Interesting Ideas

Exclusive: Pollution targets set out alongside nature recovery projects to allay concerns over housebuilding

Wood-burning stoves are likely to face tighter restrictions in England under new pollution targets set as part of an updated environmental plan released by ministers on Monday.

Speaking to the Guardian before the publication of the updated environmental improvement plan (EIP), the environment secretary, Emma Reynolds, said it would boost nature recovery in a number of areas, replacing an EIP under the last government she said was “not credible”.

EU’s Copernicus monitoring service hails ‘reassuring sign’ of progress observed this year in hole’s size and duration

The hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic this year was the smallest and shortest-lived since 2019, according to European space scientists, who described the finding as a “reassuring sign” of the layer’s recovery.

The yearly gap in what scientists have called “planetary sunscreen” reached a maximum area of 21m sq km (8.1m sq miles) over the southern hemisphere in September – well below the maximum of 26m sq km reached in 2023 – and shrank in size until coming to an early close on Monday, data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (Cams) shows.

From Thailand to Indonesia, torrential flooding has carried away people’s possessions and homes, upending entire communities

• How cyclones and monsoon rains converged to devastate parts of Asia – visual guide

Aminah Ali, 63, was at home in the Pidie Jaya district of Indonesia’s Aceh province when the rains started at midnight on Wednesday. The waters rose gradually. It seemed like the usual flooding that happens during monsoon season, but then came a loud roar of water: her village was suddenly inundated.

With help from her son, she managed to clamber on to her rooftop, where she waited for 24 hours. Flood waters, 3 metres high, stretched into the distance. “I saw many houses being swept away,” she said.

Short boat ride from Cop30 host, Afro-descendant residents of Menino Jesus say their voices are not being heard

Walk through the conference centre where the recent UN climate talks were held and representations of Indigenous people and culture were everywhere, from the spear-carrying, fiery-headed Cop30 mascot Curupira to huge mural-sized photos of people navigating the Amazon in dugout canoes and the many protests demanding dialogue outside.

Yet a short boat ride down the river from Belém, into the forest itself, takes you to another forest-dwelling community also fighting for further recognition within the Cop process. The quilombola community of Menino Jesus has existed for six generations. Quilombolas are the descendants of former enslaved people who fled into the forest as a site of refuge. Over hundreds of years, they established a unique way of life separate from mainstream Brazilian society, living in harmony with nature as fugitives protected by the jungle.

Climate activists from the Rising Tide organisation have stopped coal ships from reaching Newcastle port – for a day or two. What’s their real objective?

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Annabelle* knew before she paddled into the world’s largest coal port that she might be arrested. The 71-year-old arrived in Newcastle on Sunday with thousands of others to join Rising Tide, one of Australia’s largest annual climate protests.

After a signal was given that a coal ship was coming, she entered the port in a kayak with hundreds of others. She managed to paddle beyond yellow buoys that marked the start of a zone the Minns government created for the duration of the protest – which gave police additional powers to arrest people. The police floated on boats just inside the zone, ready to pluck anyone out of the water who might defy their direction to turn back.

I’m sure the New York Times article over the weekend about e-bike injuries has caused a few arguments to erupt. Haven’t we heard of the many benefits of e-bikes — their energy efficiency, their eco-friendliness, the way they get people out of cars and exercising? Yes, those assets are not ... [continued]

The post E-Bikes Aren’t The Same As The Bikes You Rode When You Were A Kid appeared first on CleanTechnica.

In a recent roundup of Tesla “Full Self Driving” (FSD) news, I mentioned Elon Musk tweeting that the number of Tesla Robotaxis on the road in Austin would “roughly double” in December. First of all, it’s important to note these are not truly driverless robotaxis yet, as Tesla still has ... [continued]

The post Tesla Appears to Have 29 Robotaxis in Operation in Austin appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Labour knows it needs to win over the ‘sea wall’ cohort of coastal voters in the next election. But as anger over inequality grows, time is running out

It is a lovely sunny autumn day in Ramsgate on Britain’s Kent coast, and quintessential seaside chippy Peter’s Fish Factory is doing a roaring lunchtime trade. Across the road, at the entrance to the town’s pier, local MP and chair of the newly reformed coastal parliamentary Labour party (PLP), Polly Billington, is having her photo taken.

In between shots she shows us the community art project that adorns the fence along the entrance to the pier. It is made up of pictures, drawn primarily by local children and young people, of the 65 little ships that set sail earlier this year from Ramsgate to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation.

If you are not aware of Chinese battery technical leadership, it is probably time to take notice. As of 2025, CATL and BYD have over 50% of the world’s EV battery market share. From January to September, they accounted for 811.7 GWh. CATL and BYD are not the only battery ... [continued]

The post The Strange Time Compression of Sodium-Ion Battery Development appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Extreme weather kills more than 1,100 people across south and south-east Asia as cyclones turbocharge rain systems

• Devastating floods hit Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand – latest updates

Tropical cyclones have combined with heavy monsoon rains to lay waste to swathes of Asia, killing more than 1,100 people as of Monday, with the death toll expected to rise, and leaving many more homeless.

A confluence of three tropical weather systems – including a rare cyclonic storm that built up in the strait of Malacca – has fuelled intense wind and rainover the past week, devastating areas of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam with flooding and mudslides.

Today I’m excited to review the Pirelli Scorpion XTM all-terrain for you. Tires are a bit outside of our normal scope, but I thought it was important for a three reasons: The new generation of electric vehicles are extremely capable off-road with a few simple modifications, with tires sitting at ... [continued]

The post Finally: A Proper All-Terrain Tire That Doesn’t Ruin Your EV Range appeared first on CleanTechnica.

River Action says use of issuance tied to environmental benefits is ‘corporate greenwash on steroids’

Water companies have issued a fifth of the UK’s “green bonds” since 2017, despite a consistently poor record of sewage pollution during that time, research has shown.

Privately owned water companies in England have together issued £10.5bn in bonds tied to projects that offer “environmental benefits”, according to analysis of financial market data by Unearthed, which is part of Greenpeace UK.

Tensions grow after research in England finds there may not be enough water for planned carbon capture and hydrogen projects

• Revealed: Europe’s water reserves drying up due to climate breakdown

Tensions are growing between the government, the water sector and its regulators over the management of England’s water supplies, as the Environment Agency warns of a potential widespread drought next year.

Research commissioned by a water retailer has found water scarcity could hamper the UK’s ability to reach its net zero targets, and that industrial growth could push some areas of the country into water shortages.

Utah started the trend toward balcony solar in the US and now five other states are considering similar legislation.

The post More US States Are Promoting Balcony Solar appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Well, this is not good news. TÜV of Germany — or Technischer Überwachungsverein if you want to try your tongue at the full name — is a collection of independent German organizations that evaluate the safety and quality of a variety of products and systems. It is a widely respected ... [continued]

The post German Study Finds Tesla Model Y Has Worst Reliability of 2022–2023 Models … And Worse! appeared first on CleanTechnica.

When looking at the cars from Leapmotor, I got the impression that they were attractive but a bit like vanilla ice cream. Good, but not the most flavorful. However, in the context of their partnership with Stellantis, the potential to rebrand with localized flavors on top of that “vanilla” is ... [continued]

The post Bring on the Rebadges! Leapmotor at Auto Guangzhou appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Solar and wind power have a lot going for them. They ease global warming stress and its climate consequences. They don’t cost as fossil fuels at utility scale, and they’re a lot less harmful to people’s health than fossil fuels. Of all of these reasons to favor solar and wind ... [continued]

The post You’d Really Miss Renewables This Winter If They Weren’t Available appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Blakeney Point, Norfolk: The old steamer, called Yankee, has long been abandoned on the shingle, dwindling in the elements. I take the four-mile walk to visit

There are thrushes on the wind today. A redwing has just landed in the veil of shrubby seablite between the tidal ooze of Blakeney Pit and the shingle where I’m standing. Exhausted by its crossing from Scandinavia, this handsome bird sits in a seablite’s wind-torn tips and lets me watch. Mottle-chested, creamy-browed, it is exquisite.

I have made the four-mile, shingle-crunching pilgrimage from Cley to near the end of Blakeney Point to visit my great-great-grandfather. To visit his memory, at least. He was Martin Fountain Page, co-owner of Page and Turner, last of the River Glaven shipping companies in 700 years of documented navigation here. Beneath the doormat in the north porch of Blakeney Church lies a slab of polished stone, engraved to his eternal memory, generous benefactor of the village as he was.

The station can accommodate up to 16 vehicles at a time, ensuring efficient service for drivers. This brings the total combined capacity now to 48 vehicles at a time across Ethio Telecom’s Fast Charging Hubs. Last year, Ethiopia made the bold step to become the first country in the world ... [continued]

The post Ethio Telecom Expands Its EV Charging Network with the Launch of a Third Super-Fast Smart Station in Addis Ababa appeared first on CleanTechnica.

We’ve had our 2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus (SR+) since August 2019. It feels like half that long, and I hope the car can go at least twice this long. I completely forgot about doing a 6-year review of the car until Fritz Hasler published his. Thanks, Fritz. ... [continued]

The post Tesla Model 3 Standard Range — 6-Year, 60,000-Mile Review appeared first on CleanTechnica.