Blue & Green Daily: Monday 17 February headlines

Blue & Green Daily finds and summarises the top sustainability stories around the web every morning. We start with our own picks from Blue & Green Tomorrow.

TSB is back – but is it an ethical banking option?

Ivory towers stand on feet of clay: universities must divest from fossil fuels

Savers warned about inflation ahead of ISA deadline

Sustainable transport: Telsa investments stock surges to record value

Arctic regions unprepared for major shipwreck, study claims

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17 February headlines

Water shortages could disrupt Britain’s electricity supply, researchers warn

A team of acedmics from Newcastle and Oxford have warned that the country is at risk of water shortages that could shut down power stations and paralyse electricity supplies. One of the researchers explained that expected water shortages because of climate change and population growth made the possibility of power stations decreasing production a “real possibility”. Guardian.

Energy firms agree refund for direct debit payers

Four of the big six energy suppliers have agreed to refund direct debit customer who are in credit, in the latest attempt to defuse criticism about steep rises in bills. All but npower and ScottishPower are understood to have agreed with the Department of Energy to hand back surplus automatically. Telegraph.

Tuna hearts ‘affect by oil spill’

Scientists say that tuna swimming in the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill may have experienced heart damage. Lab research has demonstrated how crude oil chemicals can disrupt heart function in fish. BBC.

Nearly a third less electricity used to light homes than in 1997

Energy prices may be rising in the UK, but there is a small light on the horizon as people use nearly a third less electricity to light their home than they did 16 years ago. The improvement is because of the phasing out of inefficient incandescent light bulbs. Financial Times.

HS2 billions should be diverted to rebuild south-west railways, says MPs

Part of the £50bn funding earmarked for the planned HS2 high-speed rail links should be spent on railways in the south-west, MPs from all three main parties have said. Demands for the money to be diverted have increased since the collapse of a costal railway exposed the outdated state of the region’s infrastructure. Guardian.

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Interesting picks

Short-termism and the desire of investors for a quick fix are bad for us all in the long run – Telegraph

Social enterprises must not prioritise social aims over viability – Guardian

Spying on environmentalists – the American Petroleum Institute – Ecologist

Country diary: who’s to blame for the Somerset floods? – Telegraph

Ed Miliband puts climate change centre stage – Financial Times