Eco Geek

  One of the most deeply rooted assumptions in civil engineering is that using recycled materials in structural concrete inevitably means sacrificing strength but researchers from Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, in collaboration with the University of Surrey, have found that this is not necessarily the case. https://iono.fm/e/1713445 You can find much more technical detail here: https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-recycled-aggregates-concrete-strength.html

Fittingly for Spring Day, research from America shows that Solar PV farms where wild grasses and flowers are allowed to bloom recorded nearly twice the number of ground nesting birds and bat species than commercial agricultural farms. https://iono.fm/e/1712979 Unchanged: Find out more here: https://www.ecoportal.net/en/grassland-bird-species-midwest-solar-farms-acoustic/34843/

More than 1,000 volunteers buried cotton underwear across Switzerland to help scientists measure how active different soils are. The faster the fabric disappeared, the more biological activity was taking place underground. https://iono.fm/e/1712469 Read more about the study here: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260827010501.htm

Plastic is notoriously bad for the planet, and polystyrene is one of the worst of the plastics, it is hard to recycle and takes around 1000 years to break down. That is why it is such good news that an alternative made from waste products from the timber industry is being created. https://iono.fm/e/1712006 Find out more here: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/wood-foam-startup-uses-logging-waste-as-substitute-for-plastic-producing-400-pounds-daily/

Previous studies have shown that painting one blade on a wind turbine can help stop birds flying into them and getting injured or killed but a new study has looked at installing auditory warning devices and found that they worked "more than 50% of the time across species". https://iono.fm/e/1711625 You can read more about the study here: https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-turbine-tactics-biologists-successfully-golden.html

Kenya has tripled its long-term target for expanding its renewable energy capacity, aiming for power generating capacity of 5,500 megawatts. https://iono.fm/e/1711195 Read more here: https://apnews.com/article/kenya-nuclear-geothermal-renewable-solar-e9a7bfa17c05bf6d752c52ff508917fb

Researchers from Adelaide University's School of Chemical Engineering have found a way to use human urine to make hydrazine, which is a chemical used for energy storage in EV batteries. https://iono.fm/e/1710796 Read the full story here: https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-urine-ev-batteries-electricity-urea.html

South Africa's energy regulator has approved a further 124 renewable generation facilities at a total value of R20.18 billion. Once completed the facilities will provide a total of 804MW to the grid. https://iono.fm/e/1710374 Read more here: https://www.news24.com/business/climate-future/energy/sa-adds-124-new-renewable-energy-sites-worth-r20bn-in-3-months-20260820-0778

Modelled on the already successful Black Mambas, who patrol the greater Kruger area, the all-female Green Griffons patrol South Africa's Wild Coast to keep it free from poaching while, according to founder, Colin Bell, also "gathering field data on EarthRanger devices, monitoring wildlife and plants, spreading awareness about the importance of the environment to school children and local communities, and gathering information about potential unlawful activities.” https://iono.fm/e/1709775 Read the full […]