Closing Down: debut novelist Sally Abbott's haunting vision of Australia’s future
The Richell prize winner, whose book is out this month, fears for a future blighted by environmental catastrophe Speculative fiction usually starts with a “what if”: what if there was an environmental reckoning? What if we didn’t have enough water? What if the world was running out of food? What if that was coupled with […]
The Observer view on curbing air pollution | Observer editorial
The government has been dilatory in the extreme in dealing with one of the most pernicious health hazards afflicting this country Pollution has long blighted the air that we breathe. Complaints about fumes generated by coal-burning in London were recorded as early at the 13th century. The heavy smogs that descended on the capital in […]
Theresa May urged to persuade Trump not to quit Paris climate accord
US president prepares to undermine historic deal on climate change Theresa May is facing calls from Britain’s leading environment and development groups to use her influence to persuade Donald Trump that the US must remain committed to the Paris climate change agreement. In a strongly worded letter, the heads of Oxfam, the RSPB, Greenpeace, WWF, […]
Government set to be taken back to court over air pollution plans
Ministers’ latest proposals, published on Friday after high court intervention, criticised by climate groups calling for stronger action on illegal pollution levels Environment lawyers are expected to take the government back to court over its controversial plans to tackle the UK’s air pollution crisis. They say the proposals are so weak they flout ministers’ obligation […]
Brexit and energy: does ‘taking back control’ mean losing power?
The prospect of departure from the EU has thrown several key power projects – from emissions trading and undersea cables to nuclear research – into question The Brexit spotlight swung last week away from the familiar cast of bankers quitting the City and coffee-shop chains worried about recruiting staff to the fate of the energy […]
The end of wild elephants? Why we must not let Africa become one giant food farm | Erik Solheim
The world’s rapid population rise risks turning Africa into one giant farm with no room for wildlife. We need to think again, says the head of UN Environment Elephants are in big trouble. Even if we beat poaching and illegal trade, their potential doom has been sealed in projections for population growth, and has already […]
Fun and games among the gulls
River Teifi, Cardigan They plunged into the water to emerge with twigs, which they threw in the air and caught like children Above Pont y Cleifion, tidal reaches of the river Teifi run wide between banks of feathery, blond phragmites. White mist clung to the water as I walked along the southern bank, the sky […]
Air pollution plan: sacrificing the nation's health to save an election campaign
Penalising UK drivers in the heat of an election campaign promises a political car crash, so the government has hit the brakes and slammed clean air policy into reverse For seven years, people in Britain have been forced to hold their breath and wait for a comprehensive plan to tackle the nation’s toxic air crisis. […]
Circulate on Fridays: Car free utopias, the power of spider silk and more!
This weekend’s Circulate on Fridays is a real beaut! The tour includes Nissan’s announcement of a rival for Tesla’s Powerwall, Oslo as a car-free utopia, the potential of synthetic spider silk as a widely used material source, and much more. “Batteries that have powered electric cars around the UK will get a second life providing energy […]
Could towing icebergs to hot places solve the world’s water shortages?
The idea of towing an iceberg from Antarctica to the UAE sounds fantastical, but might not be entirely beyond the realms of plausibility Who is doing what?A firm in Abu Dhabi has floated plans to tow icebergs from Antarctica to the United Arab Emirates to solve the country’s fresh water shortage. An iceberg holding 20bn […]