Interesting Ideas

Powerful radar system is providing new data on city’s subsidence, which experts hope will draw more attention to it

Walking into Mexico City’s sprawling central Zócalo is a dizzying experience. At one end of the plaza, the capital’s cathedral, with its soaring spires, slumps in one direction. An attached church, known as the Metropolitan Sanctuary, tilts in the other. The nearby National Palace also seems off-kilter.

The teetering of many of the capital’s historic buildings is the most visible sign of a phenomenon that has been ongoing for more than a century: Mexico City is sinking at an alarming rate.

To celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s centenary, Madeleine Finlay catches up with natural history writer Patrick Barkham, who has met the celebrated presenter. They explore how the natural world has changed in the century that Attenborough has been on Earth, and how his programming has reflected his growing commitment to highlighting the devastating impacts of the climate crisis on nature and biodiversity

Clips: BBC, PBS

Support the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod

The volume of coal delivered in the United States for uses other than power generation—primarily, for manufacturing—decreased by about half in the last 15 years. Coal delivered for these purposes in the South decreased the most in percentage terms between 2010 and 2025, falling 75%, or 14.7 million short tons ... [continued]

The post Coal Distributions for Non-Electric Power Use Decline in the South appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Powerful property and farming firm Grosvenor Group says knock-on effect of Iran war could arrive next year

Fertiliser shortages caused by the Iran war have driven up costs for UK farmers by up to 70% and will have a “dramatic” impact on food prices globally next year, according to one of Britain’s most powerful property and farming companies.

Mark Preston, executive trustee of the 349-year-old Grosvenor Group, controlled by the Duke of Westminster, said fertiliser “was already quite expensive” before the 50% to 70% surge in prices since the start of the Iran war in late February.

Approval for exploration in 70 new areas prompts fierce backlash from fossil fuel opponents

The Norwegian government has been heavily criticised for approving plans to reopen three North Sea gasfields nearly three decades after they were closed to help fill the gap in energy supplies created by the Middle East war.

Amid sharp price rises in oil and gas since the US and Israel’s attack on Iran in February, Oslo has also given its approval for oil and gas companies to explore in 70 new locations in the North Sea, Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea.

When I landed in Guangzhou on my recent trip to China and was heading to my hotel, one of the first things I noticed was significantly more electric trucks on the road than just a few months prior. Sometimes there were older boxes on the back of new truck chassis, ... [continued]

The post LANDKING Makes Electric Trucks Look Inevitable at Auto China appeared first on CleanTechnica.

A day before the 48th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit dominates headlines with its focus on energy and food security in the face of the Middle East crisis, a parallel gathering is quietly reshaping the region’s economic future. The inaugural ASEAN-EU Sustainability Summit convened today in Cebu, marking a decisive shift toward ... [continued]

The post Inaugural Sustainability Summit Convenes A Day Before ASEAN Meeting Begins In The Philippines appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Bigger cars including electric can cause multiple harms, yet resistance to rise of US-style vehicles has had mixed support

On a brisk winter’s evening in Europe’s automotive heartland, a cyclist who had pushed for safer streets went out on his bike for a final time. Andreas Mandalka had documented dangerous driving and shoddy cycling infrastructure for years, measuring the margins at which cars zipped past him and posting videos of blatant violations. While quick to remind readers that only a small proportion of drivers behaved badly, the 44-year-old blogger in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, had grown frustrated with authorities for failing to act. He felt they viewed him as a nuisance.

As he cycled down a straight stretch of renovated road that runs parallel to a forest path he had flagged for poor quality, lights bright on his bike and helmet firm on his head, he was fatally struck from behind by a car.

Firm benefits from conflict to rake in $6.9bn as higher energy prices turbocharge profits

• Business live – latest updates

Shell has reported better than expected profits of $6.9bn (£5bn) after its oil traders reaped the benefits of soaring energy prices during the war in Iran, angering climate campaigners.

Europe’s biggest oil and gas company posted a 115% jump in first-quarter profits from the $3.2bn reported in the last three months of 2025.

I arrived late to the Auto China 2026. Media day was already 2 days over and the crowds filled the China International Exhibition Center and every brand was doing its best to attract the crowds. Chery had Chinese superheroes on stilts to launch its new QQ EV. Brands like BYD ... [continued]

The post At Auto China, Geely Leans Heavily On The Software Defined Vehicle appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Debate continues to rage over whether a strange carcass found in 1937 was a new species or a basking shark. Either way, the case reveals how little is known about what lies beneath the waves

Its head resembled a dog’s, its downturned nose a camel’s, and at the end of its reptilian body was the tail of a horse. Witnesses say it was covered in a thin white film. When the remains of a strange creature were pulled from the stomach of a sperm whale, most of those present agreed: it was a sea monster – or at least something unknown living in the depths off Canada’s west coast.

Crews at the whaling station in the archipelago of Haida Gwaii assembled a platform of wooden boxes and laid out the 3-metre (10ft) carcass, using a white sheet to display the curiosity that had baffled veteran whalers.

Dubai will be getting 735 new electric buses in 2026. Yes, it sounds sort of peculiar, doesn’t it? Who knows how it is possible to get so many new electric buses this quickly, but the Emirates News Agency posted this information on May 2, saying, “Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority ... [continued]

The post 735 Electric Buses Coming To Dubai Soon appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Designed under the concept of “Driving Lounge,” the new all-electric SUV is the first of its kind for Lexus The new Lexus BEV three-row sport-utility supports a wide variety of lifestyles and introduces exceptional driving performance to the luxury SUV category. Its lounge-like interior promotes passengers’ natural relaxation and offers ... [continued]

The post Lexus Unveils TZ, an All-New Three-Row BEV appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Julie, once a circus elephant, and Kariba, from a Belgian zoo, are to be moved to a former ranch in Portugal

Europe’s first large-scale elephant sanctuary, which is opening to offer a more natural environment for some of the 600 animals still held in captivity across the continent, is to receive its first arrivals.

Julie, Portugal’s last circus elephant, will be moved next month to the animal charity Pangea’s multimillion pound sanctuary in the Alentejo, 200km (124 miles) east of Lisbon, close to the border with Spain.

As Reform vows to block solar and windfarms, energy leaders say renewables offer most secure future, insulating UK from hostile forces

• UK politics live – latest updates

• May elections: What’s at stake across England, Wales and Scotland?

The defining issue of Thursday’s local elections, feedback from doorsteps suggests, will be the UK’s soaring cost of living. But voters should be told about the links between inflation and the effects of fossil fuels and the climate crisis – or the remedies they choose – may make the situation worse, green campaigners have warned.

Ami McCarthy, the head of politics at Greenpeace UK, said: “With people’s bills and prices soaring from yet another fossil fuel crisis, these local elections have a global context – driven by the Iran war.

The news about electric vehicles tends to be more about EVs used for personal transportation because most of us humans have cars, SUVs, trucks, scooters, and motorcycles so we easily understand this transportation type. Fleet vehicles are being electrified too and they do a lot of work in a variety ... [continued]

The post Autonomous Freight Startup Launches appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The EU recently made moves to properly check the safety of US pick-up trucks. Now the car industry is calling ‘daddy’ Trump for help. When a three tonne Ram pick-up collides with a VW Polo, the American truck always comes out on top. Europe’s auto lobby is working hard to ... [continued]

The post The Car Industry’s Interests Are Not Always Europe’s Interests appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Sacramento, CA — Today, Sierra Club announced its endorsement of Tom Steyer for Governor of California, backing a candidate with a long record of investing in climate solutions, taking on Big Oil, and helping build the coalitions needed to win major environmental fights. “Tom Steyer has not just talked about climate ... [continued]

The post Sierra Club Endorses Tom Steyer for California Governor appeared first on CleanTechnica.

As Trump ramps up pressure by cutting off fuel to the island, Havana’s refuse is rarely collected, forcing residents to burn it in the streets despite the pollution

As thick smoke spread through the narrow streets of Havana, seeping into homes, schools and shops, Carlos Blanco, a chef, opened his bedroom window to see what was going on. “I saw a mist. But it wasn’t mist – it was smoke,” he says, describing the toxic smog emanating from a smouldering mountain of rubbish.

As the US oil blockade on Cuba enters its fourth month, choking off most of the island’s fuel supplies, growing mounds of waste lie on street corners across Havana. Amid fuel scarcity, authorities have opted to ration petrol by reducing waste collection, leaving less than half of Havana’s rubbish trucks operational.

Fuel prices have begun to ease from the spike triggered by the Iran-linked supply shock, but the direction of travel is now widely understood. The peak may be behind us, yet a full return to pre-crisis fuel costs is increasingly unlikely. That shift, subtle but structural, is starting to reshape ... [continued]

The post Interview: VinFast CEO For ASEAN On The Current Oil Crisis & Electrification appeared first on CleanTechnica.