Environment
The costliest object on the planet will be in Britain
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor It has been claimed by Greenpeace that the new Hinkley power station will be the most expensive object on Earth. The environmental group believes the total cost of the controversial project will cost up to a colossal £24bn, eighteen time more the world’s tallest building, which is in Dubai. But while Hinkley C may well be the most expensive object on Earth, it doesn't touch the International Space Station, which cost £77.6bn. Greenpeace claim that...
Boaty McBoatface Will Live Inside David Attenborough
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has found a compromise on the controversial naming of its new polar research ship. Boaty McBoatface will live on as an unmanned underwater vessel, spending most of its time stored within RSS Sir David Attenborough. https://twitter.com/bisgovuk/status/728500969722552320 Last month the NERC successfully engaged with the public by democratising the naming of their new research ship. Boaty McBoatface won a landslide victory, steaming ahead with almost double the number of votes as its four rival candidates combined: Boaty McBoatface 124,109 votes Poppy-Mai 34,371 votes Henry...
A National Treasure
In a time of recent sadness with the loss of several global icons, 2016 has already become somewhat of a morbid year. Not even four months into the year and we have already said goodbye to Terry Wogan, Alan Rickman, Victoria Wood, Ronnie Corbett, David Bowie, and Johann Cruyff to name but a few. All heroes in their respected fields, they will be sorely missed. There is cause for optimism this month though, as we celebrate the birthdays of some of those...
Over 1,000 old UK landfill sites pose pollution risk due to coastal erosion
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Strong storms and an expected sea level rise might break-up aged rubbish dumps across the British Isles. A study has shown that this problem could possibly release toxic waste. In total there are over a thousand old landfill sites in coastal areas. As the land erodes the chances are some or all will be breached, which could pose serious dangers to wildlife and bather alike. Before the 1990s there were little or no regulations on...
Birds: Do We Really Understand How Intelligent They Are?
They have often been thought of as one of the smartest creatures on the planet. Experiments dating back thousands of years explain how crows would put stones into containers in order to raise the water level and get a drink that would be otherwise unreachable. More recent studies at Cambridge University support this behaviour. They have been observed using sticks as tools for various practices. They are ten a penny in almost every corner of the UK, but do we...
Worrying number of pupils starting school underweight
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor A shocking number of children in England began school underweight in the previous year according to figures reported MPs. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Hunger said the increasing numbers of children do not get the right amount to eat. The group said: "For a minority of children, the school lunchtime represents the only chance each day to eat something substantial." To deal with this worry rise, the group asked that income from the new...
23% of under-18s are turned away by mental health services
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor It has come to light that almost a quarter of children and young people who come to them for assistance are not given any help. The report by CentreForum a liberal thinktank indicate that 23 per cent of under-18s who are referred to them by GPs, teachers, concerned parents are refused help. Some services even deny support to those with an eating disorder unless their BMI is under a certain weight threshold. Their work has...
Lights go out on Solar power after government cuts
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor The Government recently announced a 65 per cent cut to subsidies to household solar power instillations, but the reduction in new take-up makes poor reading for green campaigners. Household solar power installations in the previous two months have slumped by 75 per cent, which will reduce the clean energy hopes of many in the UK. The figures came from the energy regulator who indicated that there was 21 megawatts (MW) of small solar installed in...
Sea level to increase over a metre during next century
By Joe Mellor, Deputy Editor Worrying news has emerged from a new piece of research; sea levels are now forecast to rise over a metre during the upcoming century. This is more than double the previous estimate, and will need drastic action to prevent a global catastrophe caused by the increased water levels. The research was carried out by scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Pennsylvania State University. The news will be terrifying to low laying islands, such...