What’s going on here? The UK’s National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) is reportedly considering schemes that reward consumers for reducing their electricity demand at peak times. What does this mean? National Grid ESO is the transmission system operator responsible for balancing the supply and demand of electricity in the UK. In an effort to reduce the risk of blackouts this winter…
What’s going on here? Five young people aged between 17-31, who have experienced devastating extreme weather events are launching legal action at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). What does this mean? You’re probably wondering, like I did, what is the ECT and what does it have to do with human rights? So here’s a…
‘Carbon bomb’? That doesn’t sound good… The term carbon bomb has been in use for years, describing large sources of carbon, most commonly fossil fuel projects. Now, new research led by the University of Leeds, has defined the term as applying to projects that have the potential to emit at least 1 billion tonnes (1Gt) of carbon over their lifetime. To give you an idea of exactly how scary that is – 1 billion tonnes is about 3 times the total annual emissions of the UK. Global carbon emissions are currently around 35 billion tonnes a year.
Here at Curious Earth, we talk a lot about the role privilege plays in the climate crisis. We try to raise awareness of the disproportionate impacts of environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and extreme weather events on the global south and many other marginalised groups. (Check out our Stories from the Frontline series to hear directly from those worst affected.) Yet, we also want…
What’s going on here? The war in Ukraine has the UK government looking for ways to reduce its reliance on Russian oil and gas. But what does this mean for meeting net zero in the UK? What does this mean? It’s been hard to keep up with the government’s position on energy over the past few days. Labour’s shadow energy secretary Ed…
up over the last year: NFT. NFT stands for ‘non-fungible token’. So what exactly is an NFT and should we start filling our (digital) stockings with them?
News broke a few weeks ago about oil giant Shell and Siccar Point Energy seeking permission from the UK Government to develop a large new oil field in the Cambo Field, West of Shetland. Thousands of activists across the country and internationally have been mobilising in protest, claiming that the field contradicts the International Energy Agency’s advice that there should be no…
What’s Going On Here? A month ago, a cargo ship carrying toxic chemicals caught fire and sank off Sri Lanka, leaving in its wake an environmental disaster that the island will likely have to live with for decades. Fast forward to last week when the ocean appeared to be on fire due to a bursting pipeline near the Gulf of Mexico, it…
Sustainability is full of myths, superstitions and taboos. Those who follow the mainstream narrative risk becoming immune to all debate by their sheer popularity. Overall, this is not a good thing – if we want to find actionable solutions to protect the environment and tackle the climate emergency, we must examine and challenge these myths openly. One of these myths is that…
