From investigating people’s attitudes to the environment to understanding how nanotechnology can enhance future solar power solutions – Environment and Sustainability researchers take a truly collaborative approach to tackling some of the biggest issues facing our world today…
Feeling thirsty? If it’s an ice-cold can of drink you crave, you might be surprised to learn that it could have a big impact on the environment.
US firm the Joseph Company has developed CHILLCAN: a revolutionary drinks container that cools itself at the touch of a button. Applying lifecycle analysis, Professor Roland Clift, Founding Director of the Centre for Environmental Strategy (CES), has worked closely with the company to make sure the can’s entire supply chain is environmentally friendly.
Drinks dispensers are widely used to keep cans cool, but they’re often energy inefficient and can leak refrigerant into the atmosphere. Keeping multiple cans cool around the clock unnecessarily is a huge waste of energy.
CHILLCAN self-cools through the release of recycled carbon dioxide to the air from a chiller unit inside the can – so you can have a cool and refreshing drink wherever you are. First unveiled at the 20th anniversary of CES last year, CHILLCAN has a potential uptake that could help to seriously cut the beverage industry’s environmental impact.
Toilets. They’re rarely deemed an appropriate topic for discussion in polite society. But, such are the serious health implications associated with inadequate sanitation in developing countries, the need for research has never been more vital.
First launched in 2011 after receiving SPLASH funding, 3KSAN is a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional project, co-ordinated by Dr Steve Pedley from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dr Katrina Charles from the Centre for Environmental Strategy. Drawing on a range of research methodologies, the project assesses barriers to the acceptance and provision of sanitation in ramshackle ‘slum’ settlements found on the outskirts of cities in Kenya (Kisumu), Uganda (Kampala) and Rwanda (Kigali).
Current findings suggest that blockages can develop in the chain of sanitation provision for various reasons – cost being only one factor. The work focuses on three key areas: regulation, demand and market adaptation. The aim? Development of a best-practice framework that would guide implementation of future sanitation projects around the world.
The restorative effects of nature and natural landscapes have long been observed, but not necessarily well understood.
What are the particular aspects of a natural environment to which our brains and bodies react positively? What are the processes driving these beneficial outcomes? Are the types of stimuli and responses individual, cultural or universal?
These are some of the questions being asked – and answered – by our environmental psychology researchers, in collaboration with partners such as the National Trust and Surrey Wildlife Trust.
As well as reinforcing the case for protecting natural environments, this work will also prove beneficial in creating buildings and urban areas that keep our spirits up when we need it most.
If you’re lucky enough to have access to clean water on tap, you’d be forgiven for underestimating just how much of a pressing issue water availability really is. In fact, water shortages are sweeping the globe. Areas around the world – from the Middle East to Malta – are already ‘water scarce’. And by 2025, water crises could grip two thirds of the earth’s population.
Manipulated Osmosis (MO) technology represents a straightforward, low-cost means of making sea water drinkable. Developed by Professor Adel Sharif and his team in the Centre for Osmosis Research and Application, it takes advantage of natural osmosis to produce clean water through membrane filtering.
The research has made it possible to commercialise the technology through Modern Water PLC. Desalination plants set up in Oman have already brought energy savings of 30% compared with alternative approaches.
In 2011, the team won the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for their contribution to safe, affordable water on a global scale. This tops an already impressive list of award wins that includes the 2005 Royal Society Brian Mercer Award for Innovation in Science and Technology.
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Simple changes to the way you use household electricals, such as upgrading to a new A+ or A++ Grade fridge, could reduce your energy usage, save you money and reduce your household’s environmental impact...
