National Grid, SSE and ScottishPower submit plans amid global race to shift from fossil fuels to clean electricity
Energy companies have promised to spend almost £70bn over five years to help rewire Great Britain’s electricity infrastructure in the global race to shift from fossil fuels to clean electricity.
The companies that own the high-voltage power system – National Grid, SSE and ScottishPower – have submitted spending plans totalling about £68bn to the industry regulator Ofgem for the period from 2026 to 2031, which could support about 100,000 jobs.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
12/18/2024 - 03:14
12/18/2024 - 03:00
Trade can help protect species – and real skins are often more sustainable than synthetic alternatives, say conservationists
Conservation experts have criticised a decision by London fashion week to ban exotic animal skins from its 2025 shows as “ridiculous”, warning that it is ill-informed and could harm the protection of many snakes, crocodiles and reptile species.
Last month, the British Fashion Council’s deputy director for policy and engagement, David Leigh-Pemberton, told parliament that next year’s fashion shows would prohibit the use of skins from alligators, snakes and other animals. In a statement, the council said the ban was part of a wider range of standards to promote sustainable practices in the fashion industry.
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12/18/2024 - 01:00
Researchers find winds affecting emissions from incinerators play role, though diet still thought to be largest factor
Toxic chemicals in breast milk have been identified in mothers living near waste incinerators in the UK, a study has found.
The study looked at complex chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins. These are found in the fumes from burning waste and can persist in the environment for a long time. They can also accumulate in the fat in our bodies, with more than 90% coming from food.
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12/18/2024 - 01:00
Spike in fossil fuel use a result of global gas crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
The world’s coal use is expected to reach a fresh high of 8.7bn tonnes this year, and remain at near-record levels for years as a result of a global gas crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
There has been record production and trade of coal and power generation from coal since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine inflated global gas market prices, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
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12/17/2024 - 22:56
Critics and opposition parties vow to oppose major projects they fear could damage the environment
A new law that could see controversial mining and infrastructure projects fast-tracked for approval across New Zealand has sparked protests in parliament and vows from critics and opposition parties to stop proposals that they fear will wreak havoc on the environment.
The coalition government’s Fast-Track Approvals legislation passed into law on Tuesday, despite thousands of public submissions opposing it.
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12/17/2024 - 18:30
Researchers from St Andrews found rise in nitrogen dioxide exposure associated with higher admissions
Exposure to air pollution is linked to an increased risk of hospital admission for mental illness, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind.
The research, involving more than 200,000 people in Scotland, found an increase in exposure to nitrogen dioxide in particular was associated with a higher number of people being admitted to hospital for behaviour disorders and mental illnesses.
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12/17/2024 - 14:28
New study shows LNG exports risk raising greenhouse gas emissions, hampering efforts to curtail climate crisis
The Biden administration has released a long-awaited analysis on the economic and environmental effects of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, concluding any further expansion would drive up costs for domestic consumers and hamper efforts to curtail the climate crisis.
In January Joe Biden paused the Department of Energy’s approvals of fossil gas exports to big consumers in Asia and Europe in order to conduct the review, in a move welcomed by climate scientists, environmental justice advocates and public health experts but decried by the oil and gas industry.
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12/17/2024 - 09:03
Save Our Safer Streets ‘extremely disappointed’ judge finds against them over removal of low traffic neighbourhoods
Road safety campaigners in east London have lost a high court challenge against the mayor of Tower Hamlets over his decision to remove three low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in Bethnal Green.
The campaign group Save Our Safer Streets (SOSS) raised nearly £80,000 through a crowdfunder to bring judicial review proceedings. After a two-day hearing last month a judge ruled on Tuesday that the mayor, Lutfur Rahman, did not break the law when he announced in September 2023 that he would be removing the LTNs.
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12/17/2024 - 09:00
Former MP astonished that taxpayers are ‘literally paying’ to cut down forests sustaining koalas and greater gliders and providing clean drinking water
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Two reports revealing the extent of financial losses from native forest logging in New South Wales raise questions about the economic viability of the industry.
The state government’s forestry corporation “consistently made a loss” by paying contractors more for harvesting and haulage than it earned from delivery of timber to sawmills, a NSW Independent Pricing and Review Tribunal (Ipart) report found.
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12/17/2024 - 09:00
Police powers that request protesters remove their face masks in prescribed areas already exist, according to lawyer at Human Rights Law Centre
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The Victorian government has been accused of “shoehorning” new anti-protest measures that could be used to crack down on the climate movement into reforms touted as necessary to combat antisemitism.
On Tuesday, Jacinta Allan announced a suite of legislative proposals to crack down on what the premier said was antisemitism and extremism at protests. The proposals were announced in the wake of an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue.
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