Elektrotech essential for future of energy supply
Which energy technologies will be able to supply an alternative to oil, gas and coal? That question is essential for the speed of the energy transition and for reducing the … Read more
Rethinking waste by biocementation
Biocementation was one of the subjects at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2025. Researchers from ETH Zurich and École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) unveiled it. … Read more
Yuck! – Why Westerners are not likely to embrace insects as food
A study published in the Nature journal Sustainable Agriculture found that Western consumers are unlikely to accept insects as food. The barriers are psychological, taste-, culture- and price-related in nature. So, do … Read more
Hybrid wind parks, a solution to the congestion problem?
In the Netherlands, the construction of wind turbines on land has almost come to a standstill. But hybrid wind parks, in combination with a solar park, batteries and an industrial … Read more
Do trees communicate with each other?
Some suppose that trees and plants communicate with each other through fungal networks, sometimes across major distances -and even help each other. We wrote about that, earlier. But new data … Read more
Climate disaster coming, perilous times
The article in BioScience, The 2024 state of the climate report: Perilous times on planet Earth, is particularly distressing. ‘We are on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster,’ is … Read more
Environmental fate of chemicals in societal use
Industrial chemicals and chemical products have been increasingly used for practical societal services such as health care, personal care, food preservation, crop protection, housing, and transportation. In most cases, the … Read more
The era of SWB superpower
SWB superpower (= solar, wind and batteries) will make an end to the era of energy shortages. We will enter into an era in which mankind will produce much more … Read more
Towards clean energy superabundance
RethinkX, the organization that reformulated the energy problem a few times already, published an even more radical vision on the future. After the era of fossil fuels, so they hold, … Read more
New Dawn Bio: wood production in the lab
Already since the fifties, cultivation of plant cells is well-known. We produce medicines with it. We don’t use the entire plant, just separate cells in a liquid. Wood production in … Read more
The alternative to the home battery
We can store any excess of solar energy (or another form of green energy) in the walls and floors of our own homes. Or in a boiler. That might mean … Read more
CRISPR-Cas genome editing
CRISPR is making headway. The first medical therapy using CRISPR has just been approved. CRISPR-Cas systems show up in complex cells. There’s a lot going on in the genome editing … Read more
The ‘danger’ of AI
Is artificial intelligence or AI a threat to mankind? Would AI ever be able to take over our computer systems? Could this system influence our behaviour without us being able … Read more
Why paper packaging is better for the environment than plastic
The choice between paper and plastic may seem simple at first glance, but there’s more to it than you might think. Paper packaging is becoming increasingly common in stores, supermarkets … Read more
Innovations with eggshells
An article by Daniela Castillo Monagas drew our attention to the interesting properties of eggshells. Companies, she wrote, have been developing new materials using eggshells. A renewable and circular feedstock … Read more
Electronic waste: how do we process it?
No waste stream grows as fast as electronic waste or e-waste. Recycling companies now pay attention to it. They can recover gold, copper and nickel from it, among others. Hannah … Read more
Crops attractive to pollinators
Insects aren’t doing well. Several scientific studies show that three quarters of them have disappeared over the past 30 years. For instance, by agricultural practices that removed much of natural … Read more
Solar power plant’s pioneer
The world’s first solar power plant in history (link in Dutch) was constructed by Frank Shuman. His aim was to liberate us from fossil fuels. He was far ahead of … Read more
Protein production without the cow
We don’t need animals for protein production – even of the required quality. The method in question is being researched intensely. Vivici, a company founded by Marcel Wubbolts, is one … Read more
Urban biomining
Urban biomining can unlock valuable metals in post-consumer waste. This is especially important for Europe, a continent with little mineral resources of its own, therefore dependent on imports. Urban biomining … Read more
Incorrect judgment on green plastics in lifecycle analyses
Yuki Kabe, Technical Advocacy Specialist at Braskem, signals an incorrect judgement of ‘biobased’ or green plastics in lifecycle analyses. As a chemical engineer, he has more than 20 years of … Read more
Is building with bamboo cheaper than building with concrete?
Bamboo is a fast-growing crop that thrives almost anywhere in the world. Because it grows rapidly, it absorbs a lot of CO2 from the atmosphere, which is an attractive option … Read more
The Urban Woods: very fast high rise wooden building construction
In Delft, The Netherlands, the construction of a large-scale wooden building has started, The Urban Woods. This will pave the way towards sustainable high-rise building construction in the Netherlands. High-rise … Read more
Geothermal power
Knowable Magazine ran an article by Katarina Zimmer on geothermal energy. Long regarded as just a small source, to be applied in selected places; but now more a versatile technology, … Read more
Towards less global warming
Increasingly, methane (CH4) emissions are on the critical path – the path towards limiting climate change to 2°C. This is the upper target of the 2015 Paris agreement. Methane emissions … Read more
Sustainable textiles – the way forward
High dependence on fossil carbon, associated high carbon footprint, low recycling rates and microplastics: several solutions are emerging. Written by Asta Partanen and Michael Carus. More information on the Cellulose … Read more
Energy transition needs demand stimuli
In the Netherlands, the business case for wind turbines and solar panels keeps getting worse; writes Roy op het Veld on change.inc (in Dutch). The supply side of the energy … Read more
Partial versus real solutions
RethinkX’s Bradd Libby recently posted two useful articles on technological change. He distinguishes between partial and real solutions, or as he calls it ‘band-aid’ versus ‘bona fide’ or disruptive solutions … Read more
Spider silk
Synbiobeta ran an article by Gabrielle David on the world of silk. And how we learn to master the art of producing this wonderful material by a natural process, much … Read more
Europe and the energy transition
Is Europe still the world leader in climate issues? The continent has ambitious plans. But in the field of energy transition, things do not play out as planned. Europe may … Read more
Food-as-software
RethinkX, the group that predicts many profound changes, is also of the opinion that precision fermentation and cellular agriculture will create an entirely new business model: food-as-software. This will disrupt … Read more
Could plant vaccination be an alternative to pesticides?
Sybiobeta ran an interesting article on plant vaccination. A promising alternative approach to plant protection. Such a vaccination would activate the natural defence mechanisms of the plant. And it might … Read more
The PFAS problem
Forever chemicals, particularly per- and polyfluoralkyl compunds (PFAS), are one of the biggest present environmental health hazards. These synthetic chemicals aren’t localised in a few contaminated areas; they are everywhere: … Read more
The problem with farming based on oil, not soil
Climate change, a new IPCC report says, is intimately linked to our land use. Changes in land use result in changes to the climate, and vice versa. In other words, … Read more
Is it possible to store electricity at 2 cents per kWh?
Electricity should preferably be consumed immediately when it is generated. Storing electricity is not that easy. It always comes down to converting electricity into something else, that is used at … Read more
Doppelganger plastics: a more desirable alternative?
The problem with plastics – aside from all the environmental issues they entail – is that they are excellent. It wouldn’t be a problem to wean ourselves off them if … Read more
Plastics pollution
From November 25 to December 1, 2024, representatives from 175 countries gathered in Busan, South Korea; the fifth and final round of negotiations on a global treaty on plastics pollution. One of … Read more
CO2 utilisation as an alternative to permanent sequestration
If we move away from fossil fuels as a source of carbon, the question arises what should then become our source. Lux Research presents an answer: CO2 utilization. This could … Read more
Sustainable innovation: digital tools that fuel the green economy
The green economy is a growing paradigm focused on balancing environmental responsibility with economic growth. Central to this shift is the transformative power of digital tools, which enable industries to … Read more
Review: Rinke van den Brink, Viruses as a medicine, bacteriophages as a weapon against infections and antibiotics resistance
Just a short while ago, people hardly knew about viruses as a medicine. In particular, this is true for bacteriophages (or phages, for short) – viruses that eat bacteria. Until … Read more
Ecoboard, use of agricultural wastes
Boards made from agricultural wastes, are they achievable? Often, mdf and chipboard are made from wood. But Ecoboard has a different approach: it uses agricultural wastes. Boards are a wonderful … Read more
Finally unlocking lignin
Lignin is often hailed as nature’s glue. It is the second most abundant polymer in the natural world. Found in plant cell walls, it plays a crucial role in providing … Read more
Vaccinating plants
Recently, Synbiobeta ran an interesting article on vaccinating plants. A new approach to activate the plant’s natural immune system. Could this lead to healthier food and more sustainable farming? Stimulating … Read more
The Blade, a versatile small wind turbine
Experts and scientists judged it impossible. The new Dutch wind turbine The Blade seems to mock natural laws. And yet, the new home-sized turbine is claimed to produce 2,500 to … Read more
Towards a sustainable and circular economy
In a circular economy, we will use as few resources possible. These we will reuse again and again; in so doing, we will postpone mining new resources as long as … Read more
Precision agriculture and the future of biobased crop management
For decades now precision agriculture has been offering numerous changes to the way we grow food. At its heart, it’s about using technology to gain a deeper understanding of what’s … Read more
Battery storage
Recently, RethinkX published an article by Taylor Hinds on battery storage. We need such a storage in order to turn the intermittent solar and wind energies into a continuous energy … Read more
Blue carbon: an excellent way to store carbon dioxide
Ocean habitats play a key role in storing carbon from the atmosphere; but until now, nobody has known exactly how much ‘blue carbon’ ends up in kelp, seagrass meadows, salt marshes … Read more
Converging technologies and their opportunities for innovation
The Conversation’s Brad Libby recently posted a thought-provoking article about converging technologies, and their potential. He envisages artificial intelligence (AI), lithium-ion batteries, infrared cameras, lidar laser range detectors, actuators, 3D … Read more
Graphene quietly progressing
Graphene is twenty years old now. Discovered by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, two physicists at the University of Manchester. The Conversation hailed this anniversary in a piece by Stephen … Read more