Annemie Wyckmans wins the Mission Innovation Champions 2020 award
“This is international recognition of her many years of efforts to promote smart and sustainable cities,” says Henrik Asheim, Norway’s Minister of Research and Higher Education.
Sustainability
LOADING CONTENT
New website allows data sharing for upcoming Climate Panel report
NTNU researchers are playing a leading role in a new IPCC report. One way they’re helping is collecting data on a website created and operated by the university.
This hydrogen lorry is powered by sunshine – from the north
Hauliers Asko in Norway, are among the first in the world to operate a goods vehicle that runs on hydrogen made from solar power – thanks to a collaborative effort by research scientists and other players.
How much microplastic is there in your laundry basket?
Every time you wash clothes, you are releasing microplastics into the sea, but we know little about the amount and distribution of such material from different types of textile. Research scientists are now working on measuring and capturing microplastics in our laundry.
Trees struggle when forests become too small
As forest areas shrink and become fragmented, many tree species face problems. They often rely on animals that can no longer disperse their seeds effectively.
More hydropower and a better environment
The Norwegian public authorities’ estimates of the potential to expand the country’s power plants are probably too low. A new approach is creating opportunities for increased production while also enhancing environmental aspects.
Buy less, be happier and build a healthy planet
You may feel like you can’t do anything to stop climate change. But climate activists who joined in grassroots movements managed to cut their carbon footprints and were still happier than their non-activist peers, new research shows.
Hydrogen plant will make the “whisky island” Myken self-sufficient in electricity
If this solar and wind-based hydrogen project succeeds, it may become a model for many thousands of other small island communities worldwide.
Your life depends on these rare raw materials
The green transition is impossible without a few relatively unknown substances. Find out more about the raw materials we cannot manage without – and why we have to act smart with them.
Ammonia may hold key to greener combustion
One way to reduce flight shame may lie in a ring of flames. And in the gas that’s generated in an outhouse.
This is what you need to know about CCS – Carbon Capture and Storage
Why is there so much talk about storing CO2 underground? Doesn’t it cost more than it’s worth? Here we provide the research scientists’ answers and explanations of why CCS is climate technology that we are completely dependent on. And yes, this can be performed in a safe manner.
This technology replaces coal power with wood power
The Norwegian company Arbaflame is intent on persuading the world to abandon polluting coal power. The new technology makes it possible to replace coal with eco-friendly wood pellets.
Fewer cows, more trees and bioenergy
Combatting global warming will require major changes in land use, a new climate change report says. One important change could be decreasing the amount of land used to produce livestock — which means that people would have to eat less meat.
Renewable energy also viable in developing countries
How can we supply renewable energy to Indonesia, whose large population is spread over more than 6,000 islands?
Well-meaning climate measures can make matters worse
Lifestyle changes can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and help protect nature. While some actions offer great potential, some aren’t as effective as we think and may even require more land and water, such as shifting to renewable energy.
“The fabric of life is disintegrating”
“Human beings are destroying the nature that we are all a part of,” says the winner of the Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science, Professor Sandra M. Díaz.
Earth’s population could shrink soon
Better opportunities for women mean that the threat of overcrowding the planet may not be as dramatic as people fear. The population may well decline in a few decades.
Michelin-class composting
Now you can learn how to compost food scraps from a Michelin restaurant. Restaurant Credo folks in Trondheim will be showing off their artistry at the FUTURUM exhibit, part of NTNU’s science festival The Big Challenge.
Gas instead of coal is 50% better for the climate
We can do a lot to save the climate by switching from coal to natural gas. And we can shelve concerns about the negative climate impact of methane emissions from gas production, say researchers.
Finding ways to use less salt on snowy roads
It’s springtime in much of the northern hemisphere, although spring snowstorms are still possible. When that happens, salt trucks and ploughs help make roads safe. But road salt can be bad for the environment, and can rust cars, bicycles and other metal. New research shows that salt use can be safely — and substantially — cut in certain circumstances.
Gunnerus Award goes to expert on biodiversity
Ecology professor Sandra Myrna Díaz is the winner of the 2019 Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science.
When the Chinese giant awakes
When China sets its sights on a goal, the country can change at a blindingly rapid pace. Now the country is focused on innovation and technological innovations, with renewable energy at the forefront.
Norwegian trees can power our jets
As much as 20 per cent of jet fuel burned in Norway in 2030 could be biofuel made from the country’s forest residues. This alone could cut greenhouse gas emissions from Norway’s aviation sector by 17 per cent.
Spending our carbon budgets wisely
Our carbon emissions are much higher than are needed for us to have happy, healthy lives. But cutting these emissions requires us to think differently about how we measure growth and progress.