Environment news

• Natural gas leaks from power plants, refineries, 100 times greater than thought

  22-03-2017 23:02 via feedproxy.google.com
  Natural gas is meant to be a far lower carbon fuel than coal, writes Steve Horn. But a new study shows that methane leaks from gas power plants and oil refineries are 20-120 times higher than thought. And with methane a greenhouse gas almost 100 times stronger than CO2 over 20 years, the leaks are equivalent to about a tenth of the US's CO2 emissions.
  
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• Salmon with side effects

  22-03-2017 22:53 via feedproxy.google.com
  Tasty, versatile, and rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids: salmon is one of the most popular edible fish of all. Shops sell fish caught in the wild, but their main produce is salmon from breeding farms which can pollute rivers, lakes and oceans. Just how big is the problem? German and Chilean scientists are working to answer this question under the leadership of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). They examined the dissolved organic compounds which enter Chile's rivers from
  
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• Under the Dead Sea, Warnings of Dire Drought

  22-03-2017 22:39 via feedproxy.google.com
  Nearly 1,000 feet below the bed of the Dead Sea, scientists have found evidence that during past warm periods, the Mideast has suffered drought on scales never recorded by humans—a possible warning for current times. Thick layers of crystalline salt show that rainfall plummeted to as little as a fifth of modern levels some 120,000 years ago, and again about 10,000 years ago. Today, the region is drying again as climate warms, and scientists say it will get worse. The new findings may cause
  
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• Paleo artist

  22-03-2017 21:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  An award-winning artist brings ancient fossil discoveries to life through illustrations.
  
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• Reindeer herders kept going under the Nazis | Brief letters

  22-03-2017 19:15 via theguardian.com
  
  Marx and Engels in Cornish | Norwegian borders | Cinema workers | Bike helmets | Sighting of ‘anent’Patrick Barkham (Why the Cornish 500 matter, 21 March) criticises the government for withdrawing funding for the Cornish language and reports the Council of Europe’s disapproval of the BBC ignoring programming in Cornish. In this Nottingham radical bookshop, we have on our counter Deryvadow Party an Gemynwer, gans Karl Marx ha Frederick Engels in case any passing Cornish readers
  
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• Major shake-up suggests dinosaurs may have 'UK origin'

  22-03-2017 19:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists reclassify dinosaurs, putting British fossils at the base of their family tree.
  
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• Arctic ice falls to record winter low after polar 'heatwaves'

  22-03-2017 19:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Extent of ice over North pole has fallen to a new wintertime low, for the third year in a row, as climate change drives freakish weatherThe extent of Arctic ice has fallen to a new wintertime low, as climate change drives freakishly high temperatures in the polar regions. The ice cap grows during the winter months and usually reaches its maximum in early March. But the 2017 maximum was 14.4m sq km, lower than any year in the 38-year satellite record, according to researchers at the US National S
  
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• The Cerberus Groundsnake is a Critically Endangered new species from Ecuador

  22-03-2017 18:06 via feedproxy.google.com
  With as many as 140 species, Atractus is the most diverse snake genus in the world, even though it can be found exclusively in Central and South America. However, these colubrid ground snakes seem largely under-researched, since there have been thirty-three species discovered in the last ten years only.
  
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• Wastewater should be recognized as a valuable resource, UN says on World Water Day

  22-03-2017 18:00 via feedproxy.google.com
  In a world where the demand for water continues to grow and the resource is finite, a new United Nations report argues that wastewater, discarded into the environment every day, once treated, can help meet the needs for freshwater as well as for raw materials for energy and agriculture.
  
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• How to fix the East Africa Crisis

  22-03-2017 17:53 via feedproxy.google.com
  The world is seeing the human cost of climate disruption playing out across the Horn of Africa. Severe droughts, erratic rainfall and rising temperatures have tipped nations towards famine and left communities fighting for survival. But it's also a man-made crisis and one that we can address both in the short and long term reports Joe Ware.
  
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• Fledgling stars try to prevent their neighbours from birthing planets

  22-03-2017 17:48 via feedproxy.google.com
  Stars don't have to be massive to evaporate material from around nearby stars and affect their ability to form planets, a new study suggests.
  
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• "Super sponge" promises effective toxic clean-up of lakes and more

  22-03-2017 17:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  Mercury is very toxic and can cause long-term health damage, but removing it from water is challenging. To address this growing problem, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Sciences (CFANS) Professor Abdennour Abbas and his lab team created a spongethat can absorb mercury from a polluted water source within seconds. Thanks to the application of nanotechnology, the team developed a sponge with outstanding mercury adsorption properties where mercury con
  
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• Business the key player in food waste fight, says Resource Minister

  22-03-2017 16:21
  
  Businesses must act as a vital bridge between the consumer and Government to tackle the growing issue of household food waste, Resource Minister Therese Coffey has claimed.
  
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• Scotland grants £10m for low-carbon rural projects

  22-03-2017 15:05
  
  The Scottish Government has today (22 March) announced a £10m fund to support innovative low-carbon energy projects in rural parts of Scotland.
  
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• UK schoolboy corrects Nasa data error

  22-03-2017 15:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The A-level student noticed something odd in radiation levels from the International Space Station.
  
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• Researchers collaborate on climate change as cause of wetland die-off

  22-03-2017 14:43 via feedproxy.google.com
  Researchers from Nipissing University’s Geography department are part of a study published in the journal Marine and Freshwater Research that points a finger at climate change as the cause of a massive wetland die-off in Australia.
  
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• Thames Water hit with record £20m fine for huge sewage leaks

  22-03-2017 14:37 via theguardian.com
  
  Massive fine reflects change in sentencing as previously low penalties failed to deter water firms from polluting England’s rivers and beachesThames Water has been hit with a record fine of £20.3m after huge leaks of untreated sewage into the Thames and its tributaries and on to land, including the popular Thames path. The prolonged leaks led to serious impacts on residents, farmers, and wildlife, killing birds and fish.The fine imposed on Wednesday was for numerous offences in 2013
  
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• Livestock grazing effects on sage-grouse: study identifies options to sustain ranching and help wildlife

  22-03-2017 14:26 via feedproxy.google.com
  Effects of livestock grazing on greater sage-grouse populations can be positive or negative depending on the amount of grazing and when grazing occurs, according to research published today in Ecological Applications. The research was conducted by scientists from the United States Geological Survey, Colorado State University and Utah State University.
  
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• Thames Water hit with record £20m fine for 'catastrophic' Thames pollution

  22-03-2017 13:32
  
  Thames Water has today (22 March) been hit with a record £20.3m fine for polluting the River Thames with 1.4 billion litres of raw sewage.
  
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• Thames Water hit with record £20m fine for sewage leaks

  22-03-2017 13:22
  Thames Water has today (22 March) been hit with a record £20.3m fine for polluting the River Thames with 1.4 billion litres of raw sewage.
  
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• Circular wastewater systems 'underexploited', says United Nations

  22-03-2017 12:21
  
  As companies link up with charities to raise awareness of World Water Day, a new report from the United Nations (UN) has suggested that the "vast potential" of using wastewater as a resource remains "underexploited".
  
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• Honduras, where defending nature is a deadly business

  22-03-2017 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  In the first in a series, Yale Environment 360 reports from Honduras where Berta Cáceres fought to protect native lands and paid for it with her life – one of hundreds of victims in this disturbing global trendThey came for her late one evening last March, as Berta Cáceres prepared for bed. A heavy boot broke the back door of the safe house she had just moved into. Her colleague and family friend, Gustavo Castro, heard her shout, “Who’s there?” Then came a s
  
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• Eco homes – in pictures

  22-03-2017 11:47 via theguardian.com
  
  From air- and ground-source heat pumps to desalinating seawater, these properties flaunt their environmentally friendly credentials Continue reading...
  
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• Will China's children solve its crippling water shortage problem?

  22-03-2017 11:35 via theguardian.com
  
  China is home to 21% of the world’s population but just 7% of its freshwater. One NGO teaches young people to make tackling water scarcity a priorityIn Beijing’s Tongzhou Number Six school, around 100 impeccably-behaved middle school students are being lectured about water.The visiting teacher tells them that, among other things, they should take shorter showers, buy less clothes, eat less meat and drink tea rather than coffee, to help alleviate China’s water scarcity problems.
  
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• Global warming is increasing rainfall rates | John Abraham

  22-03-2017 11:00 via theguardian.com
  
  A new study looks at the complex relationship between global warming and increased precipitation
  The world is warming because humans are emitting heat-trapping greenhouse gases. We know this for certain; the science on this question is settled. Humans emit greenhouse gases, those gases should warm the planet, and we know the planet is warming. All of those statements are settled science.Okay so what? Well, we would like to know what the implications are. Should we do something about it or not? H
  
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• Kraft Heinz enhances sustainability goals as part of 'continued growth strategy'

  22-03-2017 10:49
  
  Multinational food and beverage company Kraft Heinz has ramped-up its sustainability efforts with a new range of targets, spearheaded by an aim to reduce emissions by 15% globally by 2020.
  
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• Can the UK become a world-leader on decentralised energy post-Brexit?

  22-03-2017 10:00
  
  Britain's imminent departure from the European Union (EU) offers an opportunity to push the nation towards the forefront of an interconnected, decentralised energy system - but only if the Government delivers constructive regulatory support mechanisms.
  
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• Princess Anne: GM crops 'have real benefits'

  22-03-2017 09:55 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Princess Anne has told the BBC's Farming Today she believes gene technology has important benefits to offer in terms of providing food.
  
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• Genetically-modified crops have benefits - Princess Anne

  22-03-2017 09:00 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Princess Royal's views in a BBC radio show appear to be at odds with those of the Prince of Wales.
  
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• 'I take portraits of gods': the photography of Nobuyuki Kobayashi – in pictures

  22-03-2017 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  With his gorgeous and patiently realised black and white images, Kobayashi searches for a spiritual dimension in the calm beauty of natureContinue reading...
  
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• Princess Anne backs GM crops and livestock – unlike Prince Charles

  22-03-2017 07:03 via theguardian.com
  
  Anne says she would farm GM food and GM livestock a ‘bonus’, while Charles says GM crops will cause ‘biggest disaster environmentally of all time’Princess Anne has strongly backed genetically modified crops, saying she would grow them on her own land and that GM livestock would be a “bonus”. Her stance puts her sharply at odds with her brother Prince Charles, who has long opposed GM food and has said it will cause the “biggest disaster environmentally of
  
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• Water spins into a million bubbles filled with light

  22-03-2017 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  The Long Mynd, Shropshire The sound of Light Spout waterfall seems, at first, to be all roar and splashTo stand in the stream under the Light Spout is to be drenched in sound and mesmerised by light. Through a narrow cleft, water gathered from bogs on the plateau of the Long Mynd plunges 20ft over the rock face into a shallow pool before roiling down the stream of Carding Mill valley.The sky is grey, there is bite left in the season and a fine drizzle lowers between hills. Shale ledges break the
  
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• Carbon fibre: the wonder material with a dirty secret

  22-03-2017 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Researchers are scrambling for ways to get the strong, light material out of landfill and make it ready for recycling and reuseCarbon fibre is increasingly celebrated as a wonder material for the clean economy. Its unique combination of high strength and low weight has helped drive the wind power revolution and make planes more fuel efficient.
  Carbon fibre turbine blades can be longer and more rigid than traditional fibreglass models, making them more resilient at sea and more efficient in less
  
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• Fossil named after Sir David Attenborough

  22-03-2017 04:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The ancient arthropod, found in Herefordshire, joins a long list of items named after the TV legend.
  
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• 'Dispersal machines'

  22-03-2017 04:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  How the toxic pests, described as "dispersal machines", are thwarting efforts to halt their advance.
  
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• Renewables roadshow: how the 'nonna effect' got Darebin's pensioners signing up to solar

  22-03-2017 02:31 via theguardian.com
  
  In our new series on Australian renewable projects, we visit a suburb where an investment scheme makes solar energy accessible to those who need it most In Darebin in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, solar installations have spread rapidly through the area’s low-income households. “We call it the ‘nonna effect’,” says Trent McCarthy, a Greens councillor in Darebin. “The nonna in the street has her solar on her roof. She’s very proud, she tells all of
  
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• Renewables roadshow – Darebin: 'I save money, and there's a feelgood factor' – video

  22-03-2017 02:30 via theguardian.com
  
  In the second of our series highlighting innovative renewable energy projects across Australia we show how many older residents of a Melbourne suburb have embraced solar energy, backed by a council scheme where they can pay for panels in instalments. One of the early adopters was a 102-year-old man. ‘He understood that the benefits lasted way beyond his lifespan,’ reports Kate Nicolazzo of Positive Charge. The residents say they are making big savings on their energy bills and doing
  
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• 'Better de-horned than dead' – zoo chops rhino horns to foil poachers

  22-03-2017 02:25 via theguardian.com
  
  Czech zoo takes saw to the horns of its 21 rhinoceroses in response to deadly attack at Paris wildlife park this monthA Czech zoo has started to remove the horns from its 21 rhinos as a precaution after the recent killing of a rhinoceros at a wildlife park in France by assailants who stole the animal’s horn. With rhino horns considered a wonder cure in Asia – for everything from cancer, colds and fevers to high blood pressure, hangovers, impotence and other ailments – poachers
  
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• Sea otters ahead of dolphins in using tools

  22-03-2017 02:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Sea otters may have been using stone tools for thousands or even millions of years, say scientists.
  
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• Nasa 'smallsats' open up new planetary frontier

  22-03-2017 01:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Nasa plans small satellite missions, which could open up new ways of exploring the Solar System.
  
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• World Water Day: one in four children will live with water scarcity by 2040

  22-03-2017 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Unicef report says climate change and conflict are intensifying risks to children of living without enough water, and that the poorest will suffer mostOne in four of the world’s children will be living in areas with extremely limited water resources by 2040 as a result of climate change, the UN has warned.Within two decades, 600 million children will be in regions enduring extreme water stress, with a great deal of competition for the available supply. The poorest and most disadvantaged wi
  
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• Coal in 'freefall' as new power plants dive by two-thirds

  22-03-2017 01:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Green groups’ report says move to cleaner energy in China and India is discouraging the building of coal-fired unitsThe amount of new coal power being built around the world fell by nearly two-thirds last year, prompting campaigners to claim the polluting fossil fuel was in freefall.The dramatic decline in new coal-fired units was overwhelmingly due to policy shifts in China and India and subsequent declining investment prospects, according to a report by Greenpeace, the US-based Sierra Cl
  
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• Crocodile blamed for death of spearfisherman killed in north Queensland

  22-03-2017 00:39 via theguardian.com
  
  Rangers trap and kill four-metre crocodile near where Warren Hughes disappeared on SaturdayRangers have killed a four-metre crocodile blamed for a fatal attack on a spearfisherman in Queensland’s far north.The crocodile was trapped and killed about 10pm on Tuesday, at the mouth of the Russell river close to where Warren Hughes, 35, disappeared on Saturday. Continue reading...
  
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