Cleantech and Environmental News – Latest Headlines

RSS Subscribe to our Cleantech News feed

Researchers develop a biological concrete for constructing "living" facades with lichens, mosses and other microorganisms

Scientists have developed and patented a type of biological concrete that supports the natural, accelerated growth of pigmented organisms. The material, which has been designed for the fa�ades of buildings or other constructions in Mediterranean climates, offers environmental, thermal and aesthetic advantages over other similar construction solutions.

Dec 20th, 2012

Read more

Clean air: New paints break down nitrogen oxides

Surfaces with photo-catalytic characteristics clean the air off nitrogen oxides and other health-endangering substances. Using a new test procedure, Fraunhofer researchers can find out how the coatings behave during a long-term test.

Dec 20th, 2012

Read more

Peel-and-stick solar panels

Stanford researchers have succeeded in developing the world's first peel-and-stick thin-film solar cells. Unlike standard thin-film solar cells, the peel-and-stick version from Stanford does not require any direct fabrication on the final carrier substrate.

Dec 20th, 2012

Read more

E-waste recycling - at whose expense?

Shakila Umair, researcher at KTH, travelled to Pakistan to see how common electronic devices are dismantled and recycled. She investigated the harsh living conditions of people working with e-waste.

Dec 19th, 2012

Read more

Countries use innovation to deal with climate change

In a pan-European contest organised by the European Commission, more than 70 organisations from across Europe have taken part in a campaign called 'A world you like. With a climate you like', which aims to find the best and most original idea for combating climate change.

Dec 18th, 2012

Read more

Heat trading warms up

A new heat-trading simulation tool could help create the kind of open-market for heat trading as a means to avoid dumping useful heat and save energy while reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Dec 18th, 2012

Read more

Will climate change cause water conflict?

A team of international researchers from 14 institutions have met this week to present and debate the results of a 3-year study on water, conflict and security in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Sahel region in Africa.

Dec 14th, 2012

Read more

Study fuels insight into conversion of wood to bio-oil

New research from North Carolina State University provides molecular-level insights into how cellulose - the most common organic compound on Earth and the main structural component of plant cell walls - breaks down in wood to create 'bio-oils' which can be refined into any number of useful products, including liquid transportation fuels to power a car or an airplane.

Dec 14th, 2012

Read more