Environment news

• Antarctic lakes are a repository for ancient soot

  13-06-2016 23:08 via feedproxy.google.com
  Remote lakes in a perpetually ice-free area of Antarctica show not only the chemical signature of ancient wildfires, but also some much more recent evidence of fossil-fuel combustion, according to National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded research published this week in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
  
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• How swifts survive a wet British June

  13-06-2016 22:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Long-distance flights enable aerial hunters to feed their young whatever the weatherFor Britain’s breeding birds – especially those migrants that spend only a short time here before heading back to their winter home in Africa – June is a crucial month.Plentiful sunshine – June is usually the sunniest month of the year in England and Wales, thanks to the long hours of daylight – provide the vast amounts of insects and invertebrates that these birds require to feed th
  
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• PDVSA to discharge crude cargo after swap agreement with BP - sources

  13-06-2016 21:43
  By Marianna Parraga HOUSTON (Reuters) - Venezuelan state-run PDVSA has discharged another cargo of U.S. crude sold by BP after waiting times of more than a month related to payment problems that were solved this month under a swap agreement, according to sources close to the deal. British BP and China Oil were awarded a tender launched by PDVSA in March to import some 8 million barrels of U.S. light sweet crude for delivery in the second quarter at its terminal in the Caribbean island of Curacao
  
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• Bird-brained and proud: densely packed neurons give birds intellectual edge

  13-06-2016 21:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Researchers find songbirds and parrots can have as many, sometimes more, neurons packed into their brains than mammals - even monkeys and apesSome can count, many make tools, and others recognise themselves in the mirror. But how birds pull off such complex feats with so little brain matter has long had scientists scratching their heads.Now an answer may finally be at hand. Researchers who studied 28 bird species found that songbirds and parrots can have as many, and sometimes more, neurons pack
  
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• How Air Pollution Impacts Childhood Mental Health

  13-06-2016 19:23 via feedproxy.google.com
  Air pollution is a known risk factor for certain mental health problems in adults, but a new study also links high rates of air pollution to poorer psychiatric health in children and adolescents.To investigate this link, researchers from Umeå University in Sweden examined what is known as “register-based” data. All medications given to Swedish people are registered, and in this case, researchers zeroed in on individuals under age 18 from Stockholm, V&au
  
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• US-India Pact on Renewables Will Help Keep Coal in the Ground

  13-06-2016 18:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  President Barack Obama and Indian President Narendra Modi signed a pact last week, extending a commitment originally established in 2014, to join forces to combat climate change with a huge commitment to renewable energy.The pledge acknowledges commitments made in Paris last year at the COP21 climate talks and defines a path for both countries to achieve their nationally determined contributions (NDCs). In particular, the U.S. has pledged to support India, the world’s t
  
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• New Nobel centre sparks royal outrage, political outcry

  13-06-2016 18:07
  By Daniel Dickson STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The waterfront building in an upscale part of Stockholm was meant to showcase one of the world's most famous prizes. Instead, plans for a new Nobel Centre have sparked royal outrage, political spats and objections from a Swedish business tycoon that it spoils his view. "It looks like a brass-coloured nuclear power plant," said Lotta Edholm, who heads the opposition Liberal Party in Stockholm and who voted against the decision to approve the 130 million eur
  
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• London Docklands set for low-carbon transformation with £1bn CHP project

  13-06-2016 18:01
  
  A new £1bn development in the London Docklands area will supply low-carbon energy to power 20,000 of the capital's residents through the adoption of combined heat and power (CHP) technology.
  
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• London Docklands set for CHP boost under £1bn Royal Wharf project

  13-06-2016 18:01
  
  The London Docklands area will see low-carbon energy supplied to power 20,000 of the capital's residents through the adoption of combined heat and power (CHP) technology as part of the £1bn Royal Wharf development.
  
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• New material has potential to cut costs and make nuclear fuel recycling cleaner

  13-06-2016 18:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  Researchers are investigating a new material that might help in nuclear fuel recycling and waste reduction by capturing certain gases released during reprocessing. Conventional technologies to remove these radioactive gases operate at extremely low, energy-intensive temperatures. By working at ambient temperature, the new material has the potential to save energy, make reprocessing cleaner and less expensive. The reclaimed materials can also be reused commercially.
  
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• Carbon dioxide levels in atmosphere forecast to shatter milestone

  13-06-2016 17:41 via theguardian.com
  
  Scientists warn that global warming target will be overshot within two decades, as annual concentrations of CO2 set to pass 400 parts per millionAtmospheric concentrations of CO2 will shatter the symbolic barrier of 400 parts per million (ppm) this year and will not fall below it our in our lifetimes, according to a new Met Office study.Carbon dioxide measurements at the Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii are forecast to soar by a record 3.1ppm this year – up from an annual average of 2.1ppm
  
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• El Niño likely to boost CO2 in 2016

  13-06-2016 17:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A big spike in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels means the greenhouse gas is about to pass a symbolic threshold.
  
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• Truck emissions limits crucial to achieving EU climate goals, report finds

  13-06-2016 16:16
  
  Introducing EU-wide CO2 standards for trucks would bring significant savings and place Europe on track to fulfil its Paris climate commitments to cap global warming, a new study has found.
  
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• Businesses, suppliers and governments must collaborate to tackle food waste, says William Jackson

  13-06-2016 16:16
  
  All of the major players in the food industry must work closer together to ensure greater harmonisation throughout the supply chain when it comes to tackling food waste, William Jackson Food Group's sustainability director has said.
  
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• Oil prices slip under pressure from economic worries

  13-06-2016 15:57
  By Libby George LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Monday, weighed down by gloomy economic prospects in Europe and Asia and a related strengthening in the U.S. dollar, which makes fuel imports for countries using other currencies more expensive. The softening comes a week after crude prices hit 2016 highs on the back of a quicker-than-expected rebalancing in physical oil markets. Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch said worries that Britain will vote later this month to leave the European Uni
  
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• The leave campaign doesn’t want to talk about the environment. Here’s why | Craig Bennett

  13-06-2016 15:03 via theguardian.com
  
  Climate has barely been mentioned during the EU campaign. But there will be grim tangible consequences for our air, sea and wildlife if we vote to exitIt is perhaps the one area where the evidence is close to being unequivocal: the EU has benefited the UK’s nature and environment, and leaving poses a significant risk. Yet analysis by Loughborough University found that as a proportion of issues dominating the referendum coverage, the environment has received 0% of coverage from television,
  
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• Legal ivory sale drove dramatic increase in elephant poaching, study shows

  13-06-2016 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Research shows the legal sale in 2008 catastrophically backfired – but two African nations want to repeat the stockpile sell-off A huge legal sale of ivory intended to cut elephant poaching instead catastrophically backfired by dramatically increasing elephant deaths, according to new research.
  The revelation comes just months before a decision on whether to permit another legal sale and against a backdrop of more African elephants being killed for ivory than are being born. In 2015 alone,
  
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• OPEC sees oil glut shrinking in second half of year

  13-06-2016 14:19
  By Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC forecasts that the world oil market will be more balanced in the second half of 2016 as outages in Nigeria and Canada help to speed up the erosion of a supply glut. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pointed in a monthly report to supply exceeding demand by just 160,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the second half. Oil has risen to $50 a barrel from the 12-year low of $27 in January as the outages curb excess supply.
  
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• Environmental crimes increasing according to the UN

  13-06-2016 13:44 via feedproxy.google.com
  A new report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and Interpol has highlighted the sophistication and growth of environmental crimes across the world. These crimes range from the illegal trade of wildlife, illegal mining, illegal forestry and fishing. And despite our growing global attention towards conservation, these crimes have jumped 26 percent in the past two years alone. The report highlights the criminal fluidity of these trades. They say that transnational crim
  
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• SpaceX Hopes to Relaunch a Used Falcon 9 Rocket This Fall

  13-06-2016 13:36
  
  The private spaceflight company SpaceX plans to relaunch one of its Falcon 9 boosters into orbit this fall — a test flight that will mark the next giant leap in the firm's pursuit of reusable rocket technology. SpaceX has four successful rocket landings under its belt, including three back-to-back touchdowns at sea this spring, the most recent of which launched and landed on May 27. "Fourth rocket arrives in the hangar," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote in a Twitter post on Tuesday (Ju
  
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• Why the world's energy system WON'T achieve the 2C climate change target without serious investment

  13-06-2016 13:28
  
  By the year 2040, renewables will finally have won the global energy race. The prices of coal and gas will have dropped significantly, but this will not derail the decarbonisation of our energy systems - with zero-emission energy sources making up 60% of installed capacity.
  
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• Why the world's energy system WON'T achieve the 2C climate change target

  13-06-2016 13:28
  
  By the year 2040, renewables will finally have won the global energy race. The prices of coal and gas will have dropped significantly, but this will not derail the decarbonisation of our energy systems - with zero-emission energy sources making up 60% of installed capacity.
  
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• Avenger militants spurn call from ex-Niger Delta cohorts to join in government talks

  13-06-2016 13:22
  By Tife Owolabi YENAGOA, Nigeria (Reuters) - The Niger Delta Avengers, a group that has claimed responsibility for a recent spate of attacks on oil and gas facilities in Nigeria's oil hub, on Monday rejected calls from former militants to join talks with the government. On Sunday, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) -- one of the largest militant groups until it signed up for a government amnesty in 2009 -- urged the Avengers to negotiate and halt attacks that have cut Ni
  
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• Spread of human disease from animals mapped

  13-06-2016 13:19 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists say they have developed a better way to predict how diseases such as Lassa fever jump from animals to humans.
  
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• French court finds Total guilty over 2009 petrochemicals blast

  13-06-2016 13:03
  A petrochemical unit of French oil and gas company Total has been found guilty and fined 200,000 euros (158,833 pounds) on Monday by a French court for a 2009 blast at its Carling plant that killed two and injured six. A former manager of the petrochemical plant at the time of the accident was handed a one year suspended prison sentence and fined 20,000 euros.
  
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• Would Brexit compromise the future of UK science?

  13-06-2016 12:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Leading scientists have been particularly vocal in arguing against the UK leaving the European Union. But how would Brexit really affect UK science, asks Tom Feilden.
  
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• Euro 2016 'carbon bootprint' league table: Which nation has the greenest fans?

  13-06-2016 12:58
  
  With England kicking off their UEFA Euro 2016 campaign with that gut-wrenching last-minute draw on Saturday (11 June), the Carbon Trust has investigated how the carbon footprint of Three Lions supporters matches up against rival nations competing in the tournament - but the results don't offer up much consolation.
  
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• Scrap destructive Gwent Levels motorway plan, charities say

  13-06-2016 12:04 via theguardian.com
  
  In open letter charities say environmental evidence should lead Welsh government to stop plan that would cut through wetlandTen leading environmental charities have claimed a proposed section of motorway that would cut through wildlife-rich wetland represents “ecological destruction on an unprecedented scale”.The charities have written an open letter to the Welsh government calling for it to scrap £1bn plans to build a 14-mile stretch of motorway through the Gwent Levels near N
  
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• The Grand Oil Party: House Republicans denounce a carbon tax | Dana Nuccitelli

  13-06-2016 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Lobbying from the petroleum industry may have convinced Republicans to denounce a carbon tax
  On Friday, the US House of Representatives voted on a Resolution condemning a carbon tax. As The Hill reported:Lawmakers passed, by a 237-163 vote, a GOP-backed resolution listing pitfalls from a tax on carbon dioxide emissions and concluding that such a policy “would be detrimental to American families and businesses, and is not in the best interest of the United States.”Six Democrats voted
  
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• Biggest US coal company funded dozens of groups questioning climate change

  13-06-2016 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Analysis of Peabody Energy court documents show company backed trade groups, lobbyists and thinktanks dubbed ‘heart and soul of climate denial’Peabody Energy, America’s biggest coalmining company, has funded at least two dozen groups that cast doubt on manmade climate change and oppose environment regulations, analysis by the Guardian reveals.The funding spanned trade associations, corporate lobby groups, and industry front groups as well as conservative thinktanks and was expo
  
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• Oil prices under pressure from rising economic concerns

  13-06-2016 11:35
  By Libby George LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Monday, weighed down by gloomy economic prospects in Europe and Asia and a related strengthening in the U.S. dollar, which makes fuel imports for countries using other currencies more expensive. The softening comes a week after crude prices hit 2016 highs on the back of a quicker-than-expected rebalancing in physical oil markets. The dollar has risen 1.2 percent from June lows against a basket of currencies , lifted by the prospect of a poten
  
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• Air pollution linked to increased mental illness in children

  13-06-2016 10:57 via theguardian.com
  
  New research is first to establish the link and builds on other evidence that children are particularly vulnerable to even low levels of pollutionA major new study has linked air pollution to increased mental illness in children, even at low levels of pollution.The new research found that relatively small increases in air pollution were associated with a significant increase in treated psychiatric problems. It is the first study to establish the link but is consistent with a growing body of evid
  
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• Powerful Saudi prince to meet Obama, Ban on U.S visit

  13-06-2016 10:53
  Saudi Arabia's powerful deputy crown prince flew to the United States on Monday for meetings with U.S. President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Saudi media reported. The visit of Mohammed bin Salman, whose powers include his role as defence minister, comes amid a diplomatic row with the United Nations and policy differences with the United States over the war in Syria and relations with Iran. Prince Mohammed, spearheading an ambitious plan to revamp the economy of the world
  
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• Oil price fall may even curb global growth - ECB

  13-06-2016 10:07
  The fall in oil prices over the past two years will add less to global growth than earlier thought and the overall impact could even be negative, the European Central Bank said on Monday. With oil prices falling from around $110 per barrel in mid-2014 to $50 per barrel now, many had expected a one-off boost to global growth from higher consumption as households and businesses spend less on fuel, realizing an income gain. "Taking the example of the United States as one of the largest net oil impo
  
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• Iraq says IMF deal 'on track' as cabinet approves reform package

  13-06-2016 09:58
  By Maher Chmaytelli and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq has approved measures requested by the International Monetary Fund to unlock loans that should help the country overcome a cash crunch caused by declining oil revenue, a senior government official said. The agreement, reached last month between Iraq and the IMF, "is on track", Mudher Salih, an adviser on financial policy to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, told Reuters late on Sunday. Among the measures approved are settling by the en
  
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• Iraq plans to pay arrears owed to oil companies by end of 2016

  13-06-2016 09:58
  Iraq plans to settle all arrears owed to foreign oil companies by the end of the year, as provided by an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, said Mudher Salih, an advisor on financial policy to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. The decision is among measures approved last week by the government to secure $5.4 billion in loans over three years from the IMF, Salih said in an interview late Sunday in Baghdad.
  
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• Malcolm Turnbull announces $1bn assistance for Great Barrier Reef in re-election promise – video

  13-06-2016 09:33 via theguardian.com
  
  Malcolm Turnbull announced an assistance package for the ailing Great Barrier Reef on Monday to be rolled out in the next Parliament should he be re-elected next month. The reef has been suffering from one of its worst coral bleaching events in history over the past several months, with at least 35% showing evidence of severe bleaching due to higher sea temperatures Continue reading...
  
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• Saudi prince in charge of economy, defence to meet Obama on U.S visit - report

  13-06-2016 09:16
  Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince will fly to the United States on Monday for meetings with U.S. President Barack Obama, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and senior officials, Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported. The visit of Mohammed bin Salman, in charge of an ambitious plan to revamp the economy of the world's top oil exporter, comes amid a diplomatic row with the United Nations and policy differences with the United States over the war in Syria and Iran's role in the Middle Eas
  
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• Oil prices fall as economic concerns rise

  13-06-2016 08:58
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Monday, weighed down by Asia's darkening economic prospects and a related strengthening in the U.S. dollar, which makes fuel imports for countries using other currencies more expensive. Brent crude oil futures fell back below $50 per barrel, trading at $49.89 at 0644 GMT, down 65 cents, or 1.29 percent, from their last settlement. "A strong dollar is helping bring prices down as well as fairly weak data from Asia," said Matt Stanley o
  
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• The 100 best nonfiction books: No 20 – Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962)

  13-06-2016 06:45 via theguardian.com
  
  This passionate rejection of pesticides was dismissed by many as the work of an hysterical woman when first published. Now it is seen as a pioneering text in the environmental conservation movementAmerica is a society founded on the words of the Declaration of Independence, the arguments of writers like Tom Paine (the author of Common Sense), James Madison (co-author of the Federalist Papers) and ultimately on the US constitution and its 33 amendments. As a country largely made by lawyers and jo
  
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• Where have all our curlew gone?

  13-06-2016 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  The Stiperstones, Shropshire We might have been walking towards a future devoid of the riveting, other-worldly call of the curlewA few Sundays ago, Mary Colwell-Hector and I were walking with a bunch of ornithologists and conservationists along the Stiperstones ridge. The scent of gorse drifted on warm air. Sunlight moved over the heather and farmland finding sheep, meadows and cattle. But our talk was more of what wasn’t there. We should have been seeing curlew, returned from the coast to
  
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• Five things we can do right now to save the Great Barrier Reef | John Pandolfi

  13-06-2016 05:39 via theguardian.com
  
  It can be easy to tune out when you think a problem is too big to solve, but there are five things that need to happen now to save the reef We’ve been hearing a lot lately about the state of the Great Barrier Reef and the major threat it faces. Sometimes it feels overwhelming – reefs are dying and it seems nothing can be done.Actually there is much that can be done, from the Australian government really putting our money where its mouth is, to understanding that science must be at th
  
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• Chinese state-owned companies face greater scrutiny of EU deals after ruling

  13-06-2016 02:19
  By Michelle Price HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese state-owned companies seeking to buy European assets are going to face greater regulatory scrutiny following a landmark European Commission decision on a recent deal. In its review of a proposed joint venture between France’s EDF and state-owned China General Nuclear Power (CGN), the Commission - which has exclusive power over antitrust issues in the European Union – ruled that CGN was not independent from China’s central administ
  
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