Facing unbearable heat, Qatar has begun to air-condition the outdoors
DOHA, Qatar — It was 116 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade outside the new Al Janoub soccer stadium, and the air felt to air-conditioning expert Saud Ghani as if God had pointed “a giant hair dryer” at Qatar. Yet inside
Rechargeable world: Nobel Prize recognises lithium’s role in a fossil fuel-free society
Earlier this month, John Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino were, of course, jointly awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, as co-creators of the lithium-ion battery and therefore “a rechargeable world”. The Nobel Foundation recognised not only the role
The Brains Behind our Renewable Technology
I very much enjoyed a recent episode of the The Life Scientific on BBC Radio 4, in which Professor Saiful Islam of Bath University, talks to Jim Al-Khalili about his life and work studying the materials that make renewable energy
More than 100GW of solar, wind and storage needed to meet net zero ambitions
Solar power, along with wind and storage capacity, will have to greatly increase if the UK is to meet its net zero emissions by 2050 goal, according to analysis by Aurora Energy Research. Aurora’s research presupposes capacity increases of more
Paris Agreement: Trump confirms US will leave climate accord
The US will definitely withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, President Trump has confirmed. He made the announcement at an energy conference in Pittsburgh on a stage flanked by men in hard hats. He described the accord as a bad
Case study: Using batteries to reduce the impact of grid maintenance
We consume more and more electricity every day. The utilities and grid distribution operators must ensure industry and households are provided with the necessary connections. In order to do that, the grid must be expanded, and must be maintained periodically.
‘They should be allowed to cry’: Ecological disaster taking toll on scientists’ mental health
‘We’re documenting destruction of world’s most beautiful ecosystems, it’s impossible to be detached’ The ecological disaster is taking its toll on scientists’ mental health, with top researchers saying those working in the field must be supported and “allowed to cry”.
Ban air miles and stop frequent flyers to combat climate change, report urges
Travellers should be hit by ‘escalating air miles levy’ to put them off flying too much Air miles should be banned because they encourage excessive flying, according to a report commissioned by the government’s climate change advisers. Frequent flyers should
Billions face food, water shortages over next 30 years as nature fails
A new model shows which areas of Earth will likely be hit the hardest by the changes caused by human activity, also revealing possible solutions. As many as five billion people, particularly in Africa and South Asia, are likely to