Light pollution: what Britain lost when the night sky went orange
Skyglow now hides the Milky Way from most of urban Britain, yet unlike almost every other pollutant it vanishes the moment the lights go…
Elena Marsh
Elena Marsh
Environment & Climate Correspondent
Elena Marsh reports on climate, energy and conservation, with a focus on the science and policy shaping the planet's future.
Why wildflower meadows almost vanished and how they come back
Britain ploughed and fertilised away about 97% of its species-rich meadows after the 1930s, and rebuilding one means years of deliberately…
Elena Marsh
The great British pub: why thousands close and what survives
Britain has lost roughly a quarter of its pubs since 2000, and the pattern of closures tracks property values and the tied-lease model more…
Elena Marsh
The National Grid balancing act: how supply meets demand second by second
Britain's grid must hold 50Hz continuously, so NESO runs a rolling auction of power stations, batteries and paid-to-switch-off factories, a…
Elena Marsh
The fragile economics of music festivals
Festivals sell most of their tickets before paying most of their costs, a cash-flow shape that explains both the boom in events and the…
Elena Marsh
What net zero actually commits the UK to
Net zero is a statutory duty under the Climate Change Act, enforced through five-yearly carbon budgets, an independent Climate Change…
Elena Marsh
Why West End tickets cost what they do
Theatre pricing is shaped by fixed weekly running costs, dynamic demand pricing at the top and a quiet ecosystem of discounts underneath…
Elena Marsh
Hedgerows: the quiet infrastructure Britain keeps grubbing up
A field hedge works simultaneously as wildlife corridor, flood brake and carbon store, yet the 1997 rules meant to protect it are narrow…
Elena Marsh
Why films arrive on streaming so much faster than they used to
The theatrical window collapsed from months to weeks under pandemic pressure and streaming strategy, and the new settlement rewards event…
Elena Marsh