Environment news

• Planning for the Future

  05-10-2017 23:56 via feedproxy.google.com
  Over the past decade, increasing temperatures across much of Africa and decreasing rainfall across East Africa have come to represent an alarming climate trend. Chief among concerns is the impact such conditions have on human health.
  
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• Sunlight and the right microbes convert Arctic carbon into carbon dioxide

  05-10-2017 23:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  Nearly half of the organic carbon stored in soil around the world is contained in Arctic permafrost, which has experienced rapid melting, and that organic material could be converted to greenhouse gases that would exacerbate global warming.
  
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• Australia Experiences Surge in Deforestation

  05-10-2017 23:46 via feedproxy.google.com
  Nearly 1 million acres of trees were cut down in Queensland, Australia from 2015 to 2016, representing a 33 percent rise in deforestation, according to a new government land survey.
  
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• Road pricing most effective in reducing vehicle emissions

  05-10-2017 22:47 via feedproxy.google.com
  Motor vehicles are a major source of air pollution in urban areas, and for decades municipal and regional governments have used various traffic management strategies in an effort to reduce vehicle emissions, alongside advancements like cleaner fuel and greener cars.
  
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• Butterflywatch: could be worse – verdict for the 2017 season

  05-10-2017 22:30 via theguardian.com
  A wet July and August in Britain put a dampener on our midsummer butterfliesI am still seeing butterflies almost daily, sunning themselves when they can and feasting on late-flowering ivy. Most are red admirals, a large, dark and powerful presence sailing through autumnal skies or feeding on rotten fruit in orchards.It has been a vintage red admiral year, with numbers up by 75% on 2016 in Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count. But sadly it has not been a vintage butterfly summer. Co
  
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• Air Pollution Exposure on Home-to-School Walking Routes Reduces the Growth of Working Memory in Children

  05-10-2017 22:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  A study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institute supported by the ”la Caixa” Banking Foundation, has demonstrated that exposure to air pollution on the way to school can have damaging effects on children’s cognitive development. The study, published recently in Environmental Pollution, found an association between a reduction in working memory and exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon&nbs
  
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• Mike Pence wants to see astronauts return to the Moon

  05-10-2017 21:24 via bbc.co.uk
  The US vice-president expresses the intention for America to send humans back to the lunar surface.
  
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• NASA Sees Ramon Degenerate to a Trough

  05-10-2017 21:17 via feedproxy.google.com
  A trough is an elongated area of low pressure and that's exactly what former Tropical Storm Ramon has become in the eastern Pacific Ocean, along the southwestern coast of Mexico. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided a look at the temperatures of Ramon's cloud tops and showed some strong thunderstorms remained in the stretched out remnants.
  
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• Pesticides linked to bee deaths found in most honey samples

  05-10-2017 21:16 via bbc.co.uk
  A new study finds traces of neonicotinoid chemicals in 75% of honey samples from across the world.
  
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• Honey tests reveal global contamination by bee-harming pesticides

  05-10-2017 20:00 via theguardian.com
  Neonicotinoid insecticides are found in 75% of global honey samples and half contain a cocktail of chemicalsHoney from across the world is contaminated with potent pesticides known to harm bees, new research shows, clearly revealing the global exposure of vital pollinators for the first time.Almost 200 samples of honey were analysed for neonicotinoid insecticides and 75% contained the chemicals, with most contaminated with multiple types. Bees range over many kilometres to collect nectar and pol
  
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• Carbon emissions from warming soils could trigger disastrous feedback loop

  05-10-2017 20:00 via theguardian.com
  26-year study reveals natural biological factors kick in once warming reaches certain point, leading to potentially unstoppable increase in temperaturesWarming soils are releasing more carbon into the atmosphere than previously thought, suggesting a potentially disastrous feedback mechanism whereby increases in global temperatures will trigger massive new carbon releases in a cycle that may be impossible to break.The increased production of carbon comes from the microbes within soils, according
  
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• Giant stick insects found on Lord Howe Island a genetic match for 'extinct' phasmids

  05-10-2017 19:43 via theguardian.com
  Scientists confirm creatures discovered on Ball’s Pyramid in 2001 are the same species rats were believed to have killed off a century earlierScientists have confirmed that giant insects found on a rocky outcrop off Lord Howe Island are a genetic match for the island’s stick insects that were believed to have gone extinct almost 100 years earlier.The species were assumed to be one and the same. However significant morphological differences between the Lord Howe Island stick insects c
  
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• Farm animals can eat insects and algae to prevent deforestation

  05-10-2017 18:12 via theguardian.com
  WWF says alternatives to industrially farmed animal feed must be developed to stop biodiversity lossFarm animals could be fed on insects and algae, potentially preventing significant amounts of deforestation and water and energy waste, according to environmental campaigners. “We’re a bit squeamish about eating insects in the UK,” said WWF’s food policy manager Duncan Williamson at the Extinction and Livestock conference in London. “But we can feed them to our animal
  
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• What do peace and dynamite have in common?

  05-10-2017 17:53 via bbc.co.uk
  The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday but where do the prizes come from?
  
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• 'Supreme wake-up call': Prince Charles urges action on ocean pollution

  05-10-2017 17:42 via theguardian.com
  Prince says catastrophic hurricanes are consequence of climate change and welcomes growing awareness of plastic pollutionThe world’s oceans are at last receiving the attention they deserve, as the scale of plastic pollution is finally becoming clear, the Prince of Wales has said, hailing this growing awareness as the first step to saving the marine environment.Prince Charles said it had taken years for the enormity of the problem to emerge, but promised to make it a key priority of his cam
  
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• A Need For Bananas? Dietary Potassium Regulates Calcification of Arteries

  05-10-2017 17:27 via feedproxy.google.com
  Bananas and avocados — foods that are rich in potassium — may help protect against pathogenic vascular calcification, also known as hardening of the arteries.
  
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• Nanopatch Polio Vaccine Delivers

  05-10-2017 17:24 via feedproxy.google.com
  Efforts to rid the world of polio have taken another significant step, thanks to research led by University of Queensland bioscience experts and funding from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
  
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• Stealing From The Body: How Cancer Recharges Its Batteries

  05-10-2017 17:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  New research published today uncovers how the blood cancer ‘steals’ parts of surrounding healthy bone marrow cells to thrive, in work that could help form new approaches to cancer treatment in the future.
  
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• MEPs urge EU to ratchet up climate ambitions ahead of UN summits

  05-10-2017 17:14
  The European Parliament on Wednesday (3 October) backed a resolution that calls on the EU to increase its 2030 climate targets and to come up with a mid-century zero-emissions strategy before an all-important UN summit in 2018.
  
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• Soil Holds Potential to Slow Global Warming, Stanford Researchers Find

  05-10-2017 16:33 via feedproxy.google.com
  If you want to do something about global warming, look under your feet. Managed well, soil’s ability to trap carbon dioxide is potentially much greater than previously estimated, according to Stanford researchers who claim the resource could “significantly” offset increasing global emissions. They call for a reversal of federal cutbacks to related research programs to learn more about this valuable resource.
  
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• Low-Cost, High-Volume Services Make Up Big Portion of Spending on Unneeded Health Care

  05-10-2017 16:28 via feedproxy.google.com
  Low-cost, high-volume health services account for a high percentage of unnecessary health spending, adding strain to the health care system, new UCLA-led research suggests.
  
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• Healthy People Are at Risk of Developing Heart Disease

  05-10-2017 15:49 via feedproxy.google.com
  A study from the University of Surrey found that a subject group of otherwise healthy men had increased levels of fat in their blood and fat stored in their livers after they had consumed a high sugar diet. 
  
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• Despite Viability, 'Increased-Risk' Donor Organs a Tough Sell to Transplant Patients

  05-10-2017 15:45 via feedproxy.google.com
  Increasingly, transplant surgeons must initiate a tough conversation: explaining to patients what it means to accept an organ from a person who died from a drug overdose or engaged in other risky behaviors.
  
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• Hurricane Exposes and Washes Away Thousands of Sea Turtle Nests

  05-10-2017 15:42 via feedproxy.google.com
  Hurricane Irma took a devastating toll on incubating sea turtle nests in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, one of the most important loggerhead and green turtle nesting sites in the world, according to new estimates from the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group.
  
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• York University research ends 50-year speculation on mayfly biology

  05-10-2017 15:31 via feedproxy.google.com
  Mayfly nymphs are prominent insects in freshwater ecosystems worldwide and an important food source for fish, amphibians, birds and mammals. Unfortunately they are also very sensitive to pollution.Researchers in the Faculty of Science have been interested in better understanding why mayfly nymphs are so vulnerable to environmental insult. They believe that the answer lies in the insects’ gills, which help them acquire oxygen from the surrounding water. But little is known about the physiol
  
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• International partnership aims to improve water quality in India

  05-10-2017 15:31 via feedproxy.google.com
  A University of Windsor engineering professor is leading the way on an industry-academia collaboration that aims to improve drinking water quality in the capital of India.Rajesh Seth has obtained funding through the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS) — a Canadian Network of Centres of Excellence dedicated to the development of research collaborations between Canada and India.
  
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• We want to make our roads safer for everyone – especially cyclists

  05-10-2017 15:24 via theguardian.com
  Response: an opinion piece by Laura Laker accused me of hypocrisy, but our review examining the law and cycling aims to make the roads safer for everyoneLaura Laker accuses me of “headline-grabbing hypocrisy” in relation to the safety of cyclists. That’s quite an extreme reaction to my announcement of a review whose specific purpose is to improve the safety of all road users, especially in relation to cyclists. As I made clear, the review will address two key issues. The first
  
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• Royal Mail’s employees are striking on behalf of all workers | Polly Toynbee

  05-10-2017 14:40 via theguardian.com
  Rival carriers undercut the Royal Mail by offering far worse pay and conditions. It’s time to stop this race to the bottom
  Postal workers have just voted to strike. The Tories at their conference gleefully challenged Labour leaders to denounce “illegal” action, assuming the Communication Workers’ Union ballot would never jump the hurdle of Tory laws designed to make strikes virtually impossible. Tough: not only did turnout far outleap the legal minimum, but 89% of votes b
  
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• UK car sales slide for a sixth month amid falling consumer confidence

  05-10-2017 14:05 via theguardian.com
  Trade body blames Brexity uncertainty and confusion over air quality plans after sales of new diesel cars fall by more than a fifthNew car sales in the UK fell for a sixth month in September, leaving the market on course for its first annual decline since 2011, the industry’s trade body has said.Car registrations dropped by 9.3% to 426,170, the first time the September market has declined in six years. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders blamed declining consumer confidence give
  
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• Nissan to pilot microgrid trials in 2018

  05-10-2017 13:29
  Nissan will trial and assess microgrid systems across Europe in 2018, to examine how local communities can gain access to sustained energy sources, by combining renewable energy and battery storage technologies.
  
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• 100 Women: Where are the female Nobel Prize winners?

  05-10-2017 13:22 via bbc.co.uk
  The 2017 Nobel prizes for the sciences have all been announced, but many in the scientific community are pointing out the lack of female laureates.
  
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• Target shoots for 100% sustainable cotton by 2022

  05-10-2017 12:47
  Clothing giant Target has set a new goal to source 100% sustainable cotton by 2022 for its owned and exclusive national brands across apparel, home and essential products.
  
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• Smart tracks and 'smog jogs': the rapid rise of Shanghai's running clubs

  05-10-2017 12:45 via theguardian.com
  With facial-recognition running tracks and an over-subscribed marathon, Shanghai is fast becoming a city of joggers – despite its notorious air pollutionOn a clear, balmy night in Shanghai, a group of lycra-clad runners stretch their hamstrings in the city’s Xuhui district, sporting an array of headphones, water bottles and Fitbits. The group, known as RunnersHai, are meeting for their weekly training – half are practising for a marathon, others are just in it for the exercise.
  
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• Government 'failed to clean up air'

  05-10-2017 12:37 via bbc.co.uk
  New figures show the UK government failed to reduce illegal levels of air pollution in the 18 months after a court ordered it to clean up the air.
  
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• UK diesel car sales dive by more than a fifth amid falling consumer confidence

  05-10-2017 12:03 via theguardian.com
  Overall sales fall for a sixth month thanks to Brexit uncertainty, as well as confusion over air quality plans, says SMMTNew car sales in the UK fell for a sixth month in September, leaving the market on course for its first annual decline since 2011, the industry’s trade body said.Car registrations dropped by 9.3% to 426,170, the first time the September market has declined in six years. The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders blamed declining consumer confidence given uncertaint
  
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• Sky to ban single-use plastics by 2020

  05-10-2017 12:00
  Broadcasting company Sky has announced that all single-use plastics will be removed from its products, operations and supply chain by 2020 and will also invest £25m into an Ocean Rescue Innovation Fund to develop remedies to the amount of waste seeping into oceans.
  
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• General Motors commits to 'all-electric fleet'

  05-10-2017 10:50
  General Motors (GM) has outlined a vision for an all-electric fleet which includes a two-pronged approach of developing battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
  
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• Michael Gove accused of breaking Brexit pledges to Scottish farmers

  05-10-2017 10:35 via theguardian.com
  Scottish ministers accuse UK environment secretary of failing to guarantee livelihoods of many of country’s farmersMichael Gove has been accused by Scottish ministers of breaking Brexit campaign promises to protect rural funding from the EU worth hundreds of millions of pounds.The Scottish government said Gove, the UK environment secretary, had refused to guarantee that £700m in funding for the country’s vulnerable hill farmers, forestry industries and crofters would still be p
  
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• Food and farming policies 'need total rethink'

  05-10-2017 08:26 via bbc.co.uk
  A major conference examines how to limit the more damaging impacts of intensive farming systems.
  
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• Food and farming 'needs total rethink'

  05-10-2017 08:26 via bbc.co.uk
  A major conference examines how to limit the more damaging impacts of intensive farming systems.
  
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• 'Alarming' rise in Queensland tree clearing as 400,000 hectares stripped

  05-10-2017 08:12 via theguardian.com
  Deputy premier brands Australia ‘deforestation hotspot’ after a 45% jump in her state’s reef catchment clearingQueensland underwent a dramatic surge in tree clearing – with the heaviest losses in Great Barrier Reef catchments – in the year leading up to the Palaszczuk government’s thwarted bid to restore protections.Figures released on Thursday showed a 33% rise in clearing to almost 400,000 hectares in 2015-16, meaning Queensland now has two-thirds the annual
  
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• Brazil's mega hydro plan foreshadows China's growing impact on the Amazon

  05-10-2017 07:45 via theguardian.com
  The government wants to open up the Tapajós basin – an area the size of France – for trade with China. But the indigenous Munduruku won’t let it happen without a fightCrashing upstream through the São Luiz rapids, the churning river throws the speedboat around like a child’s toy. There is first a moment of fear, then relief and finally wonder at crossing a natural boundary that has held back the destruction of this corner of the Amazon for almost five centur
  
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• Vast animal-feed crops to satisfy our meat needs are destroying planet

  05-10-2017 07:15 via theguardian.com
  WWF report finds 60% of global biodiversity loss is down to meat-based diets which put huge strain on Earth’s resourcesThe ongoing global appetite for meat is having a devastating impact on the environment driven by the production of crop-based feed for animals, a new report has warned. The vast scale of growing crops such as soy to rear chickens, pigs and other animals puts an enormous strain on natural resources leading to the wide-scale loss of land and species, according to the study f
  
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• Court orders Trump administration reinstate Obama emissions rule

  05-10-2017 07:04 via theguardian.com
  Interior department had moved to delay to 2019 methane regulation governing oil and gas production on federal landRebuffing the Trump administration, a federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Interior Department to reinstate an Obama-era regulation aimed at restricting harmful methane emissions from oil and gas production on federal lands.The order by a judge in San Francisco came as the Interior Department moved to delay the rule until 2019, saying it was too burdensome to industry. The action f
  
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• It's our choice: renewable energy superpower or Asian Pacific rust belt | Pat Conroy

  05-10-2017 06:33 via theguardian.com
  If we stop fighting change, Australia can be the land of endless energy powering generations of manufacturing industriesThe shift to decarbonise our economy is portrayed by opponents of such a shift as the death of Australia as an energy superpower.Nothing can be further from the truth. Continue reading...
  
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• Country diary: strange spiders and help from the web

  05-10-2017 06:30 via theguardian.com
  Crook, County Durham Within a day of uploading a picture of what I thought was one species of harvestman, I was told it was a more interesting alienWe may be living in a golden age for natural historians. The old naturalists’ field clubs, rooted in the Victorian passion for collecting and sharing knowledge of flora and fauna, may be in decline, but, thanks to social media, it has never been easier to correspond with a helpful expert when you need one. Post a picture of, say, an unfamiliar
  
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• Sweltering September smashes Australia's temperature records

  05-10-2017 05:34 via theguardian.com
  Climate change blamed as continent logs hottest September day on record, with average maximum temperature of 33.47CAustralian temperature records tumbled again in September this year, with the country experiencing the hottest day since records began, and New South Wales breaking that record twice within a few days.As always, particular weather events caused the records to be broken. But in a special climate statement, the Bureau of Meteorology said climate change also played a role, and earlier
  
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• Melbourne's Yarra river Australia's deadliest per kilometre for drowning deaths

  05-10-2017 05:11 via theguardian.com
  Men in late 20s and early 30s with alcohol or drugs in their system the most frequent victims of fatal river drowningRisk-taking young men who drown trying to swim Melbourne’s Yarra river are making it the deadliest inland river per metre in Australia.New data shows alcohol, drugs, tourists and young men who dare each other to swim the river are contributing to regular drownings.Continue reading...
  
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• Athenia: Is this the wreck of the first ship to be sunk in WW2?

  05-10-2017 01:13 via bbc.co.uk
  The remains of a passenger liner torpedoed by a U-boat just hours into the war may have been found.
  
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• Athenia: Is this the wreck of the first British ship torpedoed in WW2?

  05-10-2017 01:13 via bbc.co.uk
  The remains of a passenger liner torpedoed by a U-boat just hours into the war may have been found.
  
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