Location matters: Balancing renewable energy and biodiversity in Norway
How can Norway provide new renewable energy sources to meet future needs while still protecting its natural environment, and the plants and animals that live there?
Energy and Process Engineering
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Nearly half of every T-shirt goes to waste before you even buy it
The global consumption of clothing is enormous. However, a significant portion of the textile fibres is lost before the garments even reach the market.
The impact of microplastics on ocean carbon uptake
Marine microplastics affect algae’s ability to grow and photosynthesize. Researchers have now calculated what impact this has on the greenhouse effect and the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
Europe’s power grid has a big drought problem
Europe’s droughts are challenging its clean energy ambitions — with considerable social and environmental costs. There’s a solution – but it’s not quite what you might expect.
Is it possible to cut CO2 emissions from European agriculture by 40 per cent?
Research shows that allowing natural vegetation to grow back in mountainous areas and on steep slopes and moving production to more fertile areas will both reduce climate emissions and increase biodiversity.
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.
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?
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.
Fully possible to make residential construction more environmentally friendly
Greenhouse gas emissions from residential construction in West Asia and North Africa can be significantly reduced.
Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?
The lifetime of some Norwegian appliances, like washing machines and ovens, has in fact decreased over the last decades, a new study says. But the reason is most probably due to consumer preferences and not because of “planned obsolescence.”
Why is it so hard to bring clean cookers to Africa?
Despite decades of innovation, more than a billion people in sub-Saharan Africa still don’t have access to clean cooking. Low-tech, affordable cookers exist, yet firewood remains the go-to fuel. Why?
Fossil fuels help us grow food. That’s good for food production but bad for the planet.
By now, most people know that a regular diet of animal-based products isn’t a good choice for the planet. But how bad are these foods, really?
Collected climate data from Nigeria that researchers need
Climate scientists often lack the information they need for their climate models. A master’s student helped to find important figures from Africa’s most populous country – Nigeria.
Failed waste policy: we burn more and recycle less than we think
Norway’s waste policy falls short of its goals because of inaccurate measurement methods, unreliable data and a lack of transparency about where Norwegian waste ends up, researchers say.
Cracking the planetary code
Imagine if everyone were to agree to do everything they can to help the planet. Right now. What sort of state would we and the planet be in in 2050? And what would we have to do?
Three pieces of advice for politicians about plastic
Plastic, and plastic pollution, are a huge problem for both human health and the environment. An interdisciplinary panel of experts suggests that politicians take three concrete steps to better understand and rein in this growing problem.
Researchers work to promote phosphorus recovery and recycling
Here’s how Norway can limit the loss of an all-important substance, phosphorus.
Norway should lead the fight against plastic pollution
Norway’s coastline is littered with plastics from around the world. Plastic pollution is a global problem, but Norway can be a role model in putting an end to it.
Cooking with solar ovens in sub-Saharan Africa
A lot of research has been done to try to come up with ways of cooking food using solar energy, but what works best in practice in sub-Saharan Africa?
Climate emissions from air travel 50 per cent higher than reported
A new study that looked at nearly 40 million flights in 2019 was able to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions from air travel for nearly every country on the planet. At 911 million tonnes, the total emissions from aviation are 50 per cent higher the 604 million tonnes reported to the United Nations for that year.
Cheaper batteries are key to shifting transport away from fossil fuels. Can the market deliver?
High metal prices can drive up the costs of electric car batteries, which will reduce their adoption. Car manufacturers are already responding to this by shifting to different technologies.
A master’s student has tracked down greenhouse gas figures much needed by researchers
Climate scientists often lack the data they need for their calculations. A master’s student has helped to track down key figures from Africa’s most populous country.
Ultrasound can save fish in hydropower rivers
Shooting sound waves through water can remove dissolved gas that results from hydropower production in rivers. This gas can harm fish. Researchers are now ready to test techniques to reduce the risk in real hydropower plants.