Nuclear waste: Cost of new UK underground storage facility jumps to £53 billion

A larger volume of waste and ‘more realistic’ scope of costs has resulted in a bigger price tag for building and operating a long-term storage facility for radioactive waste Environment 24 February 2022 By Adam Vaughan The Sizewell nuclear site in Suffolk, UK David J. Green/Alamy The cost of a proposed underground storage facility to … Read more

Lung cancer: Cheap blood test detects tumours at an early and treatable stage

Lung cancer screening has always been expensive, but a simple blood test that detects lipids associated with tumours may offer a cheaper alternative Health 2 February 2022 By Alice Klein Blood samples can now be used to search for early signs of lung cancer Medicimage/Alamy A blood test that can detect lung cancer before people … Read more

Air pollution: Roadside emissions sensors help Hong Kong clean its air in world first

Carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide pollution have fallen sharply in Hong Kong since it introduced a world-first scheme to detect and repair vehicles with the highest emissions Technology 2 February 2022 By Alice Klein A busy road in Hong Kong picturelibrary / Alamy Stock Photo Hong Kong has improved its air quality by using roadside … Read more

Energy bills: What can the UK government do to avoid a cost of living crisis?

By Adam Vaughan Protesters demand action on fuel poverty in London in November 2021 Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images The shock of rising energy bills due to sky-high wholesale gas prices has already squeezed UK household budgets, disrupted industrial plants and triggered the collapse of 28 energy suppliers including Bulb. Now the issue is … Read more

Global Weather Disasters Cost $101 Billion in 2021

For only the third time since 1970, insured losses from extreme weather events worldwide exceeded $100 billion, according to a report yesterday by Swiss Re, the global reinsurance company. Insured losses this year from storms, floods and other dangerous events are projected to reach $101 billion, with the damage occurring overwhelmingly in the U.S., Swiss … Read more

The Holiday ‘Buying Season’ Can Have a Catastrophic Cost, And Not to Your Wallet

As extreme weather events in Canada and around the world are linked to human-made climate change, there is one story that continues to be left out: the connection between climate change and the products we purchase.   Recent research shows that across a product’s life cycle – from raw material extraction through manufacturing, distribution, use … Read more