In the hours before floods swept through Cumbria, the heaviest rain ever recorded in Britain fell on a hamlet in the county. Philip Eden unpicks the unique combination of factors which made this happen.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8376031.stm
“Water wars are coming!” the newspaper headlines scream. It seems obvious; rivalries over water have been the source of disputes since humans settled down to cultivate food. Even our language reflects these ancient roots: “rivalry” comes from the Latin rivalis, or “one using the same river as another”. As the number of international river basins and impact of water scarcity has grown, so do the warnings that countries will take up arms to ensure access to water. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7886646.stm
A sheep farm in the Brecon Beacons in mid-Wales is providing a glimpse of a post-carbon future, one in which green electricity is generated locally. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8387449.stm
Heavy rain has brought floods to north-western parts of the UK, with Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria the worst hit.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8366360.stm
