Environment news

• 100 years ago: The first sweet scent of harvest

  31-07-2016 23:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 5 August 1916Surrey, August 3
  There is more straw to the wheat and oats on the later lands toward our southern border than appeared a fortnight ago to be possible. The crop has shot upward as it ripened; a narrow path that runs through one wheatfield is now walled almost breast-high, and the growth is so strong that the light breeze sings through the long yellowing stalks without perceptibly bending them. A piece of oats is cut, and brings with
  
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• South Yorkshire tap water restrictions to remain in place

  31-07-2016 16:52 via theguardian.com
  
  Yorkshire Water confirms it is safe for residents of Thorne and Moorends to use tap water if it is boiled firstThousands of people in South Yorkshire who have been unable to drink their tap water since Friday afternoon have been told restrictions will stay in place into Monday.
  High levels of bacteria were detected in the water supply of 3,600 properties in parts of Thorne, near Doncaster, and the neighbouring village of Moorends on Friday afternoon, and residents were told not to drink or cook
  
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• Can America's first floating wind farm shake off environmental concerns?

  31-07-2016 15:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Trident Winds proposes to install 765 megawatts’ worth of giant turbines on buoyant platforms in California, which could power more than 200,000 homesThe deep waters off the coast of California could become home to the country’s largest offshore wind energy project and a test case for a technology that is still in its infancy.The 765-megawatt project, proposed by Seattle-based Trident Winds, would sit about 25 miles off California’s central coast, near the town of Cambria. If b
  
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• America's first floating wind farm comes with environmental and wildlife hazards

  31-07-2016 15:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Trident Winds proposes to install 765 megawatts’ worth of giant turbines on buoyant platforms in California, which could power more than 200,000 homesThe deep waters off the coast of California could become home to the country’s largest offshore wind energy project and a test case for a technology that is still in its infancy.The 765-megawatt project, proposed by Seattle-based Trident Winds, would sit about 25 miles off California’s central coast, near the town of Cambria. If b
  
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• Islamic State attacks two energy plants in north Iraq, kills five

  31-07-2016 12:04
  By Mustafa Mahmoud KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State militants stormed two energy facilities in northern Iraq on Sunday, killing at least five workers and shutting down a major oil pumping station, security and oil sources said. Security sources believe the attackers escaped to the Bai Hassan oil station, 25 km further northwest, the sources said. The attack forced the suspension of activity at an oil station which had been pumping 55,000 barrels per day to the northern Kurdish region, oil
  
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• Eyewitness: Ixtapilla, Mexico

  31-07-2016 11:17 via theguardian.com
  
  Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading...
  
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• Militants attack second energy facility in northern Iraq - security sources

  31-07-2016 09:22
  BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Militants in northern Iraq stormed an oil facility on Sunday and detonated explosives at an oil storage tank, sending flames into the sky, security sources said. The assault on the Bai Hassan station, about 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Kirkuk, followed an attack in the early morning on a gas station nearby which left at least four workers dead. The sources said clashes were ongoing. It was not clear if there were casualties in the second incident. ...
  
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• How sun, salt and glass could help solve our energy needs

  31-07-2016 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  It looks like a set from a sci-fi epic, but this solar plant in the scorching Nevada desert has a far more practical purpose…High in the stark Nevada desert, a couple of hundred miles north-west of Las Vegas, is the shimmering circular mirage of Crescent Dunes. Ten thousand silvery glass panes, each measuring 115 square metres, surround a tall central tower, which stands like a twinkling needle in the featureless landscape around it. Resembling a fabulous alien metropolis, Crescent Dunes
  
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• The eco guide to clean beauty

  31-07-2016 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  It’s the next big thing in cosmetics, but to be more than a fad it must be sustainableAn umbrella term meaning organic, natural, non-toxic/safe and ethical, “clean beauty” is the next thing in the beauty industry. Sales of clean products seem to be outperforming conventional brands, many of which use unsustainable petro- chemicals. Cleancult.co recently held the UK’s first clean beauty show.This interest has led to a rush by giant beauty industry players to reformulate to
  
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• From solar boom to bill shock: Australians face loss of rooftop payments

  31-07-2016 06:10 via theguardian.com
  
  About 275,000 people across the country will have their solar energy payments reduced by up to 80% over the next six monthsJonathan Shaw got solar panels installed on the roof of his home in Sydney in 2011 and ever since has been riding something of a gravy train.He has been getting 60c for every kWh he sells back to the grid. That’s much more than the 25c he pays for each kWh he buys from the grid. Continue reading...
  
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• The Observer view on Hinkley Point | Observer editorial

  31-07-2016 01:07 via theguardian.com
  
  Delaying a decision on the planned nuclear plant has done more than merely ruffle diplomatic feathersEight long years in the making: the plans to build Hinkley Point C have been beset by delays and difficulties. In recent months, the government has pressed French company EDF for a decision to proceed, while EDF has resisted setting a timetable. But last Thursday, the tables turned dramatically: EDF finally signalled its go-ahead, then just hours later, the government announced it would delay its
  
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