CORDIS Express: Reduce and reuse - A motto for the bioeconomy
Environmental NGOs often claim that we need the equivalent of 1.5 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste. Concretely, this means that the Earth takes one year and a half to recover from human activities over a year. As we write these lines, WWF and the international think tank Global Footprint Network just announced that the “Earth Overshoot Day” – the day when humanity officially used more natural resources than the planet is able to produce over a 12 month period – was already behind us in 2014. Anything we consume from now till the end of the year is simply borrowed from future generations, both organisations say. At the current pace, the UN suggests that we will need the equivalent of two Earths to support us in 2030. But what can we do to invert this trend? The answer lies in two words: reduce and reuse. In the case of energy, for instance, we need to be more efficient by better isolating our houses, using a greater share of renewable energy, finding better storage solutions and, least but not least, ensuring that all untapped potential, notably of what we currently consider as waste, gets exploited. This edition of Express puts the spotlight on some scientific findings and projects which aim to maximize our capacity to improve energy efficiency. - Trending Science: Cigarette filters for clean energy storage(opens in new window) - A platform to help consumers achieve sustainable energy consumption(opens in new window) - STORAGE - Lighter-weight, more efficient hybrid cars(opens in new window) - HERRB - Rotating blades generate electricity(opens in new window) - NOWASTE - Reusing waste heat for greener trucks(opens in new window) - LOVE - Waste heat utility in electricity generation(opens in new window) - GREEN KITCHEN - Smart kitchen appliances save energy and cut waste(opens in new window)
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Belgium