Sunday Brunch: how much can we rely on regulation?
Is more regulation always the best answer? Given that so much of it seems to be either failing to produce the outcomes we want, or not even making into the statute books, do we need a rethink?
A positive story about coal mines
Could abandoned coal mines be a useful energy source to heat our homes? Local politicians in the west of England, working with the Coal Authority (the public body that manages the effects of historic coal mining) believe so. The principle is simple. Using the water in the now flooded mines
A new wee test for bowel cancer?
Colorectal cancer or bowel cancer is the third most common cancer globally and the second leading cause of cancer related deaths (after lung cancer). Europe has the highest death rate with an age-standardised rate of 12 per 100,000 (2022) across all ages and sexes and accounted for almost 28%
Supply chains - will the European regulation work?
It's well known that Europe is active in introducing regulation to ensure that products being sold in the region meet minimum human rights and environmental standards. Many companies are already preparing for the new rules and by and large the new rules are well supported by the general
Sustainable mining - will we fund the required investment?
One of the biggest sustainability transition challenges relates to our ability to mine enough critical minerals to allow the various sustainable industries to scale up the (already known) solutions.
What caught our eye - three key stories (week 6, 2024)
Positive story about coal mines; wee test for bowel cancer?; will European supply chain regs work?
Sunday Brunch: good faith is no defence for lack of foresight
Are directors properly discharging their fiduciary duty by taking into account the changing landscape in which they operate?
Tracking concrete technology developments
Among the various organisations interested in lower carbon concrete is, unsurprisingly, the Institution of Structural Engineers. Concrete is a massively important building material. But, as they say "publicly available information about these technologies is often limited and inconsistent, making it difficult to draw comparisons with conventional concrete." Which
Electricity ducks being seen in Spain
Solar electricity generation offers the potential for low electricity prices, at least when the sun is shining. Data shows that there is a decent correlation between the market price of electricity and what is called the residual load (demand minus supply contributions from wind and solar). The best way to
Radical food system overhaul could deliver US$10 trillion per year in benefits
A report from the Food System Economics Commission (FSEC) argues that the current set up of food systems globally (i.e. what food we grow, how we grow it and how we distribute it to people) has a cost far bigger than their contribution to global prosperity and is on
Easing the perceived pain of retrofitting payback
The simple payback period calculation for retrofitting (amount spent / annual savings) misses nuance
What caught our eye - three key stories (week 5, 2024)
Food system overhaul brings $10tn pa benefits; Spanish electricity ducks; tracking concrete tech developments
