Fuelling the future on Earth Day - how researchers are making a difference

Earth Day is a global event, occurring annually, that aims to encourage people to act for the planet and raise awareness about environmental issues.  The theme for the 2025 awareness day, taking place on April 22, is “Our Power, Our Planet” which encourages a worldwide alliance to act, innovate, and implement measures to protect the environment, particularly focusing on renewable energy and tripling global clean electricity generation by 2030.   

In response, University of Derby academics and students comment on the urgent need for ‘greener’ energy sources and the role they are playing in driving towards a more sustainable future. 

Dr Jordan Phethean, Lecturer in Earth Sciences at the University of Derby

“In the last few years, the UK and Europe have persistently experienced record-breaking high temperatures, increasing occurrences of water shortages and crop failures, as well as wildfires.  

“Modern societies were able to develop thanks to a stable climate and the possibility to farm crops, but this climatic stability is slipping from beneath our feet. It is therefore critical that we find alternative clean sources of energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as finding ways to safely capture and sequester CO2 permanently from the atmosphere.” 

Dr Phethean is working with PhD student Maja Tranova to research geothermal energy systems for the UK, which can produce clean energy from heat inside the earth. Dr Phethean added:

“Geothermal energy is critical for the UK’s energy supply as, unlike wind and solar, it can provide a constant baseload energy supply. Our latest research investigates the potential for high temperature geothermal power production from extremely deeply buried rocks in the Rockall Basin, offshore Scotland. Such geothermal systems can provide water hot enough to generate electricity, a rare commodity in the UK and helping to reduce our reliance on gas fuelled power plants.” 

Charlotte Priddy, Lecturer in Earth Sciences at the University of Derby

“Human activities such as transportation, industrial processes and energy production are all contributing to increased CO2 emissions which, in turn, are contributing to global warming.  

“Therefore, reducing these emissions by utilising ‘greener’ energy sources is essential in slowing down climate change, improving air quality and protecting ecosystems for future generations.  

“Failing to reduce CO2 emissions will accelerate environmental, social and economic challenges. It would mean global temperatures rise with more frequent droughts and wildfires, melting icecaps and rising sea levels. In turn, rising sea levels would increase the risk of flooding and ocean acidification, which would damage our marine ecosystems. Our agriculture would be harmed, too, resulting in potential food shortages and increased prices in supermarkets. 

“We are working very hard to find solutions and ways in which we can reduce emissions here at the University of Derby and my research has focused on geological evaluation of potential carbon capture and storage (CSS) sites. In particular, there is a focus on how we can utilise depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and effectively model the subsurface for CO2 storage.” 

Cyril Mbachu, PhD student, studying carbon capture and storage on agricultural land using enhanced weathering strategy

“Currently, the elevated concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), are directly responsible for the rise in average global temperatures.  

“This negative trend is expected to persist unless greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced by utilising greener energy sources, and atmospheric CO2 is intentionally removed through the implementation of nature-based strategies such as the enhanced weathering technique. 

“Earth Day serves as a reminder of how human activities have contributed to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, which are primarily responsible for the current global climate change crisis.  

“Earth Day initiatives should be regarded as a call to action for a concerted effort among individuals, businesses, and both public and private sectors to implement strategies that promote environmental protection and ensure the sustainable utilisation of Earth's resources.

''This is why my research is so important. Once completed, it will present real-world field and laboratory data that is set to contribute to promoting the potential of the enhanced weathering strategy as a viable nature-based technique to sequester atmospheric CO₂, particularly on agricultural land.” 

Zero carbon is one of the University of Derby’s six research themes. Our research in this area has both a strategic purpose - informing international, national, and regional policy - and a tactical one: influencing business support projects as well as urban and environmental sustainability initiatives. 

Photo caption, left to right: Charlotte Priddy Lecturer in Earth Sciences, Cyril Mbachu PhD student, Dr Jordan Phethean Lecturer in Earth Sciences.

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