Sustainability
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
Objective
The activities carried out in this area are intended to
strengthen the scientific and technological capacities needed for
Europe to be able to implement sustainable development, emphasised by
the Göteborg European Council, and integrating its environmental,
economic and social objectives with particular regard to renewable
energy, transport, and sustainable management of Europe's land and
marine resources. These activities should enable Member States, the
associated candidate and other associated countries to make a
significant contribution to the international efforts to understand and
control global change and preserve the equilibrium of ecosystems.
Justification of the effort and
European added value
The implementation on a global scale of sustainable development
requires more particularly:
(a) the design, development and dissemination of technologies
and solutions, such as promotion of changes in energy consumption
behaviour (leading to an energy-intelligent Europe) and new approaches
relating to mobility, making it possible to ensure the conservation and
more rational, efficient and sustainable use of natural resources, with
less waste and emissions and a reduction in the impact of economic
activity on the environment. Sectors of strategic importance in this
context include energy and transport, especially the urban and regional
development aspects of these sectors;
(b) a better understanding of ecosystems and of the mechanisms
and impacts of global change (for instance climate change), including
the effect of these mechanisms on land and marine resources; as well as
the development of related forecasting capacities.
Where technology is concerned, as highlighted in the
Commission Green Paper "Towards a European strategy for the security of
energy supply" and in the Commission's White Paper "European transport
policy for 2010: time to decide", two areas concerned as a matter of
priority are energy and transport, which are responsible for over 80 %
of total emissions of greenhouse gases and more than 90 % of CO2
emissions.
Under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the 1992 United Nations
framework Convention on climate change, the European Union is required
to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 8 % compared with the 1990
levels in the period 2008 to 2012. This will require the development of
innovative sustainable energy and transport solutions. Other important
commitments are contained in international instruments such as the 1992
UN Convention on biological diversity, the 1994 UN Convention to combat
desertification in countries seriously affected by drought and/or
desertification, particularly in Africa, and the 1987 Montreal Protocol
on substances that deplete the ozone layer as well as in the Union
strategy for sustainable development, including the sixth environment
action programme.
Achieving the above objective in the short term requires a
major effort to deploy technologies currently under development.
Community action is important to ensure coordination of Europe's
contribution to world efforts.
Above and beyond this objective, the long-term implementation
of sustainable development in the coming decades makes it necessary to
ensure the availability, under economic conditions, of the most
appropriate energy sources and carriers in this respect. This will
require a sustained longer-term research effort.
Medium and long-term research efforts will also be necessary
to develop sustainable European transport systems, and to make progress
in the context of global change and protection of biodiversity and
preserving ecosystems which would also contribute to the sustainable
use of land and marine resources. In the context of global change,
strategies for an integrated, sustainable use of agricultural and
forest ecosystems are of particular importance for the preservation of
these ecosystems and will contribute substantially to the sustainable
development of Europe.
Actions envisaged
The Community's RTD efforts will concentrate on activities in the
following areas:
I. Sustainable energy systems(4)
(a) in the short and medium term, especially in the urban
environment:
(i) clean energy, in particular renewable energy sources and
their integration in the energy system, including storage, distribution
and use;
(ii) energy savings and energy efficiency, including those to be
achieved through the use of renewable raw materials;
(iii) alternative motor fuels;
(b) in the medium and longer term:
(i) fuel cells including their applications;
(ii) new technologies for energy carriers, transport and storage on
a European scale, in particular hydrogen technology;
(iii) new and advanced concepts in renewable energy technologies
with a significant future energy potential and requiring long-term
research efforts;
(iv) disposal of CO2 associated with cleaner fossil fuel plants.
II. Sustainable surface transport(5)
(a) Developing environmentally friendly, safe and competitive
transport systems and means of transport of passengers and freight, and
clean urban transport with rational use of the car in the city:
(i) new technologies and concepts for surface transport,
including novel propulsion systems and integration of fuel cells for
transport purposes;
(ii) advanced design and production techniques leading to
improved quality, safety, recyclability, comfort and
cost-effectiveness;
(b) making rail and maritime transport more effective and more
competitive, addressing the interoperability of transport modes, and
assuring intelligent and safe transport of passengers and freight:
(i) rebalancing and integrating different modes, in particular
in the urban and regional context, including new mobility management
and transport logistics systems making rail and maritime transport more
effective (for example, by means of promoting intermodality and
interoperability);
(ii) increasing safety, and avoiding traffic congestion (in
particular in urban areas), through the integration of innovative
electronics and software solutions and by means of the use of advanced
satellite navigation systems and telematics solutions.
III. Global change and ecosystems
Community activities will address the following aspects as a matter
of priority:
(a) impact and mechanisms of greenhouse gas emissions and
atmospheric pollutants from all sources, including those resulting from
energy supplies, transport and agriculture on climate, ozone depletion
and carbon sinks (oceans, forests and soil) in particular to improve
prediction and to evaluate mitigation options;
(b) water cycle, including soil-related aspects;
(c) understanding marine and terrestrial biodiversity, marine
ecosystem functions, protection of genetic resources, sustainable
management of terrestrial and marine ecosystems and interactions
between human activities and the latter;
(d) mechanisms of desertification and natural disasters;
(e) strategies for sustainable land management, including
integrated coastal zone management (ICZM), and including integrated
concepts for the multi-purpose utilisation of agricultural and forest
resources, and the integrated forestry/wood chain;
(f) operational forecasting and modelling, including global climate
change observation systems.
Research undertaken under this priority will be complemented by
the development of advanced methods for risk assessment and methods of
appraising environmental quality, including relevant pre-normative
research on measurements and testing for these purposes.
Links
News
4 July 2008: Much
noise has been made about how water lubricates the base of Greenland's
ice sheet, accelerating its slide into the oceans. In a rare
"good news" announcement, climatologists now say the ice may not be in
such a hurry to throw itself into the water after all. Read more
4 July 2008: Rubber
'snake' could help wave power get a bite of the energy market. A
device consisting of a giant rubber tube may hold the key to producing
affordable electricity from the energy in sea waves. Read more
3 July 2008: Climate change threatens global food and water supply. Scientists
from all over the world representing some of the most prestigious
national academies of science from the countries of the G8 (Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United
States, and the presidents of the European Council and the European
Commission), Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa have issued
a warning that is making people sit up and take note. Read more
2 July 2008: Mountain
ecosystems are experiencing a major mix-up in plant species, thanks to
climate change. As Earth heats up the cool alpine temperatures, plant
species have begun a slow-motion diaspora to escape, relocating upward
an average of 29 meters per decade. Read more
2 July 2008: New evidence deep beneath the Arctic ice
suggests that a series of underwater volcanoes have erupted in violent
explosions in the past decade. Read more
2 July 2008: India
has commissioned its permanent research base at the North Pole which
will enable scientists to carry out studies on a range of subjects
including climate change in one of the most cleanest environments on
earth. Read more
1 July 2008: "The
world faces the daunting combination of surging energy demand, rising
greenhouse gas emissions and tightening resources. A global energy
technology revolution is both necessary and achievable; but it will be
a tough challenge", said Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director of the
International Energy Agency (IEA) today in Tokyo, at the launch of the
latest edition of Energy technology Perspectives (ETP). Read more
1 July 2008: Biofuels can be a sustainable part of the
world's energy future, especially if bioenergy agriculture is developed
on currently abandoned or degraded agricultural lands, report
scientists from the Carnegie Institution and Stanford University.
Read more
1 July 2008: Scientists are deploying an advanced research
aircraft to study a region of the atmosphere that influences climate
change by affecting the amount of solar heat that reaches Earth's
surface. Read more
1 July 2008: A new study has found that the closing of the
ozone hole, which is projected to occur sometime in the second half of
the 21st century, may significantly affect climate change in the
Southern Hemisphere, and therefore, the global climate. Read more
1 July 2008: New research suggests that ocean temperature and
associated sea level increases between 1961 and 2003 were 50 percent
larger than estimated in the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change report. Read more
30 June 2008: Former Intel
Corp. Chairman Andy
Grove has a knack for sensing when circumstances should force changes
at a
company or an industry - and how to respond. Read more
30 June 2008: Air Monitoring
Helps Anticipate
Possible Ecosystem Changes. Read
more
30 June 2008: Breakthrough in
efficiency for
dye-sensitized solar cells. Read
more
30 June 2008: A conference in
Indonesia
on the international waste trade ended without breaking a 14-year
impasse over
the sale of hazardous waste across borders, the host's delegate said on
Saturday. Read more
30 June 2008: There's a 50-50
chance that the North
Pole will be ice-free this summer, which would be a first in recorded
history,
a leading ice scientist says. Read more
30 June 2008: The argument
that increasing whale
populations are behind declining fish stocks is completely without
scientific
foundation, leading researchers and conservation organizations said
today. Read
more
30 June 2008: Canada,
Mexico
and the United States
are joining forces to protect and
conserve the Monarch butterfly, which has become a symbol of North
America's shared environment. Read more
30 June 2008: US
environmentalists said Friday they expect no breakthroughs in climate
change
talks from international players attending the Group of Eight (G8) July
7-9
summit in Hokkaido, Japan.
Read more
30 June 2008: China's
Hu says 'time is limited' in curbing climate change. Read more
30 June 2008: Chinese-funded
hydro-dams bring hope
and fear to Cambodia.
Read more
30 June 2008: European
airlines angered by EU 'CO2 tax'. Read more
30 June 2008: As
food shortage weighs heavily on the minds of many, several countries
recognise
the key role irrigation can play in this issue. A team of EU-funded
researchers
teamed up to assess how the latest satellite imagery can be applied not
only to
make water use more efficient, but also boost farming output in the
process. Read
more
25 June 2008: Hybrid haulage
could save fuel and
the environment. Read
more
25 June 2008: Major progress
in technology needed
for 25 percent renewable energy use to be affordable. Read more
25 June 2008: Floridians
believe global warming
will have dangerous impacts on the state. Read more
25 June 2008: NASA warming
scientist: 'This is the
last chance'. Read
more
24 June 2008: Abandoned farmlands are key to sustainable bioenergy. Read more
24 June 2008: This material
forms around a third of the average packet of washing powder and helps
refine 99 per cent of the world's petrol. It is also used to clean up
nuclear waste. Read
more
24 June 2008: Scientists at
the University of Liverpool
are investigating how a Madagascan plant could be used to help produce
crops in harsh environmental conditions. Read
more
24 June 2008: Ireland
could become a key player in the production of biofuel from seaweed,
scientists
told a conference in the west of the country on Monday. Read more
23 June 2008: Global warming to spark increase in US wildfires. Read
more
23 June 2008: Hunted,
rammed, poisoned, whales may die from heartbreak too. Read more
23 June 2008: Getting Wrapped
Up In Solar Textiles. Read
more
23 June 2008: Despite
increasing local demand for zero-emissions cars and trucks and robust
exports of electric vehicles, Canada
will not allow them on its roads, lament manufacturers. Read more
23 June 2008: Hong
Kong's carbon trading move too little, too late: analysts. Read more
23 June 2008: Russian
leader says environment problems a security threat. Read more
23 June 2008: In
a sprawling greenhouse with shiny silver ducts running through, stacks
of cardboard boxes feature prints of a flower alongside the distinctive
red Toyota logo. Read more
23 June 2008: EU
CO2 emissions drop 7.7 percent from 1990 levels: EAA. Read more
23 June 2008: NASA
Launches Ocean
Satellite To Keep A Weather, Climate Eye Open. Read
more
20 June 2008: Canada-India
RFID project looks to
improve traffic flow, reduce pollution. Read more
20 June 2008: Ice cores map
dynamics of sudden
climate changes. Read
more
20 June 2008: They haven't
rechristened a ship the
Irony, but federal researchers are canceling and cutting back on
voyages aimed
at studying climate change and ocean ecosystems so they can save money
on boat
fuel. Read more
20 June 2008: Scientists may
have solved an
ecological riddle. Read
more
20 June 2008: Expect More
Droughts, Heavy
Downpours, Excessive Heat, And Intense Hurricanes Due To Global
Warming, NOAA. Read
more
20 June 2008: New report
looks at the state of the
North American environment. Read
more
19 June 2008: Is China
a climate saint or sinner? Read
more
19 June 2008: Plan
To Conserve Forests May Be
Detrimental To Other Ecosystems. Read
more
19 June 2008: It's The Way
You Say It: How Using
The Right Words Can Cut Environmental Conflicts. Read
more
18 June 2008: Promising Step
Towards More Effective Hydrogen Storage. Read
more
18 June 2008: OSU's
Transparent Electronics Key to Solar Energy Breakthrough. Read more
18 June 2008: The
EUR 4 million EU-funded project
IntUBE (Intelligent Use of Buildings' Energy Information) has set its
sights on
slashing the amount of energy we use in our homes and offices by half,
without
jeopardising our creature comforts. Read
more
18 June 2008: G8 ministers
pledge to boost low
carbon research funding. Read
more
17 June 2008: Perfecting a solar cell by adding imperfections. Read more
17 June 2008: Fair Trade:
Lanthanum chloride catalyzes hydrogen–chlorine exchange between
chlorinated hydrocarbons. Read more
17 June 2008: Honda starts
producing next-generation fuel cell car. Read more
17 June 2008: Global Impact
Of Urbanization Threatening World's Biodiversity And Natural Resources.
Read
more
17 June 2008: Fever May
Trigger Heart Failure In Patients With The Genetic Disease LQT-2. Read
more
17 June 2008: G8
ministers pledge to boost low
carbon research funding. Read
more
16 June 2008: Monumental Debt-for-Nature Swap Provides $20 Million
To Protect Biodiversity In Madagascar.
Read
more
16 June 2008: Global Limits
Of Biomass Energy. Read
more
16 June 2008: The
Spanish national congress of fuel
cells (CONAPPICE 2008) will take place from 24 to 26 September in the
city of Zaragoza,
Spain. Read
more
13 June 2008: How long does
it take a rainforest to regenerate? Read
more
13 June 2008: There are
roughly 42 million square kilometers of forest on Earth, a swath that
covers almost a third of the land surface, and those wooded
environments play a key role in both mitigating and enhancing global
warming. Read more
13 June 2008: Plan to
conserve forests may be detrimental to other ecosystems. Read more
13 June 2008: More
disease outbreaks in Europe with climate
change: experts. Read
more
13 June 2008: Computer
models show major climate
shift as a result of closing ozone hole. Read
more
12 June 2008: Chemists Get Scoop on Crude ‘Oil’ from Pig Manure. Read more
12 June 2008: From Canada
to the Caribbean: Tree leaves control their own
temperature. Read
more
12 June 2008: Atlas shows
effects of climate change on Africa. Read more
12 June 2008: Global Warming
Could Release Trillions Of Pounds Of Carbon Annually From East
Siberia's Vast Frozen Soils. Read
more
12 June 2008: This
year Cambridge University Eco
Racing (CUER) have designed and built the UK's
first road legal solar car. Read
more
11 June 2008: German
carmakers welcome modified emissions targets. Read more
11 June 2008: European
system for cutting CO2 emissions is working well: Lessons to be learned
for US, globe. Read
more
11 June 2008: New
Wireless Sensor Network Keeps
Tabs On The Environment. Read
more
10 June 2008: Climate
experts agree that the seriousness of manmade global warming depends
greatly
upon how clouds in the climate system respond to the small warming
tendency
from the extra carbon dioxide mankind produces. Read more
10 June 2008: Persistent
man-made chemical pollutants found in deep-sea octopods and squids. Read more
10 June 2008: New
research shows how marine organisms help oceans sequester carbon. Read more
10 June 2008: Climate
change hastens extinction in Madagascar's
reptiles and amphibians. Read
more
10 June 2008: Sheila
Kennedy, an expert in the integration of solar cell technology in
architecture
who is now at MIT, creates designs for flexible photovoltaic materials
that may
change the way buildings receive and distribute energy. Read more
10 June 2008: Study
catalogues impact of manmade climate change. Read
more
9 June 2008: Acidic 'champagne sea' nothing to celebrate for
corals. Read
more
9
June 2008: Oysters in the Chesapeake
Bay have been all but wiped out, but amateur
conservationists are signing on to the growing hobby of home
aquaculture to help bring the struggling bivalves back. Read more
9
June 2008: Lower Crop Yields Due To
Ozone A Factor In World Food Crisis. Read
more
9 June 2008: Germany's
solar energy industry can breathe a sigh of relief: Subsidies are set
for smaller cuts than expected, and the sector is set for consolidation
many say is the crucial next step in its development. Read more
9 June 2008: As
world oil prices skyrocket, thousands of households in energy-poor Japan
are taking part in an ambitious experiment to use fuel cells to light
and heat their homes.
Read more
9 June 2008: A
five-step action plan drawn up by
EU-funded researchers will help to steer the middle ground in a
stand-off
between fishermen and conservationists over the future of the
cormorant. Read
more
9
June 2008: A
team of EU-funded researchers is drawing on the latest satellite
imaging
technology to investigate how scarce water resources are used by
farmers in
arid regions. Read
more
6 June 2008: Africa's deserts could supply
solar electricity to continent: experts. Read more
6
June 2008: ORNL, General Electric
collaborate on super efficient electric water heater. Read more
6
June 2008: A Dutch engineer has devised
a simple solution to the growing amounts of waste society generates. Read
more
6 June 2008: Senate
action on climate bill seems
doomed. Read more
5 June 2008: New
superconductors present new mysteries, possibilities. Read more
5
June 2008: Fish and chips fuel 'green'
revolution. Read
more
5
June 2008: Prototype hydrogen storage
tank maintains extended thermal endurance. Read more
5
June 2008: Next-generation biofuels
that are greener than present crop-based fuels are in the works, but it
will take many years, and massive financial support, before they reach
the pump. Read
more
5 June 2008: Researchers from Germany
and the US
have developed a molecular technique for capturing the microorganisms
that are responsible for absorbing 80% of the ocean's methane (CH4)
emissions. Read
more
5 June 2008: Weather,
stomach bugs and climate change: Refining the model. Read more
5 June 2008: New
wireless sensor network keeps
tabs on the environment. Read
more
4 June 2008: Climate change could impact vital functions of
microbes. Read more
4 June 2008: An understanding how
environmental processes and agricultural practices interact to
determine the transport and fate of agricultural chemicals in the
environment is essential for effectively addressing the widespread
degradation of surface and ground waters from past, present, and future
agricultural activities. Read more
4
June 2008: Possible new approach to
purifying drinking water. Read more
4
June 2008: Researchers are working on a
thermoelectric generator that converts the heat from car exhaust fumes
into electricity. Read
more
4
June 2008: Earthworm detectives provide
genetic clues for dealing with soil pollution. Read more
4 June 2008: New
round of climate talks opens in Germany.
Read more
3 June 2008: Researchers develop nanowire 'paper towel' for oil
spills. Read more
3
June 2008: Researchers make
breakthrough in renewable energy materials. Read more
3
June 2008: Unique biodiversity hotspot
faces destruction. Read
more
3 June 2008: New
project to study impact of ocean
acidification on marine ecosystems. Read
more
30 May 2008: Climate
change is leaving its mark on US ecosystems sooner and more
emphatically than
biologists had expected. Read
more
30 May 2008: Researchers
make breakthrough in renewable energy materials. Read more
30 May 2008: Fresh
off a successful campaign to list polar bears as a threatened species,
a
conservation group is asking for similar protection for the bears' main
prey. Read more
30 May 2008: Nanoparticles
assemble by millions to encase oil drops. Read more
28 May 2008: Looking
at methane sources in the right light. Read more
28 May 2008: Geoengineering
could slow down the global water cycle. Read more
28 May 2008: Some
biofuels might do more harm than good to the environment, study finds. Read more
28 May 2008: Researchers
use fungus to improve corn-to-ethanol process. Read more
27 May 2008: Research
suggests parts of UK
could be too hot for wine-making by 2080. Read more
27 May 2008: G8
ministers endorse greenhouse gas cuts by 2050. Read more
27 May 2008: Rice
in your gas tank: Boosting biofuel production from rice straw. Read more
27 May 2008: Melting
glaciers may release DDT and contaminate Antarctic environment. Read more
27 May 2008: New
algorithm increases accuracy of air-pollution predictions. Read more
27 May 2008: Researchers
demonstrate 'avalanche effect' in solar cells. Read more
23
May 2008: 'Fibrous' steel won't break in a cold snap.
Read
more
23 May 2008: Italy
to reverse policy and build nuclear power stations: minister. Read more
23 May 2008: Carbon
market could be worth 2 trillion euros in 2020: study. Read more
23 May 2008: Phoenix
mission to Mars will search for climate clues. Read more
23 May 2008: Water,
salinity levels in Hunter linked to climate. Read more
23 May 2008: Scientists
use microbes to extend life of oilfields. Read
more
22 May 2008: EU-funded
project develops soil regeneration method. Read
more
22 May 2008: A
process used to roast coffee beans could give Britain's
biomass a power boost, increasing the energy content of some of the UK’s
leading energy crops by up to 20 per cent. Read more
22 May 2008: Alps
hit by two-decade decline in snowfall. Read more
22 May 2008: Researcher
strives for watershed moment. Read more
22 May 2008: Halting
methane squanderlust. Read more
22 May 2008: Ocean
acidification -- another undesired side effect of fossil fuel-burning. Read more
22 May 2008: Protecting
Polar Bears Must Include Mitigating Global Warming, Group Argues. Read
more
21 May 2008: Joint
NASA-French satellite to track trends in sea level, climate. Read more
21 May 2008: Some
biofuel crops could become invasive species: experts. Read more
21 May 2008: Global
Warming Has Little Impact In Tropical Storm And Hurricane Numbers, NOAA
Reports.
Read
more
20
May 2008: One in eight bird species threatened by climate
change. Read
more
20 May 2008: A
simple, low-cost carbon filter removes 90% of carbon dioxide from
smokestack
gases. Read more
20 May 2008: Fuels
Cells: New Material Increases Power Output By More Than 50 Percent. Read
more
20 May 2008: Fungus
genome opens pathways to next-generation biofuels. Read
more
19 May 2008: 'Self-digesting'
biofuel plants could ease food crisis. Read
more
19 May 2008: Rochester's
Omega Laser Receives 50-Fold Power Increase to Become 'Petawatt' Laser.
Read more
19 May 2008: Fat
is an environmental issue. Read
more
19 May 2008: Climate
Changes Creating Green And Flowering
Mountains.
Read
more
19 May 2008: Nanostructures
Will Raise Thin-Film Solar Cell Efficiency. Read
more
19 May 2008: Biofuels
must not deprive poor of food: EU official. Read more
19 May 2008: Studies
raise concern about impact of nitrogen on environment. Read
more
19 May 2008: Scientists
working on ice cores drilled in the Antarctic have obtained data on the
climate
and atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations going back 800,000 years.
Read
more
16 May 2008: Nanowires
may boost solar cell efficiency, engineers say. Read more
16 May 2008: Sharp
Achieves the World’s Highest Power Density for Direct Methanol Fuel
Cells. Read more
16 May 2008: IBM
Research Unveils Breakthrough In Solar Farm Technology. Read more
16 May 2008: Fuel
cells: distant dream, but burning with promise. Read more
16 May 2008: UCSD
nanostructures will raise thin-film solar cell efficiency. Read more
16 May 2008: MIT
Creates New Material For Fuel Cells, Increases Power Output By 50
Percent. Read more
16 May 2008: Sahara
dried out gradually, not abruptly, study shows. Read
more
16 May 2008: ICT
to the rescue of Europe's carbon footprint. Read
more
15 May 2008: Nanowires
may boost solar cell efficiency, engineers say. Read more
15 May 2008: NASA
study links Earth impacts to human-caused climate change. Read more
15 May 2008: Australian
budget tackles environment concerns. Read
more
15 May 2008: Restoring
fish populations leads to tough choice for Great Lakes Gulls. Read more
15 May 2008: New
efficiency record for solar cells. Read more
15 May 2008: Undergraduates
develop 'dirt-powered' microbial fuel cells to light Africa.
Read more
14
May 2008: Solar Lily Pads Gently Floating And Gathering Energy on
the River
Clyde. Read
more
14 May 2008: Small
bioelectricity plants dirtier than large ones,
says study. Read more
14 May 2008: Put
the Trees in the Ground: A solution for the global
carbon dioxide problem? Read
more
13 May 2008: Air
pollution linked to dangerous blood clots.
Read more
13 May 2008: Rural
families can slash their energy costs, improve their health and help
preserve
local forests by harvesting natural gas from rotting manure,
researchers argue.
Read
more
13 May 2008: Use
of wind energy expected to grow dramatically. Read more
13 May 2008: EU
says car pollution targets unworkable: report. Read more
13 May 2008: New
process may convert toxic computer waste into safe products. Read more
12 May 2008: Cheap
nano power set to light up rural homes. Read
more
12 May 2008: Taking
the NanoPulse -- Hot Nanotechnology. Cool Energy Solutions. Read
more
12 May 2008: Oil
powered Norway
gradually turns into the wind. Read more
12 May 2008: Japan
aims to cut emissions by 60-80 pct by 2050: reports. Read more
12 May 2008: Kick
the oil habit and make your own ethanol. Read
more
12 May 2008: Euro-Mediterranean
Centre for Climate Change Marie Curie Fellowships. Read
more
12 May 2008: The
European Commission has launched a call for proposals under the
‘energy’ theme
of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).
Read
more
9 May 2008: Sugarcane
biofuel becomes Brazil's
second energy source. Read
more
9 May 2008: Solar
Variability: Striking a Balance with Climate Change. Read more
9 May 2008: NCAR
installs 76-teraflop supercomputer for critical research on climate
change,
severe weather. Read
more
9 May 2008: 80-mph
electric car to go on sale this summer in the US.
Read more
9 May 2008: Patent
forum asks how IPRs can help solve climate problem. Read
more
9 May 2008: Call
for safer batteries answered. Read
more
8 May 2008: EU still far from agreeing biofuel
standards:
diplomats. Read
more
7 May 2008: Warmer
climate will bake tropical bugs. Read
more
7 May 2008: First
zero-carbon city to rise out of the desert. Read
more
7 May 2008: Ponds
found to take up carbon like world's oceans. Read more
6 May 2008: Delaying
data could cut net's carbon footprint. Read
more
5 May 2008: Smarter
electric grid could be key to saving power. Read more
5 May 2008: IT
gurus launch software cleanup of Estonia.
Read more
5 May 2008: Baltic sea
ice cover hits an all-time low: meteorologists. Read more
2 May 2008: "Dead
zones" containing too little oxygen for fish to breathe are growing as
global temperatures increase. Read
more
2 May 2008: Major
Arctic sea ice melt is expected this summer. Read more
1 May 2008: Oxygen
depletion: A new form of ocean habitat loss. Read more
18 April 2008: Lakes on the surface of Greenland's
ice sheet are draining through the kilometre-thick ice and roaring to
the bedrock with a flow rate exceeding that of Niagara
Falls. Read
more
18 April 2008: Nanotech
to slash gadget power consumption. Read
more
18 April 2008: Researchers
look to make environmentally friendly plastics. Read more
18 April 2008: Aerodynamic
trailer cuts fuel and emissions by up to 15 percent. Read more
18 April 2008: Tiny tremors
can track extreme storms in a warming planet. Read more
18 April 2008: Hitachi,
EON and Electrabel join forces to test carbon capture. Read more
17 April 2008: Sea levels
'will rise 1.5 metres by
2100'. Read
more
17 April 2008: Ice cores are
essential for climate
research, because they represent the only archive which allows direct
measurements of atmospheric composition and greenhouse gas
concentrations in
the past. Read
more
17 April 2008: Fusion
for Energy (F4E), the agency responsible for Europe's contribution to
the
international experimental thermonuclear reactor (ITER), is expected to
unlock
new business opportunities for industry with the launch of its first
ever
procurement. Read
more
16 April
2008: China
surpasses US as top carbon polluter: study. Read more
16 April 2008: Biogas production is all in the
mixing. Read more
16 April 2008: Panasonic
Develops New Fuel Cell Cogeneration System. Read more
16 April 2008: Forests'
long-term potential for carbon offsetting. Read more
14 April 2008: Biofuel's impact on food crops under study at FAO
meeting. Read more
14 April 2008: Is
this the beginning of water wars? Read
more
14 April 2008: A
simple way to deposit thin films of carbon could lead to cheaper solar
cells. Read
more
14 April 2008: Solar
Impulse aircraft demonstrates
clean mobility. Read
more
11 April 2008: UC Davis wants to study environmental hazards of
nanotechnology. Read more
11 April 2008: Popcorn-ball
design doubles
efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells. Read more
11 April 2008: The future of
solar-powered houses is
clear. Read more
10 April 2008: Citrate appears to control buckyball clumping but
environmental concerns remain. Read more
10 April 2008: New
high-efficiency nuclear fuel meant to burn longer and stronger may
prove unstable in an emergency and hard to dispose of, according
experts cited in a report published Wednesday. Read more
10 April 2008: How sweet it
is: 'Revolutionary' process points to sugar-fueled cars. Read more
10 April 2008: Fruit
and vegetable waste clogs
landfills. Read
more
9 April 2008: IBM Turns on the Water for Energy-Efficient
Supercomputer. Read
more
9
April 2008: Biofuel corn makes cow bug
enzyme to digest itself. Read
more
9
April 2008: Sea salt worsens coastal
air pollution: study. Read more
9
April 2008: Scientists develop safe
'green' decontamination method. Read more
9
April 2008: Breakthrough In Biofuel
Production Process. Read
more
9 April 2008: Low-carbon
living takes off in the US.
Read more
8 April 2008: Limited nuclear war would decimate
ozone layer.
Read
more
8
April 2008: Sea breezes carry unhealthy
whiff of ozone. Read
more
8
April 2008: NOAA aircraft to probe
arctic pollution. Read
more
8
April 2008: Researchers have made a
breakthrough in the development of "green gasoline," a liquid identical
to standard gasoline yet created from sustainable biomass sources like
switchgrass and poplar trees. Read more
8
April 2008: New Method For Combating
The Greenhouse Gas Nitrous Oxide Developed. Read
more
8 April 2008: 'Revolutionary'
CO2 maps zoom in on
greenhouse gas sources. Read
more
7 April 2008: Significant differences among
different single-walled carbon nanotubes make it difficult to model
their environmental risk. Read
more
7 April 2008: Large-scale
experiments will determine whether plankton can battle climate change. Read
more
7
April 2008: Global Warming Heats Up
Urgency Of Salmon Recovery Efforts.
Read more
7
April 2008: Climate Models Look Good
When Predicting Climate Change. Read
more
7 April 2008: Examples
of eco-friendly measures in
Swedish town of Vaexjoe. Read more
3 April 2008: E.ON Supports
Nanotechnology with € 6 Million. Read
more
3 April 2008: Porsche
launched a High Court challenge in London
on Wednesday against the mayor's plan to impose hefty pollution charges
on high-emissions vehicles entering the city centre. Read more
3 April 2008: Heat
From Data Center
to Warm a Pool. Read
more
3 April 2008: CO2
emission reduction assumptions overly optimistic, says study. Read more
3
April 2008: More Solid than Solid: A
Potential Hydrogen-Storage Compound. Read more
3
April 2008: New formula for combating
the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. Read more
3
April 2008: Coral reefs and climate
change: Microbes could be the key to coral death. Read more
3
April 2008: Specially-designed Soils
Could Help Combat Climate Change. Read
more
3 April 2008: Cholera
outbreaks may soon be predicted using satellite sensors, paving the way
for preemptive medicine in countries that suffer epidemics. Read more
3 April 2008: The
researchers found that farming and power generation are the largest
sources of Canadian carbon dioxide emissions per dollar output. Read more
3 April 2008: MEPs
vote on scientific data on
climate change. Read
more
2 April 2008: Think green to
reduce nanotech hazards. Read more
2 April 2008: Chief
scientist revolts over biofuel legislation. Read
more
2
April 2008: Researchers find new clues
to risk of Hodgkin lymphoma. Read more
2 April 2008: Algae
could one day be major hydrogen
fuel source. Read
more
2
April 2008: Climate
changing gas from some surprising microbial liaisons. Read more
2
April 2008: World
cooling on biofuel solution to climate change. Read more
31 March 2008: Austrian
glaciers shrink the most in
five years. Read
more
31 March 2008: Edison
International In Process of Launching Photovoltaic Project on Roof
Tops. Read more
31 March 2008: BMW Hydrogen 7
Emissions Well-below
Super-ultra Low-emission Vehicle Standards, Government Tests Confirm. Read
more
31 March 2008: Solar
Energy Via Balloons. Read
more
31 March 2008: Joint
action to monitor impact of climate change in ACP countries. Read
more
28 March 2008: Carbon Nanotubes Improve Fuel Cells. Read
more
28 March 2008: It is either a visionary piece
of capitalism or throwing money into the wind. A venture capitalist
today made
a huge environmental bet – that one day the environment services that
sustainable forests provide will be worth big money. Read
more
28 March 2008: Increased
knowledge about global
warming leads to apathy, study shows. Read more
28 March 2008: Can you rescue
a rainforest? The
answer may be yes. Read
more
27 March 2008: New approach
to measuring carbon in
forests. Read more
26 March 2008: Antarctic ice
shelf 'hanging by a thread'.
Read more
26 March 2008: Artificial
photosynthesis moves a step closer. Read more
26 March 2008: Shell
Canada
has incorporated Earth Observation data into its Sustainable
Development Report, demonstrating the potential of satellites to
provide a global and cost-effective way to measure objectively the
sustainability of business activities. Read more
26 March 2008: Satellites
help map soil carbon flux.
Read more
25
March 2008: Chemists Find New
Important
Contributor To Urban Smog. Read
more
25 March 2008: Major food source
threatened
by climate change. Read
more
25
March 2008: Insects take a bigger
bite out of
plants in a higher CO2 world. Read more
25 March 2008: Incentives
from the Thai government
to encourage automakers to produce fuel-efficient "eco-cars" have
yielded a raft of major investments and started to change how Thais
drive,
experts say. Read
more
25
March 2008: Iron Gets Into The
North Pacific In
Unexpected Ways, Will Impact Climate Change Predictions. Read
more
25
March 2008: Findings Could
Improve Fuel Cell
Efficiency. Read
more
25
March 2008: Cheap New Solar Cells
Made Much
More Efficient. Read
more
25 March 2008: Biofuel boom
threatens food
supplies: Nestle. Read more
20 March 2008: Japanese
households and businesses could end up paying more than $500 billion to
cut greenhouse gas emissions by 11 percent over the next decade, the
trade and industry ministry said Wednesday. Read more
20 March 2008: While
rabbits continue to ravage Australia’s
native landscapes, rabbit fish may help save large areas of the Great
Barrier Reef from destruction. Read more
20 March 2008: A
national policy to cut carbon emissions by as much as 40 percent over
the next 20 years could still result in increased economic growth,
according to an interactive website that reviews 25 of the leading
economic models used to predict the economic impacts of reducing
emissions. Read
more
20 March 2008: A University
of Wisconsin-Madison and University
of Maryland (UM) team has
developed a new nanotechnology-driven chemical catalyst that paves the
way for more efficient hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Read more
20 March 2008: When
the going gets hot, corals can
kick out heat-sensitive strains of symbiotic algae and take on a type
that can
withstand higher temperatures. This could mean certain reefs will be
less
susceptible to global warming than had been thought. Read
more
20 March 2008: A world
without fresh water would be a world bereft of humans, and yet one in
five
people lacks regular access to this most basic of life-sustaining
substances. Read
more
20 March 2008: Researchers at
Duke’s Pratt School of
Engineering have developed a membrane that allows fuel cells to operate
at low
humidity and theoretically at higher temperatures. Read more
20 March 2008: A
public-private effort to develop
technologies for more fuel-efficient automobiles and to investigate the
feasibility of hydrogen-based vehicles has made significant progress in
most
research areas, says a new report from the National Research Council. Read more
19 March 2008: After nearly one and a half years of
research and development, the EU-funded METHAPU ('Validation of
renewable methanol based auxiliary power systems for commercial
vessels') project is about to start trials on a prototype of a
methanol-based solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit. Read
more
19 March 2008: In
a new NASA study, researchers
taking advantage of improvements in satellite sensor capabilities offer
the
first measurement-based estimate of the amount of pollution from East
Asian
forest fires, urban exhaust, and industrial production that makes its
way to
western North America. Read
more
19 March 2008: Researchers in
the United States
and Austria
report an advance toward the next generation of plastic solar cells,
which are
widely heralded as a low cost. Read
more
14 March 2008: Work is moving
ahead to build a
next-generation eco-friendly car running on fuel cells but it will take
years
to make it commercially viable, the head of auto giant Toyota
said Thursday. Read
more
13 March 2008: Reports from Sweden
and Norway
show high levels of sucralose in wastewater effluent and surface
waters. Read
more
13 March 2008: Industry
lobbyists say any restriction on carbon emissions will boost demand for
natural gas. Read
more
13 March 2008: A
growing number of plug-in hybrid
electric cars and trucks could require major new power generation
resources or
none at all— depending on when people recharge their automobiles. Read more
12 March 2008: On the icy
Norwegian island of Svalbard
an underground vault has been blasted out of the permafrost to store
seed samples from around the world. This international collaboration
between scientists and governments is home to precious genetic
resources that may help us adapt food supply to climate change. Read
more
12 March 2008: Within
two years, Chinese emissions of greenhouse gases will have vastly
outstripped the reductions achieved by all the countries that have
signed up to the Kyoto
protocol combined. Read
more
12 March 2008: The
pending federal decision about
whether to protect the polar bear as a threatened species is as much
about
climate science as it is about climate change. Read more
12 March 2008: Increased
carbon dioxide in atmosphere linked to decreased soil organic
matter. Read more
12 March 2008: Amphibians
respond behaviorally to
impact of clear cutting. Read
more
12 March 2008: Climate change
will have a
significant impact on transportation infrastructure and operations. Read more
12 March 2008: Modern diesel
cars are not only
quieter than their predecessors but also release considerably fewer
exhaust
fumes into the atmosphere. The filters for heavy-duty, construction and
off-road vehicles are not yet state-of-the-art. A new diesel
particulate filter
technology will soon teach even these vehicles to give up smoking. Read more .
12 March 2008: Science has
come a long way with
predicting climate. Increasingly sophisticated models and instruments
can zero
in on a specific storm formation or make detailed weather forecasts –
all
useful to our daily lives. Read
more
11 March 2008: A common
genetic mechanism discovered in nitrogen-fixing plants. Read more
11 March 2008: Eco-minded
drivers in drought-prone states take note: A new study concludes that
producing electricity for hybrid and fully electric vehicles could
sharply increase water consumption in the United
States. Read more
11 March 2008: Hygienic,
antibacteria sprays can be harmful to the environment as well as germs.
Read more
11 March 2008: The growth in
China's carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is far outpacing
previous estimates, making the goal of stabilizing atmospheric
greenhouse gases even more difficult, according to a new analysis by
economists at the University of California, Berkeley, and UC San Diego.
Read more
11 March 2008: Many
energy researchers believe that hydrogen is the fuel of choice to
replace fossil fuels for cars and other vehicles in the coming decades.
Storing hydrogen gas safely, though, is a problem. Read
more
11 March 2008: University
of Maryland research that
started with bacteria from the Chesapeake Bay
has led to a process that may be able to convert large volumes of all
kinds of plant products, from leftover brewer’s mash to paper trash,
into ethanol and other biofuel alternatives to gasoline. Read more
11 March 2008: Efficient
Catalysts for Making Oxygen for 'Artificial Photosynthesis'. Read more
11 March 2008: Researchers
Find Aquaculture Promising Method to Grow Black Sea
Bass. Read more
11 March 2008: Tropical
forests have not modified
their functioning in response to climate change, and continue to be
major
carbon sinks. Read
more
10 March 2008: For the first
time, researchers have
created solar cells made of different-sized quantum dots, each tuned to
a
specific wavelength of light. By arranging these quantum dots in an
ordered
pattern, the scientists hope that they can one day fabricate “rainbow”
solar
cells, which can efficiently harvest a large part of the useful
spectrum of
sunlight. Read
more
7
March 2008:
'Thirsty' electric cars threaten water resources. Read
more
7
March 2008:
Scientists determine farm costs of producing switchgrass for ethanol. Read
more
7
March 2008:
Newly defined signalling pathway could mean better biofuel sources. Read more
7
March 2008:
An ocean odour that affects global climate also gathers reef fish to
feed as
they "eavesdrop" on events that might lead them to food. Read more
7
March 2008:
Global warming poses deaf threat to tropical fish. Read
more
7
March 2008:
Beluga sturgeon threatened with extinction, yet caviar quotas remain
unchanged.
Read
more
7
March 2008:
Grand Canyon flushing experiment criticised. Read
more
7
March 2008:
EU warned of climate-induced polar security threat. Read
more
6
March 2008:
OECD: World must act on climate change. Read more
6
March 2008:
Experts don't agree on whether a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system
is the
best way to set a price on carbon emissions.
Read more
6
March 2008:
New figures show that carbon emissions from global shipping are higher
than
those from the aviation sector.
Read more
6
March 2008:
First step to CO2 sequestration to be tested at Wisconsin
coal-fired power plant. Read
more
6
March 2008:
Nuclear power not efficient enough to replace fossil fuels, study
finds. Read
more
6
March 2008:
Consumer electronics are becoming greener, but manufacturers still have
a long
way to go to eliminate hazardous substances from computers and mobile
phones
and make them more energy efficient, Greenpeace said. Read
more
6
March 2008:
Scientists recently developed a new modelling approach to estimate sea
ice
thickness. This is the only model based entirely on historical
observations. Read
more
6
March 2008:
Global warming may raise tundra wildfire risk. Read
more
6
March 2008:
Lowly Icelandic midges reveal ecosystem's tipping points. Read more
6
March 2008:
Two U.S.
departments said they plan to invest $18.4 million for biomass
research,
development and demonstration projects over three years. Read more
5
March 2008:
Lead is still in the race to make batteries for hybrid-powered
vehicles. Read
more
5
March 2008:
Researchers studying bacteria capable of generating electricity have
discovered
that riboflavin is responsible for much of the energy produced by these
organisms. Read
more
5
March 2008:
The UK Treasury has "continually demonstrated a lack of ambition and
imagination" when it comes to green taxes, a report by MPs has
concluded. Read more
4
March 2008:
Researchers discover key for converting waste to electricity. Read more
4
March 2008:
Promising new material for capturing CO2 from smokestacks. Read more
4
March 2008:
Steel forges foundation for cheaper solar power. Read more
4
March 2008:
Ultra-efficient LED will vastly improve LCD screens & conserve
energy. Read
more
4 March 2008: Environmental
Science and Technology Online have identified top papers in
environmental
science, technology, and policy, from over 1200 papers published in
2007. Read
more
4
March 2008:
Invading trees put rainforests at risk. Read more
4
March 2008:
Will global warming increase plant frost damage? Read more
4
March 2008:
Rising sea levels from global warming will threaten the livelihoods and
homes
of more than 200,000 people who live on coral atolls in coming
generations. Read
more
4
March 2008:
When it comes to climate change, polar bears and sharks may grab the
bulk of
the headlines—but it's the threat to the sea's tiniest creatures that
has some
marine scientists most concerned. Read
more
4
March 2008:
Lunar eclipse may shed light on climate change. Read
more
4
March 2008:
EU environment ministers have given their broad backing for proposals
to cut
CO2 levels by 20% by 2020. Read more
4
March 2008:
Renault joins Transport Research Arena 2008 to solve road transport
paradox. Read
more
4
March 2008:
EU project designs world's cleanest ship. Read
more
4
March 2008:
Ski tourism is raising stress levels among threatened European bird,
the capercaillie,
which could harm the birds’ fitness and ability to breed successfully,
ecologists have found. Read
more
4
March 2008:
China
cracks down
on illegal online wildlife trade. Read
more
4
March 2008:
Hydrogen fuel cells make power for homes in Japan.
Read more
4
March 2008:
Japan
seeks new
allies on whaling. Read more
3
March 2008:
Guilty countries pledge to go carbon neutral. Read
more
3
March 2008:
No time to lose in cutting CO2 emissions. Read
more
3
March 2008:
Only zero emissions can prevent a warmer planet. Read
more
3
March 2008:
Carbon calculator provides personalized footprint. Read more
3
March 2008:
Biologists have developed a series of global maps that show where
projected
habitat loss and climate change are expected to drive the need for
future
reserves to prevent biodiversity loss. Read
more
3
March 2008:
Destruction of Sumatra forests driving global
climate
change and species extinction. Read
more
3
March 2008:
Stakeholders use science to find common ground on wood supply from
forests. Read more
3
March 2008:
Rock studies help crack questions of glacier thinning in West
Antarctica. Read
more
3
March 2008:
Seafloor cores show tight bond between dust and past climates. Read more
3
March 2008:
EU looks into future of greener shipping. Read
more
3
March 2008:
The international trade fair CEP CLEAN ENERGY POWER
will host
a European partnering event in the area of energy efficient
construction and
renovation on 8 March. Read
more
3
March 2008:
The dream of climate-friendly, petroleum-free motoring is creeping
closer -
thanks to a clutch of breakthroughs in nanotechnology. Read
more
3
March 2008:
Clues to how plants form cell walls could aid bio fuels and
nanotechnology. Read
more
3
March 2008:
With efforts to fight climate change growing apace around the world,
the IT
industry is also doing its bit, as the world's largest technology fair
starting
next week in Germany
aims to show. Read
more
29 February 2008: The
Valencian Regional Government
offers sixty Santiago Grisolia grants for foreign fellow investigators
interested in participating in specific research programmes in a range
of
subjects. Read
more
29 February 2008: IBM
researchers unveil green optical
network technology prototype. Read more
29 February 2008: Capturing
sunlight: Indoline dyes
improve efficiency of solar cells. Read more
29 February 2008: New material
is capable of
eliminating pollutants by the hydrocarbon industry. Read
more
29 February 2008: Famed
geneticist creating life form
that turns CO2 to fuel.
