heating and cooling
Carbon could go from villain to hero, according to researchers who have developed a better way to use “adsorption technology” to drive more efficient heaters and air conditioners. The process involves using carbon to adsorb a refrigerant — essentially causing it to cling to the carbon’s surface, rather than absorbing
global warming
Greenbang’s weekly Climate Change Index tracks research findings and events directly attributable to global warming. Our aim is to provide a numerical, week-to-week indicator of climate change developments. Items that qualify for listing in each week’s index include new climate data published in peer-reviewed academic journals and extreme
global warming
As the climate warms, glaciers don’t always melt slowly. In fact, new research indicates that glaciers on volcanoes in places like Iceland can melt rapidly, releasing large volumes of water as powerful as the Amazon River. Andy Russell, a scientist at Newcastle University, said such floods could hit parts
climate
The rapid melting of Antarctic ice shelves and glaciers might be a worrisome indicator of climate change, but it’s also produced an unexpected upside: large blooms of phytoplankton that could end up storing lots of carbon on the seafloor. Researchers with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have found that
The Earth’s ecosystems and oceans might have a much greater capacity for absorbing carbon dioxide than has previously been thought, according to new research from the University of Bristol. That finding runs contrary to a significant body of science that predicts the planet’s ability to take up carbon
cellulosic ethanol
Termites might be destructive pests — they cause more than $1 billion in damage every year in the US alone — but they could also hold the secret to converting plant material into renewable, sustainable fuel. Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) have been studying how the insects digest wood via
iawards
The government today announced the shortlist of finalists for its first-ever awards to recognise the best of British science, technology and innovation. The final iawards winners will be announced during a ceremony at the Science Museum on 16 November. The shortlist innovators announced today include: * The iaward for energy and
fossil fuel subsidies
By subsidising fossil fuels, the world’s leading economies are “artificially suppressing clean energy” and bringing the world “closer to irreversible and catastrophic climate change,” members of the Green Economy Coalition wrote today in a letter to ministers of finance for G-20 countries. The letter (pdf) praised the G-20 for
The global financial crisis might have put the brakes to rising carbon dioxide emissions, but it only slowed them down rather than stopping them. In fact, fossil fuel-related carbon emissions rose by 2.2 per cent between 2007 and 2008, according to new research published in the journal Environmental Research
geoengineering
How are geoengineering fixes for climate change like seatbelts in an automobile? According to top climate scientist Ken Caldeira, tinkering with the climate might help keep us safe, but we’d better be sure the geoengineering “seatbelt” actually works before we start driving. The top priority for dealing with climate
carbon markets
Expanding the global market for carbon permits and credits — essentially trading or selling the right to emit carbon dioxide — could set off a second “sub-prime”-style financial collapse while doing nothing to prevent dangerous climate change, according to a new report from Friends of the Earth. “Pushing a world carbon
Scientists are making progress toward developing an “artificial leaf” that mimics a real leaf’s chemical magic with photosynthesis — but instead converts sunlight and water into a liquid fuel such as methanol for cars and trucks. Energy experts recently discussed such technologies during a symposium aimed at launching a new
