Farms especially suitable for energy sharing
Allowing Norwegian farmers to buy and sell excess electricity they generate is good for everyone. Today’s regulations prevent this.
Climate
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Residents must participate in the development of our future communities
In Palma de Mallorca in Spain, researchers are planning to use VR headsets to encourage resident participation in a community project.
We need to adapt our cities to a changing climate. But in Norway it’s still business as usual
If we are to avoid our cities becoming ‘heat magnets’ one day, and overwhelmed by flooding the next, we have to incorporate wetlands and ditch systems into our urban infrastructure.
Mapping the conflict between farming and biodiversity
A new study provides the most detailed dataset yet on the biodiversity footprint of food. The results can lead to more sustainable diets.
Data is just as important as the electricity we generate from the sun and wind
During his visit to Norway earlier this year, Bill Gates was keen to emphasise the innovation that will be needed to reduce the costs of mitigating climate change. One place to start is to educate more experts in the field of data processing.
To avoid a battery crisis, more of us should share small, lightweight EVs
Fossil fuel vehicles gulp down petrol, and electric cars gobble up minerals. The battery industry is so ravenous for lithium as a raw material that researchers believe the demand could threaten climate goals.
There are easier ways of integrating solar power into the energy system
We need the electricity generated by solar panels in order to meet our climate change mitigation targets. But solar power must be integrated rationally and fairly – something that can only be achieved with effective regulation.
Tracking whales as they cruise the Arctic
For the first time ever, researchers have been able to track eight fin whales in near real time for five hours, as they swam along a stretch of fibre-optic cable line in the Arctic. The breakthrough suggests that fibre-optic cable networks could be harnessed to help prevent whale deaths by ship strikes.
Electric car batteries are difficult to recycle – at least for now
Electric cars are a growing market, and so are the large batteries they use. Often these batteries are difficult to recycle. But help is on its way.
Carbon capture using sunlight and mirrors
Researchers are planning a solar energy plant that will capture ‘concentrated sunlight’ using mirrors. The plant will also be distinctive because it will generate both electricity and heat, which can be used to capture carbon dioxide.
Must we sacrifice nature to mitigate climate change?
The magnets in wind turbines come from China, and the materials in our electric car batteries are for the most part sourced from Congo. Today, key minerals and metals are being transported to Europe from politically unstable countries far away. Is it possible to safeguard access to these raw materials here in Norway? In this article, we present three research-based strategies for addressing the problem.
Yes, we should produce hydrogen in Norway
Producing hydrogen will become an important part of decarbonising Europe’s energy system and is one of the opportunities Norway has to maintain value creation along the lines of what the country has experienced with oil and gas.
Nuclear power causes least damage to the environment
A comprehensive analysis of 870 power plants worldwide shows that nuclear power is a clear winner in protecting ecosystems. Bioenergy is a sure loser.
The ice in Antarctica has melted before
The ice sheet in Queen Maud Land in East Antarctica is not stable. Large amounts of ice have melted in the past, most recently as 5,000 years ago.
Prestigious EU support to save species
An NTNU professor has been awarded an ERC Advanced Grant to investigate how species can survive a changing environment.
Builders rush to learn from the ZEB lab showcase
The ZEB Laboratory has been utilised both as an office building and a sustainable construction laboratory for about two years. It was designed to be the world’s most ambitious ‘climate-adapted building’ and up to now it has been a great success.
Moose can play a big role in global warming
Climate researchers have long known that large animals, like moose, could play a role in how much the Earth will warm due to climate change. But the question is, how much? New research shows the answer can be a lot.
Green production of silicon is just around the corner
“We see no technical obstacles to being able to produce silicon without CO2 emissions within the next two to three years,” says Maria Wallin at NTNU.
Energy crisis can help boost green energy investments in Europe
Can Europe use the energy crisis to help accelerate its efforts to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050? The EU’s Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change says yes.
Blue hydrogen: the real bridge between fossil fuels and renewable energy
Blue, also called “low carbon” hydrogen will make for a much more suitable transition towards renewable energy than natural gas.
Data-driven heating reduces energy consumption in buildings
Energy consumption in buildings can be reduced by predicting their actual heating needs.
Just one degree can change a species
Even seemingly small changes in the climate can change the number of animals and plants in an area and how species behave, new research shows. Natural history collections provide valuable insights.
Now is the time to stop talking up the benefits of natural gas
The view that natural gas can act as an eco-friendly bridge in the transition from our use of coal to renewable energy has experienced a renaissance in the wake of the European war. Thus, the time is right to review the data behind the politics.
Eavesdropping on the Earth itself
This summer, a coalition of researchers led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology reported the first-ever use of a fibre-optic cable network to eavesdrop on whales in the Arctic. Now they suggest these networks be used to establish a low-cost global ocean-earth observatory.