Sacyr's Blog

Minerals, as well as being important for fertile soils and growing food, are essential for our modern technological society. We mine minerals from the earth and extract chemical elements that we use to make all kinds of tech devices, from mobile phones and computers to medical devices, electric vehicles and solar panels.

During the First World War, anyone caught 'killing, injuring or molesting' a pigeon could be imprisoned or fined. The work of carrier pigeons and other animals such as dolphins, camels and dogs has been fundamental in military conflicts and other catastrophes.

Using skyscraper lifts to store energy when there's a surplus and generate it when it's scarce. That's what a team of researchers aims to achieve with a new gravity-based system, details of which have been published in the journal Energy. We analyse the potential and the limitations of this technology.

In the midst of a series of global crises—energy, climate and political—many powers have strengthened their commitment to nuclear energy. Although this type of energy aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it suffers from the same old drawbacks: high costs and the need to manage the radioactive waste. Have we learned to control its risks?