Can we feed 10 billion people on organic farming alone?
Organic farming creates more profit and yields healthier produce. It’s time it played the role it deserves in feeding a rapidly growing world population In 1971, then US Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz uttered these unsympathetic words: “Before we go back to organic agriculture in this country, somebody must decide which 50 million Americans we […]
Crown estate wades into Hinkley Point nuclear debate
Body says, with government reviewing £18.5bn project, benefits of renewables such as offshore wind should be looked at The crown estate has waded into the battle over Hinkley Point, pointing out that offshore windfarms are already being built at cheaper prices than the proposed atomic reactors for Somerset. While not arguing the £18.5bn nuclear project […]
Hinkley C's future is in doubt. Let's turn our sights to offshore wind | Huub den Rooijen
Falling costs and increased reliability mean this clean power now offers a mature part of the solution for the UK’s energy mix With the government re-examining the case for new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point, it’s a good time to reflect on recent breakthroughs in another low carbon technology: offshore wind. Offshore wind is already […]
World's largest vertical farm grows without soil, sunlight or water in Newark
AeroFarms has put $30m into a green revolution that seeks to produce more crops in less space, but whether it’s economically viable is an open question An ambitious, almost fantastical, manifestation of agricultural technology is expected to come to fruition this fall. From the remains of an abandoned steel mill in Newark, New Jersey, the […]
Louisiana flooding cuts off roads and thousands of homes
At least three people dead and huge rescue effort under way after heavy rain causes rivers and creeks to burst their banks Emergency crews plucked motorists from cars stranded by high water along a seven-mile stretch of highway in southern Louisiana and pulled others from inundated homes and waist-deep waters, conducting at least 2,000 rescues. […]
The heart of darkness that still beats within our 24-hour cities
With technology man has conquered the night. Yet walk the streets alone at 3am, and still the magic and mystery seep through… • Meet the late-night radio DJs: ‘It’s like a confession and I’m the priest’ On some nights, in the insomniac intervals between rumbling goods trains, and beneath the sound of ambulance sirens, I […]
Security is not the only reason to cancel Hinkley. There are many others
China’s involvement in a UK nuclear project is potentially sensitive. But that need not be the pretext for withdrawal when the plant has so many problems The proposed new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset has turned into the first headache for Theresa May’s government. The issue is now about far more than […]
The eco guide to algae
Toxic bloom is terrible for acquatic life – the good news is, we may be able to harness the sludge as a carbon-neutral biofuel Ideally, in these days of busy news cycles, an eco problem needs to be visible from space to gain traction. Algae has obliged again this summer. At Florida’s largest freshwater lake, […]
River Dee's pearl mussels get a helping hand – or gill
They were hunted to near-extinction. Now a £3.5m project aims to let the Scottish molluscs flourish again The sun shines on clear river water running through a valley in the Cairngorms, bringing the stones on the river bed into colourful focus. Here and there are dark shadows, half-buried clusters of dull black shells, lined and […]
Philip Hammond told to extend UK guarantees on EU grants
Treasury is expected to continue funding for all investment fund projects if they are agreed before autumn statement The chancellor has been told to go further after promising to invest billions of pounds in projects currently funded by the EU after the UK leaves the union. Philip Hammond announced on Saturday that taxpayers would contribute […]