic bomb per second Global warming has heated the oceans by the … Continue reading More than 90% of the heat trapped by humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions has been absorbed by the seas →

New solar-powered three-wheeler motorcycle helping to clean up Nairobi

Sophie Mbugua writes on the Deutsche Welle website about a new initiative to promote solar powered motorcycles in Kenya. Pollution is a big problem that needs innovative approaches. Importantly, electric motorcycles do not require an investment in new transport infrastructure such as the installation of special charging stations. It will be interesting to see how … Continue reading New solar-powered three-wheeler motorcycle helping to clean up Nairobi →

The power of positive stories in addressing climate change

Stories with positive role models and which focus on the positive outcomes of solutions are much more likely to inspire action to solve it, says Denise Baden, Associate Professor in Business Ethics at the University of Southampton. She explains in an article on The Conversation website.   Environmental storytelling can help spread big ideas for … Continue reading The power of positive stories in addressing climate change →

Daimler announced in December that it is making major effort on batteries

Before the end of the year, Daimler announced it was going to spend  €21 billion (US $23 billion) on batteries and manufacturing facilities as it gears up on electric vehicles. Charles Riley explains in an article on the CNN website.   The maker of Mercedes cars is spending $23 billion on batteries The maker of … Continue reading Daimler announced in December that it is making major effort on batteries →

2018 saw the biggest increase in carbon emissions in the US in eight years

We are increasing concerned about the growth in carbon emissions after a period where we thought they had been stymied.  Brad Plumer writes in the New York Times about latest developments in the US.   U.S. Carbon Emissions Surged in 2018 Even as Coal Plants Closed America’s carbon dioxide emissions rose by 3.4 percent in … Continue reading 2018 saw the biggest increase in carbon emissions in the US in eight years →

Coming back full circle: the idea of a circular economy goes back to ancient times

Sometimes it is good to look back to see how other civilisations dealt with issues that we are struggling with.  Such is the case with the circular economy, as Maikel Kuijpers, Assistant Professor at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science explains in an article on The Conversation website.   Circular economy: ancient … Continue reading Coming back full circle: the idea of a circular economy goes back to ancient times →