mass extinction
An ancient fungus that covered the planet more than 250 million years ago appears to indicate that the world’s forests had been wiped out by a global catastrophe, according to findings from an international team of researchers. The catastrophe, unleashed by massive basalt lava flows in what is today
Climate change will have — is having — a dramatic impact on agriculture around the globe, and one researcher has now developed a way to measure that impact with an “optical soil dipstick,” or OSD. The OSD will help scientists, urban planners and farmers understand the changing health of the soil, as
green IT
Editor’s Note: This article, which examines the benefits of green IT in the enterprise, is the fourth in a series of six special features the IEEE is preparing for Greenbang. The author is Jim Hearnden, member of the IEEE and enterprise technologist at Dell. Whether the economy is shrinking
Britain’s first straw-bale council houses are getting closer to completion, with the buildings expected to be ready for occupancy next March. Located in Waddington, Lincolnshire, the houses now have fully built straw-bale walls and roofs. The next stage, lime rendering, will cover the straw walls so the buildings will
carbon storage
The Scottish government has announced it will help fund a research effort to find sites beneath the North Sea where carbon dioxide can be stored safely. The government says it will contribute £75,000 toward the study, to be conducted by the Scottish Centre for Carbon Storage. Previous research has
carbon reduction commitment
More than four out of 10 UK businesses aren’t aware of the government’s soon-to-go-into-effect Carbon Reduction Commitment, and nearly 60 per cent haven’t yet done anything to prepare for it, according to a survey by RSA, a commercial insurer and energy management firm. Set to start next
biochar
The following is a guest article by MaryAnn Simonds, Chief Sustainability Officer at EcoTechnologies Group: One might be quaking like an aspen as we watch the California fires on the news and wonder if they could happen in our area. If you’re among the nearly half of all Americans
venture capital
Investor AllStars 2009 recently named the winners of its awards to recognise excellence in the world of venture capital. Winners in the twelve categories were revealed at an awards ceremony and dinner in London last week. The event, now in its seventh year, was organised jointly by GP Bullhound, a
Sustainability directors might now have a place in many businesses, but their positions often aren’t backed by adequate funding or influence, according to a new survey by Green Business Events. While only 17 per cent of sustainability leads surveyed after a networking event last month said they believed the
low carbon transport
If you’re part of the effort to develop a low-carbon transport future, you should make plans to attend a free seminar on that topic this Friday. “Burning Rubber: Meeting the energy reduction challenge in the car economy” will be held 2 October at the The Guildhall, Banqueting Room, High
When it comes to caring about the environment, neither the UK nor many of its developed-nation counterparts can claim to be number one. In fact, residents in emerging markets appear to be much more willing than those in developed countries to pay a 10-per cent premium for environmentally friendly products
waste-to-energy
Is turning to trash for fuel a sign that we’re getting smarter about sustainability and smart energy use … or an indication that we’ve become increasingly desperate for our next energy “hit” as fossil fuels overheat the planet and go into decline? Scientists from Singapore and Switzerland are leaning
