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United Kingdom: Push for gas-fired power stations
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on December 3rd, 2012
BBC: The government is to unveil its contentious gas strategy this week.
Chancellor George Osborne has ruled that gas should continue to play a role in day-to-day electricity generation beyond 2030.
He has over-ruled official climate change advisers who want gas to be used almost exclusively to back up nuclear and renewables by then.
Also in the next two weeks, DECC will rule on whether controversial drilling for shale gas will go ahead in the UK.
Environmentalists say shale gas could become...
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Water supply ‘at weather’s mercy’
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on November 6th, 2012
BBC: A new report blames the government for leaving the UK's water resources at the mercy of the weather.
The document from 16 leading environmental organisations says it took the wettest ever summer to avert serious drought.
It warns that another series of dry winters would put Britain back on drought alert.
The government said its draft Water Bill would build resilience into the UK's water infrastructure.
The Blueprint for Water report measures the Government's performance against 10 steps...
Soaked UK could be set for floods
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on November 2nd, 2012
BBC: Soaking Britain may be in for a new bout of flooding in coming months, the Environment Agency has warned.
Rivers are full after the wettest April to June on record, followed by more rain in July, September and October.
The earth is saturated and in many areas there is no more space left in aquifers to store water that seeps through from the surface.
The agency warn that people should be ready for floods even with relatively small amounts of rain.
They warn of increased risk of river flooding...
MPs’ call to halt Arctic drilling amid safety concerns
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on September 20th, 2012
BBC: A committee of MPs has called for a halt on drilling for oil and gas in the Arctic until safety is improved.
They say current techniques for dealing with any spill do not inspire confidence.
The Environmental Audit Committee fears that a spill could have caused unprecedented environmental damage.
The MPs want to see a standard pan-Arctic spill response standard, unlimited liability for firms and an Arctic environmental sanctuary.
But the UK has no power over the Arctic - and Arctic states...
United Kingdom: Push to create a million UK ponds
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on September 18th, 2012
BBC: Details of a plan for a million healthy ponds in the UK are being announced to combat decades of neglect.
The charity Pond Conservation says ponds offer more species diversity than any other habitat per square metre.
But 80% of them are polluted - mostly by fertilisers and pesticides from farms, and also by run-off from streets and homes in towns and villages.
Pond Conservation say it is so hard to clean a pond fed by polluted streams that it is better to start afresh.
It wants to create...
Shortages: Metals in demand
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on June 21st, 2012
BBC: There was an outcry in the UK last month when metal thieves stole a plaque dedicated to two children killed by an IRA bomb attack in Warrington.
It was the latest in a pandemic of metals thefts: lead from church roofs, copper from railway cables.
Does this mean we're reaching a shortage of these metals? No - it just means they have attained a value that makes a low-risk crime worthwhile.
Will we suffer a shortage of metals as the world population grows and gets richer? That's a different...
Air pollution ‘damaging Europe’s wildlife havens’
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on April 15th, 2011
BBC: Air pollution is damaging 60% of Europe's prime wildlife sites in meadows, forests and heaths, according to a new report.
A team of EU scientists said nitrogen emissions from cars, factories and farming was threatening biodiversity.
It's the second report this week warning of the on-going risks and threats linked to nitrogen pollution.
The Nitrogen Deposition and Natura 2000 report was published at a key scientific conference in Edinburgh.
Earlier this week, the European Nitrogen Assessment...
EU’s biofuel targets ‘unethical’
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on April 13th, 2011
BBC: EU biofuels targets are unethical, according to a report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.
Its authors recommend the targets should be lifted temporarily until new safeguards are put in place for biofuels grown in Europe or imported.
But they stop short of calling for a complete halt to biofuels, which some environmentalists want.
And they hold out the hope that new technologies may be able to develop biofuels from cellulose.
Crucially, they hope this could be done in a way that does...
Explosive secret: US extracts shale gas
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on December 21st, 2010
BBC: As this winter's freezing weather puts great pressure on gas supplies, countries are using new technology to exploit existing energy reserves. The US is extracting gas from shale rock, cutting bills for consumers, and reducing the country's reliance on foreign suppliers. Roger Harrabin reports from Shreveport in Louisiana.
Businesses concerned by water use
Posted by BBC: Roger Harrabin on November 12th, 2010
BBC: Future water shortages are a growing concern for business, according to a global survey published today.
The research shows that more than half of the 147 firms responding expect problems with water in the next 1-5 years.
It says 60% of firms have already set performance targets on the way they use water.
The report predicts that the issue will get much worse as the world demand for water is projected to soar over the next few decades.
The UK's chief scientist John Beddington has warned...