Climate talks and the way forward

What should power the future’s shipping fleets? How can we change the way we build buildings so that they’re truly climate neutral? If we’re going to actively alter the planet’s climate, how should we study this?

Tree ring research: Three researchers on a raft
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When trees talk

We think of trees as silent sentinels, watching as the world goes by and the ages pass. But what if you could interview them about what they have seen?

Edgar Hertwich
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An emergency brake for the climate

To limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, the EU’s Science Advisory Board on Climate Change recommends that Europe reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 90-95% by 2040 compared to 1990. Fossil fuels should be phased out as quickly as possible.

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Is it really sustainable for everyone to own an electric car?

Norway is often seen as a shining example of how a country can make its transportation greener by encouraging consumers to purchase electric cars. But Norway’s approach isn’t for everyone — and it may be hampering the country’s efforts to make its transport solutions truly climate friendly.

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Listening to Leviathans

Nineteenth-century Norwegian technology helped bring large whale populations to the brink of extinction. Can 21st-century technology help save them?

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Tracking whales as they cruise the Arctic

For the first time ever, researchers have been able to track eight fin whales in near real time for five hours, as they swam along a stretch of fibre-optic cable line in the Arctic. The breakthrough suggests that fibre-optic cable networks could be harnessed to help prevent whale deaths by ship strikes.

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Yes, we should produce hydrogen in Norway

Producing hydrogen will become an important part of decarbonising Europe’s energy system and is one of the opportunities Norway has to maintain value creation along the lines of what the country has experienced with oil and gas.

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The hidden helpers

The situation of family carers has recently been the national news in Norway. Hidden helpers – caregiving relatives – must become visible in order to prevent becoming patients themselves, and health policy rhetoric needs to be translated into action.

Moose in forest, photo by Endre Grüner Ofstad

Moose can play a big role in global warming

Climate researchers have long known that large animals, like moose, could play a role in how much the Earth will warm due to climate change. But the question is, how much? New research shows the answer can be a lot.

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Mini2P microscope goes global

The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience has won a grant to share its groundbreaking miniature brain microscope with researchers across the globe.

fibre-optic Icebreaking Vessel In Arctic at sunset

Eavesdropping on the Earth itself

This summer, a coalition of researchers led by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology reported the first-ever use of a fibre-optic cable network to eavesdrop on whales in the Arctic. Now they suggest these networks be used to establish a low-cost global ocean-earth observatory.

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School, war and crisis management

The Norwegian school year start up again after another pandemic crisis year and with the ongoing war in Ukraine. Pupils’ experiences may be different, but all children are affected by these crises, some many years later.

Companies need to report their climate risks

Regulators across the globe regularly require publicly traded companies to tell their stockholders about potential financial risks. A March proposal from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would require companies to disclose the risks that climate change poses to their financial health. Adopting the rule is an important step for the climate, researchers say.

Making bike-sharing work

Bike-sharing is a way for cities to cut their greenhouse gas emissions while limiting urban congestion. But bikes have to be available when and where people want them. A new approach can help by ensuring bikes are in the right place at the right time.