Environment news

• New study shows impact of man-made structures on Louisiana's coastal wetlands

  28-06-2016 23:42 via feedproxy.google.com
  As Louisiana's wetlands continue to disappear at an alarming rate, a new study has pinpointed the man-made structures that disrupt the natural water flow and threaten these important ecosystems. The findings have important implications for New Orleans and other coastal cities that rely on coastal wetlands to serve as buffer from destructive extreme weather events.Scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science found that man-made canals limit the na
  
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• What will fill the hole left by coal?

  28-06-2016 23:35 via theguardian.com
  
  When mines close in Victoria, local people fear for their future and predict whole towns will die. But if the Coalition and Labor are serious about their climate change targets, are they also ready to replace the lost Australian jobs? Greg Dunn, coffee in hand, has just finished a 12-hour night shift at the Hazelwood power station. He is tired, but in his low-key way, he is resigned, too. He rattles off the members of his family who have worked in the electricity industry in Victoria’s Lat
  
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• Building a better battery

  28-06-2016 22:14 via feedproxy.google.com
  Forget mousetraps -- today's scientists will get the cheese if they manage to build a better battery.An international team led by Texas A&M University chemist Sarbajit Banerjee is one step closer, thanks to new research published today (June 28) in the journal Nature Communications that has the potential to create more efficient batteries by shedding light on the cause of one of their biggest problems -- a "traffic jam" of ions that slows down their charging and discharging process
  
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• Pipelines affect health, fitness of salmon, study finds

  28-06-2016 21:26 via feedproxy.google.com
  Pipelines carrying crude oil to ports in British Columbia may spell bad news for salmon, according to a new University of Guelph-led study.Exposure to an oil sands product - diluted bitumen - impairs the swimming ability and changes the heart structures of young salmon.The research will be published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, and is available online now.It's a timely finding, says U of G post-doctoral researcher and lead author Sarah Alderman.The National Energy
  
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• Millions exposed to dangerous lead levels in US drinking water, report finds

  28-06-2016 21:20 via theguardian.com
  
  New report says Flint water crisis is not an anomaly, as analysis reveals 5,363 water systems – providing drinking water to 18 million – breached federal lawsMore than 18 million Americans are served drinking water by providers that have violated federal laws concerning lead in water, with only a tiny proportion of offenses resulting in any penalty, a new report has found.The toxic water crisis in Flint, Michigan, is “not anomalous”, the Natural Resources Defense Council
  
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• UK ministers to approve world-leading carbon emissions target

  28-06-2016 21:15 via theguardian.com
  
  Fears had been raised that EU referendum would result in deadline being missed but sources say carbon budget will be agreedMinisters will this week approve a world-leading carbon emissions reduction target for the early 2030s, the Guardian understands.Fears had been raised by green groups and industry that the EU referendum would cause the UK government to miss a deadline on Thursday for accepting carbon targets from its statutory climate advisers.Continue reading...
  
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• Nasa tests its most powerful booster yet

  28-06-2016 21:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Nasa has conducted a second round of test on a booster which is designed to send human beings deep into space.
  
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• World class science 'will endure' in UK after Brexit

  28-06-2016 20:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The UK Science Minister, Jo Johnson, says that world class research will "endure" following the Brexit.
  
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• Atkins Ciwem environmental photographer of the year 2016 - the winners in pictures

  28-06-2016 20:15 via theguardian.com
  
  The overall awards winners have been announced in the 2016 Atkins Ciwem environmental photographer of the year competition, an annual international showcase for thought-provoking photography and video that tackles a wide range of environmental themes. A shortlist of 60 images has also been chosen from more than 10,000 entries for an exhibition that will run at the Royal Geographical Society, London, from 29 June to 22 August 2016.Continue reading...
  
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• VW agrees to buy back diesel vehicles, fund clean air efforts

  28-06-2016 19:57
  By David Shepardson and Joel Schectman WASHINGTON (Reuters) - German automaker Volkswagen AG will pay as much as $15.3 billion (£10.1 billion) after admitting it cheated on U.S. diesel emissions tests for years, agreeing to buy back vehicles from consumers and provide funding that could benefit makers of cleaner technologies. A deal formally filed by the Justice Department on Tuesday will provide the largest-ever automotive buyback offer in the United States. The proposed consent decree co
  
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• Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Risk of Fatal Heart Attack

  28-06-2016 19:45
  Eating fish, nuts, seeds and plants with omega-3 fatty acids may significantly lower your risk of dying from a heart attack, according to the most thorough study to date on this contested nutritional topic. Previous research on fish oil supplements and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids has shown mixed results, with some studies revealing heart-healthy benefits and others finding no benefit at all. The latest research, reported today (June 27) in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, was the lar
  
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• Ancient birds' wings preserved in amber

  28-06-2016 19:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Two wings from birds that lived alongside the dinosaurs have been found preserved in amber.
  
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• Oil rises 2 percent on post-Brexit bargain hunting, Norway strike

  28-06-2016 19:16
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose 2 percent on Tuesday with investors taking advantage to buy back into the market after a two-day rout triggered by Britain's vote to leave the European Union. A looming strike at several Norwegian oil and gas fields that threatened output in western Europe's biggest producer helped put a floor beneath crude futures after an 8 percent price slump over two days.
  
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• Here comes the sun: US solar power market hits all-time high

  28-06-2016 18:29 via theguardian.com
  
  After a rocky start, the American solar market is taking off. What will it take to make it go truly mainstream?Solar energy in the US has had a rocky existence. Ever since Ronald Reagan symbolically removed Jimmy Carter’s solar panels from the White House roof in 1986, federal policy has been unpredictable, such that manufacturers and consumers could never depend on reliable incentives to produce and install solar energy systems.Remarkably, the US solar energy industry is now entering what
  
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• Climate Change Is Happening Faster Than African Crops Can Handle It

  28-06-2016 18:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  Crop yields in Africa will nosedive ten years from now unless we can develop varieties that can better deal with climate change. Unfortunately, we’re not breeding those hardier varieties fast enough.That’s the sobering conclusion of a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change by researchers from the University of Leeds. As temperatures rise, crop yields fall. This is particularly true for staple crops like corn, bananas and beans raised in hot
  
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• Ground-breaking 'net zero' buildings project launched by WorldGBC

  28-06-2016 17:45
  
  All of the world's buildings will be 'net zero' emissions by 2050, under a bold, pioneering plan unveiled today (28 June) by the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC).
  
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• UN climate chief urges Britain to remain a global warming leader

  28-06-2016 17:06 via theguardian.com
  
  Christiana Figueres tells business leaders that Brexit vote is not an obstacle to continued cooperation between Britain and the EU on global warmingBritain must continue to be a world leader when it comes to acting on global warming despite the EU referendum result last week, the UN’s climate chief has urged.
  Christiana Figueres warned that should article 50 be triggered it would bring uncertainty for two years but cooperation on climate change could be one area of continuity between the U
  
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• Oil rebounds on post-Brexit bargain hunting, Norway strike

  28-06-2016 16:49
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose 2 percent on Tuesday as investors took advantage of a two-day slide in crude triggered by Britain's vote to leave the European Union and as their focus returned to potential supply outages and drawdowns in crude. A looming strike at several Norwegian oil and gas fields that threatened to cut output in western Europe's biggest producer helped support crude futures. Trade group The American Petroleum Institute will issue a preliminary report
  
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• VW's diesel settlement will fund range of clean air efforts

  28-06-2016 16:41
  By David Shepardson and Joel Schectman WASHINGTON (Reuters) - German automaker Volkswagen AG will pay more than $15.3 billion (11.46 billion pound) to settle charges that it cheated on U.S. diesel emissions tests, an agreement that will fund buybacks for consumers and provide up to $4.7 billion that could benefit makers of cleaner technologies. The proposed consent decree confirmed that VW will set aside $10.033 billion to cover buybacks or potential fixes for diesel cars and sport utility vehic
  
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• Huge Cache of Ancient Helium Discovered in Africa's Rift Valley

  28-06-2016 16:21
  
  Researchers in the United Kingdom and Norway say the newly discovered helium gas field, found in the East African Rift Valley region of Tanzania, has the potential to ease a critical global shortage of helium, a gas that is vital to many high-tech applications, such as the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners used in many hospitals. The researchers say the discovery is the result of a new approach to searching for helium that combines prospecting methods from the oil industry with scientifi
  
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• Aliens Attack! Invasive Lionfish Arrive in Mediterranean

  28-06-2016 15:58
  
  Venomous lionfish are striking to look at, with bold stripes and flowing, sail-like fins. A new study shows that the first wave of a lionfish invasion has struck in the Mediterranean Sea, a region where these fish had not been established before. As ocean temperatures warm, numerous non-native fish have invaded Mediterranean waters — about 130 species since 2001, according to the study authors.
  
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• Climate action provides 'thread of certainty' for post-Brexit Britain, says Christiana Figueres

  28-06-2016 15:55
  
  The UN's soon-to-depart climate chief has quashed claims that the UK's impending departure from the European Union (EU) could derail the Paris Agreement, instead claiming that a concerted effort to tackle climate change could be the "thread of continuity" that the UK needs during this "uncertain and volatile" period.
  
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• Siemens freezes new UK wind power investment following Brexit vote

  28-06-2016 15:13 via theguardian.com
  
  German energy firm will not make fresh plans until the UK’s European relationship becomes clearer, but existing manufacturing will not be affected Siemens is putting new wind power investment plans in the UK on hold due to uncertainty caused by last week’s Brexit vote, the Germany energy company has told the Guardian.A £310m manufacturing hub in Hull that employs 1,000 people will not be affected by the decision, and should still begin producing blades and assembling turbines n
  
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• U.S. files VW settlement, details buybacks

  28-06-2016 15:06
  By David Shepardson and Joel Schectman WASHINGTON (Reuters) - German automaker Volkswagen AG has agreed to pay more than $15.3 billion (11.4 billion pounds) in a settlement with U.S. regulators over pollution caused by its diesel vehicles, according to a source briefed on the matter. The settlement stems from VW's admission in September that it intentionally misled regulators by installing secret software that allowed U.S. vehicles to emit up to 40 times legally allowable pollution. The Justice
  
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• Helium discovery a 'game-changer'

  28-06-2016 14:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists say they have found a large helium gas field in Tanzania, amid concerns global supplies are running out.
  
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• Food giants show increased appetite for sustainable supply chains

  28-06-2016 14:20
  
  Global food and beverage firms Nestlé and Mondelez International have both ramped up sustainable business efforts over the past year, with an increased commitment to supply chain transparency, according to their respective CSR reports.
  
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• The Business End of Climate Change: How collective action could help us realise a 2C world

  28-06-2016 13:13
  
  Big business is not waiting around to play its part in tackling climate change. By 2030, companies will have together slashed emissions by at least 3.7 billion metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent (mtCO2e) every year - and this figure could almost treble within a more ambitious policy environment.
  
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• Can virtual reality emerge as a tool for conservation?

  28-06-2016 13:13 via theguardian.com
  
  New advances in technology are sparking efforts to use virtual reality to help people gain a deeper appreciation of environmental challenges, reports Yale environment 360Could virtual reality (VR) — immersive digital experiences that mimic reality — save the environment? Well, that may be a bit of a stretch. But researchers say that it could perhaps promote better understanding of nature and give people empathetic insight into environmental challenges.Continue reading...
  
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• Volkswagen's U.S. diesel emissions settlement to cost $15 billion - sources

  28-06-2016 12:46
  By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG's settlement with nearly 500,000 U.S. customers and government regulators over polluting diesel vehicles is valued at more than $15 billion cash (11.24 billion pound), two sources briefed on the matter said on Monday. The settlement, to be announced on Tuesday in Washington, includes $10.033 billion to offer buybacks to owners of about 475,000 polluting vehicles and nearly $5 billion in funds to offset excess diesel emissions and boost inv
  
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• New York's whales to be studied for the first time

  28-06-2016 12:21 via theguardian.com
  
  Scientists hope new information will help protect the little-understood whale population that feeds and travels through the city’s watersThe habits of New York’s little-understood whale population is to be fully analysed for the first time, with scientists hoping the new information will help protect the marine behemoths that navigate one of the busiest shipping areas in the world.An acoustic monitoring buoy has been deployed off the coast of Long Island to eavesdrop on the cacophony
  
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• Brexit won't have major impact on Saudi-UK ties - Saudi FM

  28-06-2016 12:06
  Britain's decision to leave the European Union will not affect relations with Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Tuesday. "We don't believe that the exit of Britain from the EU will have a major impact on our relationship with Great Britain," al-Jubeir told reporters at a news conference in Paris.
  
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• How the London Array blows away the competition in green energy

  28-06-2016 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The Thames estuary is home to the world’s largest offshore wind farm – a model for exploiting the potential of Britain’s gusty coastlinesAt the widest point of the Greater Thames estuary, 12 miles north of the Kent coast and 12 miles south of Essex, lies the London Array – the largest operational offshore wind farm in the world. Completed in 2013, after 10 years of planning and construction, it covers an area of 40 square miles – roughly the same size of Bristol &nd
  
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• British fishermen warned Brexit will not mean greater catches

  28-06-2016 11:05 via theguardian.com
  
  Fisheries chiefs and campaigners say current catch quotas will continue until the UK leaves the EU, and new arrangements may not be more generousBritish fishermen have been warned that, despite the promises made by the Leave campaign, they cannot expect to be granted greater catches after the UK leaves the European Union, and they may face increased economic turmoil.Fishermen will have to remain within their current catch quotas while the UK is still a member, and even if new arrangements are ne
  
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• Cecil the lion's legacy: death brings new hope for his grandcubs

  28-06-2016 11:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Cecil’s death could spark a global rethink on how to protect lions – ending Africa’s dependence on hunting revenues to sustain wildlife habitats and crucial conservation projectsThe tiny lion cubs bounce down the dusty track alive with curiosity about their new world from their inquisitive faces to the tips of their tails. This new life is a symbol of the surprising good that has stemmed from the tragic death of their grandfather, Cecil.
  Cecil, killed by US dentist Walter Palme
  
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• Universal support needed to tackle global warming, UN climate chief says

  28-06-2016 10:52 via theguardian.com
  
  Private sector needs to work in Africa, Asia and Latin America to drive down carbon emissions, Christiana Figueres to tell business and climate summit“Universal support” is needed from businesses across the world to tackle global warming, the United Nations climate chief says.
  Business leaders and politicians are meeting in London to discuss how to implement the first comprehensive climate agreement, secured at UN talks in Paris in December, to cut greenhouse gas emissions and avoid
  
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• Oil prices rebound in post-Brexit bargain hunting

  28-06-2016 10:51
  By Ron Bousso LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose above $48 a barrel on Tuesday as investors took advantage of a two-day slide in crude following Britain's vote to leave the European Union to lock in lower prices. A looming strike at several Norwegian oil and gas fields threatened to cut output in western Europe's biggest producer, also helped support prices on Tuesday.
  
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• How the Sustainable Development Goals are shaping corporate responsibility at SABMiller

  28-06-2016 09:30
  
  International brewing company SABMiller has revealed annual cuts to key environmental footprints, after tweaking its "Prosper" sustainability initiative to align to the global targets established in the United Nation's (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
  
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• California land regulators to weigh end of nuclear power

  28-06-2016 08:37
  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California regulators are expected to decide Tuesday whether to drop their longstanding environmental objections to the state's last nuclear power plant in return for its promised early closing.
  
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• Leave vote makes UK's transition to clean energy harder, say experts

  28-06-2016 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Analysts say Brexit will create uncertainty for energy sector, which could hit £20bn investment a year needed to replace ageing, dirty power plantsThe UK’s challenge to build a clean, secure and affordable energy system has become significantly harder amid the political and economic turmoil following the nation’s vote to leave the European Union.
  Higher customer bills and delayed or cancelled projects are expected by experts, the most pessimistic of whom warn of the lights goin
  
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• Marine rescue crews work to help entangled blue whale in California – video

  28-06-2016 07:32 via theguardian.com
  
  Rescuers off the coast of southern California work to help a blue whale which had become entangled in fishing gear. The whale, said to measure between 70ft (21 metres) and 80ft (24 metres) long, appeared around 5 miles (8km) off the coast of Dana Point. It was not immediately clear to the marine crews whether they had succeeded in detangling the whale before it disappeared Continue reading...
  
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• Rescuers attempt to untangle blue whale trapped in crab nets off California

  28-06-2016 06:46 via theguardian.com
  
  Alarm raised after animal was spotted raising its head out of the water off the coast of Orange county Rescue teams were trying to untangle a blue whale after it became snared in crab nets off the coast of California on Monday.The alarm was raised after the animal, about 80ft long (24m), was spotted about three miles off the coast of Orange county raising its head out of the water and not swimming normally. Continue reading...
  
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• Diligent insects in the summer garden

  28-06-2016 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Allendale, Northumberland There’s a low hum from bumblebees foraging deep inside the comfrey flowersThe day presses down, close and sultry, as I sit cross-legged in front of our three compost bins. There’s a low hum from bumblebees foraging deep inside the nearby comfrey flowers, but I’m interested in a different type of bee. In front of the wooden bins are some large stone slabs, the thumb-width gaps between them unmortared. There, coming and going, are several large black bee
  
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• Can the advertising industry sell us waste-free living?

  28-06-2016 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The founder of WWF’s Earth Hour, Andy Ridley, believes the creative industries are key to building support for the circular economy
  It was diving in the Great Barrier Reef in Australia that sparked Andy Ridley’s interest in environmental issues. Shocked at its state, he joined WWF and went on to launch Earth Hour in 2007, the huge climate change awareness campaign that sees buildings in 7,000 cities turn off their lights.Now, in his new role as CEO of Circular Economy, a Netherlands-
  
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• Inside Porton Down

  28-06-2016 04:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Dr Michael Mosley investigates Britain's most secretive and controversial military research base, Porton Down, on its 100th anniversary.
  
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• Climate change: communities and councils fill void on zero emissions targets

  28-06-2016 02:59 via theguardian.com
  
  In the absence of ambitious climate action by the federal government, communities are leading Australia in setting renewable energy targets Communities and councils are filling the void left by the federal government on ambitious climate action. Many are frustrated by the government’s lack of progress on climate change and instead are getting on with the job themselves.
  A survey conducted by Beyond Zero Emissions of 152 councils across Australia shows that almost one in five of the council
  
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• Oil prices rise on looming Norway strike, but Brexit still weighs

  28-06-2016 02:44
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rose in early trading in Asia on Tuesday as a looming strike in Norway threatened to cut output in western Europe's biggest producer, although Britain's vote to leave the European Union was still weighing on markets. About 755 Norwegian workers on seven oil and gas fields could go on strike from Saturday, hitting output from the North Sea's top producer, if a new wage deal is not agreed before a Friday deadline. Combined oil output was about
  
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• US, Canada and Mexico pledge 50% of power from clean energy by 2025

  28-06-2016 02:41 via theguardian.com
  
  Barack Obama, Justin Trudeau and Enrique Peña Nieto to announce new ‘aggressive but achievable’ goal at ‘Three Amigos’ summit in OttawaBarack Obama, Justin Trudeau and Enrique Peña Nieto will commit to a new regional clean power goal at a summit this week in Ottawa, the White House has said.The leaders of the US, Canada and Mexico, meeting on Wednesday at the so-called “Three Amigos” summit, will pledge to have their countries produce 50% of thei
  
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• Volkswagen's U.S. diesel emissions settlement to cost $15 billion - source

  28-06-2016 00:30
  By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG's settlement with nearly 500,000 U.S. diesel owners and government regulators over polluting vehicles is valued at more than $15 billion (11.39 billion pounds) cash, a source briefed on the matter said on Monday. The settlement, to be announced on Tuesday in Washington, includes $10.03 billion to offer buybacks to owners of about 475,000 polluting vehicles and nearly $5 billion in funds to offset excess diesel emissions and boost zero emis
  
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