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The Guardian •

Increase in LED lighting ‘risks harming human and animal health’

Blue light from artificial sources is on the rise, which may have negative consequences for human health and the wider environment, according to a study.

Academics at the University of Exeter have identified a shift in the kind of lighting technologies European countries are using at night to brighten streets and buildings. Using images produced by the International Space Station (ISS), they have found that the orange-coloured emissions from older sodium lights are rapidly being replaced by whi
The Guardian •

First climate lawsuit against Russian government launched over emissions

The first-ever climate lawsuit in Russia has been filed by a group of activists demanding that the the government take stronger action over the climate crisis.

The group wants the Russian authorities to take measures that will reduce the country’s greenhouse emissions, in line with targets of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5C agreed under the 2015 Paris climate accords.

Russia is the fourth biggest producer of carbon emissions worldwide, and its average temperatures have risen twice
The Guardian •

‘Superhero’ moss can save communities from flooding, say scientists

A “superhero” moss can significantly reduce the risk and severity of flooding for communities living in downstream areas, researchers have found.

Scientists from the conservation group Moors for the Future Partnership who conducted a six-year study into sphagnum moss found that planting it in upland areas could dramatically slow the rate at which water runs off the hillsides, preventing river catchments being inundated with water downstream.

The research found that the sphagnum moss reduced pe
The Guardian •

Fossil fuel recruiters banned from UK university careers service

Fossil fuel companies have been banned from recruiting students through a university careers service for the first time. The new policy from Birkbeck, University of London, states its careers service “will not hold relationships of any kind with oil, gas or mining companies”.

The decision follows a campaign, supported by the student-led group People & Planet, to cut off recruitment pathways to fossil fuel companies. The campaign is now active in dozens of UK universities.

The group said univer
The Guardian •

Urban greening can reduce impact of global heating in cities, finds study

Urban greening initiatives such as planting street trees, rainwater gardens and de-paving can help mitigate the impacts of urban heating due to the climate crisis and urban expansion, according to a study that has found cities have been warming by 0.5C a decade on average.

Scientists at Nanjing and Yale Universities analysed satellite data from across 2,000 cities and compared surface temperature readings between cities and rural areas from 2002 to 2021.

The study found on average that cities
Palatinate •

Durham has lowest state school intake of any UK university

New statistics show that Durham University admitted the lowest proportion of state-educated students in the 2020/21 academic year, compared to any other UK university.

Just 61.6% of the new cohort, who began their studies in the academic year 2020/21, was state-educated. This is significantly lower than the UK average, which shows that 90.2% of university attendees came from a state school or college.

Durham University responded by saying that they focus more heavily on increasing entrant numb
Palatinate •

Durham SU remains the worst students’ union for “representing academic interests” for third year running

Durham Students’ Union (DSU) has been ranked as the worst students’ union in the UK for the third consecutive year in the National Student Survey (NSS), analysis by Palatinate has found.

This comes as the NSS is undergoing a general review, with a particular point of contention being the survey’s criterion for ranking SUs. Currently, the survey only contains one question about SUs, which asks students to decide whether they feel that their SU “effectively represents their academic interests”.
Palatinate •

Durham’s private housing market reaching “breaking point”

Durham’s private housing market is “now at breaking point”, Durham Students’ Union (DSU) have said, with students facing a double-edged sword of increasing rent costs and abnormally early housing releases.

The annual rush to secure properties for the next academic year may have already begun this month, with over 100 private homes already being listed for the 2023/24 academic year at relatively high prices.

Palatinate analysis has found that as of the 24th of September, there were 104 homes be
Palatinate •

Students criticise University for lack of support during rail strikes

Over three-quarters of students polled by Palatinate said that Durham University should have taken action to reduce the impact of the recent rail strikes, which have caused widespread disruption to many students who were travelling to make it back to Durham in time for the start of Epiphany term.

77% of the some 1,112 participants of Palatinate’s poll agreed with the statement that the University should take action to reduce the impact of rail strikes on students, such as by putting lectures on
Palatinate •

DSU Culture Commission proposes “universal core module” and new sabbatical role

Durham Students’ Union (DSU) has published its long-awaited Culture Commission, which DSU President Seun Twins launched in November 2020 to investigate the positive and negative aspects of Durham’s student culture and offer recommendations on how to change it.

The full Commission was initially meant to take five months to complete, but its publication was significantly delayed. It builds on the findings of the Commission’s interim report in February 2021, detailing the state of Durham’s student
Palatinate •

66% of Durham students oppose marking boycott

Just 28% of students support Durham’s branch of the University and Colleges Union (DUCU) in its upcoming marking boycott, according to the results of a survey carried out by Durham Polling this week.

DUCU is set to commence a marking and assessment boycott on 23rd May unless members vote in favour of a package of proposals put forward by the University last week in the hope of avoiding industrial action. The proposed deal includes a joint statement on pensions cuts, one-time payouts to every st
Palatinate •

Concerns expressed over proposed new Durham constituency boundaries

County Durham locals are being urged to participate in the second round of public consultation regarding proposed changes to the parliamentary constituency boundaries, which are due to be finalised in 2023.

The council have said that “local knowledge is needed to help reshape the map of constituencies”. It comes as over 34,000 responses nationally were already received by the Boundary Commission for England during the first round of consultations last year, with the Commission now reopening con
Palatinate •

Durham teacher training courses lose accredited status following DfE review

Durham University is set to lose its official accreditation status for its Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses, after the Department of Education (DfE) set out new standards for ITT providers across England as part of their response to a review of the ITT market.

As part of the DfE’s policy, all current providers of ITT courses were made to reapply for accreditation, but Durham was one of several providers who failed to have their ITT courses accredited under the new standards.

It means tha
Palatinate •

Future of Rocking Horse music hub in doubt after site development plans approved

Rocking Horse Rehearsal Rooms and Recording Studio, a unique music hub located in Durham, faces an uncertain future after a planning permission that would see the current hub demolished was approved by Durham County Council.

The application, submitted in December last year, would see six existing industrial units at the Blagdon Depot on Frankland Lane be demolished including the unit where Rocking Horse are based, with four new commercial units being erected on the site. The plans were approved
Palatinate •

Silver Street regeneration?

Silver Street, in Durham’s historical city centre, has been the subject of debate this month, as stakeholders discuss efforts to regenerate the street following the closure of several retail outlets.

The street, which connects Framwellgate Bridge to Market Square and is one of Durham’s key shopping locations, has seen the closure of many of its retail stores during the Covid-19 pandemic, as footfall in the city dropped during lockdown periods.

Speaking to Palatinate, local historian David Simp
Palatinate •

University completes acquisition of Waterside Building for £84m

Durham University has finalised its purchase of the Waterside Building, located in The Sands area of Durham City, after reportedly paying £84 million to acquire the building.

Waterside is set to become the new home of the Durham University Business School, and will be used by around 2,300 students and staff. A planning permission to convert the building for higher education use was submitted in July, and was approved by Durham County Council.

The sale of Waterside has been subject to much cont
Palatinate •

Revealed: Durham modules ranked by student attainment

Using data gained from a Freedom of Information Request (FOI) published by the website whatdotheyknow.com, Palatinate can reveal the undergraduate modules with the highest attainment across the University for the last academic year.

The data looked at the average mark across all modules, along with the percentage of students who received a 1st, 2:1, 2:2 or 3rd class mark in the module. Factors such as the number of students taking the module and the type of exams they sat may have had an influe
Palatinate •

Breaking: Dr Fiona Hill to become Durham’s new Chancellor

Durham University have announced that Dr Fiona Hill will become the next Chancellor of the University, after her nomination for the role was “overwhelmingly supported” following a joint sitting of the Council and Senate today (28th November).

Dr Hill, who was born and grew up in Bishop Auckland in County Durham, is set to be officially installed as Chancellor in a formal ceremony at Durham Cathedral next summer. It comes after the previous Chancellor, Sir Thomas Allen, stepped back from duties
Palatinate •

Man sentenced after attempted robbery of Durham student

A 30-year old man was sentenced at Durham Crown Court on 31st March following the attempted robbery of a Durham University student on 20th November last year. According to Chronicle Live, Warren Pearce had “grabbed a student by her throat and dragged her into bushes” during the attempted robbery.

Pearce, of Ashton Street in Peterlee, faced charges of attempted robbery and possession of cannabis. Pearce had already pleaded guilty to these charges at a previous hearing.

The court heard details o
Palatinate •

Over 80 spiking incidents reported to Durham Police in Michaelmas, including 25 by injection

Durham’s Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen told MPs yesterday that between October and December 2021, 82 spiking incidents were reported to Durham Police. She confirmed that 37 cases were thought to be injection related, reduced to 25 after investigation.

Speaking at the Home Affairs Committee, Allen admitted that “only 10% of people who have been a victim of spiking feel confident enough to report it in,” a statistic she says is “staggering”. On the number of injection reports, the Commi