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Two mega trends will continue to have a major impact on our lifestyles over the next years – the continued growth of information technology and the challenges and opportunities arising through the development of low carbon economies. The COMPOS chair responds very well to both of these trends. Through mobile technologies working has become more [...] In the 27 EU member states we produce 164kg of packaging ‘waste’ per capita in one year (Ireland at the top with 245kg and Bulgaria at the bottom with 41kg per person). Almost half of this packaging ‘waste’ stream mainly consists of paper and cardboard, the rest is glass, metals and plastics. Research shows that [...] Concrete is an innovation of the early 20th century and its development completely transformed the way we built. Recently, it has received bad press because it is extremely energy hungry in its production. However, new developments in concrete not only result in big reductions in the use of energy and resources, they also offer new [...] About half of all car journeys in urban areas are shorter than 5km and for such short distances a bicycle is, in most cases, the fastest means of transport. Bicycles need far less space than cars, they are quiet and – taking manufacturing into account – their CO2 emissions are very low. Copenhagen is one [...] The Monument is one of the great sites of London. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and completed in 1677 as a memorial to the Great Fire in 1666. The building is 202ft high, stands 202ft from the spot in Pudding Lane where it is believed the fire started and is the tallest free [...] A programme on sustainable innovation in China CITIES More that 50% of the world’s population now live in urban areas and the pressures on infrastructure and well being are immense. The growing population and the urbanisation on our planet offer huge opportunities for design, innovation and sustainable development. CLIMATE The growing population as well as our growing [...] The gardening season has just started and we are all hoping for a long and warm summer, which means we will have to water our gardens. Water however is a scarce resource, even in many parts of Europe including the UK. Harvested rain water is free and it takes a little pressure from the main [...] The debate and the research around ecological materials mainly focuses on re-cycled materials or natural fibres which can reinforce or work in combination with other materials. Some researchers, however, are already working on production processes which will allow materials to be grown in an organic way rather than manufacturing them. The process is based on [...] Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units produce heat and power at the same time. The units normally burn gas, bio-gas or bio fuels and traditionally they are used in industrial set-ups for small scale district heating. The UK based manufacturer Baxi has recently launched a CHP appliance for the home. The appliance’s Free Piston Stirling [...] In 2007 China invested 12 billion US dollars in renewable energies (Germany invested $14 billion and the USA $10 billion) and in the same year 6.4% of the country’s total energy use came from wind power. China’s target for 2020 is to produce 15% of all its energy from renewable sources. With a market share [...] |
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