South Australia weather: power supply prioritised after emergency declared
SA governor assents to regulations ensuring the production, distribution and supply of electricity declared essential services Australia’s energy market is prioritising South Australia after the state declared a period of emergency following two days of destructive storms. The Australian Energy Market Operator will maintain control of the South Australian power supply for up to seven […]
Deepwater Horizon review – BP oil spill drama captures heroics and heartache
Mark Wahlberg stars in Peter Berg’s excellent nail-biting drama about the 2010 disaster that cost 11 lives The spirit of Irwin Allen is revived for the 21st century in this terrifically tense and exciting real-life disaster movie, directed by Peter Berg. It comes complete with the time-honoured figures: the action-man tough guy, the grizzled old-timer […]
Lifestyle choice of the world's most cosmopolitan butterfly
Most painted ladies have already headed south, and new research reveals just how far these butterflies travel The last red admirals and commas are feeding on ivy flowers in autumn sunshine and Britain’s butterfly year is drawing to a close once more. One butterfly, though, is on the move. I’ve seen several painted ladies this […]
UK ‘consistently waters down’ reforms of EU farming subsidies
European commission says government chooses not to apply CAP payment ceiling to large landowners in England The UK government could have stopped wealthy landowners including aristocrats and a Saudi racehorse owner receiving hundreds of thousands of pounds from the EU’s common agricultural policy, the European commission has said. An investigation of the top 100 recipients […]
Hinkley Point: ministers sign go-ahead for nuclear power plant
Representatives of British, Chinese and French governments attend ceremony giving final authorisation for power station The UK has signed its £18bn contract with France and China to build the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, giving the final go-ahead for construction at the site. The deal was finalised at a low-key ceremony in London, just […]
Corbyn doubtful he can whip MPs to oppose Heathrow expansion
Labour leader says he has not decided whether to hold free vote, with many of his MPs likely to back plans for third runway Jeremy Corbyn has suggested it would not be easy to whip Labour MPs to vote against a third runway at Heathrow, despite his personal opposition to the major infrastructure project. The […]
Coal electricity generation falls to record UK low this spring
Closure of coal-fired power plants led to the fossil fuel dropping to just 6% of the power mix, official data shows Coal generated a record low 6% of the UK’s electricity this spring, official figures show. The share of coal in the power mix fell from 20% in the same period last year, following the […]
UK faces European court for failing to protect porpoises
UK has failed to provide enough safe habitats for the mammals, with just one small site formally proposed so far, says European commission The UK will be hauled before the European court of justice for failing to provide safe habitats for harbour porpoises, the European commission said on Thursday. Harbour porpoises resemble bottlenose dolphins, with […]
RSB photographer of the year shortlist and young photographer of the year winner – in pictures
Fighting elk bulls and a microscopic image of shark’s skin are among the shortlisted images for the Royal Society of Biology’s photographer of the year award, which this year takes the theme Biology: from Big to Small The winner will be announced at the Royal Society of Biology awards ceremony on 13 October at Charles […]
Furniture that destroys forests: crackdown on 'rampant' trade in rosewood
Cites summit moves to protect the world’s most trafficked wild product by placing all 300 species of the tree under trade restrictions Governments have launched a crackdown on the rampant billion-dollar trade in rosewood timber that is plundering forests across the planet to feed a booming luxury furniture market in China. The Convention on the […]