global warming
British and German scientists have used fossilised shark teeth to determine that the North Sea became fresher and less biodiverse during the changing climate some 4o to 60 million years ago. The team used the fossils to reconstruct the climate of the North Sea during the Palaeogene period, and concluded
efficient lighting
Starting next week, on 1 September, the European Union will begin a multi-year phaseout of inefficient light bulbs; the first lamps to go will be 100-watt and frosted incandescent bulbs. The phaseout — aimed at cutting energy waste and carbon emissions and reducing electricity bills — was approved by EU Member States
wind energy
Siemens has opened a new wind-power training centre in Bremen, Germany, that will offer broad-based programmes for both customer personnel and service technicians from around the globe. “We see service as much more than a regular look into the nacelle,” said said René Umlauft, CEO of the Renewable Energy Division
innovation
Across Africa, innovative thinkers are coming up with unique, frequently low-tech solutions to high-tech challenges such as energy, communications and transport. The Guardian even has a name for it: bushpunk (as opposed to steampunk). Bits and bobs wind power Take, for example, the “boy who harnessed the wind”: William Kamkwamba
global warming
As climate change melts ice sheets in the Arctic, it will also cause the Earth’s axis to tilt and make the planet spin faster, according to new research. Both effects are also likely to accelerate as climate change speeds up. Writing in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, researchers Felix
Jurdy’s wondering the same thing we’ve been wondering …
venture capital
The Government has endorsed plans to create a £125 million “super fund” for technology businesses, startups and small enterprises in the North East. The Treasury’s approval of the JEREMIE (Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises Initiative) venture capital fund paves the way for financing to go live
global warming
Most electric utility companies believe climate change could bring more power outages, higher costs and usage changes, but many aren’t taking across-the-board action to prepare for such possibilities, according to a new Acclimatise global report backed by IBM. Over 90 per cent of global electric utilities that report climate
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) officers have arrested seven people in connection with a suspected £38 million VAT fraud involving the trading of carbon credits. In addition to making the arrests in the Gravesend and Greater London areas, officers also searched 27 properties, both business and residential. Further arrests are
renewable energy
Could clean energy, rather than being the saviour of our civilisation, actually lead to TEOTWAWKI (as in, “The end of the world as we know it”)? We don’t think it’s likely, but we thought we’d explore a few conceivable cleantech apocalpyse scenarios anyway: Earthquakes Enhanced geothermal energy
nuclear fusion
Scientists are preparing for one of history’s largest and most important experiments: next year’s attempts to produce the world’s first controlled nuclear fusion reaction. If successful, the experiment — set to take place at the US-based National Ignition Facility (NIF) — could lead to the development of a limitless
water pollution
Homes might be a much-underestimated source of water pollution, according to a new study reported today at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society. Researchers Lorence Oki, Darren Haver and colleagues have found that runoff results from rainfall and watering of lawns and gardens, which winds up in
