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.
Sustainability
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Ecolabels alone don’t work
NTNU researchers wanted to see if labelling products and putting up signs in stores would encourage more consumers to buy sustainable seafood. The results showed that customers bought significantly more seafood generally – including options that were not sustainably harvested.
Geoengineering, other technologies won’t solve climate woes
The countries of the world still need to cut their carbon dioxide emissions to reach the Paris Agreement’s climate targets. Relying on tree planting and alternative technological solutions such as geoengineering will not make enough of a difference.
Minerals and Materials for a Sustainable Future
For the first time this week, the Nature Research Group, publishers of Nature, will host an international conference in Trondheim in cooperation with NTNU, SINTEF and the Geological Survey of Norway. The theme for the conference, which runs from 11-13 September, is the sustainable use of minerals and materials.
New super laboratory coming to Trondheim
Research on minerals and materials is important in helping society make the transition to a greener economy. NTNU, the Geological Survey of Norway and SINTEF have joined forces to establish a national laboratory to that end.
Coastal cruise ships with wings on the bow are on the way
Ships with wings? Researchers are piloting this NTNU-spawned technology on new coastal cruise ships now being tested in Trondheim. The wings – or foils – use less fuel and make the journey more comfortable for passengers.
Clothing, furniture play a role in ocean and freshwater pollution
Lakes choked with algae and marine “dead zones” result from too many nutrients in the water. The traditional culprit is agriculture, which relies on fertilizer to boost plant growth. But the production of consumer goods, like clothing, is also a major — and growing — contributor.
Debatable whether Norway will become Europe’s green battery
Can Norwegian hydropower and natural gas play a role in Europe’s future power market? Results of a recent study show that Europe needs to craft a new and shared vision for energy policy for Norway to be a player.
New filter removes run-off chemicals
The filter will first be used to recover aircraft de-icing chemicals. In the future it will also be used in urban areas to remove environmental toxins, pollution and probably microplastics.
Global trade doubles material use for fashion, electronics over two decades
A new database gives researchers — and potentially policymakers — the ability to see how global trade affects environmental impacts.
Robot vision makes solar cell manufacture more efficient
In order to maintain the leading position of Norwegian solar cell manufacture on the global stage, we need sensors that can see what humans can’t.
Capturing CO2 using heat pumps
Capturing the greenhouse gas CO2 from industrial processes such as cement manufacture is a demanding and therefore expensive exercise. However, by introducing a renewable powered heat pump in the capture system, the energy required to capture CO2 is reduced by three quarters.
Nine things to know about microplastics
Picking up a plastic bag from the beach makes a bigger difference than you might imagine.
Advice from Norway for the world’s largest hydropower producer
When China wants to exploit its hydropower resources, they can ask Norwegian researchers for advice. It is now possible for hydropower companies in China to read the handbook for environmental design of regulated rivers in their own language.
Your wood stove affects the climate more than you think
Fortunately, a new study indicates that heating with wood has a cooling effect.
How well do solar cells really work in the Nordic climate?
Experiments in SINTEF’s climate lab demonstrate that solar cells work very effectively in Norway in spite of the rain and cold. But there is one thing that owners should be aware of if they want to get the most from the sun’s energy.
Our cities are hidden power stations
Waste heat and locally-produced renewable energy can be generated by compact, “urban power plants” that are efficient enough to supply heat to entire housing estates.
Consumer choices for the climate
The gift-giving season is upon us, and perhaps you’re wondering how to give gifts that won’t wreck the climate. Help is on the way.
Norwegian scientists will teach Europe to make snow
Trondheim: Norwegian researchers believe that it will be possible to make environmentally-friendly snow at above-zero temperatures. Now they have the backing of Europe and the skiing industry in their bid to save the sport from climate change.
The super material that can replace plastic
Plastic trash is a rapidly growing environmental problem. But a biodegradable and natural material could replace plastic packaging and eliminate this problem.
One hundred years of producing energy — from water
The 1969 discovery of oil at the Ekofisk field in the North Sea transformed Norway into an internationally important energy nation. But long before black gold was being pumped from the Norwegian Continental Shelf, Norway’s economy was fuelled by a different kind of energy: hydropower.
Energy performance ratings mean nothing for home buyers
How energy efficient your home is means nothing on the day you sell it.
This ingenious approach not only binds CO2, but also improves the soil
If 4,000 Norwegian farms and nurseries produced biochar and mixed it with the soil, we could halve CO2 emissions from the agricultural sector. This entirely natural approach also produces more robust and healthy plants.
Destination Brussels – with climate facts in his luggage
SINTEF’s climate change ambassador Nils Røkke is on his way to Brussels looking forward to a new job and new assignments. He has been appointed as Chair of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA). This in a world in which the threats posed by climate change are increasingly being portrayed as “fake news”.