Environment news

• Fracker Pioneer posts wider second-quarter loss on derivatives

  27-07-2016 23:16
  U.S. oil producer Pioneer Natural Resources Co posted a second-quarter net loss on Wednesday that widened from a year earlier on $229 million in losses on derivatives it uses to insulate its revenues from volatile oil prices. Pioneer, known for its aggressive hedging programme and for being one of the most efficient oil producers in the Permian Basin of West Texas, said its second quarter net loss was $268 million, wider than $218 million a year ago. It was the first time in a year that the comp
  
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• Videos reveal birds, bats and bugs near Ivanpah solar project power towers

  27-07-2016 23:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  Video surveillance is the most effective method for detecting animals flying around solar power towers, according to a study of various techniques by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System facility in southeastern California.This study is the first to examine a variety of remote sensing and sampling techniques to determine which technology might be most effective for monitoring how solar power facilities impact flying animals. The in
  
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• Dabbling in duckweed: environmental uses for a green menace

  27-07-2016 22:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Despite its troublesome reputation, the weed blanket smothering ponds and waterways also has its virtues as a biofuel and foodThe hot weather has been a boost for plants, and especially weeds. The heat triggered an explosion of duckweed that has smothered many canals and ponds, especially in London, where some waterways have been choked with carpets of duckweed so dense they looked like garden lawns. In fact, the Canal & River Trust recently removed 70 tonnes of the weed from canals in Londo
  
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• Roundabout arguments can't disguise Sydney's cycling laws are taking the public for a ride

  27-07-2016 22:29 via theguardian.com
  
  Massive increases in fines for riding without a helmet or running a red light are just the latest in the city’s ignoble history of deciding cyclists are a problemIt’s almost five months since fines for various cycling infractions, including riding without a helmet, cycling dangerously or jumping a red light were massively increased in New South Wales. Some fines went up from $71 to $425 (£40 to £240). Riders were also obliged to carry ID. At the same time, a new law spell
  
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• Josh Frydenberg: Australia's use of coal is falling 'and that is not a bad thing'

  27-07-2016 22:17 via theguardian.com
  
  The new energy and environment minister tells Katharine Murphy the market can be trusted to cut emissions without more changes to Direct ActionAustralia’s new environment and energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, says coal will be a declining part of Australia’s energy mix because of inexorable market forces – but he insists the Coalition’s much criticised Direct Action policy is up to the mark, and will allow Australia to meet its international emissions reduction targets.Fr
  
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• Cod and climate

  27-07-2016 21:53 via feedproxy.google.com
  In recent decades, the plight of Atlantic cod off the coast of New England has been front-page news. Since the 1980s in particular, the once-seemingly inexhaustible stocks of Gadus morhua-- one of the most important fisheries in North America -- have declined dramatically.In 2008, a formal assessment forecasted that stocks would rebound, but by 2012, they were once again on the verge of collapse. Two years later, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration instituted an unprecedente
  
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• Oil down 3 percent after surprise U.S. crude, gasoline builds

  27-07-2016 20:23
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices tumbled 3 percent on Wednesday, with U.S. crude futures hitting three-month lows, as U.S. crude and gasoline stocks surged despite the peak summer driving season as weak demand and profits forced refinery cutbacks. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said crude stockpiles soared 1.7 million barrels last week, instead of falling 2.3 million barrels as forecast.
  
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• What's next for green chemistry? Join The Guardian for this one-day event

  27-07-2016 20:21 via theguardian.com
  
  The Guardian’s Green Chemistry Conference will bring together voices and ideas from science and industry to explore a toxin-free future. Join us for this special one-day event in New York City on 2 November 2016In a year punctuated by toxic chemistry crises – including the Flint River scandal and large-scale water pollution in upstate New York – green chemistry offers an increasingly relevant route toward a healthier, more sustainable society. The Guardian Green Chemistry Confe
  
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• Game of Ants: two new species named after Daenerys Targaryen's dragons

  27-07-2016 20:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Two new ant species with spiny back barbs reminded scientists so much of the Khaleesi’s dragons they named them Pheidole drogon and Pheidole viserion They reminded scientists of dragons so much, they named them after two of the fire-breathing beasts from the Game of Thrones.
  The two new ant species from Papua New Guinea, named Pheidole drogon and Pheidole viserion, have spiny barbs along their backs and shoulders with an unusual set of muscles beneath them.Continue reading...
  
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• Jupiter's Great Red Spot 'roars with heat'

  27-07-2016 19:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Astronomers discover that Jupiter's giant storm is somehow heating the planet's upper atmosphere - possibly by means of sound waves.
  
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• Time to say goodbye

  27-07-2016 19:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  As Philae, the robotic lander, is finally switched off and the world says goodbye.
  
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• George McRobie obituary

  27-07-2016 19:02 via theguardian.com
  
  George McRobie, who has died aged 90, was the last surviving founding member of Practical Action, an international organisation harnessing technology to help developing countries. He was a close associate of the economist EF Schumacher (my late husband, known as Fritz, who was the author of the influential text Small Is Beautiful) and for many years they worked together, initially at the National Coal Board and then, in 1965, in setting up the Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG), no
  
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• Montreal households the greenest in Canada: UBC study

  27-07-2016 18:51 via feedproxy.google.com
  Montreal homes are the most sustainable in the country, and Edmonton's the least, according to a new University of British Columbia study that compares average household greenhouse gas emissions in major cities across Canada.Using census data over a 12-year span, researchers ranked cities on how much carbon dioxide the average Canadian family (two to three people) with an annual income of $81,000 in each city produced in a year from the combined use of electricity, gasoline and natural gas.The a
  
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• Oil hits two-month lows after surprise U.S. crude, gasoline builds

  27-07-2016 18:48
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices tumbled 2 percent on Wednesday, hitting two-month lows, after a surprise build in U.S. crude and gasoline inventories despite the peak summer driving season as refiners cut production amid faltering demand and profits. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said crude stockpiles rose 1.7 million barrels last week, instead of falling 2.3 million barrels as forecast, while gasoline inventories rose 452,000 barrels, compared with analysts
  
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• Why I am backing the Natural History Museum's garden redevelopment | Robbie Blackhall-Miles

  27-07-2016 18:21 via theguardian.com
  
  Gardens and nature are both constantly evolving, and the green spaces at the Natural History Museum in London are no exception, argues Robbie Blackhall-MilesRecently I asked myself these questions: what is the difference between a garden and a wildlife garden? How is wildlife gardening different from the management of natural habitats?’ “Ornamental grounds laid out for public enjoyment and recreation” is the Oxford English dictionary’s definition of a garden, although I l
  
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• Clever koalas learn to cross the road safely

  27-07-2016 18:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Koalas have quickly learned to use wildlife passageways to cross busy roads in Australia's Queensland state as they move between habitats.
  
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• Current atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations likely commit to warmings greater than 1.5C over land

  27-07-2016 17:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  Current levels of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations already commit the planet to air temperatures over many land regions being eventually warmed by greater than 1.5°C, according to new research published today (27 July 2016) in the journal Scientific Reports.The results of the new study have implications for international discussions of what constitutes safe global temperature thresholds, such as 1.5°C or 2°C of warming since pre-industrial times. The expected extra warm
  
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• World's largest carbon producers face landmark human rights case

  27-07-2016 17:11 via theguardian.com
  
  Filipino government body gives 47 ‘carbon majors’ 45 days to respond to allegations of human rights violations resulting from climate changeThe world’s largest oil, coal, cement and mining companies have been given 45 days to respond to a complaint that their greenhouse gas emissions have violated the human rights of millions of people living in the Phillippines.In a potential landmark legal case, the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR), a constitutional body wi
  
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• Oil tumbles 2 percent after unexpected U.S. crude, gasoline stock build

  27-07-2016 17:08
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices tumbled more than 2 percent on Wednesday, hitting a two-month low, after the U.S. government reported a surprise build in crude and gasoline inventories during the peak summer driving season. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said domestic crude stockpiles rose 1.7 million barrels, against analysts' forecasts for a drawdown of 2.3 million barrels. [EIA/S[ Brent was down $1.03, or 2.4 percent, at $43.83 a barrel by 11:04 a.m. EDT (1604 L
  
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• Flamanville: France's beleaguered forerunner to Hinkley Point C

  27-07-2016 15:58 via theguardian.com
  
  Over-budget and behind schedule, the €10.5bn nuclear reactor has faced problems that some say could be repeated in the UKOn granite cliffs overlooking the Channel is France’s most famous building site. If all goes to plan, by the end of the decade this rocky outcrop will house the biggest and most powerful nuclear reactor in the world. The technology behind the European pressurised reactor (EPR) is meant to be safer than anything that has gone before. But the project is more than thre
  
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• Cooking oil, graphene among CO2 capture prize entry ideas

  27-07-2016 15:50
  CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Cooking oil and graphene, a recently discovered substance stronger than steel, might seem to have little in common, but some theorize both could be made from carbon dioxide emitted by coal- and gas-fired power plants.
  
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• Cambodia says urged ASEAN to avoid words that would 'escalate tension'

  27-07-2016 15:39
  Cambodia advised a grouping of South East Asian nations to avoid using words that "would escalate tension between China and the Philippines" in a weekend statement, the country's foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Cambodia's support for China's position on an international court ruling denying the Asian giant's claims in the South China Sea handed Beijing a diplomatic victory when the grouping's ministers met on Sunday. The bloc, which follows an overriding principle of making decisions by cons
  
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• Could demand response solve the university challenge of reducing student energy use?

  27-07-2016 15:33
  
  Oxford Brookes University has become one of the first educational establishments in the UK to use demand response as a way of reducing energy usage in student accommodation.
  
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• European offshore wind investment hits €14bn in 2016

  27-07-2016 15:27 via theguardian.com
  
  BusinessGreen: Record six-month period sees UK secure €10.4bn (£8.7bn) of investment in offshore wind projects, but installation rate slowsThe European offshore wind industry has enjoyed a record six months of investment, according to new figures released today by trade body WindEurope.In the first six months of this year Europe’s offshore wind projects attracted €14bn of investment, split across seven projects and financing a total of 3.7GW of new clean energy capacity. Co
  
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• Bristol's solar revolution continues with innovative stadium PV partnership

  27-07-2016 15:22
  
  Bristol Sport's Ashton Gate Stadium, home to Bristol Football Club and Bristol Rugby, has partnered with Bristol City Council to install solar PV panels on one of its stands as part of a major refurbishment of the ground.
  
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• UK company awarded EU funding for waste electrical product recovery trials

  27-07-2016 15:13
  
  A UK-based IT disposal and asset retirement firm will team up with Axion Consulting to trial novel ways to boost the recovery process of critical raw materials (CRMs) from household waste electrical and electronic products (WEEE).
  
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• "Back, bigger and better than ever": edie's 2017 Sustainability Leaders Awards open for entries

  27-07-2016 14:22
  
  The Sustainability Leaders Awards is now open for entries, with a host of new categories and a revamped ceremony that will recognise the incredible people, initiatives and products that are helping to deliver excellence within the green economy.
  
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• The double-edged sword of wildlife-friendly yards

  27-07-2016 14:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  Hundreds of millions of birds are killed in collisions with windows each year in the U.S. alone, and although high-rise buildings tend to be the biggest individual culprits, the vast number of suburban homes across the continent means that even a few deaths per house add up fast. A new study in The Condor: Ornithological Applications examines the factors that affect window collision rates at homes and shows that yards that are more attractive to birds are also the sites of more collisi
  
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• Farewell to Philae as lander comms cut

  27-07-2016 14:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Professor Monica Grady describes the final days of communication with the Philae lander
  
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• X-rays reveal complete dino skeleton

  27-07-2016 13:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists have used high-power X-rays to "see inside" an exquisite and complete dinosaur specimen.
  
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• UK's smart city transition 'essential' to combating rising energy demand

  27-07-2016 13:33
  
  A surge in urban expansion, economic growth and the integration of new technology will lead to UK cities embracing renewable energy sources as part of a transition to smart cities, in order to cope with growing energy demand.
  
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• Ancestor of All Life on Earth Had Steamy Beginning

  27-07-2016 13:27
  
  The mysterious common ancestor of all life on Earth may have lived in hot springs that were iron-rich and oxygen-poor, a new study finds. The last universal common ancestor, or LUCA, is what scientists call the forerunner of all living things. To learn more about how and where LUCA might have lived, researchers analyzed 6.1 million genes from prokaryotes — microscopic, single-celled organisms that lack distinct cell nuclei.
  
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• Cyprus says Statoil, Exxon, ENI, Total interested in offshore gas

  27-07-2016 13:04
  Cyprus received expressions of interest from ENI, Total, Statoil, Exxon Mobil, Qatar Petroleum, and Cairn in a licensing round for offshore hydrocarbon blocks which lapsed last week, its energy ministry said on Wednesday. Cyprus had placed three offshore blocks up for exploration. The most pronounced interest from two consortia and one company was for an offshore sea block in close proximity to the Zohr field offshore Egypt, where ENI reported the discovery of an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet
  
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• US environmentalists take aim at second TransCanada pipeline

  27-07-2016 12:27 via theguardian.com
  
  Campaigners say company behind Keystone XL plans to send hundreds of supertankers of crude oil down the Atlantic coast with fears for potential spillsEnvironmentalists are again taking aim at the company that proposed the Keystone XL pipeline this time for another of its projects they fear would send hundreds of supertankers laden with crude oil down the Atlantic coast to refineries in Texas and Louisiana.TransCanada is behind the Energy East pipeline project, a 4,600km pipeline, or nearly 3,000
  
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• Eyewitness: Solar Impulse 2

  27-07-2016 12:23 via theguardian.com
  
  Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading...
  
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• How do flies know which way to jump to avoid the swat?

  27-07-2016 12:15 via theguardian.com
  
  The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific conceptsHow do flies (normally) know which way to jump to avoid being swatted? Has there been any serious research? Could it have military applications?Ian Tanner, Peterborough, Cambs Continue reading...
  
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• Climate models are accurately predicting ocean and global warming | John Abraham

  27-07-2016 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  A new study from my colleagues and I vindicates climate models, which are accurately predicting the rate of ocean heat accumulation
  For those of us who are concerned about global warming, two of the most critical questions we ask are, “how fast is the Earth warming?” and “how much will it warm in the future?”. The first question can be answered in a number of ways. For instance, we can actually measure the rate of energy increase in the Earth’s system (primarily thr
  
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• MPs call for evidence on post-Brexit environment strategy

  27-07-2016 11:59
  
  The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has set a September deadline for the new Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (EU) David Davis, and new Minister for the Environment Therese Coffey to reveal how they plan to handle environmental policies during exit negotiations.
  
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• Is there any tuna that it’s OK to eat?

  27-07-2016 11:50 via theguardian.com
  
  Tesco is removing several lines of John West tuna from its shelves. So what varieties are sustainable, how should they be caught and from where?For those who want to shop responsibly, fish is the PhD. Ideally, we would rely on retailers to make the judgment. Just this week, Tesco decided to remove “a number of core John West lines” from its shelves after concluding that the company’s tuna does not meet its standards. Continue reading...
  
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• Oil falls close to three-month low as oversupply weighs

  27-07-2016 11:42
  By Karolin Schaps LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell close to three-month lows on Wednesday after U.S. industry data showed weekly oil stocks declined by less than expected, feeding into concerns over persistent oversupply dragging down prices. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was trading down 26 cents at $42.66 a barrel, close to a three-month low of $42.36 reached on Tuesday. "Today's weakness is just part of the general belief that the market is oversupplied," said Tamas Varga, oil an
  
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• Orangutan 'copies human speech'

  27-07-2016 11:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An orangutan copying sounds made by researchers offers new clues to how human speech evolved, scientists say.
  
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• Tullow returns to profit as cost cuts, hedging pay off

  27-07-2016 10:15
  By Karolin Schaps LONDON (Reuters) - Africa-focused Tullow Oil returned to profit in the first half of the year despite weaker oil prices and lower production, as its stringent cost cuts and forward hedging strategy started to pay off. Tullow shares opened more than 4 percent higher after the oil and gas producer swung to a pretax profit of $24 million from a $10 million loss in the same period last year. Two years of weak oil prices and, more recently, a technical issue that forced a one-month
  
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• Hinkley Point C is no more than a doomed attempt at face-saving

  27-07-2016 10:00 via theguardian.com
  
  With all the costs and risks involved, the spectre of George Osborne’s energy policy could haunt Britain for decadesGeorge Osborne’s reputation as a master political tactician may have gone the way of Leave’s £350m a week for the NHS, but the spectre of his misguided energy policy could haunt Britain for decades, and at Hinkley in north Somerset, for millennia. Theresa May’s government urgently need to seize the opportunity to minimise the damage, an opportunity whi
  
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• Oil falls to stay near three-month lows as headwinds persist

  27-07-2016 09:11
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Wednesday, staying close to their near three-month lows reached earlier this week, as plentiful supplies and slowing economic growth weighed on markets. Brent crude oil futures were trading at $44.67 at 0656 GMT, down 20 cents from their previous close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was trading down 23 cents from the previous session, at $42.69.
  
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• Tullow returns to profit as cost cuts pay off

  27-07-2016 08:29
  Africa-focused Tullow Oil returned to profit in the first half of the year despite weaker oil prices and lower production, as its stringent cost-cutting regime started to pay off. Tullow has effectively stopped spending money on exploration, typically used by oil companies to ensure growth, with capital expenditure on exploration activities in the first half down to $28 million. Last month, Tullow reduced its west African production target after technical issues at its key Jubilee field in Ghana
  
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• Philippines says ASEAN omission of arbitration case not a Chinese victory

  27-07-2016 07:04
  By Lesley Wroughton and Martin Petty MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines "vigorously pushed" for the inclusion of comment on an arbitration ruling in a joint statement from Southeast Asian countries but its failure to secure that was no diplomatic win for China, Manila's foreign minister said on Wednesday. The Philippines had not sought support from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) or the international community in its arbitration case against Beijing over the South China Sea, a
  
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• Britain offers new oil and gas licences amid exploration drought

  27-07-2016 07:03
  Britain has cut rental fees by up to 90 percent in its latest tender for oil and gas licences in the North Sea launched on Wednesday in a bid to attract companies to find new fields in the mature basin. Companies will now be able to apply for cheaper and more flexible licences to gain access to 1,261 blocks by Oct. 26, followed by licence awards to be issued by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) at a later date. The hunt for new oil and gas fields in the British part of the North Sea is expected to
  
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• North Korea accuses Seoul of 'cunning plot' to release snakes over border

  27-07-2016 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Soldiers sceptical after unseasonably high numbers of reptiles lead Pyongyang to suspect South Korean infiltrationNorth Korean border patrol guards have been ordered to capture snakes apparently released by South Korea to wreak havoc in its northern neighbour, sources have claimed.Pyongyang is said to have told the military that Seoul’s spy agency is behind the unseasonably high number of snakes in Ryanggang province, which borders China.Continue reading...
  
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• Leading insecticide cuts bee sperm by almost 40%, study shows

  27-07-2016 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Discovery provides possible explanation for increasing deaths of honeybees in recent years, according to scientists The world’s most widely used insecticide is an inadvertent contraceptive for bees, cutting live sperm in males by almost 40%, according to research. The study also showed the neonicotinoid pesticides cut the lifespan of the drones by a third.The scientists say the discovery provides one possible explanation for the increasing deaths of honeybees in recent years, as well as fo
  
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