With the death of Pope Francis, the world loses not only a church leader but also a moral compass
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Solar sells, but need it cost the earth?
It’s sunny times for the solar industry which is expected to continue to grow rapidly — but there are still major environmental issues with how solar cells are made, explain ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
HOW GREEN IS GREEN? Recycling solar cells safely is a major challenge for the growing industry
LYNNE WALSH previews the Bristol Radical History Conference this weekend
Keir Starmer’s £120 million to Sudan cannot cover the government’s complicity in the RSF genocide or atone for the long shadow of British colonialism and imperialism, writes CLAUDIA WEBBE
Join the traditional march from Clerkenwell Green, which will bring together countless international workers’ organisations in a statement against the far right
Ecuador’s election wasn’t free — and its people will pay the price under President Noboa
Mountains of research show that hardcore material harms children, yet there are still no simple measures in place
We face austerity, privatisation, and toxic influence. But we are growing, and cannot be beaten
SOLAR CELLS became a serious industry around 2000, when an exponential expansion in their installation began. Since then, they have gone on to make up a whopping — or rather, minuscule — 2 per cent of the global energy market.
They are, however, scheduled for continued extreme growth over the coming years, with the most dramatic predictions forecasting that their share of the energy market could increase to 50 per cent by 2050.
If it were possible to satisfy the entire world’s energy needs with solar power, (this is thought impossible because of the ways some energy must be used and stored) an area approximately the size of Spain would need to be totally covered in solar panels.
More from this author
Science has always been mixed up with money and power, but as a decorative facade for megayachts, it risks leaving reality behind altogether, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
A small Japanese trial has reported some positive results for stem cell therapy to treat spinal-cord injuries
Man-made canals like Panama and Suez face unprecedented challenges from extreme weather patterns and geopolitical tensions that reveal the fragility of our global trade networks, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
Fraud in Alzheimer’s research raises difficult questions about the current state of science, write ROX MIDDLETON, LIAM SHAW and MIRIAM GAUNTLETT
