Environment news

• Sarah Palin explains why we should question climate change - video

  15-04-2016 19:56
  
  Sarah Palin called on Americans to question the science behind climate change on Thursday, saying people should not be afraid to question the scientific community. Palin made the remarks at a Washington premiere for the Climate Hustle, a film that dismisses global warming as an excuse for government takeover and makes the outrageously false claim that rising carbon emissions are beneficial Continue reading...
  
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• The Leap Manifesto opens horizon for bold new politics in Canada | Martin Lukacs

  15-04-2016 19:16
  
  The media attacks are a sign: a New Democratic Party that takes on inequality and climate change can crack open the country’s political debate
  From the headlines screaming outrage on the front pages of Canada’s newspapers, you’d think the New Democratic Party had shuttered their convention doors, armed themselves and made for Edmonton’s solitary hills.“A hard left turn to nowhere,” blasted the National Post, after NDP members voted to debate the Leap Manifesto
  
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• Accor to plant 1,000 vegetable gardens to tackle food waste

  15-04-2016 18:21
  
  AccorHotels will plant 1,000 vegetable gardens at its properties, as the world's largest hotel operator ramps up its sustainability commitments in a bid to curtail the environmental impact of its operations.
  
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• Oil falls as investors expect little from Doha meeting

  15-04-2016 18:14
  By Devika Krishna Kumar NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell more than 3 percent on Friday in thin trade as traders and analysts anticipate a weekend meeting of major oil exporters to do little to help to clear global oversupply quickly, even though it would provide a floor for the market. Oil producers led by top exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia will meet in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday to discuss freezing output around current levels in an effort to contain a glut exacerbated by production that exc
  
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• Data analysis: taking behaviour change to the 'next level'

  15-04-2016 17:59
  
  EXCLUSIVE: Data analysis can be an integral method to ignite energy-conscious behaviour change among staff, with energy management company SSE Enterprise claiming that the Internet of Things (IoT) could revolutionise how companies interact with sustainability number-crunching.
  
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• March temperature smashes 100-year global record

  15-04-2016 17:33
  
  Average global temperature was 1.07C hotter - beating last month’s previous record increaseThe global temperature in March has shattered a century-long record and by the greatest margin yet seen for any month.
  February was far above the long-term average globally, driven largely by climate change, and was described by scientists as a “shocker” and signalling “a kind of climate emergency”. But data released by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) shows that March wa
  
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• Despite pay revolt, BP shareholders sticking with Dudley

  15-04-2016 17:26
  By Karolin Schaps LONDON (Reuters) - The future of Bob Dudley at the head of BP seems untarnished by shareholders' unusual rejection of his pay package as 99.6 percent of them also backed his re-appointment and trust him to lead the company through a period of weak oil prices. Such a shareholder revolt would claim many a CEO's scalp but Dudley seems unlikely to be removed as investor confidence in his leadership remains strong. "I'm not a fan of change for the sake of change," said Robert Smiths
  
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• Dorset residents angry over TV show's beach hut competition

  15-04-2016 16:38
  
  Christchurch locals say 12 new huts will ruin unspoilt and fragile cliffs and accuse local council of being starstruckThey are a traditional emblem of the British seaside but plans to build innovative beach huts designed by viewers of George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces on an unspoilt stretch of Dorset coastline have infuriated local people.Twelve winners of a competition run by the Channel 4 programme will be given £8,000 each by the local council to build their huts at Highcliffe, despi
  
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• UN picks wildlife poster winners

  15-04-2016 16:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Poster competition to raise awareness about wildlife conservation gains 300 entries from around the world with winners coming from the UK, China and Africa.
  
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• U.S., allies stage 36 strikes against Islamic State - U.S. military

  15-04-2016 15:51
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies conducted 36 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Thursday, the coalition leading the operations said. In a statement released on Friday, the Combined Joint Task Force said six strikes in Syria, five of them near Mar'a, hit five tactical units and destroyed four vehicles, two fighting positions and a bulldozer. In Iraq, 30 strikes near six cities, 21 of them near Mosul, hit several tactical units, 18 modular oil refineries, tw
  
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• Live Q&A: How can the creative industries encourage climate action?

  15-04-2016 15:24
  
  Next week the Paris Agreement will be signed, how can the arts engage the public to ensure it holds governments accountable? Join an expert panel to discuss on Thursday 21 April, 3-5pm BSTSponsored by Connect4ClimateAt a historic ceremony on 22 April, more than 130 countries will formally commit to the Paris climate agreement to keep global warming below 2C.But in order for policymakers to take decisive steps, the general public in countries around the world need to be fully behind taking action
  
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• Crab cloud, solar records and England's last golden eagle – green news roundup

  15-04-2016 15:13
  
  The week’s top environment news stories and green events. If you are not already receiving this roundup, sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox Continue reading...
  
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• Climate change denier Sarah Palin: 'Bill Nye is as much a scientist as I am'

  15-04-2016 15:04
  
  Ex-Alaska governor promotes Climate Hustle film and calls for intervention to stop the ‘peer pressure’ as world leaders agree global warming is a serious threatOf all the causes Sarah Palin has embraced in her varied career as hockey mom, Alaska governor, Republican vice-presidential nominee, Fox television commentator and Donald Trump supporter, none perhaps may be as bold or – as she still likes to say, “rogue” – as trying to take down a much-beloved childre
  
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• Adidas 'strives for sustainability' with new 2020 targets

  15-04-2016 14:35
  
  German sportswear company Adidas has revealed how it plans to "create responsibility", by unveiling numerous footprint reduction targets for 2020, which have been outlined in its latest sustainability report.
  
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• U.S. defense secretary visits carrier in disputed South China Sea

  15-04-2016 13:46
  By Yeganeh Torbati and Ben Blanchard ABOARD THE USS JOHN C. STENNIS, SOUTH CHINA SEA/BEIJING (Reuters) - The chief U.S. defense official visited an American aircraft carrier transiting the disputed South China Sea on Friday, as China said one of its top military officers had visited islands and reefs in the region to oversee building work. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter flew to the nuclear-powered USS John C. Stennis for a two-hour visit as it sailed 60 to 70 miles west of the Philippines isl
  
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• Tired of watching the grass grow? Norwegians watch the tide change

  15-04-2016 13:28
  By Gwladys Fouche OSLO (Reuters) - Stressed out by a fast-paced daily life and binge-watching the latest hit TV shows? Norway may have the answer with its latest slow TV installment: watching the ebb and flow of the sea, for twelve hours, without interruption. Since 2009 Norwegian public broadcaster NRK has been experimenting with live, slow-paced programs, variously broadcasting a seven-hour train journey across Norway from east to west, a six-day trip by cruise ship from south to north or how
  
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• India's smog-choked capital imposes driving restrictions

  15-04-2016 13:16
  
  New Delhi on Friday imposed driving restrictions that will take around a million cars off its roads for the second time this year, to cut pollutionNew Delhi on Friday imposed driving restrictions that will take around a million cars off its roads for the second time this year, seeking to improve air quality in the world’s most polluted capital.The Delhi government first introduced the experiment for two weeks in January as dangerous levels of haze choked the city and authorities said they
  
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• El Niño is Earth's rechargeable heat battery | John Abraham

  15-04-2016 12:00
  
  El Niño has a major impact on energy within Earth’s climateThe recent El Niño has been in the news of late because the warm waters in the Pacific have helped lift Earth’s temperatures to new records. Recent research is helping to track energy flows between the ocean waters and the atmosphere as the El Niño builds, then slowly decays and even changes to a La Niña. This new information is an important advancement of our understanding of the Earth’s cli
  
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• Commission draws fire over support for British fossil fuel subsidies

  15-04-2016 11:51
  
  New European Commission research has highlighted failings in the different state subsidies offered to electricity utilities across the EU, while giving qualified support to the 'market-based' model used in the United Kingdom.
  
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• Indian capital starts restricting cars to clear air

  15-04-2016 11:18
  
  NEW DELHI (AP) — The New Delhi government on Friday began a second round of a two-week car restriction to reduce air pollution that has made the Indian capital the world's most polluted city.
  
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• World's biggest wealth fund excludes 52 coal-related groups

  15-04-2016 11:15
  
  Norway’s sovereign wealth fund divests from energy companies that derive more than 30% of revenues from coal, on ethical groundsNorway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s biggest, has excluded 52 coal-related companies in line with new ethical guidelines barring it from investing in such groups, Norway’s central bank said on Thursday.The move was seen as a sign of the growing influence investors wield in the fight against climate change. Continue reading...
  
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• Disney launches new Micky Mouse-shaped solar farm

  15-04-2016 09:45
  
  A 22-acre solar facility arranged in the shape of Micky Mouse's head will provide 5MW of renewable energy at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.
  
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• Steel jobs 'can be saved by tech'

  15-04-2016 08:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The UK steel industry is doomed unless it embraces cutting-edge technology, a Cambridge professor warns.
  
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• Zac Goldsmith did not declare family interest in green grant cuts

  15-04-2016 08:00
  
  Tory mayoral candidate asked questions in parliament about cuts that affected brother Ben’s investments in solar energy firmThe Conservative mayoral candidate asked questions in parliament about cuts in green grants that affected solar energy companies owned by his younger brother, but did not declare an indirect interest.Zac Goldsmith put down six questions between November 2011 and February 2012 after the government announced it would slash subsidies to the solar industry. Goldsmith warn
  
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• I'm deaf but it doesn't stop me cycling | Shane Prendergast

  15-04-2016 08:00
  
  Some people think that deaf people cycling is dangerous, but what I lack in hearing, I more than make up for in other ways on the roadI was about 12 years old when I was told I had a significant hearing loss. I have worn hearing aids since I was a teenager, and was profoundly deaf by 21.Around the time of my diagnosis, I watched my dad, who is hearing, take on incredible charity cycling challenges – cycling across America, Australia and Canada. I didn’t really understand the magnitud
  
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• Cassava in south-east Asia under threat from witches' broom disease

  15-04-2016 08:00
  
  Climate change menacing yet another food crop by fuelling explosion in pests and diseases that are attacking cassava plantsClimate change and globalisation are fuelling an explosion in the pests and diseases that afflict south-east Asia’s cassava crops, threatening a multi-billion dollar industry and the staple food of millions of people, a report warns. Related: Bananas facing a bleak future as staple African crops declineContinue reading...
  
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• Crude prices steady in thin trading ahead of producer meeting

  15-04-2016 07:47
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Crude futures were steady on Friday in thin business as traders were reluctant to take on new positions ahead of a planned meeting at the weekend of major oil exporters who want to rein in ballooning global over-production. While there will likely be little effect on the physical market an agreement would represent an important psychological shift in setting oil prices," investment bank Jefferies said on Friday.
  
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• UK farmers to test hi-tech beans that could prevent food waste

  15-04-2016 07:00
  
  As agriculture invests more in big data, tech veteran Andrew Holland is getting ready to test his small sensor device in grain silosWhen it comes to the internet of things (IoT), the fanfare is often around items like fridges, cars, and entire skyscrapers. But one entrepreneur is thinking small, producing highly-connected devices the size of a bean. BeanIoT is the brainchild of tech veteran Andrew Holland, who says that the size and shape of a bean (roughly 45mm by 18mm) makes it ideal as a vers
  
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• Hundreds of redwings have descended on our gardens

  15-04-2016 06:30
  
  South Uist Loud as a flock of chattering starlings but more mellow, the constant chirruping can be heard from well down the trackIn the walled garden by the track to the beach is a stand of venerable old sycamores. They are among the taller trees to be found on South Uist, but nowhere near the height one might expect of them, considering their age. Faced with constant winter gales, they have seemingly expended as much energy reaching outwards as upwards, resulting in a complex tangle of branches
  
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• Victoria's coalmines forced to pay more towards site rehabilitation costs

  15-04-2016 06:13
  
  The state’s premier says owners of Latrobe valley mines are profitable enough to absorb tens of millions of dollars in extra costs without cutting jobs Victoria’s coalmines are being ordered to hand over hundreds of millions of dollars more for the rehabilitation of their sites when mining ceases.Related: Latrobe coalmines not paying enough for cleanup: Hazelwood fire inquiryContinue reading...
  
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• VIDEO: How do Monarch butterflies navigate?

  15-04-2016 06:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists in the United States say they have solved one of nature's great navigation mysteries, how Monarch butterflies migrate all the way from Canada to Mexico.
  
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• U.S. defence secretary to visit carrier in disputed South China Sea

  15-04-2016 04:57
  By Yeganeh Torbati MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said he will visit a U.S. aircraft carrier transiting the disputed South China Sea on Friday, a move bound to anger China, which has been increasingly asserting its territorial claims. Carter made a similar visit to another U.S. aircraft carrier in November as it was crossing the South China Sea.
  
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• Crude prices dip on low expectations of producer meeting

  15-04-2016 03:07
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Crude futures dipped early on Friday as traders doubted that a planned meeting over the weekend of major oil exporters would result in successful measures to rein in ballooning global over production. A group of oil producers, lead by top exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia, plan to meet in Qatar's capital Doha on Sunday to agree on measures to freeze output around current levels in an effort to rein in a global supply glut that sees some 2 million barrel
  
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• Flying solar carpets and energy-stealing cars: the best green innovations of the week

  15-04-2016 02:01
  
  After one of the titans of the fossil fuel industry buckled to its knees this week, edie rounds up the latest low-carbon technologies and innovations that look set to usher in the "new clean industrial era" that green groups are clamouring for.
  
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• LA, a surprise nature hotspot, is home to one of the biggest biodiversity studies

  15-04-2016 01:46
  
  Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is trying to collect and inventory all of the region’s urban wildlife, some of which hitched a ride to the metropolisLos Angeles – synonymous with cars, concrete and urban sprawl – turns out to possess a secret, thriving underworld: nature.
  A host of animal, mammal, reptile, spider and insect species has hitched a ride to the metropolis on planes and ships and flourished in the balmy climate alongside native species, helping to turn
  
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