Canada, one of the biggest per capita emitters of greenhouse gases, as well as being one of the biggest oil exporters to the United States, has shown reticence in making any hard goals, claiming “Northern regions” -Canada, Sweden, Norway, Finland- “are in a much tougher spot when it comes to GHG reductions,” according to the huffingtonpost. But today’s promise from Norway may nudge Canada in the right direction.

This week’s summit in Bangkok can be thought of as a precursor to the higher level talks to be held in the coming months in Barcelona and Denmark. Many believe that meetings in these two cities represent the last real chance at achieving a global target and consensus on emissions reductions. That being said, Norway has certainly taken a step in the right direction.

[image via US National Archives]

Today’s news comes by way of Sweden, as reported by the Economist. This new technology applies to discoveries in cellulose battery research, which is taken from algae. Algae may be the most exciting clean energy possibility, with much study given to developing algae-based jet fuel.

Dr. Albert Mihranyan has developed a battery which can be nearly as thin as a piece of paper. And, although not nearly as powerful as its Lithium battery counterpart, there will certainly be uses for this technology in the soon. At present, Dr. Mihranyan is seeking a way to introduce this new battery into the marketplace, according to the Economist.com:

“Dr Mihranyan is now seeking to commercialise the technology. Although algal batteries cannot replace lithium-ion ones, because they are only about a third as efficient, they could be used for niche applications. That might include luggage tags containing small radios that broadcast their location to baggage handlers. “Smart” packaging materials such as cereal boxes that include electronic displays are another possibility.”

As I’ve said before, small is the new BIG! Nano technology will find a much easier time being incorporated into the marketplace because of our undying and expanding love for gadgetry.

[image via Moria]