Scientists said on Thursday the fossils include more than 100 dinosaur eggs and the bones of about 80 juveniles and adults of a Jurassic Period plant-eating species called Mussaurus patagonicus, including 20 remarkably complete skeletons. Big John – named after the owner of the land where the dinosaur’s bones were found – roamed modern-day South Dakota more than 66 million years ago.  Goodbye, Columbus: Vikings crossed the Atlantic 1,000 years ago – Long before Columbus crossed the Atlantic, eight timber-framed buildings covered in sod stood on a terrace above a peat bog and stream at the northern tip of Canada’s island of Newfoundland, evidence that the Vikings had reached the New World first. But precisely when the Vikings journeyed to establish the L’Anse aux Meadows settlement had remained unclear – until now.

HM Treasury has published its roadmap for the transition to a greener financial system. Importantly for the accountancy profession, it sets out plans for implementing sustainability disclosures. Large businesses must report on their green credentials to the investment community, says the UK Chancellor. With a whole chapter on getting the right information to market participants, ‘Greening Finance: A Roadmap to Sustainable Investing’ focuses on ensuring the UK’s ambitious climate-change targets are not only written into law, but the financial system that will support the transition is equipped to play its part.

At a time when there is an urgent need to act more transparently, organizations across the globe are under mounting pressure to integrate more sustainable practices throughout their supply chains to limit unnecessary waste and conserve the use of resources. Doing so is no easy feat. In a world that is undeniably reliant on expansive, complex supply chains, embedding end-to-end sustainability is a major undertaking. That said, those that do so successfully are likely to create long-term value by better enabling productive and efficient operations.

Honda Motocompo reviewed into a more modern café racer avatar is what urban motorbike enthusiasts would drool over thanks to the Motocompo XL bike concept. Remember the cult favorite Honda Motocompo scooter from the early 1980s? The two-wheeler that could fit in the boot of a car? The box-shaped rectangular plastic body with handlebars, seat and foot-pegs folded perfectly into the frame for a clean look. After selling fifty-three thousand-odd units, Honda discontinued the compact scooter in 1983, but couldn’t wash away its memory with concept vehicles like the 2001 e-Dax, e-NSR and the 2011 Motor Compo electric scooter.

A 15-pound Congestion Charge in central London also applies between 0700 and 2200 BST, although exemptions apply. Cities and nations around the world have plans to ban, restrict or impose levies on combustion engine-powered vehicles to cut pollution.  London on Monday widened the area motorists with older and more polluting cars will have to pay 12.50 pounds ($17.25) to drive in, as part of efforts to improve air quality. The Ultra Low Emission Zone has already been operational in the city centre and will now apply up to the North and South Circular roads, stretching to Tottenham in the north and Brixton in the south.  The charge affects petrol cars that do not meet at least Euro 4 standards, which became mandatory in 2005, and diesel cars not at Euro 6 levels or higher, in place since September 2015. A 15-pound Congestion Charge in central London also applies between 0700 and 2200 BST, although exemptions apply.

As we embark on a new year (a new decade, in fact!) and look ahead to next week and another National Retail Federation conference and expo, I am inspired to pause and reflect for a bit on the successes of the past year. And the highlights that first come to mind are not from Microsoft but rather from our customers and partners – those retailers and companies supporting the retail industry with technology that have truly embraced our industry’s new normal – constant disruption – with fresh thinking and innovation. We often hear that every company is becoming a software company, and this feels especially true for the retail industry right now, as many across fashion, fast-moving-consumer goods, food service and more are building their own net new digital capabilities. We refer to this concept as tech intensity – not only using technology for technology’s sake, but also using it to build net-new capabilities to propel your business forward.

NASA has confirmed that it has completed stacking the Orion spacecraft aboard the Space Launch System rocket that will push it into orbit in the future. With the stacking of the rocket complete, it’s ready to be transferred to the launchpad for its long-anticipated trip into orbit. Along with the completion of stacking the rocket, NASA has also now confirmed a potential launch date for the uncrewed Artemis I mission.

As part of our Mission Possible campaign, edie brings you this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe. Published every week, this series charts how businesses and sustainability professionals are working to achieve their ‘Mission Possible’ across the campaign’s five key pillars – energy, resources, infrastructure, mobility and business leadership. As November approaches, momentum continues to build towards COP26. Businesses, governments and regions alike are all keen to showcase their green credentials in the meantime.

If the local maritime industry fails to adjust to the changing global landscape, jobs could be lost and products could become more expensive, according to economists. Last week, in a BBC report, major firms Amazon, Ikea and Unilever pledged to support zero-carbon shipping by 2040. They intend to only ship goods through shipping lines that use zero-carbon fuel in two decades. Former Dean of the University of the Philippines School of Economics Ramon L. Clarete said changes that could lead to greater trade costs could impact jobs, such as those of seafarers, and the cost of goods. “Seafarers are employees of international shipping companies. The latter will have to adjust. If they can, seafarers would have to retrain themselves based on how shipping firms adjust,” Clarete told this newspaper.

Sea-level rise is not a major threat in South Africa but, tied with other climate crisis consequences, it can become one. Here’s how higher sea levels could affect the country’s coastal cities. With the world heating up, countries are expected to make ambitious efforts to keep global temperature rise below 1.50C at the upcoming COP26 negotiations. Africa, one of the most vulnerable regions to the climate crisis, is likely to get hotter at twice the global rate, with sea-level rise a consequence. For a long time, global warming was almost solely a phenomenon associated with melting glaciers. Alongside this notion were images of polar bears stranded on cracked-off pieces of ice — and land expected to almost disappear as it was swallowed by sea-level rise.

United Phosphorus Limited has taken refuge behind a legal laager, refusing to disclose a raft of regulatory and safety documentation to Durban residents. It has also refused to fund or to take part in a new public forum to access more information about the Cornubia chemical disaster. United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) and its media consultants ventured out to the frontline of public opinion last week, but very soon the company beat a hasty retreat to its legal redoubt where it invoked its “right to silence” and the “right against self-incrimination”.

The Green Blue and the Final Straw Foundation joined forces at the Southampton International Boat Show  to launch a Single-Use Plastic Free Accreditation. Aimed at inland and marine clubs, training centres and boating businesses, the new standard will highlight the responsible and innovative products and practices by organisations in the recreational boating industry. The Green Blue’s Kate Fortnam and the Final Straw Foundation’s Bianca Carr launched the accreditation on the Foredeck Stage of the world-renowned Southampton International Boat Show. Members of the audience were given an overview of the accreditation criteria and the long-term impact that single-use plastic can have on both our inland and coastal waterways.

Currently our economy operates in a linear way. Take, Make, Dispose. It’s based on the industrial revolution, and we know this way of doing things has limits. Some of those limits we are reaching even today. But there’s a different economy we could create. The Circular Economy. This week we explore the ‘Circular Economy’ with #1 Circular Economy advocate, Dame Ellen MacArthur. This brand new economy is all about designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. It incentivizes manufacturers to create and maintain better products, stops the Global North from polluting the Global South, and has the potential to regenerate wildlife and ecosystems that are on the brink of collapsing.

The most strict mandates for transitioning from traditional gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles are in Europe. In many parts of Europe, there is a mandate to eliminate all new combustion vehicle sales, and sales of electric vehicles are expected to climb significantly. However, a surprising metric has come out of Europe concerning auto sales during the third quarter of 2021.

NorthLadder, a UAE-based second-hand online marketplace for electronics has recently announced long-term partnerships with key retailers across the UAE including select Carrefour and Lulu Hypermarkets and electronic retailers including EMAX, Jumbo Electronics, Ecity, MDS, Istyle, Samsung Brand Shops operated by Jacky’s Retail LLC and Harman House, to support the rising number of people trading in their devices. Reports in the UAE suggest trade in volumes across leading electronics retailers have quadrupled. To support this surge, NorthLadder said it has partnered with leading retailers to offer its innovative technology, trusted network and secure auction platform. To facilitate the trade in process, the company has launched white labelled apps for each retailer. Through the apps, consumers will be encouraged to explore and purchase device upgrades.

Hamilton (Building Contractors) Ltd has been shortlisted for this year’s prestigious Insulated Render and Cladding Association (INCA) awards, not once but four times. The 2021 INCA awards, which are to be held on Friday 26th November in Birmingham, celebrate the best of the best in EWI and showcase a diverse range of projects. Hamilton has 25 years’ experience in the industry, and works with only respected, time-served manufacturers. Managing Director, Robert Storton, says: “It’s always a delight to be nominated for awards such as this, in partnership with some of our most trusted, long-standing suppliers; Wetherby Building Systems Ltd, K Systems, and Aliva UK Ltd.

The critical difference between biomass fuels and fossil fuel, is that of fossil and contemporary carbon. Burning fossil fuels results in converting stable carbon sequestered millions of years ago into atmospheric carbon dioxide (when the global environment has adapted to current levels). Burning biomass fuels however, returns to the atmosphere contemporary carbon recently taken up by the growing plant, and currently being taken up by replacement growth. If wood fuel is sourced from well managed woodlands, then carbon released from the wood during combustion will be removed from the atmosphere as the remaining trees and seedlings photosynthesize.

Australian dairy is committed to producing quality food, while providing best care for our animals, doing more to protect the environment and supporting dairy workers and communities. We’re proud of Australian dairy and we want people to know more about it.

The government has set a number of priorities to transform South Africa’s energy sector and prepare a climate change response to achieve the just transition – but it continues to send mixed messages. The “just transition”, a term heard frequently in climate change adaptation, refers to the need to preserve the livelihoods of workers as countries move to a climate-resilient, lower-carbon economy and society. In his 11 October newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa said many important sectors of the economy would be affected by the just transition, including agriculture, tourism, mining, energy, transport, manufacturing and the biodiversity economy.

Noida-based Attero Recycling has been tackling the problem of mounting electronic waste as consumers discard their electronic gadgets and electrical appliances once their lifespan is over. The startup extracts important elements and compounds from these discarded products that can be used in various industrial applications, using its proprietary technology while trying to minimise the negative impact on the health of the waste collectors in this largely unorganised sector.