Refractometers enable development of advanced ‘green hydrogen’ electrolyzers
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The electrolyzer setup (with refractometers highlighted) Instrumentation firm Vaisala explains how its refractometers have supported the development of electrolysers for the generation of hydrogen, highlighting their role in enabling accurate, real-time monitoring of electrolyte concentration in demanding alkaline electrolysis environments The generation of green hydrogen by water electrolysis represents an exciting decarbonisation opportunity. However, the […]
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Climate Change? L’Addition, s’il vous plaît! Why Damage Calculation Matters in Climate Change Litigation
The number of climate change lawsuits brought before domestic, regional, and international courts is growing at an unprecedented pace, with courts increasingly being asked to hold governments and corporations accountable for the harms associated with our warming planet. Most of the focus in the scholarship so far has been on whether such cases can be brought and how to […]
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Marine heatwaves ‘nearly double’ the economic damage caused by tropical cyclones
Tropical cyclones that rapidly intensify when passing over marine heatwaves can become “supercharged”, increasing the likelihood of high economic losses, a new study finds. Such storms also have higher rates of rainfall and higher maximum windspeeds, according to the research. The study, published in Science Advances, looks at the economic damages caused by nearly 800 […]
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DeBriefed 10 April 2026: Worst energy crisis ‘ever’ | India withdraws COP33 bid | Drag artists and climate change
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week Ceasefire causes oil price drop CEASEFIRE SLUMP: Following the announcement on Tuesday of a two-week ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US and Israel, oil prices dropped below $96 per barrel, according to the Associated Press. However, […]
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Dirty Business stars launch petition calling for national referendum on water ownership
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A screening of the programme. Ash Smith and Professor Peter Hammond of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution — portrayed by David Thewlis and Jason Watkins in Channel 4’s Dirty Business — have launched a formal government petition calling for a referendum on returning the water industry to public ownership. The move follows the broadcast of the […]
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SMEs ‘willing but unsupported’ on net zero, London programme finds
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Sustainability and decarbonisation are slipping down the priority list for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to new research and programme findings. SMEs account for 99% of the UK business population,1 meaning any slowdown in their climate action risks undermining the government’s net zero ambitions. Keir Starmer has set the country’s sights on an […]
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Firms partner on floating data centre concept using repurposed vessels
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Image credit: nitpicker / Shutterstock.com. Japanese industrial and technology conglomerates have signed an agreement to explore the development and commercialisation of floating data centres, positioned as a way to address rising global demand for digital infrastructure while reducing land use and environmental impact. Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), Hitachi, and Hitachi Systems, have signed a Memorandum […]
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A philosophy of work
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What makes work valuable? Michal Masny, the NC Ethics of Technology Postdoctoral Fellow in the MIT Department of Philosophy, investigates the role work plays in our lives and its impact on our well-being. Masny sees numerous benefits to work, beyond a paycheck. It’s a space for people to develop excellence at something, make a social contribution, […]
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Welsh Greens’ anti-nuclear stance draws criticism amid wider energy debate
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Wylfa nuclear power station in Anglesey (image credit: Debra O’Connor / Shutterstock.com) The Welsh Green Party’s opposition to nuclear power has come under renewed criticism from trade unions and industry voices, following the publication of its Senedd manifesto and ongoing debate over the future of energy in Wales. As the politics of nuclear power appears […]
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New technique makes AI models leaner and faster while they’re still learning
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Training a large artificial intelligence model is expensive, not just in dollars, but in time, energy, and computational resources. Traditionally, obtaining a smaller, faster model either requires training a massive one first and then trimming it down, or training a small one from scratch and accepting weaker performance. Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial […]
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How Mica Connects AI Workloads to Cleaner, Lower-Carbon Power
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Mica’s core idea is simple: AI workloads should not be treated as if electricity is invisible. By making power cost and grid conditions more visible, platforms like Mica aim to help organizations place flexible AI workloads in locations or time windows where electricity may be cleaner, less carbon-intensive, or more economical. That matters as data-centre […]
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Iran war analysis: How 60 nations have responded to the global energy crisis
One month into the US and Israel’s war on Iran, at least 60 countries have taken emergency measures in response to the subsequent global energy crisis, according to analysis by Carbon Brief. So far, these countries have announced nearly 200 policies to save fuel, support consumers and boost domestic energy supplies. Carbon Brief has drawn […]
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Cropped 8 April 2026: Iran war drives up food prices | Two nature talks conclude | Return of UK’s tallest bird
We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight. This is an online version of Carbon Brief’s fortnightly Cropped email newsletter. Subscribe for free here. Key developments Iran war and food systems PLANTING AT RISK: The war in the Middle East “has hit the […]
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War-time fall out: Cut fertilisers to improve UK security and benefit nature, says charity
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While there is relief at last night’s ceasefire in the US-Israel war with Iran, today’s commentators continue to warn of ongoing uncertainty for fuel supplies and prices; but in the long run, will it be shortages of fertiliser and the knock-on effect on our food security that affect Britain the most in the economic fall-out of the war? Cutting fertiliser use has never made more sense, writes Vicki Hird, strategic lead on agriculture, The Wildlife Trusts. Keys facts: […]
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Project turns recovered car battery acid and plastic waste into clean hydrogen
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Image credit: Beverly Low Researchers have developed a solar-powered reactor to break down hard-to-recycle forms of plastic waste – such as drinks bottles, nylon textiles and polyurethane foams – using acid recovered from old car batteries, and converting it into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable industrial chemicals. The reactor, developed by researchers from the University […]
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Ganges River pollution study: standard monitoring identifies only 1% of organofluorine contamination
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Standard tests fail to identify 99% of toxic PFAS chemicals in the Ganges River, according to a new study from interdisciplinary research organization The James Hutton Institute, the University of Graz, Warsaw University of Technology and the Indian Institute of Technology. Flowing over 2,500km from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, the Ganges River […]
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Sixteen new START.nano companies are developing hard-tech solutions with the support of MIT.nano
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MIT.nano has announced that 16 startups became active participants in its START.nano program in 2025, more than doubling the number of new companies from the previous year. Aimed at speeding the transition of hard-tech innovation to market, START.nano supports new ventures through the discounted use of MIT.nano shared facilities and a guided access to the […]
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Analysis: How Chinese media is covering the Iran energy crisis
As the closure of the Strait of Hormuz wreaks havoc on fossil-fuel supplies across the world, a prominent narrative in western media has been that low-carbon energy has helped mitigate the worst of the impact on China. While Chinese-language media has featured similar arguments, it has also highlighted China’s coal industry and broader energy security […]