Environment news

• Scientists: Ash cloud from Alaska volcano has dissipated

  04-01-2017 21:24
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Scientists say an ash cloud from a remote Alaska volcano that might have gone more than 6 miles into the atmosphere has dissipated after it was tracked north over the Bering Sea.
  
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• World's oldest known orca presumed dead in blow to endangered whales

  04-01-2017 20:34 via theguardian.com
  
  Known as Granny and believed to be 105, the matriarch of a small population of struggling Puget Sound orcas was first identified by researchers in the 1970sThe world’s oldest known orca – a century-old matriarch of a small population of endangered Puget Sound orcas – has been missing for months and is presumed dead by researchers in what is being described as a tremendous blow to an already struggling population.
  Known as Granny and believed to be 105 years old, the orca has no
  
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• New study confirms NOAA finding of faster global warming | John Abraham

  04-01-2017 20:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Thomas Karl and colleagues were harassed by Republicans for publishing inconvenient science. A new study proves them right.
  A new study has shown that a 2015 NOAA paper finding that the Earth is warming more rapidly than previously thought was correct. Continue reading...
  
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• Russia's Rosneftegaz closes Rosneft privatisation deal

  04-01-2017 19:33
  Russian state holding company Rosneftegaz on Wednesday closed a deal with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and commodities trader Glencore to sell a 19.5 percent stake in state-owned oil major Rosneft , Rosneft said. The privatisation deal, which Rosneft Chief Executive Igor Sechin called the largest in Russia's history, was announced by Rosneft in a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in December.
  
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• Mystery cosmic radio bursts pinpointed

  04-01-2017 19:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Astronomers have pinpointed the source of mysterious radio bursts from space.
  
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• Migrant farm workers may stay after Brexit but red tape goes

  04-01-2017 18:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The government is "absolutely committed" to ensuring that British farmers have access to migrant workers after Brexit.
  
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• Insurers paid out $50bn for natural disaster claims in 2016

  04-01-2017 18:17 via theguardian.com
  
  Last year saw highest costs from natural disasters since 2012, according to data from reinsurer Munich ReLast year saw the highest costs from natural disasters since 2012, with two earthquakes in Japan in April accounting for the heaviest losses, a leading insurer has said. Related: Climate change threatens ability of insurers to manage riskContinue reading...
  
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• Oil prices rise on expected drop in U.S. crude inventories

  04-01-2017 17:23
  By Jessica Resnick-Ault NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices ticked higher on Wednesday on expectations that U.S. crude inventories have dropped and on signs that the world's top oil exporters will stick to agreed output cuts that took effect this week. Global benchmark Brent crude futures rose 28 cents to $55.75 a barrel, a 0.5 percent gain by 10:51 a.m. Eastern [1550 GMT].
  
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• New Lebanese government OKs oil decrees to start stalled tender process

  04-01-2017 16:19
  By Lisa Barrington BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's new government on Wednesday passed two decrees concerning oil and gas exploration blocks, meaning a tender process for offshore reserves, stalled since 2013, can begin. Beirut estimates it has 96 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves and 865 million barrels of oil offshore, but squabbling between parties has prevented it from kick-starting exploration and development of the sector. "The two oil decrees have been decided in the first achieveme
  
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• Renewables investment in UK will fall 95% over next three years - study

  04-01-2017 14:49
  
  Investment in windfarms will fall off a "cliff edge" over the next three years and put the UK's greenhouse gas reduction targets at risk, according to a new analysis.
  
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• Arab separatists in Iran say attacked pipelines in west, Tehran issues denial

  04-01-2017 13:41
  Arab separatist militants in Iran said on Tuesday they had blown up two oil pipelines in coordinated attacks in the western Khuzestan region two days earlier, though this was subsequently denied by Iran's Interior Ministry. The group, the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of al-Ahwaz, said on its website its armed wing had caused major damage and fuel losses in the attacks on Jan. 3 near the town of Omidiyeh and the port of Deylam. Ahwazi Arabs are a minority in mainly ethnic Persian Ira
  
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• Andrea Leadsom promises Brexit bonfire of regulation for farmers

  04-01-2017 12:57 via theguardian.com
  
  Green party attacks environment secretary’s pledge to scrap EU’s ‘three-crop rule’ as irresponsible Slashing regulations for farmers will be the government’s key priority for the agriculture sector as Britain leaves the European Union, the environment secretary, Andrea Leadsom, has promised.Speaking at the Oxford Farming Conference, Leadsom announced one specific plan would be to end the “three-crop rule”, a measure designed to promote biodiversity on la
  
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• Small businesses key to UK low-carbon transition, report finds

  04-01-2017 12:56
  
  A tenth of UK small businesses now produce their own electricity, according to a new report which calls on the Government to make it easier for small firms to contribute to green energy generation.
  
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• Oil prices rise on expected drop in U.S. inventories

  04-01-2017 12:44
  By Karolin Schaps LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices ticked higher on Wednesday on expectations that U.S. crude inventories are falling and signs that oil producers will stick to agreed output cuts that took effect this week. Global benchmark Brent crude futures were up 10 cents at $55.57 a barrel by 1110 GMT. "Positive equities and gains in industrial metals this morning, as well as expectations that U.S. crude oil stocks will show a decline ... are ingredients helping to drive a slight gain in Bren
  
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• edie launches free water retail competition guide for businesses

  04-01-2017 12:34
  
  Organisations across the country now have access to a free, in-depth 'edie explains' guide to water retail competition, which is set to come into effect in England this April and will impact all non-domestic water users.
  
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• Happy New Year: Seventeen big reasons for the green economy to be excited about 2017

  04-01-2017 12:00
  
  From new sustainability standards and ambitious green policy strategies through to major renewable energy projects and autonomous vehicle trials, we look ahead to some of the most promising trends and developments set to boost the green economy in 2017.
  
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• Satellite Eye on Earth: December 2016 – in pictures

  04-01-2017 11:49 via theguardian.com
  
  London at night, snow in the Sahara and Hawaii’s volcanoes are among the images captured by European Space Agency and Nasa satellites last monthA night-time view of western Europe captured by crew members aboard the International Space Station. London is visible in the centre of the image, photographed from more than 250 miles above. Continue reading...
  
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• Ford unveils new ambitions for 2020 EV transition

  04-01-2017 11:46
  
  American motor giant Ford has confirmed that its new Transit, Mustang and F-150 models are among seven newly-announced electric vehicles that will be heading to market over the next five years.
  
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• French trial of Equatorial Guinea leader's son postponed until June

  04-01-2017 11:37
  A French court on Wednesday postponed the corruption trial of the son of Equatorial Guinea's president until June 19, bringing proceedings to a halt two days after they had begun. The lawyer for Teodorin Obiang had asked for the hearing to be suspended on the grounds that his client, who was summoned to trial three weeks ago, had not been given enough time to prepare his defence in a complex case. Obiang, eldest son of President Teodoro Obiang and a vice-president of Equatorial Guinea, is accuse
  
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• Hammond meeting Gulf leaders this week - finance ministry

  04-01-2017 11:30
  Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond will meet with political leaders and finance officials from the Gulf states this week as part of the country's drive to promote trade ahead of its exit from the European Union. The government said in a statement that Hammond would meet Kuwait's acting prime minister, finance minister and central bank governor on Wednesday before travelling to Abu Dhabi to meet sovereign wealth funds and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. "There is huge potential to exp
  
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• Clearer marketing can open £800bn windfall for 'sustainable' brands, says Unilever

  04-01-2017 11:14
  
  Brands that move to promote the sustainability credentials of their products more clearly can tap into a £817bn market opportunity catalysed by a growth in awareness amongst consumers, new research from Unilever has suggested.
  
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• Oil prices rise on expected drop in U.S. oil inventories

  04-01-2017 11:13
  By Karolin Schaps LONDON (Reuters) - Oil edged higher on Wednesday on expectations that U.S. crude oil inventories are falling and on signs that oil producers are willing to stick to agreed output cuts that came into effect this week. Global benchmark Brent crude futures were up 49 cents at $55.96 a barrel by 0924 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were trading at $52.82 per barrel, up 49 cents from the last settlement.
  
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• Can Scotland continue its climate lead in 2017?

  04-01-2017 10:00
  
  New figures show that Scotland is leading the UK in reducing the climate impact of electricity generation, but green groups are calling for the country to go further and "blaze the trail" for global pollution-free power by instilling a national 50% renewable energy target.
  
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• New Environmental Protection Act vital post-Brexit, MPs say

  04-01-2017 08:20
  
  MPs and green campaigners are today (4 January) calling on the UK Government to build environmental safeguards into the Great Repeal Bill during Brexit negotiations, with a fresh report proposing the introduction of a new Environmental Protection Act to maintain current standards.
  
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• Feral cats now cover 99.8% of Australia

  04-01-2017 08:17 via theguardian.com
  
  Feral population of up to 6.3 million, at a density of one cat for every 4 sq km ‘underlines how potent they are for wildlife’Feral cats cover 99.8% of Australia at a density of one cat for every four square kilometres, according to new research.The research was published in the journal of Biological Conservation and brings together data from almost 100 surveys completed by 40 environmental scientists from different institutions. Continue reading...
  
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• Friends of the Earth ticked off over claims in anti-fracking leaflet

  04-01-2017 07:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Ad watchdog informally resolves Cuadrilla complaints over leaflet stating chemicals used in fracking can cause cancer and contaminate waterFriends of the Earth has agreed not to reproduce an anti-fracking leaflet after the advertising watchdog upheld complaints made by the energy firm Cuadrilla.Cuadrilla, which in October was given government permission for plans to frack after appealing two rejections by Lancashire council, made a string of complaints about the leaflet which made claims that ch
  
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• Brexit ‘zombie legislation’ could damage wildlife and farming, MPs warn

  04-01-2017 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Cross-party committee of MPs also say farmers face a “triple jeopardy” of lost subsidies, export tariffs and increased competitionBrexit could harm the UK’s wildlife and farming, according to a cross-party committee of MPs, with key protections left as ineffective “zombie legislation” and farmers facing a “triple jeopardy” of lost subsidies, export tariffs and increased competition.
  A new report from the environmental audit select committee warns that ma
  
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• Toadstools in a Shrewsbury graveyard

  04-01-2017 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Shrewsbury We walked to the grave of Mary Webb and found the fungi growing around her neighbours’ headstonesThe toadstools opened from the graveyard like fleshy satellite dishes – ears of the necropolis listening to the living. We were in Shrewsbury cemetery to pay our respects at the turning year to those we knew there. The newer part had serried ranks of black or white marble headstones between drives, their funerary decorations modest symbols of grief and remembrance in a utilitar
  
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• Container vessel collision causes oil spill on Singapore-Malaysia border

  04-01-2017 06:18
  There were no reports of injuries and 12 anti-pollution craft had been sent to clean up the mid-sized oil spill, the MPA said in a statement. The spill was caused by damage to the fuel tank of the container vessel APL Denver after a collision with the WAN HAI 301 off Pasir Gudang Port in Johor, Malaysia late on Tuesday.
  
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• Mexican protesters' blockades cause "critical situation" - Pemex

  04-01-2017 05:29
  Blockades of fuel storage terminals by protesters angered by a double-digit increase in gasoline prices has led to a "critical situation" in at least three Mexican states, state oil company Pemex said on Tuesday. There were distribution problems in northern Chihuahua and Durango states, as well as Morelos state just south of the Mexican capital, due to the blockades affecting key terminals, Pemex said in a statement. One association of gas stations with a large presence in Mexico City, Grupo Gas
  
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• Chicago zoo welcomes baby orangutan

  04-01-2017 04:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A two-week-old baby orangutan makes its public debut at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.
  
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• Last endangered Mexican porpoises to be rounded up by US Navy-trained dolphins

  04-01-2017 03:53 via theguardian.com
  
  Conservation plan involves sending dolphins into Gulf of California to find vaquita and then surface to raise the alarmUS Navy-trained dolphins and their handlers will participate in a last-ditch effort to catch the last few dozen of Mexico’s vaquita porpoises to save them from extinction.The trained animals will use their sonar to locate the extremely elusive vaquitas, then surface and advise their handlers. Continue reading...
  
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• Law needed to limit Brexit's environmental impact, say MPs

  04-01-2017 03:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Brexit poses a huge risk to the UK wildlife and habitats, a group of MPs says.
  
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• Intesa Sanpaolo to provide 5.2 billion euro loan in Rosneft deal

  04-01-2017 02:24
  Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo said it would provide a loan for up to 5.2 billion euros (4.2 billion pounds) to help commodities trader Glencore and Qatar's sovereign wealth fund buy a 19.5 percent stake in Russian oil company Rosneft . The consortium, of which Qatar Investment Authority and Glencore each own 50 percent, is buying the stake from the Russian state for 10.2 billion euros. A spokesman for Intesa Sanpaolo said on Tuesday Italy's biggest retail bank was underwriting the loan in full.
  
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• London visitors' last chance to see Dippy ahead of tour

  04-01-2017 01:39 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The UK's most famous dinosaur skeleton is on show for the last time ahead of nationwide tour.
  
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• Oil prices edge up as dollar retreats from 14-year high

  04-01-2017 01:35
  By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up on Wednesday, recovering some losses from the previous day when the U.S.-dollar hit a 14-year peak and weighed on crude markets. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures were trading at $52.58 per barrel at 0026 GMT, up 25 cents, or 0.5 percent, from the last settlement.
  
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