Carbon capture and storage schemes, a key plank of many governments’ net zero plans, “is not a climate solution”, the author of a major new report on the technology has said. Researchers for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) found underperforming carbon capture projects considerably outnumbered successful ones by large margins. Of the 13 projects examined for the...
As the sun sets outside with temperatures in the high 80s, where they’ll stay most of the night, several varieties of potted rice plants grow in two sections of a greenhouse on the roof of the Arkansas State University Biosciences Institute. In one section, the greenhouse temperature is about the same as the temperature outside; in the other, it has been raised by 4C. Here, a dry, brittle flower...
Global public subsidies for fossil fuels almost doubled to $700bn in 2021, analysis has shown, representing a “roadblock” to tackling the climate crisis. Despite the huge profits of fossil fuel companies, the subsidies soared as governments sought to shield citizens from surging energy prices as the global economy rebounded from the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of the subsidies were used to reduce the...
It isn’t hard to perceive that, in the era of climate crisis and COP26, a watch company famed for its use of plastic might not be as shinily advantageous as it once was. Back in 1983, the first Swatch watch was a revolutionary moment in both watchmaking and industrial design. It reimagined classic analogue timekeeping just as digital watches seemed primed to take over, and it was as economical in...
Buddleia has something of a stranglehold on our wastelands. The non-native species so beloved by butterflies and bees was introduced into the UK by Victorian plant-hunters and, ever since, has come to dominate our railway sidings, roadside verges and derelict urban plots. But guerrilla gardeners have attempted to fight back in recent years by increasing the range of species taking seed on...
The air pollution from wood burning in homes is responsible for £0.9bn a year in health-related damages in the UK and €9bn (£7.5bn) across the EU, according to a report. The analysis from the European Public Health Alliance found the total costs of early deaths, illness and lost work resulting from outdoor air pollution produced by all home heating was €29bn a year. Wood burning was the biggest...
The family of a British man killed by a shark in Australia have paid tribute to “a wonderful human being” who had a “rare gift” of connecting with people. Simon Nellist, 35, died in the great white shark attack on Wednesday off Little Bay, east Sydney – the first fatal attack in Sydney for 60 years. Nellist, who was a diving instructor, had grown up in the west Cornwall village of Ludgvan near...
Hundreds of yellow-headed blackbirds have been filmed appearing to fall from the sky, some of them dying, in mysterious circumstances in the northern Mexican city of Cuauhtémoc. The cause of death remains unclear but experts said it was most likely the flock was “flushed” from above by a predatory bird swooping down to make a catch. The footage from a security camera shows a flock of migratory...
The number of people not mowing their lawns is increasing after a successful campaign to keep gardens wild, a leading nature charity says. Gardeners are this year being urged once again by Plantlife to keep their lawnmower in the shed during No Mow May, in order to let wild plants thrive and provide nectar for insects. Thousands of people take part in Plantlife’s annual Every Flower Counts...
Insulate Britain protesters have been praised by a judge, who said he was “inspired” by their commitment to greener living, as he fined 12 of them over a demonstration that disrupted the journeys of drivers on the M25. The protesters blocked traffic at junction 3 of the motorway. Some glued themselves to the tarmac, while another glued himself to a police car. Nine of the activists admitted...