The World Bank says many years of financial support are needed as London hosts a major conference.

Scientists have built a breakthrough device that can clean dirty water and turn it into clean hydrogen fuel. The “simple” device could be used in areas without resources or places where people live off the grid. And it is just one example of the many solutions that will be required to respond to pollution and give people access to both clean fuel and water, the researchers behind it say. The system is inspired by photosynthesis, the process where plants turn light into food. But previous versions of those “artificial leaves” have required clean water sources – whereas the new device can be used with polluted water and even produce clean drinking water at the same time. As such, scientists believe that it could help solve two problems at once: making green fuel and cleaning water so that it is ready to drink. “Bringing together solar fuels production and water purification in a single device is tricky,” said Chanon Pornrungroj from the University of Cambridge, the paper’s co-lead author. “Solar-driven water splitting, where water molecules are broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, need to start with totally pure water because any contaminants can poison the catalyst or cause unwanted chemical side-reactions.” The system uses a carbon mesh to absorb light and heat, creating water favour that is then turned into hydrogen for fuel by a photocatalyst. That carbon mesh also repels water, so that the system can float and its important parts can be kept from being damaged by water. The device is also able to harness more of the Sun’s energy than previous examples, which have used only a small portion of the spectrum of light. The new system has a white layer on top to absorb UV rays, with the rest being used lower down to vaporise the water. “This way, we’re making better use of the light – we get the vapour for hydrogen production, and the rest is water vapour,” said Dr Pornrungroj. “This way, we’re truly mimicking a real leaf, since we’ve now been able to incorporate the process of transpiration.” The researchers behind the breakthrough noted that the system was simple to make, and was especially able to deal with very polluted water. As such, it could be a key way of working towards a sustainable future, they said – even though it is just a proof of concept for now. “The climate crisis and issues around pollution and health are closely related, and developing an approach that could help address both would be a game-changer for so many people,” said Cambridge’s Erwin Reisner, who led the work. The device is described in a new paper, ‘Hybrid photothermal-photocatalyst sheets for solar-driven overall water splitting coupled to water purification’, published in Nature Water today. Read More First carbon capture plant opens in the US to help avoid climate catastrophe Breakthrough solar system outperforms military-grade diesel generator Solar panel world record smashed with ‘miracle material’

PG&E Corp. said it will likely have to cut power in some parts of Northern California on Wednesday

More must be done to protect women from birth trauma, a Tory MP has said after a new poll revealed that traumatic births have prevented a significant proportion of women from having more children. Theo Clarke said that it was “vitally important” that women receive the care and support they need after a traumatic birth. It comes after a poll of members of the Mumsnet community found that more than half (53%) who had suffered birth trauma said their experience put them off having more babies. The MP for Stafford has previously spoken out about her own birth story, where she described how she thought she was “going to die” after suffering a third degree tear and needing emergency surgery. She has since set up an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Birth Trauma to try to highlight the plight of thousands of women who suffer similar situations each year. A poll of 1,000 members of the Mumsnet website, shared with the PA news agency, found that 79% of those surveyed had experienced birth trauma. While the poll does not represent all mothers across the UK, it provides a snapshot of the experiences of those who use the popular parenting site. The survey also found that 72% of those who had experienced birth trauma said their issue had not been resolved a year after giving birth. Among those who had experienced physical, emotional or psychological birth trauma, 44% said healthcare professionals used language which implied they were “a failure or to blame” for the experience. Three quarters (76%) of all of those polled said they felt that health professionals had become “desensitised” to birth trauma. Almost two thirds (63%) said they did not believe healthcare workers did everything they could to prevent birth trauma. And 64% said they felt a “lack of compassion” from healthcare professionals during labour. Commenting on the poll, Ms Clarke said: “These survey results are deeply upsetting. They speak to my own experience of birth trauma and quite clearly to many, many other women’s horrendous experiences too. “That more than half of women across the UK who responded say they are less likely to want another child because of their birth experiences and they were made to feel they were to blame is simply terrible. “The survey is clear that more compassion, education and better after-care for mothers who suffer birth trauma are desperately needed if we are to see an improvement in mums’ physical wellbeing and mental health. “The APPG is now up and running in Parliament and will continue to listen to mothers and experts to drive fundamental change in how we treat mums. Our ambition is for birth trauma to be included in the Government’s women’s health strategy. “It is vitally important women receive the help and support they deserve.” Mumsnet chief executive Justine Roberts said: “We hear daily on Mumsnet from women who have had deeply upsetting experiences of maternity care, and this latest research underlines that the majority of mothers experience birth trauma – whether physical or psychological. “This trauma has long-lasting effects and it’s clear that women are being failed at every stage of the maternity care process – with too little information provided beforehand, a lack of compassion from staff during birth, and substandard postnatal care for mothers’ physical and mental health.” Kim Thomas, chief executive of the Birth Trauma Association, added: “It is time for a complete overhaul in the way women experience maternity. “This should include: honest, evidence-based antenatal education; compassionate and professional care during labour; and postnatal care that is designed to identify and treat every birth injury or mental health problem. “A maternity system that puts women at the heart of care is not some kind of unfeasibly high goal – it is the bare minimum that women have the right to expect.” A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are committed to making the NHS the safest place in the world to give birth, and improving support for women before, during and after pregnancy is a priority in the Women’s Health Strategy. “We are investing an additional £165 million per year to grow and support the maternity workforce and improve neonatal care. NHS England recently published a three-year plan to make maternity and neonatal care safer, more personalised, and more equitable for women, babies, and families. “To support women following trauma related to their maternity experience, we are rolling out 33 new maternal mental health services, which will be available across England by March 2024.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Imagination and hard work in children trumps obedience – research finds 7 ways you could be damaging your eye health without even realising Celebrities mingle with royals at glam Vogue World party in London

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