ENERGY
Hydropower: could the costs outweigh the benefits?
Jan 14, 2022
Written by
Mark Rowe
Hydropower is considered essential if the world is to reach net zero, but do the broader cost to ecosystems and local communities outweigh the benefits?
Heat from beneath: how the UK could heat homes from old coal mines
May 06, 2021
Written by
Catherine Early
The UK has made little progress decarbonising heating, but a significant source lies freely available under the feet of a quarter of the population
The clean-energy transition relies on these minerals, yet supply chains are fragile
Jan 29, 2021
Written by
Jacob Dykes
Covid-19 provides an opportunity to re-assess the supply chains of minerals on which the clean-energy transition relies
The carbon footprint of AI and cloud computing
Nov 05, 2020
Written by
Jacob Dykes
Artificial intelligence offers high potential solutions to the climate crisis, but evidence suggests that AI systems and cloud computing will need to clean up their own energy bills
The great energy divide: the inequality of consumption
Sep 11, 2020
Written by
Jacob Dykes
The amount of energy used by the wealthy minority dwarfs that of the poorer majority – but can we boost the energy available to the poor without sacrificing climate targets?
Seize the day: coronavirus pandemic presents opportunity for renewables
Jul 31, 2020
Written by
Jacob Dykes
Though the pandemic has gripped the world's attention, lying just in reach is an opportunity to radically restructure our energy system
It’s worth a shot: how the Tequila plant could provide clean fuel
Jun 10, 2020
Written by
Abigail Spink
The agave plant, used to make Tequila, has proven itself not only key to producing an iconic drink, but also a form of bioethanol that could present a green energy solution
Plummeting oil prices highlight a battle that could go on and on
Apr 21, 2020
Written by
Angus Parker
The price of oil is plummeting – Angus Parker takes a look at a transnational dispute and its implications
UK unprepared to deal with electric vehicle battery waste mountain
Jan 21, 2020
Written by
Katie Burton
New research reveals that the UK needs to act fast to better recycle lithium-ion batteries and extract the valuable metals within
After the glaciers are gone
Dec 27, 2019
Written by
Katie Burton
The melting of glaciers over the next 100 years will leave large amounts of empty space behind. One group of scientists has analysed ways these new landscapes could be used
Heating the UK from below
Nov 29, 2019
Written by
Katie Burton
Abandoned coal mines contain a precious resource in the warm water they hold within
Defunct oil and gas platforms could pump CO2 far beneath the seabed
Oct 08, 2019
Written by
Katie Burton
A group of scientists from Edinburgh University has come up with a novel way to utilise old oil and gas platforms
These scientists have invented a solar panel that works at night
Jul 15, 2019
Written by
Katie Burton
A type of panel has been invented that can generate electricity when pointed at the night sky, but can it ever be scaled up to serve alongside solar power?
What to do with excess wind energy
Apr 25, 2019
Written by
Katie Burton
A project in Orkney is converting excess wind energy into hydrogen to address a country-wide problem
Dossier: The terrifying cost of scrapping the world’s ageing oil and gas rigs
Feb 28, 2019
Written by
Mark Rowe
As the world turns away from fossil fuels, one question often overlooked is what to do with the thousands of ageing oil and gas platforms left vacant across the planet. When first built, little thought was given as to what…
Up in smoke: the pros and cons of burning rubbish
Oct 15, 2018
Written by
Katie Burton
The Treasury has announced that it is considering imposing a tax on the incineration of waste. The move would mark a fall in favour for a practice once considered a good alternative to landfill. Katie Burton visits an incinerator to…
Tidal energy: the silent giants of the Pentland Firth
Aug 30, 2018
Written by
Matt Maynard
A Scottish tidal power project in the Pentland Firth has the potential to supply enough energy to power 175,000 Scottish homes
Cold Storage: cooling the internet
Aug 08, 2018
Written by
Laura Cole
Efforts to reduce the energy drain of the internet are pushing high-power using data centres into the sea, the Arctic, and beyond
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