The aviation industry is keen to reduce its carbon footprint, and big money is being spent developing battery-powered aircraft. Last year, investors poured around $5bn into companies seeking to get manned electric VTOLs – vertical take-off and landing craft – airborne. The technology is improving, but as the FT’s Charlotte Middlehurst reports, there are still major hurdles to overcome.
Tag Archives: FT Videos
Food: Sourcing Local Fish In Southwest England
The war in Ukraine has hit the supply of grains and vegetable oils, while around 70% of the world’s cod and haddock comes from Russian boats. Global food prices are soaring and some restaurateurs fear a plate of cod and chips could rise to £20. The FT’s Daniel Garrahan and food writer and restaurateur Tim Hayward travel to England’s south west coast to see how two restaurants which source local, sustainable fish are coping with inflationary pressures.
Filmed by Petros Gioumpasis and Richard Topping. Edited by Richard Topping. Produced by Daniel Garrahan and Tim Hayward.
Consumers: What Is The True Price Of Food? (FT)
Food prices might be rising but many associated production costs are not currently included in the price we pay. How can we get closer to a system that reflects the true cost and what implication will this have on consumers and wider society?
Sustainability: Fertilizers From Biomass In France
As the world’s population grows, the need to feed billions of mouths mean our use of synthetic fertilisers will almost certainly increase significantly. The FT’s Anna Gross explores two innovative French companies that could ultimately reduce our reliance on artificial fertilisers by offering less carbon-intensive options. But how viable are these alternatives?
Analysis: Is Space-Based Solar Power The Future?
Space launch costs are dropping rapidly. Solar panels are cheaper than ever. Could space-based solar power soon be price-competitive with nuclear? Promoted as a zero-carbon solution, classified military space planes have also been conducting experiments into wireless power transmission. The FT’s Peggy Hollinger looks at whether space-based solar power can move beyond science fiction.
Poetry: ‘To John’ Keats By Inua Ellams (Video)
FT Weekend Festival 2021 commissioned Inua Ellams to write a response to Keats’s classic work ‘To Autumn’ marking his 200th anniversary. The animated poem ‘To John’ exposes the impact of humans on nature over those 200 years.
Dining: Opening Up New Restaurants In London
The coronavirus pandemic has been catastrophic for the hospitality industry and the delay to the June 21 unlocking has led to more uncertainty. The FT’s Daniel Garrahan and food critic Tim Hayward meet Harts Group, the business behind Soho institution Quo Vadis and tapas chain Barrafina, as it opens a new Soho branch of its El Pastor taquerias
Boomers Daily 