sustainable

Photo: GM General Motors (GM) has signed a multiyear deal with Quebec-based Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) to supply nearly 20,000 tons of active anode material per year. General Motors has committed $150 million to support the advancement and construction of NMG’s phase 2 operations that include the production of graphite ore to battery materials. (NMG just made a similar off-take agreement with Panasonic.) NMG’s agreement to supply GM with 19,842 US tons of active anode material annually…

Spring is traditionally the season for a good clean – and maybe a clear out. Taking stock and having a bit of a declutter can freshen things up domestically.One popular new way of doing this involves targeting your wardrobe by making digital inventories of your clothes – and then tracking what you wear. You note the price, brand and category of your garments (and shoes and bags) and then record how much use they get. The idea is that having this information can then lead to better choices in the future, whether that’s…

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Spring is traditionally the season for a good clean—and maybe a clear out. Taking stock and having a bit of a declutter can freshen things up domestically. One popular new way of doing this involves targeting your wardrobe by making digital inventories of your clothes—and then tracking what you wear. You note the…

In the figure can be seen the process of resource use and environmental impacts at the production stage of the food system. Specifically, land reclamation poses a serious threat to land use boundary; the irrigation process consumes large amounts of surface water and groundwater, potentially threatening freshwater boundary. The process of fertilizer production, transportation and application consumes large amounts of N and P resources, and contributes to…

Researchers have developed a simplified, sustainable method of converting sewage sludge from wastewater treatment into high-value activated carbon that can be used in a wide range of industrial and residential applications.After you flush the toilet, drain the sink, or do the laundry, the wastewater travels through the sewer system to a wastewater treatment facility. This results in leftover solid waste – sewage sludge – that can contain heavy metals, chemicals, and pathogens. Given its high pollutant content, the large…

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain I first rode an e-bike after a day out exploring the fells on foot a few years ago. Instead of driving back to my accommodation, I traveled 40km through the Lake District on an e-bike and I was surprised by how easy it was, even after a physically demanding day. Since then, I've been researching the potential for people to shift from cars to e-bikes and recently found that rural areas have…

It’s a story as old as time: Startup founder raises giant sack of that sweet, sweet VC money. Next, they have to search for product-market fit. Easy, right? Just pour all of that money into sales and marketing, and they’re off to the races. Not so fast. If you throw enough money at advertising, anyone can get the growth chart to go up and to the right. But the thing is, you need to find the right way to do growth, and that’s a lot harder. Matt Lerner spent 11 years running marketing at PayPal,…

Researchers at the University of Cordoba, in collaboration with other institutions, have developed a new type of battery using hemoglobin as a catalyst in zinc-air batteries. This biocompatible battery can function for up to 30 days and offers several advantages, such as sustainability and suitability for use in human body devices. Despite its non-rechargeable nature, this innovation marks a significant step towards environmentally friendly battery alternatives, addressing the limitations of current lithium-ion batteries.…

The research from Linköping University introduces a new approach to processing conjugated polymers using benign solvents such as water. The new inks are also highly conductive. Credit: Thor BalkhedResearchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have developed a new, more environmentally friendly way to create conductive inks for use in organic electronics such as solar cells, artificial neurons, and soft sensors. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, pave the way for future sustainable…

Flooding in British Columbia's Fraser Valley in November 2021. Credit: UBC Applied Science It's time to recognize the power of healthy forests in managing global growing flood risk, and to shift towards more sustainable forestry practices and policy. This call is emphasized by UBC researchers in an article published in the journal Science of the Total…