Move ends bid for site near Whitehaven, Cumbria after planning permission was quashed by high court
The Whitehaven coalmine’s planning application has been withdrawn, bringing an end to a process that could have created the UK’s first deep coalmine in 30 years in Cumbria.
Planning permission for the mine was quashed in the high court last year which meant the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government had to reassess the planning application. However, the company has now written to the government withdrawing its planning application.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
04/04/2025 - 11:10
A deadly US storm system may intensify on Friday after killing seven throughout the central states
Donald Trump on Friday approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky as the central US braces for what experts in the region have warned could be a “generational” flooding event, as severe spring storms that have killed at least seven continue to wreak havoc.
Millions are affected across a swath of the US stretching from Texas to Ohio, and the powerful storm system that has raged for two days is expected to stall over the country’s midsection, the National Weather Service (NWS) said, fueling further deluges and possible tornadoes in areas already drenched from thunderstorms bringing heavy rains.
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04/04/2025 - 09:41
Plan to add 90 turbines to Rampion will create 4,000 jobs in construction and could power 1m homes
The government has approved plans to build an offshore windfarm capable of powering about 1m British homes before the end of the decade.
The plan to extend the Rampion offshore windfarm by adding 90 turbines off the Sussex coast is expected to add about 1.2 gigawatts of clean power for British households and businesses.
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04/04/2025 - 07:00
Devices similar to those used during pandemic to be deployed to help stamp out trade in threatened fish
Last year, a colleague of Diego Cardeñosa sent the international shark trade researcher a few pieces of shark fin taken from a bowl of soup in New York City. Using a PCR test similar to those used during the Covid-19 pandemic to test for the virus, Cardeñosa was able to identify the species behind the fin as sandbar shark, an endangered species found in tropical and warm-temperate waters.
Now, Cardeñosa and other scientists from Florida International University, alongside law enforcement officials from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), plan to deploy the tests at ports across the country in order to crack down on seafood fraud and fish trafficking.
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04/04/2025 - 06:00
Two lawmakers introduced a resolution to repeal a 2024 Biden rule that closed a ‘low volume exemption’ loophole
A new Republican plan would exempt many new toxic Pfas or “forever chemicals” from health and safety review, a move criticized by opponents because it would allow the dangerous man-made substances to be used and sold with little effective scrutiny.
Two House Republican lawmakers introduced a resolution under the Congressional Review Act that would repeal a 2024 Joe Biden rule that closed the “low volume exemption” loophole for Pfas. The loophole allowed Pfas and chemicals produced in small enough quantities to be sent to the marketplace with virtually no review from federal regulators.
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04/04/2025 - 03:23
The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world
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04/04/2025 - 01:00
The project in Uganda has captured the disastrous effects of the climate crisis on a vital source of water that is central to the lives and sacred beliefs of the local Bakonzo community
• Photographs by Project Pressure
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04/03/2025 - 23:00
Authorities race to complete clean-up operation after devastation from gales and heaviest rainfall in 20 years
People on the Aegean islands, more used in April to the sight and scent of spring’s blossoms, have been left reeling from flash floods spurred by typhoon-strength gales, with authorities calling a state of emergency in some of Greece’s most popular destinations less than three weeks before Easter.
“It’s a total catastrophe and it happened in just two hours,” said Costas Bizas, the mayor of Paros, the island worst hit by weather not seen in decades. “We need all the help we can get.”
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04/03/2025 - 23:00
Campaign network calls on government to prioritise smaller cars and introduce higher charges for SUV owners
More than 1m cars too big to fit in parking spaces are being sold in the UK each year, and numbers are growing, research has found.
A trend for cars bigger than the average urban parking space means new vehicles are outgrowing towns and cities.
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04/03/2025 - 23:00
Animal rights charity argues surcharge of 40-60p discriminates against dairy-free customers
A leading animal rights charity has launched a campaign calling for Gail’s Bakery to drop its surcharge on plant-based milks, claiming it “unfairly discriminates” against customers with dairy intolerances or those trying to make more ethical choices.
Gail’s, a chain that is expanding rapidly in Britain, charges 40p to 60p extra if customers want oat or soya milk in their coffee or tea.
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