• UK faces targeted blackouts this winter as energy crisis bites

    Under the government’s latest “reasonable worst-case scenario,” some industries and even households could have their electricity supplies temporarily suspended for several days. The scenario has been updated due to concerns that the UK could face an energy shortfall amounting to up to a sixth of peak demand. For the plan to be instigated, a confluence of factors would need to occur simultaneously including below-average temperatures coupled with reduced electricity imports from Norway and France. But it could see Britain exposed to four days in January when it may need to trigger emergency measures to conserve gas. The UK has already delayed the closure of coal plants in order to bolster energy supplies, although ministers were warned in May that millions of UK households could still…

  • Musk dumps billions of Tesla shares to fund Twitter fight

    Musk has unloaded about eight million shares in recent days, as revealed in a series of regulatory filings. “In the (hopefully unlikely) event that Twitter forces this deal to close and some equity partners don’t come through, it is important to avoid an emergency sale of Tesla stock,” Musk tweeted late on Tuesday. Musk is by far the largest individual shareholder in both Tesla and Twitter. Shares of Tesla rose almost 2 per cent before the opening bell on Wall Street on Wednesday. Shares of Twitter, meanwhile - already up 16 per cent in the past month, with most observers believing that Musk faces long-shot odds of success in court - jumped another 3 per cent. Musk countersued Twitter last week, accusing the company of fraud over his aborted $44bn (£36.4bn) acquisition. He claims that…

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  • The EU takes on Big Tech with landmark legislative package

    It’s been a long-time coming, but in July the European Union finally adopted two legislative initiatives that create a single set of new online rules applicable across the bloc. The Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) are intended to create safer online spaces and bring more competition and transparency to digital markets. “The DSA is largely focused on protecting individuals from the harms which are generally acknowledged to be proliferating in online environments,” Will Richmond-Coggan, a data and information law specialist at Freeths LLP explains, “while the DMA is primarily aimed at protecting smaller businesses from what are considered to be the market-distorting effects of certain companies referred to as ‘Gatekeepers’ having a broad grip on the fundamental…

  • Network Rail signs milestone solar agreement with EDF Renewables

    The announcement represents another marker in Network Rail's ambition to establish a greener, more sustainable railway for Britain. The contract will mean 49.9MW of renewable energy capacity is available, covering around 15 per cent of Network Rail’s annual non-traction electricity consumption. The energy will be supplied from EDF Renewables UK’s Bloy’s Grove solar farm between Swainsthorpe and Mulbarton in Norfolk, which received planning consent in June this year. This builds upon the existing traction supply partnership between Network Rail and the wider EDF Group in the UK. This latest agreement is in line with Network Rail’s commitment to sourcing 100 per cent of non-traction energy from renewable sources by 2030 as part of its 'Environmental Sustainability Strategy'. Jo Lewington…

  • Healthcare inequalities could be exacerbated by net zero efforts

    The NHS in England has committed to ambitious net-zero targets – an 80 per cent reduction in emissions under its direct control by 2028-2032 and across the supply chain by 2036-39, reaching net zero by 2040 and 2045 respectively. Writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, the researchers said that the most deprived people typically have poorer health, a lower life expectancy, and consume a greater amount of health services. Given healthcare consumption is the ultimate driver of healthcare emissions, they write, this has important implications in terms of justice for the pursuit of net zero healthcare. Lead author Dr Anand Bhopal, a PhD research fellow at the Bergen Centre for Ethics and Priority Setting, said: “Lifetime health costs among the poorest people are 10-20 per…

  • Hands-on review: Excitrus NitroCharge 30 Pro charger

    Portable charging is almost an essential for many people now, be it a business laptop user out in the field; a power phone user constantly interrogating social media; a vlogger or mobile photographer capturing new footage, or any other peripatetic rover with a bag full of gadgets. No matter how much more powerful the batteries in our devices get, there is inevitably a concurrent drain on their resources with the uptick in screen size and app demand. There are few things in the modern consumer technology world more disappointing than being left holding a useless hunk of metal and plastic simply because the battery is dead. Portable chargers rule, OK. Image credit: Excitrus We were recently sent the NitroCharge 30 Pro by Excitrus. It's one of the company's many mobile…

  • The long and winding road to energy net-zero 2050

    For a power plant due to be mothballed amid a long-term plan to abandon electricity generation from coal, West Burton A weathered last winter surprisingly well. And following a letter from secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy Kwasi Kwarteng to its owner EDF Energy telling them it would need to be on standby for a while longer, it is probably going to have another good winter. Amid generation shortages in the winter of 2021, the electricity system operator (ESO) arm of National Grid was forced to call West Burton A back into action to the point that for a while it would match wind generation: 5.5 per cent of the nation’s electricity mix. Though it was the lack of wind that made the headlines, according to the spring 2022 Energy Trends report published by Kwarteng…

  • Four-day amber warning issued for extreme temperatures across UK

    The warning, for Thursday to Sunday, comes as the forecaster predicted 35°C in places or even an “isolated” 36°C – below last month’s record temperatures, which peaked above 40°C in some spots, but still uncomfortably hot for many people. The vulnerable are likely to experience adverse health affects, while the wider population could also be affected, the alert said. Delays to travel are possible and there is an increased risk of water accidents and fires as more people visit coasts and beauty spots, the Met Office also warned. Technology has also been feeling the heat, with a spike in overheating phones, tablets and laptops reported by users, as the high ambient temperatures affect components. The UK Health Security Agency has already issued an amber alert covering southern and central…

  • What would it take to get everyone in the world connected?

    Many of us in the West take things like the internet, electricity, clean water and transport for granted, yet millions of people around the world still aren’t connected to these utilities. Without these an individual’s educational and economic opportunities are greatly impacted, as well as their access to services such as banking and healthcare. But which of the most disenfranchised groups should we focus on to increase the number of people connected to what we consider as essentials to modern life, and is it possible to connect everyone in the world? For most people reading this article, fast, reliable internet access is a given. When we have a question, it is second nature to pick up our phone and search on Google, or even ask your smart home device of choice. Yet the reality is,…

  • Closing the gap in the elderly and digital divide

    In Spain, Carlos San Juan de Laordon, a 78-year-old Parkinson’s patient, was frustrated by banks that were happy to hold his pension and savings but had closed all their branches, forcing all transactions online. So, he launched a petition. De Laordon was comfortable using internet services like Skype but because of his tremors, found the dexterity involved in banking apps too difficult. The retired urologist’s ‘I’m Old, not Stupid’ cyber protest quickly garnered more than 600,000 signatures, and perhaps more importantly, gained widespread media coverage in Spain and abroad. Spain’s economic ministry then invited Dr de Laordon to attend the signing of a pact with the country’s main banks to do more for elderly customers who help keep them solvent. Here in the UK, author and broadcaster…

  • Pollutants from Deepwater Horizon oil spill detectable 10 years on

    Once released into the environment, crude oil typically undergoes chemical reactions in the environment that transform it into different chemicals which can impact local ecosystems. The new study from Louisiana State University (LSU) researchers found that the oil spilled during the accident was largely transformed by the end of that summer, but some small quantities of chemical residues still persisted in the environment even ten years later. “The better we understand the chemicals and their chemical reactive properties as well as their physical properties, the better we will be able to mitigate oil spills and understand and detect environmental damages from oil spills,” said first author Professor Edward Overton from LSU. “Our paper describes the most abundant chemicals that make up…

  • Tiny robot helps discover learning process of ants

    Rock ants have been found to use one-to-one tuition to teach other ants the location of a new nest and the route to get there. Key to this process of teaching is tandem running where one ant literally leads another ant quite slowly along a route to the new nest. The pupil ant learns the route sufficiently well that it can find its own way back home and then lead a tandem-run with another ant to the new nest, and so on. Professor Nigel Franks of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences said: “Teaching is so important in our own lives that we spend a great deal of time either instructing others or being taught ourselves. “This should cause us to wonder whether teaching actually occurs among non-human animals. And, in fact, the first case in which teaching was demonstrated rigorously in any…

  • The measure of: Padma Multipurpose Bridge, Bangladesh

    Ushering in a new era for connecting the country of Bangladesh, the nation’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Padma Multipurpose Bridge on 25 June. It is a multipurpose rail-road bridge over the Padma river, the downstream part of the Ganges after it enters Bangladesh territory. The bridge is the longest in the country and aims to reduce the distance between the capital city of Dhaka to the Mongla seaport, which is important for regional and international trade. The Benapole land port and Payra seaport will also benefit from the construction of the bridge. Image credit: Cover Images They also deemed it as one of the most innovative yet most challenging developmental projects in the country’s history. “The completion of the Padma Bridge is a dream come…

  • Port of Felixstowe explores green hydrogen production

    The multi-hundred-megawatt facility could deliver up to 40 tonnes of hydrogen per day, which the companies say has the potential to decarbonise industry and transport in eastern England. The hydrogen – produced from water using electricity from renewable sources – would be used for onshore purposes, such as road, rail, and industrial use, with the potential to create liquid forms, such as green ammonia or e-methanol. This could, in turn, provide clean fuels for shipping and aviation, and create opportunities for cost-effective export to international markets. The project aims to continue engineering and site development works to align with customer demand from 2025 onwards. ScottishPower says ‘homemade’ green hydrogen has clear benefits for the security of UK energy supply and is a safe…

  • Hands-on review: STM MagPod iPhone tripod

    We previously reviewed the 'Myth' backpack from STM  ('Smarter Than Most'). Now, taking something of a left-turn away from bags and laptop cases, the Australian company has launched its MagPod MagSafe-compatible iPhone stand and tripod in the UK, following its initial launch in the US and Canada. Designed to be the 'smarter phone stand', the MagPod is around 15cm tall with its legs folded in. These legs open smoothly to form a tripod whilst keeping your iPhone at a comfortable viewing angle - adjustable to suit any occasion - and held firmly in place with magnets.   STM pitches the MagPod as a handy device for use anywhere at home or to carry with you (it is just about coat pocket-sized) and keep your phone hygienically elevated above the inevitable detritus of modern society (think coffee…

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    E+T Magazine

  • View from Brussels: Germany’s good intentions turn sour

    The German industrial powerhouse’s unhealthy dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports is by this point extremely well documented. Berlin has lobbied against plans to curb gas shipments and helped write big loopholes into an oil embargo. Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea is now permanently mothballed and its predecessor – Nord Stream 1 – is only operating at a fraction of its capacity due to what Moscow insists are maintenance issues. Efforts to refill gas storage facilities before the winter heating season arrives are ongoing and may yet pay off, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz is doing his utmost to provide Russia with the spare parts it needs to repair the pipeline. Nevertheless, the situation is tense and Germany is ultimately fully exposed to the whims of the…

  • Fire warning for UK as heatwave builds in tinder-dry conditions

    Temperatures are set to rise to the mid 30°Cs in parts of southern England as high pressure brings more hot, dry weather, following months of low rainfall which have left the country facing the spectre of drought. The conditions have left the countryside, as well as urban parks and gardens, extremely dry, raising the risk of more devastating wildfires, with rivers, groundwater and reservoirs at low levels. Two water companies have already announced hosepipe bans and others have warned they may need to follow suit, with apparently no immediate let-up in the dry, hot weather for southern parts of the country. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is urging people not to light barbecues or bonfires, or let off fireworks or sky lanterns, after a large fire which damaged gardens, sheds and…

  • Re-introduced EU roaming charges could see consumers facing unexpected costs

    The EU banned roaming fees in 2017 for all its member countries as part of an overhaul of Europe’s telecoms market that was designed to boost growth and innovation. However, soon after leaving the EU, most of the UK’s networks reintroduced roaming charges as they were no longer beholden to the established rules. In a new report, MoneySavingExpert.com found that, post-Brexit, mobile users had been left with weaker rights and many with higher costs. It found that mobile providers no longer need to warn users of roaming costs, provide a monthly cap on roaming fees, or offer protections against inadvertent roaming. In addition, the report showed that while three of the four major mobile networks now charge for roaming in the EU, different providers use different definitions of a ‘day’ of…

  • Avanti West Coast slashes timetable due to ‘unofficial strike’

    Avanti West Coast said it will run as few as four trains per hour from Sunday in an attempt to halt the short-notice cancellations which have plagued its operations in recent weeks. The rail firm normally operates up to seven per hour on the West Coast Main Line. Services between London Euston and Manchester appear to be the worst affected by the cut, with train frequencies reduced from three per hour to just one. The limited timetable will be in place “until further notice”, Avanti West Coast said. The company has also suspended ticket sales for travel from Sunday until September 11 while the new schedule is finalised to minimise the number of people disrupted. It expects tickets for the first week of that period to be back on sale by the end of this week. Tickets for the following weeks…

  • Could you live off the grid?

    Thick mud, dark days and dodgy showers haven’t dented the allure of living off the grid for Rachael and her young family. Today’s soaring energy costs and wider price rises make the idea of self-sufficiency even more appealing for a growing number of ‘off-gridders’ – people who choose to live without connection to the national grid and other utilities, and without the bills. Rachael and her husband Fraser grow their own food, keep bees, and harvest solar energy to keep their home running. Her children – both under two – have 4.5 acres of woodland to play in, and feast on homegrown greengages, blackberries and sweet chestnuts. Two dogs add extra security to their fenced-in plot – if it’s gloomy in the winter, summer days on their wooded South Lincolnshire land are glorious. “A day of rain…

  • 3D-printing method for food could make insect protein mainstream

    As the demand for protein-rich food grows, concerns have been raised about the increasing greenhouse gases, land and water consumption associated with its production – especially when it comes to animal rearing. Alternative sources of proteins from insects, plants and algae are much more sustainable while still being nutrient-rich food, although they remain off-putting to many people. “The appearance and taste of such alternative proteins can be disconcerting for many. This is where the versatility of 3D food printing (3DFP) rises to the challenge, as it can transform the way in which food is presented and overcome the inertia of consumer inhibitions,” explained Prof Chua Chee Kai, co-author from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). The new process can take commonly…

  • Scratches to car paint disappear with self-healing coating material

    Excellent durability of automotive coatings is the most important issue in protecting a vehicle surface. In addition, protective coating materials should be colourless and transparent so that the original colour of the product can be seen. However, it is difficult to provide a self-healing function while satisfying all of these conditions. Materials with free molecular movement have high self-healing efficiency, but have low durability, whereas materials with high hardness and excellent durability have remarkably poor self-healing performance. A research team of Dr. Jin Chul Kim, Dr. Young il Park and Dr. Ji-Eun Jeong, from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), has developed a transparent coating material that satisfies all of the above conditions and has similar performance…

  • View from Washington: Big Tech goes home

    Is the party over? Probably not, but it is cooling down. Technology has driven real growth for decades. It has stood apart from the risks in financialisation – simply shuffling dollars, euros, and pounds around to fund the designer goods market (well, apart from Patagonia). Innovation has fuelled new products and services, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, and boosting GDP. It has remodelled how we live. Even tech’s titans are suffering, with companies as big as Amazon, Apple, Alphabet and Meta said to be freezing or slowing hiring – or in some cases, laying off staff. With consumers facing inflation and wider worries across all industries, advertisers are rethinking their spending, which is especially unwelcome news for the likes of Google and Facebook. The threat of an impending…

  • View from India: India to develop domestic carbon market to fight climate change

    The Bill, recently cleared by the Union Cabinet, is expected to facilitate the state electricity regulatory commissions to go ahead with tariff revisions on a timely basis. By way of explanation, amendments to the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 have been tabled at the Lok Sabha recently. Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament; with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States. The Energy Conservation Act, 2001 was enacted for efficient use of energy and its conservation and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. The Act has enabled the establishment and incorporation of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and has conferred certain powers upon the Central Government, the State…

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