Environment News
Nasa Moon mission: Open University partners with space agency
Image copyright NASA Image caption The announcement comes as the world prepares to mark the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landings on 20 July The Open University is partnering with Nasa on a mission to the Moon. Scientists at the Milton Keynes-based university have developed an instrument which monitors the “very thin atmosphere” near …
Anorexia stems from body as well as mind – study
Image caption Laura Shah was diagnosed with the disease when she was 15 years old The origins of the eating disorder anorexia nervosa are in both the mind and the body, according to an international study. Anorexia is seen as a serious psychiatric disease. But doctors at King’s College London showed changes hardwired into some …
New face of the Bank of England’s £50 note is revealed
Image copyright Bank of England Computer pioneer and codebreaker Alan Turing will feature on the new design of the Bank of England’s £50 note. He is celebrated for his code-cracking work that proved vital to the Allies in World War Two. The £50 note will be the last of the Bank of England collection to …
Climate change: Used cooking oil imports may boost deforestation
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Used cooking oil from Asia is being imported into Europe to make biodiesel Imports of a “green fuel” source may be inadvertently increasing deforestation and the demand for new palm oil, a study says. Experts say there has been a recent boom in the amount of used cooking oil …
Galileo sat-nav system experiences service outage
Image copyright PA Europe’s satellite-navigation system, Galileo, has suffered a major outage. The network has been offline since Friday due to what has been described as a “technical incident related to its ground infrastructure”. The problem means all receivers, such as the latest smartphone models, will not be picking up any useable timing or positional …
Neil Armstrong – the man behind the legend
Image copyright NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Image caption Neil Armstrong: An enigma until now Neil Armstrong is one of the most famous people in human history. When he returned from the Moon, he was feted by kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers. He was Captains America and Kirk rolled into one – with a touch …
Spektr-RG: Powerful X-ray telescope launches to map cosmos
Image copyright RussianSpaceWeb.com Image caption Artwork: The Spektr-RG mission is really two telescopes in one One of the most significant Russian space science missions in the post-Soviet era has launched from Baikonur. The Spektr-RG telescope is a joint venture with Germany that will map X-rays across the entire sky in unprecedented detail. Researchers say this …
Environmental work in Brecon Beacons estate handed to young people
A project which claims to be the largest youth-led nature restoration project in the world has launched. The owners of the 2,000-acre Penpont Estate in the Brecon Beacons have turned over 322 acres to be run by a Youth Leadership Group of 20 people aged 12-17. The project will restore habitats and ecosystems and explore …
The coal mine that ate Hambacher forest
More than a third of Germany’s electricity is still produced by burning coal – mostly dirty brown lignite – and environmental activists are fighting to change this. A small area of forest not far from the Dutch border has become the focal point of their campaign. It’s almost a uniform that they’re wearing – heavy …
India air pollution: Will Gujarat’s ‘cap and trade’ programme work?
Image copyright AFP Image caption Much of the air pollution is caused by factory emissions Air pollution contributed to the deaths of at least 1.2 million Indians in 2017 – but a unique pilot scheme to combat air pollution in the western state of Gujarat could prove to be a model for the rest of …
