Search | New Scientist

Are big cats like black panthers and leopards really roaming the UK?

14 June 2023

Despite numerous people claiming to have seen big cats in the UK, there is no hard evidence they exist

The UK is making five big bets in the hope of hitting net zero by 2050

31 March 2023

Details of how the UK government is planning to reach net zero by 2050 reveal that the five biggest policy areas include decarbonising power and ramping up heat pumps - but will these bets actually pay off?

Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer delivers his keynote address to delegates third day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, north west England, on September 27, 2022. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Could Labour's Great British Energy firm spark a green revolution?

28 September 2022

Keir Starmer, the leader of the UK's Labour party, has promised to create a publicly owned renewable energy firm. Could it help meet the UK's climate goals?

Jacob Rees-Mogg: Climate change concern over new energy policy chief

7 September 2022

Jacob Rees-Mogg, who now oversees the UK government department responsible for energy and climate change, recently called to extract "every last drop" of oil and gas from the North Sea

There are thousands more UK deaths than usual and we don’t know why

1 September 2022

Since April, there have been 22,500 more deaths than expected in the UK. Health experts are concerned but unsure of the causes – which could include covid-19, population ageing and NHS problems

Sadiq Khan urges UK parliament to pass 'Ella's Law' for clean air

29 July 2022

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says it is important that a clean air law is enacted and hits out at "vested interests" pushing back against his plans to expand a clean air zone to outer London in 2023

Wildfire in the Shiregreen area of Sheffield, UK, on 20 July

Climate change made UK 40°C heatwave at least 10 times more likely

28 July 2022

Analysis of how much global warming influenced the UK's heatwave last week is likely to be an underestimate because climate models aren't doing a good job of reproducing how fast temperatures have risen in western Europe

Sign on motorway warning of severe weather

Temperature hits 40°C on the UK's hottest day on record

19 July 2022

Coningsby in Lincolnshire has provisionally recorded a temperature of 40.3°C, an event that would be extremely unlikely without climate change, and scientists warn that heatwaves will only get worse

Beavers to be legally protected from harm in England from October

18 July 2022

Under new legislation, it will be an offence to deliberately capture, kill, disturb or injure beavers in England or damage where the animals breed and rest

UK prepares for health emergency with 50 per cent chance of 40°C heat

15 July 2022

Temperatures are expected to break UK records on Monday, leading to a spike in hospital admissions and deaths along with “widespread impacts on people and infrastructure”