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Inside the Tideway 'super sewer' near Fulham, London

Inside the huge London super sewer designed to fight river pollution

2 June 2023

A monstrous concrete pipe with a capacity of 1.6 million cubic metres is being built under London to reduce the frequency of sewage discharges into the Thames

2MW349R Abbey Mill and Weir, Tewkesbury at sunrise

What we can do to let the UK’s tamed rivers flow wild and free again

25 April 2023

In the UK, 97 per cent of rivers have been modified, blocked and otherwise corralled to suit our needs - with enormous damage to wildlife. Here’s how we can reverse the damage we’ve done

Waste water flowing into a British river from concrete pipes

The state of Britain's rivers: Slurry, silage and sewage

22 March 2023

The majority of the UK's waterways are suffering, even those that look like they are in good health, but some restoration projects have started to tackle the issues, and much more can be done

TOPSHOT - An aerial photo taken on February 14, 2023 shows flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in Awatoto, near the city of Napier. - New Zealand declared a national state of emergency on February 14 as Cyclone Gabrielle swept away roads, inundated homes and left more than 100,000 people without power. - New Zealand OUT (Photo by AFP) / New Zealand OUT (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Do back-to-back disasters show first climate tipping point is upon us?

8 March 2023

Compound and cascading catastrophes, like two hurricanes striking within days, are becoming more common. Does this mean we have crossed the first climate tipping point, an irreversible shift in Earth’s natural systems, asks Graham Lawton

How can you tell if a river in the UK is healthy?

21 February 2023

Pollution isn’t always easy to spot, but public data and some visual clues can give an idea of whether rivers are in a good ecological state, and help you take part in our Save Britain's Rivers campaign

JGBD13 Llangollen, view from bridge of the river Dee

Why rivers are important for everything from biodiversity to wellbeing

15 February 2023

The UK's 200,000 kilometres of waterway are in crisis. New Scientist's Save Britain's Rivers campaign reveals how crucial they are for the nation's health, wealth and resilience

2J5DWYF The Woodland Burial Area in Thornsett Cemetery, New Mills, Derbyshire

I am planning my wife's woodland burial, but green funerals are costly

5 October 2022

My late wife was an environmentalist and wanted an eco-friendly funeral. I have seen to her wishes, but a woodland burial isn't possible for all those who would like one, writes Graham Lawton

Covid-19 news: Moderna’s omicron booster has promising immune response

9 June 2022

A regular round-up of the latest coronavirus news, plus insight, features and interviews from New Scientist about the covid-19 pandemic

Rich countries must pay for the environmental damage they have wreaked

20 April 2022

There is a historical obligation for higher-income countries to transfer some of their vast and ill-gotten wealth to lower-income ones to compensate them for the damage they have done to the environment, writes Graham Lawton

Riga, Latvia - March 05, 2022: Protest against war in Ukraine and Russia's invasion. Crowd of people with flags, signs and posters at demonstration in support of Ukraine to demand Putin to stop war.; Shutterstock ID 2132631761; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Russian tanks are devastating an idyllic Ukrainian wetland wilderness

23 March 2022

The invasion of Ukraine is first and foremost a humanitarian catastrophe, but the environmental consequences of Putin's war will also be dire, writes Graham Lawton