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Which do you prefer and why? Poll above :)

When compared to the price of constructing/installing/planting it? Does it increase the value of the property more than the cost of the green roof, or are you more likely to spend more on the roof than what you'd get back by selling the property at a higher price?

Poll above, let's see what we think :)

If the system explicitly burns methane and releases CO2 as part of its core process, why do people say it's green? Aren't those the very two gases we're looking to avoid releasing into the atmosphere?

When it's so obviously very ,very real? And it isn't just a small spattering who don't believe in it - a quick trawl of the comments section in many major online publications shows that this is a widespread ignorance. Why do you think this is? Is it just that people don't [i]want[/i] to believe in it?

If Uruguay can go from oil being 27% of its imports in 2000 to renewable energy making up 95% of its electricity in 2015, without government subsidies, why can't the rest of the world take serious note? In addition to the lack of government subsidies, electricity prices in Uruguay even fell!

[url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/03/uruguay-makes-dramatic-shift-to-nearly-95-clean-energy]http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/03/uruguay-makes-dramatic-shift-to-nearly-95-clean-energy[/url]

Many energy suppliers are now offering 'smart meters', which let you see exactly how much electricity and gas you're going through. The idea is that these will make people more conscious of their energy usage and so more likely to cut down. Do you have one Do you think they really work?

Which technology offers the most potential to the UK?

So you're in a really windy place which also happens to have generous sunlight. It's considered perfect for either wind or solar harnessing. You can only pick one. Which one is more efficient, and therefore the better option?

I really love the look and feel of the website, but there are just a few things I'd like to suggest:

1. Ability to tag users
2. Ability to post polls
3. Notifications if someone quotes your post

This would make the forum really great :)

Subways were mentioned in another thread, but where else would be a good fit for this kind of heat recovery technology? Where would benefit the most?

If you were to pick one to install in your home, which would it be and why? It could be solar, wind, or anything else. I'd personally go with solar, not least because I like the way the panels look!

This is a carbon neutral process and gives the plants the energy they need for their cells to function. Is there no way we can create this artificially and exploit the process?

...in Africa. This is news just coming in from the climate change summit in Paris. This is great news, and is a fantastic sign of commitment from Francois Hollande to tackling the continued usage of fossil fuels and their effect on the most vulnerable societies on Earth. Bravo!

Or is your interest based solely on the technology side or the finiteness of fossil fuels? For me it's a mixture of all, but climate change is a huge deal to me, and I'm surprised it isn't seen as a larger public issue.

It seems to me that the primary disadvantage of solar energy is its reliability on daytime, nice weather and high UV levels. However, there are so many applications where solar would benefit the world regardless of this, so I guess in these cases it's just the cost? But surely the cost of investment would eventually be repaid in energy savings?

For example, in my mind it makes absolute sense to put solar panels on ships. The roof of the bridge on most ships is empty space, and could easily accommodate solar paneling. This could help to power the ship's electronic systems, with the engine providing backup electricity when needed. I think the investment would be very small when you consider a container ship costs hundreds of millions of pounds, and solar panels just a few thousand. Not only would the panels pay for themselves, but it would be gold PR. So, what are the disadvantages that are stopping solar power being utilised in more applications like this?

If I were the PM, and had the backing of the House, I'd do the following:

[list type=decimal]
[li]Make it more expensive to burn fossil fuels in existing plants[/li]
[li]Make it mandatory for all new structures over 3 stories to have green or solar roofing[/li]
[li]Make it mandatory for all new structures (including homes) to have in-built rainwater collection facilities for toilet and, if applicable, garden use[/li]
[li]Ban fracking[/li]
[li]Ban the construction of new coal power plants[/li]
[/list]

What would you do?

Sorry to be ignorant, but I'm a little confused on what exactly these pumps accomplish. Perhaps someone could give me a simplified explanation? That would be fantastic, I'm freshly interested in renewable energy, so I'm very much learning as I'm going.

Look at it, it's just gorgeous:


Doesn't that just look so cosy and warm?

From now on, all new commercial buildings in France must either have a green (flora) roof or solar panels. I think this is absolutely fantastic and exactly the kind of thing we should be pushing for in this country. Imagine how different our cities would look if every commercial building had a green or solar roof? The benefits would be incredible.

The city of Toronto, Canada has a similar law, and I think it's only a matter of time before we start hearing about this in more and more places.