‘We will continue to ensure that our energy system remains secure and reliable’, Minister tells in G20 meeting
ENERGY Minister Kwasi Kwarteng stated that the UK energy market has 'responded positively' to the challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic in a Group of Twenty (G20) Energy Ministers meeting on 10 April.
G20 is a premier forum for international economic cooperation, which gathers the leaders of the largest economies of the world to discuss financial and socioeconomic issues.
As a...
£10m available in the second auction of Woodland Carbon Guarantee
FARMERS and land managers can apply for the scheme to create new woodlands that help tackle the effects of climate change in a government tree-planting programme.
The Forestry Commission has announced today that £10m will be available in the second auction of the Woodland Carbon Guarantee.
Land managers across England are encouraged to sign up to the scheme by 5 June, ahead...
Sellafield research reveals microbial life in their fuel ponds
SELLAFIELD research has uncovered microbial life in fuel ponds, against all expectations.
Two new research papers from The University of Manchester, working with Sellafield Limited and the National Nuclear Laboratory, show that microbes can actively colonise some of the most intensively radioactive waste storage sites in Europe.
When nuclear facilities such as Sellafield were designed and built more than 50 years ago, it was sensible...
Skills matching service set up to help rural businesses amidst COVID-19 pandemic
A NEW service is being launched to match rural businesses with potential employees and volunteers during the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Skills Matching Service will ensure that key businesses, such as farms, crofts and organisations which need help to continue to meet their animal welfare obligations, are able to find workers with relevant skills and experience.
It has been...
Covid-19 exposes inequalities in the UK food system, new analysis reveals
FOOD banks will struggle to cope during the Covid-19 pandemic and vulnerable households should be given cash grants to buy food instead, a group of leading academics from University of York have suggested.
According to their analysis, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted stark inequalities in the UK system of food supply and distribution.
Dr Maddy Power from the Department of Health Sciences...
Emissions Trading System ‘succeeding despite low prices’, says new research
AN EU programme aimed at reducing carbon dioxid emissions has made significant progress despite low prices in carbon markets, according to a study at the Universities of Strathclyde and Pittsburgh.
Under the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), introduced in 2005 in response to the Kyoto Protocol, governments set a cap on an allowable total amount of emissions over a certain period.
They...
Biomass research seeks to make production cleaner and more energy-efficient
INTERNATIONAL research on how to make biomass energy production cleaner and more energy efficient has been led by the University of Hull.
A team of researchers from the University has examined how new pre-treatment methods for biomass wastes will improve the quality of renewable fuels of the future.
The research, which has been released as a scientific publication, found that by...
Orkney energy project aims to create the first ‘large scale smart local energy system’ in the world
AN AMBITIOUS flexibility project aims to place the island of Orkney at the forefront of a green energy revolution.
The ReFLEX (Responsive Flexibility) Orkney project, currently being trialled on the archipelago off Scotland’s north coast.
Launched in April 2019, the ambitious £28.5 million programme funded by UKRI through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, is aiming to create the world’s first large...
3D-printed coral could help produce bioenergy while helping reefs
RESEARCHERS have designed bionic 3D-printed corals that could help energy production and coral reef research.
Researchers from Cambridge University and University of California San Diego have 3D-printed coral-inspired structures that are capable of growing dense populations of microscopic algae.
Their results, reported in the journal Nature Communications, open the door to new bio-inspired materials and their applications for coral conservation.
First author Dr...
Nottingham research exposes highly variable microplastic concentrations in UK rivers
RESEARCHERS at the University of Nottingham have highlighted highly variable levels of microplastic pollution in UK rivers.
The work makes recommendations for the future study of freshwater microplastic pollution so that research can better inform consumers and legislators.
Tom Stanton from the School of Geography commented on the research: "Microplastic particles continue to be identified in freshwater environments all over the...
