Renewable Energy Capacity Surges to 5.1 Terawatts
In 2025, renewable energy sources accounted for 692 GW of newly installed global generating capacity, with solar power contributing 511 GW, or approximately 75% of the total. This growth represents a 16% increase in renewable capacity, bringing the global total to over 5.1 terawatts, with Asia leading the expansion at 74.2% of new installations. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency, noted that countries investing in renewable energy are better positioned to mitigate economic impacts from fossil fuel price volatility.
Fossil Discovery in Yunnan Challenges Animal Evolution Timeline
A recent discovery of over 700 fossils in Yunnan, China, suggests that complex animal groups existed during the Ediacaran period, predating the Cambrian explosion by millions of years. Researchers, including Frances Dunn from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, found a variety of life forms, including more than 180 specimens of bilaterians, challenging the notion that the Cambrian explosion marked the first appearance of such complexity in animal evolution. The findings, published in the journal Science, indicate that the diversification of animal life may have begun earlier than previously thought.
NPK Recovery to Plant 4500 Trees Using Urine Fertiliser
Bristol-based start-up NPK Recovery is set to cultivate up to 4,500 native trees in Bannau Brycheiniog, Wales, using fertiliser made from human urine collected from 700 attendees at the Boomtown Festival last year. The project, supported by a £435,627 grant from the Forestry Commission, will apply approximately 540 litres of the urine-based fertiliser over three years, marking its first use on trees after successful trials with grass and crops. Co-founder Lucy Bell-Reeves stated that the initiative aims to provide a circular solution for revitalising struggling native tree species.
