News

More than a quarter of the world’s adults (1.4 billion) have greater risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia and cardiovascular disease, because they do too little physical activity, according to data from the first study to estimate global physical activity trends over time. The study was undertaken by researchers from the World Health...

Nobody knows for certain why pretty much every car available for sale in Britain today is capable of breaking so comprehensively the national speed limit, but an even greater mystery is why most public service vehicles are not fitted with speed limiters. Research has demonstrated that buses fitted with speed limiters act as effective...

Keeping a bicycle under cover protects it from winter weather and prying eyes, but with urban areas short on garages and sheds, for many it's easier said than done. When a manufacturer of tents was challenged to address the problem, the result was Bike Parka – a high-quality, fitted water-proof cover for bicycles. In the way that today’s...

The government has announced £2 million to support the uptake of cargo e-bikes. The news comes seven years after the introduction the 'plug-in grant' for electric cars, which sees the buyers of battery-powered cars offered up to £4,500 off the purchase price. The subsidy for electric cars has already cost the tax payer over £400m and for...

A man in his twenties this week walked his 11-year-old sister to her first day at secondary school. Along with millions of others that morning, he had to run the gauntlet of pavement parkers, rat runners and impatient motorists. If you've ever spoken to a driver about the standard of their motoring, you may be unsurprised by what happened...

A forthcoming consultation will float the idea of recognising low-emission cars and vans by issuing them with special number plates. Low-emission cars may soon sport green-coloured number plates under new government plans to promote clean vehicles. It's not yet clear which vehicles would be entitled to show the green plates. While green...

A change of season surely justifies a new pair of cycling socks. The new socks Skyline Hibernate design by DeFeet is 60% Nylon, 39% COOLMAX EcoMade and 1% Lycra, but best of all are its autumnal colours. We have one pair (see main image above) worth £22 to give away. (Shoe size EU 40-42.5, Women 8.5-10.5, Men 7-9) Leave us a message at the...

The concept of 'earthship architecture' took shape in the 1970s soon after the birth of the modern environmental movement. Michael Reynolds pioneered earthship houses by applying first principles to the architecture of domestic dwellings. Homes needed to do three things: first, they needed to use sustainable architecture, and building...

Electric bicycles have the potential to change the world for the better. For while an electrically assisted cycle may not be as environmentally benign as a conventional pedal powered bike, they offer the very real prospect of luring drivers from their cars. It's an argument that is lost on those who have yet to experience an EPAC (electric...

Drivers with poor eyesight this month face having their licences revoked on the spot if they are unable to read a number plate from a distance of 20 metres. The crackdown by police forces in Thames Valley, Hampshire and the West Midlands and results will be used to estimate the proportion of drivers with poor vision. At present, learner...