• Rio Tinto investigating low-carbon sustainable steel production

    The production of steel is typically very energy and carbon intensive; in 2019 it was responsible for 2.7 per cent of all UK emissions. Rio Tinto has developed a new process that combines sustainable biomass with microwave technology to convert iron ore to metallic iron during the steelmaking process. The process is currently undergoing further testing in a small-scale pilot plant, with the potential to be scaled up commercially to process Rio Tinto’s iron ore fines if successful. “We are encouraged by early testing results of this new process, which could provide a cost-efficient way to produce low-carbon steel from our Pilbara iron ore,” Rio Tinto’s iron ore chief executive Simon Trott said. “More than 70 per cent of Rio Tinto’s Scope 3 emissions are generated as customers process…

  • Photo gallery: Our threatened but wonderful world

    As part of the build up to COP26, the Earth Project, in collaboration with Nature Picture Library, has organised a photography competition to raise awareness of the huge challenges faced by nature, as well as the impacts of climate change on global ecosystems. The competition links to one of the main goals of COP26: to help protect and restore ecosystems in countries adversely affected by climate change. The full gallery of 72 stunning pictures , along with the environmental stories they tell, is available online. The competition winner will be announced at COP26. A waterfall runs off the melting Austfonna glacier, eastern Svalbard, in the Arctic Ocean. Image credit: , In Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans a Zu/’hoasi bushman finds the carcass of a zebra. …

  • Coral gardens could hold off ‘biodiversity meltdown’

    From global warming to overfishing, coral reefs are under an onslaught of stresses which degrade these critical ecosystems. Because corals build structures that create habitats for many other species, scientists have long recognised that coral loss results in the collapse of other species that depend on reefs. However, the significance of coral species diversity for corals themselves is less understood. The Georgia Institute of Technology study found that increasing coral richness by “outplanting” a diverse group of coral species together can improve coral growth and survivorship overall. This finding may be especially important in the early stages of reef recovery following large-scale coral loss, as well as in supporting healthy reefs that in support fisheries, tourism, and protect coasts…

  • GOV.UK app unveiled to ease access to Government services

    The project, which is led by the Cabinet Office, will merge the nearly 200 ways people can currently create a Gov.uk account into a single log-in process in order to access over 300 Government services. The new app follows the launch of the official NHS app in 2018 which formed a central hub where users could seek health advice, book a GP appointment, read their medical records and more recently, access their Covid vaccination passport . Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay unveiled plans for the GOV.UK app, which has been designed to help people access services more easily. It was compared to similar apps created by private-sector firms that allow people to log into and access a variety of different services via their smartphone. “Now more than ever, it is important that…

  • COP26: What’s food got to do with it?

    When delegates at COP26 sit down to eat, they’d better choose carefully. Back in Poland in 2018, some 30,000 attendees munched their way through a meat and dairy-laden menu. Every plate of fried beef, pork and burgers consumed in Katowice at COP24 helped contribute several thousand tonnes of greenhouse gases over the 12-day conference, campaigners say. Food production accounts for a third of global emissions today, and we’re running out of water, land, and time. Business as usual in the Glasgow food courts won’t help the world meet the 1.5°C target. Campaigners and food and farming groups all have an opinion about what international delegates should be eating. “We’ll only achieve net zero if we fundamentally transform food systems,” say campaigners Nourish Scotland in a joint letter. Food…

  • Renewables investment needs to triple for net-zero goals to be met

    It found that while adoption of solar, wind and electric vehicles has been booming in recent years, the amount of investment needs to triple for a realistic chance of meeting net-zero by 2050. The report also showed that even as deployments of solar and wind rise, the world’s consumption of coal also grew strongly this year, pushing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions towards their second largest annual increase in history. “The world’s hugely encouraging clean energy momentum is running up against the stubborn incumbency of fossil fuels in our energy systems,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. “Governments need to resolve this at COP26 by giving a clear and unmistakeable signal that they are committed to rapidly scaling up the clean and resilient technologies of the future. The social…

  • Does renewable energy have a subsidy-free future?

    As national leaders meet to thrash out what they are prepared to do to promote the growth of renewable energy ahead of fossil fuels, the reality is they have largely decided market forces will be used for delivery. Governments have been reining in the subsidies that have been used to encourage investment in renewables such as wind and solar as their operational costs begin to approach those of existing fossil fuels. The good news for renewables is that subsidies for the competition look to be on the way down as well. Even excluding the externalities – the environmental costs – of fossil fuels that are rarely included in calculations, direct government subsidies to fossil fuels have long outweighed any others. A recent report compiled by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimated…

  • The green house effect: building greener to tackle climate change

    The UK’s housebuilders will have to consider much more than bricks and mortar if they are to do their bit for climate change. Every new home must now be designed and constructed for maximum energy efficiency. Simplistically, things appear to be on course, but remain work-in-progress. Across the industry, drums are being banged with little dissent about the why, what, and how, albeit with some variations in tune and tempo according to individual agendas. Perhaps not surprisingly, more clarity, less uncertainty and, inevitably, more tangible government support would be welcomed. The big number is the government target to build 300,000+ new homes annually by the mid-2020s (In 2020, the National House Building Council registered 123,000 homes, and 160,000 in 2019, pre-Covid). In context, a spokesman…

  • Apple slashes production of iPhone 13 as chip shortage bites

    Production bottlenecks at its suppliers Broadcom and Texas Instruments (TI) have meant Apple will not be able to produce the 90 million units in the last three months of this year that it originally envisaged, sources told the news website . TI typically provides Apple with display parts for the iPhone, while Broadcom has long supplied Apple with wireless components for the devices. The global shortage of semiconductors has been caused by several factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic causing facilities to close temporarily or scale down production, the sudden demand for chips to support remote work and study, and the ongoing trade war between the US and China. All this has resulted in serious supply issues for a range of industries, including the automotive sector, gaming, and consumer…

  • Will floating systems bring in a new wave for offshore wind?

    Offshore wind farms are becoming a familiar site in prime shallow-water locations around the world, from South Korea to the North Sea. Most of these are anchored in the seabed, but winds are stronger and more consistent further offshore, so energy companies are turning their attention to deeper waters unsuitable for anchored turbines. The final 9.5MW turbine was towed into position in what is currently the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm in August 2021, and the Kincardine Offshore Wind Farm was completed. The array of six Vestas turbines (five at 9.5MW and one 2MW) sits 15km off the coast of Aberdeen, Scotland – Europe’s windiest country – in a location with a water depth of 60-80m. The larger turbines have a rotor diameter of 164m, and each blade weighs 35 tonnes. The 50MW…

  • The role of technology transfer in raising climate ambition

    Technology is clearly crucial to tackling the climate crisis. From solar panels and smart grids to electric vehicles and green steel, much of the policy plans relies heavily on innovation and new technologies. But since the development and implementation of these technologies is dominated by the richer, developed countries, the UN climate negotiations include a key idea known as ‘technology transfer’. This compels wealthier countries to support developing ones in accessing climate technology, a notion found in the original 1992 treaty that began the climate talks and later repeated in the Paris Agreement. This fits into a wider pillar of UN climate negotiations, which recognises that richer developed countries must take the lead in reducing their emissions and in supporting poorer countries…

  • Gadgets: Wundasmart heating, Airthings air monitor, Kardon speakers and more

    Wunda WundaSmart Smart central heating that’s different. Room thermostats are positioned away from radiators on stylish E-Ink control pads. Data is kept offline and private, with bank-level encryption when you access it remotely. Control via app, voice or use geofencing. From £199 wundasmart.co.uk Read Caramel’s hands-on review. Airthings View Plus The only air-quality monitor you can buy that measures radon gas as well as particulates (PM2.5 and PM1) plus metrics like CO 2 , humidity, temperature and air pressure. Integrate all that data into a smart home using IFTTT as well as Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. £259 airthings.com   ParcelHome ...

  • Letters to the editor: volume 16, issue 10

    Who benefits from incompatible batteries? Following a recent house move, I purchased a number of cordless tools, most of which use 18V battery packs. These are functionally identical, of similar capacity, shape and size, and use very similar cells inside, yet are totally incompatible between manufacturers. As not every manufacturer makes every type of tool, this means I have five different batteries and chargers for five tools, which is not only inconvenient and expensive, but hardly environmentally friendly. I am unlikely to use a drill, a lawnmower and a vacuum cleaner at the same time, so the ability to share batteries between tools would be extremely useful; three batteries and a single multi-charger would be plenty for my needs, saving money and the environment while leaving me with…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Hands-on review: WundaSmart smart heating control

    Gas prices are volatile and climate change is an existential threat. There has never been a better time to cut your fossil fuel use. Insulating your home is crucial. Dialling down one degree is great. Woolly jumpers are superb. Alternative heat sources are brilliant. And smart heating is part of the answer, at a domestic level. Do you find yourself heating the whole house, even if you’re only using one room? Does your house heat up on a schedule, even when there’s no-one home? Smart heating promises to replace your boiler controls – buttons, timers, thermostats – with a high-tech alternative. Basic smart heating controls give you app control of the boiler, to fix scheduling issues by putting whole-house heating controls at your fingertips. Systems like Wunda’s new WundaSmart add wireless…

  • Can hydrogen-powered flight trigger a reset for global travel?

    Transport systems all over the world are grinding to a halt. Urbanisation and all the competing demands for easy, low-cost mobility and logistics mean congestion and pollution. For all the protests over new airport runways, the building of yet more roads and the climate emergency, we continue to live with old transport infrastructures and only a piecemeal and tentative introduction of potential green replacements. What is needed is a powerful wave of new tech - transport's version of the internet technology revolution. Tech with such potential that it can drag the rest of the world - businesses, governments and regulators - along with it. The internet overcame a host of business frustrations and limitations - speed, efficiency, cost, awareness, access, market insight - and we need the same…

  • Carbon capture projects see rapid expansion in 2021

    According to the Global CCS Institute, the world’s total capacity for carbon capture increased for the fourth year in a row, by almost one-third over the previous year. “CCS is absolutely critical to achieving net zero emissions and we anticipate growth in the sector to continue as climate ambition is increasingly matched with action,” said Global CCS Institute CEO Jarad Daniels. “Although much more is required, commitment to climate action is progressing steadily and we’re seeing growing interest and support for CCS. As we accelerate toward net zero emissions by mid-century and establish clearer interim targets, CCS will be integral to the decarbonisation of energy, industrial sectors such as cement, fertilisers, and chemicals, and will open new opportunities in areas including clean hydrogen…

  • Rockets primed for UK launch in 2022 after spaceport deal

    If successful, the launch of the firm’s XL Rocket would mark the first rocket to go to space from the UK. The multi-launch agreement with SaxaVord, which operates the spaceport, will run for the next decade, giving Skyrora the ability to build towards its target of 16 launches a year by 2030. The Shetland spaceport site is expected to support a total of 605 jobs by 2024, including 140 locally and 210 across the Shetland region. A further 150 jobs will also be created through wider manufacturing and support services. It has been attracting growing interest from firms like Lockheed Martin, which confirmed it would transfer its satellite launch operations there once it is up and running. According to a study by Scottish Enterprise last year, income from Scotland’s space sector could reach…

  • COP26: Time to walk the walk

    Glasgow is about to host the first five-year review of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, and countries are expected to announce updates to their plans for reducing emissions, but many commentators are frustrated that new targets simply point to ambitions for, and not action on, climate change. The UK’s president designate for COP26, Alok Sharma, has outlined four goals for the climate change agenda. Principally, he wants to align every nationally determined contribution (NDC) with a goal of lowering the current 2°C global warming limit to 1.5°C. Countries are being asked to announce ambitious emissions reduction targets ahead of meeting in Glasgow. The other three goals are to help countries adapt to climate change and minimise losses caused by flooding and other weather-related…

  • COP26: Last chance for carbon trading?

    Carbon pricing mechanisms have long been considered an effective way to galvanise clean technology adoption and global emissions reductions, yet current schemes have been lacklustre. The imminent COP26 conference in Glasgow could change this. In 2005, the European Union (EU) established the world’s first international emissions trading system (ETS). Since then, similar mechanisms have proliferated, and today the World Bank records 64 carbon pricing arrangements in operation, up by six from the previous year. Most significantly, this year China launched its domestic ETS, which covers 30 per cent of its national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is the world’s largest. Under Article 6 of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, brokered in 2015, leaders are tasked with negotiating a framework…

  • Spare wind energy could power hydrogen storage to supply UK in winter

    According to new research published by the Energy Networks Association (ENA), the country’s wind and solar farms produce enough spare electricity in spring and summer, when demand is lower, to produce green hydrogen to the equivalent capacity of 25 Hinkley Point C nuclear power plants. The hydrogen stored would provide the same amount of energy needed for every person in the UK to charge a Tesla Model S electric vehicle more than 21 times, in the autumn and winter months when energy demand is highest, creating a clean energy buffer that avoids having to manage limited energy supplies on the international markets. The research also finds that the UK has enough capacity to store the hydrogen in a combination of salt caverns and disused oil and gas fields in the North Sea, as well other locations…

  • Wearable display shines information through clothing

    The new technology, dubbed 'PocketView', can function as a standalone piece of tech or could be incorporated into existing or next-generation smart devices. Researchers created prototypes that mimic smartphones, pens, key fobs and other shapes and sizes. The display shines through fabrics to show notifications for email or messages, time, weather or other forms of basic information. “The idea is not to show all the information that you would normally see on your smartphone display,” said researcher Antony Albert Raj Irudayaraj. “These are displays that show minimal information. That’s good enough if you’re walking or biking, for example, to show basic navigation instructions. Or let’s say you received a message and don’t want to divert attention from what you’re doing. You can peek at the…

  • Short-haul flights under 300 miles dominate Europe’s aviation emissions, study finds

    The research, from the University of Manchester, identified a large number of flights covering distances less than 300 miles between cities that are connected to each other with public transport options. To create the data models, the researchers used a rapidly expanding data broadcasting system to track worldwide air traffic. Air traffic data was then integrated with aircraft emission models to produce quantitative estimates of the engine exhaust emissions of most aircraft types. Using the data, the team identified several short flights between several city pairs within the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland, that operated flights over flat terrain and distances below 200 miles. The most common routes in the data analysed included Copenhagen-Stockholm, Gothenburg-Stockholm; Rome…

  • The bigger picture: MingYang Smart Energy offshore wind turbine

    The MySE 16.0-242 by MingYang Smart Energy is a 16MW, 242m-tall turbine capable of powering 20,000 homes per unit (80GWh per year) over a 25-year life. Three propelling 118m blades will cover a 46,000m2 swept area. It will generate 45 per cent more energy than its predecessor, the MySE 11.0-203. Image credit: Cover Images The new hybrid-drive turbine model is designed for high-wind sites and will be capable of withstanding typhoon-class weather conditions. It has been certified by DNV and China General Certification Centre for design, and MingYang aims to install a prototype in 2023 and roll out commercial production in the first half of 2024. MingYang already offers a number of lightweight offshore turbine models – ranging from 5.5MW to 11MW; the new product sets…

  • Tesco and BT join calls for mandatory net-zero reporting

    Research from environmental charity WWF suggests that fewer than one in five of the UK’s largest public companies have credible plans to slash their emissions to net-zero. Under the Paris Agreement, which seeks to limit global warming to within 1.5°C, the world must reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy to enter into law its net-zero target . However, it has only fully implemented 11 of 92 policy recommendations from the independent climate change committee and it is not on track to meet its long-term or medium-term carbon budgets A letter to ministers, which has been signed by more than 30 organisations, calls for large companies to be forced to disclose their plans for decarbonisation. It says the government should clearly…

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