How rising temperatures will hit worker productivity
Climate change is already reducing labor productivity. Researchers are now revealing the potential costs and exploring the best mitigation tactics.As climate change continues to cause temperatures to rise around the world, employees working outdoors or with little access to air conditioning, are likely to suffer a significant hit to productivity, a problem that has received very little attentio...
A fresh look at indoor air pollution in China
Indoor air pollution kills millions of people globally each year. Tsinghua University researchers are documenting the problem and coming up with simple solutions to save lives.According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is the largest environmental risk to human health. Given that most people spend more than 80% of their time inside, indoor air pollution is an increasing area of c...
Lithium-carbon dioxide batteries get a boost
A new cathode design brings energy-dense and environmentally friendly lithium-carbon dioxide batteries closer to reality.A novel bidirectional catalyst, designed at Tsinghua University, has overcome a key issue hindering the development of rechargeable lithium-carbon dioxide (Li-CO2) batteries. Still in the early stages of development, potential uses for these unusual batteries range from power...
Plotting a course for realistic and equitable decarbonization
Unless new policies are introduced aimed at 59 countries in which carbon dioxide emissions are surging, there is likely to be an increase in average global temperatures of 2.5°C, say researchers.A new group of emerging emitters speeding past the large greenhouse gas emitters of old – the United States, European Union, India and China – are quickly re-writing the climate change story, says Dab...
How could solar and wind energy increase greenhouse gas emissions?
Modelling suggests that the growing use of fluctuating renewable energies may temporarily handicap nuclear power and increase fossil fuel use.Renewable energies, such as wind and solar power, are increasingly used all over the world. New research from Tsinghua University suggests that these energies can make it hard for nuclear power to remain competitive – but because solar and wind power bot...
Boosting carbon capture potential at power stations
Now that oxygen carrier materials can be manufactured at an industrial scale, chemical looping combustion technology could help generate clean heat and electricity with near zero emissions.Technology for capturing carbon dioxide and storing it permanently underground is expected to be vital in strategies to restrict global temperature rises, according to an April 2022 report released by the Uni...
Could we reduce aircon’s climate impact by more than 80%?
Systems that make use of evaporative cooling and ventilation, as well as optimized vapor compression refrigeration, are on their way to the market, thanks to new research.It’s an irony of global warming that the more humans do to keep themselves cool against rising temperatures, the more they will probably be adding to the problem by burning fossil fuels to power air conditioners. But, because...
Recycling electric vehicle batteries sustainably
Researchers at Tsinghua have demonstrated a greener way of recovering lithium from batteries to pave the way for a more sustainable electric vehicle market.Electric vehicles will be instrumental to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in order to reach carbon neutrality. With more than 3 million electric vehicles sold worldwide in 2020, the question of how to recycle the lithium-ion batteries that p...