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?
UN Sustainable Development Goals: Sustainable Cities and Communities
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Are you looking to test new AI tools? Make sure you avoid the ‘Tesla trap’
If only techno-optimists get to test AI tools, the results simply aren’t good enough. This is where Tesla made a big mistake – a lesson that the health sector will do well to learn.
Prepared for the holiday queues? Outdated regulations are preventing future improvements to ferry operations
Shortfalls in crew numbers in the Norwegian ferry system are resulting in numerous cancelled crossings. Onshore control centres and new safety technologies are just some of the initiatives that may enable operations with smaller crews.
Why are there traffic jams, and what can we do to avoid them?
No one likes sitting in a traffic jam. Research shows that the average Norwegian motorist is willing to fork out almost 100 kroner in order to spend one hour less in traffic. But traffic congestion can also be mitigated.
Researchers work to promote phosphorus recovery and recycling
Here’s how Norway can limit the loss of an all-important substance, phosphorus.
New guidelines for green roofs
More green roofs and facades will help to create more space for natural habitats in our urban environments. A new set of guidelines has been prepared for those of us looking to green our roofs.
Cheap, dirty leftovers can produce pure oxygen
Industry needs a lot of pure oxygen. New materials that are affordable and robust can provide us with cheaper and more sustainable oxygen production.
An essential watershed in emission-free freight transport in Norway
As early as next year, a hundred new hydrogen trucks will be rolling Norwegian roads – with zero emissions and a range of 500 kilometres. And that’s not all! It takes less than fifteen minutes to fill their tanks.
Your apple core may someday fuel an airplane
In the future, your apple core may end up fuelling a Boeing. New research could help make the production of aviation fuel from biomass more efficient.
Researchers can help shipowners achieve ambitious climate targets
International shipping does not want to be a climate bad guy and is aiming to be emission-free by 2050. A new tool designed by researchers in Trondheim can help shipowners who are searching for green solutions.
Bringing old brickwork back to life in heritage buildings
Researchers are testing and protecting old brickwork as their contribution to the renovation of the heritage building Sophies Minde in Oslo. Results indicate that much of this material can be reused.
Connecting computers so they can think faster
Calculations that previously took a year can now be performed in just 10 days by computers connected in a special way.
We can’t allow Google to waste its surplus heat
The new Google data centre being built in Skien is in danger of wasting its surplus heat because Norway has no legislation that reduces this risk. We really need to address this issue!
Development projects should be assessed according to the cumulative impact they have on nature
Does it matter if a small area of rare wetland is lost if a lot more of the same area remains intact? In Norway, it is impossible to say, because no-one can show how many such wetlands are being destroyed elsewhere at the same time.
Can microplastics be used to make concrete?
Rubber granules from artificial grass pitches will be phased out, but what do we do with the thousands of tonnes of microplastics that are left? NTNU research shows that they can be used in the production of concrete.
You may soon be making coffee powered by your car battery
Power cuts can be caused by heavy snow and icing, as well as lightning strikes and strong winds bringing down power lines. Together with more extreme weather events, Norway is also facing a major power supply deficit. So, what can we do to avoid a total electricity crisis?
Helping low-income families onto the housing ladder
Families who obtained help to purchase their homes improved their lives in many ways. But outcomes were not so positive for those renting as part of affordable housing allocation schemes.
What researchers found out after 1,130 tests on Norwegian windows
Results from a major study may contribute towards developing windows that can withstand harsher climatic conditions involving heavier rainfall and stronger winds. Because that’s exactly what we can expect in the future.
A technology to help us achieve large-scale carbon storage
SINTEF researchers are applying methodologies used to transport oil and gas in their efforts to upscale a technology for carbon capture and storage. This is good news for the climate.
Why we need biofuels
Necessary reductions in greenhouse gases will be achieved too late if we have to wait for all our aircraft, ships and trains to transition from fossil fuels. This is why we need biofuels – in spite of the criticisms levelled at their use in a recent article published on the opinions website ‘NRK Ytring’. Biofuels are no ‘climate change mitigation ruse’, as these authors would have you believe.
New knowledge will offer cheaper and greener rail services
New lubricants, combined with new knowledge about how they should be applied to train wheels and rails, have the potential to reduce rail sector costs in Norway by hundreds of millions of kroner during the next decade.
Cultivated kelp can now be as good as wild kelp
Norway already exports large amounts of valuable alginate, but new research findings can make this industry even larger and more sustainable.
New, super-smart hardware could provide drastic cuts in power consumption
Greener data processing requires systems that work smarter, faster, and are more energy efficient. Researchers from NTNU have developed a tiny piece of super-smart hardware that enables all of the above.
Technology focused motorists are positive to road pricing
Road pricing may soon be replacing toll charges on Norwegian roads. But researchers still don’t know if this will help to reduce and regulate road traffic.