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Image of microfibres under a microscope.

Untangling the threads: addressing microfibre pollution

Headshot of Libby Allen. Libby pictured smiling in to camera, wearing black top.Headshot of Jingyi Li, pictured smiling into camera. By , and Filed Under: All posts, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

As clothes are washed and worn, tiny fibres below 5mm in length are broken off or released from the fabric itself, which are called microfibres. With increasing concerns over the persistence of this pollution, Libby Allen, Dr Claudia Henninger and Jingyi Li are exploring preventative solutions to reduce pollution released from the laundering of clothes. […]

A lead-acid solar home system battery being refurbished

Electricity access vs toxic lead pollution: tackling waste from solar power in sub-Saharan Africa

Dr Christopher KinallyDr Alejandro Gallego Schmid By and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

Millions of short-lived solar energy devices are being sold to households across sub-Saharan Africa each year as a strategy to increase access to electricity. However, the current lack of infrastructure to safely manage the resulting toxic waste flow raises significant environmental, human health, and social justice concerns. Here, Dr Christopher Kinally and Dr Alejandro Gallego […]

Unjamming the (bio)printer: how can regulatory reform unleash new and advanced biomaterials?

By Filed Under: Health and Care, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

3D bioprinting technologies hold huge potential to transform patient care and treatment, delivering the next generation of personalised medicine. But current legislative boundaries are poorly defined, and the pathways to approval are unclear, creating unnecessary delays and costs in getting these new technologies to patients. Here, Dr Marco Domingos from the Bioprinting Technology Platform argues […]

An Asian female agronomist works in a watermelon greenhouse

A silicon revolution for sustainable farming

Professor Bruce Grieve headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

An increasing population, political pressures, and severe weather events are all putting global food production at risk. The use of AI in agriculture could help farmers and agricultural decision makers to access more accurate data to improve productivity and sustainability. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Professor Bruce Grieve explores the future of […]

Sparking change: the rush to electrify

By , and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

The environmental threats of climate change and extreme weather are forcing us to rethink our energy production and usage. As a society, we know how to produce clean low-carbon electricity and deliver it to customers in a reliable, efficient and economical manner. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Dr Robin Preece, Dr Eduardo […]

Planning ahead: A multi-sector approach to net zero

Mathaios Panteli By , and Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Energy and Environment, Environment, Inclusive Growth, Renewables, Research and development, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

With climate change increasing some resources’ uncertainty – and global development making others scarcer and more interdependent – society requires improved planning and policy frameworks to deliver a secure, equitable and resilient transformation to net zero. In this article from our publication On Resilience, Professor Julien Harou, Dr Eduardo A. Martínez Ceseña and Professor Mathaios Panteli explore how […]

Strengthening the UK’s energy resilience and security

Maria Sharmina By and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering Posted:

Energy is a key resource enabling the functioning of modern societies. Arguably, the fast-paced technological advances in the past 200 years have been based on plentiful supply of cheap energy. But cheap and plentiful are no more. In this article, from our publication On Resilience, Professor Maria Sharmina and Timothy Capper explore how to strengthen the […]

Game changers, a new approach to tackling sportswear garment waste

Headshot of AuthorAuthor photographAuthor Headshot By , and Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering Posted:

The UK disposes of one million tonnes of textiles every year, 300,000 tonnes of which end up in landfill or incineration and figures suggest 10% of global CO2 emissions could come from the fashion industry. The football sector is a huge contributor to this – approximately 2.45 million Liverpool and 1.95 million Manchester United sports shirts […]

AUTOMATED VEHICLES ARTICLE IMAGE

Artificial Intelligence and future transport and mobility: What do cities want and how can urban planning respond?

By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Digital Futures, Energy and Environment, Environment, Inclusive Growth, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology, Urban Posted:

Experts agree that automated driving technologies constitute perhaps the most significant transformation in urban and transport planning since the invention of the private motor vehicle. In this article, Dr Ransford A. Acheampong assesses how policy-makers have an urgent responsibility to create alternative urban futures in which we are able to meet our everyday mobility needs […]

Image: salt mine. Salt mines can be used for underground hydrogen storage.

Underground hydrogen storage, the key to a green and sustainable future

By and Filed Under: Energy and Environment, Renewables, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

In response to the climate crisis, renewable energy production has increased significantly over the last decade. According to National Grid, the UK produced its trillionth kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity generated from renewable sources on 15 May 2023, and  solar energy and offshore wind are predicted to grow five-fold by 2030. Hydrogen, a potentially green […]

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Articles give the views of the author, and are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester.

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