124 News & Press Releases found
SciDev.Net News
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Are journalists critical enough when covering nuclear?
Nuclear power is a major topic in South Korea. The country is one of the largest generators of electricity from nuclear plants in the world. It has 23 reactors built with a total capacity of 20.5 gigawatts, another five are under construction and ...
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Volcanic ash study could help keep planes in the skies
A study on ash blasted from volcanoes is a first step towards accurately assessing where it is safe to fly during eruptions, according to the authors. The researchers found that the ash grains ejected into the atmosphere have diverse shapes and ...
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Amazon soaking up less carbon as tree deaths rise
The Amazon rainforest is losing its capacity to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, raising concerns about how the forest will respond to future climate and atmospheric changes, according to a study in Nature. The study, published on ...
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Should Hydropower Truly Be Described as Renewable?
Hydroelectric dams are the quintessential expression of human control of nature. As well as power, they create reservoirs of clean water, which to some are both pleasing to the eye and a place for tranquil recreation. They promise control of ...
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Tropical islands poised to benefit from ocean power
Island nations in the developing world are especially well placed to benefit from technology that exploits a new potential source of energy from sea water: ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC), experts have said. The technology uses sea water ...
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Hydropower needs ‘new climate knowledge’
In a region where on average more than 60 per cent of electricity is provided by hydropower facilities — in contrast to a less than 20 per cent globally — the future of water availability matters. So, this issue dominated the second day ...
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German eco-prize ‘benefits developing world researchers’
A video released this week details a two-week tour of Germany’s science institutions by 25 young eco-researchers from around the world who won the latest Green Talents competition run by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research ...
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Asia-Pacific Analysis: Tapping the power of the sun
In November 2012, Tokelau, a tiny Pacific territory of New Zealand located midway between New Zealand and Hawaii, earned the distinction of becoming the first country in the world to completely give up fossil fuels and become solely powered by solar ...
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Carbon projects for smallholder farmers can `reduce poverty`
Projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on small-scale farms can help African farmers access carbon markets and reduce poverty, and should be scaled-up, according to a policy brief. Carbon projects that reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such ...
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Developing world bucks decline in green energy funding
Spending on renewable energy is undergoing a geographic shift, with developing countries investing more last year despite an overall 12 per cent drop in global spending since 2011, according to two reports published this week (12 June). The reports ...
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Micro hydros can power rural Afghanistan, Nepal
Micro hydro-electric plants linked to a mini-grid offer a cost-effective and renewable option for rural electrification in the hilly and mountainous terrain of Afghanistan and Nepal, say researchers. For communities located more than ten ...
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Tech firms set sail to solve world`s problems through innovation
Eleven start-up firms with novel technologies for solving social and environmental problems have set off on a voyage around the world to find new markets where their innovations could improve people`s lives. The entrepreneurs will sail to 13 ...
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Energy access as millennium development goal
A sustainable development summit in India has endorsed the idea of making access to energy a new millennium development goal (MDG) after 2015. The Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, held 31January – 2 February, ended with the hope that a ...
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Online global renewable energy atlas launched
An online atlas of global renewable energy potential has been launched to try to identify the most promising places for investment and to help guide governments` energy policies and planning. The open access `Global Atlas for Solar and Wind` was ...
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Insects` gut microbes hint at biofuel breakthrough
Deep inside insects` guts may lie the key to one of the biofuel industry`s great challenges: how to cost-effectively turn tough plant waste into profit-making fuel. About 50 million tonnes of lignin are produced every year worldwide, mostly as ...
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Prize honours green innovations in small island states
A social enterprise that says it helped to cut binge drinking in Vanuatu by selling solar-powered lanterns is one of ten nominees for a new award that aims to highlight organisations that champion green energy in small island developing states ...
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Multi-billion desert energy project under threat
An ambitious renewable energy project, which plans to produce electricity by tapping into desert sunshine and wind in the Middle East and North Africa, has hit troubled waters after losing the backing of governments and industrial partners, insiders ...
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Seminar highlights distrust in tech transfer pledges
Instead of waiting endlessly for transfer of climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies from developed countries, developing countries can resort to indigenous technologies, common technologies and stronger south-south cooperation, policy ...
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Sail-inspired turbine promises cheaper wind energy
A Tunisian invention that harvests wind energy through adesign inspired by sailboats promises cheaper, more efficient wind energy. The bladeless wind turbine, the Saphonian, named after the wind divinity that was worshipped by the ancient ...
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Facing up to new realities for progress on tech transfer
Implementation of the Rio+20 outcome must account for changes in the global innovation landscape, says tech policy expert Ahmed Abdel-Latif. The UN conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) recently reaffirmed the importance of transferring ...