DME: the answer to Australia's unquenchable appetite for diesel?
Australia is one of the world’s largest diesel consumers per capita but a cleaner option called dimethyl ether could change all that As one of the world’s largest consumers of diesel per capita, Australia could soon benefit from the onshore production of a cleaner-burning alternative. Dimethyl ether (DME) is a colourless gas used as an […]
China warns UK relations are at 'historical juncture' over Hinkley Point
Ambassador to Britain stresses need for trust as PM’s attitude to controversial nuclear project remains unclear China has said that its relations with the UK are at a “crucial historical juncture” amid doubts over the future of the controversial Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. The intervention by the Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom […]
EDF decision on Hinkley Point should be declared void, say French unions
Senior board members accused of knowing of probable delay in UK government approval before vote on nuclear project EDF’s decision to invest in the £18bn Hinkley Point should be declared invalid, French trade unions have said, as pressure builds against the troubled nuclear power plant project. A trio of unions at the French firm said […]
Long-studied Alaskan wolf pack may be dead after years of aggressive hunting
East Fork wolf pack, found near Denali, was first researched in the 1930s and had shrunk significantly this year – and it’s now believed all may have perished The world’s longest-studied wolf pack may have been wiped out, wildlife officials fear amid an escalating battle between federal and state authorities in Alaska over the aggressive […]
Temperatures set to climb above 30C next week across UK
Met Office says ‘good chunk’ of country will have hot weather while bookmakers offer 2/1 odds on record of 38.5C being passed Britain will bask in warm weather next week with temperatures predicted to climb above 30C (86F). Hot air from the south will push temperatures above average for August – possibly topping the record […]
Mild UK winter and wet spring produce larger cherries and apricots
Sweeter stone fruits abundant alongside lower yields of leafy vegetables due to erratic British weather Shoppers can hope to enjoy a late-summer bounty of bigger and sweeter cherries, apricots and plums, followed by late blackberries, as this year’s fluctuating weather and unpredictable growing conditions have an effect on UK-grown fresh produce. But while farmers have […]
UK coastguard and salvage experts draft plan to refloat oil rig
Transocean Winner ran aground on the west coast of Scotland on Monday as it was being towed from Norway to Malta The first attempt to refloat a 17,000 tonne drilling platform which was blown ashore during a storm off the Western Isles could start on Tuesday. The Transocean Winner, which has 280 tonnes of diesel […]
For a secure energy future, there are far better investments than Hinkley | John Sauven
The nuclear project is outdated and expensive – the UK should be focussing time and money on renewables, interconnectors, storage, smart grids and efficiency Hinkley Point C, the multibillion pound nuclear deal, years in the making, is on the cusp of unravelling. At the last minute, the government has hit the pause button in order […]
Householders will have to wait at least five years for fracking payments
Government says payments, capped at £10m for communities near wells, will not be made until site is up and running The government has admitted that payments of up to £10,000 a household for living near a fracking well would not be distributed until a new site begins operating and producing gas – at least five […]
Unlocking the mystery of Gabon's cuckoo migration – in pictures
Earlier this year photojournalist Toby Smith followed a group of migrating cuckoos to the forests of Gabon, west Africa. His images document the African landscapes in which the globally dwindling cuckoo population spends its winter months away from the UK, and will help conservationists understand how land use change is affecting birds Watch Toby Smith […]