Author Archives: Mike Andrews

Renewables are cheaper than ever yet fossil fuel use is still growing – here’s why

Malte Jansen, University of Sussex Wind and solar are the world’s fastest growing energy sources and together generated 12% of global electricity in 2023. The amount of energy produced by wind and solar is expected to increase and accelerate. Wind … Continue reading

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France used 10% less electricity last winter – three valuable lessons in fighting climate change

French authorities dimmed public lights in December 2022 to avert energy shortages. Jerome Labouyrie/Shutterstock Ariane Millot, Imperial College London and Steve Pye, UCL Measures which help people use less energy at home, while travelling or at work could significantly cut … Continue reading

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Climate change is set to make our holidays look very different – here’s how

Nick Davies, Glasgow Caledonian University Holidays are making a comeback after several years of disruption caused by the COVID pandemic. Nearly 4 billion passengers boarded international flights in 2022, up from fewer than 2 billion in 2020. Recent research suggests … Continue reading

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We just blew past 1.5 degrees. Game over on climate? Not yet

Ailie Gallant, Monash University and Kimberley Reid, Monash University July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded. And now we know something even more alarming. This week, the European Space Agency announced the July heat pushed the global average temperatures … Continue reading

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People who grow their own fruit and veg waste less food and eat more healthily, says research

Households that produced their own fruit and veg wasted 95% less than the average UK household. Air Images/Shutterstock Boglarka Zilla Gulyas, University of Sheffield and Jill Edmondson, University of Sheffield The rising cost of living is making it harder for … Continue reading

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China makes developers pay compensation for their ecological impacts – here’s how this unique scheme works

Hanyu Qiu / shutterstock Shuo Gao, University of Oxford; Eleanor Jane Milner-Gulland, University of Oxford; Joseph William Bull, University of Oxford, and Sophus zu Ermgassen, University of Oxford In 2017, the Chinese environmental NGO, Friends of Nature, sued the developer … Continue reading

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Why the UK government is relaxing rules for river pollution

New homes under construction in Rochester, Kent. Flyby Photography/Shutterstock Peter Cruddas, University of Portsmouth The UK government has announced plans to enable the delivery of 100,000 new homes by 2030 that are currently being held up by a controversial EU … Continue reading

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New research may point the way towards frost-free heat pumps

Amirreza Mahmoudi, University of Saskatchewan A chilly winter morning, the car windshield shrouded in a thick layer of frost. Who has not experienced the frustration of scraping ice or waiting for the defroster to work? It is a daily winter … Continue reading

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Discrediting carbon credits

Nathaniel Rugh Marcel Llavero-Pasquina | 18th August 2023 | Creative Commons 4.0 Global Atlas of Environmental Justice Big Oil going carbon neutral? Here is how carbon offsets impact local and indigenous communities. Fossil fuel companies are increasingly using carbon offsets … Continue reading

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Rising temperatures mean more air conditioning which means more electricity is needed – rooftop solar is a perfect fit

Douglas Cliff / shutterstock Tom Rogers, Nottingham Trent University; Amin Al-Habaibeh, Nottingham Trent University; Angelines Donastorg Sosa, Coventry University, and Vahid Vahidinasab, Nottingham Trent University On June 12 this year, the UK’s last remaining coal-fired power station was awoken from … Continue reading

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