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Recycling aluminium, one can at a time

Producing pure aluminium from ore accounts for as much as 1 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Recycling is the best way to reduce that carbon footprint - but manufacturers and recycling companies will have to plan carefully to avoid problems with impurities that accumulate in recycled aluminium over time.

Posted: Apr 30th, 2015

How unwanted CDs and DVDs could help cut carbon emissions

Scientists report a way to turn the discs into a material that can capture carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas, and other compounds.

Posted: Apr 29th, 2015

Wood-derived foam materials

Since most foam materials are made of petrochemical plastics, they aren't very climate-friendly. But now an alternative is in sight - a novel foam material produced entirely from wood, which is not harmful to the environment and is also recyclable. In the long term, wood foam could replace conventional products used for thermal insulation, packaging.

Posted: Apr 29th, 2015

Producing hydrogen cheaply through simplified electrolysis

A simplified and reliable device should enable hydrogen production at low cost. Researchers were able to perform water electrolysis without using the expensive membrane placed between the electrodes in conventional systems.

Posted: Apr 28th, 2015

ORNL scientists generate landmark DOE hydropower report

For the first time, industry and policymakers have a comprehensive report detailing the U.S. hydropower fleet's 2,198 plants that provide about 7 percent of the nation's electricity.

Posted: Apr 28th, 2015

World's first algae-based, sustainable surfboard (w/video)

UC San Diego's efforts to produce innovative and sustainable solutions to the world's environmental problems have resulted in a partnership with the region's surfing industry to create the world's first algae-based, sustainable surfboard.

Posted: Apr 24th, 2015

World's first electric taxi for tropical megacities has been launched

Named EVA, the electric taxi is built by TUM CREATE, a collaboration between Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) and one of Europe's top universities, Germany's Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM).

Posted: Apr 24th, 2015

Clean and affordable: the wind energy challenge

Wind power is on the rise. But its success in Europe depends on countries' renewable energy policies, which have a knock on effect on raising electricity bills.

Posted: Apr 22nd, 2015

Hurdles to US climate change action are in economics and politics, not divided science

The US Congress successfully hears the 'supermajority' consensus on the reality and causes of climate change, according to scientists from several universities. In a paper published in Climatic Change, the scientists suggest looking at business interests, partisan predispositions and political ideology for the hurdles to policy action.

Posted: Apr 21st, 2015

Cost-efficiency of plug-in hybrids calculated a thousand times faster

Plug-in hybrids have low fuel consumption, but require more costly parts than cars with a regular combustion engine. During development, the optimal cost balance must be calculated, which has been extremely time consuming to date. Now researchers have developed a new method that dramatically reduces the time needed for these calculations.