Digital twins in the Arctic: How Svalbard is becoming a living lab for marine restoration
A new tool is helping researchers simulate erosion and climate change, turning data into action.
Energy and environment
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Eliminating plastic consumption by using agricultural residues
“That’s the dream,” says researcher Hanne Dalsvåg. If the researchers succeed, in the future you might be able to buy vegetables wrapped in packaging made from waste carrot or potato residues.
Fish farming least harmful in northern Norway
Environmental conditions on the seabed around fish farms generally improve the farther north you go in Norway.
Pretty soon, heat pumps will be able to store and distribute heat as needed
Researchers have developed a heat storage unit that takes up less space than a regular hot water tank. It charges when electricity is cheap and releases heat when needed.
House sparrows in northern Norway can help us save other endangered animals
How much does it matter where you are born, or whether you are heavy or light, if you are a house sparrow? Researcher Kenneth Aase calculates what the future looks like for these grey-brown feather balls – and hopefully other species, too.
How storm surges could impact your workplace
Businesses along the Norwegian coastline are becoming increasingly vulnerable to storm surges and flooding. Researchers have now created digital maps that show who is most at risk.
This little trout died of decompression sickness – a sign of hydropower’s hidden problem
Hundreds of Norwegian hydropower plants threaten fish and bottom-dwelling animals by exposing them to water that is oversaturated with air. The danger increases with wilder, wetter weather and more flooding. The solution may be to use sound in a new way.
Streamlining the production of ‘green’ hydrogen
So-called ‘green’ hydrogen is currently very expensive to produce, but recent research can help save time and resources.
Gold particles and sunlight can help purify water
Fresh water is under threat on many fronts. Researchers are working hard to solve this problem. One solution uses sunlight and bismutite.
Old rules do not work for reindeer husbandry
The Norwegian ‘rules of use’ for Sámi reindeer husbandry were intended to help keep reindeer husbandry sustainable and allow for self-governance. But “sustainability” and “self-governance” can mean something completely different for authorities than reindeer herders.
ERC grants totalling NOK 48 million for projects on ecojustice and a more efficent power grid
The European Research Council has awarded two grants to NTNU researchers for very different projects related to the environment.
No, we don’t need more and more data about nature. We need more people to use the data.
Norwegian municipalities are collecting more and more data on how what they do affects the natural world, but do not always know what to do with it. They wade in green facts, but continue to sacrifice the environment, colouring the landscapes grey.
Data centres’ insatiable demand for electricity will change the entire energy sector
When the first large language models were unleashed, it triggered a headache for authorities around the world as they tried to figure out how to satisfy data centres’ endless demand for electricity.
First complete record of global underground CO₂ storage
The first-ever audited account of the actual amounts of CO2 stored underground by CCS projects globally has been released. It was created by a new international consortium of scientists and industrial partners, including NTNU.
Can we tap the ocean’s power to capture carbon?
The oceans have to play a role in helping humanity remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to curb dangerous climate warming. But are we ready to scale up the technologies that will do the job?
Poor indoor air quality often found in small new urban dwellings
You’ve just bought a new apartment. The developer followed the minimum building code requirements. So shouldn’t everything be in order? Extensive research indicates that the answer is unfortunately no.
Forever chemicals affect the genes of unhatched ducklings
There are many different types of PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals’. Maybe it is time to prohibit them all.
This is how two contra-rotating propellers can make ships more energy efficient
By using two propellers that rotate in opposite directions, a ship can use less energy to move forward. New knowledge means that more ships can use the technology, including Hurtigruten’s Sea Zero project for its coastal cruise ships.
Want to cut your carbon footprint? Move out of your house
There’s no getting around it: downsizing the kind of housing you live in is the best thing you can do for the environment.
Ships need maintenance too. For the climate, it’s best to do it at home
If a worn propeller requires repair, the CO2 footprint will be a full 40 percent lower if the job is done in Norway than if the repair is done in China, the researchers write in this article.
A new approach to cutting marine plastic pollution
Many measures have been initiated to reduce plastic pollution in Norway. Only a few of them will lead to extensive change and cleanup, a new study shows.
The properties of slate make it a winner
Different building materials carry different climate footprints. Norwegian natural stone, such as Otta slate, turns out to have surprisingly good properties as a façade material.
How penguins’ air tricks could help the shipping industry
‘Bubbles’ – taste that word – and think soda, soap, play and well-being. But did you know that air bubbles can also reduce fuel consumption and emissions from oceangoing vessels?
When it comes to storing carbon, the Arctic presents a winter surprise
The ocean holds gigantic amounts of carbon, much more than in all land-based plants and soil. Scientists previously studied these carbon stocks in spring and summer. Now they have looked at what happens in winter.