Five cool things about our environmental research

From decarbonising heat to food security and water sustainability, we're working to bring about improvements that will benefit nature and the well-being of the planet. Durham's research is having an impact on the environment and potentially all of our lives. In fact, it's hard to imagine a more important research focus for us than the environment given that all life depends upon it. Here are just five of the things we're doing: 1. Using the heat beneath your feet Did you know that geothermal energy could provide over 100 years of reliable, low-carbon energy in the UK? Researchers at Durham Energy Institute are looking at how we can use warm floodwater from the UK's disused coalmines to heat our homes and workplaces. To support this, we're talking to Government, communities and local authorities in former coalmining areas to see how we could use this heat source as an alternative to fossil fuels. Reusing waste plastic Three of our PhD students have developed a way of recycling waste plastic by turning it into an aggregate used in concrete.