A new 'nuclear subsidy'? ... Sellafield nuclear power station in Cumbria. Photograph: Peter Lomas/Rex Features The biggest reforms to the UK energy sector in two decades were set out on Tuesday, prompting warnings from consumer groups and green campaigners that they would raise energy bills and penalise renewable energy while boosting nuclear power.The sweeping reforms, detailed in the draft energy bill, grant the government powers to intervene in the market on a scale not seen since the industry was privatised.Under the changes, companies will be allowed to sign long-term contracts for the supply of low-carbon power, and ministers will create a "capacity market" to ensure a reliable supply of power and prevent blackouts.There will be a minimum price for carbon dioxide emissions, and an emissions ... Continue reading →

Parabens, commonly found in suntan lotion, are among the endocrine disrupting chemicals under suspicion. Photograph: Duncan Willetts/Sportsphoto/Allstar Common chemicals found in household products, cosmetics and medicines may be causing cancers, fertility problems and other illnesses including diabetes and obesity, according to a study.Europe's environmental watchdog, the European Environment Agency, has warned that products containing endocrine disrupting chemicals should be treated with caution until their true effects are better known. However, it stopped short of recommending a ban of any specific products. A few such chemicals have already been banned, but many are still in widespread use.Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the EEA, said: "Scientific research gathered over the last few decades shows us that endocrine disruption is a real problem, with serious effects on wildlife, ... Continue reading →

Archerfish in a forest of mangroves, in the centre of the world's richest marine biodiversity, the Raja Ampat islands, Indonesia. The World Bank has called on countries to protect their natural capital. Photograph: Norbert Wu/Corbis Countries must take urgent steps to value their natural capital – such as forests, peatlands and coastal areas – as part of their economic development, the World Bank has urged.Placing a monetary value on natural ecosystems is a key step on the road to "green" economic growth, according to the World Bank, which published a report on green growth on Wednesday at a conference in Seoul, Korea.By making such estimates, countries can develop policies that ensure the pursuit of economic growth does not occur at the expense of future growth ... Continue reading →

A coking factory in Changzhi, Shanxi province, China. The country is now the second biggest carbon emitter and economy in the world. Photograph: Stringer Shanghai/Reuters Old divisions between developed and developing countries in who should lead the fight against climate change should be laid aside, according to ministers from some of the world's poorest countries and European representatives meeting on Tuesday.The vexed issue of which countries should bear the greatest responsibility for cutting greenhouse gas emissions has been a sticking point in international negotiations for two decades. Under the original settlement reached in 1992 at the Rio Earth summit, and formalised in the 1997 Kyoto protocol, some rapidly emerging economies such as China were left out of the roster of obligations to curb emissions.However, China ... Continue reading →