The cobalt challenge - The dark side of the energy transition

To ensure that driving continues to be possible despite the climate crisis, the automotive industry is relying on electric cars. But many of their batteries use an extremely problematic raw material: Cobalt. Heat, drought, floods. The climate crisis has arrived in Europe. To ensure that driving remains possible while the CO2 footprint is reduced, the automotive industry has turned to a solution: the rapid and comprehensive switch to electric cars. The EU Commission has decided on the same solution. Now, not just Tesla, but Volkswagen, Volvo, Peugeot and Renault are all investing tens of billions of euros in electromobility. And electromobility requires batteries.

China's Xi Jinping arrives in Saudi Arabia for energy-focused visit

 Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (December 7) to attend meetings with regional leaders. The visit is likely to focus on energy ties

Energy crisis: Will a green transition throw the global economy into recession?

Energy prices have surged this year as countries and households confront shortages of oil, gas and coal. In this episode of Business Beyond we look at some of the major factors behind the energy crunch, from the role of green policies to Russian gas maneuvering to China.

The man who 'killed' Pluto and nature in the lab

This episode of TechKnow continues the exploration of new technology and its impact on lives in a first ever on-the-road special.

Our contributors head to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), one of the world's most recognisable and active science institutions, which has captured the imagination of popular culture, having been featured in television shows such as The Big Bang Theory, to check out some of the groundbreaking research and discoveries coming out of the labs.


We speak to MacArthur 'Genius Grant' recipient and Caltech professor of aeronautics and bioengineering, Dr John Dabiri, about mimicking nature in the lab. Dabiri explains how he is studying nature to better understand how to make devices more energy efficient.

According to him, underwater patterns of schools of fish can be used to improve the efficiency of wind turbines, and "stealing ideas" from jellyfish movements to develop underwater vehicles - research that the US Navy is interested in.