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Region contains five of top 10 hotspots outside London for dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution

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The West Midlands is one of the worst hit areas outside the capital for illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution but many don’t seem to realise they and their children are breathing some of the UK’s most polluted air.

The region is criss-crossed with motorways and dual carriageways churning out NO2 from hundreds of thousands of diesel vehicles. The government’s own figures show air pollution is responsible for almost 3,000 deaths a year in the West Midlands and in 2015 Birmingham was one of five cities – alongside Leeds, Nottingham, Derby and Southampton – ordered to introduce a clean air zone by 2020.

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European parliament backs tougher rules and €30,000 per vehicle fine for carmakers to prevent repeat of VW emissions scandal

Diesel vehicles will disappear from roads much faster than expected, according to the European Union’s industry commissioner.

Elżbieta Bieńkowska spoke after the European parliament backed tougher rules to prevent manufacturers selling cars that produce far more toxic pollution when driven than in official tests.

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Study found piglets have "innate preference" for sweet flavours.

Big Ideas looks at reducing electronic waste and making a fortune in the process through micro-recycling of precious elements in microfactories.

David King, who served Labour and Tory governments, says he was misled by car industry over levels of diesel pollution

The former chief scientific adviser has admitted it was wrong to cut fuel duty on diesel vehicles after being hoodwinked by the car industry, as the mayor of London launched a crackdown on vehicle pollution.

David King, who until last week served Labour and Tory governments as special representative for climate change, said he was misled by carmakers over the amount of poisonous nitrogen oxides (NOx) diesel cars would emit on the road.

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If we could time travel, would it be desirable to dabble with our past? And could we reducing electronic waste through micro-recycling of precious elements in micro-factories?

Republican Party leaders keep putting fossil fuel industry profits over the well-being of Americans

Last week, the House “Science” committee held one of its regular hearings to dispute the validity of climate science research. Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) articulated the purpose of the hearing when speaking at a recent Heartland Institute climate science denial conference:

Next week we’re going to have a hearing on our favorite subject of climate change and also on the scientific method, which has been repeatedly ignored by the so-called self-professed climate scientists

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The pink, scaleless cave loach was found by divers in an underground cavern in southern Germany.

Nick Xenophon got plenty out of the government on energy policy, but will any of it make a difference?

The predators use elaborate techniques to prepare octopuses for consumption, researchers say.

A new plan to tackle pollution in London

Exclusive: new analysis indicates south will get significantly more funding per capita than elsewhere, in part because of higher property prices

The government’s planned spending on flood defences heavily favours London and the south-east of England, according to a new analysis, with spending per person up to 13 times higher than in other regions.

The recently published plans set out spending to 2021 and, for major projects, beyond that date. By far the largest projects are those for the Thames estuary, leading to 60% of the planned spending going to London and south-east, home to 32% of England’s population.

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Activists warn of serious environmental consequences for UN-backed hydro projects in Nepal, Tajikistan and the Solomon Islands

Plans to earmark more than $136m (£109m) of UN money for large dam projects in Nepal, Tajikistan and the Solomon Islands have been angrily condemned by activists, who have warned the projects could have serious environmental consequences.

The UN’s green climate fund was set up during the Paris climate agreement to mobilise $100bn a year by 2020 for poor countries looking for innovative and transformational projects.

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Day 2 of the Large-Scale Solar 2017 conference in Sydney saw some interesting themes emerge. Here are five of them...

Buxton, Derbyshire What compels our imagination is the sheer drive of frogs and toads to get to the spawning ponds

What is it about frogs and toads that has made them such classic icons of sexual reproduction? It cannot be timing, because their breeding is often over before the other elements of high spring – flowers, bees, birdsong, sunshine – are in full flood. Frogs will gather at the spawning pond when the starlit nights are frosted and the vegetation rimed in white.

Nor can it be that frogs or toads flesh out the dawn chorus. I have often found that frogs are most vocal on late-winter nights, and the little burp of toads, which is more creak than croak, is so quiet one has to strain to pick it out. The soft, even, purring of frogs is sweeter but, as one herpetologist noted, a pondful of thousands in full throat was completely inaudible just 50m away.

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Rooftop solar capacity in Queensland receiving state's now defunct premium FiT of 44c/kWh has been overtaken by the total of rooftop solar receiving retail rate.

"Get used it". That was the simple message to energy incumbents highlighting rapidly changing "energy paradigm" in Australia and across the world from baseload power to "flexible generation".

Clean Energy Regulator says Australia on track to meet 2020 RET, driven by large-scale solar boom.

Renewable certificate prices fall despite looming shortfall, as some suggest retailers may choose to pay penalty price rather than make new investments.

Musk taunts short sellers after Tesla stock surges and overtakes Ford Motor Co in market value.