We might never have the tech to tame a tempest, but we know about the hazards that trigger power outages and now we have the capability to manage them in granular detail, Taco Engelaar writes. Brace. That’s the blanket instruction we’re given each time a storm approaches. Brace for train disruption, brace for property damage,
Peering over your shoulder to reverse into a tight space may soon be a thing of the past, as the first car without a rear window is set to launch on British roads. The Swedish-made Polestar 4 will be fitted with a high-definition screen in place of a rear-view mirror, displaying a live feed
Citizens could be fined for washing cars or watering gardens. After months of warnings, authorities in Catalonia have declared a drought emergency. The region is in the midst of the worst drought since records began. From tomorrow (Friday), 80% of the Catalan population, including Barcelona, will be under strict water restrictions. “We are entering a
A new study conducted by Britain Remade has found that 70 local councils have collectively opposed planning applications for 4.4GW worth of renewable energy projects. According to the pro-growth campaign group, the number of refused projects includes battery storage that could store up to 680MW of renewable energy. The group highlighted a number of
Kristy Holmes always knew she could use her electric car for ‘good things’, but when storms caused a blackout, it proved life-saving An electric vehicle owner has used her car’s emergency power system to run her 11-year-old son’s life-saving dialysis machine and another has ridden to the rescue of his neighbours after devastating storms cut power
The Emirati head of the UN's climate conference pressed countries on Wednesday to strive for common ground and reach a "historic" deal by early next week, giving negotiators days to untangle disagreements over the fate of fossil fuels. It is rare for UN climate talks to end as scheduled but COP28 president Sultan Al
Spurred by lockdowns, floods and war in Europe, retail demand for survival supplies is rising steeply in the UK As Storm Babet battered the UK last month, a niche but growing section of the population could have felt justified in their unusual pursuit: preparing for disaster. With increasing threats posed by climate breakdown, such as flooding and wildfires,
Following the King’s Speech yesterday (7 November), energy cooperatives across the UK have written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urging him to be “on the right side of history”. With the King’s Speech reiterating support for new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea, the energy cooperatives have outlined in an open letter that
New legislation to mandate annual oil and gas licensing in the North Sea is expected to be set out in the King’s Speech tomorrow (7 November). The bill will allow the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) to invite applications for new oil and gas production licenses on an annual basis. This would replace the current
Continuing our Designing for Disaster series, we spotlight Climate Safe Rooms, an initiative that insulates one room in a home as a cost-effective way of preparing low-income homes in Australia for extreme heat. The project was created by Tim Adams for Victoria-based not-for-profit community group Geelong Sustainability, which so far has implemented a Climate Safe Room in 16 vulnerable homes. Rather than retrofitting