Is it too late to save the planet?
Code red for humanity, says the IPCC. Fortunately, there’s still a lot we can do, but we have no time to lose, says NTNU climate researcher Edgar Hertwich.
Energy and environment
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Provoking climate engagement
As you walk around the city, nature “pops up” in unexpected places. Like a “lung tree” – a tree that breathes. The Nature in Your Face research project wants to use art to create engagement.
Blocking the sun to control global warming
It sounds like something out of a bad science fiction movie — artificially blocking sunlight to keep global warming from overheating the Earth. Nevertheless, a small cadre of researchers is studying the option — so that if humankind ever needs to use it, it will be an informed decision.
Norway well-positioned to supply hydrogen to Europe
The UN Climate Panel wants us to stop using fossil fuels. Hydrogen is an alternative – but not without overcoming some obstacles first.
Rapid action can help prevent the worst consequences of global warming
A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) describes with unnerving detail just what can happen if nations fail to limit greenhouse gas emissions. But rapid international action will keep the worst consequences at bay, the panel said.
Recirculating off-gas contributes to carbon capture
Producing silicon results in large carbon dioxide emissions, but recirculating it can remove contaminants more efficiently.
Building with new thinking and old components
An old building at Tullinløkka in Oslo has set a new standard for reuse, consisting of components from other buildings – like concrete floor dividers from a government building. Building stock in Norway accounts for half of society’s total environmental impact. Thinking in new ways and reusing building components offers multiple gains.
Six factors that will determine the cost of offshore wind power
Large cost cuts are achievable for both floating and bottom-fixed wind farms in the future. If we do this correctly, floating wind turbines will be able to compete with bottom-fixed wind turbines by 2030.
Ammonia – the key to making long-haul shipping green
Relatively simple adaptation could make the cargo ships of the future completely green. The technology is based on the chemical compound ammonia, some extensive number crunching and one or two engine modifications.
Retrofitting dams for more renewable energy in the world
Many of the world’s dams are not used for hydropower, but a new study shows they could be easily altered to produce renewable energy. This would be the most sustainable solution for new energy production in the world, says NTNU Professor Tor Haakon Bakken.
The Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science goes to a holistic thinker
The Gunnerus Sustainability Prize for 2021 has been awarded to Professor Jianguo (Jack) Liu at Michigan State University.
Where digitalization is a goldmine, for real
Billions could be saved and earned by digitalizing the mining and metals industry. China and Norway are working together to make it happen.
Researchers to test a solar farm at sea
The sun shines just as much out at sea as it does on land. There are also no restrictions on area use and seawater even helps to cool the solar panel technology. It’s only a matter of time before the first floating solar energy farms are installed at sea.
A robotic microplankton sniffer dog
The microscopic, free-floating algae called phytoplankton — and the tiny zooplankton that eat them — are notoriously difficult to count. Researchers need to know how a warming climate will affect them both. A new kind of smart, lightweight autonomous underwater vehicle (LAUV) can help.
CO2 heat pumps smart option for hotels in cold climates
Researchers have studied the energy consumption of 140 hotels in Norway and Sweden. The use of CO2 heat pumps could cut energy consumption in these hotels by about 60 per cent.
Are durable goods really that good?
Disposable products are bad. But durable goods account for two-thirds of the global household’s energy footprint.
Developing the world’s ‘hottest’ heat pump ever
Researchers working with industrial partners have developed the world’s first heat pump producing temperatures of up to 180 degrees celcius. Such record high temperatures will enable one fifth of European industry to reduce its energy consumption by up to 70 percent, and become entirely climate neutral.
Toxic fluorocarbons – not just in ski waxes
The toxic pollutants in your ski wax basically never disappear. A Norwegian lake and the area around several Norwegian airports are full of them, and so is your body.
Researchers found an underwater landfill while looking for chemical discharges from mobiles and electronic devices
Research scientists in Norway recently set out on a scientific cruise in the Trondheim fjord to collect water samples and specimens of marine species. What they stumbled over was quite different from what they were looking for.
Green quay will provide a green fjord
Big things might be happening soon with cruise traffic in the Geiranger fjord. Smaller vessels and adapted green quay facilities could make for a green fjord and offer a solution for preserving the World Heritage site.
New technology will identify sources of plastic in the ocean
Plastic trash gets cleaned up along our beaches. But it’s also important to find out where the plastic comes from. A Norwegian app will soon be able to do this.
Capturing energy from sunlight with dyes inspired by nature
Solar cells that use special dyes to collect light could one day be integrated into buildings. Researchers at NTNU are trying to find the best dyes for the job.
London introduced car charge in city centre – and saw most harmful pollution increase
In 2003, the average traffic speed in central London was less than 14 km/h. The congestion charge improved the flow of traffic but also had unwanted effects.
The Longship that could help save the planet
Everyone knows there’s just too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — and we’re heating up the planet at an unprecedented pace. In the third episode of NTNU’s new English-language podcast, 63 Degrees North, we’ll hear what Norwegian researchers are doing to help address this problem.