Latest news with #UniversityofCardiff
Business Mayor
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Mayor
Flawed hybrid car efficiency data to stifle UK EV sales and propagate pollution
Despite this, the government has stated that emissions targets for manufacturers will continue to use the old figures and test cycle. This, T&E fears, means that drivers will continue to be 'misled by the 'low emission' image of PHEVs portrayed by carmakers' and that the UK may struggle to hit its lofty climate targets as a result. In fact, the European transport sustainability group believes this mixed messaging surrounding PHEVs could see as many as 500,000 additional new cars using the tech hitting the road by 2030, in turn jeopardising the sales of cleaner, fully-electric cars. T&E has called on the government to bear in mind the new updated plug-in hybrid emissions figures and regulations before pressing ahead with its ZEV mandate changes to avoid 'duping' the public. Such a sentiment is backed by Professor of Business and Sustainability at the University of Cardiff, Peter Wells, who told Auto Express that T&E's analysis was 'entirely correct, both in terms of the real-world performance of PHEVs, and the actual cost to consumers. It is a flawed policy.' Wells continued, saying: 'We too easily forget that the point of all of this is to slow down the rate of climate change. Once again the government has allowed itself to be distracted by short-term economic expediency.' Auto Express has approached the UK Department for Transport for comment, but we have yet to receive a response. Take a look at the best electric car deals on the market right now… READ SOURCE
The Independent
29-04-2025
- Science
- The Independent
What caused the Spain and Portugal blackouts? Experts say incident is a warning
Millions across Spain and Portugal were left in the dark on Monday as an unprecedented power outage brought much of the Iberian peninsula to a standstill. For hours the lights went out, transport links ground to a halt and communication networks faltered, leaving many wondering what had gone wrong. In the immediate aftermath, explanations were thin on the ground. Conspiracy theories began popping up, including international sabotage, a cyber attack or even renewables being responsible for the outage. Officials said there was little precedent for this kind of widespread electric failure across all of the Iberian peninsula. "We have never had a complete collapse of the system," said Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain, talking about how the power grid lost 15 gigawatts, the equivalent of 60 per cent of its national demand, in just five seconds. Experts say a proper investigation will take time – and that the cause remains uncertain. Spain's grid operator, Red Eléctrica de España (REE), spoke of a "very strong oscillation in the electrical network" that led to the country's disconnection from the wider European power system. Meanwhile, Portugal 's operator, REN (Redes Energéticas Nacionais), initially suggested a "rare atmospheric phenomenon" in Spain, involving extreme temperature variations, could have caused vibrations in high-voltage lines. But many experts are sceptical of those claims. 'I am not familiar with this term,' Dr Jianzhong Wu, professor of multi-vector energy systems at University of Cardiff, said. 'It is not widely used or frequently encountered in power system engineering. ''Induced atmospheric vibration' could mean unusual physical movements of power lines caused by rapid and extreme changes in atmospheric conditions, such as temperature shifts or localised weather phenomena,' he explains. 'These vibrations can alter the electrical properties of transmission lines or trigger protective mechanisms designed to prevent damage, leading to unexpected disconnections. Alternatively, it could refer to unusual changes in electricity demand and generation caused by rapid atmospheric shifts.' Dr Wu says there isn't enough information available to make an assessment on the cause. One of the key aspects of this blackout is how it managed to affect such a large area. Both Spain and Portugal's electricity grids are tightly linked, not just to each other but also to the broader European system. This interconnectedness usually provides resilience, allowing power to be shared across borders. However, Dr Jianzhong Wu, professor of multi-vector energy systems at University of Cardiff, said it can also mean that "disturbances can spread quickly if a major synchronisation failure occurs.' 'In this case, the disruption appears to have propagated rapidly through the Iberian peninsula.' Dr David Brayshaw, a professor of climate science and energy meteorology at the University of Reading, explained: "Power systems are networks, connecting local disruptions to wider areas... If something on the network — a generator, a power line, or even a large electricity user — suddenly disappears, it creates a supply-demand imbalance, and the system frequency starts to shift. If that shift becomes too large, other components can trip offline, creating a snowball effect that worsens the imbalance and can trigger a major blackout — sometimes within seconds." With both Spain and Portugal increasingly relying on renewable energy sources like solar and wind, questions have been raised about their role in the outage. Experts were quick to dismiss this as the primary cause, however. Daniel Muir, a senior European power analyst at S&P Global, told Politico that "the nature and scale of the outage makes it unlikely that the volume of renewables was the cause." 'There was sufficient conventional generation available, with nuclear, hydro, cogeneration and thermal technologies all on the system prior to the event and ... available to the operator,' he said. Dr Keith Bell, professor of electronic and electrical engineering at the University of Strathclyde, said:'Events of this scale have happened in many places around the world over the years, in power systems using fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro or variable renewables. It doesn't matter where you are getting the energy from, you've got to get the engineering right in order to ensure resilient supplies of electricity.' There has also been a lot of speculation asking whether the outages were the work of cyber-saboteurs launching a strike on Europe. However, there is no evidence suggesting that was the case. European Commission executive vice president Teresa Ribera dismissed that possibility, saying there was 'nothing that allows us to say that there is any kind of sabotage or cyberattack'. While this is a rare event, its not an unlikely one. Experts caution that as the world's electricity demands increase and power systems change, there needs to be more research into the vulnerabilities of these systems. "System operators and equipment owners try to ensure that such major events don't happen and to learn lessons when they do, sharing those lessons internationally once investigations have been completed,' Dr Bell said.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Human-caused emissions have delayed Earth's next ice age, study says. But by how long?
A new study suggests that Earth's next ice age should begin within the next 11,000 years - except our impact on the planet may delay it, potentially by thousands of years. Scientists have long known that shifts in Earth's orbit influence transitions between ice ages and warmer interglacial periods. But until now, they could not pinpoint which orbital factors affected the timing of these glacial cycles the most. A research team led by the University of Cardiff tracked Earth's natural climate cycles over the past million years and compared this data to variations in the tilt, wobble and shape of the planet's orbit around the Sun. Published in the academic journal Science, their study offers clear insights into how these factors influence glacial cycles - as well as how human-driven greenhouse gas emissions may have disrupted them. 'The pattern we found is so reproducible that we were able to make an accurate prediction of when each interglacial period of the past million years or so would occur and how long each would last,' lead author Stephen Barker, a professor at the University of Cardiff explained to AFP. Over the past million years, Earth has alternated between ice ages and warm periods. The last ice age, or glacial period, ended about 11,700 years ago. That transition ushered in the Holocene, an era of relative climate stability which enabled human civilisations to flourish. Since the 1970s, scientists have tried to identify the start of our next glacial period, but determining an accurate time frame has proven to be difficult. Related Melting polar ice may be slowing Earth's spin and messing with how we measure time 'Unprecedented': CO2 in the atmosphere is rising 10 times faster than at any point over 50,000 years While researchers have previously tried to link orbital changes to specific periods, such as the beginning of an ice age, Barker's team took a broader view. They analysed how temperatures rose and fell over time rather than exploring the onset of ice age transitions. They discovered that every ice age over the past 900,000 years has occurred at a precise interaction between the tilt, wobble and shape of Earth's orbit. '[This] confirms the natural climate change cycles we observe on Earth over tens of thousands of years are largely predictable and not random or chaotic,' said study co-author Lorraine Lisiecki, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Without human interference, Earth's next glaciation would 'occur within the next 11,000 years, and it would end in 66,000 years' time,' according to Barker. But with carbon dioxide levels now at their highest in at least 800,000 years, that timeline has shifted dramatically. The findings highlight the immense and long-lasting influence of human activity on the planet. While climate change is often measured in decades, this research underscores consequences that will play out over geological time scales. Barker warned against interpreting the delay of an ice age as a positive outcome. While an ice age would bring challenging conditions for human civilisation, today's unchecked emissions are already causing devastating consequences, including rising sea levels, extreme weather and biodiversity loss. Related The Arctic tundra has transformed from carbon sink to carbon source, report finds Black snow, emissions and bird flu: How Antarctic cruises hurt more than they help With human activity now overriding the rhythms that have guided Earth's climate for millennia, the research team plans to explore how continued fossil fuel use will further reshape the planet's natural climate cycles. The study suggests it could be significant. If carbon emissions continue at their current rate, Antarctica could be ice-free in 8,000 years, leading to a global sea-level rise of around 70 metres, they claim. 'Instead of there being glaciers, you'll be underwater,' Barker cautioned.
Telegraph
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Don't say ‘piece of cake' because it's too British, university claims
People should not use colloquial phrases like 'a piece of cake' and 'kill two birds with one stone' because they are 'very British-English' and may not be understood by foreigners, a university has suggested. The University of Cardiff has told students that such idioms do not usually translate well with other cultures, 'not because people have poor English skills but because this is very British-English'. Other guidance issued in an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) awareness module says that other common phrases should not be used because of their 'origin stories' in 'ableism', 'racism' and 'sexism'. The EDI guidance states: 'In the English language, many of those origin stories are based in ableism, like 'the blind leading the blind', or racism, like 'he's a slave driver', and in sexism, like 'man up' or 'like a girl'.' 'Political minefield' Free speech campaigners accused the university of attempting to 'police' language, and warned that the EDI guidance was 'calculated to turn every casual conversation into a political minefield'. It comes amid a wider fear that free speech and academic freedoms are being eroded on British campuses because of the growth of 'cancel culture'. Lord Young, the founder of the Free Speech Union, told the Mail on Sunday: 'Language guides like this are always badged as 'inclusive', but in fact they are exclusionary. 'The Free Speech Union has defended over 3,500 people in the past three years and many of them are older people who have been accused of 'hate speech', for not using the correct woke phrase for something or other.' A Cardiff University spokesman said: 'Our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Awareness module was created through the collaboration of EDI experts from our institution and students. 'Feedback from students revealed that 85 per cent rated the module as good to excellent, while 92 per cent felt the concepts were effectively explained. 'As a university, we take pride in our initiatives promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.'
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Human-caused emissions have delayed Earth's next ice age, study says. But by how long?
A new study suggests that Earth's next ice age should begin within the next 11,000 years - except our impact on the planet may delay it, potentially by thousands of years. Scientists have long known that shifts in Earth's orbit influence transitions between ice ages and warmer interglacial periods. But until now, they could not pinpoint which orbital factors affected the timing of these glacial cycles the most. A research team led by the University of Cardiff tracked Earth's natural climate cycles over the past million years and compared this data to variations in the tilt, wobble and shape of the planet's orbit around the Sun. Published in the academic journal Science, their study offers clear insights into how these factors influence glacial cycles - as well as how human-driven greenhouse gas emissions may have disrupted them. 'The pattern we found is so reproducible that we were able to make an accurate prediction of when each interglacial period of the past million years or so would occur and how long each would last,' lead author Stephen Barker, a professor at the University of Cardiff explained to AFP. Over the past million years, Earth has alternated between ice ages and warm periods. The last ice age, or glacial period, ended about 11,700 years ago. That transition ushered in the Holocene, an era of relative climate stability which enabled human civilisations to flourish. Since the 1970s, scientists have tried to identify the start of our next glacial period, but determining an accurate time frame has proven to be difficult. Related Melting polar ice may be slowing Earth's spin and messing with how we measure time 'Unprecedented': CO2 in the atmosphere is rising 10 times faster than at any point over 50,000 years While researchers have previously tried to link orbital changes to specific periods, such as the beginning of an ice age, Barker's team took a broader view. They analysed how temperatures rose and fell over time rather than exploring the onset of ice age transitions. They discovered that every ice age over the past 900,000 years has occurred at a precise interaction between the tilt, wobble and shape of Earth's orbit. '[This] confirms the natural climate change cycles we observe on Earth over tens of thousands of years are largely predictable and not random or chaotic,' said study co-author Lorraine Lisiecki, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Without human interference, Earth's next glaciation would 'occur within the next 11,000 years, and it would end in 66,000 years' time,' according to Barker. But with carbon dioxide levels now at their highest in at least 800,000 years, that timeline has shifted dramatically. The findings highlight the immense and long-lasting influence of human activity on the planet. While climate change is often measured in decades, this research underscores consequences that will play out over geological time scales. Barker warned against interpreting the delay of an ice age as a positive outcome. While an ice age would bring challenging conditions for human civilisation, today's unchecked emissions are already causing devastating consequences, including rising sea levels, extreme weather and biodiversity loss. Related The Arctic tundra has transformed from carbon sink to carbon source, report finds Black snow, emissions and bird flu: How Antarctic cruises hurt more than they help With human activity now overriding the rhythms that have guided Earth's climate for millennia, the research team plans to explore how continued fossil fuel use will further reshape the planet's natural climate cycles. The study suggests it could be significant. If carbon emissions continue at their current rate, Antarctica could be ice-free in 8,000 years, leading to a global sea-level rise of around 70 metres, they claim. 'Instead of there being glaciers, you'll be underwater,' Barker cautioned.
