• Government announces £1.5bn insulation scheme for low-income households

    The UK government has announced a new £1.5bn package to improve the energy efficiency of UK households, as the country faces a looming energy crisis.  Under the Help to Heat scheme, a round 130,000 social housing and low-income properties could see their bills reduced by around £400 to £700, the government said.  Social housing with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or lower will be eligible to receive upgrades, while the Home Upgrade Grant funding will help people who are most vulnerable to fuel poverty, living in privately owned off-gas-grid homes and on low incomes. Local authorities and social-housing providers will be able to submit bids for funding and will deliver upgrades from early next year until March 2025. The scheme aims to reduce the likelihood of households…

  • Cockroaches on the run from AI-controlled laser

    Cockroaches are an all-pervasive, extremely resilient pest found in many countries around the world, including the UK. Such is their reputation for survival in the harshest of conditions that the myth has developed that they could even survive a nuclear bomb. Household cockroaches can live in populations that number into the millions. They can spoil food and appliances, but are also a serious health hazard, triggering allergic reactions and the development of asthma. Various, often imperfect methods are used to try and control cockroaches, from mechanical tools such as sticky traps to chemical approaches using gels and pastes. However, traps have a limited range and the long-term use of chemical treatments can make cockroaches resistant to insecticides. However, the cockroaches' days…

  • EU to facilitate suing AI and drone companies in new draft rules

    The AI Liability Directive would reduce the burden of proof on people suing over incidents involving AI and digital devices, with the goal of providing more legal clarity for manufacturers and consumers, the Commission said.  In addition to drones and AI systems, other devices such as self-driving cars, voice assistants and search engines could also fall under the directive's scope, which could run alongside the EU's proposed Artificial Intelligence Act, the first law regulating the use of AI systems.   Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders described it as a legal framework fit for the digital age. "While considering the huge potential of new technologies, we must always ensure the safety of consumers," he said in a statement. "Proper standards of protection for EU citizens are the basis…

  • BP failing to report massive emissions from Iraq operations, Greenpeace alleges

    Unearthed, which is the environmental charity’s investigatory arm, found that BP has failed to report massive flaring emissions from one of its projects in Iraq – equivalent to the annual emissions of over 970,000 petrol cars. BP jointly owns the Rumaila operating company but Unearthed said the firm denies responsibility for its emissions. Gas is released during oil production and is typically captured for use in power generation or reinjected to force more oil out of the ground. But in some places, a lack of infrastructure means it has nowhere to go and is set alight or vented into the atmosphere instead. In impoverished Iraq the vast majority of gas produced during oil production is flared, which exacerbates climate change. According to Unearthed, big oil companies “routinely” underreport…

  • World's largest flow battery to offer grid-scale energy storage in China

    Energy storage technology can help power systems more easily respond to strain during large-scale drains on the power grid as well as potentially lowering the carbon footprint of an energy network by charging during off-peak times and releasing the energy back to the grid when needed. It could also support increased use of renewable energy, which is key to helping China achieve its carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals which are currently set for 2030 and 2060 respectively. A flow battery is one in which two liquids are separated by a membrane and circulated in order to enable ion exchange between them. They typically offer a long cycle life and are suited for consistent energy delivery which is required for grid-level storage solutions. Image credit: DICP …

  • Hydrogen could prove inefficient for heating homes, despite government claims

    Hydrogen will not have a major role in the future of heating homes across Britain, according to a peer-reviewed review of more than two dozen independent studies, published in the academic journal Joule. The research found that using hydrogen in domestic heating is less economic, less efficient, more resource intensive and has a bigger environmental impact than many alternatives, including heat pumps, solar thermal panels and district heating – where whole blocks or neighbourhoods are supplied through the same hot water system. The academic findings contradict the statements made by Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, who told the House of Commons last week that hydrogen was a "silver bullet", that could be used as a way to store excess renewable power, and "with some adjustments piped…

  • AI voice assistants could negatively impact child development, research finds

    A team from the University of Cambridge said that children can view social robots as beings with their own rights and feelings, despite being aware of the machine status. This is exacerbated by the way they interact with the devices through the use of wake commands such as “Hey Google” or “Hi Alexa”, which increases the risk that children over-anthropomorphise digital devices. However, there is no expectation that polite terms, such as “please” or “thank you”, should be used during these interactions and there is no need to consider the tone of voice and whether the command being issued may be interpreted as rude or obnoxious. The inability of smart speakers to offer children constructive feedback if their speech is considered rude or inappropriate could normalise negative social interactions…

  • First lithium refinery in the UK to be built in Teesside

    Worley  has announced that it has commenced work on the first   lithium   refinery in the UK, which will be built in Teesside by Green Lithium. Once operational, the plant is expected to produce 50,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium a year.   Lithium is an essential material in battery manufacturing. However, Europe's current lithium- refining capacity in Europe doesn’t match the increasing demand for battery-grade  lithium chemicals. According to the company, the Teeside plant will  produce up to 6 per cent of Europe’s expected battery demand by 2030, providing enough of the material to produce one million EVs annually. The new refinery is designed to supply low-carbon, battery-grade lithium chemicals to serve the growing European market for energy storage systems and electric vehicles…

  • Reduce plastic production to ease energy crisis, say green groups

    According to a new report from the environmental activist organisation Break Free From Plastic and NGO the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), plastic production was responsible for nearly 9 per cent and 8 per cent of the EU’s final fossil gas and oil consumption respectively in 2020. This is about as much as the final gas consumption in the Netherlands and almost as much as the final oil consumption of Italy in 2020. Crucially, the report finds that 40 per cent of this gas and more than a fifth of this oil came from Russia in 2020, demonstrating the petrochemical industry’s significant reliance on Russian fossil fuels. The authors add that moving away from plastic and petrochemicals – and from fossil fuels altogether – “would not only help to prevent war and armed conflict…

  • Keir Starmer pledges to launch publicly owned energy company

    Should Labour win the next election - as current polls suggest - the party will create a publicly owned energy company within its first year in office, Sir Keir Starmer has announced at the party’s annual conference in Liverpool.  The company would be named Great British Energy, and it would be modelled after France's EDF and other firms owned by foreign states operating in the UK, with the goal of taking "advantage of opportunities in clean British power", Starmer said.  The role of GB Energy will be to provide additional capacity alongside the private sector, to establish the UK as a clean energy superpower and guarantee long-term energy security, the Labour leader said.  It was “right for jobs, right for growth and right for energy independence from tyrants like Putin”, Sir Keir said…

  • Sponsored: Printing the impossible

    3D printing has taken an evolutionary step forward, enabling manufacturers to produce stronger, lighter and more accurate composite parts, resulting in a broader selection of manufacturing materials and greater design freedom. This whitepaper will explore how composite-based additive manufacturing (CBAM) works, and how it differs from current 3D printing. It will also look at the advantages and possible issues with CBAM, as well as its potential to replace metal parts and step up FDM and 3D composite printing market disruption. Moving from conventional 3D printing to CBAM technology can help manufacturers to: Expand design possibilities, improve manufacturing speed and reduce cost Produce parts in a more sustainable way Diversify into new markets Download free white paper

  • Bishop bashes Kwarteng’s mini-budget for being ‘reckless with nature’

    The Right Reverend Graham Usher, the Bishop of Norwich, shared a lengthy Twitter thread – also retweeted by the National Trust – in which the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) strongly criticised the government’s proposed 38 'investment zones' in a 13-tweet response. ️ Make no mistake, we are angry. This Government has today launched an attack on nature. We don’t use the words that follow lightly. We are entering uncharted territory. Please read this thread. 1/13 pic.twitter.com/NAPfIjLZKA — RSPB England (@RSPBEngland) September 23, 2022 The government's investment zones are areas identified in England where planning rules will be loosened in order to release more land for commercial and housing developments. Rev. Usher said Kwasi Kwarteng’s plans showed “a real…

  • Smart helmets could help firefighters locate blaze victims

    Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have developed a technology that could help firefighters more quickly map their surroundings, navigate hazardous environments and get people to safety, which will  be showcased as part of the official opening of the National Robotarium on Wednesday. The device uses artificial intelligence (AI) to combine data from thermal-imaging cameras, radar and other sensors mounted on standard-issue fire helmets, giving firefighters real-time information from fire scenes. The entire sensor rig weighs less than one kilogram and uses affordable, off-the-shelf parts that are easy to fit onto standard-issue fire helmets. It is hoped the technology could help emergency services more safely navigate dangerous or low-visibility conditions and reduce the time it takes…

  • How digital infrastructures are reshaping the future of dementia care

    This September marks the eleventh edition of the increasingly growing global awareness campaign, World Alzheimer’s Month . Every year, people from around the world come together to cast a spotlight on dementia and challenge the stigma attached to the condition. According to the National Health Service, it is estimated that around 676,000 people in England are affected by dementia . Across the UK, the number is estimated to be about 850,000, and predicted to rise exponentially to 1.6 million by 2024. With approximately 70 per cent of care home residents living with dementia, care providers are continuously searching for new ways to streamline processes and improve quality of care, reducing workloads, giving carers more time to spend with their residents and delivering better overall outcomes…

  • AI to replace James Earl Jones as the voice of Darth Vader

    The actor behind the voice of Star Wars villain Darth Vader has granted Disney permission to recreate his voice artificially for future productions of the franchise.  James Earl Jones's famous, ominous tones are likely to be replicated by an AI voice-modelling tool called Respeecher, which trains text-to-speech machine-learning models with licensed and released recordings of actors.  James Earl Jones first voiced Darth Vader in the original 1977  Star Wars movie and went on to reprise the role in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He continued voicing the iconic character in later films, including the first instalment of the Star Wars anthology series, Rogue One, and the third instalment of the sequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.  Now, however, Star Wars sound…

  • Battery-free camera designed to photograph the ocean’s deepest depths

    The device is capable of taking colour photos, even in dark underwater environments, and transmits image data wirelessly through the water. An estimated 95 per cent of the Earth’s oceans have never been observed, which means less of our planet’s oceans has been seen than the far side of the moon or the surface of Mars. The high cost of powering an underwater camera for a long time, by tethering it to a research vessel or sending a ship to recharge its batteries, is a steep challenge preventing widespread undersea exploration. The autonomous camera is powered by sound. It converts mechanical energy from sound waves traveling through water into electrical energy that powers its imaging and communications equipment. After capturing and encoding image data, the camera also uses sound waves…

  • Nasa crashes spacecraft into asteroid in planetary defence test

    DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) was launched in November 2021  with plans to reach an asteroid known as Dimorphos which is not considered a threat to Earth. Nasa wanted to find out whether intentionally crashing a spacecraft into an asteroid is an effective way to change its course, should an Earth-threatening asteroid be discovered in the future. Nasa said that DART’s impact with Dimorphos demonstrated a viable mitigation technique for protecting the Earth. “At its core, DART represents an unprecedented success for planetary defence, but it is also a mission of unity with a real benefit for all humanity,” said Nasa administrator Bill Nelson. “As Nasa studies the cosmos and our home planet, we’re also working to protect that home and this international collaboration turned science…

  • Backpack to the future as the IET unveils biodegradable school bag

    The survey of 1,000 5 to 13-year-olds - conducted by 3Gem on behalf of the IET - asked the Generation Alpha (Gen A) children to predict the kind of clothes people would be wearing in the future, with the integration of technology coming across as a clear theme throughout the responses. The IET is now launching a competition to inspire Gen A fashionistas and spark excitement about how STEM can help make their fashion predictions come true. Over the next 40 years, one-third of the children surveyed predicted that we’ll see flying shoes (35 per cent) and clothes that teleport you to different places (33 per cent) on our shop shelves. Six in ten children (60 per cent) believe that we’ll be able to buy a hat that allows you to play video games with your mind, while just over one-third (37 per…

  • Chambers of Commerce give support to Forth Green Freeport project

    Three chambers of commerce, which represent nearly 1,500 international and Scottish businesses, have declared their support for a green freeport in the Firth of Forth. The leaders of the three chambers have written joint letters to the UK and Scottish governments, describing the bid as Scotland’s best opportunity to deliver a just transition to net zero, attract £6bn of inward investment and build significant international trade and export capability. Freeports are special areas within the UK’s borders where different economic regulations apply and are centred around one or more air, rail, or seaport, but often extend beyond it too. “By 2030, the ScotWind revolution has the potential to create up to £30bn in additional investment and revenue from the North Sea," said Alan Mitchell, chief…

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    A new generation of IIoT-enabled equipment has now come to medium voltage switchgear – incorporating far more sensing and connectivity and delivering new levels of value and reliability to owner-operators including remote operation, longer maintenance cycles, and reduced size. You will learn: How SureSeT’s digital and remote operation capabilities reduce risk & help increase operation time. The benefits of intelligent switchgear. The benefits of working with equipment that is reduced in size to increase efficiency & reduce costs. Download free whitepaper

  • Ofgem says energy suppliers are failing to support customers in need

    The UK is currently facing a cost-of-living crisis, with inflation hitting historic levels. The rising prices of energy bills – prompted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine – could leave as many as 40 per cent of British families facing fuel poverty in the winter. In its Market Compliance Review, Ofgem found that all bar one of the gas and electricity suppliers assessed had issues in the support they provide. The regulator has asked those identified to submit information setting out how they will improve. Key findings include companies being unable to identify customers in payment difficulty and a lack of help given to those requiring crucial payment plans. The deep dive found that, although good practice exists across the industry, with one supplier, British Gas, having no issues, most…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • King aims to reduce environmental impact of new stamps and banknotes

    The Royal Mail and Bank of England said they have received guidance from King Charles’s royal household aimed at minimising cost and ensuring a sustainable transition when changing the UK's banknotes and stamps to bear the King's image. Updated banknotes bearing the portrait of the King will be revealed by the end of the year, the Bank of England has said. The notes are expected to enter circulation by mid-2024 with the new portrait appearing on existing designs of the £5, £10, £20 and £50 banknotes. The Royal Mail also confirmed the King’s image will replace the Queen on new 1st and 2nd Class definitive stamps, as well as all those of other values. Issues of special stamps will also feature a silhouette of King Charles. “In line with guidance from the Royal Household, to minimise the…

  • Book review: ‘All the Knowledge in the World’ by Simon Garfield

    Guess what my first major purchase in the West was, shortly after fleeing from the USSR in the 1980s and settling in Australia? Not a second-hand jalopy, a three-piece suit, or a clunky word processor. I bought – from a glib Polish salesman - the latest edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica. The bulky leather-bound volumes – all 28 of them – arrived shortly afterwards in the back of a van. They could hardly fit in our small Melbourne flat, but I was in seventh heaven. The very mass of my purchase appeared sufficient to ram through the wall of the information hunger I had been experiencing all my life in the Soviet Union, where even general knowledge publications like encyclopaedias, directories and dictionaries were heavily politicised and strictly censored. I recall my mother telling me…

    E+T Magazine
    E+T Magazine

  • Why digital empires are here to stay

    Amazon once again beat analysts’ revenue forecasts as it announced its latest quarterly results. Over $600bn-worth of goods passed through its online market last year - more than most countries’ entire gross domestic product. It collected far more money in marketplace and logistics infrastructure fees than most governments earn as taxes. Apple, Google, and Microsoft likewise further entrenched their positions. How did we end up here? According to internet visionaries and Silicon Valley technologists, the internet was supposed to free us from powerful institutions. It was supposed to cut out the middlemen and overcome the gatekeepers - to make states obsolete and supersede gigantic corporations. This is what we were promised. And for a while, publishers celebrated how Amazon freed them from…

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