low carbon economy
So the game is back on then. A combination of events this week has lead to a surge in enquiries (well, emails) around the promotion of “green” topics. We should really build a “green fashionometer” as it’s such a fickle industry. First of all — the rise in petrol prices
energy
The good news? Europe could cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. The bad news? It needs to start making the transition to an energy infrastructure that’s nearly carbon-free starting now. In its new “Roadmap 2050” report, the European Climate Foundation says such an energy
energy
In an interview with The Guardian last month, James Lovelock — the scientist who conceived of the Gaia hypothesis — said he believes that humans have not yet “evolved to the point where we’re clever enough to handle as complex a situation as climate change.” Could it be? Is our species,
Greenbang
Starting this July, Greenbang will be presenting quarterly awards to outstanding organisations that are leading the way in sustainability, corporate social responsibility and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Our first awards will focus on sustainability, and we’d like to hear from you if you think your company can
green cement
How can India keep building its economy and infrastructure while cutting its carbon footprint? A team of international researchers believes one answer could lie with using waste materials like rice husks to replace some of the cement that’s being consumed by the fast-developing nation. Portland cement, a key ingredient
Jurdy finds more than one kind of oil at the beach …
hybrid cars
The terms hybrid and performance have largely been mutually exclusive within the last few years of car manufacturing. Honda’s new CR-Z hybrid sports coupe has gone some way to change that perception. The new 2+2 coupe gives people who care about emissions, just as much as the experience
hydrogen
How could a bacterium discovered in a New Zealand hot spring pave the way for a clean-energy, hydrogen-based economy? Researchers in Sweden think they might have found the answer. Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus has more than a tongue-twisting name; it also has the ability to pump out twice as much hydrogen gas
genetic engineering
The scientists at agribusiness giants like Monsanto who develop genetically engineered (GE) crops might be smart, but Mother Nature — it turns out — is smarter still. That’s one of the lessons to be found in a new study from the US National Research Council (NRC), which conducted a first-ever comprehensive
ccs
A group of British researchers have returned from a trip to the Middle East with new insights about how to possibly store large volumes of carbon dioxide deep underground. That strategy — called carbon capture and storage, or CCS — is considered to be a vital part of the effort to reduce
“Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.” Niels Bohr’s words are a wise warning to reckless forecasters. Trish Lorenz and Martin Wright uncover some instructive howlers. “Combining a nuclear reactor with a home boiler is no longer a problem. It would heat and cool the house, provide unlimited
electric cars
With an eye toward speeding development of the electric car market, the US automaker General Motors says it plans to spend $8 million to double the size of its advanced automotive battery lab. The project, which will add 30,000 square feet to the company’s existing 33,000-square-foot Global
