Author Archives: Mike Andrews

Green belt land just isn’t that green anymore

Green belt land just isn’t that green anymore DifferR/Shutterstock Ben Mayfield, Lancaster University The new UK government’s plans to “get Britain building” include the reintroduction of targets to build 1.5 million new houses, which is likely to encroach on some of … Continue reading

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Is Britain on track for a zero-carbon power sector in six years?

Is Britain on track for a zero-carbon power sector in six years? Andrew Crossland, Durham University and Jon Gluyas, Durham University Labour won the 2024 general election with a promise to make the UK “a clean energy superpower”. Part of that … Continue reading

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Amazon deforestation cut by 83% in places protected by Indigenous communities – new research

Amazon deforestation cut by 83% in places protected by Indigenous communities – new research Tarcisio Schnaider/Shutterstock Johan Oldekop, University of Manchester; Bowy den Braber, University of Sheffield, and Marina Schmoeller, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) Although deforestation rates in the … Continue reading

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Why Westminster’s new backbench MPs may unlock progress on climate change

Why Westminster’s new backbench MPs may unlock progress on climate change Mistervlad / shutterstock Mitya Pearson, University of Warwick As far as the UK government is concerned, its backbenchers are “the most important Members in the House [of Commons]”. This simple … Continue reading

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The new Labour government plans to build 1.5 million homes – here’s what’s needed to make it happen Graham Haughton, University of Manchester; Anupam Nanda, University of Manchester, and Richard Kingston, University of Manchester The UK’s new Labour government has set … Continue reading

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Honey bees vote to decide on nest sites – why we should listen

Honey bees vote to decide on nest sites – why we should listen Jag_cz/Shutterstock Derek Mitchell, University of Leeds When people think of honey bees, they often think of classic wooden hives, in which beekeepers are having to breed more and … Continue reading

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How animals are changing to cope with stronger heatwaves

Jonathan Goldenberg, Lund University An intense heatwave that gripped Mexico in May 2024 killed more than 50 howler monkeys. Humans can escape these consequences of rising global temperatures up to a point by taking refuge in air-conditioned rooms. Other species … Continue reading

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Measuring your food waste for six weeks can change your habits – new study

Huguette Roe/Shutterstock Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, Anglia Ruskin University You’ve had a long day and you’re tired. Faced with making dinner, you look in the fridge and decide to cook something that requires little effort. This is a common scenario, and one … Continue reading

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Why banks consider renewable energy to be a riskier investment than fossil fuels

Vitalinka/Shutterstock Matteo Gasparini, University of Oxford The financial sector is among the world’s most heavily regulated industries – and for good reason. Financial rules, which force banks to hold capital in reserve when making riskier investments, are designed to prevent … Continue reading

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Why cheap renewables are stalling

Jack Marley, The Conversation Last summer, the northern hemisphere was the hottest it has been for 2,000 years. The warnings of climate scientists are at fever pitch: halt the burning of coal, oil and gas or risk catastrophic warming of … Continue reading

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