Why there is still hope for our planet
Is it too late to save our planet? Professor Jianguo Liu is the newest winner of The Gunnerus Award in Sustainability Science. He offers us some hope.
Sustainability
LOADING CONTENT
Is it really selfish to complain about electricity prices?
Norwegians are not necessarily being selfish by wanting to go back to the good old days of cheap electricity. Nor do people think it is acceptable to use the situation for some to enrich themselves at the expense of others, says the researcher.
Thousands of environmental bombs under Norwegian homes
Heating with oil in homes and commercial buildings is now banned in Norway. The storage tanks are supposed to be removed from buildings, but many people choose not to get rid of these environmental time bombs.
Could this dry battery system be Elon Musk’s next big thing?
The idea behind batteries is to make the planet greener, but they all start their lives as energy-demanding environmental liabilities. Research scientists at SINTEF have succeeded in making batteries cheaper and simpler using a process that requires much less energy consumption.
First ones out to buy and sell neighbourhood electricity
Many buildings with solar cells produce more electricity than they consume themselves, but current legislation prevents surplus power from being sold to neighbouring consumers. A pilot project in Trondheim will be the first in the world to test a system that makes this possible.
The Alchemists: Turning wild water into white coal
How Norwegian scientists and engineers harnessed the country’s wild waterfalls by developing super efficient turbines — and how advances in turbine technology being developed now may be the future in a zero-carbon world.
Can lightweight metal help the green shift?
The climate will benefit if we shift to using aluminium in more and more construction. Buyers need to look past the procurement costs and consider the total life cycle costs instead.
Want to save the planet? Cut coal use by 95 percent, oil by 60 percent by 2050, report says
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released its third Working Group report on how humankind can mitigate the ecosystem and societal effects of climate change. Much can be done, but the challenges remain enormous, the report confirms.
A policy that can increase the windfall profit of energy producers — like Russia
While former Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg steered Norway according to the logic of economics, today’s politicians seem to lack a basic understanding of markets. The result is a policy that amplifies energy scarcity and drives up energy prices – without policymakers recognizing this unintended consequence.
Two Industrial Ecology professors named to international climate-related posts
Professor Edgar Hertwich has been named to the EU’s newly constituted European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change, while Professor Francesco Cherubini has been asked to serve as a Lead Author for an upcoming assessment by The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
Recovering eco-friendly phosphorous from wastewater
A shortage of phosphorous is driving the price of artificial fertilisers through the roof. But a new and eco-friendly wastewater decontamination process has enabled a company in Hamar in Norway to kill two birds with one stone.
Nature’s colours can replace toxic pigments
Dye pigments are often toxic, so researchers around the world have long been looking for effective ways to make non-toxic, recyclable and sustainable colours instead. The answer lies in nanotechnology and nature’s own methods.
ERC grant on food sustainability in China
NTNU researcher Marius Korsnes has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) . He will explore the concept of “sufficiency” when it comes to urban, sustainable food.
Is green growth possible?
Increases in economic growth contribute to one-for-one increases in carbon emissions. Energy system decarbonization and economic productivity gains are the most effective carbon emissions mitigation mechanisms for sustainable economic development.
Finding order in chaos wins the prize
The Nobel Prize in Physics is going to three individuals who found that the world isn’t always as chaotic as we think.
What is nature worth?
Climate change is not the greatest threat to the diversity of species on Earth. The main problem is that animal and plant habitats are disappearing.
CyborGoats find their way into Norwegian villages
Goats are smart animals. A new technology takes advantage of their intelligence — so they longer need physical fences. More than 2400 Norwegian farmers are already using the technology to herd their animals.
Another climate summit that changes almost nothing – again?
World leaders have gathered in Glasgow to discuss climate change. But the most likely outcome is that actions won’t extend beyond the talk.
New ultra-high material efficient, low-cost solar cells — using nanowires
A new method using nanowires can make solar panels much more efficient and much cheaper than today.
A quick end to oil won’t save the climate
An abrupt halt to oil activities in the North Sea is not the solution to the climate crisis. The way forward is to establish alternatives to oil.
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.
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.
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.