The Power of a Calm Sea
As our global demand for power increases so does our pollution, with energy-related CO2 emissions expected to rise by 50 percent in the next 15 years. Our reliance on finite and polluting fossil fuels is unsustainable and the need for renewable energy is greater than ever.
One alternative is tidal power. The vast majority of our planet is covered with constantly moving oceans and currents – and these represent a huge and consistent source of renewable energy. But conventional tidal turbines are big, expensive and can only be installed in locations where tidal velocity is very high. However, a company specialising in marine energy believes they have come up a solution.
Minesto has developed a new underwater technology that uses the magnified power of the ocean to generate electricity even in areas of low tidal velocity.
Russell Beard travels to Northern Ireland to see how this innovation may be turning the tide in the search for comprehensive and cost effective ocean power.
Fish Net Fashion
Every year, around 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear is lost or discarded in our seas and oceans. The gear traps, injures, mutilates and even kills hundreds of thousands of sea animals. Abandoned fish nets, known as 'ghost nets', are usually lost in storms, snagged on reefs or even tangled when boats operate in crowded waters.
But one organisation, the Healthy Seas Initiative, has given these nets a second life. They work with local fishermen to retrieve the nets and instead of just sending them to landfill, they partner with a textiles company who use them to produce a recycled nylon called ECONYL. This recycled material is then used to make a number of products from carpets to swimwear.
Gelareh Darabi travels to Croatia and Slovenia to meet the people going to great depths to recover and regenerate this valuable resource.
