Have an energy-neutral Christmas
It needn't all be rampant consumerism and gleeful gluttony this Christmas. With a bit of thought we can embrace the waste and sort, clean, extrude and process our way to a greener future.
The pressure is on to increase the amount of recycled waste and, whilst the UK is making great strides, there's a long way to go.
Dreaming of a zero-waste Christmas? Looking at the vast volumes of food and drink thrown away every year, it’s a job to know where to start.
The UK consigns millions of tonnes of waste to sprawling landfills, but the search is on for an alternative.
E&T turns out the usual rubbish again this month, rooting through the bins of information in search of the recyclable matter of fact. We look at how patchy recycling services in the UK are making the zero-waste society a distant dream; how technology is helping deal with the huge amount of food waste binned by an overfed nation; and we point a finger at Europe's worst landfill offender (clue: it's an island nation not far from France). We also assess the engineering prescience of Bladerunner; how the 2012 Olympics are shaping up in the zero-carbon stakes; and why women don't buy pink gadgets - or do they? All this and much more besides. The E&T podcast: download episode 12 now
In our third long-form podcast, Rachael Fergusson interviews Professor Frank James about the final edition of Michael Faraday’s letters, published by the IET; Jonathan Wilson hears from electronic music pioneer Thomas Dolby about his latest work and his reflections on technology past, present and future; Dominic Lenton talks to Dr Julian Allwood from the University of Cambridge about the album and book Both Eyes Open, which considers the place of metals in the world today and the people that work with them; Stephane Arditi phones in to state his position on the recasting of the EU WEEE directive; Vitali Vitaliev travels to Estonia to see a hotel room from the 1950s that was used exclusively by visiting foreign dignitaries during the Cold War era, with their activity covertly monitored all the while by KGB agents next door; and Nick Smith asks explorer Charley Boorman about his preference for travelling by motorbike and the technology that keeps him in touch when he’s out on the road.
Interview: Masaaki Tsuruta, Sony Computer Entertainment 
Sony aims to give its next-generation gaming console an up to 10 year shelf-life, according to the CTO of its Computer Entertainment division, Masaaki Tsuruta, in this exclusive E&T interview.
Siemens on track after solid performance
Siemens turns to emerging markets to offset slow growth elsewhere.
Photo Essay - e-waste
Ever-growing consumption of electronic items makes e-waste a major issue around the world. So what is being done to recycle and reuse discarded computers and other accessories?
Programming through biology
Researchers are taking inspiration from the workings of human organism when it comes to developing next-generation switches, sensors and chipsets.
An ‘engineered communications future’ could build new infrastructures
The IET Communications Policy Panel (CPP) concluded one of its busiest years with the publication of its ‘Engineering the future of communications 2011 – Smart, Fast, and Mobile’ manifesto for change at a special Year End Event held on 30 November at the House of Lords.
Theatre in the electronic age
New communicative technologies are enabling paying punters from different time zones to collaborate in real time to construct the story.
One2Ten - Russian innovations
Marking the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the world's most notorious totalitarian state, E&T considers some of the former USSR's less sinister technological creations.
Olympics Watch - Zero-waste Games
From brown-field site to Olympic Games venue to legacy function, E&T investigates the processes and methods involved in designing-out waste at the London Games location.
Blade Runner and technology's past future
How has the science, engineering and technology in cinema classic 'Blade Runner' progressed over the 30 years since the film's first release?
450mm dilemma for chipmakers
Chipmakers want to cut costs by moving to pizza-sized wafers, but could it prove to be an expensive mistake?
Gadget's gender gap closes
Gadgets makers can't shake the habit of thinking pink when they try to sell to women, but isn't it time they started concentrating on simply making things work?
Data management - will we ever press 'delete'?
In our 'Cover Your Ass' culture we are storing more unwanted data than ever, and it's costing a bundle – so what steps can we take to generate less and delete more?
UK eyes battery recycling targets
Strict statutory targets for the recycling of batteries will come into force next year. How will the UK fare?
Faraday - a man of contradictions
A prolific man of letters, Frank James talks to E&T about Michael Faraday and uncovers the personality behind the well-known image.
The art of developing apps
Still in his twenties, Ed Lea is CTO with Grapple, a company that builds cross-platform smartphone applications, or 'apps'.
Can existing Wi-Fi nodes boost 4G?
Planned 4G mobile services may struggle to deliver the promised higher data rates but some smart linking of existing Wi-Fi node networks might act as effective support.
Author Interview: Andrea Kates
As corporate belts tighten and creativity feels the squeeze, perhaps the toughest question for companies to answer is 'what's next?'
For and Against: Is there enough technology on TV and radio?
For
Technology isn’t covered adequately or frequently enough on mainstream radio and television
Director and council member
Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop profile
Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop is a director of Digital Explorer, a social enterprise that brings real world learning to the classroom, from youth development expeditions to exploring the world’s oceans. He is also a council member of the Royal Geographical Society
Against
Technology is covered adequately and frequently enough on mainstream radio and television
Radio presenter and lecturer
Gareth Mitchell profile
Gareth Mitchell is the presenter of the science and technology radio programme ‘Click’ on BBC World Service. He is a lecturer in science communication at Imperial College, London, and also writes regularly for popular science magazine BBC Focus
Technology isn’t covered adequately on mainstream radio and television
iPhone case made from all-recycled materials - rice farming by-products and post-consumer thermo plastics
Synthetic fleece made from “soda bottles, second-quality fabrics and worn out garments”
This 42in LED cuts energy use by 60 per cent, uses recycleable materials and has a solar-powered remote
‘Climate neutral’ range of solar-panelled courier bags. Recharge gadgets as you walk, and they're made from recycled sailcloth
Smart 48-litre two-compartment recycling/rubbish bin. ‘Multi-sense’ system lifts lid as you wave over it
Android handset with eco-conscious,with less packaging, recycled plastics in construction and an eco-charger
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