Concrete is the world's most widely used building material – but the production of cement, its key component, generates significant carbon dioxide emissions. New research at Umeå University shows how electrification and carbon capture can make production both more energy-efficient and climate-smart.
The Waste2Plastic project at Umeå University has received SEK 15 million from the Swedish Energy Agency and its industrial partners to produce biodegradable plastics, PHA, using microalgae. The algae are grown in wastewater in Umeå and convert carbon dioxide from flue gases into biomass.
The carbon dioxide emissions of the growing human population have a massive impact on the climate. While many are seeking solutions, researchers in Umeå, Sweden, might have found one right in front of their houses: Nordic microalgae. A thesis from the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University shows that microalgae fed on wastewater can be used to produce degradable bioplastic.
The biodiversity of rainforests is threatened by climate change. Researcher Daniel Metcalfe conducts large-scale experiments to predict the consequences – but was ready to shut down when the funds ran out. Now, he has been awarded a major government grant from Formas to continue and expand the work.
Plants give us oxygen through photosynthesis - this is commonly taught in school. An international research team have now shown that particularly in early spring when low temperatures coincide with high light, conifer needles consume – not produce – oxygen by using an ancient mechanism. The results were published in Nature Communications.
An upcoming exhibition brings together Nordic architects and projects that, in various ways, reveal a shift in contemporary architecture. Architectures of Transition opens at Bildmuseet, Sweden, on Saturday, June 19. Welcome to join a digital press preview on Thursday, June 17 at 10am and to experience the exhibition on-site from 11am the same day (RSVP).