Environment
Southern Water to pay out record £126m after ‘shocking’ Ofwat probe
Southern Water has been hit with a record £126 million penalty package after a “shocking” Ofwat probe uncovered failures in the firm’s sewage treatment sites and found that it fixed wastewater samples. Customers of the utility company will now receive rebates of £61 over the next five years after Southern Water agreed to the package, which, given the size of the firm, is the largest the regulator has ever imposed. Ofwat said its large-scale investigation found that Southern Water failed to...
TV star Ben Fogle backs calls for more research into controversial kelp harvesting plan
Campaigners fear over biotech firm's bid to harvest 1,800 acres of seabed
Air pollution in urban areas ‘can trigger high blood pressure’
Researchers found that air pollution and living in apartment buildings may be associated with an increased risk for dangerous conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes
New way of measuring earthquakes ‘may unlock holy grail of where and when they will strike’
Scientists have long struggled to identify patterns for earthquakes, leading to suggestions they strike at random
Scientists call for sustainable sandwiches to be more nutritious
The study found vegetarian sandwiches aren’t always more environmentally friendly than meat, with vegan options having the lowest impact.
In Greta Thunberg’s footsteps – the climate kids fighting for their future
A keen reader of graphic novels, nine-year-old Zayne Cowie has a bookshelf laden with tales of the struggles of imaginary superheroes. Now, a real-life role model has inspired him to join a battle for his own planet's future. Kept awake some nights by fears that rising seas will devastate his native Brooklyn, Cowie came across a news story about Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teen who was walking out of class on Fridays to protest government inaction over climate change. No...
Student sent dissertation to ‘hero’ David Attenborough – who replied with handwritten letter
Third year student Emma Tait wrote her dissertation about environmental policies at festivals, and posted a copy to her hero, never expecting to hear back.
Natural History Museum refuses request to cut ties with fossil fuels industry
Yesterday, Extinction Rebellion met with Sir Michael Dixon, director of the Natural History Museum, and his senior staff to ask them to: cancel the Petroleum Group dinner they're hosting on Thursday 20 June, declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency and cut any and all ties with the fossil fuel industry, including renaming the Hintze Hall. The Museum rejected Extinction Rebellion’s requests, saying that the two organisations have different theories of change. Sir Michael Dixon outlined the museum’s approach of engaging...
Emissions need to be halved to avoid 3C warming
Emissions need to be halved by 2030 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius but temperatures are on track to reach double that by the end of the century even if countries' current plans are fully implemented, research by scientists shows. A group of European researchers, Climate Action Tracker, tracks countries' progress towards the globally agreed aim of limiting warming to well below 2C and a more ambitious target of 1.5C. Public concerns about climate change are growing and have...