The Grantham Institute

21/07/2020

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10/07/2020

"It is critical to emphasise that existing forest should never be cut down to plant new trees." - Dr Bonnie Waring.

🌳 What do you value more, existing forests or new forests?
🌳 How much carbon is in a tree?
🌳 How much potential is there to plant new trees on earth?
🌳 Is planting trees the answer to climate change?

Find out more from Dr Waring in our Q&A, where she answers your questions on and

Grantham Institute’s new lecturer Dr Bonnie Waring answers your questions about reforestation.

09/07/2020

Properly insulating UK homes and replacing fossil fuel boilers with heat pumps can help to alleviate fuel poverty, meet the UK’s longer-term net zero climate target, and support a just transition - but question marks still hang over the Government's plans, say Dr Aidan Rhodes and Dr Richard Hanna in a blog for Energy Futures Lab.

Energy Futures Lab Research Fellow Dr Aidan Rhodes and the Centre for Environmental Policy’s Dr Richard Hanna, co-authors of an upcoming Energy Futures Lab briefing paper on Smart and Flexibl…

08/07/2020

"It is in line with predictions of global warming going back decades now. What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic...The Arctic is warming at least twice as fast as the rest of the world. That means change is definitely on the way."

Professor Martin Siegert speaks to BBC News about the record-breaking heat in Siberia, and the wildfires it's causing.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53317861

For more on how the UK’s climate is linked to conditions in the Arctic, check out our latest briefing:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/publications/earth-and-life-sciences/the-arctic-and-the-uk-climate-research-and-engagement.php

07/07/2020

A new Nature Energy study, by Imperial College London academics and colleagues, assesses the relative effectiveness of several carbon dioxide (CO2) mitigation routes by calculating the cost of mitigating CO2 emissions.

The key findings:

✅ Efficiency measures, such as improving building lighting, offer the most “energy-effective mitigation” and have a relatively large mitigation potential.

✅ Switching to renewable energy technologies are substantially more energy effective than carbon embedding or carbon removal approaches.

✅ Many yet-to-be deployed mitigation options have a relatively high energy cost compared with that of readily-available options.

Read the paper in full here:

Carbon emission reduction measures have widely differing energy consumptions that have not been systematically compared. Babacan et al. estimate comparable energy use per unit emission reduction of various emission reduction measures, from efficiency improvements to renewable electricity generation....

06/07/2020

🌳 What role can forests play in tackling climate change?

🌳 What are the benefits, & limits, of using trees to tackle climate change?

🌳 Why are trees not a silver bullet solution?

Delighted to share our latest briefing paper on and 👇👇

Authors:  Dr Bonnie Waring, Dr Mathias Neumann, Professor Iain Colin Prentice, Professor Mark Adams, Professor Pete Smith, Professor Martin Siegert

03/07/2020

What do warmer summers mean for refrigeration in supermarkets? How can supermarkets continue to keep food fresh & reduce their carbon footprint?

This report, by Imperial College London and Sainsbury's, outlines how well-managed fridges can keep food cooler, be greener and cut costs.

"A warmer climate will mean refrigeration systems work harder and use more energy, however thorough monitoring and proactive maintenance regimes are a step in the right direction to solve these problems," said co-author Dr Salvador Acha.

More here:

A new report from Imperial and Sainsbury's outlines how well-managed fridges can keep food cooler, be greener and cut costs.

01/07/2020

Huge congratulations Shellworks, who took home to top prize of £30,000 in Imperial Enterprise Lab's largest entrepreneurial competition. Shellworks, who have been supported by our Cleantech Accelerator Programme, turn waste crustacean shells into biodegradable, compostable products, providing a plastic packaging alternative.

And a big round of applause for Treeconomy, who scooped the People's Prize! Treeconomy, who were supported by our 2019 ClimateLaunchpad competition, provide a one-stop-shop for landowners to earn money by planting trees and combating climate change.

A team of Imperial students is turning waste crustacean shells into biodegradable, compostable products, providing a plastic packaging alternative.

30/06/2020

Let's talk and :

🌲What are the pitfalls and benefits of reforestation?

🌲How much carbon can forests store?

🌲How can you balance reforestation, afforestation & forest conservation?

Come to our London Climate Action Week event this Friday (3 Jul) at midday to hear more about this emerging natural solution to fighting climate change.

Register here 👉 http://ow.ly/enuy50AlS0N

Experts discuss how mass tree planting can most effectively and sustainably help tackle the climate emergency

29/06/2020

Researchers at Imperial's Dyson School of Design Engineering have demonstrated how machine learning could help design lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells with better performance.

“Our team’s findings will help researchers from the energy community to design and manufacture optimised electrodes for improved cell performance. It’s an exciting time for both the energy storage and machine learning communities, so we’re delighted to be exploring the interface of these two disciplines," said Dr Sam Cooper.

Imperial researchers have demonstrated how machine learning could help design lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells with better performance.

24/06/2020

"A coronavirus recovery plan that priorities climate action can reinvigorate the economy and create a resilient society – and local authorities are best placed to deliver this."

In our latest blog, Dr Neil Jennings explains why the government must accelerate a green recovery at the local level, and why the Grantham Institute supports 'A blueprint for accelerating climate action and a green recovery at the local level'.

Ashden

Worker installing roof-insulation material from sheep’s wool (c) 2005 Ashden Award winners, Ashden Foundation Dr Neil Jennings, Partnership Development Manager at the Grantham Institute, cons…