The UK’s energy transition passed a ‘tipping point’
It was the UK’s number one source of electricity for 28 years running, but gas’ carbon- belching reign is finally over. For the first time, wind has provided the bulk of the country’s electricity over an entire year. 

Data compiled by Imperial College London showed that over the last 12 months, wind generated 32% of the UK’s electricity, compared to 31% for gas.  Blustery weather and massive new offshore wind farms, including Dogger Bank A in the North Sea, gave wind the competitive edge. Also eating into gas’ share of the energy mix was imported wind power from Denmark – transported via a new undersea cable – and imported nuclear power from France. 

“The UK’s transition from gas to wind has gone beyond the tipping point,” Dan McGrail, chief executive of industry body RenewableUK, told The Times. “We’re now living in a world where clean power dominates our electricity system.”

A ‘green’ pesticide showed promise
A nature-inspired alternative to toxic pesticides has shown early promise in trials in the Netherlands. The innovation relies on a biodegradable ‘insect glue’ made from edible plant oil, which mimics the natural, defensive secretions of some plants. The substance acts like a sprayable fly paper, snaring small pests but leaving larger beneficial insects such as bees unaffected. In tests on the western flower thrip – which attacks 500 species of vegetable, fruit and ornamental crops – 60% of the bugs were captured within two days of spraying. Work continues to see if the glue can be made more attractive to both pests and their natural predators. Nick Mole, from Pesticide Action Network UK, said more research was needed to establish the environmental impact. “This is a very interesting piece of research that could result in much needed decreases in the use of synthetic pesticides,” he said. “Using natural oils to make physical traps for disease-carrying insects could be a sustainable alternative to toxic pesticides.”

Geothermal energy returned to the UK
The world’s largest enclosed botanical garden was heated by deep geothermal energy this winter in a first for the UK in almost four decades. The Eden Project in south-west England sunk a 5km-deep well to generate heat for its offices and famous biomes. It’s the UK’s first operational deep geothermal well since 1986, and should take the Eden Project almost entirely off gas, while saving 500 tonnes of CO2 a year. The attraction’s new nursery will also benefit from geothermal heat, enabling its horticulture team to propagate and take care of one million plants per year. “We are working with and for nature to develop new ways to grow and new ways to encourage people to think differently about plants, the planet and themselves,” said the Eden Project’s chief transformation officer, Si Bellamy.