Wood is an ancient material humans have been using for millions of years, for the construction of housing, ships and as a source of fuel for burning. It’s also a renewable source, and one way to capture excess carbon dioxide from the Earth’s atmosphere. Today, the main component of wood – cellulose – is produced annually at 20 times the volume of steel. One thing you wouldn’t use wood for is making windows. Instead we rely on glass and plastic, which are transparent and, when toughened, can give structural support. But buildings lose a lot of heat through glass, and while light can bring some heat through the material, it’s not a good insulator. This is why we need double glazing. Wood, on the other hand, is highly insulating but it’s not transparent. Usually. In recent years, materials scientists have been experimenting with making wood transparent. Making wood see-through, and retaining its high mechanical properties, would provide a good alternative to glass from a sustainable and renewable source. Previous methods of doing this were highly energy intensive and used harmful chemicals, but a new study has shown a way to make wood transparent without using huge amounts of energy […]
Latest Articles
Helping Papuans protect Indonesia’s last frontier: Q&A with Bustar Maitar
Bustar Maitar’s storied career in environmental activism began in the Indonesian region of Papua, the land of his birth and today the coveted...
How data is transforming the way we care for the ocean
An iceberg floats in a fjord near the town of Tasiilaq, Greenland, June 18, 2018. Turning commitments and ideas into the actions needed for...
Nuts for coco de mer: islanders rally to save world’s biggest seed
he coco de mer is a much-loved cultural and botanical icon of the Seychelles,” says Katy Beaver, a plant expert on the islands...
America’s Bald Eagle Population Has Quadrupled Since 2009, Government Report Finds
After being threatened with extinction, the American bald eagle population has quadrupled since 2009 — a swift recovery that Martha Williams, deputy director...
Coffee waste can supercharge the growth of new forests
What happens when you dump 30 trucks full of coffee waste on land set aside for reforestation? Well, the forest recovers a heck...
Students design skateboard wheels made from chewing gum
Chewing gum: it’s a type of plastic pollution that we’re just not talking about enough. Most modern chewing gums are made from synthetic...