resources
Struggling UK retailers could save millions each year by reducing the amount of waste they generate and taking other environmental actions, according to sustainable business advisor Envirowise. “For a business to be truly competitive, it needs to improve its performance across all areas,” said Envirowise’s Elaine Sharp. “As environmental
ethanol
Texas-based EdenIQ today unveiled a new method for increasing the ethanol yield from corn (PDF). The Corn3 Yield Enhancement Program, as it’s called, boost production to more than three gallons from a bushel of corn, up from the industry average of 2.69 gallons per bushel. “In these turbulent
A team of international researchers say they’ve achieved a first: creating a new alloy between two elements that are normally incompatible with each other. By subjecting cerium and aluminium to high pressure, the scientists were able to force the elements together into a “substitional alloy.” The elements aren’t
energy efficiency
The UK could cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by mid-century if it refurbished up to 2 million non-domestic buildings with poor energy efficiency, according to a new report prepared for Irish construction products manufacturer Kingspan. The report, prepared by Caleb Management Services, says the government should make better use
global warming
The government today launched a new programme focused on helping the UK avoid dangerous climate change. A joint effort of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the programme seeks to improve the government’s evidence base on climate
Nordic countries
The Nordic Council of Ministers has launched a new Website — Nordic Energy Solutions — designed to showcase its progress toward developing a sustainable energy future. The project stems from a 2007 agreement in which the ministers agreed to work together on sustainable energy development. Countries included in the pact include Denmark,
Never mind the birds and bees: a new article published in Nature reports that the first creatures on Earth to have sex were … fish. The first known embryos of any type of animal were recently discovered within an extinct class of armoured fish known as Placodermi. A 365-million-year-old fossil of
cleantech
Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates: * Florida Power & Light today announced the groundbreaking for its new 25-megawatt solar photovoltaic plant, expected to be complete by the end of the year; * Smart grid, meet smart freight, a concept being explored by the US Department of Energy’
New car-booking service Carbon Voyage is today celebrating its launch with a Greenbang-sponsored event at London’s Bacchanalia. Customers have already begun using the service to share cars with other people and take advantage of the wasted return journeys minicabs make. Greenbang is proud to be a strategic partner of
cleantech
Missed a few cleantech headlines over the past 24 hours? Not to worry: Greenbang is here to keep you up to date: * French farmer Jean-Luc Westphal is working to build what Reuters calls “one of the largest integrated installations of photovoltaic systems … yet built.” Once in operation, the 36,000
low carbon
UK Business Secretary Peter Mandelson is calling on firms to demonstrate a “new industrial activism” to help Britain achieve low-carbon competitiveness. In a speech at the Cumbria Economic Forum last week, Mandelson addressed the need to not only stabilise the economy but to have Britain “fight back” to create a
fuel cells
Australia’s Ceramic Fuel Cells (CFCL) Limited says it’s achieved a world’s-best efficiency level of 60 percent (PDF) from its natural-gas-powered fuel-cell home appliances. The new efficiency level marks a 10 percent improvement over the company’s previous record, announced last December. “We have now achieved 60-percent efficiency
