Interesting Ideas

… in a fairytale. Naturally, there have been so many claims and forecasts about Tesla “Full Self Driving” and robotaxis over the past decade that it’s become easy to forget them and to brush new ones under the rug quickly. However, Elon Musk made a huge one last year, and ... [continued]

The post Tesla Robotaxis Now Cover 50% of the USA appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Experts say big flaw is the lack of mandatory requirements, meaning developers could ignore the guidance

Housing where shops, schools, public transport and possibly pubs are close by, with green spaces and access to nature, and where heritage is preserved, should be the norm for all new developments, according to guidelines set out by the government.

King’s Cross in London, for example, where industrial buildings have been converted into shops, restaurants and public spaces, and where schools and care homes mingle with social and private housing near to a cleaned-up canal and nature reserve, could become the model, according to the new vision.

It’s not just Tunbridge Wells – a country famous around the world for its rain is in danger of self-imposed drought

You get up and go to the loo, only to find the flush doesn’t work. You try the shower, except nothing comes out. You want a glass of water, but on turning the tap there is not a drop. Your day stumbles on, stripped of its essentials: no washing hands, no cleaning up the baby, neither tea nor coffee, no easy way to do the dishes or the laundry. Dirt accumulates; tempers fray.

The water company texts: we are so sorry; colleagues are working to restore connection; everything should soon be normal. You want to believe them, but the more it’s repeated, the more it becomes a kind of hold music. There’s no supply the next day, and the day after, and the day after that. Each morning brings with it the same chest-tightening question: what will happen today? Buckets and bottles don’t stop you feeling grubby and smelly, or from noticing the taint on your family and friends and neighbours. You’re not quite the people you thought you were and nothing feels normal.

Aditya Chakrabortty is a Guardian columnist

Exclusive: Beijing, Delhi, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro among worst affected, with demand close to exceeding supply

Half the world’s 100 largest cities are experiencing high levels of water stress, with 38 of these sitting in regions of “extremely high water stress”, new analysis and mapping has shown.

Water stress means that water withdrawals for public water supply and industry are close to exceeding available supplies, often caused by poor management of water resources exacerbated by climate breakdown.

A study of Arabidopsis thaliana plants found that plants growing together activated genes to protect themselves, while isolated plants did not

Plants growing close to each other can warn each other about stresses in their lives.

Thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants were grown on their own or crowded so close together they were touching each other. When all the plants were then stressed with intense light, the isolated plants suffered severe damage, but the crowds of plants were able to cope with the stress. In fact, it just took an hour for the crowded plants to switch on more than 2,000 of their genes that were involved in protecting against a host of different stresses; in contrast, the isolated plants showed little sign of any extra gene activity.

The latest report from Ember shows solar and wind outperformed fossil fuel generation in the EU in 2025 for the first time ever.

The post Wind & Solar Surpassed Fossil Fuels In EU In 2025 appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The removal of sulphur from shipping fuels caused ‘a lot of extra sunlight’ to get through atmosphere and hit reef in 2022

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Steps to clean up the shipping industry by removing sulphur from fuels intensified a major coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef by allowing more of the sun’s energy to hit the oceanic wonder, according to a new study.

Sulphur pollution can cause respiratory problems for humans and cause acid rain, but it also has a shading effect and can make clouds brighter, providing more shade to areas underneath.

Manual for building design aims to encourage low-carbon construction as alternative to steel and concrete

An airport made of bamboo? A tower reaching 20 metres high? For many years, bamboo has been mostly known as the favourite food of giant pandas, but a group of engineers say it’s time we took it seriously as a building material, too.

This week the Institution of Structural Engineers called for architects to be “bamboo-ready” as they published a manual for designing permanent buildings made of the material, in an effort to encourage low-carbon construction and position bamboo as a proper alternative to steel and concrete.

Described by one researcher as looking ‘already dead’, the enigmatic creatures are one of the least understood species on the planet

It looks more like a worn sock than a fearsome predator. It moves slower than an escalator. By most accounts, it is a clumsy and near-sightless relic drifting in the twilight waters of the Arctic, lazily searching for food scraps.

The Greenland shark, an animal one researcher (lovingly) said, “looks like it’s already dead”, is also one of the least understood, biologically enigmatic species on the planet.

As you may know by now, CleanTechnica is producing its first large scale event, the Electric Home Show, in Honolulu, in April. It’s a 3 day festival of amazing earth-friendly fun, starting with a day for industry professionals, followed by 2 days of a consumer trade show with talks, workshops, ... [continued]

The post Major success from the Electric Home Show – 3 months before it even happens appeared first on CleanTechnica.

As promised a couple months ago, Waymo has launched robotaxi service in Miami, Florida. (Thanks to a reader for pointing this out to me under my article about Tesla’s robotaxi coverage reaching 50% of the US population … or not.) After doing its usual process of testing, testing, and more ... [continued]

The post Waymo Launches Robotaxi Service in Miami appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Our passion for these cute-looking salamanders means they are everywhere – except in the wild, where the species is under increasing threat

Axolotls are the new llamas. Which were, of course, the new unicorns. Which triggered a moment for narwhals. If you are an unusual-looking animal, this is your time. Even humans who have never seen an axolotl – a type of salamander – in the smooth and slimy flesh will have met a cartoon or cuddly one. Mexican axolotls have the kind of look that is made for commercial reproduction. The most popular domestic species is pink. Some glow in the dark – and their smile is bigger than Walter’s in the Muppets.

At Argos or Kmart, you can buy axolotls as cuddly toys, featured on socks, hoodies and bedding, or moulded into nightlights. You can crochet an axolotl, stick a rubber one on the end of your pencil or wear them on your underpants. The Economist says they’re a “global megastar”. More than 1,000 axolotl-themed products are listed on Walmart’s website. They grace US Girl Scouts patches, McDonald’s Happy Meals, and the 50-peso bill, a design so popular that, last year, the Bank of Mexico reported that 12.9 million people were hoarding the notes.

Many of us said it as soon as Donald Trump got elected again — he was going to drive the USA’s standing in the world down so much that we’d never recover. It’s clear that the USA’s influence in the world has been on a slow decline and in a ... [continued]

The post Is Donald Trump the Dumbest Block of Cheese in World Politics? appeared first on CleanTechnica.

AutoTrader’s latest pricing and mileage figures highlight a decisive shift in buyer behaviour as Chinese brands convert sceptics into confident second-hand shoppers. This shift could help accelerate the transition to electric vehicles in South Africa in the medium term, as Chinese brands have shown to be more aggressive when it ... [continued]

The post Chinese Vehicles Are Gaining Serious Traction in South Africa’s Overall Used Vehicle Market appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Plug-in hybrids are the hottest thing in South Africa right now in terms of sales growth. Sales of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) were up 280% in 2025 compared with sales figures from 2024. That’s because 738 PHEVs were sold in 2024 and 2,808 PHEVs were sold in 2025 in the passenger ... [continued]

The post PHEV Sales Up 280% In 2025 In South Africa, While HEVs Down 6% As Chinese Brands Grow Market Share appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Researchers say event described as ‘major tipping point’ for clean energy in era of destabilised politics

Wind and solar overtook fossil fuels in the European Union’s power generation last year, a report has found, in a “major tipping point” for clean energy.

Turbines spinning in the wind and photovoltaic panels lit up by the sun generated 30% of the EU’s electricity in 2025, according to an annual review. Power plants burning coal, oil and gas generated 29%.

Valo makes its U.S. debut as Vertical shares plans for electric air travel routes in and out of Manhattan with Bristow and Skyports Infrastructure The routes would cut multi-hour journeys to minutes by air Valo will be on public display at the Classic Car Club in NYC on 23 January ... [continued]

The post Vertical Aerospace Brings Valo to New York, Outlining Plans for Electric Air Taxi Routes appeared first on CleanTechnica.

As Labour shakes up regulation, suppliers are finally investing – but face problems such as contractor shortages and inflation

• Water firms could be let off pollution fines as part of government overhaul

When a sluice gate failed 24 metres below the water’s surface at Thames Water’s Queen Mother reservoir near London’s Heathrow airport, there were no easy fixes available. Emptying 37m cubic metres (1,307m cu ft) of water was not an option, meaning that helmeted divers were limited to 98-minute stints in the high-pressure environment.

The risky project required a team on a floating platform with a crane to cut out the broken equipment with thermal lances, bolt a plate on to the reservoir wall, and install the new equipment. It took more than a year until last October to complete, according to Glenfield Invicta, the contractor that carried out the work for Thames Water.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has just published a report about renewable energy jobs: Renewable Energy and Jobs Annual Review 2025. What really jumps out is the fact that about 16.6 million people worked in renewable energy jobs last year. “At least 16.6 million people were directly or indirectly ... [continued]

The post 16.6 Million People Work In Renewable Energy? appeared first on CleanTechnica.

A new compact, containerized energy storage system can store up solar power and deliver it for more than 100 hours at a time, day or night.

The post US Startup Brings Diesel-Killing Energy Storage Down To Earth, From Mars appeared first on CleanTechnica.