Environment news

• National Farmers Federation joins calls for market mechanism to lower carbon emissions

  06-03-2017 22:59 via theguardian.com
  
  NFF submission to Finkel review joins AGL, Energy Australia and Business Council in supporting mechanism such as emissions intensity schemeThe National Farmers Federation has called for a market-based mechanism to secure clean and affordable energy, such as an emissions intensity scheme, joining a long list of organisations urging an end to Australia’s policy impasse.In a submission to the Finkel review, the NFF calls for the government to reconsider its opposition to an EIS and institute
  
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• Stanford study shows U.S. grasslands affected more by atmospheric dryness than precipitation

  06-03-2017 22:26 via feedproxy.google.com
  According to 33 years of remote sensing data, productivity of U.S. grasslands is more sensitive to dryness of the atmosphere than precipitation, important information for understanding how ecosystems will respond to climate change.A new study showing dryness of the atmosphere affects U.S. grassland productivity more than rainfall could have important implications for predicting how plants will respond to warming climate conditions.
  
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• State of the Environment report: bright spots, but much more to do | Josh Frydenberg

  06-03-2017 21:23 via theguardian.com
  
  Australia has made solid progress in many areas covered by the five-yearly report, but population pressures, invasive species and climate change still present huge challengesFirst established in 1996 and occurring every five years, the State of the Environment report is prepared by independent authors and provides a report card across nine thematic areas – the Antarctic environment, atmosphere, biodiversity, built environment, coasts, heritage, inland waters, land and the marine environmen
  
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• Climate change impact on Australia may be irreversible, five-yearly report says

  06-03-2017 21:22 via theguardian.com
  
  Exclusive: State of the Environment report says heritage and economic activity are being affected and the disadvantaged will be worst hit Josh Frydenberg: bright spots, but much more to doAn independent review of the state of Australia’s environment has found the impacts of climate change are increasing and some of the changes could be irreversible.The latest State of the Environment report, a scientific snapshot across nine areas released by the federal government every five years, says c
  
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• Imaging the Inner Workings of a Sodium–Metal Sulfide Battery for First Time

  06-03-2017 20:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  Understanding how the structural and chemical makeup of the material changes during the charge/discharge process could help scientists advance battery design for future energy storage needsSometimes understanding how a problem arises in the first place is key to finding its solution. For a team of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, taking this approach led them to the cause of degraded performance in an operating sodium-ion battery.
  
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• United Kingdom CO2 Emissions Fall to Lowest Level in Nearly a Century

  06-03-2017 20:12 via feedproxy.google.com
  A record drop in coal use — coupled with the rapid growth of renewable energy, an expansion of energy efficiency programs, and an increase in burning natural gas for electricity — have driven carbon dioxide emissions in the UK to their lowest levels since the 1920s, according to a new study by the non-profit group, Carbon Brief.
  
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• The budget should address cuts and chronic underfunding | Letters

  06-03-2017 19:48 via theguardian.com
  
  Social care is on the edge of a financial cliff, with years of cuts and under-investment impacting on the sector’s stability and calling its long-term sustainability into question. Many have been waiting with bated breath for a long-term government solution to this growing crisis, and while some action has been taken, it has not been anywhere near enough to save the current system, which is completely unsustainable and at real risk of total collapse.An immediate funding settlement of at le
  
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• Drive less if you care about air pollution | Letters

  06-03-2017 19:46 via theguardian.com
  
  Please don’t give people an excuse for not making every effort to change behaviours that contribute to air pollution (Omega-3 supplements could guard against air pollution, 4 March). Millions of car drivers can cut air pollution right now by reducing their car use. Driving a car is antisocial in the extreme: it negatively impacts on thousands of lives and there are few places (if any) to escape the toxic waste that car drivers (their cars couldn’t do it without them) spew out from th
  
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• William Shatner's guide to Mars

  06-03-2017 19:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Star Trek actor takes you on a fact-fuelled cosmic journey to the mysterious Red Planet.
  
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• Arctic sea ice could disappear even if world achieves climate target

  06-03-2017 19:05 via theguardian.com
  
  Goal of limiting rise in average global temperatures to below 2C may not prevent ice-free Arctic, scientists warn
  Arctic sea ice could vanish in summers this century even if governments achieve a core target for limiting global warming set by almost 200 countries, scientists have said. The ice has been shrinking steadily in recent decades, damaging the livelihoods of indigenous people and wildlife, such as polar bears, while opening the region to more shipping and oil and gas exploration. Contin
  
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• UK urges Kenya to 'restore law and order' after shooting of British rancher

  06-03-2017 17:50 via theguardian.com
  
  British high commissioner to Kenya speaks out following death of Tristan Voorspuy, whose ranch was invaded by herdersBritain has urged Kenya to restore law and order in the north of the country after a British rancher was shot dead there. Nic Hailey, Britain’s high commissioner to Kenya, was speaking after the killing of Tristan Voorspuy, whose lodges had been burned by attackers. His body was found on Sunday at his ranch 118 miles (190km) north of Nairobi. Continue reading...
  
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• Sea turtle recovering after 915 coins removed from stomach – video report

  06-03-2017 17:44 via theguardian.com
  
  Omsin, a green sea turtle, is recovering in Bangkok after surgery to remove over 900 coins from her stomach on Monday. She was brought to Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn university for medical attention by Thai naval personnel who noticed the struggling turtle in Sriracha. A CT scan found that Omsin (“piggy-bank” in English) was carrying a 5kg metal mass inside her, later found during surgery to be coins. It is likely Omsin was swallowing coins thrown into her pond in her hometown. She
  
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• What happens when the research underpinning conservation is wrong?

  06-03-2017 17:42 via theguardian.com
  
  A public campaign to cull ‘invasive’ cownose rays was hugely successful. But re-examining the data revealed a horrible truth: the rays weren’t the problemEffective conservation management is something that every biologist wants to see. This is especially true for shark biologists like me, because one in four cartilaginous species are currently estimated to be threatened with extinction (Dulvy et al 2014). But while it’s easy to cheer conservation efforts, what happens whe
  
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• Oil price will soar without investment in capacity, says watchdog

  06-03-2017 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  IEA says hundreds of billions of dollars must go into new fields to meet demand from markets such as India and ChinaThe world will be hit by sharp increase in oil prices in the next decade without a major investment in new fields, one of the world’s leading energy authorities has warned.The International Energy Agency said after a two year-slump the industry was making a weak recovery, which would coincide with India and China continuing to drive up oil demand. The result would be a tight
  
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• Poachers kill one of Africa's last remaining 'big tusker' elephants

  06-03-2017 16:57 via theguardian.com
  
  Satao II, about 50 years old, is believed to have been shot with a poisoned arrow in Tsavo national park, KenyaOne of Africa’s oldest and largest elephants has been killed by poachers in Kenya, according to a conservation group that protects a dwindling group of “big tuskers” estimated to be as few as 25.Related: If you were an elephant …Continue reading...
  
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• Prize for cracking brain's 'feel good' system

  06-03-2017 16:41 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Three UK-based scientists who have studied the brain’s reward centre win a prestigious prize worth 1m euros.
  
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• Million euro prize for cracking brain's reward system

  06-03-2017 16:41 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Three UK-based scientists who have studied the brain’s reward centre win a prestigious prize worth 1m euros.
  
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• Coal collapse drives down UK carbon emissions

  06-03-2017 16:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A collapse in the use of coal has driven UK carbon emissions down to levels barely seen since the Victorian era, new figures show.
  
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• More than 900 coins removed from turtle's stomach in Thailand

  06-03-2017 16:28 via theguardian.com
  
  Twenty-five-year-old green sea turtle nicknamed Bank swallowed money thrown into her pool by tourists seeking good luckTossing coins into a fountain to bring good luck is a popular superstition, but the practice brought misery to a sea turtle in Thailand from which vets have removed 915 coins.Vets in Bangkok operated on Monday on the 25-year-old female green sea turtle nicknamed Bank, whose indigestible diet was the result of tourists seeking good fortune by tossing coins into her pool over many
  
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• UK carbon emissions drop to lowest level since 19th century, study finds

  06-03-2017 16:08 via theguardian.com
  
  Ditching dirty coal benefiting environment as gas and renewables increase their share in electricity generationThe UK’s carbon dioxide emissions have fallen to their lowest level since the 19th century as coal use continues to plummet, analysis suggests. Emissions of the major greenhouse gas fell almost 6% year-on-year in 2016, after the use of coal for electricity more than halved to record lows, according to the Carbon Brief website, which reports on climate science and energy policy. Co
  
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• UK carbon emissions fall by 5.8% in 2016, analysis finds

  06-03-2017 15:56
  
  A huge decline in coal use saw national carbon emissions in the UK fall by 5.8% in 2016, reaching its lowest recorded levels in almost 100 years, analysts have claimed.
  
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• Could this compostable coffee capsule solve the great circular economy challenge?

  06-03-2017 15:45
  
  As the coffee cup recycling debate continues to grab national headlines, a new eco-innovation has launched which could set a new standard for another key circular economy conundrum: non-biodegradable coffee capsules.
  
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• Increasing Shrubs Mean Changes for Some but Not All Arctic Birds

  06-03-2017 14:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  Scientists can now predict which avian species are most sensitive to the increasingly dominant shrub habitat spreading across Alaska, a capability that will be useful for natural resource agencies in Alaska charged with managing these resources.
  
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• Pollution responsible for a quarter of deaths of young children, says WHO

  06-03-2017 13:58 via theguardian.com
  
  Toxic air, unsafe water and and lack of sanitation causing the deaths of 1.7 million children under five every yearPollution is responsible for one in four deaths among all children under five, according to new World Health Organisation reports, with toxic air, unsafe water and and lack of sanitation the leading causes.The reports found polluted environments cause the deaths of 1.7 million children every year, but that many of the deaths could be prevented by interventions already known to work,
  
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• Schools with solar panels face £1.8m bill due to business rates rise

  06-03-2017 13:17 via theguardian.com
  
  Tax hike on solar-installed properties to affect 821 state schools in England and Wales, research suggests New research suggests schools in England and Wales which have solar panels installed will be landed with a £1.8m bill because of business rate changes that have been branded ludicrous and nonsensical.More than 1,000 schools installed solar power in recent years to address climate change, educate pupils and provide a crucial new revenue stream to help squeezed budgets. Continue reading
  
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• Americans are confused on climate, but support cutting carbon pollution | Dana Nuccitelli

  06-03-2017 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  There’s broad support for climate policies in every state and county, but Americans view global warming as a distant problem
  The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication published the findings of its 2016 survey on American public opinion about climate change. The results are interesting – in some ways confusing – and yet they reveal surprisingly broad support for action to address climate change. The Yale team created a tool with which the results can be broken down by sta
  
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• A right to repair: why Nebraska farmers are taking on John Deere and Apple

  06-03-2017 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Farmers like fixing their own equipment, but rules imposed by big corporations are making it impossible. Now this small showdown could have a big impactThere are corn and soy fields as far as the eye can see around Kyle Schwarting’s home in Ceresco, Nebraska. The 36-year-old farmer lives on a small plot of land peppered with large agricultural machines including tractors, planters and a combine harvester. Parked up in front of his house is a bright read 27-ton Case tractor which has tracks
  
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• MPs probe circular economy progress on plastic bottles and coffee cups

  06-03-2017 10:43
  
  The war on packaging waste has entered Westminster this week as MPs have launched a fresh inquiry into the environmental impact of plastic bottle and coffee cup waste.
  
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• Meet the Energy Manager of the Year - London Metropolitan University's Rachel Ward

  06-03-2017 10:30
  
  Ahead of her appearance at edie Live, London Metropolitan University's sustainability manager Rachel Ward discusses how she has been able to catalyse an on-campus transformation in energy efficiency performance.
  
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• IBM's online quantum machine gets faster

  06-03-2017 09:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  IBM wants to open out quantum computing to the business community and increase usage for programmers.
  
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• Nimble entrepreneurs seek solutions to air quality crisis

  06-03-2017 08:30 via theguardian.com
  
  With 55% of Chinese consumers looking to reduce pollution exposure and a London mayor focused on clean air policies, the market is growingThere is no escape from the air you breathe. Or is there? Last year 169 places across the UK registered illegal levels of air pollution, according to Greenpeace. Londoners, in particular, should be waking up to the toxins they inhale, with pollution levels in the capital breaching annual legal limits in the first five days of this year.When a problem arises, h
  
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• Almost half of British public would support diesel scrappage scheme, research finds

  06-03-2017 07:15
  
  In the build-up to Wednesday's Spring Budget, Friends of the Earth (FoE) is calling for Chancellor Philip Hammond to introduce a diesel scrappage scheme, as a poll shows that almost half of car-owning UK adults would be likely to switch to a cleaner vehicle with Government support.
  
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• Can elephants and humans live together?

  06-03-2017 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Berserk beasts, trashed crops, vengeful villagers: tales of ‘conflict’ come thick and fast as humans and elephants are forced into closer contact. But does it have to be war? Across Asia and Africa, there are hints of how we might live in peaceWhile I was working on this article, two people were killed by wild elephants near my home in south India. Mary Leena, a middle-aged woman, was rushing to church for an early morning service. At an intersection, she came face to face with a hug
  
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• A champion of 'unofficial countryside'

  06-03-2017 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Haverah Park, North Yorkshire It is an unglamorous fringeland of rush pasture and white moor, yet nature finds a use for itNeglect has left the wooden barrack-like building looking gaunt and frankly sinister. A sky of torn clouds, a sea of rough, rust-coloured pasture, a few knotty hawthorns and some lonely telegraph poles complete the Yorkshire Gothic ambience; it could be a backdrop to a horror film.
  Yet this is Doug Simpson’s preferred patch for a wander. Best known for overseeing the s
  
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• How bad is air pollution in the UK?

  06-03-2017 04:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Air pollution is in the news - but how bad is Britain’s air?
  
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• How bad is air pollution?

  06-03-2017 04:21 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Air pollution is in the news - but how bad is Britain’s air?
  
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• Urban jungle: saving city wildlife with trees, green roofs and pools

  06-03-2017 00:17 via theguardian.com
  
  From brush turkeys to powerful owls, Australia’s rarest wildlife lives in cities –protecting it has benefits for humans tooThe federal government recently released the Threatened Species Prospectus, showcasing the numerous opportunities for businesses to be involved in conservation. This is great for the bush, but what aboutthe wildlife that calls the city home? With more than 80% of Australia’s population living in cities, it might not feel like there’s much room for nat
  
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