Thames Water ‘Close to Deal that Would Spare It New Ofwat Fines Until 2030’
Thames Water is nearing an agreement with regulator Ofwat that would exempt it from new fines through 2030, provided it meets investment commitments. The proposal, driven by its £3bn ($3.8bn) emergency funding creditors, aims to replace penalties with performance‑based undertakings. The utility still carries roughly £17.6bn ($22.5bn) of debt and faces a possible bill hike of over a third for customers by 2030. A public consultation will follow if the three‑month review is approved.
UK Looks to Relax Planning Rules for Factory Farms After Industry Lobbying
The UK government is drafting changes to the National Planning Policy Framework to make it easier to approve intensive livestock farms after sustained lobbying by the British Poultry Council. The proposal would raise the threshold for refusing applications on environmental...
Energy Crisis: Why ‘Keep Calm but Cut Down’ May Be a Better Message for Labour
Labour’s recent communications on the emerging energy crisis have leaned on the traditional “keep calm and carry on” mantra, even as oil prices surge due to the Iran‑Russia conflict and global supply is expected to fall about 20%. The party...
‘We Didn’t Want to Be Preachy’: David Attenborough’s Unexpected New Show – Which Might Enrage Cat Lovers
David Attenborough’s new BBC series *Secret Garden* turns the spotlight on Britain’s 25 million private gardens, presenting them as biodiversity hotspots rivaling tropical rainforests. The show reveals that the nation’s 9.5 million pet cats may kill around 55 million birds each year, but...
Demand for Hydropower Surges as Trump Clamps Down on Clean Energy
Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC) is launching its first urban submersible hydroelectric installations on Montreal's St Lawrence River and Buffalo's Niagara River, each expected to deliver up to 90 MW of potential capacity. The move comes as the Trump administration phases out...
I Discovered the Elusive Chestnut Mining Bee in New York After a Gap of 119 Years
Pollinator ecologist Molly Jacobson rediscovered the chestnut mining bee (Andrena rehni) in a Syracuse chestnut orchard, marking the species' first documented presence north of the Hudson Valley in 119 years. The bee, once thought possibly extinct in New York, was...
Monday Briefing: Has the Single-Use Vape Ban Made Any Difference to Our Health or Our Environment?
Nearly a year after the UK outlawed single‑use disposable vapes, new data show only modest health and environmental gains. Vaping prevalence remains at 5.4 million adults, with no clear reduction in smoking‑related illnesses. Waste audits indicate a roughly 15 percent drop in...
Wily Coyote? Urban Canines Take More Risks Compared with Rural Ones, Study Finds
A nationwide study of 623 camera‑trap stations at 16 urban‑rural site pairs found that city coyotes are bolder than their countryside peers, lingering about four seconds longer near a novel baited structure. Researchers attribute the reduced fear to abundant food...
Is Foraging Really Feasible to Feed Myself?
Environmental activist Robin Greenfield demonstrates that a fully foraged diet is possible but functions like a full‑time job, requiring 20 to 80 hours weekly of harvesting, processing, and preserving. He spent months preparing a mobile pantry of wild rice, mushrooms,...
Australia Urged to Swap Diesel for Electric Buses as Fuel Costs Soar
Diesel prices have surged past $3 per litre, prompting transport advocates to push for electric buses in Australia. Currently only about 1% of the nation’s 42,800‑bus fleet runs on electricity, while diesel‑powered buses consume roughly 530 million litres annually. Several states...
Like Putin, Trump Is a Megalomaniac. In Europe, We Can Shield Ourselves, Not Look for Rational Motives | Robert Habeck
German vice‑chancellor Robert Habeck compares Donald Trump’s Iran war to Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine invasion, labeling both leaders as megalomaniacal and unpredictable. He notes the US lacks a coherent military plan, whereas Russia’s operation was pre‑planned and tied to an energy...
Eel Fisher Takes on Authorities at Belfast Court over Pollution in UK’s Largest Lake
Eel fisherman Declan Conlon is bringing a judicial review against Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) over the severe pollution of Lough Neagh, the UK’s largest lake. The lake is choked by phosphorus and nitrogen from...
UK Letting US Use Its Bases Is ‘Participation in Aggression’, Iran’s Foreign Minister Tells Yvette Cooper – UK Politics Live
Reform UK is poised to win additional English councils in May 2026, and a new Grantham Institute report shows the party has already stripped climate‑change targets from seven local authorities. The analysis warns that this retreat could undermine the UK’s national...
We Need to Be Honest About Iran – and How Our Rampant Greed for Oil Is Causing Mayhem | George...
George Monbiot argues that Western interventions in Iran, beginning with the 1953 oil‑driven coup, illustrate how fossil‑fuel greed fuels geopolitical conflict. He links that historic struggle to today’s climate emergency, noting that oil profits sustain wars, authoritarian regimes, and climate...
Reduced Physical Activity Due to Global Heating Will Lead to Rise in Health Issues, Study Says
A new Lancet Global Health study links rising temperatures to a measurable decline in physical activity worldwide. Each additional month with average temperatures above 27.8 °C raises inactivity by 1.5 percentage points globally, and 1.85 points in low‑ and middle‑income nations. By...
Some Top US Lobbying Firms Are Working Both Sides of the Pfas Issue at the Same Time
A new analysis by the nonprofit F‑Minus reveals that several leading U.S. lobbying firms are representing both PFAS manufacturers and public‑health or environmental groups on the same issue. Firms such as Holland & Knight, KP Public Affairs and Princeton Public...
Trump Policies Set to Increase Rates of Lung Disease and Death, Study Finds
A new study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine finds that policies enacted during Donald Trump's second term are poised to dramatically increase lung disease incidence and premature deaths in the United States. The analysis...
Australian Governments Subsidising Fossil Fuel Use by More than $30,000 a Minute, Analysis Finds
Australian federal and state governments will spend $16.3 bn subsidising fossil fuels in 2025‑26, equivalent to $31,020 each minute, according to the Australia Institute. The subsidies are set to grow 9.4%, outpacing the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s 7.6% increase. The federal...
Scrapping North Sea Windfall Tax Would Not Reduce UK Energy Bills, Say Experts
The UK government is weighing a reduction or removal of the North Sea windfall tax, a levy introduced in 2022 after the Ukraine war drove oil prices higher. Economists argue that scrapping the tax would not translate into lower household...
How the ‘Galápagos of West Africa’ Is Plundered by Floating Fish Factories
Guinea‑Bissau’s Bijagós archipelago, dubbed the “Galápagos of West Africa,” is being ravaged by illegal floating fish‑meal factories such as the Chinese‑owned Hua Xin 17 and Tian Yi He 6. These vessels process massive volumes of sardinella caught by Turkish purse seiners that routinely disable AIS...
NSW Health Continues to Use Machine Known to Produce Inaccurate Results to Test Child Blood Lead Levels
New South Wales Health continues to use the LeadCare II point‑of‑care device to screen children’s blood lead levels in Broken Hill despite known accuracy issues and a 2020 TGA removal from the national register. The machine can produce errors of +/- 6 µg/dL,...
UK Must Double Down on Renewables as Wars Drive up Energy Costs, Experts Say
The UK faces renewed fossil‑fuel price volatility after the US‑Israel attacks on Iran, echoing the 2022‑2025 energy shock that cost the EU and Britain $1.8 trillion. Experts and climate groups argue the government must accelerate its clean‑energy transition, focusing on renewables...
Ferries Emit ‘More Sulphur Pollution than Cars’ in Several EU Capitals
A Transport & Environment analysis shows ferries emit more sulphur oxides (SOx) than cars in 13 of Europe’s 15 largest port cities, including Dublin, Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn. The ageing fleet of nearly 2,000 ferries is a hidden source of...
Scotland Becomes First UK Country to Legalise Water Cremations
Scotland has become the first part of the United Kingdom to legalise hydrolysis, also known as water cremation or aquamation. The process uses a pressurised alkaline solution to break down a body in three to four hours, leaving only bone...
Most US Coal Plants Could Meet Air Pollution Rules. Trump Weakened Them Anyway
The EPA’s own analysis shows that only 27 of the nation’s 219 coal‑fired power plants would need costly upgrades to meet the 2024 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). Despite this, the Trump administration rolled back the stricter limits on...
Scotland’s New Emissions Strategy ‘Too Reliant on Science Fiction’, Critics Say
Scotland has reduced emissions by 51.3% since 1990, but the UK Climate Change Committee says its new medium‑term emissions strategy relies heavily on unproven technologies. While the CCC praises the shift to five‑year carbon budgets and rates 91% of 2030...
Australia’s Most Costly Anti-Climate Policy Hits Taxpayers for $30m a Day as Calls Mount to Wind Back Fuel Tax Credits...
Australia’s fuel tax credits scheme is costing taxpayers nearly $10.8 bn this fiscal year – roughly $30 m a day – by refunding excise on diesel and petrol for miners, farmers and other heavy‑fuel users. Critics label it the nation’s most expensive...
Winter Olympics Must Tackle Environmental Impact Before the Snow Runs Out | George Timms
Winter Olympics face an existential climate threat, with only eight of the 21 past host cities projected to remain cold enough for snow by 2100. Milano‑Cortina 2026 already illustrates the challenge, relying on artificial snow, new transport links and billions...
‘Reimagining Matter’: Nobel Laureate Invents Machine that Harvests Water From Dry Air
Nobel‑winning chemist Omar Yaghi has unveiled a container‑sized device that extracts moisture from dry air using reticular chemistry and ambient thermal energy. Each unit can produce up to 1,000 litres of potable water per day without external power, making it suitable...
MPs in Call to Halt Drax’s £2m-a-Day Subsidy over Sustainability Doubts
A cross‑party group of 14 MPs and peers has urged Energy Minister Ed Miliband to suspend the £2 million‑a‑day renewable subsidy paid to Drax while the FCA investigates alleged misrepresentations about wood‑pellet sourcing. Drax, the UK’s largest power plant, is projected...
