Science | Common News Update

May182023 by adminNo Comments

Sewage spills: Water bills set to rise to pay for £10bn upgrade

Science

FayBy Esme StallardClimate and Science Reporter, BBC NewsBills could rise after water suppliers in England said they were ready to spend £10bn on tackling sewage spills. The privately owned companies have apologised for the amount of contaminated water being discharged into rivers and seas, amid mounting public anger over the practice.Some campaigners have cautiously welcomed the move, but others say firms are shifting the cost on to billpayers.The industry paid out £1.4bn to shareholders in 2022.Musician and environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey called it a "half apology" that was another attempt to extract more money from customers."What I am actually hearing is no apology for the fact we have paid them for a service we haven't got, they are now suggesting we pay them a second time fo...

May162023 by adminNo Comments

Surf champ Lucy Campbell says her sport must be greener

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Getty ImagesBy Claire Marshall and Malcolm PriorBBC News Climate and Science A top UK surfer has slammed her sport for relying on boards and wetsuits mass-produced from petrochemicals that create tonnes of waste every year.Seven times British women's champion Lucy Campbell told the BBC the top brands "need to change".Despite surfing's eco-friendly image, it uses plastic boards covered in toxic resins and non-biodegradable wetsuits.The industry says it is developing new sustainable boards and the world's first fully recycled wetsuit.Ms Campbell said she would now only work with or accept sponsorship from brands with a clear sustainability ethos. "It's often hard to turn down a big pay check, if they're a brand that isn't sustainable, but it's definitely more worthwhile in the long run," she...

May52023 by adminNo Comments

Can Morocco solve Europe’s energy crisis?

Science

Getty ImagesBy Jonathan JosephsBusiness reporter, BBC News, RabatMorocco has big ambitions to export electricity produced by solar and wind farms to Europe, but should it be prioritising such renewable energy for its home market?"The resources we have here could be one of the big, big answers to European demand," says Moroccan energy entrepreneur Moundir Zniber.Mr Zniber is a passionate man who senses opportunity out of crisis."I think Morocco represents the best opportunity to get the European continent away from the dependency it has today on Russian gas," he says.Mr Zniber has spent the past 15 years building his company, Gaia Energy, into one of the leaders of a renewable energy revolution in his home country."Morocco has truly one of the best solar and wind resources in the world comb...

Apr152023 by adminNo Comments

Yellow dust: Sandstorms bring misery from China to South Korea

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NEWS1By Yuna Ku, Joel Guinto and Fan Wangin Seoul and SingaporeFrom his high rise office window, Erling Thompson watches the Seoul skyline fade into a yellow-grey cloud as fine dust from sandstorms in China blankets South Korea.On the streets below, people wear face masks and hooded jackets to ride out another dust-covered day that is no less miserable and unhealthy, even if it is expected at this time of the year.Yellow dust is a seasonal ordeal for millions in North Asia, as sandstorms from the Gobi desert that borders China and Mongolia ride springtime winds to reach the Korean peninsula and this year, farther east to Japan.It aggravates air pollution and puts people at greater risk of respiratory disease as the particles are small enough to be inhaled into the lungs. "You don't feel ha...

Apr142023 by adminNo Comments

Environment Agency workers strike over pay

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Press AssociationBy Esme StallardClimate and Science Reporter, BBC NewsThousands of Environment Agency workers began a three day strike on Friday over claims of "endemic low pay".The latest action from the Unison trade union will see staff working on flood defences, river pollution and fires walk out.These emergency response teams say they are too thinly stretched, making it difficult to protect communities and keep the environment safe.The government said representatives are meeting with the unions to discuss pay. Environment Agency staff on strike in pay disputeStrike action: What do rail workers, nurses and others want?Environment Agency clean-up under way after 200-barrel leakThe strike began at 19:00 and will end at 07:00 Monday morning,It follows months of industrial action by Enviro...