Environment news

• Dakota Access pipeline plan still on despite protests across the US and world

  13-09-2016 22:34 via theguardian.com
  
  Rallies are taking place over $3.8bn North Dakota pipeline, which the Standing Rock Sioux tribe says threatens their water supply and cultural heritageAre you protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline? Share your photos and storiesThe company behind a controversial pipeline project near native American land in North Dakota has vowed to press ahead, despite the plan sparking protests across the world on Tuesday.Protests are taking place in the US, Europe, Japan and New Zealand over the $3.8bn Dakota
  
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• Brazil launches privatisation plan to rescue economy

  13-09-2016 22:13
  By Leonardo Goy BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil on Tuesday launched a multibillion-dollar plan to auction off oil, power rights and infrastructure concessions, in an attempt by the new government to bolster private investment in a moribund economy. The government will sell operating licenses for airports in the cities of Porto Alegre, Salvador, Florianopolis and Fortaleza by the first quarter of 2017. Center-right President Michel Temer has vowed to shift economic policy away from the interventionis
  
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• Greens push to outlaw all mining in Great Australian Bight

  13-09-2016 21:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Legislation would result in compensation being paid to companies who lose licences as a result of the lawAll mining activity in the Great Australian Bight would be outlawed under legislation to be introduced to Parliament by the Greens.The proposed legislation, moved by the South Australian senator Sarah Hanson-Young, would put an abrupt end to BP’s controversial plans to drill for oil there, as well as that of the other companies with exploration licenses in the region: Santos and Chevron
  
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• Experts anticipate significant continued reductions in wind energy costs

  13-09-2016 20:37 via feedproxy.google.com
  Technology advancements are expected to continue to drive down the cost of wind energy, according to a survey of the world's foremost wind power experts led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Experts anticipate cost reductions of 24%-30% by 2030 and 35%-41% by 2050, under a median or 'best guess' scenario, driven by bigger and more efficient turbines, lower capital and operating costs, and other advancements.
  
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• The perfect hangover cure? Californian company makes snack bars from beer

  13-09-2016 20:09 via theguardian.com
  
  What started out as a fraternity experiment has now turned into a startup that recycles edible waste from breweries around CaliforniaWhen Dan Kurzock started brewing his own beer in 2010, his fraternity brothers at the University of California, Los Angeles, were psyched. A frat with its own in-house brewery is about as good as it gets. Kurzrock’s popularity soared even more when he started to use the leftover grain from brewing to bake bread, the perfect hangover cure. That’s what sp
  
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• What does space sound like?

  13-09-2016 19:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An astrophysics professor and contemporary music producers have teamed up to create a special remix of some of the observatory's historic archive recordings.
  
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• Could microwaves rid rail lines of leaves?

  13-09-2016 19:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A UK company has come up with a new technique to remove leaf residue from railway lines. The new microwave technology is being trialled.
  
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• Hugh Boyd obituary

  13-09-2016 18:59 via theguardian.com
  
  My friend Hugh Boyd, who has died aged 91, made a massive contribution to wetland and waterbird conservation at world level over six decades.Hugh was recruited to Peter Scott’s groundbreaking team as the first research biologist at the Severn Wildfowl Trust (now the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust) at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, in 1949. Over the next 20 years, Hugh and the team exerted an immense influence encouraging younger ornithologists and developing “citizen science” netw
  
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• Trees and the Wood Wide Web

  13-09-2016 18:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Forester Peter Wohlleben thinks trees talk to each other through their roots and fungal networks.
  
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• How trees use the Wood Wide Web.

  13-09-2016 18:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Forester Peter Wohlleben thinks trees talk to each other through their roots and fungal networks.
  
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• Sustainability Leaders Awards: Entry deadline EXTENDED

  13-09-2016 18:45
  
  Owing to popular demand, edie has today (13 September) extended the deadline for entries to the 2017 Sustainability Leaders Awards by one week.
  
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• London is now the fifth most sustainable city in the world

  13-09-2016 18:45
  
  London has been ranked as the fifth most sustainable city in the world on the 2016 Sustainable Cities Index from infrastructure consultancy firm Arcadis.
  
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• Free-swimming Ocean Gliders Help Scientists Understand Storm Intensity

  13-09-2016 17:52 via feedproxy.google.com
  A regional team from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Rutgers University, the University of Maine, the University of Maryland, and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute mobilized Friday in advance of post-Tropical Storm Hermine’s arrival in the Northeast to gather data from new ocean instruments that will help better predict the intensity and evolution of future tropical storms along the US East Coast.  The team, part of the TEMPESTS program organized through the Cooperativ
  
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• Oil tumbles 3 percent after both IEA, OPEC see glut persisting

  13-09-2016 17:39
  By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell as much as 3 percent on Tuesday after both the world's consumers and producers revised forecasts that signalled the global crude glut persisting for much longer than previously expected. The International Energy Agency (IEA), which advises oil-consuming countries on their energy policies, said a sharp slowdown in oil demand growth, coupled with ballooning inventories and rising supply, means the market will be oversupplied at least through
  
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• Did this red-footed booby really fly all the way from the Galapagos to the UK?

  13-09-2016 17:12 via theguardian.com
  
  An exotic visitor that pitched up on the south coast of England may have come partway by ship, wherever it really came from. Sadly rescuers are struggling to save itIt’s not every day that a red-footed booby lands on the shores of Britain. Yet on Sunday 4 September, a bedraggled specimen came to rest on the beach at St Leonards-On-Sea near Hastings on the south coast of the UK. According to a story on the Daily Mail website, the wayward bird was “6,000 miles from home”.The blow
  
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• August ties with July as hottest month on record

  13-09-2016 16:02 via theguardian.com
  
  August continued the remarkable streak of record hot months in 2016, equalling July as the hottest month on recordIn what has become a common refrain this year, last month ranked as the hottest August on record, according to NASA data released Monday. Not only that, but the month tied July as the hottest month the world has seen in the last 136 years.August came in at 1.76˚F (0.98˚C) above the average from 1951-1980, 0.16C above August 2014, the previous record holder. The record keeps
  
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• Oil falls after IEA revises supply forecast

  13-09-2016 15:55
  By Amanda Cooper LONDON (Reuters) - Oil fell on Tuesday after a series of predictions on demand growth that pointed to the global overhang of unused inventories persisting for much longer than previously expected. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said that a sharp slowdown in global oil demand growth, coupled with ballooning inventories and rising supply, means the crude market will be oversupplied at least through the first six months of 2017. The IEA's latest comments follow a surprisingl
  
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• Smarter energy systems crucial to combatting diverse new climate risks

  13-09-2016 15:09
  
  An overhaul of financing mechanisms and policy framework is necessary to develop "smarter, not just stronger" energy markets, which will need to combat "unprecedented strains" arising from new climate commitments, a new report from the World Energy Council (WEC) has found.
  
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• Air Pollution: The Billion Dollar Industry

  13-09-2016 14:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  The World Bank has released a new report highlighting the fact that air pollution costs world governments billions upon billions every year and ranks among the leading causes of death worldwide.The estimates — drawn from a number of sources, including the World Health Organization’s most recently completed data sets compiled in 2013 — can for the first time begin to examine the overall welfare cost of air pollution.
  
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• Exclusive: PDVSA payment woes drive up bill for big oil buy from BP - internal documents

  13-09-2016 14:05
  Venezuela's cash-strapped state oil giant PDVSA will end up paying at least $130 million more than it planned for crude imports after payment delays to major BP Plc, according to internal documents analyzed by Reuters. Years of underinvestment and mismanagement have impaired oil production in Venezuela, set to fall to a 14-year low in 2016, even though the country holds some of the world's largest crude reserves. As a result, PDVSA has been forced to increasingly rely on imports to dilute its ow
  
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• Could this new industry framework reinvigorate England's recycling rates?

  13-09-2016 13:53
  
  England would see a much-needed increase in recycling, an improvement in the quality of recycled materials and a more comprehensive waste management service for households if a new, collaborative industry framework is adopted, WRAP has claimed.
  
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• Campaigners criticise UK government’s response to air pollution warning

  13-09-2016 13:41 via theguardian.com
  
  Formal response rejects measures urged by MPs to tackle dangerously high levels of air pollution in British cities
  Campaigners have attacked the government for rejecting calls by MPs for greater action on air pollution, as severe pollution episodes were predicted for parts of the UK this week.MPs warned in April that dangerously high pollution in British cities was a “public health emergency”, and told ministers to take further measures, including more clean air zones and a diesel sc
  
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• Report: Energy sector experiencing 'negative impacts' of Brexit vote

  13-09-2016 13:40
  
  The majority of energy efficiency suppliers fear that it is a matter of time before consumers are subject to rising prices leading to a slowdown in investment, with suppliers already claiming that the Brexit vote is negatively impacting the sector.
  
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• China says interests outweigh differences with Vietnam

  13-09-2016 13:40
  Common interests between China and Vietnam far outweigh differences, Chinese President Xi Jinping told Vietnam's prime minister on Tuesday, calling for their dispute in the South China Sea to be resolved through talks. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, where about $5 trillion worth of seaborne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims in the sea, believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas.
  
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• Oil falls after IEA report adds to outlook gloom

  13-09-2016 13:29
  By Amanda Cooper LONDON (Reuters) - Oil fell on Tuesday following a series of gloomy predictions on demand growth that pointed to the global overhang of unused inventories persisting for much longer than anticipated. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said a sharp slowdown in global oil demand growth, coupled with ballooning inventories and rising supply, means the crude market will be oversupplied at least through the first six months of 2017. The IEA's latest comments follow a surprisingly
  
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• Gravitational pull 'has role in quakes'

  13-09-2016 13:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The gravitational forces responsible for high tides may also play a role in triggering major earthquakes, a study suggests.
  
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• Yacht sails through low-ice Arctic sea routes

  13-09-2016 13:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A project led by adventurer David Hempleman-Adams that aimed to sail the Arctic’s North East and North West passages in a single season has completed its quest.
  
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• UK regulator shortlists five bidders for Dong Energy wind link tender

  13-09-2016 12:51
  LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's energy regulator Ofgem on Tuesday announced a shortlist of five bidders for a 230 million pound tender to own and operate the transmission link for Dong Energy's Burbo Bank wind farm extension in the Irish Sea. The winner will receive a guaranteed revenue stream for 20 years under the terms of their licence, Ofgem said. ...
  
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• Global oil outlook darkens more quickly; surplus stubborn

  13-09-2016 12:48
  By Amanda Cooper LONDON (Reuters) - The global oil market will show a surplus into next year, as an abrupt deterioration in demand growth meets rising supply, pushing world inventories to yet another record high and confounding the previous expectations of leading energy agencies. The International Energy Agency on Tuesday forecast global supply would outpace demand well into next year, marking an about-face from its assessment just one month ago that the market would essentially show no surplus
  
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• Why BEIS should put the circular economy at the heart of its new industrial strategy

  13-09-2016 12:46
  
  More than £9bn could be added to the UK economy if the Government's newly-formed Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) effectively integrates circular economy principles into the country's emerging industrial strategy, waste management firm Suez has claimed
  
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• Ford launches new shuttle and bike-sharing services as part of City Solutions initiative

  13-09-2016 12:17
  
  Motor company Ford has created a new City Solutions team, which will seek to solve congestion issues in the world's busiest cities, starting in San Francisco where the acquisition of a crowd-sourced shuttle service will streamline transportation in the area.
  
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• Animal-free dairy products move a step closer to market

  13-09-2016 11:58 via theguardian.com
  
  San Francisco startup says its products taste identical but tackle guilty conscience of consumers concerned about large environmental footprint After lab-grown meat, get ready for animal-free cow’s milk. A San-Francisco startup believes it has found a solution for the guilty conscience of consumers who love eating dairy ice-cream, cheese and yoghurt, but oppose factory-style farming and its environmental footprint.Through a combination of yeast, cow DNA and plant nutrients, Perfect Day cla
  
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• Australia to close Macquarie Island research base due to funding pressures

  13-09-2016 11:44 via theguardian.com
  
  Investigation found increasing OH&S risks and risks from ocean inundation at the base unless it had major upgradeAustralia will roll back its research activities at Macquarie Island and close its year-round base on the sub-Antarctic island in a move forced partly by funding pressures.The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) on Tuesday announced plans to close its permanent research station that has been operating since 1948 and instead use a network of field huts to be used by seasonal staff.
  
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• Oil falls after forecasts show darkening outlook

  13-09-2016 11:41
  By Amanda Cooper LONDON (Reuters) - Oil fell on Tuesday following a series of gloomy predictions on demand growth that suggested the global overhang of unused inventories may persist for much longer than investors anticipate and temper any pick-up in price. The International Energy Agency said a sharp slowdown in global oil demand growth, coupled with ballooning inventories and rising supply, means the crude market will be oversupplied at least through the first six months of 2017. The IEA's lat
  
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• Electric cars could be charged at Shell service stations from 2017

  13-09-2016 11:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Emails released under FoI suggest the company is in advanced preparations to introduce the chargers on its forecourts from next year Electric car charging points could appear alongside petrol pumps at Shell’s UK service stations as soon as next year, the oil giant confirmed after emails between the company and government officials revealed discussions on introducing them.The company also asked the government how serious it is about wireless charging roads which could top up an electric car
  
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• Brazil ratifies Paris agreement with pledge to sharply reduce emissions

  13-09-2016 10:56 via theguardian.com
  
  Move by Latin America’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases is further boost to climate deal after ratification by US and China The Brazilian government has ratified its participation in the Paris agreement on climate change, a significant step by Latin America’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases that could spur other countries to follow suit.With a landmass larger than the continental US, Brazil emits about 2.5% of the world’s carbon dioxide and other polluting gases, accord
  
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• Global oil surplus to persist into first half of 2017 - IEA

  13-09-2016 10:02
  By Amanda Cooper LONDON (Reuters) - A sharp slowdown in global oil demand growth, coupled with ballooning inventories and rising supply means the crude market will be oversupplied at least through the first six months of 2017, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday. As a result, supply will continue to outpace demand at least through the first half of next year," the IEA said. The IEA had previously expected the market to show no surplus in the second half of this year.
  
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• Water wars

  13-09-2016 08:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  TS Sudhir explains why violence has broken out in India's technology hub Bangalore over a long-running dispute about water.
  
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• Oil falls on U.S. drilling, shrugs off upbeat China data

  13-09-2016 08:55
  By Mark Tay SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Tuesday on concerns over increased drilling in the United States and as investors took profits after oil prices rose close to 1 percent in the previous session. Upbeat August Chinese industrial output growth did little to lift oil prices as the crude market remained in a profit-taking mode, traders said. China's industrial output grew the fastest in five months in August as demand for products from coal to cars rebounded thanks to higher gover
  
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• How can we better value water as global shortages start to threaten economies?

  13-09-2016 08:10 via theguardian.com
  
  With water shortages exacerbating inequalities and causing damage to economies, making sure the commodity is properly valued by all is essentialWater is essential for life, whether to irrigate crops, to manufacture goods, or for drinking, washing and cleaning. But the intensification of climate change, a growing population and increasing demands from cities, agriculture and industry – coupled with poor water governance – is driving acute water shortages around the world. The World Ba
  
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• Foreign flights to Nigeria forced to refuel elsewhere

  13-09-2016 07:03
  By Ulf Laessing and Libby George LAGOS/ABUJA (Reuters) - Foreign airlines flying to Nigeria have started to refuel abroad to bypass pricey, and increasingly scarce, jet fuel as the oil producer battles a hard currency shortage that has made fuel available only at a very high price. The crash in the naira since a devaluation in June has led firms who market jet fuel locally, such as Total, Sahara and ConocoPhillips, to double the price to 220 naira a litre in August, and to as much as 400 naira t
  
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• Fast and lethal, the hobby plucks a martin from the air

  13-09-2016 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Waltham Brooks, West Sussex I’ve seen hobbies hunt smaller birds in fast, level flight, but not attack as a peregrine wouldGolden grass heads nod up and down in flowing waves at the insistence of the breeze. Lapwing are collecting around the edges of the pools in greater numbers than before, and there are also more gadwall and mallard paddling on the water as autumn draws in.Clouds of soft brown and cream sand martins and black and white swallows – hirundines – dance low over t
  
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• 'Trashion' designer Marina DeBris turns ocean rubbish into high-end outfits – in pictures

  13-09-2016 06:06 via theguardian.com
  
  Sydney artist Marina DeBris transforms garbage found in the ocean or washed up on the beach into intricately constructed garments. She is a campaigner against ocean pollution and hopes through her art she can show how ‘the waste we create keeps coming back to haunt us’. DeBris’s photographs and collection of wearables, Beach Couture: A Haute Mess, is exhibiting at the Bondi Pavilion Gallery at Sydney’s Bondi beach until 17 September Continue reading...
  
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• Labor accused of being 'clean energy charlatans' after deal to cut $500m from Arena

  13-09-2016 05:38 via theguardian.com
  
  Compromise in Coalition’s ‘omnibus’ savings bill met with disappointment by some in the pro-renewables sectorLabor has agreed to cut $500m from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, allowing the passage of $6.3bn of savings in the Coalition’s “omnibus” savings bill.That will leave $800m for the agency to continue offering grants over the next five years, down from the $1.3bn it has. Continue reading...
  
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• Oil prices fall on profit taking, eyes on China data

  13-09-2016 03:33
  By Mark Tay SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell in early trade on Tuesday on concerns over increased drilling in the United States and as investors took profits after oil prices rose close to 1 percent in the previous session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were down 41 cents, or 0.9 percent, at $45.88 a barrel. Traders said the price falls on Tuesday were an indication that increasing oil drilling activity in the United States was still a concern even as crude prices closed higher on Mo
  
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• China says should maintain South China Sea peace with Vietnam

  13-09-2016 02:37
  China and Vietnam should work together to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and manage and control disputes, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. China claims almost all of the South China Sea, where about $5 trillion worth of seaborne trade passes every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims in the sea believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas.
  
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• Western powers call on Libyan forces that seized ports to withdraw

  13-09-2016 00:47
  The United States and five European powers called on Monday on forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar to withdraw from several key oil ports seized from a rival force over the weekend. "We call for all military forces that have moved into the oil crescent to withdraw immediately, without preconditions," said the statement from the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain. Forces loyal to Haftar took control of Ras Lanuf, Es Sider, Zueitina and Brega ports, displa
  
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