Environment news

• New technique IDs micropollutants in New York waterways

  23-01-2017 22:28 via feedproxy.google.com
  Cornell engineers hope that clean water runs deep. They have developed a new technique to test for a wide range of micropollutants in lakes, rivers and other potable water sources that vastly outperforms conventional methods.“Water quality monitoring is conventionally done by narrowly investigating one or a few contaminants at a time. We aimed to develop an analytical method that would be as broad as possible,” said Damian Helbling, assistant professor of civil and environmental engi
  
  Read more

• Why oysters, mussels and clams could hold the key to more ethical fish farming

  23-01-2017 22:14 via theguardian.com
  
  Aquaculture is fast becoming unsustainable and unnecessarily cruel. It’s time to look to bivalves, the most environmentally sound animal species to farmAquaculture – the farming of aquatic animals – is one of the fastest growing food production industries in the world. But it’s growing the wrong way. Similar to factory farming, aquaculture is becoming an industrialized food system that is unsustainable and unnecessarily cruel. It doesn’t have to be this way. When it
  
  Read more

• Targeting Cookstove Pollution Using Supercomputers and NASA Satellites

  23-01-2017 22:02 via feedproxy.google.com
  New air quality research is investigating a major, but often overlooked contributor to outdoor pollution and climate: burning of solid fuel for cooking and heating.Cookstove studies typically evaluate how they contribute to indoor air quality issues in houses where solid fuel is frequently used for cooking and heating. A new paper from the University of Colorado Boulder appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has taken a different approach, going out
  
  Read more

• FSU scientist's findings on carbon cycle feed climate research

  23-01-2017 21:53 via feedproxy.google.com
  A Florida State University researcher is taking a deep dive into the carbon cycle and investigating how carbon moves from the ocean surface to greater depths and then remains there for hundreds of years. 
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Oil slips as U.S. drilling recovery offsets OPEC-led cuts

  23-01-2017 19:56
  By Devika Krishna Kumar NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices eased on Monday as signs of a strong recovery in U.S. drilling largely overshadowed news that OPEC and non-OPEC producers were on track to meet output reduction goals. Ministers representing members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC producers said at a meeting in Vienna on Sunday that of the almost 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) they had agreed to remove from the market starting on Jan. 1, 1.5 million
  
  Read more

• Paris rolls out colour-code stickers for cars to curb pollution

  23-01-2017 19:48
  By Lucien Libert PARIS (Reuters) - The French capital on Monday launched a new colour-coded sticker scheme to restrict car use in its latest attempt to curb air pollution many Parisians blame for coughing fits, eye irritation and runny noses. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said she hoped to get the ban extended from Tuesday to vehicles registered between 2001 and 2005 - colour-coded brown and comprising 14 percent of France's car fleet - to better fight the smog problem. Authorities have also tried to
  
  Read more

• MPs question post-Brexit viability of May's industrial strategy

  23-01-2017 19:24 via theguardian.com
  
  PM pledges extra support for life sciences and other sectors but unions say plans could be ‘hobbled’ outside single marketTrade unions, MPs and business leaders have questioned whether the government’s new industrial strategy will succeed if Britain leaves the single market in Europe, despite Theresa May pledging that it will create a platform for businesses to grow after Brexit.The industrial strategy, unveiled in Warrington, Cheshire, shows the prime minister is prepared to t
  
  Read more

• London on pollution 'high alert' due to cold air, traffic, and wood burning

  23-01-2017 18:58 via theguardian.com
  
  Camden, City of London, and Westminster hit 10 out of 10 on index, while pollution levels across UK also peakedLondon has been put on “very high” alert as cold and still weather, traffic, and a peak in the use of wood-burning stoves combined to send air pollution soaring in the capital and across swathes of the UK.
  According to data from King’s College London, areas of London including Camden, the City of London and Westminster all reached 10 out of 10 on the air pollution inde
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Industrial Strategy green paper: A step in the right direction or too little, too late?

  23-01-2017 18:50
  
  The Government has unveiled its much-anticipated Industrial Strategy, outlining plans to transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy. But does the green paper offer enough tangible evidence that we are on the best pathway to a low-carbon economy?
  
  Read more

• Message to the council tree fellers: even famous people need to breathe | Patrick Barkham

  23-01-2017 18:41 via theguardian.com
  
  Though well-known names oppose Sheffield’s tree removal scheme, the protest is hardly a vehicle just for ‘luvvies’In 1985, Neil Kinnock made his most famous speech, attacking “the grotesque chaos of a Labour council – a Labour council – hiring taxis to scuttle round a city handing out redundancy notices to its own workers”.He was talking about Liverpool but last Friday I visited Sheffield and heard an echo of Kinnock’s oratory from another lifelong
  
  Read more

• Snow in the Sahara – in pictures

  23-01-2017 18:34 via theguardian.com
  
  Red dunes turn white as record snowfall blankets desert near town of Aïn Séfra in Algeria Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Industrial Strategy: A much-needed confidence boost for the green economy or 'too little too late'?

  23-01-2017 17:37
  As the Government launches its much-anticipated Industrial Strategy which outlines plans to transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient economy, edie takes a closer look at what the new green paper promises (and fails to mention) for sustainability professionals.
  
  Read more

• Oil slides as U.S. drilling recovery outweighs OPEC-led cuts

  23-01-2017 17:06
  By Devika Krishna Kumar NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell nearly 2 percent on Monday as signs of a strong recovery in U.S. drilling overshadowed news that OPEC and non-OPEC producers were on track to meet output reduction goals set in December. Ministers representing members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and non-OPEC producers said at a meeting in Vienna on Sunday that of the almost 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) they had agreed to be taken out of the market, 1.5
  
  Read more

• May vows to create conditions for business to grow after Brexit

  23-01-2017 16:45 via theguardian.com
  
  PM pledges extra support for life sciences, green vehicles, industrial digitalisation, creative sector and nuclear industryTheresa May has pledged that the government’s industrial strategy will create the conditions for businesses to grow after Brexit, although some trade unions and MPs questioned how it would succeed with the UK outside the single market.The prime minister went to Warrington to unveil the plans in full, publishing a green paper after a meeting of the cabinet in the town,
  
  Read more

• Government unveils new Industrial Strategy to 'back Britain for the long-term'

  23-01-2017 15:00
  
  Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to "keep costs down for businesses" as she today (23 January) unveiled the Government's wide-ranging Industrial Strategy, which attempts to maximise the economic potential of a low-carbon transition.
  
  Read more

• Government proposes Industrial Strategy to 'back Britain for the long-term'

  23-01-2017 15:00
  
  Prime Minister Theresa May has vowed to "keep costs down for businesses" as she today (23 January) unveiled the Government's plans to deliver a wide-ranging Industrial Strategy, which will seek to to maximise the economic potential of a low-carbon transition.
  
  Read more

• Shell Gabon operations normal after agreement to end strike action

  23-01-2017 14:23
  LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell said its operations in Gabon were running as normal after it struck an agreement with staff, their labor union and the government to end strike action which started on Jan. 12. "The agreement has immediate effect and operations are running as normal," a Shell spokeswoman said. Shell workers in Gabon, where it produces about 55,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil, protested against potential redundancies from Shell's plan to sell its Gabon business. (Reporting by
  
  Read more

• Should we throw in the towel and stop showering?

  23-01-2017 13:58 via theguardian.com
  
  Studies of a remote indigenous tribe suggest that washing with soap products can reduce the number of helpful microbes on our skin. It might be time to join the great unwashedA year ago James Hamblin, a senior editor at The Atlantic, started showering a lot less. Then he gave up altogether. “It was a very gradual process,” he tells me. “I weaned myself off it over six months and found myself getting less grimy, oily and smelly.” How often does he wash now? “I’
  
  Read more

• Fog and frost across the UK – readers' pictures

  23-01-2017 13:52 via theguardian.com
  
  Parts of the UK were shrouded in freezing fog over the weekend and on Monday morning. Here are some of your most striking images, shared with us via GuardianWitnessContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• So you want to be a climate campaigner? Here's how

  23-01-2017 13:28 via theguardian.com
  
  Readers have asked how to get involved after the Guardian’s 24-hour digital event last week. Opportunites abound to make a difference, from setting up an online petition, to joining a local green group, to entering politicsThe planet is getting hotter, leaving people hungry and fuelling wars around the world and you want to do something about it. But with a green movement to cater for every age, location, and type of plastic recycling, how do you turn your enthusiasm into action?We talked
  
  Read more

• Oil falls as signs of U.S. output rise overshadow OPEC-led cuts

  23-01-2017 12:41
  By Karolin Schaps LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices fell one percent on Monday as signs of a strong recovery in U.S. oil drilling activity outweighed news that OPEC and non-OPEC producers were on track to meet output reduction goals set in December. Global benchmark Brent crude prices were down 53 cents to $54.96 a barrel at 1026 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures traded at $52.61 a barrel, down 61 cents, or 1.1 percent, on Friday's close. Ministers representing members of t
  
  Read more

• Resource efficiency could boost UK economy by £80bn by 2030, says Aldersgate Group

  23-01-2017 12:17
  
  The UK economy could swell by nearly £80bn if the country adopts resource-efficient business models by 2030, according to the latest research by business alliance the Aldersgate Group.
  
  Read more

• Ford's plug-in van trials receive £4.7m boost from UK Government

  23-01-2017 12:17
  
  Motor giant Ford has unveiled a new 12-month project aimed at enhancing air quality in London through the use of 20 plug-in hybrid Transit Custom vans, which has been backed by a £4.7m grant from the Government.
  
  Read more

• Quentin Willson encouraging the use of electric cars

  23-01-2017 12:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Motoring journalist Quentin Willson calls for cheaper and simpler prices to encourage the use of electric cars.
  
  Read more

• We’re now breaking global temperature records once every three years | Dana Nuccitelli

  23-01-2017 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Denial and “alternative facts” haven’t stopped the Earth from warming to record-shattering levelsAccording to Nasa, in 2016 the Earth’s surface temperature shattered the previous record for hottest year by 0.12°C. That record was set in 2015, which broke the previous record by 0.13°C. That record had been set in 2014, beating out 2010, which in turn had broken the previous record set in 2005.If you think that seems like a lot of record-breaking hot years, you&rsqu
  
  Read more

• We are destroying rainforests so quickly they may be gone in 100 years | John Vidal

  23-01-2017 11:50 via theguardian.com
  
  At current rates of deforestation, rainforests will vanish altogether in a century. Stopping climate change will remain an elusive goal unless poor nations are helped to preserve themIf you want to see the world’s climate changing, fly over a tropical country. Thirty years ago, a wide belt of rainforest circled the earth, covering much of Latin America, south-east Asia and Africa. Today, it is being rapidly replaced by great swathes of palm oil trees and rubber plantations, land cleared fo
  
  Read more

• Exclusive - Shell's exploration boss Powell to step down

  23-01-2017 11:35
  By Ron Bousso LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell's head of exploration Ceri Powell will step down next month, capping seven years in the role marked by sharp cutbacks in the company's search for new oil and gas reserves amid the industry's deep downturn since mid-2014. Powell, a geologist who joined Shell in 1990 and a vocal supporter for strengthening female involvement in the sector, will depart on February 13 and become managing director of Brunei Shell Petroleum the following month, accord
  
  Read more

• Gator aid

  23-01-2017 11:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Texan Christy Kroboth used to have a quiet job in a dentist's surgery. Now she spends her time jumping on animals many times her size - and taping their jaws tightly shut.
  
  Read more

• Exclusive: Shell exploration boss to step down

  23-01-2017 11:11
  LONDON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell's head of exploration Ceri Powell will step down next month, capping three years in office marked by sharp cutbacks in the company's search for new oil and gas reserves amid the industry's deep downturn since mid-2014. Powell, a geologist who joined Shell in 1990, will depart on February 13 and become managing director of Brunei Shell Petroleum the following month, according to a Shell spokeswoman. Powell will be replaced by upstream strategy vice president M
  
  Read more

• China approves first list of green car models for subsidies this year

  23-01-2017 10:46
  China released on Monday this year's first list of "recommended" green energy vehicles, paving the way for 185 car models to receive government subsidies. Beijing has spent billions of dollars promoting electric and plug-in hybrid cars to help the domestic auto industry develop the technology to leapfrog global competitors, while also reducing frequent bouts of heavy urban air pollution. As a result, all models previously approved for government subsidies are required to reapply this year.
  
  Read more

• Exclusive - Warburg Pincus hires Goldman Sachs to sell Safetykleen Europe

  23-01-2017 09:39
  By Andrés González and Arno Schuetze MADRID/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - U.S. private equity fund Warburg Pincus [WP.UL] has hired Goldman Sachs to sell Safetykleen Europe [WARBPS.UL], which provides used oil collection, recycling and parts cleaning services, four sources with knowledge of the matter said. The firm, which was acquired by Warburg Pincus in 2008 for 565 million pounds could fetch around 640 million pounds, including debt, at a multiple of around eight times core earnings, t
  
  Read more

• Rig builder Lamprell sees lower revenue, tightens purse strings

  23-01-2017 09:35
  (Reuters) - Oil-rig builder Lamprell Plc said it would continue to maintain a tight rein on costs as it stuck to its guidance of lower 2017 revenue and pointed to a "particularly cautious environment" for the year ahead. Shares in Lamprell were down 14.07 percent at 87.87 pence at 0812 GMT, underperforming the FTSE All Share Oil Equipment & Services Index. The rig builder said in a statement on Monday that while it recognises the likelihood of stronger product pricing in 2017, most of its cu
  
  Read more

• The great British make off: how a new materialism can give us back control | Ruth Potts

  23-01-2017 09:00 via theguardian.com
  
  A true march of the makers will turn the tables on our abusive consumer culture and deliver the richer relationship with ‘stuff’ that our economy is crying out forMaterialism has become synonymous with consumerism – wasteful, debt-fuelled and ultimately unsatisfying. But what if we’ve not been looking in the wrong place for happiness, and we’ve just got the relationship badly wrong? Like an abusive relationship, we voraciously acquire things we barely use to fill ac
  
  Read more

• Fire of Australia: The return of the world's finest uncut opal

  23-01-2017 08:44 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The opal dubbed the Fire of Australia is back on public display after 70 years in a safe deposit box.
  
  Read more

• Adapting to climate change means adapting to Trump – here's how | Dr Aditya V Bahadur

  23-01-2017 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Donald Trump’s scepticism about climate change makes it vital that the case for better planning and preparation is articulated in a politically astute way Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president poses a grave threat to the major progress made in the battle against climate change over the past decade. The top 20 things that Trump has pledged to “get rid of” include US commitment to the Paris climate agreement and payments to the UN climate fund, which helps developing
  
  Read more

• All birds and bluster on the headland

  23-01-2017 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  St Bees Head, Cumbria The red sandstone cliffs are home to a reserve that claims to be the largest seabird colony in the north-westAt Cumbria’s most westerly point, I watch two fulmars glide stiff-winged on the wind over the unmanned lighthouse. Guillemots follow suit, as does a razorbill (inappropriately named, for, though similar, their beaks are blunter and thicker). The adjacent red sandstone cliffs, 300ft high, are home to an RSPB bird reserve that claims to be the largest seabird col
  
  Read more

• Oil eases after two-day gain, rising U.S. production weighs

  23-01-2017 06:10
  By Naveen Thukral SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil ticked lower on Monday, falling for the first time in three sessions as prospects of rising U.S. production weighed on the market. U.S. energy companies last week added the most rigs drilling for new production in almost four years. U.S. oil production has risen more than 6 percent since mid-2016, although it remains 7 percent below a historic high in 2015.
  
  Read more

• Cambridge scientists consider fake news 'vaccine'

  23-01-2017 06:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Concern at fabricated stories on websites prompts a psychological study to help people spot fake news.
  
  Read more

• New Zealand hit by 'weather bomb' bringing summer snow and flooding

  23-01-2017 04:46 via theguardian.com
  
  Severe low caused heavy rain and gales and resulted in large dumps of snow in the middle of the southern summerA powerful “weather bomb” has hit New Zealand, cutting off rural towns, flooding major roads and dumping snow on to bare alpine ski fields at what should be the height of the southern hemisphere summer. Related: 2016 hottest year ever recorded – and scientists say human activity to blameContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• Oil firms after producer meeting, but high U.S. output weighs

  23-01-2017 03:22
  By Naveen Thukral SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil edged up on Monday on statements over the weekend from OPEC and other producers that they have been successfully implementing output cuts, but gains were limited by a surge in U.S. drilling. OPEC and non-OPEC countries have made a strong start to lowering their oil output under the first such pact in more than a decade, energy ministers said on Sunday as producers look to reduce oversupply and support prices. "It is the weaker dollar to start the week
  
  Read more

Follow @UK_Environment on Twitter!