green tech

New ways to suck up methane can buy us vital time in the climate fight

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Remove a billion tonnes of methane from the air and we could cool Earth by 0.2°C, extending the window of opportunity to remove carbon dioxide before it is too late Technology 2 March 2022 By Katharine Sanderson Graham Carter The warming of our planet is usually blamed on carbon dioxide, but there is another major … Read more

How to make sustainable batteries that won’t wreck the planet

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The batteries we need to power the transition to 100-per-cent renewable electricity require rare metals, and that means destructive mining – but researchers are working on alternatives Technology 2 March 2022 By Katharine Sanderson Graham Carter If we are going to stop burning fossil fuels, it is critical that we have access to electricity from … Read more

Artificial leaves: Bionic photosynthesis as good as the real thing

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Converting sunlight into liquid fuel through artificial photosynthesis would be a huge environmental victory – and the latest prototypes look surprisingly effective Technology 2 March 2022 By Katharine Sanderson Graham Carter Our insatiable appetite for energy has got us into a mess, with the burning of fossil fuels releasing greenhouse gases that are heating the … Read more

Rising seas could submerge Rio and Jakarta by 2100 – what can we do?

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Smart engineering solutions such as “sand motors” and artificial reefs will defend our coasts for a while. But in many places, conversations are already turning to a managed retreat inland Environment 23 February 2022 By Simon Usborne Shutterstock/Chxli A MINATH SHAUNA grew up on the Addu Atoll, a small group of islands in the Maldives … Read more