Author: Michael Allen

Europe’s appetite for electronics keeps growing, but so does the waste. From smartphones and laptops to medical sensors, more devices mean mounting piles of discarded hardware. According to Eurostat, around 5 million tonnes of electronic waste is collected for recycling in the EU each year. That is more than 11 kilograms per household, enough to cover […]

Beneath the world’s oceans, a silent revolution is underway. More than 1.48 million kilometres of underwater fibre-optic cables carry almost all global internet and telephone traffic. Now researchers are showing that these cables can do more than transmit data: they can listen to the planet. By capturing tiny changes in how light travels through them, […]

Imagine predicting how an oil spill will spread, or which cleanup strategy will work best, without ever touching the water. What if we could test solutions for protecting the world’s oceans before putting them into action? That vision is already becoming reality through the European Digital Twin Ocean (DTO) – an initiative where EU-funded researchers are […]

For the first time, Europe will bury its carbon not beneath the sea, but under its own soil, heralding a new chapter in the continent’s fight against climate change. On 30 April 2025, the EU issued its first permit for onshore geological storage of CO2. Until now, all EU permits under the 2009 Directive for […]

On Marianne Mulhall’s organic dairy farm in southeast Ireland, the winter wheat crop is looking better than usual. By spring, it is often a bit yellow and withered, a sign that it is nitrogen deficient. This year’s wheat ­– sown on a field where fava beans and peas were grown last summer ­– is still […]

As the world shifts toward renewable energy, one major challenge remains: efficient energy storage. An EU-funded research team is exploring the use of compressed air to store excess energy collected from solar panels.  A pilot plant at Plataforma Solar de Almería, a solar technology research centre in southern Spain, will demonstrate a concept they call solar thermal […]

While consumers are often encouraged to eat more seafood for its nutritional benefits, such as omega-3 fatty acids, sustainability and ethical concerns are also a growing factor in their purchasing decisions.  Consumers are increasingly prioritising seafood that is sustainably sourced, often preferring certified products such as those carrying the MSC and ASC labels (Marine Stewardship […]

Many will remember the sourdough bread-baking craze that emerged at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when people were stuck at home and looking for something creative to do. With social media feeds full of images of sourdough “starters” with quirky names and crisp, freshly baked loaves, home bakers discovered the joys – and the […]

A container ship sailing at night through the Baltic Sea, travelling along the Polish coast, pulls alongside a fishing boat. This behaviour immediately triggers the Polish authorities and raises questions. “You need to ask why are two vessels meeting in the middle of the sea in the middle of the night? Are they involved in […]