European scientists say they have made a major breakthrough in their quest to develop practical nuclear fusion - the energy process that powers the stars.The UK-based JET laboratory has smashed its own world record for the amount of energy it can extract by squeezing together two forms of hydrogen.If nuclear fusion can be successfully recreated on Earth it holds out the potential of virtually unlimited supplies of low-carbon, low-radiation energy.The experiments produced 59 megajoules of energy over five seconds (11 megawatts of power).This is more than double what was achieved in similar tests back in 1997.ADVERTISEMENTIt's not a massive energy output - only enough to boil about 60 kettles' worth of water. But the significance is that it validates design choices that have been m...
Ofwat must do more to make the water industry in England and Wales protect the environment, the government has said.Setting out the priorities for the regulator for the next five years the environment minister Rebecca Pow said water companies should significantly reduce the frequency and volume of sewage discharges from storm overflows.
A new study, involving dozens of researchers working in 100 countries, estimates the world to have 73,300 species of tree, with 9,000 not even yet discovered. It is thought 40% of all undiscovered tree species are in South America. Planet Earth is home to 14% more tree species than previously thought, with thousands yet to be discovered, according to a global count conducted by dozens of researchers around the world.The new study, compiled by 140 researchers in 100 countries, estimates the world to have 73,300 species, with 9,000 not even yet discovered.Sponsored linkRecommended byMan Who Made $95 million in 2008 Reveals New PredictionHow to make all the money you need — in any market — using a single stock.VproBut most undiscovered species are rare and live in tropical forests, w...
Climate change is causing UK plants to flower almost a month earlier on average, according to a study.Just as autumn leaf fall is being delayed by warmer weather, flowers are appearing earlier on trees and shrubs.But while some might welcome these untimely blooms, scientists are warning of the risks.They say if the trend continues, there are knock-on effects for birds, insects and whole ecosystems.Ecological mismatch may kick in, which would have a dramatic effect "on the functioning and productivity" of nature and farming, said lead researcher, Prof Ulf Buntgen of the University of Cambridge.ADVERTISEMENT"Our climate system is changing in a way that affects us and our environment," he told BBC News.One in three wild trees face extinctionPlant extinction 'bad news for all species'A really ...
A major deal to help end deforestation has missed its first deadline just months after it was signed at COP26, Sky News can reveal.At the Glasgow climate summit, a group of donor countries promised $500m (£370m) to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to protect the Congo Basin - which absorbs 4% of the world's carbon dioxide but is suffering widespread forest loss - in a pact signed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.Sponsored linkRecommended byMan Who Made $95 million in 2008 Reveals New PredictionVproIn return, the DRC promised to publish an audit of all logging contracts, which would help weed out the illegal ones, such as those failing to provide protections for frontline communities or biodiversity.But the audit was not published by the end of 2021 as promised, the DRC government h...