Consultation on the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan outlines a step change in how water companies tackle the number of discharges of untreated sewage. Water companies will face strict limits on when they can use storm overflows and must completely eliminate the ecological harm any storm sewage discharges cause to the environment and significantly reduce […]
The UK “is very much not adapted to climate change and not prepared”, according to a lead author of a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The Guardian reports that the study, approved by 195 countries, says the worldwide impacts of the climate crisis are more severe than predicted and there is only a […]
This latest Thames water major pollution incident is a timely reminder for the Environmental Audit Committee and their work on water quality in rivers (watch the evidence) of the growing risks of major storms driving significant pollution events. Thames Water has depressing recent record of sewage pollution incidents. Thames Water fined £4 million after catastrophic […]
Flooding in the North of England Environment Secretary statement on flooding and Storm Ciara Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers’ statement in the House of Commons on flooding and Storm Ciara ‘Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to make a statement about the significant flooding caused by the heavy rain and severe gale force winds […]
In the 2000s there were a number of concerns and studies on the Slapton Ley Road linking South Hams (Torcross) to the ‘Dartmouth’ end of the beach. In 2012 a Defra Coastal Pathfinder explored what would happen if the road was taken out by rising sea levels and storms. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69508/pb13720-coastal-pathfinder-review.pdf The project team held some […]
Tell us what the storms brought-in From Keith Hiscock ‘The severe easterly gales last week greatly damaged infrastructure and personal possessions (much loved boats etc.) but also washed-out a diversity of species that had been present in the shallow seas. The same sort of wash-outs happened in spring 2014 and I brought together observations from […]
1. UK could face harsher and more frequent winter storms Carbon Brief reports on a new study, which finds that the UK could face harsher and more frequent winter storms if global emissions aren’t curbed. The research uses modelling to investigate how rising global temperatures could change the movements of mid-latitude storms by the end […]
Four reactions to EFRA Committee report Bob Earll The scale of the events: In the face of three major winter storm – flood events in 2012, 2013-14 and 2015-16 – billion pound storms – MPs clearly felt the need to speak out. These events are becoming almost normal and they are characterised not by just […]