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Average ‘insulation age’ of British homes is 48 years old, major study reveals

Britain’s homes are in “urgent need” of energy efficiency updates, with a new study finding that just over half of them only meet 1970s or earlier insulation standards. The study, conducted by EDF in partnership with property data platform Sprift, looked at data from 21 million homes. It found that the average ‘insulation age’ of homes across the country is 48 years old. Energy-efficiency measures such as insulation are considered a key part of helping the UK reach its net zero goals. But the study found that only one-fifth (19%) of households have updated their insulation measures in the past two years, despite the energy crisis. The study analysed the current levels of home insulation including floor, roof, window and wall insulation against building regulations across different time…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Europe needs €800bn to meet 2030 climate targets, says new report

A report has stated that Europe will have to invest €800bn by 2030 to meet climate goals. This comes on the same day that the European Court of Human Rights had its first-ever victory in a landmark climate court case. According to a new report published by The European Round Table for Industry (ERT), an influential Brussels lobby group, for Europe to reach net zero targets and meet the surge in demand for renewable energy, it will require substantial investments in both national and cross-border infrastructure for power grids, energy storage and carbon capture facilities. The ERT estimates that these investments will need to be to the tune of €800bn to meet the 2030 climate targets, scaling to €2.5tn by 2050. According to the ERT, infrastructure modernisation is an imperative – yet the…

E+T Magazine in Power Equipment
£100m plan to electrify London’s buses announced

The UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) and investors have formed a £100m fund to electrify hundreds of London’s buses. The partnership with Rock Rail and Aviva will also see the construction of “associated infrastructure” such as charging stations. It has been designed as “a scalable funding model” that could help to accelerate decarbonisation of public bus fleets across the UK without relying too heavily on public money. It has already signed its first deal to fund 60 battery-electric buses, which will be leased to the Go-Ahead Group and deployed on routes throughout London. UKIB is a state-owned development bank specifically designed to help the government meet its 2050 net zero goals. It is providing £50m for the project. John Flint, UKIB CEO, said: “The vast majority of the UK’s 36,500…

E+T Magazine
How can we rescue music stored on degraded magnetic tapes? Researchers find a way

A research team at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Switzerland is developing a technique using X-ray light to digitise recordings from audio tapes that would otherwise be lost to decay. In 1980, legendary blues artist BB King performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. A rare recording of this performance exists on magnetic tape that has degraded to such an extent that it can no longer be directly played back using conventional methods. In our digital world we cannot imagine that the only recording of this performance is stored on a single form of analogue media that cannot be accessed. While magnetic tapes revolutionised sound recording following their invention in the 1920s, this medium for storing audio on long, narrow strips of plastic film consisting of a magnetisable coating is…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
Replacing plastics with alternatives not always better for the environment, study finds

In a study led by the University of Sheffield, researchers found that substituting plastics with alternative materials actually results in increased greenhouse gas emissions. Following an explosion in plastic production during the 20th century, plastics are now deemed as a chief culprit of global warming. The reason for this is that they are produced from fossil fuels and can stay in the environment for hundreds of years. While the search for non-plastic alternatives continues, one study finds that these are not necessarily better for the environment. Researchers from the University of Sheffield’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering – together with researchers from the University of Cambridge and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology – examined the greenhouse gas emissions…

E+T Magazine in Research and Innovation
Google launches ‘Find My Device’ with privacy protections against stalking

Google has finally unveiled its Find My Device service, which uses a crowdsourced network to discover the location of devices and Bluetooth trackers that may not have internet connection. Much like iOS’s Find My service, the new network is able to locate smartphones even when they are turned off, or detect trackers attached to key or wallets. Find My Device comes years after Apple’s service was launched in 2019. It quickly raised several privacy issues arising from the tracking of a user’s exact location without them being notified that they are being tracked. On several occasions, Apple’s AirTags were used for stalking purposes, prompting criticism that the company had not done its due diligence before rolling out the new network. In its announcement, Google noted that Find My Device…

E+T Magazine in Computing
Microsoft announces new AI Hub in central London

Based at the tech giant’s offices in Paddington, the new Microsoft AI Hub will recruit an AI team focused on product development and research. Microsoft is clearly keen to drive the UK’s AI sector. Towards the end of last year it announced plans to invest £2.5bn in the country over the next three years to help upskill the UK workforce for the AI era, build the infrastructure to power the AI economy and bring 20,000 of the most advanced GPUs to the country by 2026. Now, having recently created a new organisation – Microsoft AI – to help advance the company’s AI products and research, the tech giant has revealed it will base Microsoft AI London out of its offices in Paddington. In a blog post on the company’s website, Mustafa Suleyman, EVP and CEO of Microsoft AI, said: “Microsoft AI London…

E+T Magazine
Refrigerant gases banned for climate-warming impact are being smuggled into Europe

Illegal refrigerant gases, which have been banned for their climate-wrecking impact, are still being smuggled into Europe, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has warned. The EIA first uncovered a widespread European illegal trade in hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) gases five years ago, but a new investigation has revealed that significant levels of trafficking persist despite worsening climate change. Commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning, HFCs are being phased out under the European Union’s F-gas regulation. But the EIA said that organised criminals attracted by high profits are taking advantage of weak law enforcement to meet the demand left by the transition away from the harmful gases. Their investigation also found evidence that black market traders and…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Defunct London bridge to permanently reopen as cycleway

London’s Hammersmith Bridge, which has been closed to cars since 2019, is going to be resurfaced to enable cycle use. The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced £2.9m in government funding for the project, which will allow cyclists to cross the bridge separately from pedestrians. Hammersmith Bridge was completed in 1887 and used for over 100 years. However, it was closed to traffic in 2019 due to safety concerns after cracks were discovered in the bridge’s pedestals. It was closed completely between August 2020 and July 2021, after which limited use resumed for cyclists and pedestrians. A temporary cycle lane was installed by the local borough in February, but the new funding will ensure a more permanent solution. It is expected to be completed in November. The London Borough…

E+T Magazine
Boeing 737 makes emergency landing as engine cover rips off during take-off

A Southwest Airlines-operated Boeing 737 bound for Houston from Denver International Airport abandoned its journey after part of the engine fell off during take-off. At around 8am on Sunday, Southwest flight 3695 was safely towed back to the airport after part of the engine cover fell off during take-off and struck the plane’s wing flap. Footage posted on X shows the right engine covering beginning to disintegrate. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said there were no injuries following the incident; however, it occurs at a sensitive time for Boeing – only three months ago an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 suffered a mid-flight blowout of a plug filling an unused emergency exit, causing rapid decompression of the aircraft. No one was injured in this incident either, but the FAA grounded…

E+T Magazine in Aerospace
UK drivers set to save £1.5bn on public EV charge points that schedule off-peak charging

With the rollout of Connected Kerb’s nationwide public smart EV charge points, drivers can schedule charging overnight, benefitting from off-peak tariffs of £0.45 per kWh. If the predicted 11 million EVs are set to be driving on UK roads by 2030, there needs to be a similar increase in charging infrastructure, particularly home charging. The benefits of home charging is that drivers can take advantage of cheaper electricity tariffs at off-peak times. Doing so not only saves them money but also helps reduce pressure on the grid. UK charge point operator, Connected Kerb, has set itself the ambitious goal of making smart charging publicly accessible through a nationwide rollout of charging points. The rollout, set to begin this month, will see the majority of Connected Kerb’s charge points…

E+T Magazine in Automotive Engineering
Just 57 firms responsible for 80% of global carbon emissions, report finds

A report has found that just 57 fossil fuel and cement producers have been linked to 80% of global fossil CO2 emissions since the Paris Agreement. According to InfluenceMap, which created the report using data from the Carbon Majors think tank, most of the companies analysed increased their output in the seven years after the Paris Agreement than in the seven years before the Agreement’s adoption. The report shows that the majority of global CO2 emissions produced since the Paris Agreement can be traced to a small group of high emitters that are failing to slow production. It found that nation-state producers account for 38% of emissions, while state-owned entities account for 37%, and investor-owned companies for 25%. Saudi Aramco, which is the largest oil firm globally, is owned by…

E+T Magazine in Climate Change
Airports given 2025 extension for installation of new security scanners

The government is giving UK airports an extension on requirements to install next-generation security scanners that will end the 100ml liquid restrictions. The Department for Transport (DfT) said that due to issues, including the global supply chain’s continued recovery from the pandemic, some airports have been unable to upgrade their security checkpoints before the previously-announced deadline of 1 June 2024. It has now extended the deadline by a year on a case-by-case basis after airports including Heathrow and Gatwick already admitted they would not meet the deadline. Heathrow has already installed the scanners in Terminals 2, 3 and 5, with forthcoming additions to Terminal 4. As the largest airport in the UK, it had to upgrade 146 security lanes in total. The airport, which has…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
World’s largest digital camera ready to uncover the universe’s secrets

After 20 years, researchers have finally completed work on the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Camera – one of the most advanced tools yet to search for life outside of the Solar System. Researchers at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory said the 3,200-megapixel camera will provide details on the observable universe in “unprecedented” detail and generate vast quantities of data on the southern night sky that can be mined for new insights. The team hopes the data will aid in the quest to understand dark energy, which is theorised to be driving the accelerating expansion of the universe, and the hunt for dark matter, which makes up around 85% of the matter in the universe. Once operational, the camera will map the positions and measure the brightness of a vast number of night…

E+T Magazine in Space
E+T Off The Page: Is technology being used to destroy the democratic process?

Special Guest: Coral James O'Connor, senior lecturer at City University London. Tanya Weaver Jack Loughran Tim Fryer

E+T Magazine
E+T Expert Engineering: Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal, India’s most recognisable landmark, was originally commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife in 1632. E+T looks at the history behind its construction and addresses the popular myth that a black version of the building was originally going to be built on the opposite side of the river bank.

E+T Magazine in History of Engineering
Underwater drone discovers and explores 100-year-old shipwreck

An underwater drone known as Hydrus has been used to explore a shipwreck that has been at the bottom of the Indian Ocean for over 100 years. Developed by Advanced Navigation, Hydrus was sent to the Rottnest ship graveyard located in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of Western Australia. After unloading its data, the team found that the drone had spotted a 64-metre shipwreck scattered across the seafloor. The Rottnest ship graveyard rests between 50 and 200 metres below sea level and has been used for the disposal of obsolete ships since 1910. After the Second World War, the graveyard was also used for the disposal of Lend-Lease vehicles and aircraft. The wrecks of historically significant vessels are known to have been sunk there, although the majority have yet to be discovered due…

E+T Magazine in History of Engineering
British Steel wins contract to provide materials for Egypt’s Green Line

British Steel has won a contract to supply around 9,500 tonnes of rail track for Egypt’s Green Line, which will be produced in Scunthorpe. Once complete, the Green Line will be the country’s first fully electrified mainline and freight network, stretching from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. The network is 660km long and will carry trains – for both passengers and goods – up to a maximum speed of 250km/h (155mph), with British Steel among a number of key suppliers providing rail to the project. Rail supplied is 60E1 in grade R260, each at 18 metres in length. The multi-million-pound contract could provide a key lifeline for British Steel, which has been struggling to produce affordable steel in recent years due to strong competition from steelmakers in China and elsewhere. British…

E+T Magazine in Railways
Network Rail to spend £2.8bn to improve climate resilience on UK’s railways

Network Rail has unveiled a £2.8bn plan to protect the UK’s rail infrastructure from extreme weather threats caused by climate change. The money will be invested in a variety of technologies to improve the reliability of Britain’s railways, alongside increases to maintenance funding. Around 600,000 metres of drains will be built, rebuilt, redesigned or see increased maintenance to enable the railway to cope with much heavier rainfall and reduce flooding. The programme will have 400 extra drainage engineers to oversee the efforts. ‘Smart’ movement sensors will be installed to help give early warning of any land changes in the hope that engineers will be able to react faster ahead of full landslips, which can damage infrastructure and lead to delays and cancellations. Other technologies…

E+T Magazine in Railways
Aviation sector must be held to account if it fails to cut emissions, MPs say

The government must hold the aviation sector accountable for its proposed cuts to emissions, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) have said. In the Jet Zero Strategy, which was published in 2022, the government proposed various technological measures, such as increasing fuel efficiency and the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels. The model assumes that fuel efficiencies will improve by 2% each year, in line with evidence from the aviation sector. But the EAC has urged the government to hold the aviation industry accountable for the reductions should they not be met. Last year, a survey of aviation experts found that the majority are not convinced that the sector will become carbon neutral by the stated 2050 goal. Aviation, which accounts for approximately 3% of total CO2…

E+T Magazine in Aerospace
NHS confirms plans to roll out ‘artificial pancreases’ to diabetes sufferers

The NHS has confirmed plans to roll out “artificial pancreases” to patients living with type 1 diabetes across England. The device, also known as a hybrid closed-loop system, helps individuals with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels more effectively. It combines a continuous glucose monitoring system with an insulin pump and a control algorithm that automatically adjusts insulin delivery based on the individual’s glucose levels. Currently, most people with the condition are tasked with monitoring their own blood sugar levels and adjusting their insulin dosage accordingly. The technology about to be introduced can lead to fewer hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) episodes, as well as better overall diabetes management. Local NHS systems have been…

E+T Magazine
US and UK sign ‘landmark’ agreement to improve safety of AI

A landmark agreement on artificial intelligence (AI) between the US and the UK will see both countries align their approaches to tackling the new risks that the technology poses. Technology secretary Michelle Donelan and US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo said the partnership will see both countries develop ways to evaluate AI models, systems, and agents. A recent report warned that eight million UK jobs could be at risk from AI, while both the White House and the European Parliament have approved laws this year to reduce the risks of the technology and improve transparency. The UK and US AI safety institutes have laid out plans to build a common approach to AI safety testing and intend to perform at least one joint testing exercise on a publicly accessible model. The agreement also…

E+T Magazine in Ethical Aspects
Size matters in wind farm development

Financial pressures and the economics of expansion may mean it’s time to reconsider the assumptions that drive offshore wind designs. Just over 20 years ago, the UK saw its first commercial offshore wind farm go into service close to north Wales resort Rhyl. Thirty turbines with rotors 80m in diameter each fed a maximum of 2MW into the grid. These windmills are now minnows compared with the behemoths that suppliers such as Siemens Gamesa and China-based Goldwind are now planting on the beds of shallow waters in the North Sea or Taiwan Strait. The prototype of Siemens’ largest design installed in Denmark in late 2021 has a single rotor with a diameter of 222m. It can, at full pelt, generate 15MW of electricity: over seven times the power from each of the first crop of turbines off the north…

E+T Magazine in Renewable Energy
Amazon ramps up investment in ChatGPT rival; White House announces AI guardrails

Amazon has announced an additional $2.75bn investment in AI start-up Anthropic as it looks to gain a foothold in the rapidly expanding industry. Anthropic was founded by former members of ChatGPT-creator OpenAI and has already developed its own large language model, known as Claude, with similar functionality. The firm has already been using Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its primary cloud provider for workloads including safety research and further developing its model. Amazon invested $1.25bn in Anthropic in September, which means their total funding has now reached $4bn with the new allocation. The firms plan to target organisations in highly regulated industries such as healthcare, the public sector, banking and insurance to adopt AI solutions in their workflows. “Generative AI…

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