SA blackout due to 'transmission system faults' in extreme weather, report finds
Energy market operator’s preliminary report makes clear South Australian event was ‘a transmission failure, not a generation failure’ The Australian Energy Market Operator has pointed to South Australia’s extreme weather last week as the prime cause of “multiple transmission system faults” resulting in a statewide blackout. In a preliminary report the regulator cites severe weather […]
We're eating more antibiotic-free chicken. But what about beef?
Companies like Perdue and Tyson Foods are reducing or eliminating antibiotic use in chickens. Pork and beef producers need to keep up Every parent wants to be the most powerful proponents that she or he can be when it comes to their children’s health. As a pair of moms who also happen to be longtime […]
Monitoring your own power isn’t so simple | Letters
A few years ago our electricity supplier provided us with a simple device to monitor our use. It tells us how much power we are using and what it is costing, by day and by month. Of course, there is always a small trickle because of various clocks around the house, the fridge, etc. But […]
'Great Pacific garbage patch' far bigger than imagined, aerial survey shows
Giant collection of fishing nets, plastic containers and other discarded items called a ‘ticking time bomb’ as large items crumble into micro plastics The vast patch of garbage floating in the Pacific Ocean is far worse than previously thought, with an aerial survey finding a much larger mass of fishing nets, plastic containers and other […]
The 'well from hell' – my fight with BP to film Deepwater Horizon
The 2010 explosion in the Gulf of Mexico triggered an environmental catastrophe and resulted in unbelievable human heroism – so it was a natural fit for Hollywood. But what do you do when your film leads you into conflict with a corporate oil giant? The film’s director, Peter Berg, explains When you start working on […]
Scientists discover hidden world of Hawaii's coral 'twilight zone'
20-year study of deep reefs finds algae meadows and swaths of continuous coral with the highest rate of species found nowhere else in Earth’s seas The “twilight zone” of Hawaii’s deep coral reefs are home to vast algae meadows and support the highest rates of species found nowhere else in Earth’s seas, scientists have discovered. […]
Why is Haiti vulnerable to natural hazards and disasters?
Poor infrastructure, deforestation and failure to prepare for earthquakes and storms put the island at very high risk Haiti, which is feeling the force of Hurricane Matthew, with winds of 145mph and 3ft of rain, is all too accustomed to natural hazards and disasters. The Caribbean country is regularly battered by tropical storms and floods […]
Green groups accuse Sadiq Khan of betrayal over east London tunnel
Critics of £1bn Silvertown tunnel highlight pollution risk and say mayor of London was against idea during election campaign London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, has angered green campaigners by approving a controversial four-lane road tunnel in east London. Critics of the £1bn Silvertown tunnel linking the Greenwich peninsula and the Royal Dock accused Khan of betrayal […]
Seattle homeowners accused of felling 150 trees on public land for a better view
The destruction of an acre and a half of trees along a public greenbelt has drawn condemnation and sparked civil lawsuits Settling into homes with gold-plated views is the goal for many who come to West Seattle. And so headlines blared when residents learned that some neighbors, seeking a better view than they already had, […]
By failing to rein in climate change, our children's rights are being disregarded | James Dyke
A paper from the prominent Nasa climate scientist James Hansen reminds us of the debt young people face if we continue our high fossil fuel emissions The past is a different country – take the USSR during 1988 which was being convulsed as Mikhail Gorbachev’s perestroika swept through the nation. A nation that three years […]