agriculture
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today launched the new Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) and opened its state-of-the-art facility in Sand Hutton. The new agency combines several parts of Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) science. Fera brings together Defra’s Central Science Laboratory, Plant Health Division, Plant
waste-to-energy
The Swedish company EcoEnergy Scandinavia and the Ukrainian government today signed an agreement to build and operate waste incineration plants in the country. The firm plans to bring in third-party investors and partners to speed up implementation of the more than €20 billion multi-year project. The planned facilities will both
landfill
Sterecycle Ltd., a UK waste recycling technology company, today announces a £200 million expansion programme that will create 300 new jobs while reducing Britain’s dependence on landfill for the disposal of domestic and commercial refuse. As part of the expansion programme, the company is raising £50 million in new
sustainability
Seventy organisations are expected at Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium tomorrow (16 June) for a seminar on “Making Sustainable Travel Work.” The event — which is being supported by Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive and the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities– aims to demonstrate that sustainable travel makes business sense.
cleantech
Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates: * For the first time scientists and technicians from the Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences in Kiel, Germany, successfully used an offshore observing system to study environmental changes — in particular, acidification — in the oceans; * Space researchers and enterprise experts from the
cleantech
Skipped a few headlines over the past 24 hours? Not to worry: Greenbang’s here with your daily dose of cleantech news you might have missed: * A statement calling for the transformation of the G8+5 nations’ energy strategies to help reduce climate change and improve energy security has been
nuclear energy
A 2007 cooling water leak at the Sizewell A nuclear power plant could have led to a dangerous radioactive leak had a plant contractor not decided to wash some laundry, leading him to discover a pool of water on the floor, the Guardian reports. Up to 40,000 gallons of
global warming
This week saw the launch of The World Climate Community, the world’s first online social community for discussion and debate about issues relating to climate and environmental change. The World Climate Community was set up by the city of Copenhagen ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference set to
electricity grids
The EU won’t be able to reach its renewable energy targets without completely overhauling, upgrading and fully connecting the electricity grids that span the whole of Europe, according to a new report from the Royal Society and the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC). The European Union has set
Jurdy acts a bit fuelish …
eco design
The Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a new consultation focussed on smarter eco-design for energy-using products. Such design improvements could save the economy £900 million as well as protect the environment, according to the agency. The new consultation, which closes on 4 September, seeks views
robots
A new type of robot dubbed a “cargo-screening ferret” under development could one day make it easier to detect drugs, weapons, explosives and illegal immigrants concealed in cargo containers. Designed for use at seaports and airports, the device is being developed at the University of Sheffield with funding from the
