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New Technology Enables Charging Wearable Devices During Running

Milena Maglovski
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New Technology Enables Charging Wearable Devices During Running
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Researchers at the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) of the University of Surrey have developed innovative nanogenerators that harness energy from everyday activities, such as running, to power wearable devices.

In their study, published in the journal Science Direct, it is described how flexible nanogenerators can convert mechanical energy, generated by simple movements, into electrical energy with significantly greater efficiency than previous technologies.

“The idea of nanogenerators is to capture and utilize energy from everyday movements, such as morning runs, mechanical vibrations, ocean waves, or door openings. The key innovation with our nanogenerator is that we have finely tuned the technology with 34 small energy collectors that use a laser technique that can be scaled up for production to further increase energy efficiency,” stated the study’s lead author, Delovar Husein.

While the concept of nanogenerators is not new, the solution from ATI experts brings a revolutionary advancement in energy harvesting, showing a 140-fold increase in power density compared to conventional nanogenerators.

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Nanogenerators operate on the principle of the triboelectric effect, where materials become electrically charged when they come into contact and then separate (like when rubbing a balloon on hair). This process allows the device to convert even the simplest movements into useful electrical energy.

“What is truly exciting is that our small, high-energy-density device could one day compete with the power of solar panels and could be used to power anything from self-powered sensors to smart home systems that operate without the need for battery replacement,” added Husein.

Professor Ravi Silva, Director of the Advanced Technology Institute, highlighted the potential of nanogenerators in the future of energy, especially in the context of the rapid development of IoT technologies.

“With increasing technology around us, it is predicted that we will have over 50 billion IoT devices in the coming years that will need power. Local green energy solutions are needed, and this could be a convenient wireless technology that uses energy from any mechanical movement to power small devices. It offers the scientific and engineering community an opportunity to find innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges,” said Professor Silva.

The development of these nanogenerators could significantly contribute to the transformation of the energy sector, providing sustainable solutions for powering devices in everyday situations. From smart homes to wearable sensors, the application of these devices could enable long-term power supply without the need for frequent battery replacements.

Milena Maglovski

Can EU Mining Waste Regulations Address the Challenges of Increased Mining?

Katarina Vuinac
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Can EU Mining Waste Regulations Address the Challenges of Increased Mining?
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Shane McLendon)

In an effort to reduce its reliance on the import of critical raw materials, which are essential for various industries, including technology, energy, and automotive, Europe plans to increase mining in the coming years. Moreover, new mines will be opened to achieve the goal set by the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which aims to produce at least 10 percent of these raw materials within Europe.

The question arises: are European mining regulations sufficient to meet such a challenge? The organization Transport & Environment (T&E) commissioned a legal analysis of the 2006 EU Mining Waste Directive (EWD) and outlined what its revision should include. It is noted that although Europe is considered to have the highest environmental standards in the world, it is questionable whether those related to mining waste are adequate or outdated for modern needs.

One of the main conclusions of the legal analysis conducted by the law firm Hörchner Advocaten is the risk that EU member states may apply the Directive in different ways. Furthermore, many important provisions are not clearly defined and are left to each member state to implement at their discretion. For example, it is unclear who is responsible in the event of an accident or damage, as well as how often and to what extent prevention and monitoring plans should be implemented.

Another important conclusion of the analysis is that some of the best available techniques are not mandatory, leaving companies the option to decide on their own. In this case, the example given is filtered tailings dams, a technique for managing mining waste that improves safety and reduces environmental risks associated with tailings storage.

Finally, current regulations regarding environmental protection and the well-being of local communities are not sufficiently robust.

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Based on the conclusions drawn from the legal analysis, T&E calls on the European Commission to update the Mining Waste Directive and reform it into a new European Mining Waste Regulation. This would ensure the harmonized application of rules across member states. In addition, the best available techniques should become mandatory. Companies should be required to implement them, relying on expert knowledge and guidelines. These guidelines and recommendations on the best available techniques for managing various industrial processes, including mining waste management, are outlined in the Best Available Techniques Reference Document (BREF). This would not only improve environmental protection and safety but would also positively impact communities living near mining sites.

The third proposal put forward by T&E is to rely on the Safety First Guidelines, developed by experts in mining, civil society, and academia. These guidelines provide detailed explanations on how tailings dams should be designed, managed, and closed. Additionally, they establish key financial and governance provisions that should be implemented. Furthermore, in the new regulation, environmental protection measures and community safety should be strengthened, recognizing the significant and long-lasting impacts on land, biodiversity, and human health in the event of tailings dam failure and spillage.

Finally, it is emphasized that communities should be involved in all stages of mining projects through consultations and should be informed of any incidents should they occur.

Katarina Vuinac

Active Fires in Serbia – No Threat to the Population

Milena Maglovski
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Active Fires in Serbia – No Threat to the Population

In the last 24 hours, the members of the Emergency Situations Sector have been engaged in 108 open-space fires across the territory of the Republic of Serbia, the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported on their Instagram account.

The fire on Mount Vidlič, where dry grass and low vegetation burned over an area of approximately 2,500 hectares, was localized at 7:10 PM. The operation involved 15 firefighters-rescuers with nine vehicles and 40 workers from the public enterprise “Srbijašume” with 21 vehicles.

The fire in the village of Stanča near Kraljevo has also been localized, while the fire in Kraljevo near Ušće remains active. The fire is under control on three sides, while the fourth side is in an inaccessible area within a valley. At this location, 25 firefighters-rescuers are intervening with 10 vehicles, including members of the firefighting units from Kraljevo, Ušće, Raška, Kopaonik, Vrnjačka Banja, Novi Pazar, and Čačak, as well as 10 workers from the public enterprise “Srbijašume” with four vehicles and two firefighters from the volunteer fire department in Studenica with one vehicle. No residential buildings or population are at risk.

The fire in Žagubica near Požarevac has been contained on all sides, and the firefighters-rescuers will continue to monitor and control the burned area the following day.

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The situation with fires in Kučevo and at the Banjska Stena location in the municipality of Bajina Bašta has significantly improved, and efforts are being made to localize and encircle the fire’s perimeter with all necessary safety measures.

The fires in Bor on Mount Stol, in the village of Dušanovac near Negotin, in the village of Beljan near Kladovo, as well as in the villages of Lalinac near Niš, Meminac near Požarevac, and in Žitorađa have been extinguished.

Energetski portal

Child of the Year and the Soap that Cures Skin Cancer

Milena Maglovski
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Child of the Year and the Soap that Cures Skin Cancer

Just over a year ago, I lost my aunt—a person very dear to me—to that insidious disease.

Since then, I often think about cancer—all those people who fight valiantly despite poor medical prognoses, the arduous and uncertain treatments, and the feeling of helplessness that spreads to the entire family. Will I one day find myself in the ring with the deadliest disease in the world? Will I be able to defeat it? These fears sometimes keep me awake at night, and I can’t help but wonder how science has come so far yet still hasn’t found a cure for cancer.

I admit that I have slightly leaned into hypochondria, often catching myself googling the symptoms of various types of cancer and searching for recipes for healthy drinks that will make my immune system invincible. And just as I was studying skin cancer and methods of safe tanning, my scrolling was interrupted by amazing news: Young scientist Heman Bekele has created a soap that can cure skin cancer!

 

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Despite being only 15 years old, Bekele earned the title of “Child of the Year” after devising a simple and economical way to treat skin cancer. In an interview with Time magazine, this promising teenager revealed that he is originally from Ethiopia, where he was daily exposed to people who were overexposed to the sun and had the chance to see the effects on their health.

After moving to the United States with his family, Bekele received his first set of test tubes and chemistry equipment when he was just seven years old.

At first, he experimented with household chemicals like laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid. He often mixed different substances and left them overnight to see how they would react, and his parents were even afraid that Heman would burn down the house.

Fortunately, that did not happen. What did happen is that Bekele grew up to become a true young scientist who brings hope to the entire world that the insidious disease—which often starts as a tiny spot and can end fatally—might finally be easily curable.

Bekele explains that the drug “Imiquimod,” which is used to treat skin cancer, is inaccessible to many vulnerable groups—especially those living in less developed parts of the world. That’s why he thought about how to make the application of this drug more economical, and the solution came in the form of combining the drug with soap.

The reason for this is simple—soap is used daily by almost everyone in the world. If we were to bathe with Bekele’s innovative soap, after rinsing off the lather with water, the drug particles would remain on the skin as an active component capable of treating melanomas.

The teenager explains that the support of older mentors, who contributed their knowledge and experience to the perfection of the cancer-curing soap, was crucial on his path to this discovery. It is possible that this drug will soon be available for sale.

The significance of this young scientist’s discovery is further evidenced by the fact that Bekele won the 2023 Young Scientist Challenge. Well-deserved!

According to data from the World Health Organization, skin cancer is the most widespread form of cancer globally. In the United States, more than five million people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, making it the most common type of cancer in the country. Therefore, it’s clear why every step towards improving cancer treatment is immensely important, and Bekele has just proven that even young people like him can make the world a better place.

“If it seems like everything has already been invented and that there’s nothing left for you to create, know that it’s not true. Keep creating and making this world a better place to live,” said Bekele. I think that because of these words, I will sleep much more peacefully tonight.

Milena Maglovski

How Degraded Are Freshwater Systems – What the United Nations Report Reveals

Katarina Vuinac
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How Degraded Are Freshwater Systems – What the United Nations Report Reveals
Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Ezra Jeffrey-Comeau)

The state of our freshwater ecosystems has been highlighted in a study conducted by UN-Water and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Through three reports on progress in the area of freshwater resources, it has been shown that a significant number of countries worldwide are experiencing degradation in one or more types of freshwater ecosystems, including rivers, lakes, and aquifers. This series of reports is published every three years to assess the progress made in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims for clean water and sanitation for all by protecting and restoring freshwater sources.

The main changes observed include a significant reduction in river flow, a decrease in the surface area of water bodies or their complete disappearance, a deterioration in ambient water quality, and the indication that water management is not on the right track.

More precisely, 90 percent of countries, most of which are located in Africa and Central or Southeast Asia, report degradation in one or more freshwater systems. Contributing factors include pollution, dam construction, land-use changes, excessive water extraction, and climate change.

It is reported that river flow has decreased in 402 river basins worldwide, influenced by climate change and land use. This represents a fivefold increase compared to the year 2000. In a significantly smaller number of river basins, river flow is increasing.

In Southeast Asia, there is a drastic decline in mangroves, and their loss due to human activities poses a serious risk to coastal communities, freshwater resources, biodiversity, and the climate. Their role in ecosystem preservation is multifaceted. To clarify, mangroves are coastal forest systems found in tropical and subtropical regions. The significance of these systems lies in their ability to store up to four times more carbon from the atmosphere than other types of forests. Additionally, they act as a natural barrier protecting coastal communities from erosion, storms, or tsunamis, and they provide habitat for a significant portion of biodiversity. As another example, mangroves have the ability to filter water before it enters open water systems.

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The reports have also shown that lakes and other surface water bodies are shrinking or disappearing, in 364 basins worldwide.

The poorest half of the world contributes less than three percent of global water quality data. There is an urgent need to improve monitoring of these systems, as it is crucial for the adequate management of water resources. Where data does exist, it shows that the quality of freshwater has deteriorated since 2017. The reports recommend expanding government water quality monitoring programs, incorporating citizen science, and using satellite technologies to fill data gaps.

To sustainably manage water resources, integrated water resource management across all sectors must be implemented by 2030. Although 47 countries have achieved or nearly achieved such management, 63 countries need to accelerate implementation, and 73 have limited capacities. If this trend continues, the world will achieve sustainable water management only by 2049. This further means that by 2030, 3.3 billion people in over 100 countries will likely have inefficient water management systems.

Katarina Vuinac

Climate change transforms Pacific Islands

Milena Maglovski
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Climate change transforms Pacific Islands
Photo-illustration: Pixabay

A triple whammy of accelerating sea level rise, ocean warming and acidification is imperilling Pacific Islands, which face growing threats to their socioeconomic viability and indeed their very existence because of climate change.

A scenic view of terraced rice fields with palm trees in the foreground and a mountain range under an illuminated, cloudy sky in the background.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2023 report details how sea level rise in the region is above the global average. Sea surface temperatures have risen three times faster than the global average since 1980. During that time marine heatwaves have approximately doubled in frequency since 1980 and are more intense and are lasting longer.

The report was released by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga. It was accompanied by a special briefing document on Surging Seas in a Warming World, described by Mr Guterres as “an SOS on sea level rise.”

“A worldwide catastrophe is putting this Pacific paradise in peril,” said Mr Guterres.“ Global average sea levels are rising at an unprecedented rate. The ocean is overflowing.”

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“The reason is clear: greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly generated by burning fossil fuels – are cooking our planet. And the sea is taking the heat – literally.”

Despite accounting for just 0.02 per cent of global emissions – the Pacific islands are uniquely exposed. Their average elevation is just one to two meters above sea level; 90 percent of the population live within five kilometres of the coast and half the infrastructure is within 500 metres of the sea, said Mr Guterres.

But the problem is global, he said.

“Surging seas are coming for us all – together with the devastation of fishing, tourism, and the Blue Economy. Across the world, around a billion people live in coastal areas threatened by our swelling ocean. Yet even though some sea level rise is inevitable, its scale, pace, and impact are not. That depends on our decisions,” said Mr Guterres, reiterating his urgent calls for drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and increasing in climate adaptation.

The 53rd Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting’s host nation, the Kingdom of Tonga, is on the frontline of climate change and is exposed to hazards such as tropical cyclones and flooding. It also suffered a massive volcanic eruption which unleashed a basin-wide tsunami in January 2022 and caused a massive injection of water vapour into the Earth’s atmosphere, impacting the global climate.

“Climate change has become a global crisis and is the defining challenge that humanity currently faces. Communities, economies and ecosystems throughout the South-West Pacific region are significantly affected by its cascading impacts. It is increasingly evident that we are fast running out of time to turn the tide,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

Source: WMO

Accelerated Growth Trend of Solar Capacities

Milena Maglovski
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Accelerated Growth Trend of Solar Capacities
Photo: Courtesy of Profefsor Nikola Rajaković. PhD

The prevailing stance in expert circles today regarding solar energy is undeniably positive. Particular emphasis is placed on its achieved technological maturity and the most rapid growth trend compared to other renewable energy sources, making comparisons with the future share of fossil fuels even more compelling. For the future of energy, an optimal mix that includes wind energy and hydropower, with a carefully measured place for nuclear technologies and moderate hope for nuclear fusion technologies in the more distant future, is indeed being considered.

Energy perspectives on the consumption side must account for the electrification of transport (where feasible) and strong electrification of the heating and cooling sectors and industry. It is essential to focus on reducing energy consumption to improve energy efficiency indicators and possibly due to changes in value systems in what we call the geopolitical West, where there are tentative theories about the need to reduce per capita consumption at this level of development to achieve sector sustainability (degrowthers). Electricity production perspectives balance consumption perspectives.

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For instance, in Europe in 2022, there was a production of 5.7 MWh/ person, and by 2050, a production of 11.7 MWh/person is expected, dominated by renewable energy sources (RES), primarily solar. As an illustration, the final consumption of all types of energy in Europe was 31 MWh/person in 2022, and it is expected to be 23 MWh/person by 2050 due to the impact of the previously analyzed trends. The concept of sustainable development, which sees environmental degradation as the central problem, is often accompanied by much demagoguery. Its main opponent is fundamentally liberal capitalism, which, with its growing hunger for profit, is practically in a perpetual war with sustainability. In 2023, 500 GW of RES capacities were built – a record year!

Of that, 50 per cent of the new RES capacities were built in China. Almost all analyses show that we will reach the peak use of all fossil fuels before 2030, followed by an accelerated decline in the share of fossil fuels in the energy sector. It is worth noting that, according to analyses, the RES sector will participate with about 80 per cent in the construction of new energy capacities in 2030, with solar technologies dominating with more than 50 per cent share. The growth trend of solar capacities is well illustrated by the fact that 220 GW of new solar capacities were built in solar power plants in 2022, and 500 GW of new solar capacities are expected by 2030. Decentralization refers to electricity production from small, geographically distributed renewable energy sources.

Decentralization (distributed production) also brings elements of democratization to the sector by dismantling monopolies of large energy giants. This segment is particularly significant for solar technologies, with solar panels installed on the roofs of family homes, public institutions, parking lots, supermarkets, and factories. In the future, decentralized production of all types of energy is expected to meet almost a third of total energy needs, with solar technologies again standing out as dominant due to their modularity, low cost, environmental friendliness, and potential for installation on vertical facades, car roofs, and numerous unconventional solutions.

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Mariana Proença)

Centralized production remains dominant (large power plants) but in synergy with decentralized production, which practically does not burden high-voltage transmission networks, forming an optimal hybrid mix. Agrosolar, or the simultaneous use of land for electricity production through solar panels and food production or biomass, is a significant segment of solar technology applications. The use of agrosolar in viticulture has already proven remarkably successful, where grape yields under solar panels, which have adjustable angles, are somewhat reduced, but accelerated airing of the vines after rain minimizes the development of fungal diseases, achieving optimal sunlight conditions (not too much, not too little sun), leading to a winwin situation with additional income from the produced electricity. For the development of large solar projects, it is crucial to successfully solve three parts of a complex puzzle: land (with the labyrinth of urban project development), grid connection (with realistic and conservative limitations imposed by grid operators), and the power purchase agreement (PPA) for the produced electricity (ensuring project bankability).

A significant characteristic of the energy transition in recent years is undoubtedly the speed of change, especially in reducing solar panel and battery technology costs. It is essential to note that hybrid solutions (combining solar power plants with powerful batteries at the same location as one balancing group) are very competitive today.

Professor Nikola Rajaković, PhD

Read the whole story in the new issue the Energy portal Magazine AGROSOLAR ENERGY AND RES.

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