Environment news

• Electricity retailers use lack of competition to exploit consumers, analysis says

  15-08-2016 23:57
  
  AGL, Origin and EnergyAustralia dominating the market, with consumers suffering most in South AustraliaElectricity retailers are price-gouging consumers in Australia, with the big three retailers exploiting a lack of competition and the complexity of electricity bills, according to the results of a new analysis.The situation was worst in South Australia, where retailers were making an average margin of $425 a year more than they did in the regulated market in the Australian Capital Territory, ac
  
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• Q&A smackdown: Brian Cox brings graphs to grapple with Malcolm Roberts

  15-08-2016 22:50
  
  One Nation senator-elect asks repeatedly for ‘empirical data’ – and the celebrity physicist has plenty at handThe celebrity physicist Brian Cox came prepared to the ABC’s Q&A on Monday night with graphs, ready to counter claims by his co-panellist, the climate denier and Australian senator-elect Malcolm Roberts.Roberts, one of four senators elected from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party, took the first opportunity to espouse long-refuted climate-denialist claims
  
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• This Colorado poet is disrupting Alaska’s commercial fishing industry

  15-08-2016 22:02
  
  Lacie Richardson is hoping her troll-caught Alaskan salmon will catch on with sustainably minded American shoppersLacie Richardson, a poet and Colorado native, first fell in love with Alaska’s waterways as a junior in college. Richardson spent a year studying at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau as part of an exchange program. When she wasn’t in class, she was fly fishing. “I kind of became known in the community as this crazy, wild fly-fishing girl who was out on th
  
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• Warming climate likely to have 'minor' impact on power plant output

  15-08-2016 21:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  Future climate warming will likely cause only minor cuts in energy output at most U.S. coal- or gas-fired power plants, a new Duke University study finds.The study -- the first of its kind based on real-world data -- rebuts recent modeling-based studies that warn rising temperatures will significantly lower the efficiency of power plants' cooling systems, thereby reducing plants' energy output. Those studies estimated that plant efficiencies could drop by as much as 1.3 percent for each 1 degree
  
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• Sewage sludge could make great sustainable fertilizer

  15-08-2016 20:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  Ever thought of putting sewage on your plants? Scientists say thermally conditioned sewage sludge serves as an excellent fertilizer to improve soil properties. This was recently published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Nutrition. The major advantage over commercial fertilizers? Sustainable re-use of essential and finite phosphorus resources.Phosphorus is a key nutrient for all living beings. When deficient in the diet, it severely compromises human health, and when deficient in agr
  
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• Electric cars could drive the future – but not without old-fashioned vehicles

  15-08-2016 19:55
  
  New report finds ‘that the energy of 87% of vehicle-days could be met by an existing, affordable electric vehicle’ – but that’s not quite good enoughElectric cars could take over most driving necessities tomorrow, according to a group of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but they’ll need the help of internal combustion engines to do it.Using travel surveys and global positioning data, the MIT team has evaluated the possible widespread use of e
  
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• New residential water heater concept promises high efficiency, lower cost

  15-08-2016 18:53 via feedproxy.google.com
  A team of scientists from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Florida has developed a novel method that could yield lower-cost, higher-efficiency systems for water heating in residential buildings.The theory behind the newly termed "semi-open" natural gas-fired design, explained in an ORNL-led paper published in Renewable Energy: An International Journal, reduces the cost and complexity of traditional closed gas-fired systems by streamlining, and e
  
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• SLAC, Stanford gadget grabs more solar energy to disinfect water faster

  15-08-2016 18:39 via feedproxy.google.com
  In many parts of the world, the only way to make germy water safe is by boiling, which consumes precious fuel, or by putting it out in the sun in a plastic bottle so ultraviolet rays will kill the microbes. But because UV rays carry only 4 percent of the sun's total energy, the UV method takes six to 48 hours, limiting the amount of water people can disinfect this way.Now researchers at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have created a nanostr
  
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• Salvage crew boards stricken Transocean Winner oil platform

  15-08-2016 18:24
  
  Semi-submersible drilling rig ran aground on coast of Isle of Lewis in Scotland as it was being towed to MaltaFourteen salvage experts have boarded the drilling rig that ran aground on the coast of the Isle of Lewis in Scotland last week, as the official overseeing the operation confirmed it could take weeks before the stricken oil platform can be moved. The 17,000-tonne semi-submersible rig, Transocean Winner, ran aground close to Dalmore beach last Monday as it was being towed from Norway to M
  
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• Louisiana faces ongoing flood danger as Obama declares federal disaster zone

  15-08-2016 18:07
  
  More than 20,000 people required rescue in a storm that put 12,000 people in shelters and killed at least six, and the state’s governor says ‘it is not over’Barack Obama declared Louisiana a federal disaster zone on Sunday after historic flash floods in the state left at least six people dead and caused more than 20,000 people to be rescued.The storm has put another 12,000 people into temporary shelters, Governor John Bel Edwards said during a press conference. Residents were p
  
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• Development banks co-ordinate climate finance in bid to drive global low-carbon transition

  15-08-2016 18:00
  
  Major Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) have demonstrated a strengthened collaborative commitment to track development flows for climate finance in an attempt to build on the momentum established at last year's Paris Agreement, as highlighted in an annual joint report.
  
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• FTSE at fresh 14-month high, Sage Group recovers

  15-08-2016 17:59
  By Kit Rees and Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) - UK shares rose on Monday, touching a fresh 14-month high after oil stocks rallied, with Sage Group recovering from an early fall after a data breach. The blue chip FTSE 100 index was up 0.4 percent at 6,941.19 points by the close, slightly outperforming continental European indexes. Royal Dutch Shell and BP rose 0.7 percent and 1 percent respectively after the price of oil hit an August high on speculation about potential producer action to prop
  
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• Oil extends rally to five-week highs on talk of producer action

  15-08-2016 17:41
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices hit five-week highs on Monday, gaining about 10 percent in a three-day rally as speculation intensified over potential producer action to support prices amid a crude glut. Data from market intelligence firm Genscape estimating a draw of more than 350,000 barrels at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery point for U.S. crude futures last week added to the bullish sentiment, said traders who saw the data. Brent crude rose $1.08, or 2.3 percent, to $48.05
  
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• Mobile phone manufacturers urged to explore circular economy

  15-08-2016 17:12
  
  Mobile phone manufacturers have been urged to implement a new business model that accounts for longer-lasting batteries and greater recyclability options as customers become disillusioned with the frequency of model upgrades.
  
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• Electric cars will need internal combustion engines, MIT scientists say

  15-08-2016 17:00
  
  New report finds ‘that the energy of 87% of vehicle-days could be met by an existing, affordable electric vehicle’ – but that’s not quite good enoughElectric cars could take over most driving necessities tomorrow, according to a group of scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but they’ll need the help of internal combustion engines to do it.Using travel surveys and global positioning data, the MIT team has evaluated the possible widespread use of e
  
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• Tropical sea urchins caught between a rock and a hot place

  15-08-2016 16:48 via feedproxy.google.com
  The balmy waters of the Caribbean could turn into a deadly heat trap for countless tiny creatures. Authors of a new study conducted at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama discovered that microscopic sea urchin eggs and larvae may suffer stunting or death when the water temperature spikes just a couple of degrees above normal, adding to the impact of climate change in already warm tropical oceans.Sea urchins, pincushion-shaped relatives of the starfish, graze the sea floo
  
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• East Libyan forces pledge move to 'secure' oil assets

  15-08-2016 16:44
  By Ayman al-Warfalli MARJ, Libya (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Libya's eastern government will secure major oil ports and fields to "protect" them, a senior commander said, signalling possible conflict with a U.N.-backed administration in Tripoli which is taking steps to restart crude production. Abdulrazak al-Nazhuri, chief-of-staff for General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), also restated a threat to target oil tankers that do not have permission from eastern authorities to dock. Si
  
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• Iraq parliament approves cabinet overhaul, bolstering PM Abadi

  15-08-2016 15:57
  By Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament approved the appointment of Jabar Ali al-Luaibi, former head of the main state oil firm, as oil minister in a cabinet overhaul on Monday that bolsters Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's leadership. Luaibi, who led the South Oil Company that produces most of the OPEC nation's crude, was one of six candidates Abadi nominated to fill vacant ministerial jobs. Parliament approved five of them, state television said, rejecting only Abadi's pick f
  
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• OPEC deal a tough task, as oil output freeze expectations rise

  15-08-2016 14:25
  By Rania El Gamal and Alex Lawler DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC will probably revive talks on freezing oil output levels when it meets non-OPEC nations next month as top exporter Saudi Arabia appears to want higher prices, according to OPEC sources, although Iran, Iraq and Russia present obstacles to a deal. Riyadh sharply raised expectations for a global production deal between on Thursday when Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said Saudi Arabia will work with OPEC and non-OPEC members to help st
  
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• Toyota tops list of greenest companies for clean energy revenue

  15-08-2016 14:14
  
  Automotive giant Toyota has beaten Siemens, Schneider Electrics and Panasonic to the top spot of the first Carbon Clean 200 rankings, which lists the world's largest publicly listed companies by revenue generated from clean energy products.
  
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• UK green energy sector needs nurturing over nuclear

  15-08-2016 14:08
  
  Technological advances mean the cost of renewables is coming down, representing far better value for taxpayers’ moneyBritain’s need for a coherent long-term energy strategy has been woefully neglected by governments of both left and right. One example is the furore over the plan for a new and hugely expensive nuclear power station at Hinkley Point. Another is provided by the latest official statistics on the sort of energy the UK uses and where it comes from.The good news is that Bri
  
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• Nature and the Nurture of Aerosols

  15-08-2016 14:07 via feedproxy.google.com
  You've seen it when flying into major cities the world over: a haze over the city. It is caused by aerosol particles, but scientists don't know all the details of the complex chemistry involved. At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Dr. Alla Zelenyuk and her team took on a specific part of that haze: originated from isoprene. After being released by the trees and shrubs, isoprene reacts in the atmosphere and becomes assorted chemicals, including IEPOX (isoprene epoxydiols). The team found th
  
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• Could public support for renewables derail UK fracking and nuclear projects?

  15-08-2016 13:26
  
  Amid a wave of discontent over the controversial fracking and Hinkley Point nuclear plant projects, recent developments suggest the general public are vying for low-carbon technologies to form the focal point of the UK Government's clean energy mix.
  
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• Phone companies release too many new models, say consumers

  15-08-2016 13:20
  
  A Greenpeace survey finds people would be happy to upgrade less often and think companies should be responsible for phone recyclingConsumers want manufacturers to release fewer mobile phone models and do more to help them recycle, according to a new study by Greenpeace.A survey of approximately 6,000 people across the US, Mexico, Russia, Germany, China and South Korea has found they have an average of at least three phones sitting at home (and more than five in Russia and Mexico). But more than
  
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• President Obama 'not done yet' with climate change commitment

  15-08-2016 13:16
  
  Despite entering his last term, President Obama has revealed that there is "still much more to do" in his effort to combat climate change, as new plans to release a second round of fuel efficiency standards and reach 50% clean energy targets across the US were announced.
  
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• Oil rises on talk of producer action, but excess looms

  15-08-2016 12:17
  By Libby George LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Monday to their highest in nearly a month, with benchmark Brent crude trading more than 10 percent above the start of August, as speculation intensified about potential producer action to support prices in an oversupplied market. Brent crude oil futures rose to a high for the month of $47.67 a barrel on Monday before dipping back to $47.10 per barrel at 0943 GMT, up 13 cents from their last settlement, and 11.3 percent above the last close in
  
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• Climate urgency: we've locked in more global warming than people realize | Dana Nuccitelli

  15-08-2016 12:00
  
  Today’s carbon pollution will have climate consequences for centuries to come. We’re in the midst of a critical decade
  While most people accept the reality of human-caused global warming, we tend not to view it as an urgent issue or high priority. That lack of immediate concern may in part stem from a lack of understanding that today’s pollution will heat the planet for centuries to come, as explained in this Denial101x lecture: Continue reading...
  
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• Iraqi parliament approves former South Oil head as oil minister

  15-08-2016 11:36
  Iraq's parliament approved on Monday the appointment of Jabar Ali al-Luaibi, a former head of state-run South Oil Company, as oil minister in an overhaul of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's cabinet, state television said. South Oil Company is the company that produces most of the OPEC nation's crude. South Oil is the company that produces most of the OPEC nation's crude.
  
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• FTSE at fresh 14-month high, though Sage Group slips

  15-08-2016 11:24
  By Kit Rees LONDON (Reuters) - UK shares rose on Monday, touching a fresh 14-month high after oil stocks rallied, though shares in Sage Group fell after a data breach. The blue chip FTSE 100 index was up 0.2 percent at 6,929.69 points by 0905 GMT, in line with a rally in the broader European market. Sage Group dropped 1.1 percent, slipping from a 16-year high after the business software firm said that an internal login had been used to gain unauthorised access to the data of some of its British
  
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• As the mercury soars, fear grows over ‘air-con effect’

  15-08-2016 11:22
  
  Energy experts warn more reliance on air conditioning, particularly in China, will accelerate climate changeMost of the world will have air conditioning in their homes, workplaces and cars within 20 years, requiring thousands of power stations to be built and potentially accelerating climate change, energy experts say.As temperatures shatter records worldwide in 2016 and Britain anticipates its second heatwave of the summer, demand for the technology is exploding. Continue reading...
  
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• Toyota, Tesla and Vestas ranked among world’s top green companies

  15-08-2016 11:20
  
  BusinessGreen: Clean 200 list finds world’s greenest large companies are outperforming most polluting counterparts by three to oneToyota, Tesla, Vestas, DONG Energy and Panasonic are among the top ranked companies in the first ever Carbon Clean 200 list, which claims the world’s greenest large companies are outperforming their more polluting counterparts by as much as three to one.Published today, the inaugural Clean 200 ranks the largest publicly listed companies worldwide by their
  
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• Russia says oil market talks with Saudi developing - newspaper

  15-08-2016 10:28
  Russia, the world's top oil producer, is consulting with Saudi Arabia and other producers to achieve oil market stability, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said, adding that the door is still open for more discussions on freezing output levels if needed. In an interview published on Monday Novak also told Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that a complete return of market stability is only likely in 2017. "With regard to the cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the dialogue between our two countries
  
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• Pilanguru people to fight on as uranium mine gets environmental approval

  15-08-2016 10:01
  
  Traditional owners say the Indigenous community has not been adequately consulted about Vimy Resources’ planned Mulga Rock open-pit mineTraditional owners have vowed to fight a proposed uranium mine at Mulga Rock, about 240km west of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, which was given conditional environmental approval on Monday.The Environmental Protection Authority of WA recommended the Barnett government approve construction of the open-pit mine and uranium processing plant, operated by Pert
  
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• Diageo reports 'good progress' towards environmental goals

  15-08-2016 10:00
  
  Multinational alcoholic beverage company Diageo has reported "notable improvements" in the management of water efficiency and reduction of carbon emissions and waste materials, as well as taking new steps to promote responsible drinking, in the group's latest CSR report.
  
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• Russia energy minister says oil market talks with Saudi developing - newspaper

  15-08-2016 09:46
  The Russian energy minister said his country is consulting with Saudi Arabia and other producers to achieve oil market stability, though he added that a complete return of stability is only likely in 2017, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Monday. In an interview published by the Saudi-owned daily newspaper, Alexander Novak also said the door is still open for further consultations on a production freeze if the need arises. "With regard to the cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the dialogue betw
  
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• Oil hits August high on potential producer action to prop up market

  15-08-2016 09:13
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices rose on Monday to fresh highs for the month of August, with the Brent benchmark gaining 11 percent since the start of the month, as speculation intensifies about potential producer action to support prices in an oversupplied market. Brent crude oil futures rose to a high for the month of $47.40 a barrel on Monday before dipping back to $47.30 per barrel at 0644 GMT, up 33 cents from their last settlement, and 11.3 percent above the last close
  
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• Kew Gardens in race to collect and preserve Madagascar's seeds

  15-08-2016 09:00
  
  Scientists creating backup of Madagascar’s flora at Kew’s seed bank as deforestation threatens African island’s biodiversityScientists are racing against time to create a backup of Madagascar’s famously rich and varied flora in a British seed bank before it is lost forever. Related: Madagascar's vanilla farmers face volatile times after poor harvestContinue reading...
  
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• New Forest being destroyed by growing number of ponies, says Chris Packham

  15-08-2016 08:01
  
  Overgrazing is causing loss of woodland and wildlife as populations of the native breed have risen partly due to taxpayer subsidies, says the naturalist The New Forest national park is being destroyed by overgrazing by its iconic ponies, driven in part by taxpayer subsidies, according to Chris Packham.The naturalist and broadcaster claims that overgrazing by the ponies, as well as cattle and deer, is causing loss of woodland and threatening species in one of the UK’s most important biodive
  
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• Lack of investment, payment delays hamper Venezuela oil output

  15-08-2016 07:09
  By Marianna Parraga CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela, which holds the world's largest crude reserves, is on track to suffer its steepest annual oil output drop in 14 years as it suffers the effects of an economic crisis and years of under investment and mismanagement, according to data seen by Reuters and interviews with company sources and workers. The state-run oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), is struggling to stem a production decline that has accelerated this year as a result of pay
  
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• Great Australian Bight oil rigs would significantly increase spill risk – report

  15-08-2016 06:59
  
  South Australian planning department says increased risk would come not only from oil rigs themselves but from subsequent increase in marine trafficPlans to drill for oil in the pristine Great Australian Bight marine park will significantly increase the risk of oil spills, both from the oil rigs and the increased shipping traffic, according to a report by the South Australian planning department.In an updated plan for how the government would handle an oil spill, the department included a specif
  
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• Sundial marks the passing centuries in a Cumbrian churchyard

  15-08-2016 06:30
  
  Waberthwaite, Cumbria The dial’s brass plate is coated with verdigris, as green-blue as a blackbird’s egg. “Why did they build it over five feet high?” “So horseback riders can read it.”The Esk tumbles down 16 mountainous miles from beneath the Scafells to meet its estuary near Waberthwaite church. High tides sometimes lap against the churchyard walls, but all is dry here today. I park nearby, and meet a couple of walkers who tell me they are heading along the
  
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• Oil prices firm on potential producer action to prop up market

  15-08-2016 03:13
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up early on Monday and have risen more than 10 percent since the start of the month as speculation intensifies about potential producer action to support prices in an oversupplied market. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $44.67 a barrel, up 18 cents from their last close. "Oil posted another ... gain as speculation of potential production freezes by OPEC picked up pace.
  
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• Oil prices edge up on potential producer action to prop up market

  15-08-2016 02:35
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up early on Monday and have risen more than 10 percent since the start of the month as speculation intensifies about potential producer action to support prices in an oversupplied market. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $44.65 a barrel, up 16 cents from their last close. "Oil posted another ... gain as speculation of potential production freezes by OPEC picked up pace.
  
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• Early-bird deadline for Sustainability Leaders Awards TOMORROW

  15-08-2016 02:01
  
  Individuals and organisations that are helping to deliver excellence within the green economy now have just one day left to take advantage of the early-bird entry to edie's 2017 Sustainability Leaders Awards.
  
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