Environment news

• Oil falls, U.S. crude ends below $40 on nagging glut worry

  02-08-2016 21:34
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell again on Tuesday, erasing early gains and dragging U.S. crude below $40 a barrel as persistent worries of a glut offset the boost from a weak dollar early in the session. U.S. crude futures settled down more than 1 percent after initially rising over 2 percent, traders said. A slide in U.S. equities also weighed.
  
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• When nature puts on a happy face: Hawaiian volcano erupts into smile

  02-08-2016 20:12
  
  The Kilauea volcano’s lava looked like a smiley face but stars, craters and spiders have also resembled the popular symbol for happinessAn erupting volcano in Hawaii was all smiles last week – and no, it wasn’t a Disney animation. The lava of Kilauea, a shield volcano on Hawaii’s biggest island, appeared to form a smiley face as it erupted. The volcano has been active since 1983, with lava emerging from the Pu‘u ‘O‘o vent. As the smile appeared, lava fro
  
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• PM May: Britain will continue to seek investment from around the world

  02-08-2016 20:10
  Britain will continue to seek investment from around the world, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday after a meeting of senior ministers to discuss a new economic and industrial strategy. "The discussion ... underlined that Britain is open for business, we continue to seek investment from around the world and we will continue to be a strong advocate for free trade," the spokesman said in a statement. May decided last week she wanted more time to review a deal to build Brita
  
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• Libya's NOC wary of broken promises in oil ports deal

  02-08-2016 19:27
  By Rania El Gamal DUBAI (Reuters) - Libya's National Oil Corporation, which hopes to more than quadruple the country's oil output by the end of this year, remains wary that promises to reopen blockaded ports could be broken, the NOC chief in Tripoli told Reuters on Tuesday. Libya's U.N.-backed government has signed a deal with an armed brigade controlling the major Ras Lanuf and Es Sider oil ports to end a blockade and restart exports from the terminals, which have been shut since December 2014.
  
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• U.S. crude back below $40 as oil erases early gains on glut worry

  02-08-2016 18:31
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell more than 1 percent on Tuesday, erasing early gains and pushing U.S. crude back below $40 a barrel as persistent worries of a glut offset the impact of a weak dollar that initially propped the market. A slide in U.S. equities also forced U.S. crude futures, which plunged below the $40 level on Monday for the first time since April, to give back early gains of as much as 2 percent, traders said. "There is much talk about the product glut rep
  
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• Businesses must embrace the 'radical paradigm' of sustainability, says Interface

  02-08-2016 18:05
  
  Many businesses are at risk from being left behind during a global low-carbon transition by failing to address the "elephant in the room", choosing instead to focus on sustainable business models rather than products that combat real issues and global trends.
  
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• Businesses must embrace the 'radical paradigm' of sustainability

  02-08-2016 18:05
  
  Many businesses are at risk from being left behind in the global low-carbon transition by failing to address the "elephant in the room"; choosing to focus on sustainable business models rather than products that combat real issues and global trends.
  
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• Britain must respect Chinese investors, says head of UK manufacturing body

  02-08-2016 17:59
  By William James LONDON (Reuters) - Britain must respect Chinese investors, whose vast wealth may be crucial to the future of the economy, the head of the British manufacturing organisation said on Tuesday after a last-minute delay on a partly Chinese-funded nuclear deal. Prime Minister Theresa May decided last week she wanted more time to review a deal to build the country's first nuclear power plant in decades - a project funded by French utility EDF and Chinese partner China General Nuclear.
  
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• Environmental records shattered as climate change 'plays out before us'

  02-08-2016 17:00
  Temperatures, sea levels and carbon dioxide all hit milestones amid extreme weather in 2015, major international ‘state of the climate’ report findsThe world is careening towards an environment never experienced before by humans, with the temperature of the air and oceans breaking records, sea levels reaching historic highs and carbon dioxide surpassing a key milestone, a major international report has found. Related: Anthrax outbreak triggered by climate change sickens dozens in Arc
  
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• Olympics will not hinder Brazil's giant corruption probe - police chief

  02-08-2016 16:21
  CURITIBA, Brazil (Reuters) - The Olympic Games will not hinder a giant corruption investigation centered on state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA but could reduce the number of police available for arrests and sweeps, police chief Igor Romario said on Tuesday. Thousands of police officers have been posted in Rio de Janeiro to beef up security ahead of South America's first Olympics, which start on Friday. Earlier on Tuesday, the federal police arrested two people as part of an investigati
  
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• Oil rises 2 percent but oversupply concerns remain

  02-08-2016 16:20
  U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 67 cents at $40.73 a barrel, having reached a session high of $40.91. "There is much talk about the product glut replacing the oil glut, and this is a worrisome indicator for crude demand," said Frank Klumpp, oil analyst at Stuttgart-based Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg. Record inventory levels, additional supply capacity and weaker demand expectations led Natixis analysts to reduce their 2016 oil price estimates on Tuesday.
  
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• The new green grid: utilities deploy ‘virtual power plants’

  02-08-2016 16:11
  
  Yale Environment 360: By linking together networks of energy-efficient buildings, solar installations, and batteries, a growing number of companies in the US and Europe are helping utilities reduce energy demand at peak hours and supply targeted areas with renewably generated electricity
  The tens of thousands of tons of natural gas that surged into the Southern California sky late last year were supposed to have fueled the region’s power plants and heated its homes. Instead, the massive le
  
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• Leslie Jesch obituary

  02-08-2016 15:46
  
  My father, Leslie Jesch, who has died aged 90, was a leading authority on the application of solar energy and a pioneer in the development of renewables internationally, and especially across Europe.He was born László Jesch in Budapest, the son of László Jesch, an electrical engineer and college principal, and his wife Ilona (nee Láng), who before she married had supported her large family by making the popular Hungarian food tarhonya, a sort of egg-based pasta
  
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• Raccoon, mongoose and cabbage among invasive species banned from UK

  02-08-2016 15:24
  
  New EU regulation blacklists 37 non-native plant and animal species in a bid to tackle threats to native wildlife and economic lossesThe north American raccoon, an Asian hornet and an American cabbage are among 37 invasive species that will be banned from being brought into the UK from Wednesday when a new EU regulation comes into effect. The continent-wide rules now make it illegal to import, keep, breed or grow, transport, sell or use, or release into the environment without a permit the liste
  
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• Farmers and migrant workers: how has Brexit affected you?

  02-08-2016 14:54
  
  If you are a farmer or migrant worker employed on a farm we’d like to hear from you
  We’re interested in hearing from farmers who are concerned about the effect losing season workers from Europe could have.
  If you are a seasonal worker or a farmer who employs overseas workers we’d like to hear from you. How has Brexit affected you? If you have travelled from Europe to work on a farm in the UK we’d like to hear your experiences too. You can share your stories with us by fil
  
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• Costa Express served ISO 14001 sustainability standard

  02-08-2016 14:37
  
  Costa Coffee has been awarded the ISO 14001 International Standard for Environmental Management Systems for its self-serve 'Express' outlets, less than a week after the organisation was scrutinised for its approach to managing waste coffee cups.
  
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• Bournemouth set to create world's largest 'work of art' from recycled plastic

  02-08-2016 14:37
  
  Residents of Bournemouth will receive an opportunity to set a new world record during the upcoming Air Festival weekend (18-21 August), after the council signed up to a plastics recycling campaign to make the largest work of art made from recycled plastic packaging.
  
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• Britain's lights could go out if Hinkley Point ditched - Labour contender

  02-08-2016 14:36
  Britain should get on with approving the $24 billion Hinkley Point nuclear power project otherwise the world's fifth-largest economy could face power shortages in the future, said the man seeking to lead Britain's opposition Labour Party. Prime Minister Theresa May's decision to review the building of Britain's first nuclear plant in decades has raised concerns that her new government takes a sterner view of Chinese investment, potentially souring ties with Beijing. Owen Smith, who is seeking to
  
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• Research head urges UK to seize Brexit opportunity

  02-08-2016 13:52 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The man who has taken charge of UK research funding says Brexit presents scientists with an opportunity.
  
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• Brazilian police arrest two as corruption probe turns to major builder

  02-08-2016 13:46
  Brazil's federal police said on Tuesday they had arrested two people and raided properties over alleged corruption at building firm Queiroz Galvao, widening a sweeping investigation focused on state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro. "Operation Carwash" was launched two years ago to tackle price fixing, bribery and political kickbacks at Petrobras. Police were carrying out a third arrest warrant, said a police spokesman, who declined to name the people who were arrested but confirmed the move
  
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• Diesel vehicle purchases banned by City of London Corporation

  02-08-2016 13:26
  
  London's struggling attempt to battle rising air pollution was given a welcome boost on Monday (1 August), after the City of London Corporation announced a ban on the purchase of diesel vehicles for its business fleets.
  
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• UK's carbon footprint rises 3%

  02-08-2016 13:23
  
  Greenhouse gas emissions increased slightly between 2012 and 2013, official figures showThe “carbon footprint” for the pollution caused by UK consumption has increased slightly, official figures show.
  The amount of greenhouse gases linked to goods and services consumed by UK households, including emissions from the foreign manufacture of imported products, rose by 3% between 2012 and 2013, the most recent data shows. Continue reading...
  
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• Caesars bets big on corporate sustainability goals

  02-08-2016 13:17
  
  American gaming goliath Caesars Entertainment is going "all in" on its CodeGreen environmental performance targets, after outlining reductions to energy use, waste and emissions in its latest corporate sustainability report.
  
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• Are local efforts to save coral reefs bound to fail?

  02-08-2016 12:59
  
  Two recent reports on the state of the world’s coral reefs appear to contradict each other. But which is right?Over the last six weeks, scientists have published two major reports on coral reef resilience that appear to contradict each other. The first - “Bright spots among the world’s coral reefs” was produced by 39 scientists led by Professor Josh Cinner of James Cook University in Australia and drew on data from 6000 reef surveys from all over the world. Cinner et al c
  
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• Oil takes breather from losses but oversupply concerns remain

  02-08-2016 12:48
  Global benchmark Brent crude was trading up 49 cents at $42.63 a barrel at 1031 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 38 cents at $40.44 a barrel, after briefly dipping below $40. "There is much talk about the product glut replacing the oil glut, and this is a worrisome indicator for crude demand," said Frank Klumpp, oil analyst at Stuttgart-based Landesbank Baden-Wuerttemberg.
  
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• Mark Rylance heads list of artists calling for end to BP cultural sponsorship

  02-08-2016 12:43
  
  Oscar-winning actor among 214 signatories of an open letter demanding cancellation of oil firm’s new five-year arts sponsorship deal Hundreds of figures in the arts and science, including Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance, artist Conrad Atkinson, composer Matthew Herbert and author Naomi Klein, have called for BP’s new five-year sponsorship deals with some of Britain’s leading cultural institutions to be cancelled.Rylance, who is the former artistic director of Shakespeare&rsquo
  
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• Indonesian seaweed farmers to file $200m class action over Timor Sea oil spill

  02-08-2016 10:35
  
  Timor Sea communities due to file in Australian federal court claiming compensation from PTTEP AustralasiaMore than 13,000 Indonesian seaweed farmers are launching a $200m class action against the company they claim was responsible for Australia’s worst offshore oil spill, which sent millions of litres of oil towards their shores.The action to be filed in the federal court in Sydney on Wednesday follows a seven-year fight for justice by Timor Sea communities, who say their lives changed dr
  
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• Rotork warns of continued impact from weak oil prices

  02-08-2016 09:06
  (Reuters) - Valve-control systems maker Rotork Plc said it expected cost-cutting initiatives to support its full-year performance, as its clients tighten spending to combat weak oil prices. Shares of the company fell 4.5 percent to 204 pence at 0701 GMT on the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday. "We anticipate that activity in the oil and gas markets will remain subdued, and the timing of order placement will be difficult to forecast," Chief Executive Peter France said.
  
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• U.S. crude edges back over $40, but oversupply still weighs

  02-08-2016 08:58
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up on Tuesday after U.S. crude broke below $40 per barrel the previous session, but traders said fuel markets continued to be dogged by excess production. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $40.21 a barrel at 0649 GMT, up 15 cents from its last close after dipping below $40 for the first time since April the previous session. International Brent crude oil futures were trading at $42.33 per barrel, up 19 cents from their las
  
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• Giant sinkhole takes huge chunk of Australian back yard – video

  02-08-2016 08:52
  
  Dramatic footage from Channel Nine shows a widening sinkhole swallowing a good portion of a back yard in Ipswich, Queensland. The house is owned by a retired couple. A century-old mine shaft has been blamed for the sudden emergence of a six- to eight-metre hole filled with water. The mayor of Ipswich, Paul Pisasale, told AAP he had assured Lyn and Ray McKay that their house would not disappear overnight and engineers were confident of fixing the sinkhole. ‘It’s an exploratory shaft t
  
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• Bilston's revival: the pursuit of happiness in a Black Country town

  02-08-2016 08:30
  
  In the 1940s, the West Midlands town of Bilston had been scarred by years of coal mining, with thousands of its houses uninhabitable – so it invited the philosopher Otto Neurath to become its ‘happiness consultant’. Did it work?Are you happy living in Bilston? “Why wouldn’t I be?” giggles a young mother pushing a stroller through a pub car park on the Stowlawn Estate.My question is not as daft as it sounds. Seventy-one years ago, this corner of the Black Count
  
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• Better than money – yellow-rattle's priceless gifts

  02-08-2016 06:30
  
  Blackwater Carr, Norfolk If not wealth for cuckoos, the flowers are indisputable riches for bumblebeesAs I write I have a small canvas bag of yellow-rattle seed on my desk. It bulges now like a full purse and the disk-like flattened seeds jangle a little like cash when shuggled about. In fact, if I bought it commercially, it would be the equivalent of £30, which is not bad for two hours’ work.I find it intriguing to discover how a suite of old names once did link yellow-rattle to man
  
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• Wooden surfboards to mushroom handplanes: the surf companies tackling ocean waste – gallery

  02-08-2016 06:00
  
  Ocean waste is a serious problem for companies emotionally and physically connected to the sea, said the founder of outdoor clothing company Finisterre in a recent Guardian debate, but that connection also gives them a strong incentive to find solutions. Here we profile some of the companies doing just that Continue reading...
  
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• Mushroom handplanes and wooden surfboards: the surf companies tackling ocean waste – gallery

  02-08-2016 06:00
  
  Ocean waste is a serious problem for companies emotionally and physically connected to the sea, but that connection also gives them a strong incentive to find solutions, said the founder of outdoor clothing company Finisterre in a recent Guardian debate. Here we profile some of the companies doing just that Continue reading...
  
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• UN tries to hide involvement in deleting Australia from its climate report

  02-08-2016 04:59
  
  Federal environment department says Unesco sought and was granted heavy redactions in freedom of information documents The United Nations has tried to cover up its involvement in the Australian government’s successful attempt to have all mentions of the country removed from a report on climate change and world heritage sites, freedom of information documents show.In May, Unesco published a report with the UN’s environment program, Unep, and the Union of Concerned Scientists about the
  
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• Antarctic sea ice may be a source of mercury in Southern Ocean fish and birds

  02-08-2016 04:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  New research has found methylmercury – a potent neurotoxin – in sea ice in the Southern Ocean.Published today in the journal Nature Microbiology, the results are the first to show that sea-ice bacteria can change mercury into methylmercury, a more toxic form that can contaminate the marine environment, including fish and birds.If ingested, methylmercury can travel to the brain, causing developmental and physical problems in foetuses, infants and children.
  
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• U.S. crude oil edges back over $40, but oversupply still weighs

  02-08-2016 04:24
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up in early trading on Tuesday after U.S. crude broke below $40 per barrel the previous session, but traders said fuel markets continued to be dogged by excess production. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was at $40.16 a barrel at 0148 GMT, up 10 cents from its last close after dipping below $40 for the first time since April the previous session. International Brent crude oil futures were trading at $42.34 per barrel, up 20 cen
  
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• Crowd dynamics

  02-08-2016 04:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The World Music Festival, Womad, hosted a science pavilion this year, but are such initiatives successful?
  
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• Last woolly mammoths 'died of thirst'

  02-08-2016 03:39 via bbc.co.uk
  
  One of the last known populations of woolly mammoths became extinct because of a lack of drinking water, a study concludes.
  
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• Slow-motion replays can distort criminal responsibility

  02-08-2016 03:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Slow-motion replays of crimes in courtrooms may be distorting the outcomes of trials, according to US research.
  
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