How eco-friendly communes could change the future of housing
An increasing number of US landowners want to build commune-style villages that are completely self-sufficient and have a low carbon footprint When a massive wildfire destroyed more than a thousand homes last year in the bone-dry hills of drought-stricken Lake County, California, about two hours north of San Francisco, Magdalena Valderrama Hurwitz and her husband […]
Why concrete + rain = flash floods
Britain’s front gardens are being paved for parking while back gardens become patios. But in Canada and the US, the Depave movement is tearing up hard surfaces In towns and cities, flash floods are a growing problem. The concrete jungle can’t soak up rainwater, so in heavy downpours it has nowhere to go except into […]
Australia's first hybrid wind-solar farm to be built near Canberra
Exclusive: farm gets the green light to be built by Chinese companies after $9.9m grant from renewable energy agency Australia’s first large-scale hybrid wind and solar farm is set to be built near Canberra, with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) providing a $9.9m grant. The money would go towards the $26m cost of building […]
The psychology of luck: why Donald Trump's superstition helps him win
Why do so many Americans believe in luck against all reason? Psychologists tell us that sometimes, feeling lucky can actually improve performance You might be surprised to learn that around a quarter of Americans are superstitious. When we think about it rationally, the idea of luck may seem silly, but there are a lot of […]
Animal welfare groups push US to classify all leopards as endangered
Conservationists are calling on the US to raise the protection level for leopards, severely curbing hunters’ ability to import body parts as trophies Conservationists have demanded a crackdown on the import to the US of leopards killed by American hunters, in an attempt to replicate the protections introduced in the wake of the furore caused […]
China's coal peak hailed as turning point in climate change battle
Study by economists say achievement by world’s biggest polluter may be a significant milestone, rather than a blip The global battle against climate change has passed a historic turning point with China’s huge coal burning finally having peaked, according to senior economists. They say the moment may well be a significant milestone in the course […]
RSPB calls for shooting estates to be licensed
Group says move would allow shoots to be banned if birds of prey are illegally killed, amid withdrawal from hen harrier scheme Grouse shooting estates should be licensed so that authorities have the power to ban them if birds of prey are illegally killed, the RSPB has urged, as it quit a government initiative to […]
Young people urge UK politicians to help safeguard nature
Two-thirds of 16- to 34-year-olds consider environmental and wildlife policies a top voting priority, according to survey Almost nine out of 10 young people think it is important for politicians to take care of wildlife and the environment, according to a new poll. Two-thirds of 16- to 34-year-olds agree the environment is a top voting […]
These are the best arguments from the 3% of climate scientist 'skeptics.' Really. | Dana Nuccitelli
Contrarian climate scientist Roy Spencer summed up the contrarian case for a fossil fuel and tobacco-funded think tank When I give a presentation and mention the 97% expert consensus on human-caused global warming, I’m often asked, “what’s the deal with the other 3%?”. These are the publishing climate scientists who argue that something other than […]
Solar subsidy cuts lead to loss of 12,000 jobs
UK loses third of solar posts as survey reveals almost four in 10 companies are considering leaving market entirely More than 12,000 solar power jobs have been lost in the past year because of government subsidy cuts, according to the industry. A third of solar jobs have likely been lost in the UK, found the […]