However, despite this fog of depression that is the Johannesburg hangover, the edie news team has vowed to remain optimistic. This week we have, unusually, two stories about innovation in the ‘UK’ section. One is about a company that will, by this time next year, be selling 3.4 billion degradable plastic carrier bags around the world. The second concerns a new steam-powered boat engine that makes little noise, requires no propeller, nor oil, and has lower emissions than more traditional motors.
Elsewhere in the world, the EU has announced €69 million funding for innovative environmental projects, such as a solar-powered railway in Italy and organic fertiliser made from Greek olive oil. And German scientists have announced that they have been able to speed up the efficiency of a process to produce biogas from sewage sludge. It can now take only five days to produce the gas, rather than 20 to 30.
After reading about all that, the generation of electricity from political spin doesn’t seem so far fetched after all. The future seems brighter already.
Kind regards
Helen André
Editor