Paris climate agreement poised to come into force
UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, predicts global climate deal will be fully ratified by the end of the year after 31 nations officially sign up in New York The Paris climate agreement is on the brink of coming into force after 31 nations officially joined the landmark accord, with the United Nations secretary general, Ban […]
Why Sweden’s VAT tax breaks on repairs could be a big deal
The Swedish government is set to take policy steps to enable a different kind of behaviour in the way in which products are used and the life-cycles of goods. Tax breaks on repairs to bicycles, washing machines and just about any broken item are being brought to the parliament by the ruling coalition. Realities on the […]
Aberthaw power station breached emissions limit, rules EU court
UK ordered to pay European commission’s legal costs after ruling that coal plant was wrongly granted higher pollution threshold A coal-burning power station in Wales repeatedly violated pollution controls for nitrogen oxide emissions, the European court of justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg has ruled. It ordered the UK to pay the European commission’s legal costs after […]
375 top scientists warn of 'real, serious, immediate' climate threat | John Abraham
375 National Academy of Sciences members sign an open letter expressing frustration at political inaction on climate change Yesterday, 375 of the world’s top scientists, including 30 Nobel Prize winners, published an open letter regarding climate change. In the letter, the scientists report that the evidence is clear: humans are causing climate change. We are […]
Indonesia dismisses study showing forest fire haze killed more than 100,000 people
Authorities from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have rejected recent research on the number of early deaths caused by last year’s fires Indonesian, Malaysian and Singaporean authorities have dismissed research that suggested smoky haze from catastrophic forest fires in Indonesia last year caused 100,000 deaths. Some even contend the haze caused no serious health problems, but […]
UK to crack down on illegal ivory sales
New initiative closes loophole allowing dealers to claim ivory from recently killed elephants is antique without providing proof of age Britain is to ban all sales of ivory which are not backed by proof that the item is over 70 years old. Although it is already illegal to sell ivory from elephants killed after 1947, […]
Late-summer contentment on the Dorset coast
Lyme Regis, Dorset Morning sun highlights the cliffs, visitors stroll along the Cobb and little boats dip and roll across the open sea From Uplyme, shady paths beside the river Lim lead to the renovated mill in the middle of old Lyme Regis; the waterwheel is geared to millstones that grind wheat into flour, and […]
UK advertising watchdog admits it was wrong to ban Greenpeace fracking advert
Advertising Standards Authority concedes it erred in upholding a complaint against the advert last year, which claimed fracking would not cut energy bills The UK’s advertising watchdog has admitted it made the wrong decision when it banned a Greenpeace advert last year which claimed fracking would not cut energy bills. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) […]
Male redback spiders evade cannibalism by mating with immature females
Survival tactic also increases chances of successful insemination, with the immature females able to store sperm until they reach adulthood Male redback spiders at risk of being cannibalised by their sex partners have developed a survival tactic: mating only with females too young to eat them. New research has identified the adaptive behaviour among some […]
Saving silver: portable micro-factories could turn e-waste trash into treasure
A new low-cost alternative to smelting could solve Australia’s electronic waste problem, eliminate shipping emissions and create new business opportunities “We are all micro mine owners.” This is the mantra preached by Veena Sahajwalla, a materials scientist at the University of New South Wales who wants to fundamentally change how we perceive our electronic waste: […]