Environment
British austerity violating rights of disabled people, says UN
The savage cuts that have blighted the UK’s poor and lower middle class have “systematically violated the rights of disabled people,” concludes a UN study. The highly critical report, published in Geneva on Monday afternoon makes 11 recommendations to improve the circumstances of people with disabilities across the UK. The Conservative Government immediately rejected the claims. However, the level of cuts prompted many Tories to raise serious concerns about the impact it would have on the less well off in society....
Wow! Pics of new footbridge at legendary birthplace of King Arthur
We have been able to access pictures of a new footbridge that it is hoped will be built at Tintagel Castle, North Cornwall. English Heritage want to build the breathtaking bridge at the world famous site, the legendary birthplace of King Arthur. The remains of the ancient castle at the moment can bee seen on both the mainland and headland that were at one point connected by a strip of land. This new bridge which will be constructed slate, oak...
Scotland virtually powers all households for a month using wind power
More good renewable news from north of the border as Scotland produced 87 per cent of the electrical energy for its household, using wind power, in October. The data, supplied by WWF Scotland, showed that the power of the wind created almost 40 per cent of Scotland’s entire electricity requirement last month. It is hoped that this positive renewable news will encourage politicians to continue to push for investment in the renewable sector. the news could persuade politicians to push...
Global Wildlife Populations Fall by 58% in 40 Years
Global wildlife populations have fallen by 58 per cent over the past 40 years, according to a report by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and WWF. The worrying research has concluded that if the trends continues the decline could reach two-thirds among vertebrates by 2020, with animals living in lakes, rivers and wetlands suffering the biggest losses. It found that for freshwater species alone, the decline stands at 81 per cent since 1970. Human activity is chiefly to blame, causing habitat...
Rise in shark attacks due to global warming and increased tourism, says report
The sharp rise in global shark attacks on humans are linked to global warming, tourism and new building projects in coastal regions. It appears that the water is more dangerous to enter in certain areas of the world, and sadly humans are to blame. It appears that humans are increasingly entering into the sharks natural habitat and that is leading to these attacks, which can easily be fatal. Warmer seas, due to global warming, allow sharks to increase their population...
Scientists Accidentally Discover Process to Remove Large Amounts of CO2 From the Atmosphere
Scientists in America may have accidentally discovered an efficient process to remove large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee have fallen upon a chemical reaction to turn CO2 into ethanol, potentially creating a new technology to help avert climate change. The findings, which have been published in the journal ChemistrySelect, were made when the team were attempting to find a series of chemical reactions that could turn CO2 into a useful...
Almost half of UK residents live in sub-standard homes, says Housing charity
It is widely accepted that there is a housing crisis in the UK, whether you can’t afford to get on the property ladder, apply for a mortgage, live in poor local authority properties or paying sky-high rents for poor quality dwellings. It seems that everyone you speak to has a serious issue with the home they live in. Now a survey by Shelter has discovered that almost half of us (43 per cent) live in homes of poor quality. The...
Slum landlord caught cramming 18 people into flat on same street Churchill died
A dodgy landlord has been slapped with a huge fine after he was found cramming 18 people into a flat, which was dangerous to live in. This area of London usually hosts the super-rich, living in lavish luxury, but not at this particular address. Abbas Rasul,64 was making a staggering £15k a month letting out the dwelling, which is in a Grade II listed building in uber-pricey Kensington, West London. Properties can be sold for tens of millions and attract...
Frack off! Brits turn their backs on controversial shale gas extraction
The Government has just overturned a council decision and will allow fracking in Lancashire, regardless of the concerns of the public, and local officials who are against the controversial process. The decision has led to some people saying it signals an attack on local democracy by central government. There are also plans for another site in Doncaster with the decision expected next month. Now a YouGov poll has indicated that support for the energy extraction process is at only 37.3%,...