Environment news

• FIVE days left to enter edie's Sustainability Leaders Awards

  07-09-2016 22:19
  
  Deadline day is fast approaching: individuals and organisations have until Tuesday, 13 September to get their entry in for edie's 2017 Sustainability Leaders Awards, which celebrate excellence within the green economy.
  
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• Energy companies call on MPs to save Australia's renewables agency funding

  07-09-2016 22:10 via theguardian.com
  
  AGL, GE and Tesla join 21 other companies in open letter calling for the $1.3bn planned cut to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to be droppedSome of Australia’s best-known energy companies including AGL, GE and Tesla, have joined calls to halt plans to cut $1.3bn from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.The 24 companies signed an open letter to parliamentarians released by the Clean Energy Council. Continue reading...
  
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• Climate change blamed for collapse of Hawaiian forest birds

  07-09-2016 21:43
  HONOLULU (AP) — Native forest birds on the Hawaiian island of Kauai are rapidly dying off and facing the threat of extinction as climate change heats up their habitat and allows mosquito-borne diseases to thrive, according to a study released Wednesday.
  
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• Oil up nearly 2 percent on possible production freeze, inventory data eyed

  07-09-2016 21:26
  By Scott DiSavino NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose 1.5 percent on Wednesday as the market focused on the possibility that the world's top producers would agree on an output freeze. Trade was choppy as some traders eyed U.S. oil inventory data due late Wednesday and Thursday morning for clearer direction. Oil hit a one-week high on Monday after Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed to cooperate on stabilising the oil market.
  
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• The pope, population and ecological sins | Letters

  07-09-2016 20:48 via theguardian.com
  
  Professor Colin Green (Letters, 7 September) makes a classic first-world myopic error in believing that the rise in human population is mainly responsible for the impending ecological crisis. It is not numbers of people per se damaging the planet, but frenetic consumption in the wealthy world that lies behind anthropogenic climate change. You can curb family sizes in poor countries all you like – if you have the moral stomach for such gross colonialism and denial of essential human freedom
  
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• Leading ocean advocacy groups join forces to tackle microfiber pollution

  07-09-2016 20:46 via theguardian.com
  
  In a sign that the tide is turning against toxic microplastics, a new coalition has been formed to try to stop microfibers from poisoning our oceansTwo leading clean ocean advocacy groups have joined forces to stop tiny synthetic clothing fibers from polluting the world’s waterways and poisoning the food chain.Plastic Soup Foundation (PSF), a Dutch nonprofit, and New York-based Parley for the Oceans announced Tuesday a partnership to tackle the issue of microfiber pollution and to create a
  
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• Smartphone study on weather and pain reveals early data

  07-09-2016 20:24 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An 18-month study looking at how the weather affects chronic pain reveals some surprising preliminary results.
  
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• Brexit vote was great relief for UK fishing industry, peers told

  07-09-2016 19:32 via theguardian.com
  
  Withdrawal from EU will enable Britain to regain control of its waters and become a top seafood exporter, leaders sayBrexit is a big “prize” for the fishing industry and will enable it to become a world-leading seafood exporter like Norway, the House of Lords has been told.Withdrawal from the EU would enable Britain to regain control of its waters after decades of “common grazing” rights assigned to European neighbours, fishing leaders said. Continue reading...
  
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• UEA criticised by notable alumni for 'thuggish' development plans

  07-09-2016 18:38 via theguardian.com
  
  Ian McEwan and Andrew Motion among those opposed to University of East Anglia’s rugby and parking development on wildflower meadowsA university with an international reputation for environmental science has been criticised by alumni including Ian McEwan and Andrew Motion for seeking to build a car park and rugby pitch on wildflower meadows. The University of East Anglia’s (UEA) plans have been branded “crude” and “thuggish” by McEwan, while Motion, the former
  
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• Investigation ordered as Russian river turns red

  07-09-2016 18:28 via theguardian.com
  
  Pipeline is feared to have broken in Arctic city of Norilsk, where Daldykan river runs close to nickel-producing factoryRussian authorities have ordered an investigation into a possible pipeline break after a river in the nickel-producing Arctic city of Norilsk turned bright red.
  Social media users began sharing photos of the unnaturally red Daldykan river on Tuesday, with some writing that it had also changed colour in June.Continue reading...
  
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• Future fisheries can expect $10 billion revenue loss due to climate change

  07-09-2016 18:20 via feedproxy.google.com
  Global fisheries stand to lose approximately $10 billion of their annual revenue by 2050 if climate change continues unchecked, and countries that are most dependent on fisheries for food will be the hardest hit, finds new UBC research.Climate change impacts such as rising temperatures and changes in ocean salinity, acidity and oxygen levels are expected to result in decreased catches, as previous research from UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries has found. In this study, the authors ex
  
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• Oil edges higher, up 1 percent in choppy session

  07-09-2016 18:02
  By Scott DiSavino NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices edged 1 percent higher on Wednesday in a volatile session as the market weighs the prospect of higher supplies against the possibility that the world's top producers could agree on a production freeze. "The market is trying to establish a balance in the mid $40s with supply being relatively high internationally versus the prospect that OPEC and non-OPEC members might come to an agreement that would support markets," said Tony Headrick, energy ana
  
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• Judge halts North Dakota pipeline contruction temporarily after protests

  07-09-2016 16:52 via theguardian.com
  
  Standing Rock Sioux tribe clashed with construction crew over weekend, saying the $3.8bn Dakota Access Pipeline disrupts land with ‘great historic significance’An American Indian tribe succeeded on Tuesday in getting a federal judge to temporarily stop construction on some, but not all, of a $3.8bn four-state oil pipeline, but its broader request still hangs in the balance.James Boasberg, a US district court judge, said on Tuesday that work will temporarily stop between North Dakota&
  
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• Tsunami simulator recreates devastating waves for first time in a lab

  07-09-2016 16:51 via theguardian.com
  
  Huge tank in Oxfordshire replicates the power and shape of the waves and will lead to improved coastal defences, building design and response plansThe full and devastating power of tsunamis has been recreated in lab for the first time, revealing valuable secrets about the little-understood waves. The work will lead to vital improvements to sea defences, coastal buildings and evacuation plans, ultimately saving lives.Five major tsunamis have struck coasts around the world since 2004, killing 300,
  
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• Toxic air pollution nanoparticles discovered in the human brain

  07-09-2016 16:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  A team involving Oxford University scientists has, for the first time, discovered tiny magnetic particles from air pollution lodged in human brains – and researchers think they could be a possible cause of Alzheimer's disease.Researchers led by Lancaster University found abundant magnetite nanoparticles in the brain tissue of 37 individuals aged three to 92 who lived in Mexico City and Manchester. This strongly magnetic mineral is toxic and has been implicated in the production of reactive
  
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• Saving Africa's elephants isn't just a 'white man's job'

  07-09-2016 16:33 via theguardian.com
  
  Kenyan conservationist Paula Kahumbu leads a new generation of Africans who are taking control of their environmental futureIn the cool and serene area of Karen, near Nairobi, in the offices of the conservation organisation she has built, Paula Kahumbu eats chicken and rice and talks about a revolution. Related: Why the Guardian is spending a year reporting on the plight of elephantsContinue reading...
  
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• Oil rises, but doubt over output deal curbs gains

  07-09-2016 15:55
  By Amanda Cooper LONDON (Reuters) - Oil edged up on Wednesday partly thanks to a weaker U.S. dollar, but the limited likelihood of a near-term agreement among the world's biggest exporters to tackle a global surplus by curbing production kept gains in check. November Brent crude futures rose 25 cents to $47.51 a barrel by 1345 GMT, while U.S. crude futures added 29 cents at $45.12 a barrel. Oil hit a one-week high on Monday after Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed to cooperate on stabilising the oil
  
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• Solar tuk-tuk journey halted by robbery in France

  07-09-2016 14:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A seven-month solo journey from India to the UK in a solar and electric-powered tuk-tuk has been paused after the driver's passport was stolen near Paris.
  
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• UK factory output posts biggest drop in a year after Brexit vote

  07-09-2016 14:10
  By Andy Bruce and William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) - British manufacturing output fell in July at the fastest pace in a year, confirming earlier signs that factories took an immediate hit after the vote to leave the European Union, official data showed on Wednesday. Overall industrial output unexpectedly rose thanks to strong oil and gas production, boosting the chances that Britain's economy, while slowing, will avoid a recession. BoE Governor Mark Carney is due to speak to lawmakers at 1315
  
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• Leonard Nimoy's Deadly Disease Focus of New Documentary Trailer

  07-09-2016 13:59
  
  The declining health of Leonard Nimoy — the famous "Star Trek" actor who played Spock in the original series and died at age 83 in February 2015 — comes into sharp focus in a new trailer for "Highly Illogical: A Special Tribute to Leonard Nimoy," a documentary about the disease that killed him. Nimoy died of complications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which occurs when the lungs are chronically inflamed and the patient finds it hard to breathe. In a new trailer for
  
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• Nick Hurd: Paris Agreement ratification must be matched by business-driven domestic policy

  07-09-2016 13:55
  
  The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Minister of State has confirmed that the UK will ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change "as soon as possible", but insisted that the treaty must be replicated by a resilient domestic low-carbon energy policy developed in collaboration with the business sector.
  
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• Greg Clark: Britain's industrial strategy needs an upgrade fit for the future

  07-09-2016 13:35
  
  Britain's industrial strategy will seek to provide easier routes to market for new business models and tap into the benefits of innovation and competition to allow for the creation of more sustainable products and services, Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark has said.
  
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• AkzoNobel launches bio-renewable coating following anti-fouling accusations

  07-09-2016 13:35
  
  Paint and coatings manufacturer AkzoNobel has launched a new biocide-free coating offering fuel and carbon savings for ships, just weeks after the company was accused of forming part of the "worst catastrophe to hit the marine environment".
  
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• China's oil majors to divulge pipeline details in government reform plan

  07-09-2016 13:31
  China's three oil majors will have to divulge intricate details about their vast networks of oil and gas pipelines, the government said on Wednesday, a key step towards increasing transparency for potential new entrants and customers. The energy ministry said on Wednesday Sinopec, CNOOC and China National Petroleum Corp (CNCP) were required to release data, such as opening dates, pipeline type, capacity, route and pricing formulas before Oct. 31. The announcement underscores Beijing's new push t
  
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• Water supplies in Syria deteriorating fast due to conflict, experts warn

  07-09-2016 13:28 via theguardian.com
  
  Lack of access to safe water in the war-torn country is driving migration and disease and pollution, say hydrologists and humanitarian groupsWar-torn Syria’s water supplies are deteriorating fast, triggering migration and disease and stoking a pollution crisis in neighbouring Lebanon, hydrologists and humanitarian groups have warned.
  “Water security continues to deteriorate for many civilians [in Syria]. Evidence shows that control over power and water infrastructure is [being] used
  
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• Nigerian army says arrests Avengers leader, other militants

  07-09-2016 13:16
  Nigeria's military said on Wednesday it had arrested a suspected leader of the Niger Delta Avengers militant group and other men accused of attacking oil and gas infrastructure. Soldiers, backed up by the air force and security officers, detained Isaac Romeo with two other men over the weekend in Calabar, the capital of Cross River state in the Delta region, the military said.
  
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• Former Japan PM accuses Abe of lying over Fukushima pledge

  07-09-2016 13:15 via theguardian.com
  
  Junichiro Koizumi disputes current leader’s description of situation at stricken nuclear power plant as being under controlJapan’s former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi has labelled the country’s current leader, Shinzo Abe, a “liar” for telling the international community that the situation at the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is under control.Koizumi, who became one of Japan’s most popular postwar leaders during his 2001-06 premiership, has
  
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• The oceans are heating up. That's a big problem on a blue planet | Bill McKibben

  07-09-2016 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  An increase in water temperatures is having a profound effect that, with hidden stores of frozen methane thawing out, will soon start to feed on itselfSo, just as a refresher, it’s always good to remember that we live on an ocean planet. Most of the Earth’s surface is salt water, studded with the large islands we call continents.It’s worth recalling this small fact – which can slip our minds, since we humans congregate on the patches of dry ground – because new data
  
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• MPs to debate ban on grouse shooting

  07-09-2016 12:56 via theguardian.com
  
  Issue to be discussed in parliament after petition backed by leading conservationists gets more than 120,000 signatures MPs will debate whether to ban driven grouse shooting after a petition created by a leading conservationist passed the threshold of more than 100,000 signatures.Mark Avery, a campaigner and former head of the RSPB, launched the petition in March with backing from broadcasters Chris Packham and Bill Oddie, and the League Against Cruel Sports, calling for grouse shooting to be ba
  
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• Gatwick to build world's first airport energy-from-waste facility

  07-09-2016 12:17
  
  Gatwick will become the first airport in the world to generate energy from Category 1 waste, when it launches an onsite processing plant in November.
  
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• Rebels say kill 12 Angolan soldiers in oil region clash

  07-09-2016 12:14
  Separatist rebels said they killed 12 soldiers in Angola, part of a flare-up of violence in a region that produces half the southern African state's oil. The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) said it ambushed the troops in the northern Buco-Zau region, near the border with the Republic of Congo on Sunday. FLEC has stepped up activities since the death of its 88-year-old founder Nzita Tiago in June and reported three clashes with government troops in August.
  
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• Oceana’s first North Sea expedition - in pictures

  07-09-2016 11:52 via theguardian.com
  
  The ocean conservation society last week completed its first-ever expedition to document the richness of habitats and threats to marine life in waters off the Netherlands, UK, Norway and Denmark. The results from the two-month, at-sea study will be used to strengthen marine protection in the region Continue reading...
  
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• Why Labour is putting energy reform at the heart of its green agenda | Jeremy Corbyn

  07-09-2016 11:42 via theguardian.com
  
  No issue better connects the environment to people’s lives than energy. In order to deliver clean, affordable electricity we need to change our undemocratic system of supplyWe are on course for a climate catastrophe. 2016 is set to be the hottest year on record. Unless the Paris agreement’s target of limiting the rise in temperatures by 1.5C is met, heatwaves like that in 2003, which killed tens of thousands of people in Europe, will become the norm. And that is before considering ri
  
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• Oil rises, but doubt over output deal tempers rally

  07-09-2016 11:21
  November Brent crude futures rose 49 cents to $47.75 a barrel by 0900 GMT, while U.S. crude futures added 46 cents at $45.29 a barrel. Oil hit a one-week high on Monday after Russia and Saudi Arabia agreed to cooperate on stabilising the oil market.
  
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• Corbyn pledges to ban fracking as part of Labour's new green agenda

  07-09-2016 10:46 via theguardian.com
  
  Labour leader to announce plans to massively increase renewable energy and phase out coal power earlier than currently plannedA Labour government under Jeremy Corbyn would ban fracking, ditch all coal-fired power stations and massively increase renewable energy, his leadership campaign has announced.In the clearest signal yet that the party intends to embrace an ambitious environmental agenda and break its traditional strong links to mining and fossil fuel extraction, the Labour leader has pledg
  
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• Chinese coast guard involved in most South China Sea clashes - research

  07-09-2016 10:29
  While the risks of full-blown naval conflict dominates strategic fears over the disputed waterway, the danger of incidents involving coast guards should not be underestimated, said Bonnie Glaser, a regional security expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank. China claims much of the South China Sea, which carries the bulk of Northeast Asia's trade with the rest of the world. CSIS researchers have detailed some 45 clashes and standoffs in the South China Sea
  
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• What we want from BEIS: a wishlist for the green economy - Part two

  07-09-2016 09:30
  
  EXCLUSIVE: In the second of edie's two-part feature, sustainability professionals, politicians, businessmen and environmental activists complete a hit-list of green policy priorities in the new Parliamentary session.
  
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• Daimler to sell Mercedes-Benz branded all-electric battery cars in China

  07-09-2016 09:25
  By Norihiko Shirouzu BEIJING (Reuters) - Germany's Daimler AG plans to sell Mercedes-Benz branded all-electric battery cars in China, its China chief said on Wednesday, as the automaker capitalizes on government initiatives aimed at growing the market for new-energy vehicles (NEVs). Hubertus Troska said the government's push, which involves tax breaks and other policy support, helped the number of NEVs sold last year surpass 300,000, making China the world's biggest market for electric, gasoline
  
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• REA chief executive joins new-look Transport for London board

  07-09-2016 09:00
  
  The chief executive of the Renewable Energy Association (REA) Dr Nina Skorupska hopes to bring her expertise on renewable energy to a smaller and more diverse Transport for London (TfL), after being named on the Board of Governors.
  
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• Gabon's Bongo shrugs off calls for vote recount

  07-09-2016 08:56
  Gabon's re-elected President Ali Bongo shrugged off international calls for a recount of last week's disputed vote, saying it was a matter for the constitutional court to decide. The European Union has questioned the validity of election which the opposition has dismissed as a sham. France, the former colonial ruler of the central African oil producer, has said a recount would be wise Asked in a pre-recorded interview broadcast on Wednesday whether he would permit a recount, Bongo told France's
  
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• Older drivers no more dangerous, accident data study says

  07-09-2016 08:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Elderly drivers are less likely to have an accident than young motorists, a study suggests - challenging the idea they are more dangerous on the roads.
  
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• China confident can improve relationship with Philippines - deputy FM

  07-09-2016 08:48
  China has confidence that it can work with the Philippines to return to a healthy relationship, Beijing's vice foreign minister said on Wednesday, after the two countries locked horns over a recent arbitral ruling on the South China Sea. Speaking on the sidelines of a regional summit in Vientiane, Laos, Liu Zhenmin said that China and the Philippines had had "thousands of years" of good relations. "China has confidence that it can work with the Philippines to progressively improve our relationsh
  
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• Blockchain technology trialled to tackle slavery in the fishing industry

  07-09-2016 08:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Technology could be used to differentiate fish caught sustainably to those caught illegally, or linked to human rights abusesA new digital technology has been trialled to track fish from trawler to the supermarket in a breakthrough that could help stop human rights abuses and illegal fishing.The technology – called blockchain and first used to power the currency Bitcoin – is expected to revolutionise the finance, property and food sectors replacing traditional contracts, paperwork an
  
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• Thailand 'supports' China's efforts to maintain maritime peace

  07-09-2016 08:21
  Thailand said on Wednesday said it "supports China's efforts" to maintain maritime peace amid a regional dispute over the South China Sea. The comment from Thailand, which has historically maintained a neutral stance on the South China Sea, came hours after the Philippines released pictures showing what it said were Chinese boats near a disputed shoal in the sea. "Promoting peace and stability in the ocean is important to all parties and Thailand supports China's efforts in this regard.
  
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• UK's public parks face 'decline and neglect'

  07-09-2016 07:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Heritage Lottery Fund report warns of a continuing a decline in the condition of parks as austerity budget cuts squeeze council budgetsThe UK’s hugely popular public parks face falling into decline and neglect as a result of budget cuts, a new report warns.Park use is rising, with 57% of adults now visiting their park once a month or more, while 90% of families with children under five head to their local green space at least monthly, the State of UK Public Parks 2016 study reveals. Contin
  
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• How the ‘Great Paradox’ of American politics holds the secret to Trump’s success | Arlie Hochschild

  07-09-2016 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  In the heartland of the American right, people harmed by polluting industries have instead come to hate the government whose environmental regulations protect them. Now they’re voting for Donald Trump
  There he is, seated on his wooden front porch overlooking a trim yard in suburban DeRidder, Louisiana, watching for my car. He rises from his chair, waving with one arm and steadying himself on his walker with the other. A large-chested, 6ft 3in man with a grey crewcut and blue eyes, Lee Sher
  
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• Feeding sparrows on Holy Island: an ethical dilemma

  07-09-2016 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Lindisfarne On the table around the crust in my fingers it was like a dancefloor, with dominant birds and watching wallflowersSparrows had gathered in a coffee house courtyard on a late summer afternoon on Holy Island. Most of the tourists were chasing the ebb tide across the causeway as the North Sea wiped and revealed a sacred history every few hours. With the tide out, the island’s holy precincts endured their heritage quietly, with a few stragglers and the birds.Furtive and mouse-like,
  
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• Oil edges up, gains limited amid scepticism over freeze deal

  07-09-2016 05:08
  By Osamu Tsukimori TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices erased early losses to trade higher on Wednesday, but gains were limited as market participants remained sceptical producers would reach an agreement to freeze output to rein in a global supply glut. London Brent crude for November delivery was up 33 cents at $47.59 a barrel by 0300 GMT, after settling down 37 cents on Tuesday. NYMEX crude for October delivery was up 31 cents at $45.14.
  
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• Judge puts hold on plan to open California lands to fracking

  07-09-2016 03:57
  A federal judge on Tuesday tentatively rejected a plan by the federal Bureau of Land Management to open more than 1,500 square miles of lands in central California to oil drilling and fracking. The BLM ...
  
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