Environment news

• What happens when you're sleep deprived?

  26-06-2017 21:27 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A new study is looking at the impact of sleep on your brain power.
  
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• Most Australians want renewables to be primary energy source, survey finds

  26-06-2017 20:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Climate Institute survey points to overwhelming frustration with government’s inaction and lack of leadership on clean energy The vast majority of Australians want to see the country dramatically increase the use of renewable energy, a new survey has found, despite attempts by the federal government to characterise renewables as unreliable and expensive.The Climate Institute’s national Climate of the Nation survey, published on Tuesday, pointed to frustration with the government&rsqu
  
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• Why it’s time to bring back the great British stork | Patrick Barkham

  26-06-2017 19:36 via theguardian.com
  
  The last breeding pair of these magnificent birds nested in Edinburgh in 1416. Elsewhere, they are a shining example of how people and animals can peacefully coexistThe most inspiring sight I witnessed during a recent trip to northern Greece was entering small villages and finding white storks in huge nests plonked on telegraph poles and the occasional church tower.The ancient Greeks invented the idea that these magnificent black-and-white birds deliver newborn babies via the story of Gerana and
  
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• Rhino horn auction to go ahead in South Africa after court lifts ban on sales

  26-06-2017 18:14 via theguardian.com
  
  Breeder John Hume to take advantage of court ruling lift ban on domestic trade to sell horns trimmed from the 1,500 rhinos on his ranch A rhino breeder in South Africa is planning an online auction of rhino horns to capitalise on a court ruling that opened the way to domestic trade despite an international ban imposed to curb poaching.The sale of rhino horns by breeder John Hume, to be held in August, will be used to “further fund the breeding and protection of rhinos”, according to
  
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• Hong Kong launches bill to ban domestic ivory trade

  26-06-2017 16:55 via theguardian.com
  
  The move follows demonstrations in the city and the decision by China to ban their own tradeHong Kong has launched a landmark bill to ban its domestic ivory trade, amid accusations that authorities were lagging behind China in phasing out the market. Hong Kong is home to the world’s biggest retail ivory market, with more items for sale than anywhere else in the world. The majority of buyers are mainland Chinese, who smuggle the worked ivory across the border. Hong Kong is also perpetuating
  
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• Hundreds of US mayors vow not to 'wait for' Trump to fight climate change

  26-06-2017 16:53 via theguardian.com
  
  Leaders from more than 250 cities gathered at the US Conference of Mayors in Miami Beach to vote on a resolution to switch cities over to solar and wind powerMayors meeting in Florida are considering an ambitious commitment to have US city governments run entirely on renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2035.Related: New Orleans mayor: US climate change policy cannot wait for TrumpContinue reading...
  
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• Hundreds of US mayors endorse switch to 100% renewable energy by 2035

  26-06-2017 16:53 via theguardian.com
  
  Leaders from more than 250 cities unanimously back a resolution to reach clean energy goal at the US Conference of Mayors in Miami BeachA bipartisan group of mayors from across the country has unanimously backed an ambitious commitment for US cities to run entirely on renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2035.Related: The fight against climate change: four cities leading the way in the Trump eraContinue reading...
  
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• Hard Brexit could halt Heathrow expansion plans, says Lord Adonis

  26-06-2017 16:39 via theguardian.com
  
  National Infrastructure Commission chair says UK must maintain ties with EU to save key projects such as third runway and HS2A hard Brexit would be a “calamity” that would spell the end for the Heathrow expansion, according to the chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission.While the airport has argued that Brexit makes its third runway ever more important, Andrew Adonis said private investment in infrastructure would be off the table unless Britain could maintain ties with th
  
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• Smart meter rollout could force household bills to rise, says supplier

  26-06-2017 16:20 via theguardian.com
  
  Energy company warns rising cost of installations due to ‘customer apathy’ could prompt suppliers to increase tariffsEnergy suppliers face rising costs for putting smart meters in millions of homes, adding pressure on firms to raise household bills further next year.Fitting the meters, which automate readings and must be installed in every home and small business by the end of 2020, costs suppliers about £100 per household today. Continue reading...
  
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• Blue shark in shallow waters on Mallorca beach - video

  26-06-2017 15:47 via theguardian.com
  
  A blue shark caused panic on Saturday after being seen by bathers close to the beaches of Cala Major and Can Pastilla. The animal was captured on Sunday, with local media reporting that it was suffering from a head wound, possibly caused by a harpoonBlue shark captured after Mallorca beach panic
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• Rhino breeder to auction 500kg of horns in South Africa

  26-06-2017 15:15 via theguardian.com
  
  John Hume to take advantage of court ruling allowing domestic sales of horns, despite international banA rhino breeder in South Africa is planning an online auction of rhino horns to capitalise on a court ruling that opened the way to domestic trade despite an international ban imposed to curb poaching.The sale of rhino horns by breeder John Hume, to be held in August, will be used to “further fund the breeding and protection of rhinos”, according to an auction website. Continue read
  
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• Macron meets Schwarzenegger and vows to stop oil and gas licences

  26-06-2017 14:26 via theguardian.com
  
  In a dig at Trump’s climate change inaction, French president welcomes the green campaigner and says there will be ‘no new exploration licences’The new French government has sought to further burnish its green credentials with the announcement it is to stop granting licences for new oil and gas exploration.In his first major intervention since Emmanuel Macron’s election victory, the ecological transition minister, Nicolas Hulot, told the broadcaster BFMTV there would be &
  
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• Grand Canyon is our home. Uranium mining has no place here | Carletta Tilousi

  26-06-2017 13:25 via theguardian.com
  
  The Havasupai resided in and around Grand Canyon for many centuries. This region is sacred – that is why we oppose the pollution of our land and water
  The Havasupai, “people of the blue-green waters,” live in Supai Village, located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Today, our lives and water are being threatened by international uranium mining companies because the United States government and its 1872 Mining Law permit uranium mining on federal lands that surround the Grand C
  
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• ‘As a carnist I’m conditioned to accept meat-eating is natural’ | Comment

  26-06-2017 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  In a bid to live more simply – and eat more ethically – does rearing your own livestock for sustenance raise more questions than it answers? A novice farmer respondsHave you eaten pork since they arrived?” The question comes as I stare at my two 12-week-old piglets. I don’t know. Did I have a sneaky bite of the supermarket chipolatas I gave the children for tea yesterday? When was that bacon sandwich?Vegan psychologist Melanie Joy would describe me as a “carnist&rdq
  
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• Tanzania presses on with hydroelectric dam on vast game reserve

  26-06-2017 12:39 via theguardian.com
  
  Stiegler Gorge dam on the Selous park, a world heritage site listed as ‘in danger’, will cause irreversible damage, say conservationistsPlans to build a huge hydroelectric dam in the heart of one of Africa’s largest remaining wild areas have dismayed conservationists who fear that the plans will cause irreversible damage to the Selous game reserve in Tanzania.After many years of delays and false starts, last week the president of Tanzania, John Magufuli, announced that he would
  
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• New study confirms the oceans are warming rapidly | John Abraham

  26-06-2017 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Although there’s some uncertainty in the distribution among Earth’s ocean basins, there’s no question that the ocean is heating rapidly
  As humans put ever more heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, the Earth heats up. These are the basics of global warming. But where does the heat go? How much extra heat is there? And how accurate are our measurements? These are questions that climate scientists ask. If we can answer these questions, it will better help us prepare for a futu
  
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• SpaceX completes launch and landing double bill

  26-06-2017 11:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The US rocket company makes two launches in just over 24 hours.
  
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• Blue shark captured following Mallorca beach panic

  26-06-2017 09:18 via theguardian.com
  
  Shark was first spotted close to beaches at Cala Major and Can Pastilla, then discovered to have serious head woundA blue shark whose presence in shallow waters off the coast of Mallorca caused panic over the weekend and led to the evacuation of beaches on the Balearic island, has been captured.
  The animal was first spotted on Saturday as it swam close to the beaches at Cala Major and Can Pastilla, near the Mallorcan capital of Palma. Pictures showed the shark gliding through the water a few met
  
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• Finland has far fewer wild wolves than previously thought, census shows

  26-06-2017 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Data reveals there are 150 to 180 animals in Finland, where government awards licences to hunt them
  Conservation groups have raised concerns over Finland’s wild wolf population after a new census found numbers far below those regarded as naturally sustainable.Data from the Finnish National Resources Institute show there are currently only about 150 to 180 wolves living in Finland, where the government awards licences to hunt the animals. Continue reading...
  
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• Brexit could destroy the UK's food and farming industry – or be the making of it | Felicity Lawrence

  26-06-2017 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Leaving the EU is a chance to reform the biggest sector of Britain’s economy. But is Michael Gove up to the job, or will he be hamstrung by free-market dogma?There is a rather large piece of unexploded ordnance in the middle of the Brexit talks, which kicked off last week. It lay buried through most of the referendum campaign – but if not skilfully defused, it could go off with devastating consequences for our food system. Related: Food industry shaken by hard Brexit prospects, surve
  
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• UK on track to miss carbon emissions target due to stalled energy policy

  26-06-2017 07:58 via theguardian.com
  
  Survey by Energy Institute finds industry professionals think policy is ‘on pause’ and warn Brexit is ‘material concern’The UK’s ambitious target of slashing carbon emissions by more than half within 13 years is at risk because of government dithering on energy policy, industry professionals have warned.A survey by the Energy Institute, the professional body for the energy sector, has found that four fifths of its members believe the UK is currently on track to miss
  
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• Angela Merkel and Donald Trump head for clash at G20 summit

  26-06-2017 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  German chancellor plans to make climate change, free trade and mass migration key themes in Hamburg, putting her on collision course with USA clash between Angela Merkel and Donald Trump appears unavoidable after Germany signalled that it will make climate change, free trade and the management of forced mass global migration the key themes of the G20 summit in Hamburg next week.
  The G20 summit brings together the world’s biggest economies, representing 85% of global gross domestic product
  
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• Eyes on the sky on a sultry solstice night

  26-06-2017 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Comins Coch, Aberystwyth Beech leaves moved silkily in the warm wind as though breathing, the only other sounds the stream and distant sheepLong after midnight, with the temperature well above 20C and humidity high, I gave up attempting to sleep and checked what the night sky might offer in compensation. With the moon yet to rise, the village was in darkness, swathed in a murky blanket of haze that all but obscured the mountains to the east. Looking up, a few stars were just visible above the be
  
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• Changing the course of history for Kenya's wildlife

  26-06-2017 05:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Kenya’s wildlife numbers are plummeting. Reconnecting people to nature is key to the solution.
  On May 31st Kenya celebrated the inauguration of the first phase of the new high-speed rail link from Mombasa to Nairobi. Now Kenyans can travel between the two largest cities quickly and cheaply. Accelerated movement of cargo and people will mean more trade, more income generation, and therefore, more jobs, and that’s good for our youthful nation. Much less widely reported were results of
  
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• Great Barrier Reef valued at A$56bn as report warns it's 'too big to fail'

  26-06-2017 01:20 via theguardian.com
  
  Deloitte Access Economics report says reef underpins 64,000 jobs and contributes A$6.4bn to economy each yearA new report has valued the Great Barrier Reef at A$56bn and warns of vast economic consequences for Australia unless more is done to protect it.The Deloitte Access Economics report says the world heritage-listed reef underpins 64,000 direct and indirect jobs, and contributes $6.4bn to the national economy each year. Continue reading...
  
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• Great Barrier Reef valued at $56bn as report warns it's 'too big to fail'

  26-06-2017 01:20 via theguardian.com
  
  Deloitte Access Economics report says reef underpins 64,000 jobs and contributes $6.4bn to economy each yearA new report has valued the Great Barrier Reef at $56bn and warns of vast economic consequences for Australia unless more is done to protect it.The Deloitte Access Economics report says the world heritage-listed reef underpins 64,000 direct and indirect jobs, and contributes $6.4bn to the national economy each year. Continue reading...
  
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