Category Archives: Current Affairs

New single-use plastic ban takes effect in England – here’s why its impact may be limited

October 3, 2023 by Mike Andrews

A new ban prohibits businesses in England from selling some single-use plastic products. Freepik2/Shutterstock Antaya March, University of Portsmouth; Cressida Bowyer, University of Portsmouth, and Keiron Roberts, University of Portsmouth Single-use plastic and packaging has become an essential part of … Continue reading →

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Rishi Sunak has ripped up decades of cross-party consensus on climate change

September 27, 2023 by Mike Andrews

Tim Jackson, University of Surrey The acclaimed 1990 film Awakenings tells the story of a neurologist who discovers a drug which rouses catatonic patients from decades of “sleep”. It’s a true story, based on Oliver Sacks’ 1973 memoir of the … Continue reading →

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Blueprint Coalition urges UK Government U-turn on net zero commitments

September 25, 2023 by Mike Andrews

September 21, 2023 The Blueprint Coalition is calling on the UK Government to retain its net zero commitments following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s policy U-turn. As a leading partnership of local government, environmental and research organisations, the Blueprint Coalition is … Continue reading →

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Sunak should be wary of backtracking on net zero – what history tells us about flip-flopping on the environment

September 21, 2023 by Mike Andrews

ComposedPix/Shutterstock Marc Hudson, University of Sussex Rishi Sunak has delivered a speech in which he announced delays to key net zero targets, including postponing the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars until 2035. It is a … Continue reading →

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

September 20, 2023 by Mike Andrews

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

September 19, 2023 by Mike Andrews

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

September 15, 2023 by Mike Andrews

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

September 13, 2023 by Mike Andrews

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

September 13, 2023 by Mike Andrews

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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Discrediting carbon credits

August 23, 2023 by Mike Andrews

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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