Coal in 'freefall' as new power plants dive by two-thirds
Green groups’ report says move to cleaner energy in China and India is discouraging the building of coal-fired units The amount of new coal power being built around the world fell by nearly two-thirds last year, prompting campaigners to claim the polluting fossil fuel was in freefall. The dramatic decline in new coal-fired units was […]
China goes west: a ghost city in the sand comes to life
Mountains have been flattened and villages bulldozed to build Lanzhou New Area in China’s wild west. Four years ago Tom Phillips met empty streets and an eerie hush, but now he finds this improbable desert mirage finally filling up 点击这里，阅读本文中文版 It was a scheme as bold and eccentric as any to emerge from China’s 21st-century […]
Should your school serve local food?
Seasonal menus, bake-offs and an army of ‘Jamie Olivers’ are helping more UK schools offer locally sourced lunches. But what’s the secret to making the switch? At a state school in Harrogate, Steve Ashburn is busy serving 950 lunches to hungry children – using ingredients sourced from local suppliers. The menu is impressive. Options include […]
Access to nature reduces depression and obesity, finds European study
Trees and green spaces are unrecognised healers offering benefits from increases in mental wellbeing to allergy reductions, says report People living close to trees and green spaces are less likely to be obese, inactive, or dependent on anti-depressants, according to a new report. Middle-aged Scottish men with homes in deprived but verdant areas were found […]
Climate change is happening now – here’s eight things we can do to adapt to it | Missy Stults
Donald Trump has rejected global leadership on the issue, so now it’s down to us as individuals to plan, and push through new policies change where we can A little girl sits outside on her front stoop, watching the cars go by and the people trot to work in the early hours of the morning. […]
New £50m circular economy business plan unveiled by London
The London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) has announced the approval of a new business plan, covering the period 2017-2020, which sets out £50 million worth of investment in projects related to the circular economy. The circular economy has been a point of focus for LWARB and the city of London for a number of […]
Record-breaking climate change pushes world into ‘uncharted territory’
Earth is a planet in upheaval, say scientists, as the World Meteorological Organisation publishes analysis of recent heat highs and ice lows The record-breaking heat that made 2016 the hottest year ever recorded has continued into 2017, pushing the world into “truly uncharted territory”, according to the World Meteorological Organisation. The WMO’s assessment of the […]
Fracking and coal seam gas is no solution to an energy crisis of our own making | Greg Jericho
The energy market operator’s figures hide the fact that Australia is not suffering from a lack of gas at all The current gas crisis is a prime example of how energy policy has been mishandled in this country. But it should not be an excuse for continuing the bad policy. Using talk of a gas […]
Charge electric cars smartly to take pressure off national grid – minister
SSE trials ‘demand-side response’ where vehicles start charging a few hours after being plugged in, when demand is lower Electric cars are putting increasing pressure on the UK’s power grids, making it vital they are recharged at the right time of day, a minister has said. John Hayes, transport minister, said it was important that […]
The role of industry in childhood cancers | Letters
With childhood cancer being a controlling factor in tackling daily life, and having been forced to defy a very poor prognosis myself, I feel a need to respond to your letter about Brexit’s impact on children with cancer (14 March). Glenis Wilmott MEP states that 1,700 children are diagnosed with cancer, of which over 250 […]