Environment news

• William Happer: who is Trump's likely science adviser? – video report

  15-02-2017 23:48 via theguardian.com
  
  William Happer, an eminent Princeton University professor, is tipped to become Donald Trump’s science adviser. Happer is a respected scientist in the academic community, but many are concerned about his possible appointment because of his stance on climate change. Happer argues that the role of carbon dioxide (CO2) in climate change has been largely exaggerated and argues that more CO2 is good for plant life and the planetTrump’s likely science adviser calls climate scientists &lsquo
  
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• Coalition gives $54m from CEFC to large-scale solar and renews pumped hydro push

  15-02-2017 22:55 via theguardian.com
  
  Plan for pumped hydro project co-located with a large-scale solar farm demonstrates government’s ‘strong commitment to energy security’, PM saysThe Turnbull government has given a $54m loan from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to a large-scale solar development which it says has the potential for pumped hydro storage.Malcolm Turnbull and the energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, have announced the government had directed the CEFC and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena)
  
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• New Methods Further Discern Extreme Fluctuations in Forage Fish Populations

  15-02-2017 22:34 via feedproxy.google.com
  California sardine stocks famously crashed in John Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row.” New research, building on the pioneering work of Soutar and Isaacs in the late 1960’s and others, shows in greater detail that such forage fish stocks have undergone boom-bust cycles for centuries, with at least three species off the U.S. West Coast repeatedly experiencing steep population increases followed by declines long before commercial fishing began.Natural population fluctuations in Paci
  
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• Extraordinary Levels of Pollution Found in the Deepest Part of the Sea

  15-02-2017 21:01 via feedproxy.google.com
  Since the Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean, you might guess that it is safe from the impact of humans, but you would be wrong. Scientists have found that, despite its depth and remoteness, the deep sea contains levels of toxins that match some of the most polluted marine systems on earth.
  
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• How temperature guides where species live and where they'll go

  15-02-2017 20:59 via feedproxy.google.com
  For decades, among the most enduring questions for ecologists have been: "Why do species live where they do? And what are the factors that keep them there?" A Princeton University-based study featured on the February cover of the journal Ecology could prove significant in answering that question, particularly for animals in the world's temperate mountain areas.
  
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• Global Ocean De-Oxygenation Quantified

  15-02-2017 20:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  The ongoing global change causes rising ocean temperatures and changes the ocean circulation. Therefore less oxygen is dissolved in surface waters and less oxygen is transported into the deep sea. This reduction of oceanic oxygen supply has major consequences for the organisms in the ocean. In the international journal Nature, oceanographers of GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have now published the most comprehensive analysis on oxygen loss in the world's oceans and their cause s
  
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• For and against a return to the land | Letters

  15-02-2017 19:19 via theguardian.com
  
  Richard Higgins (Letters, 15 February) writes: “Farming is about maintaining the land in such a way as to support the animals and people who live upon it”. The late Tony King, professor of politics at Essex University, argued that all successful popular revolutions, good and bad, were accompanied by land reform and redistribution. One criticism of the EU levelled historically by the progressive, internationalist wing of the Labour party has been that the common agricultural policy en
  
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• European Parliament adopts draft reform of carbon market

  15-02-2017 19:06
  
  The European Parliament on Wednesday (15 February) adopted draft reforms of the EU's carbon market post-2020 that aim to balance greater cuts in greenhouse gases with protection for energy-intensive industries.
  
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• Autism detectable in brain long before symptoms appear

  15-02-2017 19:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The discovery could lead to better tests and therapies for children with autism.
  
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• Winston Churchill's views on aliens revealed in lost essay

  15-02-2017 19:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A newly unearthed essay by Winston Churchill reveals he was open to the possibility of life on other planets.
  
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• MEPs approve overhaul of EU carbon emissions trading scheme

  15-02-2017 18:57 via theguardian.com
  
  European parliament accused of failing in its commitment to Paris climate deal with compromise measures to reduce emissionsAn overhaul of a trading scheme to cut carbon emissions by European industries has been approved in a knife-edge vote by MEPs, although environmental campaigners have been quick to denounce the legislation for not going far enough.Under the proposals agreed in the European parliament in Strasbourg to update the emissions trading scheme (ETS), MEPs hope to balance greater cut
  
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• Mary Welsh obituary

  15-02-2017 18:53 via theguardian.com
  
  My mother, Mary Welsh, who has died aged 88, inspired thousands of people to walk the wilds of Scotland and northern England and appreciate their flora and fauna, through her numerous books and published articles. While Alfred Wainwright guided walkers up high fells, Mary described walks that explored less visited lower slopes, moorlands and valleys, often covering three or four different habitats in one circular route and providing views of famed peaks from little-known vantage points.Mary&rsqu
  
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• NASA Study Identifies New Pathway for Greenland Meltwater to Reach Ocean

  15-02-2017 17:57 via feedproxy.google.com
  Cracks in the Greenland Ice Sheet let one of its aquifers drain to the ocean, new NASA research finds. The aquifers, discovered only recently, are unusual in that they trap large amounts of liquid water within the ice sheet. Until now, scientists did not know what happened to the water stored away in this reservoir -- the discovery will help fine tune computer models of Greenland’s contribution to sea level rise.
  
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• Scottish gamekeepers and mountaineers oppose tree-planting plan

  15-02-2017 17:47 via theguardian.com
  
  Two groups unite to oppose proposal to plant thousands of trees saying it could threaten the country’s ‘dramatic open views and vistas’Scotland’s mountaineers and gamekeepers have rarely seen eye to eye. But now they have put their differences behind them to oppose an apparently innocuous plan that both say threatens the country’s landscape: a proposal to plant thousands of new trees.The Scottish Gamekeepers Association (SGA) and Mountaineering Scotland admit they a
  
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• Copeland byelection: May accused of ducking issue of support for nuclear plant

  15-02-2017 17:14 via theguardian.com
  
  PM says Tories ‘committed to nuclear’ but fails to offer support for Moorside plant after losses by one of its backersThe prime minister has been accused of ducking the issue of whether the government supports a new nuclear power station in west Cumbria on a visit to Copeland ahead of the constituency’s byelection.
  The accusation was levelled after Theresa May said the Conservative party was “committed” to nuclear, but did not offer state support following huge loss
  
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• Researchers Catch Extreme Waves with High-Resolution Modeling

  15-02-2017 16:55 via feedproxy.google.com
  Surfers aren’t the only people trying to catch big waves. Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) are trying to do so, too, at least in wave climate forecasts.
  
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• Pope Francis appears to back tribal land rights in Dakota Access pipeline fight

  15-02-2017 16:55 via theguardian.com
  
  Pontiff says need to protect native land is ‘especially clear when planning economic activities which may interfere with indigenous cultures’Pope Francis appeared on to back Native Americans seeking to halt part of the Dakota Access Pipeline, saying indigenous cultures have a right to defend “their ancestral relationship to the Earth”. The Latin American pope, who has often strongly defended indigenous rights since his election in 2013, made his comments on protection of
  
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• Intergalactic unions more devastating than we thought

  15-02-2017 16:49 via feedproxy.google.com
  Scientists from MIPT, the University of Oxford, and the Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences estimated the number of stars disrupted by solitary supermassive black holes in galactic centers formed due to mergers of galaxies containing supermassive black holes. The astrophysicists found out whether gravitational effects arising as two black holes draw closer to one another can explain why we observe fewer stars being captured by black holes than basic theoretica
  
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• EU criticised for 'emergency authorisations' of banned bee-harming pesticide

  15-02-2017 16:44 via theguardian.com
  
  Just under half of requests for exceptions to the neonicotinoids ban were filed by industry not farmers, legal analysis showsThe EU has been criticised after a new legal analysis showed it had allowed scores of “emergency authorisations” of banned pesticides that threaten bee colonies.The research emerged as the European court of justice began hearing a case by Syngenta and Bayer to overturn the pesticides ban. A ruling is expected shortly. Continue reading...
  
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• 'The blob' of abnormal conditions boosted Western U.S. ozone levels

  15-02-2017 16:42 via feedproxy.google.com
  An unusually warm patch of seawater off the West Coast in late 2014 and 2015, nicknamed “the blob,” had cascading effects up and down the coast. Its sphere of influence was centered on the marine environment but extended to weather on land.
  
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• Ottawa researchers kill brain cancer in mice with combination immunotherapies

  15-02-2017 16:36 via feedproxy.google.com
  A promising combination of immunotherapies delivers a one-two punch to brain cancer tumours with high cure rates in mice, scientific evidence published in Nature Communications today says.
  
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• Canadian glaciers now major contributor to sea level change, UCI study shows

  15-02-2017 16:09 via feedproxy.google.com
  Ice loss from Canada’s Arctic glaciers has transformed them into a major contributor to sea level change, new research by University of California, Irvine glaciologists has found.From 2005 to 2015, surface melt off ice caps and glaciers of the Queen Elizabeth Islands grew by an astonishing 900 percent, from an average of three gigatons to 30 gigatons per year, according to results published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters.
  
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• Bigger May Not Be Better When It Comes to Mississippi River Diversions

  15-02-2017 14:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  River diversions are a common coastal wetland restoration tool, but recent research, conducted by U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with researchers in Louisiana State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the LSU AgCenter, has shown that large-scale Mississippi River diversions may significantly change water quality in estuaries, affecting economically important shellfish and fish species.
  
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• NOAA ship journeys into remote, deep Pacific ocean

  15-02-2017 14:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  Using the Deep Discoverer ROV, scientists will investigate deepwater habitats, geology, and the biology of sea animals as it dives as far as 3.7 miles (6,000 meters) deep. The public can watch online.The 2017 explorations will run through September and are part of the third and final year of NOAA’s Campaign to Address Pacific monument Science, Technology, and Ocean NEeds, known as CAPSTONE, a major multiyear science initiative focusing on the deep ocean of U.S. marine protected areas in th
  
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• Trump's likely science adviser calls climate scientists 'glassy-eyed cult'

  15-02-2017 14:13 via theguardian.com
  
  William Happer, frontrunner for job of providing mainstream scientific opinion to officials, backs crackdown on federal scientists’ freedom to speak outThe man tipped as frontrunner for the role of science adviser to Donald Trump has described climate scientists as “a glassy-eyed cult” in the throes of a form of collective madness.William Happer, an eminent physicist at Princeton University, met with Trump last month to discuss the post and says that if he were offered the job
  
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• European commission issues 'final warning' to UK over air pollution breaches

  15-02-2017 14:04 via theguardian.com
  
  UK is one of five countries persistently contravening legal nitrogen dioxide levels with pollution from factories and vehicles, particularly diesel enginesThe European commission has sent a “final warning” to the UK for failing to address repeated breaches of legal air pollution limits in 16 areas including London, Birmingham, Leeds, and Glasgow. The UK is one of five countries served with the warning over persistent breaches of nitrogen dioxide ((NO2) levels, which come from sources
  
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• Air pollution 'final warning' from European Commission to UK

  15-02-2017 13:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The European Commission says it will take the matter to the EU court if countries fail to act.
  
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• National Trust champions on-site solutions in renewables revolution

  15-02-2017 13:30
  
  EXCLUSIVE: The National Trust is continuing its march towards self-sufficient energy generation, having produced 12% of its heat from on-site renewable energy sources in 2016 - four years ahead of Britain's national renewable heat targets.
  
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• Eating Fish? Then You're Eating Plastic, Too

  15-02-2017 13:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  Synthetic fleece is something of a modern miracle. It keeps us warm and cozy, is easily cleaned and doesn’t even require we harm any animals to make it. Perfect, right? Well, every miracle comes with a price.It turns out that every time we wash one fleece pullover or jacket, we’re sending about two grams of plastic microfibers out into our environment. Where those fibers end up from there is a bit concerning, because you’re probably eating them.
  
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• UK fishermen may not win 'waters back' after Brexit, EU memo reveals

  15-02-2017 13:12 via theguardian.com
  
  Document obtained by the Guardian states existing quotas will remain despite promises made by leave campaigners The hopes of British fishermen that the UK can win its “waters back” post-Brexit are expected to be dashed by the European parliament, despite the campaign promises of Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, a leaked EU document reveals.MEPs have drafted seven provisions to be included in Britain’s “exit agreement”, including the stipulation that there will be &ld
  
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• 10 ways to beat air pollution: how effective are they?

  15-02-2017 13:11 via theguardian.com
  
  From particle-zapping bus stops to compact ‘smart’ air filters, we examine the methods that tackle the symptoms of air pollutionTackling the causes of air pollution has been on of the themes of our special focus this week, The Air We Breathe. But in the short term, what about the symptoms? We examined some of the most common solutions to see if the claims they make are anything more than hot air. Continue reading...
  
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• Get REAL: Framework launched to place people at the heart of smart city transition

  15-02-2017 12:31
  
  As digitalisation streamlines the way that humans interact with the cities that they live in, a new framework has been launched to ensure that local authorities and policy makers place people at the heart of the smart city transition.
  
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• Football headers 'linked to brain damage'

  15-02-2017 11:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Footballers suffer similar brain damage to boxers, a small scientific study suggests.
  
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• Bat hibernation: Scottish quest to solve puzzle – in pictures

  15-02-2017 11:18 via theguardian.com
  
  It remains a mystery as to where most of Scotland’s bats hibernate. Anne Youngman, Scottish officer for the Bat Conservation Trust, and the ecologist John Haddow conduct a survey in a disused quarry tunnel and at Doune Castle Continue reading...
  
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• Auto industry calls on Trump to review fuel efficiency standards

  15-02-2017 11:13
  
  The chief executives from 18 major car manufacturers have called on President Donald Trump to review fuel efficiency standards and regulations that were set in place by the Obama administration more than a year ahead of schedule.
  
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• edie Live 2017: Speakers and sessions revealed

  15-02-2017 11:09
  
  The show content for edie Live 2017 has been confirmed with more than 100 expert speakers appearing across four seminar theatres for the two-day exhibition in May.
  
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• 'Filthy glamour': could polluted Marylebone Road help fix London's air?

  15-02-2017 11:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Marylebone Road has the odd distinction of being the world’s most studied road in terms of air pollution – yet remains a chief culprit in London’s ‘shameful’ air quality. Now it’s home to a series of new experimentsDaybreak in the capital and on the pavement opposite Great Portland Street underground station runners cut virtuous paths through a crisp, cold winter’s morning. To one side of them lies Regent’s Park, deep green beneath a perfect frost.
  
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• Mining boom clean-up could cost taxpayers billions, says Australia Institute

  15-02-2017 09:47 via theguardian.com
  
  Report says mine sites may not be able to be successfully rehabilitated and warns of ‘big liabilities’A scarcity of information about disused mine sites is leaving the public in the dark on the clean-up costs from New South Wales’ mining boom, a new report has found. The report, released by the Australia Institute on Wednesday, attempted to analyse what was happening to operating, suspended, closed, rehabilitated, or abandoned mine sites across the state.Continue reading...
  
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• South Australian blackout caused by demand and generator failures, market operator says

  15-02-2017 09:35 via theguardian.com
  
  Demand for power higher than forecast, wind generation lower than forecast and thermal generators unable to step into breachA blackout in South Australia that has intensified a political brawl over energy policy was caused by three factors: demand for power was higher than forecast, wind generation was lower than forecast and several thermal generators were unable to step into the breach, according to the energy market operator.As the partisan conflict about energy continued in Canberra on Wedne
  
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• Delhi's deadly dust: how construction sites are choking the city

  15-02-2017 09:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The Indian capital’s inherently dusty air is made worse by countless unregulated construction sites – and the production of bricks and concrete to feed themFar out on Delhi’s southern and eastern fringes the rows of high-rises suddenly turn skeletal. The population of the Indian capital, already the second largest in the world, is forecast to grow by 9 million in the next 15 years; and despite a recent lull in new projects, areas such as Noida are a universe of worksites, crane
  
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• Solar-powered trains are closer to reality than we might think

  15-02-2017 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Use of solar panels by the side of tracks to provide power to electric trains could make sense given match-up between peak generation and demandHow can we connect solar photovoltaics (PV) directly to railways to power electric trains? That’s the question my charity 10:10 and researchers at Imperial College’s Energy Futures Lab are trying to answer.Electric trains are by far the best long distance transport mode when it comes to carbon emissions – at least when their electricity
  
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• Tides ebb across mud banks and saltings

  15-02-2017 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Bere Ferrers, Devon On sheltered riverside land, toppled fruit trees encrusted in lichen remain from once productive orchardsNear to Bere Ferrers rail station a muddy way crosses poached and splashy pastures towards Thorn Point, where a causeway, submerged at high tide, used to be the landing place for horticultural produce ferried from Cargreen in Cornwall. Spring flowers and summer strawberries would have been unloaded here, destined for London and upcountry markets via the railway, a mile acr
  
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• Beyond the backyard: urban farming helps city folk get back to their roots

  15-02-2017 02:32 via theguardian.com
  
  Along with fresh fruit and vegetables, city farms are providing communities with jobs, start-up programs, knowledge and social connections The days of the tasteless supermarket produce sourced hundreds of kilometres away from your trolley are numbered, with a growing number of urban farming models putting fresh, locally grown fruit and vegetables on the table. Yet these city farms want to do more than sell fresh veggies and increase our vitamin intake, they want to impact on the community’
  
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• Shorten fails to specify cost of Labor's renewables policy when asked four times

  15-02-2017 01:35 via theguardian.com
  
  Labor’s goal is to have 50% of electricity from renewables by 2030, but asked about the cost, he replies ‘there is a cost in not acting’Bill Shorten has declined to be specific about the cost of Labor’s goal to have 50% of Australia’s electricity generated from renewable sources by 2030.
  In an early morning radio interview on Wednesday, Shorten was asked four times about the cost to consumers of executing such a transition, but the Labor leader deflected, pointing t
  
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• The Sustainability Oscars 2017: Celebrating the best of climate-change cinema

  15-02-2017 01:06
  
  With the film awards season in full swing and the 2017 Oscars ceremony just around the corner, edie rolls out the green carpet to bring you this very felicitous - but by no means official - round up of the best actors, actresses, films and documentaries that have been taking climate activism to the mainstream.
  
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