China's synthetic gas plants would be greenhouse giants
Huge scale of gas-from-coal plants 'an environmental disaster in the making'.
Sep 25th, 2013
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Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines
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New algal species for biofuel production
Cultivating microalgae for use in the production of biofuels is an attractive alternative to traditional sources of biomass. The latest research in this area has identified important new species and processes that could become indispensable for microalgal production of biofuel.
Sep 25th, 2013
Read moreDeveloping zinc-air batteries for renewable energy
Renewable energies such as solar and wind power need reliable storage technologies if they are to supply energy when consumers need it. A research project is working to develop a new class of small, low-cost batteries based on zinc-air flow technologies.
Sep 25th, 2013
Read moreWorld record solar cell with 44.7% efficiency
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Soitec, CEA-Leti and the Helmholtz Center Berlin jointly announced today having achieved a new world record for the conversion of sunlight into electricity using a new solar cell structure with four solar subcells.
Sep 25th, 2013
Read moreSustainable future dependent on energy industry support, warns World Energy Council
The global energy industry must play a greater role in the transition to sustainable energy systems if United Nations development goals are to be met, warns a report launched today by the World Energy Council (WEC).
Sep 25th, 2013
Read moreDurable plastic doubles as a CO2 cleaner
Chemists transform an inexpensive household plastic into a high-capacity sorbent for carbon dioxide capture and separation.
Sep 25th, 2013
Read moreNREL calculates emissions and costs of power plant cycling necessary for increased wind and solar
New research from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) quantifies the potential impacts of increasing wind and solar power generation on the operators of fossil-fueled power plants in the West. To accommodate higher amounts of wind and solar power on the electric grid, utilities must ramp down and ramp up or stop and start conventional generators more frequently to provide reliable power for their customers - a practice called cycling.
Sep 24th, 2013
Read moreTime to rethink misguided policies that promote biofuels to protect climate
Policymakers need to rethink the idea of promoting biofuels to protect the climate because the methods used to justify such policies are inherently flawed, according to a University of Michigan energy researcher.
Sep 24th, 2013
Read moreFusion, anyone?
Not quite yet, but researchers from National Ignition Facility show just how close we've come.
Sep 24th, 2013
Read moreHow do we talk about climate change? The need for strategic conversations
With media bias polarising the conversation about climate change into 'catastrophic' and 'sceptical' camps, new research exposes just how important the ways in which environmental educators talk about climate change is in influencing public engagement.
Sep 24th, 2013
Read moreSun, water, CO2 and algae - a recipe for biofuel?
The nine-partner team behind the EU-funded project DIRECTFUEL ('Direct biological conversion of solar energy to volatile hydrocarbon fuels by engineered cyanobacteria') is developing photosynthetic microorganisms able to catalyse the conversion of solar energy and CO2 into engine-ready fuels.
Sep 24th, 2013
Read moreNew methods increases food and bioenergy production from cassava
New ways to utilize starch from cassava can provide food to an additional 30 million people without taking more arable land than today. By 2030 the figure will be 100 million. In addition, the same land can also contribute to an increased production of bioenergy.
Sep 24th, 2013
Read moreSpinning old music CDs to clean sewage water
Scientists find a potential new use for old music CDs: coating disks in photocatalytic compounds and spinning them to clean water.
Sep 23rd, 2013
Read moreBerkeley Lab releases most comprehensive databook on China's energy and environment
In the five years since the China Energy Group of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released its last edition of the China Energy Databook, China has achieved two dubious distinctions: it surpassed the United States in energy consumption and it surpassed the United States in energy-related emissions of carbon dioxide, becoming the world leader on both scores.
Sep 23rd, 2013
Read more'Green future' development: Top 10 priorities for emerging economy countries
Malaysian leaders meet top US, other international experts at High Level Green Future Forum.
Sep 23rd, 2013
Read moreFirst steps towards achieving better and cheaper biodiesel
Is there any connection between wine and biodiesel? The answer is yes, however surprising it may seem. Acetals are chemical compounds found in many wines, like port, for example, which give it a unique, sweet smell. However if acetals are blended with biodiesel, they improve its properties.
Sep 23rd, 2013
Read moreAluminum in autos better than steel to save energy and cut carbon
Opting for aluminum over steel in new automobile construction to improve fuel economy is also the best way to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, according to a new study by Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Sep 21st, 2013
Read moreOrganic waste transformed into industrial prime material
Researchers at the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City, look to consolidate a pilot biorefinery that will use the waste of various fruits, vegetables, flowers and plants produced in urban and rural areas, to transform them into fuels and high value products.
Sep 21st, 2013
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