District heating networks help Nordic and Baltic countries top the list, while many major economies are lagging behind. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to underscore the importance of energy security. Renewables play a key role in strengthening that security and diversifying energy sources. The share of renewables has been rising across Europe, but it is […]
A new method to recycle wind turbine blades without using harsh chemicals resulted in the recovery of high-strength glass fibers and resins that allowed Washington State University researchers to re-purpose the materials to create stronger plastics. The innovation provides a simple and environmentally friendly way to recycle wind turbine blades to create useful products. Reporting […]
Researchers at Northwestern University have expanded the potential of carbon capture technology that plucks CO2 directly from the air by demonstrating that there are multiple suitable and abundant materials that can facilitate direct air capture. In a paper to be published on Thursday (April 3) in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, the Northwestern researchers present […]
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season was the ninth in a row with above average activity, the WMO says. Hurricanes Helene, Milton and Beryl caused so much destruction last year that their names are being retired. The World Meteorological Organization on Wednesday officially replaced the names of the trio of 2024 storms that killed more than […]
New projections by the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response (ICRR) reveal a 4°C rise in global temperatures would cut world GDP by around 40% by 2100 — a stark increase from previous estimates of around 11%. The recently-published analysis fixes an oversight in the current economic model underpinning global climate policy, toppling previous […]
The unstable new coastline poses safety risks for the tourists that flock to coastal glacial areas for their beauty and abundant wildlife. Shrinking glaciers exposed 2,500 kilometres of coastline and 35 ‘new’ islands in the Arctic between 2000 and 2020, new research has found. Scientists examined satellite images of more than 1,700 ice caps in […]
Wind power in Finland has more than doubled since 2020 to supply a quarter of the country’s energy. The closure of a coal power plant in Finland today brings the country to the brink of a full coal phase-out – four years ahead of schedule. Power utility company Helen officially decommissioned its Salmisaari plant in […]
More than 47,000 species around the world are threatened with extinction, according to the latest update of a global Red List of endangered animals, plants and other organisms. The figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature highlight how factors such as deforestation and the expansion of agricultural and urban areas are causing an irreversible loss of species. […]
Political changes, higher defence spending and a shift in focus towards national priorities have seen many European aid budgets slashed recently. Several key Western European countries including the UK, Switzerland, Germany, France and the Netherlands have slashed their aid budgets considerably in the last few months. This trend comes amid escalating geopolitical tensions and global […]
In the past, intact forests absorbed 7.8 billion tonnes of CO2 annually — about a fifth of all human emissions — but their carbon storage is increasingly at risk from climate change and human activities such as deforestation. A new study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) shows that failing to account for […]
