Environment news

• Activists condemn trophy-hunting club for 'turning wildlife into commodities'

  03-02-2016 23:18 via theguardian.com
  
  Safari Club International draws hunters to Las Vegas for four-day convention billed as the ‘Ultimate Hunters’ Market’ – highlighted by auction of animal huntsThe world’s largest trophy hunting club was on the defensive at its giant annual auction in Las Vegas as animal rights advocates and conservation experts traveled from across the globe to condemn the industry that killed Cecil, one of Africa’s most famous lions.The Safari Club International on Wednesday k
  
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• Milking it: critics take aim at new environmental guidelines for dairy industry

  03-02-2016 23:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The US dairy industry is outlining ways ranchers and producers can reduce their environmental impact. But do the new guidelines go far enough?Brian Medeiros generally keeps the operation at Medeiros & Son simple and traditional. The Central California farm’s 2,500 cows get milked three times a day and the resulting milk is shipped to area processors and turned into cheese and butter.
  “We’re not the newest, most fandangled-type facility,” said Medeiros, a second-genera
  
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• Report: Food fish in Northeast at risk to climate change

  03-02-2016 22:37
  PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A federal government report says the list of Northeastern sea life species that are most vulnerable to climate change includes numerous economically important fish and shellfish that humans rely on for food.
  
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• Video shows only known wild jaguar in US at home in Arizona mountains

  03-02-2016 22:31 via theguardian.com
  
  The big cat, known as ‘El Jefe’, has been living in 25 miles south of downtown Tucson – half a century after the last verified US jaguar was killed by a hunterThe only known wild jaguar in the United States is seen roaming around a creek and other parts of a mountain range just south of Tucson, Arizona in the first publicly released video of the big cat.Related: Eastern Cougar extinct, no longer needs protection, says US conservation agencyContinue reading...
  
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• Rare glimpse of only known wild Jaguar in US – video

  03-02-2016 21:28 via theguardian.com
  
  Footage of the only known jaguar living wild in the US is captured on remote sensor cameras. The video, filmed by Conservation CATalyst and the Center for Biological Diversity in the Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, provides a glimpse into the secretive life of the big cat, who has recently been named ‘El Jefe’ by local students Continue reading...
  
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• Oil jumps 8 percent as dollar tumbles after U.S. data

  03-02-2016 21:22
  By Devika Krishna Kumar NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped 8 percent higher on Wednesday, snapping a two-day rout, after investors took advantage of a weaker U.S. dollar and shrugged off data showing an unexpected large surge in U.S. crude inventories to record highs. The dollar index tumbled to an over seven-week low, making commodities priced in the greenback cheaper for holders of other currencies, amid growing skepticism that the Federal Reserve would be able to hike U.S. interest rates
  
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• Russian cosmonauts breeze through spacewalk outside space station

  03-02-2016 20:27
  By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - Two veteran Russian cosmonauts returned to the International Space Station on Wednesday after replacing experiment equipment that is testing how materials and biological samples fare in the harsh environment of space. Station flight engineers Yuri Malenchenko and Sergey Volkov left the station's airlock at 7:55 a.m. EST (1255 GMT) for what was expected to be a 5-1/2-hour spacewalk, a live broadcast on NASA Television showed. Malenchenko and Volkov
  
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• 'Extinct' cranefly declared alive after landing on insect expert

  03-02-2016 20:08
  
  Basilewsky's cranefly which was thought to be extinct flew was declard alive after flying onto the hand of insect expert Liza Fowler
  
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• Oil bounces 6 percent as dollar tumbles after U.S. data

  03-02-2016 19:25
  By Devika Krishna Kumar NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices jumped 6 percent on Wednesday, snapping a two-day rout, after investors took advantage of a weaker U.S. dollar and shrugged off data showing a unexpected large surge in U.S. crude inventories to record highs. The dollar index tumbled to an over seven-week low amid growing skepticism that the Federal Reserve would be able to hike U.S. interest rates again this year and after data showed the U.S. services industry grew more slowly than expect
  
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• SSE likely to close three units at UK coal plant

  03-02-2016 19:16
  By Karolin Schaps LONDON (Reuters) - British power producer SSE said it would likely close most of the units at its 1,995-megawatt Fiddler's Ferry coal-fired plant from April 1, despite gaining a government capacity contract designed to incentivise back-up plants to stay online. A surge in renewable energy production and cheap gas prices have effectively priced coal-fired power plants out of the market in Britain. Three months ago, Britain's energy minister also announced the permanent closure o
  
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• VIDEO: Meet the mysterious deep-sea 'sock'

  03-02-2016 19:07 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The mystery of a deep-sea creature that resembles a discarded purple sock has been solved, scientists report.
  
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• Mystery of 'sock of the deep' solved

  03-02-2016 19:07 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A decades-long mystery of a deep-sea creature that resembles a discarded purple sock has been solved, scientists say.
  
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• Foraging shouldn’t be forbidden – it’s healthy, sustainable and local | Sara Brouillette

  03-02-2016 18:07 via theguardian.com
  
  Bristol city council is shortsighted in its plans to ban this growing pursuit. It is a hands-on way of reconnecting with our food and should be encouragedIt’s February and the “hungry gap” is officially settling in. This is the period between the last harvest and the bounty of fresh spring produce. Yet if you take a bag or basket with you on a foraging walk, you will still find plenty of edible plants.So it’s disappointing to hear that Bristol city council has proposed 34
  
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• Germany says carbon emissions down sharply in 2014

  03-02-2016 18:02
  
  Germany was able to substantially reduce emissions of carbon gases in 2014, even if a major re-think is still needed in the transport and farming sectors, the German environment ministry said on Wednesday.
  
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• Oil bounces 5 percent after U.S. data sparks short-covering

  03-02-2016 17:44
  By Amanda Cooper LONDON (Reuters) - Oil rose by as much as 5 percent on Wednesday after investors took advantage of a drop in the U.S. dollar and of earlier weakness in the crude price, despite weekly data showing a surprisingly large rise in U.S. inventory. The Energy Information Administration said crude inventories rose by 7.8 million barrels in the last week, topping analysts' expectations for a rise of 4.8 million barrels, as imports jumped and refiners trimmed throughput. U.S. crude future
  
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• Finally, Kenyans can watch their own country's wildlife on TV

  03-02-2016 17:22 via theguardian.com
  
  A ground-breaking series of programmes on Kenyan TV is set to transform public attitudes toward wildlife conservationAfrica’s unique wildlife heritage attracts millions of tourists to the continent and contributes enormously to the economy. It is a tragic irony that this wildlife remains unknown to the majority of Africans.
  Recently I have been involved in an initiative that aims to change this state of affairs. Launched in January, the TV series “NTV Wild” is a collaboration b
  
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• Making a nuclear fusion device – timelapse video

  03-02-2016 17:19 via theguardian.com
  
  Timelapse footage showing the construction of the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator nuclear fusion device at the Max Planck Institute in Greifswald, north-east Germany. Scientists at the institute are conducting a nuclear fusion experiment on Wednesday which they hope will advance the quest for a clean and safe form of nuclear powerThis footage was originally published on Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik’s YouTube channel
  Continue reading...
  
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• EU parliament fails to close loopholes in controversial car emission tests

  03-02-2016 17:14 via theguardian.com
  
  MEPs fail to veto proposal that will allow cars to emit twice the limit of NOx pollution following pressure from pro-car industry countriesMEPs have failed to veto loopholes in air pollution limits on new diesel cars, despite public anger in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal.Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions will now be allowed at twice the EU’s 80mg per km limit from 2019 and 50% more from 2021, despite the exemptions being deemed unlawful in a separate vote by the parliament&rsqu
  
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• Green Investment Bank launches 'special share' protection against privatisation

  03-02-2016 16:22
  
  The UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) will have an independent 'special share' introduced to protect its green mission principles once the move to introduce a privatised capital sell-off is completed.
  
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• Car industry launches free take-back scheme

  03-02-2016 16:09
  
  The British automotive industry has launched a new take-back collection service designed to help recycle 'orphan' cars.
  
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• Massive Bird Die-Off Puzzles Alaskan Scientists

  03-02-2016 15:50
  
  Thousands of dead seabirds have washed up on Alaskan shores over the past nine months. Nearly 8,000 common murres (Uria aalge) were found along the shores of Whittier, Alaska, in early January. Over the New Year's holiday, Alaska experienced four days of gale-force winds from the southeast that resulted in dead birds washing ashore, said Robb Kaler, a wildlife biologist for the Alaska branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
  
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• Green light for world's largest offshore wind farm

  03-02-2016 15:49
  
  The world's largest offshore wind farm is to be built 75 miles off the coast of Yorkshire, after Dong Energy made a final investment decision on Hornsea Project One.
  
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• Scientists in Germany switch on nuclear fusion experiment

  03-02-2016 15:37
  
  GREIFSWALD, Germany (AP) — Scientists in Germany have switched on an experiment they hope will advance the quest for nuclear fusion, considered a clean and safe form of nuclear power.
  
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• EU lawmakers back diesel test loopholes despite VW scandal

  03-02-2016 15:37
  
  EU lawmakers on Wednesday waved through plans to allow diesel car makers to exceed pollution limits, in a big victory for the auto industry after the Volkswagen scandal.
  
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• London mayor: cut price deal could signal end for 'Boris Bus'

  03-02-2016 15:19 via theguardian.com
  
  Boris Johnson has ordered more of his New Routemaster buses, but none of his potential successors seem keen on his signature public transport vehicleBoris Johnson is to increase the number of his signature “New Routemaster” buses on the capital’s streets to 1000 with what could be the final bulk delivery of the bespoke vehicle, which none of his potential successors as London mayor have pledged to continue buying after the election on 5 May.The board of Transport for London (Tf
  
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• EU parliament gives green light for loopholes in car emissions tests

  03-02-2016 14:50 via theguardian.com
  
  MEPs fail to veto proposal that will allow cars to emit twice the limit of NOx pollution following pressure from pro-car industry countriesMEPs have failed to veto loopholes in air pollution limits on new diesel cars, despite public anger in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal.Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions will now be allowed at twice the EU’s 80mg per km limit from 2019 and 50% more from 2021, under a proposal backed by EU governments. Continue reading...
  
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• World's largest offshore windfarm to be built off Yorkshire coast

  03-02-2016 13:53 via theguardian.com
  
  DONG Energy given go-ahead for 1.2-gigawatt project that will power more than a million UK homes The world’s biggest offshore windfarm, which will be able to power more than a million UK homes, has been given the go-ahead. DONG Energy has made the final investment decision to construct the 1.2 gigawatt (GW) scheme Hornsea Project One off the Yorkshire coast.Continue reading...
  
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• Space milestone we almost missed

  03-02-2016 13:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scotland's venture into space, launched from the Outer Hebrides, that almost went unnoticed.
  
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• Seafood Consumption May Play a Role in Reducing Risk for Alzheimer's

  03-02-2016 13:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  New research published Feb. 2 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that older adults with a major risk gene for Alzheimer’s disease known as APOEɛ4 who ate at least one seafood serving per week showed fewer signs of Alzheimer’s-related brain changes.  In contrast, this association was not found in the brains of volunteers who ate fish weekly but did not carry the risk gene.   
  
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• Oil gains after Russia says open to talking with OPEC

  03-02-2016 13:01
  By Amanda Cooper LONDON (Reuters) - Oil rose on Wednesday, paring earlier losses after Russia reiterated its openness to talking with OPEC about output cuts, which helped revive hope among investors that the world's largest producers could act to boost prices. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said if there is consensus among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC members to meet, "then we will meet". This helped push the price of oil, which had been set for a th
  
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• Air pollution in Europe and the EU lack of action

  03-02-2016 12:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  Air pollution from vehicles is killing tens of thousands of people every year in the UK alone, write Jean Lambert, Molly Scott Cato & Keith Taylor, an outrage set into stark focus by VW's 'test cheating'. The EU's response? To relax tests and allow cars to be more polluting - with the full support of the UK government.Rather than clamping down on the car industry's irresponsible approach to pollution, EU governments and the Commission instead want to rewrite existing law, providing loopholes
  
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• You can't be 'a little bit vegan'

  03-02-2016 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  A vegan replies to our article on the rise of ‘vegganism’. It’s simple: vegans who eat eggs are not vegans Well, there goes another “Veganuary”. I always hope it inspires lifelong vegans, but it feels increasingly like a month of meaningless experimentation during which people rave about trying veganism as though it’s a dietary fad, a health kick, a pose or a lifestyle choice. With irritating concepts such as “vegganism” surfacing, perhaps it&rsquo
  
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• Measuring ocean heating is key to tracking global warming | John Abraham

  03-02-2016 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Taking the Earth’s temperature is a challenge, but a critically important one
  Human emissions of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide are causing the Earth to warm. We know this, and we have known this would happen for over 100 years. But scientists want to know how fast the Earth is warming and how much extra energy is being added to the climate because of human activities.If you want to know about global warming and its future effects, you really need to answer these questions. Whethe
  
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• Pictures of the day: 3 February 2016

  03-02-2016 11:40
  
  Today: Little owls, robotic arm in space and Marseille mines
  
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• Luxembourg to support space mining

  03-02-2016 11:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Luxembourg government has signalled its intention to get behind the 'next industrial revolution' - the mining of asteroids in space.
  
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• Cheap and easy food? Think about the true cost | Joanna Blythman

  03-02-2016 10:02 via theguardian.com
  
  EasyJet founder Stelios Haji-Iannou’s new easyFoodstore will most likely be lauded by the government. But no society on earth can ultimately afford food this cheapThere is something disconcerting about the sight of the easyJet founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Iannou, at the launch of his latest business venture this week, easyFoodstore: a discount food store in Park Royal in London, selling products for 25p each. The cheery entrepreneur stands grinning beneath an impossible-to-miss placard procla
  
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• Supersonic car bid delayed until 2017

  03-02-2016 10:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The attempt to break the world land speed record with the Bloodhound 1,000mph car has been put back again, to 2017, because the funding is not yet in place.
  
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• German scientists to conduct nuclear fusion experiment

  03-02-2016 09:52 via theguardian.com
  
  Angela Merkel to attend test in which team will heat hydrogen until it becomes plasma in bid for clean nuclear powerScientists in Germany are poised to conduct a nuclear fusion experiment they hope will advance the quest for a clean and safe form of nuclear power.In a test expected to be attended by Angela Merkel, the chancellor, researchers will inject a tiny amount of hydrogen into a special device and heat it until it becomes a super-hot gas known as plasma – mimicking conditions inside
  
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• Indonesia and US join forces to police the seas | Johnny Langenheim

  03-02-2016 09:42 via theguardian.com
  
  A new strategic partnership to improve marine law enforcement and combat illegal fishing in Indonesia builds on existing progress
  President Joko Widodo’s plan to establish Indonesia as a ‘global maritime axis’ took a step forward last week as US ambassador Robert Blake announced a partnership programme to help improve marine law enforcement and sustainable fisheries management in the world’s largest archipelagic nation. According to the World Bank, illegal, unreported an
  
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• Indonesia and US join forces to combat illegal fishing, protect reefs

  03-02-2016 09:42 via theguardian.com
  
  A new strategic partnership to improve marine law enforcement and conservation in Indonesia should build on existing progress
  President Joko Widodo’s plan to establish Indonesia as a ‘global maritime axis’ took a step forward last week as US ambassador Robert Blake announced a partnership programme to help improve marine law enforcement and sustainable fisheries management in the world’s largest archipelagic nation. According to the World Bank, illegal, unreported and un
  
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• Scientists to inject fuel in experimental fusion device

  03-02-2016 09:22
  
  GREIFSWALD, Germany (AP) — Scientists in northeast Germany were poised to flip the switch Wednesday on an experiment they hope will advance the quest for nuclear fusion, considered a clean and safe form of nuclear power."
  
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• DECC survey: The more people know about fracking, the less they support it

  03-02-2016 09:15
  
  The more people know about fracking, the less they support it, new Government research has found.
  
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• EVs are stable energy storage asset, says Innovate UK

  03-02-2016 09:00
  
  Innovate UK has brushed aside ongoing fears around using electric and plug-in vehicles as an energy storage facility, insisting they present a "car park of energy storage" for UK network companies after 2025.
  
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• Oil futures nudge higher, reversing earlier falls but oversupply weighs

  03-02-2016 08:58
  By Keith Wallis SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil futures rose in late Asian trade on Wednesday after spending most of the session in negative territory as U.S. crude stocks last week surged to more than half-a-billion barrels and as Iran plans to boost exports from March. U.S. crude, also known as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) , rose 13 cents to $30.01, after ending the previous session down $1.74, or 5.5 percent. "Oil prices are coming off again.
  
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• Jaguar Land Rover makes £36m emissions reduction pledge

  03-02-2016 08:35
  
  Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will invest £36m over the next three years in renewable energy, energy efficiency and process improvements, according to the British carmaker's latest sustainability report.
  
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• Headkayse: the bike helmet you can drop (or hit) and still use

  03-02-2016 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  British start-up firm says its revolutionary design offers a more robust and effective helmet. But design niggles remain.Let’s begin by forgetting the usual tedious arguments about bike helmet use – you can do it; close your eyes, count to ten, breathe – and instead focus on the more minor irritations concerning them.For someone like me, who wears a helmet the majority of the time when on two wheels, it’s mainly the care you have to take with a cycle helmet, not dropping
  
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• Brexit would return Britain to being 'dirty man of Europe'

  03-02-2016 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Leading group of environmentalists warns that leaving the European Union would mean a return to filthy beaches, foul air and weak conservation laws Britain risks becoming the “dirty man of Europe” again with filthy beaches, foul air and weak conservation laws if it leaves the European Union, a group of leading environmentalists warned on Wednesday.
  The steering committee of the new E4E (Environmentalists for Europe) group includes former ministers, a former EU commissioner and a form
  
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• Oil futures drop for third session on rising crude stocks, oversupply

  03-02-2016 06:40
  By Keith Wallis SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil futures extended losses into a third session in Asian trade on Wednesday, as U.S. crude stocks last week surged to more than half a billion barrels and as Iran plans to boost exports from March. U.S. crude, also known as West Texas Intermediate (WTI) , fell 22 cents to $29.66, having ended the previous session down $1.74, or 5.5 percent. "Oil prices are coming off again.
  
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• Feral and beyond the pale at Candlemas

  03-02-2016 06:29 via theguardian.com
  
  Wenlock Edge, Shropshire Imbolc day and its rituals speak of the white of milk, lambing, doves – all signalling winter’s endThe pigeon cocked a conspiratorial eye at the dog as we walked by. A wind ferocious enough to peel the bird from its perch and blow it away had little effect. The pigeon sat out the squall with saintly patience.These birds are descended from rock doves, beautifully swift fliers from sea cliffs, quarry faces and derelict buildings, perfectly at home on the thinne
  
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