Environment news

• Global climate target could net additional six million tons of fish annually

  22-12-2016 22:05 via feedproxy.google.com
  If countries abide by the Paris Agreement global warming target of 1.5 degrees Celsius, potential fish catches could increase by six million metric tons per year, according to a new study published in Science.
  
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• Oil prices up in quiet session as year-end approaches

  22-12-2016 21:38
  By David Gaffen NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose in subdued trading on Thursday, supported by strong U.S. economic data and optimism that crude producers would abide by an agreement to limit output. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude settled up 46 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $52.95 a barrel. Overall volume for front-month crude futures was about 350,000 contracts, less than two-thirds of the total daily average over the last 200 days, according to Thomson Reuters data.
  
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• Trillions of high-flying migratory insects cross over UK

  22-12-2016 20:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  For the first time scientists have been able to track the high-flying insects that migrate across the skies of Southern England every year.
  
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• Federal grant to Bjørn Lomborg centre made in Turnbull era, documents show

  22-12-2016 20:02
  
  Exclusive: Department agreement to provide $640,000 grant dates from March 2016, according to documents obtained under freedom of informationThe education department may have been under no legal obligation to make a $640,000 grant to Bjørn Lomborg’s Copenhagen Consensus Centre until a grant agreement signed months after Malcolm Turnbull had taken over as prime minister, documents suggest.The funding was used to support the CCC’s post-2015 UN development goals project that foun
  
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• Baby orangutans rescued from Thai taxi

  22-12-2016 19:54 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Two baby orangutans have been rescued from the back of a taxi in Thailand.
  
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• FTSE ends at two-month high helped by oil stocks

  22-12-2016 18:22
  By Kit Rees and Danilo Masoni LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) - British shares edged up to two-month highs on Thursday, led by gains in the energy sector and among precious metals miners. The blue chip FTSE 100 index ended up 0.3 percent in thin pre-Christmas volumes at its highest closing level since Oct. 11 and its highest overall since Oct 25. Energy sector plays rose as oil prices were supported by a pause in the dollar rally and optimism that crude producers will abide by an agreement to limit outpu
  
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• Oil prices rise on softer dollar, OPEC cut expectations

  22-12-2016 17:30
  By Dmitry Zhdannikov, Keith Wallis and David Gaffen LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices rose in quiet trading on Thursday, supported by strong U.S. economic data, a pause in the U.S. dollar rally and optimism that crude producers would abide by an agreement to limit output. The dollar index , which tracks the greenback against a basket of six currencies, slipped by 0.3 percent as investors took profits after its rise to a 14-year peak earlier this week.
  
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• UK hits clean energy milestone: 50% of electricity from low carbon sources

  22-12-2016 16:06
  
  New wind and solar farms, alongside wood burning and nuclear reactors, helped to push low carbon power to a new high in the third quarter of 2016Half of the UK’s electricity came from wind turbines, solar panels, wood burning and nuclear reactors between July and September, in a milestone first.Official figures published on Thursday show low carbon power, which has been supported by the government to meet climate change targets, accounted for 50% of electricity generation in the UK in the
  
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• Wall Street and oil take the 2016 spoils

  22-12-2016 15:51
  By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) - Oil is set to be 2016's top market performer, with its near 50 percent gain an outcome few would have predicted when it plunged to a 12-year low in January. In a year of shocks, including Britain's vote to leave the European Union and Donald Trump's election as U.S. president, several major assets have been on a rollercoaster. "(Given) the fragility that markets started the year with and the events that then happened ... it is pretty remarkable how resilient thin
  
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• World's first solar panel road opens in Normandy village

  22-12-2016 15:08
  
  Route in Tourouvre-au-Perche cost €5m to construct and will be used by about 2,000 motorists a day during two-year test periodFrance has opened what it claims to be the world’s first solar panel road, in a Normandy village.A 1km (0.6-mile) route in the small village of Tourouvre-au-Perche covered with 2,800 sq m of electricity-generating panels, was inaugurated on Thursday by the ecology minister, Ségolène Royal. Continue reading...
  
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• Eyewitness: Shengfang, China

  22-12-2016 14:42
  
  Photographs from the Eyewitness series Continue reading...
  
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• After El Niño: a trail of scorched earth and arid land – in pictures

  22-12-2016 14:35
  
  The strongest El Niño on record reached its peak in the final months of 2015, but its devastating impact on global food and water supplies continues to be felt Continue reading...
  
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• Italy prosecutors wrap up probe involving Eni CEO over Nigeria - sources

  22-12-2016 13:55
  Italian prosecutors have wrapped up a probe into the head of Italian oil major Eni and others over alleged corruption in Nigeria, legal and judicial sources said on Thursday. The probe involves a total of 11 people, including Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and former CEO Paolo Scaroni, as well as Eni itself and Royal Dutch Shell .
  
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• Car-eating buses and volcanic carbon capture: the best green innovations of 2016

  22-12-2016 13:48
  
  As the sun sets on a tumultuous 2016, edie looks back through the archives to pick out some of the low-carbon, resource efficient technologies and innovations that could deliver substantial climate action in 2017.
  
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• Oil prices dip on U.S. stocks rise, Libya output boost

  22-12-2016 13:32
  By Dmitry Zhdannikov and Keith Wallis LONDON/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped in tepid trading on Thursday, pressured by an unexpected rise in U.S. crude inventories last week and moves by Libya to boost output over the next few months.
  
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• Could Rudolph and friends help to slow down our warming climate?

  22-12-2016 13:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  Reindeer may be best known for pulling Santa’s sleigh, but a new study suggests they may have a part to play in slowing down climate change too.A team of researchers, writing in the journal Environmental Research Letters, found that when reindeer reduce the height and abundance of shrubs on the Arctic tundra through grazing, the level of surface albedo – the amount of solar energy (shortwave radiation) reflected by the Earth back into space – is increased. 
  
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• Politics is a rough trade, but Jamie Reed should be hanging in there | Polly Toynbee

  22-12-2016 13:15
  
  The Corbyn critic has every reason to feel less then thrilled about being a Labour MP right now. But he has a duty to his constituents, and to democracy itselfTo be elected as a member of parliament is as near as we get in these humanistic days to a sacramental role – ordained not by God but but by us, the people. Each MP may be just another twig of Kant’s “crooked timber of humanity”, out of which “no straight thing was ever made”, but they each stand as the
  
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• What can a Medieval climate crisis teach us about modern-day warming? | Andrew Simms

  22-12-2016 13:05
  
  In Europe’s ‘bleak midwinter’ of 1430-1440, medieval society made dramatic changes in response to food shortages and famine caused by exceptional cold. What lessons can we learn from history? Sat in the centrally heated school Christmas concert, I sang, like countless others, In the Bleak Midwinter, not knowing the half of it. Christina Rossetti’s mournful, yearning poem, later set to music by Gustav Holst, was written in 1872, but speaks of a “bleak midwinter, long
  
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• Britain celebrates 25 years of wind energy as tax-free ISA opens new sale avenues for wind farms

  22-12-2016 12:06
  
  The UK's first commercial wind farm celebrates its 25th anniversary during the same week that the UKs first wind investment eligible for a tax-free ISA achieved fastest ever sales for a long-term offer on Abundance Investment.
  
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• Russian email hackers keep playing us for fools | Dana Nuccitelli

  22-12-2016 12:00
  
  The 2016 US presidential election wasn’t the first case of a successful email hacking faux scandalA batch of stolen emails was released to the public, with evidence pointing towards Russian hackers. The media ran through the formerly private correspondence with a fine-toothed comb, looking for dirt. Although little if any damning information was found, public trust in the hacking victims was severely eroded. The volume of media coverage created the perception that where there’s smoke
  
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• Europe urged to cut all transport emissions to keep climate pledge

  22-12-2016 11:18
  
  Germany's ko-Institut warned the EU must cut global warming transport emissions by 94% by 2050 to stop the planet's temperature rising above the two degree limit agreed by world leaders at the Paris climate summit in December 2015.
  
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• Arctic 360: take a tour without doing damage

  22-12-2016 11:00
  
  After years of record temperatures, the Arctic is melting. The Northwest passage had an ice-free summer in 2016, allowing cruise ships into one of the world’s most remote places. Join our environmentally friendly Arctic tour, and witness the consequences of human behaviour Continue reading...
  
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• New framework aims to 'unlock billions' needed for green urban development

  22-12-2016 10:00
  
  A new collaboration of international organisations is launching a new framework to help unlock the billions needed to accelerate cleantech and sustainable development in cities across the world.
  
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• Trust and collaboration should be at the heart of brand sustainability, says Collectively

  22-12-2016 09:20
  
  Companies seeking to engage with increasingly aware consumers on matters regarding sustainability should do so through trust building "exercises" of transparency and humility, while also reaching out to grasp the "huge benefits" of collaboration.
  
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• Oil prices fall as U.S. inventories, Libya output weigh

  22-12-2016 08:01
  By Keith Wallis SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices slipped in tepid Asian trading on Thursday, dragged down by an unexpected rise in U.S. crude inventories last week and moves by Libya to boost output over the next few months. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 5 cents to $52.44 a barrel, after closing the previous session down 81 cents. Traders may have thought prices have run high enough," said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney.
  
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• India plans nearly 60% of electricity capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2027

  22-12-2016 08:01
  
  Expansion of solar and wind power will help exceed Paris targets by almost half and negate need for new coal-fired power stationsThe Indian government has forecast that it will exceed the renewable energy targets set in Paris last year by nearly half and three years ahead of schedule.A draft 10-year energy blueprint published this week predicts that 57% of India’s total electricity capacity will come from non-fossil fuel sources by 2027. The Paris climate accord target was 40% by 2030. Con
  
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• Murmansk's silver lining: Arctic city expects renaissance with ice melt

  22-12-2016 07:00
  
  The largest city in the Russian Arctic expects global warming to change its trading fortunes with the revival of the northern sea routeIt’s noon in Murmansk, but the sky is dark. Chunky silhouettes can just be made out scurrying along Lenin Street, swaddled in furs. This is a polar night, and it will be more than a month before anyone here sees the sun again.When the Soviet Union collapsed, this city – by far the world’s largest settlement within the Arctic Circle – went
  
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• Adani coalmine 'covertly funded' by World Bank, says report

  22-12-2016 06:33
  
  The bank’s private sector arm is accused of subsidising loans that funded the Indian firm’s Queensland exploration bidAdani’s Carmichael mine has been “covertly funded” by the World Bank through a private arm that is supposed to back “sustainable development”, according to a US-based human rights organisation.Adani Enterprises acquired exploration rights for Australia’s largest proposed coalmine in 2010 with a US$250m loan from banks including Indi
  
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• Logging a change in the landscape

  22-12-2016 06:30
  
  Aberystwyth, Wales The larch added welcome colour, but single species planting has brought an almost industrial look to the Welsh hillsMy first indication that the local landscape was about to change dramatically came after dark. In an area with only a scattering of houses and a solitary street lamp, the sudden appearance of an extra light is a significant event – and a flickering source moving through the trees certainly makes a rural observer stop and take note.In daylight the explanatio
  
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• Pertamina to complete Cilacap oil refinery upgrade in 2021 - CEO

  22-12-2016 06:18
  Indonesian state energy firm Pertamina aims to finish upgrading an oil refinery in Central Java in 2021, one year earlier than its previous target, its chief executive said on Thursday. Pertamina has a joint venture with Saudi Aramco to upgrade the Cilacap oil refinery, on the south coast of Central Java, at a cost of around $5 billion.
  
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• Beijing districts to cap population in bid to tackle smog, congestion

  22-12-2016 06:14
  Five districts in Beijing have announced plans to cap or lower their population in the next few years, local media reported on Wednesday, as the Chinese capital bids to tackle chronic pollution and congestion. Beijing was one of 24 cities across northern China to issue a smog "red alerts" in the past week, triggering emergency measures to close factories and restrict traffic. The heavy pollution in Beijing cleared on Thursday, but it could return, with energy demand - much of which is met by coa
  
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• Four ways to tackle our packaging guilt

  22-12-2016 06:00
  
  Recycling rates are getting worse in the UK, but some companies are working on imaginative solutions‘Tis the season for excess packaging. It can extremely convenient, keeping food cold, extending shelf life and easing transportation.The downside is a huge amount of waste, exacerbated by declining recycling rates in the UK. Here’s our guide to the main problems and the companies offering a solution. Continue reading...
  
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• Australia's greenhouse gas emissions are rising and forecast to miss 2030 target

  22-12-2016 04:28
  
  Official data quietly released before Christmas shows emissions rose 0.8% in the year to June and will miss 2030 goal based on current policiesAustralia’s emissions are rising, and projected to keep doing so to 2030, meaning it will fail to meet its 2030 emissions targets, according to government figures.The official quarterly figures, showing growth in year-on-year emisssions, confirms independent projections from NDEVR Environmental, released earlier this month by Guardian Australia, whi
  
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• India plans to generate nearly 60% of electricity from renewables by 2027

  22-12-2016 03:39
  
  Expansion of solar and wind power will help exceed Paris targets by almost half and negate need for new coal-fired power stationsThe Indian government has forecast that it will exceed the renewable energy targets set in Paris last year by nearly half and three years ahead of schedule.A draft 10-year energy blueprint published this week predicts India will be generating 57% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2027. The Paris climate accord target was 40% by 2030. Continue reading...
  
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• China launches carbon-tracking satellite into space - Xinhua

  22-12-2016 03:38
  China launched a satellite to monitor its greenhouse gas emissions early on Thursday, the latest step in efforts to cut its carbon footprint, the official Xinhua news agency said. The launch follows the United States joining China in formally ratifying the Paris agreement to curb climate-warming emissions. It also comes as large sections of northern China have been shrouded in near-record levels of air pollution for most of the past week, disrupting flights, closing factories and schools, and fo
  
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• 'Life-threatening' attempts to catch crocodiles with fishing lines reported

  22-12-2016 03:21
  
  Queensland government examines three alleged cases of illegal fishing for the protected reptiles over past two monthsThe Queensland government is investigating “disturbing” reports of people in the state’s far north trying to catch crocodiles with baited fishing lines, including one who advertised their efforts on Facebook.The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection is examining three alleged cases of illegal fishing for the protected reptiles over the past two months
  
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• Oil prices rise on weaker dollar, optimism on output cuts

  22-12-2016 02:56
  By Keith Wallis SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices nudged higher in tepid Asian trading on Thursday, supported by a weaker dollar and optimism crude producers would abide by an agreement to curb output to prop up markets. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude had risen 13 cents to $52.62 a barrel by 0121, after closing the previous session down 81 cents. The dollar index , which tracks the greenback against a basket of six rival currencies, slipped as investors took profits after its rise to a 14-yea
  
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• Federal resources minister accuses ABC of 'fake news' over Adani coalmine

  22-12-2016 02:43
  
  Matt Canavan attacks the broadcaster for being one-sided and says Australia’s biggest coalmine would improve the environmentThe federal resources minister has accused the ABC of reporting fake news and thrown his weight behind the energy giant Adani, amid Indian finance ministry investigations into the company.Matt Canavan attacked the ABC for what he described as one-sided coverage of Adani’s plans to build Australia’s biggest coalmine and accused the national broadcaster of h
  
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• BP finally withdraws application to drill for oil in Great Australian Bight

  22-12-2016 01:43
  
  Regulator says company failed to provide information on oil spill response plans, environmental monitoring and risks to marine reservesBP has finally officially withdrawn its application to drill for oil in the pristine Great Australian Bight, ending months of uncertainty after it announced it was not pursuing the project but then did not withdraw its application.The Wilderness Society, which has been fighting plans from BP, Chevron, Santos, Murphy Oil and others to create a massive new oil fiel
  
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• Madagascar’s wide-eyed wanderers

  22-12-2016 01:42 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Threatened by habitat loss and hunting, Madagascar's lemurs, a critically endangered species, are finding refuge in a private sanctuary.
  
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