Environment news

• Nigeria talks to Chevron, Total and ENI to revamp refineries-state oil firm

  29-03-2016 23:55
  Nigeria is in talks with oil majors Chevron , France's Total and Italy's ENI to get help revamping the ailing refineries in Africa's top crude producer, its oil minister said on Tuesday. The West African nation has been trying to restart its outdated refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna to end its dependency on costly fuel imports. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, who also heads state oil firm NNPC, said OPEC member Nigeria wanted to privatise the refineries within 12 months following repairs.
  
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• Pentagon awards Shell Oil Products $680 million contract for fuel

  29-03-2016 23:25
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Tuesday it had awarded Equilon Enterprises, doing business as Shell Oil Products U.S., a $680 million contract for various types of fuel. Shell Oil Products U.S. is a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell PLC . (Reporting by Washington Newsroom)
  
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• Indigenous elder who took on miner and won left with $70,000 in legal costs

  29-03-2016 22:46
  Queensland land court rules it does not have power to award costs to either side in challenges to mining permitsAn Indigenous elder who successfully took on the mining entrepreneur “Diamond” Joe Gutnick in the Queensland land court has wound up with a $70,000 legal debt he cannot repay.In a case that could have a chilling effect on future challenges to mines by traditional owners and others, the Kalkadoon elder James Taylor was denied legal costs despite winning a three-year battle f
  
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• Vietnamese fishing boats caught with sea cucumbers in Great Barrier Reef

  29-03-2016 22:16
  
  Two vessels carrying 28 crew members towed to Cairns after being intercepted near Lockhart River in Cape York Two Vietnamese fishing boats have been towed to Cairns after they were caught with sea cucumbers in the Great Barrier Reef marine park.The boats, carrying 28 crew members, were intercepted with a large amount of diving gear and what was thought to be illegally caught bêche-de-mer, or sea cucumbers, near Lockhart River in Cape York at the weekend. Continue reading...
  
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• Trees 'tolerant to EU olive threat'

  29-03-2016 20:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Laboratory tests show some varieties of olive trees appear to be resistant to an invasive pathogen that poses a serious risk to Europe's olive industry.
  
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• Oil prices sharply lower despite Yellen comments

  29-03-2016 19:54
  By Devika Krishna Kumar NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell 3 percent on Tuesday, reflecting growing concern that a two-month rally was fading as demand fails to keep up with swelling global supply, including new output from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Remarks by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, which were seen as generally dovish for the interest rate outlook, sparked a brief rebound before prices slumped again. The decision by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to resume oil production at the jointly op
  
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• Leonardo DiCaprio travels to Sumatra to support rainforest conservation efforts

  29-03-2016 19:12
  
  The actor worked with local groups to at Mount Leuser National Park, where the ecosystem that helps regulate Earth’s climate faces developmental threatsFresh off a best actor win at the 2016 Oscars during which he made a speech that touched on the consequences of climate change, Leonardo DiCaprio paid a visit to Mount Leuser National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia, to lend support to local groups working to preserve the area’s ecosystem. DiCaprio posted a photo from his journey on Instag
  
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• Man-Made Earthquake Hotspot Revealed: Oklahoma

  29-03-2016 18:50
  
  The chances of a damaging earthquake occurring in parts of Oklahoma and some neighboring states are just as likely as they are in temblor-heavy California, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Man-made activities related to oil and gas production are creating the shaky conditions in a region of the central and eastern U.S., the USGS seismologists say. USGS scientists just released their first map that includes earthquake risks from both natural and human-induced causes for
  
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• Top scientists back federal plan to protect Alaska predators

  29-03-2016 18:44
  
  New rules would ban ‘non-subsistence’ killing of bears, wolves and coyotes – some of the ‘most iconic yet persecuted species’– in the state’s 16 wildlife refuges A group of scientists has backed a federal plan to restrict the trapping and gunning down of bears and wolves in Alaska’s wildlife refuges, in the face of bitter opposition from the state government.Related: Whale hunting in Alaska: Point Hope, the village caught between tradition and clim
  
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• Treasury insists low investor confidence is due to volatile energy prices

  29-03-2016 18:10
  
  Low investor confidence in the UK energy sector is more due to "staggering volatility" of energy prices than Government policy on low-carbon, the Treasury has said.
  
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• Renewables industry faces Brexit 'paradox'

  29-03-2016 18:00
  
  The renewable energy industry faces a "huge paradox" in the event of Brexit, according to legal experts from a UK-based international law firm.
  
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• VIDEO: Is coral bleaching getting worse?

  29-03-2016 17:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Evidence that Australia's Great Barrier Reef is experiencing its worst coral bleaching on record has renewed calls for the UN to list it as "in-danger".
  
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• Turtles suffer 'Floater Syndrome' when they ingest plastic

  29-03-2016 17:01
  
  More and more sea turtles are suffering from 'Floater Syndrome', a condition that inhibits them from diving for food or protection caused by ingesting plastic
  
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• Stung by large U.S. fines, France to tighten anti-corruption laws

  29-03-2016 16:50
  France is tightening its anti-corruption laws to clean up its image after several French companies were slapped with huge fines abroad, with planned reforms including greater protection for whistleblowers and a new anti-corruption agency. Two years ago, France's biggest bank, BNP Paribas , was fined $9 billion (6.3 billion pounds) by U.S. authorities over violations of sanctions against Sudan, Cuba and Iran. French engineering company Alstom and oil groups Total and Technip were also forced to p
  
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• U.S. probes Brazil's Odebrecht, Braskem for corruption - Valor

  29-03-2016 16:35
  The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating possible corruption in contracts among Brazilian petrochemical company Braskem , engineering conglomerate Odebrecht and the country's state-run oil company Petrobras , a newspaper said on Tuesday. Local daily Valor Economico said the Justice Department was focussing its investigation on whether the companies violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in naphtha supply contracts since 2009 between Petrobras and Braskem, which has Odebrecht as a cont
  
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• Oil drops as investors grow weary of rising supply

  29-03-2016 16:17
  By Amanda Cooper LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Tuesday, reflecting growing concerns that a two-month rally may be fading, as supply looked set to keep rising and there appeared to be little immediate prospect of demand keeping pace. The oil price has risen more than 45 percent since mid-February ahead of a meeting next month of the world's major producers to discuss an output freeze. "We're seeing more and more commentators raise the flag and saying 'have we seen too much, too soon?' in
  
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• Factbox - Oil price rebound widely seen capped at $45, for now

  29-03-2016 16:17
  (Reuters) - With oil prices having gained about 50 percent since touching multi-year lows in January, most analysts are predicting the end of the year-and-a-half long rout, but also betting that there is little upside in the near future. After falling as low as $26 a barrel, U.S. crude oil futures hit a 2016 high of nearly $42 a barrel last week. On Tuesday they were trading at around $39 a barrel, with some analysts betting the rebound had run its course. ...
  
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• Japanese satellite lost in space?

  29-03-2016 16:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Dozens of Japanese engineers and scientists are scrambling to save an X-ray satellite - and more than a quarter of a billion dollars of investment - tumbling out of control in space.
  
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• Three killed in oil pipeline explosion in Nigeria's delta - environment group

  29-03-2016 15:57
  By Tife Owolabi YENAGOA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Three people were killed and several wounded when an oil pipeline belonging to Italy's ENI exploded during repair works in Nigeria's southern Delta region, an environmental group said on Tuesday. The blast was one of the worst in recent weeks in the swampland, where residents and former militant groups have long complained about oil pollution and casualties caused by pipeline accidents. The explosion happened in the Olugboboro community in Bayelsa sta
  
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• Russian minister says Rosneft set to lower oil output

  29-03-2016 15:46
  Rosneft is set to lower oil output, Russian Natural Resources Minister Sergei Donskoi said on Tuesday, ahead of a meeting of leading global oil producers in Doha on April 17 to discuss an output freeze to support weak oil prices. Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Venezuela are keen to prop up falling oil prices, which have fallen almost two thirds from a peak in June 2014. Asked to comment on how a global oil production freeze would impact Russia, Donskoi said Russia's energy firms had adjusted th
  
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• Is business ready for extreme weather? – open thread

  29-03-2016 15:35
  
  From food to clothes, extreme weather events are affecting key industries. As we kick off a new series on extreme weather - tell us what we should coverHow much do you know about the world’s extreme weather challenges? Take our quiz
  Climate change is transforming weather patterns around the world. From Indonesia’s devastating forest fires at the end of last year, exacerbated by El Niño, to aid agencies calling for urgent action as droughts and floods trigger widespread food sh
  
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• How much do you know about the world's extreme weather challenges? Take the quiz

  29-03-2016 15:35
  
  From coffee shortages to Leonardo DiCaprio’s filming nightmares, put your extreme weather knowledge to the testContinue reading...
  
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• Iran expects to attend Doha oil meet, but not talk about freeze - source

  29-03-2016 15:07
  OPEC member Iran expects to attend an oil producers meeting in Doha next month but this does not mean it will take part in negotiations over a production freeze, a source familiar with Iranian thinking said on Tuesday. Qatar has invited all OPEC members and major producers from outside the exporting group to attend talks on April 17 on a deal to freeze output to support the global oil market.
  
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• Could geothermal energy solve Scotland's renewable heat dilemma?

  29-03-2016 14:57
  
  Plans to drill a deep geothermal well beneath the city of Aberdeen could deliver heating to thousands of nearby homes and an exhibition centre as Scotland looks to accelerate progress towards its goal of 11% non-electrical heat demand coming from renewable sources by 2020.
  
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• Shrinking Arctic ice is impacting Greenland melting

  29-03-2016 14:48 via feedproxy.google.com
  Vanishing Arctic sea ice. Dogged weather systems over Greenland. Far-flung surface ice melting on the massive island. 'Blocking-high' pressure systems spawn most of the warming that melts Greenland surface ice, Rutgers study saysThese dramatic trends and global sea-level rise are linked, according to a study coauthored by Jennifer Francis, a research professor in Rutgers University's Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences.During Greenland summers, melting Arctic sea ice favors stronger a
  
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• Ocean temperatures predict U.S. heat waves

  29-03-2016 14:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  The formation of a distinct pattern of sea surface temperatures in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean can predict an increased chance of summer heat waves in the eastern half of the U.S. up to 50 days in advance.The pattern is a contrast of warmer-than-average water coming up against cooler-than-average seas. When it appears, the odds that extreme heat will strike during a particular week -- or even on a particular day -- can more than triple, depending on how well-formed the pattern is.
  
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• Total triples power of supercomputer in search for savings

  29-03-2016 14:11
  Total has tripled the power of its Pangea supercomputer, making it one of the world's most powerful and helping the French oil and gas company to speed up exploration studies and cut costs amid low oil prices. The computing power of the Pangea has been increased to 6.7 petaflops from 2.3 previously, Total said on Tuesday, the equivalent of around 80,000 laptops combined and making it the most powerful in the oil and gas sector. A prolonged fall in oil prices since mid-2014 has pushed companies i
  
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• Arctic winter's sluggish sea-ice growth

  29-03-2016 13:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Although winter Arctic sea-ice extent has been the smallest on record this year, it is unclear yet whether its volume will also mark a new low.
  
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• Can supermarkets do more than sell wonky veg to tackle food waste? - live chat

  29-03-2016 12:51
  
  Join a panel of experts on this page on Wednesday, 30 March, 1-2pm BST to discuss how businesses can prevent food waste and create value from itIn recent months, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons have introduced wonky veg lines that incentivise customers to buy “imperfect” vegetables. It’s a move designed to tackle the 12m tonnes of food waste created every year by UK households, hospitality and food service, food manufacture and the retail and wholesale sectors. And comes after high p
  
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• Willmott Dixon to power all UK offices with renewable energy

  29-03-2016 12:48
  
  Construction group Willmott Dixon has announced a new partnership with green energy supplier SmartestEnergy, which will see more than a dozen UK offices across the company's portfolio powered with renewable energy.
  
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• Supersized big fish: 21 record breaking rod snappers, in pictures

  29-03-2016 09:45
  
  In pics: 21 record breaking rod snappers reeled in by anglers
  
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• Pants to Poverty loses its ethical stance

  29-03-2016 09:01
  
  Customer are left in the dark - and out of pocket - as company backing thousands of Indian farmers runs into problemsLast month I placed an order with the online retailer Pants to Poverty for a birthday present. It processed the payment on 23 February and I received an order confirmation stating that the pants should be with me in a couple of days. Two weeks later the order hadn’t arrived, so I emailed three times. No response. I also called the phone number on the website and was told it
  
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• Sap-sucking bugs to be sent out to Queensland farms to attack coral cactus

  29-03-2016 08:44
  
  Cochineal insect bred specifically to target the destructive cactus infesting grazing lands in parts of western QueenslandTiny sap-sucking bugs are being unleashed to fight a destructive cactus infesting parts of western Queensland.The cochineal insect was bred in Queensland specifically to target coral cactus, which is wreaking havoc on graziers’ properties. The bug feeds only on the cactus by sucking its sap. Continue reading...
  
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• Pictures of the day: 29 March 2016

  29-03-2016 08:26
  
  Today: The Obamas go wild, what Storm Katie did and an erupting volcano
  
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• Oil prices fall as concerns rise over rally petering out

  29-03-2016 08:20
  By Aaron Sheldrick TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Tuesday as concerns mount that a rally since January is fizzling out, while analysts forecast another rise to record levels for U.S. crude stockpiles. The poll of eight analysts, taken ahead of weekly inventory reports from industry group the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration (EIA), estimated, on average, that crude stocks rose 3.2 million barrels in the week ended March
  
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• A baby rabbit with a long pedigree

  29-03-2016 06:30
  
  Claxton, Norfolk The cony, as it was originally called, was probably introduced by the PlantagenetsA large grey fur ball bustles suddenly by the path and then stares up with soft black eyes. It shows more curiosity than fear, suggesting this is the first time in its short life that it has met my kind. Certainly it is my first baby rabbit of the spring.You might think that the widespread emergence of these adorable creatures at this season lies behind the tradition of the Easter bunny but, in fac
  
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• USGS revises seismic risk map to include quakes caused by humans

  29-03-2016 05:26
  Earthquakes caused by human activity will now be included in the U.S. Geological Survey's seismic risk maps, the agency said on Monday after a sharp rise in temblors linked to wastewater disposal wells used by the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma. "By including human-induced events, our assessment of earthquake hazards has significantly increased in parts of the U.S.," Mark Petersen, Chief of the USGS National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project, said in a statement. Some 7 million people in the Cent
  
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• Barrier Reef hit by 'worst' bleaching

  29-03-2016 04:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Evidence that Australia's Great Barrier Reef is experiencing its worst coral bleaching on record has renewed calls for the UN to list it as "in-danger".
  
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