Cities Are Depaving for a Cooler Future
Asphalt contributes to the urban heat island effect and makes places more prone to flooding. Planners are rethinking its place in cities. It all started…
Innovation
New forms of steel for stronger, lighter cars
Like many useful innovations, it seems, the creation of high-quality steel by Indian metallurgists more than two thousand years ago may have been a happy…
Can a ‘Net-Zero’ World Lead to True Sustainability?
Throughout history, human societies have relied on technological progress to solve their challenges. In technology’s early days, this worked well. It is hard to dispute,…
Our research reveals the scale of the EU’s dependency on imports for critical minerals needed for the green transition – here’s how that can change
The climate transition is a materials transition. Decades of international diplomacy around oil, gas and pipelines are now giving way to conversations around the supply…
Using spent coffee grounds for making concrete can greatly boost circularity
Spent coffee grounds are no longer any use for making coffee, but they can still be of great use in other ways. They can be…
One Small Town Plans for Climate Change
Among rural communities, Grants Pass, Oregon, has notched an unlikely win. But limited resources threaten their sustainability plan’s success. One of the most iconic landmarks…
Powering the future
Need a recharge? Scientists from ECU have built a better battery that could last much longer than your store-bought pack. But, there’s a catch. Our…
Scientists turn plastic waste and CO2 into sustainable fuel
Take plastic waste and CO2, then convert them into sustainable fuel by the help of a solar-powered reactor. This may sound too good to be…
Pilot project uses volcanic ash to make cement
The project takes advantage of ash from a 2021 eruption on the Caribbean island of St. Vincent. In 2021, La Soufrière volcano on the Caribbean…
Thinking about a heat pump? Here are a few things to consider
One consumer’s quest for a climate-friendly heating system yields useful information for those poised to take advantage of Inflation Reduction Act credits. When a powerful…
Swiss project places solar panels along railroad tracks
In Switzerland, the Sun-Ways startup has started to lay down solar panels placed between the rails of train tracks as part of a plan to…
No Kiln in Making Soda
Sodium carbonate, known as soda or soda ash, has been made on an industrial scale since the 1790s. Annual production worldwide is well over fifty…
Beyond the bin: giving biowaste a second life
It’s hard to imagine a world without coffee given how many people enjoy kick-starting their day with a freshly brewed cup. Once the coffee beans…