Why hydrogen energy has seduced a generation of politicians
Hydrogen is often touted in the scientific and general media as a silver bullet for reaching net zero emissions. Such articles might include the following…
Articles by The Conversation
Biden’s Keystone XL death sentence requires Canada’s oil sector to innovate
In one of his first acts of office, U.S. President Joe Biden has issued an executive order that effectively kills the Keystone XL pipeline project. The…
The UK has some of the least energy-efficient housing in Europe – here’s how to fix this
Samot/Shutterstock Sankar Sivarajah, University of Bradford Poorly constructed housing can seriously affect people’s health and wellbeing. And with the UK having some of the oldest…
New research: nitrous oxide emissions 300 times more powerful than CO₂ are jeopardising Earth’s future
Nitrous oxide from agriculture and other sources is accumulating in the atmosphere so quickly it puts Earth on track for a dangerous 3℃ warming this…
Children’s views should be taken into account when designing urban space
Iryna Inshyna/Shutterstock Jenny Wood, Heriot-Watt University Children see the world in a different way to adults, but urban planning policies rarely take this into account….
Hydrogen: where is low-carbon fuel most useful for decarbonisation?
Is hydrogen the lifeblood of a low-carbon future, or an overhyped distraction from real solutions? One thing is certain – the coal, oil and natural…
Smart concrete could pave the way for high-tech, cost-effective roads
Luna Lu, Purdue University and Vishal Saravade, Purdue University Every day, Americans travel on roads, bridges and highways without considering the safety or reliability of…
These African World Heritage Sites are under threat from climate change
Very few academics or policy makers are talking about the impact of climate change on heritage. Yet heritage is essential for social wellbeing, for identity…
A novel idea: integrating urban and rural safety nets in Africa during the pandemic
In countries across Africa, the public health restrictions imposed to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic have thrown many people out of work. Cities face the…
We won’t have fusion generators in five years. But the holy grail of clean energy may still be on its way
Matthew Hole, Australian National University Recent reports from scientists pursuing a new kind of nuclear fusion technology are encouraging, but we are still some distance…
A home that will keep you warm and cool the planet
A home that will keep you warm and cool the planet “… everything from mining the materials for the cement to chopping down the trees…
Five ways to turn CO₂ from pollution to a valuable product
Ella Adlen, University of Oxford and Cameron Hepburn, University of Oxford It’s far easier to avoid burning fossil fuels than it is to clean up…
What will the world be like after coronavirus? Four possible futures
Simon Mair, University of Surrey Where will we be in six months, a year, ten years from now? I lie awake at night wondering what…
Green ammonia could slash emissions from farming – and power ships of the future
For the past 100 years, a simple molecule has had an immensely positive impact on our world. Ammonia, which comprises three hydrogen atoms bonded to…
Chief Scientist: we need to transform our world into a sustainable ‘electric planet’
I want you to imagine a highway exclusively devoted to delivering the world’s energy. Each lane is restricted to trucks that carry one of the…
Smart water heating could help in South Africa’s energy crisis
MJ (Thinus) Booysen, Stellenbosch University South Africa’s energy crisis has many dimensions, from political and economic to technical and environmental. Recently, the country’s power utility,…