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
Energy hubs: less grid congestion, less CO2 emissions
The site change.inc contained an interesting article (in Dutch) on energy hubs – a central place where regional companies and households share their energy production and consumption. In the Netherlands, … Read more
The mechanism of disruption
According to RethinkX, our society may be heading towards clean disruption. Meaning that in the coming two decades, old and wasteful industries will disappear and new and clean industries will … Read more
Transport-as-a-service, disruption of transportation
Electric vehicles (EV) and autonomous electric vehicles (A-EVs) will create an entirely new business model: Transport-as-a-Service (TaaS). It will disrupt and transform our transportation industries. If major changes in a … Read more
Food-as-software by precision fermentation
According to RethinkX, precision fermentation and cellular agriculture will create an entirely new business model in the food sector: food-as-software. This will disrupt and transform our food and agricultural industries. … Read more
Disruption of the energy system
Solar photovoltaics, onshore wind power and lithium-ion batteries (SWB) will displace fossil fuels and conventional nuclear power during the 2020s. This will create an entirely new business model – SWB … Read more
Solar panel production back to Europe
Solar panel production disappeared from Europe over the past twenty years. Now, a new generation of solar panels is around the corner, and this could mean the return of solar … Read more
Polylactic acid doesn’t discharge microplastics to the environment
Polylactic acid, also known as PLA, is a thermoplastic monomer. It is derived from renewable, organic sources such as corn starch or sugar cane. This means that PLA is different … Read more
Bidirectional charging, solution for grid congestion
Bidirectional charging, or possible charging from both sides, is a smart solution for grid overcharging. Bidirectional charging means that the current can go both ways. It is useful in particular … Read more
The overcrowded electricity grid
Pressure on the electricity grid gets heavier all the time. Many corporations and organisations aim to get more sustainable. But there are bottlenecks. Because at times, there is a glut … Read more
Carbon capture, an uncertain technology
Do we need carbon capture in order to meet climate goals? The jury is still undecided. If we would like to keep on using fossil fuels, we need carbon capture … Read more
Light, a new factor in biomanufacturing
Engineers have developed a new way to exert control over bioreactions: light. Using light of the correct colour can promote the desired reaction and hence keep costs down in biomanufacturing. … Read more
Green hydrogen
Green hydrogen has been an expensive fuel, so far. Producing it by solar or wind energy (and electrolysis) is now three to four times as expensive as producing ‘grey’ hydrogen … Read more
Innovation in horticulture
A series of articles at the occasion of the GreenTech exhibition in Amsterdam, highlighted innovation in horticulture. Among these are water quality and irrigation management. The site Greentech.nl pays special … Read more
Bamboo, a material with endless possibilities
MaterialDistrict recently renewed its publication on bamboo. ‘Booming bamboo, the (re)discovery of a sustainable material with endless possibilities’, is a stunning book written by Pablo van der Lugt; with indeed: … Read more
Distributed energy resources require new instruments
New technologies require new instruments. That is also true for distributed energy resources (DERs), predominantly renewable energy. So far, their disadvantages could be eased out in the net. But now, … Read more
The future of renewable energy
Renewable energy, mainly solar, wind and hydro, is going to take over global energy supply. But is its development fast enough to prevent global warming beyond 1.5oC? Global annual renewable … Read more
Solar energy: revolutionary developments
Solar energy continues to astonish the world. In 2024, new developments will ensure continued growth; both in generation and in storage. Largest source of electricity generation Present developments indicate that … Read more
BioBTX collects € 80 million for its renewable aromatics technology
This month, BioBTX collected the € 80 million it needs for construction of its first commercial-sized factory. It will produce benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) from mixed plastic waste. A … Read more
Thermal energy storage
Change.inc devoted an article to thermal industrial heating and cooling (in Dutch). Long neglected in views on the energy transition. Even though there is a lot of energy involved. But … Read more
Urban biorefinery
In rich countries, the urban biorefinery is a much sought after goal, albeit difficult to arrive at. Much sought after because we could solve out waste problem by this concept. … Read more
100% solar, wind and batteries: it’s happening already
It isn’t recognized generally yet, but the combination of solar, wind and batteries can supply the whole world with electricity. Writes RethinkX in its latest newsletter. This is happening already … Read more
Food without agriculture
People must eat. The vast majority of what we eat originates from agriculture. But this produces roughly one quarter of global greenhouse emissions. Can we avoid that? Produce synthetic food … Read more
Secrets of the deep sea
As researchers succeed in tagging oceanic predators, they discover new facts about the deep sea. Many animals dive very deep, even to where light doesn’t penetrate anymore. It’s indescribable, what … Read more