Environment news

• VIDEO: The science behind 'three-person babies'

  08-06-2016 23:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Using DNA from three people to create a baby is safe, according to a major research study, by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre at Newcastle University.
  
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• Scientists say three-person DNA babies are 'safe'

  08-06-2016 23:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Using DNA from three people to create a baby is safe, according to a major research study, by scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre at Newcastle University.
  
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• Renewable Energy Hit Record Levels in 2015

  08-06-2016 23:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  A new report confirms that 2015 was a record-breaking year for renewable energy in which 147 Gigawatts of renewable electricity came online.That figure represents the largest annual increase ever recorded, and is due in part to the $286 billion invested in renewables. In fact, in 2015 almost twice as much money was spent on renewable energy, like solar and wind power, than fossil fuels like gas-fired power stations — only $130 billion.This
  
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• Tropical Depression 1E dissipates

  08-06-2016 23:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  Tropical Depression 1E or TD1E didn't get far from the time it was born to the time it weakened to a remnant low pressure area along the southwestern coast of Mexico. NOAA's GOES-West satellite captured an image of it remnant clouds.
  
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• International Energy Agency targets 100 million electric cars by 2030

  08-06-2016 22:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  The International Energy Agency (IEA) is targeting 100 million electric cars on the roads by 2030 in order to avoid potentially damaging global warming. When you bear in mind that just 1.26 million electric cars were sold worldwide in 2015 is this out of the question or a possibility?
  
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• VIDEO: Tim Peake set to return to Earth

  08-06-2016 22:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Six months after Tim Peake blasted off to the International Space Station, he is preparing for his return to Earth.
  
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• Tim Peake's message from space ahead of return to Earth

  08-06-2016 22:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Six months after Tim Peake blasted off to the International Space Station, he is preparing for his return to Earth.
  
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• Oil rises, hits 2016 highs; U.S. gasoline build worries some

  08-06-2016 22:05
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude futures rose on Wednesday, hitting 2016 highs above $50 a barrel and settling up for a third straight day on worries about sabotage of oil facilities in Nigeria, although a build in U.S. gasoline stocks amid peak summer demand could pressure prices. This indicates a sentiment that gasoline demand will weaken more than expected or that the crude glut will be reflected by a gasoline glut, said Troy Vincent, crude oil analyst for New York-headquartered
  
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• Provisional names announced for super heavy elements 113, 115, 117, and 118

  08-06-2016 21:45 via feedproxy.google.com
  The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Inorganic Chemistry Division has published a Provisional Recommendation for the names and symbols of the recently discovered superheavy elements 113, 115, 117, and 118.The provisional names for 115, 117 and 118 -- originally proposed by the discovering team from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Dubna, Russia; the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Lawrence Livermore National Labora
  
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• Delta Avengers reject Nigeria talks, blow up Chevron site

  08-06-2016 20:18
  The Niger Delta Avengers militant group on Wednesday rejected an offer of talks with the government to end its attacks on oil facilities and said it had blown up a Chevron pipeline site in the Niger Delta. Attacks by militants on oil and gas pipelines in the southern delta swamps have brought Nigeria's oil output to a 20-year low and helped push oil prices to 2016 highs. Nigeria's oil minister said on Tuesday the government would start talks with the Niger Delta Avengers, which has claimed respo
  
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• European Union is a progressive force in controlling pollution | Letters

  08-06-2016 20:05 via theguardian.com
  
  In attributing the rise in air pollutants in London to the EU, Nigel Pollitt is being disingenuous (Letters, 6 June). As chairman of the UK Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards for a decade to 2002, I was regularly asked by journalists as to whether diesel or petrol vehicles were better, and always gave the same answer: it depends whether you wish to increase air pollution or to accelerate global climate change, since diesel was more efficient but also more polluting. Thus it would have been Ho
  
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• VIDEO: Tim Peake: 'I miss the feeling of rain'

  08-06-2016 19:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  British astronaut Tim Peake has been on the International Space Station for nearly six months, where the climate is unsurprisingly constant.
  
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• Tim Peake on the ISS: 'I miss the feeling of rain'

  08-06-2016 19:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  British astronaut Tim Peake has been on the International Space Station for nearly six months, where the climate is unsurprisingly constant.
  
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• Exclusive - Suspect in Kazakh shooting posted Islamic State-linked video

  08-06-2016 19:33
  By Olzhas Auyezov AKTOBE, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - One of the men blamed by authorities in Kazakhstan for an armed raid on a national guard base, the deadliest attack in the country's history, had posted a video online that was sympathetic to Islamic State. The video, posted on the social media page of Rustem Omarov, represents the first time Islamic State ideology has been linked to an act of militant violence in Kazakhstan, central Asia's wealthiest country and a major oil producer. People from
  
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• Hobbit find shows tiny humans shrank 'rapidly'

  08-06-2016 19:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Researchers discover fossils that suggest the famous Hobbit species shrank on the Indonesian island of Flores within the space of 300,000 years.
  
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• Fossils show Hobbits shrank 'rapidly'

  08-06-2016 19:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Researchers discover fossils that suggest the famous Hobbit species shrank on the Indonesian island of Flores within the space of 300,000 years.
  
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• MPs attack loopholes in cosmetic industry's microbead phase out

  08-06-2016 18:34 via theguardian.com
  
  Environment committee criticises voluntary action to end the tiny plastic particles that pollute seas, and slam the lack of labelling on microbead productsVoluntary action by the cosmetics industry to phase out the use of microbeads in Europe came under strong attack from MPs on Wednesday, who criticised loopholes in the pledges and slammed the lack of labelling on products containing the plastic particles.Tiny plastic beads are widely used in toiletries and cosmetics but thousands of tonnes of
  
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• VIDEO: Kayaker's close encounter with shark

  08-06-2016 18:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A kayaker has filmed a close encounter with a 23ft (7m) basking shark off the south coast of the Isle of Man.
  
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• Isle of Man kayaker's close encounter with basking shark

  08-06-2016 18:18 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A kayaker has filmed a close encounter with a 23ft (7m) basking shark off the south coast of the Isle of Man.
  
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• Oil hits 2016 highs, pares gains on U.S. oil inventory data

  08-06-2016 18:09
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Crude futures rose for a third consecutive day on Wednesday, hitting 2016 highs above $50 (£34) a barrel on supply outages led by the sabotage of oil facilities in Nigeria, before paring gains as glut concerns resurfaced after U.S. data showed a surprise build in gasoline supplies. U.S. crude stocks fell for the third consecutive week to June 3, sliding by 3.2 million barrels versus analysts' expectations for a 2.7 million-barrel drawdown, government
  
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• World oil reserves stable despite drop in investment - BP

  08-06-2016 17:35
  By Ron Bousso LONDON (Reuters) - The world's oil reserves were unchanged in 2015 despite a sharp drop in investment and exploration after the collapse in crude prices, BP said in its benchmark industry report. Proven oil and gas reserves that can be technically pumped out of the ground typically fluctuate with oil prices as production becomes more or less economically viable. Investment in oil and gas fell in 2015 by around a quarter, or $160 billion, from a year earlier, according to BP Chief E
  
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• Exclusive - EDF eyes sale of British gas, coal plants: sources

  08-06-2016 17:17
  By Susanna Twidale and Sarah McFarlane LONDON (Reuters) - French utility EDF is considering the sale of its British gas and coal plants and has used Barclays bank to approach potential buyers, two sources familiar with the matter said. EDF and Barclays both declined to comment. Heavily indebted EDF wants to sell off non-core assets in order to invest tens of billions of euros in its nuclear power business over the next decade, including in the UK the nuclear reactor project at Hinkley Point.
  
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• Arctic sea ice fell to record low for May

  08-06-2016 16:42 via theguardian.com
  
  This year could be worst ever for melt as data shows average sea ice extent for last month was more than half a million square kilometres smaller than the previous record of May 2012Arctic sea ice fell to its lowest ever May extent, prompting fears that this year could beat 2012 for the record of worst ever summer sea ice melt.Data published by the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) this week showed average sea ice extent for last month was more than 500,000 sq km (193,000 sq miles) sm
  
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• O2 pursues sustainable living for 20 million customers

  08-06-2016 16:20
  
  Digital communications giant O2 has unveiled the next phase of its bold Think Big Blueprint, which will establish the company as an "agent of change", by enhancing the livelihood of 20 million customers through a sustainable technology drive.
  
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• How Bernie Sanders made Hillary Clinton into a greener candidate

  08-06-2016 16:10 via theguardian.com
  
  He may have lost his campaign, but Sanders achieved major wins, making his rival promise more on green policies and climate change, reports GristHillary Clinton is her party’s presumptive nominee. Whether Sanders drops out tomorrow or the day he loses the roll-call vote at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, his campaign is over.But if ever there were a losing campaign that achieved some major wins, it’s Sanders’. Not only did he force Clinton to talk more about economic
  
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• Shell resumes Iranian oil purchases

  08-06-2016 16:01
  Royal Dutch Shell has resumed purchases of Iranian crude, becoming the second major oil firm after Total to restart trade with Tehran after the lifting of sanctions, trading sources said and ship tracking data showed. Iran has been trying to claw back its market share since international sanctions were lifted in January and regaining a major buyer such as Shell will further aid its cause. Shell declined to comment.
  
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• Oil hits 2016 highs on Nigeria sabotages, U.S. draw forecasts

  08-06-2016 16:00
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rallied for a third straight session on Wednesday to new 2016 highs above $50 (£34) a barrel on relentless sabotage of oil supplies in Nigeria and ahead of U.S. crude inventory data likely to show draws. Data from showing May crude oil imports in China at their highest in more than six years also boosted prices as it fed hopes that energy demand was stabilizing in the No. 2 economy and also the world's second-largest oil consumer. The doll
  
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• Expats, employers worried over uncertain Saudi tax proposal

  08-06-2016 15:47
  By Angus McDowall and Celine Aswad JEDDAH/DUBAI (Reuters) - Expatriates in Saudi Arabia and their Saudi employers alike voiced unease about a proposal the government is studying to impose income tax on foreign workers to make up for falling oil revenues. A National Transformation Plan of economic reforms, released on Monday, said 150 million riyals ($40 million) had been set aside for preparing and implementing tax on expats, but Finance Minister Ibrahim Alassaf said no decision had yet been tak
  
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• World carbon emissions stopped growing in 2015, says BP

  08-06-2016 15:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Move towards renewable energy and away from coal power helped stall emissions growth last year but slowdown may be temporary, says oil giantCarbon emissions stopped growing in 2015 for the first time in 10 years as the world turned its back on coal and embraced energy efficiency and renewable power with increased vigour, according to a new set of statistics.China led the way in driving down emissions but the latest figures from oil company BP come with a warning that the progress may not last. C
  
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• New ocean map reveals health of seas and value of protecting them – in pictures

  08-06-2016 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The Atlas of Ocean Wealth, published ahead of World Oceans Day, brings together data from thousands of sources – from governments to Flickr photos – to provide insight into the economic and social value of our marine life. It is being used to pinpoint areas where even small-scale interventions can make a big difference to benefit local people and improve sustainability Continue reading...
  
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• Majority of global companies 'failing to deliver' on cotton sustainability

  08-06-2016 14:53
  
  An overwhelming majority of global companies using the highest volume of cotton internationally have "failed to deliver" on sourcing sustainably, with industry experts calling on companies "serious about sustainability" to source 100% more sustainable cotton by 2020.
  
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• 'Ahead of the curve': Why M&S wants to collaborate to innovate on sustainable packaging

  08-06-2016 14:20
  
  EXCLUSIVE: Marks & Spencer (M&S) wants to be 'ahead of the curve' when it comes to applying circular economy principles to plastic packaging and therefore developing more sustainable, collaborative supply chains within the retail industry.
  
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• Delta Avengers reject Nigeria talks, blow up Chevron well

  08-06-2016 14:09
  The Niger Delta Avengers militant group on Wednesday rejected an offer of talks with the government to end its attacks on oil facilities and also said it had blown up a Chevron well in the delta. Attacks by militants on oil and gas pipelines in the southern Delta swamps have brought Nigeria's oil output to a 20-year lows and helped to push oil prices to 2016 highs on Tuesday.
  
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• Top beauty brands accused of refusing MPs' call for hearing on microplastics

  08-06-2016 14:07 via theguardian.com
  
  Companies should come clean on the harm plastic microbeads in their products is causing to marine life, says environment committee chairThe UK’s biggest beauty brands have been accused by an influential MP of showing contempt for their customers by refusing to appear in parliament to answer questions on the impact that their products are having on the oceans.MPs on the environmental audit committee will hear on Wednesday from the UK and European cosmetics trade bodies on the harm caused by
  
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• Policies should push companies beyond compliance, says new Corporate Leaders Group director

  08-06-2016 14:06
  
  EXCLUSIVE: Policymakers should foster the creative thinking shown by the private sector in order to "unleash new business models and new motivations" that will act as catalysts to allow business to evolve beyond compliance mindsets.
  
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• Oil hits eight-month high on disruptions, Chinese demand

  08-06-2016 13:09
  There was also a larger-than-expected drop in U.S. crude inventories on Tuesday, indicating an easing of the global supply glut. Supply disruptions caused by a string of attacks by the Niger Delta Avengers militant group in Nigeria have brought the oil exporter's production to its lowest level in 20 years. Nigerian Oil Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu said output had dropped to 1.5-1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), down from 2.2 million at the start of the year.
  
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• Indonesia plans tougher punishments for poachers

  08-06-2016 12:52 via theguardian.com
  
  Environmentalists are sceptical that plans to quadruple maximum jail terms from five to 20 years will be effective.Indonesia plans to quadruple maximum jail terms for animal poachers and traffickers in a major overhaul of wildlife crime laws, but environmentalists expressed scepticism on Wednesday that the changes would be effective.
  Maximum sentences for poaching and trading protected animals will be increased from five years to 20 under the new legislation proposed by the environment and fores
  
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• Major businesses join new coalition to go 'net-positive'

  08-06-2016 12:27
  
  Dell, Hewlett Packard (HP) and Kingfisher are among a host of major businesses to form a cross-sector coalition that aims to increase the number of companies that go beyond reducing negative sustainability impacts to provide "net-positive" contributions to society, the environment and the global economy.
  
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• To protect oceans from microplastics the UK must work with Europe | Mary Creagh

  08-06-2016 12:15 via theguardian.com
  
  The microbead pollution contaminating our marine life does not respect borders. As UK ministers meet on World Oceans Day they must look to find solutions by working with our neighbours and partners in EuropeFrom the shallowest coastal waters to the depths of the oceanic trenches some 10,000 meters beneath the sea, our oceans are home to a vast amount of life on earth. Covering over two-thirds of the world’s surface, they provide food and support tourism and leisure in every part of the wor
  
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• Niger Delta militants reject offer of talks, blow up Chevron well

  08-06-2016 12:13
  A militant group known as the Niger Delta Avengers on Wednesday rejected an offer for talks with the government to end a series of attacks on oil facilities in the Delta and also said it had blown up a Chevron well in the region. A series of attacks by militants on oil and gas pipelines in the southern Delta swamps have brought Nigeria's oil output to a 20-year low and helped to push oil prices to 2016 highs on Tuesday.
  
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• Trump and global warming: Americans are failing risk management | Dana Nuccitelli

  08-06-2016 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  40% of Americans don’t understand the risks posed by climate change or a President Donald TrumpCurrently, about 40% of Americans support Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, and about 40% of Americans are not worried about global warming. While short of a majority, this is a substantial fraction of the American public failing to grasp the risks associated with a Donald Trump presidency and potentially catastrophic climate change impacts.In Business Insider, Josh Barro recently w
  
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• Oil surges to eight-month high on supply disruptions, firm Chinese demand

  08-06-2016 11:16
  Industry data had also shown a larger-than-expected drop in U.S. crude inventories on Tuesday, indicating an easing of the supply glut, and a weak dollar, which hit a five-week trough against a basket of currencies on Wednesday, also boosted prices. Supply disruptions caused by a string of attacks by the Niger Delta Avengers militant group in Nigeria have brought the oil exporter's production to the lowest in 20 years.
  
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• Rise of mammals 'earlier than thought'

  08-06-2016 10:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Mammals began to flourish well before the end of the dinosaur age, a new study finds.
  
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• Rise of mammals 'began well before dinosaur extinction'

  08-06-2016 10:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Mammals began to flourish well before the end of the dinosaur age, a new study finds.
  
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• Barnaby Joyce: using constitution to block Shenhua would be 'disastrous'

  08-06-2016 10:39 via theguardian.com
  
  The deputy prime minister rejects suggestion by constitutional expert George Williams that section 51 could be used to halt mine on environmental groundsBarnaby Joyce has rejected outright the use of an export power in the constitution to stop the Shenhua Watermark mine, saying it would be “economically and socially disastrous”.
  Joyce told the Q&A audience in Tamworth this week that the commonwealth could do very little to stop mining on prime agricultural land near his New Engla
  
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• Down to 60: scientists mull risky captive breeding for panda porpoise

  08-06-2016 10:07 via theguardian.com
  
  As the vaquita – the world’s smallest porpoise – plunges toward extinction, scientists have a tough decision ahead of them: to attempt a super risky captive breeding programme or not?Today, there are approximately 7.3 billion people on the planet – and only 60 vaquitas. The vaquita has seen its population drop by 92 percent in less than 20 years in Mexico’s Gulf of California as the tiny porpoises suffocate to death one-by-one in gillnets. Now, scientists with the I
  
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• The jumping shark: great white pictured completely out of the water

  08-06-2016 10:04 via theguardian.com
  
  Nathan McLaren, an electrician, captured the moment a 3.3m long shark breached out of the water behind a surfer on the east coast of AustraliaA once-in-a-lifetime photograph has caught the moment a great white shark breached its entire body out of the water behind an oblivious surfer.The photograph was taken by Nathan McLaren on Tuesday as he watched surfers off Swansea Heads, just south of Newcastle in New South Wales. Continue reading...
  
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• Surprising global origins for regional food favourites

  08-06-2016 09:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Italy's tomatoes and Thailand's potent chillies, although closely associated with these nations, have their historical roots elsewhere, a study reveals.
  
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• Global origins of local food favourites

  08-06-2016 09:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Italy's tomatoes and Thailand's potent chillies, although closely associated with these nations, have their historical roots elsewhere, a study reveals.
  
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• Electric vehicles are the new 'focal point' for Hyundai

  08-06-2016 09:30
  
  South Korean motor company Hyundai has unveiled future blueprints to accelerate the transition to electric and hybrid vehicles, aiming to circulate 26 new-fuel cars and SUVs into its production by 2020.
  
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