Analysis of new-builds in Birmingham suggests all-electric homes not only use less energy but vary in peak usage
Some of the first homes in the UK designed to meet new building standards put less pressure on the electricity grid than expected, a study has found.
The all-electric properties in Handsworth, Birmingham, have heat pumps, which use electricity to provide heat rather than oil or gas.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
11/19/2025 - 00:41
Researchers from New Zealand's conservation department conducting an annual grasshopper survey near Lake Tekapo on the South Island have spotted a rare pink grasshopper. The species – the robust grasshopper – is native to New Zealand and is the country’s largest lowland grasshopper. The pink hue is thought to be caused by a genetic mutation, as the insect is typically grey or brown like the river stones of its native habitat in the MacKenzie basin
‘Exceptionally rare’ pink grasshopper spotted in New Zealand
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11/19/2025 - 00:00
Analysis published at Cop30 summit shows adhering to pledges offer world hope of avoiding climate breakdown
Sticking to three key climate promises – on renewables, energy efficiency and methane – would avoid nearly 1C of global heating and give the world hope of avoiding climate breakdown, analysis published at the Cop30 climate summit suggests.
Governments have already agreed to triple the amount of renewable energy generated by 2030, double global energy efficiency by then, and make substantial cuts to methane emissions.
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11/19/2025 - 00:00
The Neoliner Origin set off on its inaugural two-week voyage from France to the US with the aim of revolutionising the notoriously dirty shipping industry
It is 8pm on a Saturday evening and eight of us are sitting at a table onboard a ship, holding on to our plates of spaghetti carbonara as our chairs slide back and forth. Michel Péry, the dinner’s host, downplays the weather as a “tempête de journalistes” – something sailors would not categorise as a storm, but which drama-seeking journalists might refer to as such to entertain their readers.
But after a white-knuckle night in our cabins with winds reaching 74mph or force 12 – officially a hurricane – Péry has to admit it was not just a “journalists’ storm”, but the real deal.
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11/18/2025 - 23:36
If it makes impact on Friday, it would be the earliest cyclone of the season to make landfall in Australia since 1973
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If tropical cyclone Fina crosses the Northern Territory coast on Friday, it could equal the earliest cyclone to make landfall in Australia.
Fina, a category one cyclone about 370km north-east of Darwin, was moving east and expected to intensify to category two before turning south on Thursday.
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11/18/2025 - 22:03
The native species is typically grey or brown and the pink hue is thought to be caused by a genetic mutation
An “exceptionally rare” pink grasshopper has been spotted basking in the sun alongside a river in New Zealand’s South Island.
A group of department of conservation researchers were conducting their annual grasshopper survey near Lake Tekapo in the MacKenzie basin when they came across the dark pink female critter.
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11/18/2025 - 17:19
Young humpback whale was found washed ashore and individuals had rallied together to try to help
A humpback whale stranded off the coast of Oregon was euthanized on Monday following a failed rescue attempt from several organizations and agencies.
On Saturday, the young whale was found washed ashore near San Marine state park, KOMO News reported. Over the weekend, individuals rallied together to try to help the mammal, who appeared to be caught in a fishing net, but were unsuccessful.
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11/18/2025 - 15:24
Countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Pacific and Europe plead for transition to be central outcome of talks
More than 80 countries have joined a call for a roadmap to phasing out fossil fuels, in a dramatic intervention into stuck negotiations at the UN Cop30 climate summit.
Countries from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific joined with EU member states and the UK to make an impassioned plea for the “transition away from fossil fuels” to be a central outcome of the talks, despite stiff opposition from petrostates and some other major economies.
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11/18/2025 - 11:01
Leah Lendel was bitten by a bull shark as she was snorkeling with her family from a beach in Boca Grande
A 10-year-old girl whose hand was reattached after it was severed in a shark attack has spoken of her remarkable recovery after a “miracle” six-hour operation that has allowed her to resume knitting outfits for her beloved Barbie dolls.
Leah Lendel’s right hand was left hanging by shreds of skin after the bite by a 9ft bull shark as she was snorkeling with her family at a beach in Boca Grande, Florida, in June.
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11/18/2025 - 10:00
Exclusive: Tshering Tobgay says his country is doing ‘a lot more than our fair share’ on climate and west must cut emissions ‘for the happiness of your people’
The wealthy western countries most responsible for the climate crisis would improve the health and happiness of their citizens by prioritising environmental conservation and sustainable economic growth, according to the prime minister of Bhutan, the world’s first carbon-negative nation.
Bhutan, a Buddhist democratic monarchy and biodiversity hotspot situated high in the eastern Himalayas, is among the world’s most ambitious climate leaders thanks to its people’s connection with nature and a strong political focus on improving gross national happiness rather than just GDP, Tshering Tobgay told the Guardian.
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