Invitation: Climate change - from knowledge to action
The graph visualizes the average temperature for Germany between 1881 and 2017; each strip stands for one year, based on the data set of the DWD. © Ed Hawkins/klimafakten.de
Climate change and its causes are undisputed. But how do we get from knowledge to action? What can science contribute to this? On Thursday, 5.12.2019 at 17:00 Clara Mayer (Fridays for Future), Volker Quaschning (HTW Berlin and Scientists for Future), Bernd Rech (scientific director of the HZB) and Kira Vinke (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research) will discuss these questions. The event takes place in the Bunsen lecture hall of WISTA in Adlershof and is open to the public. Admission is free.
Countless scientific studies show how important it is to limit global warming. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions at all levels of society and in all sectors in order to achieve our climate targets. But there are many hurdles to implementation. What can science do to speed up action here? Should science interfere at all?
These questions are discussed in an open debate. Participants are Clara Mayer from Fridays for Future, Prof. Volker Quaschning (HTW Berlin and Scientists for Future), Prof. Bernd Rech (Scientific Director of the HZB) and Dr. Kira Vinke of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. The debate will be moderated by Rutger Schlatmann (Head of PVcomB at HZB).
The debate is open to the public and will take place in the Bunsen lecture hall of WISTA. Admission is free.
As the discussion takes place within the international user meeting at the HZB, the discussion language is English.
Venue: Bunsen Lecture Hall WISTA, Rudower Chaussee 17, 12489 Berlin
Time: Thursday, 5.12.2019 from 17:00 until 18:30
- Porous Radical Organic framework improves lithium-sulphur batteriesA team led by Prof. Yan Lu, HZB, and Prof. Arne Thomas, Technical University of Berlin, has developed a material that enhances the capacity and stability of lithium-sulphur batteries. The material is based on polymers that form a framework with open pores (known as radical-cationic covalent organic frameworks or COFs). Catalytically accelerated reactions take place in these pores, firmly trapping polysulphides, which would shorten the battery life. Some of the experimental analyses were conducted at the BAMline at BESSY II.
- Shedding light on insulators: how light pulses unfreeze electronsMetal oxides are abundant in nature and central to technologies such as photocatalysis and photovoltaics. Yet, many suffer from poor electrical conduction, caused by strong repulsion between electrons in neighboring metal atoms. Researchers at HZB and partner institutions have shown that light pulses can temporarily weaken these repulsive forces, lowering the energy required for electrons mobility, inducing a metal-like behavior. This discovery offers a new way to manipulate material properties with light, with high potential to more efficient light-based devices.
- Lithium-sulphur batteries with lean electrolyte: problem areas clarifiedUsing a non-destructive method, a team at HZB investigated practical lithium-sulphur pouch cells with lean electrolyte for the first time. With operando neutron tomography, they could visualise in real-time how the liquid electrolyte distributes and wets the electrodes across multilayers during charging and discharging. These findings offer valuable insights into the cell failure mechanisms and are helpful to design compact Li-S batteries with a high energy density in formats relevant to industrial applications.