Environment news

• Which has cleaner air: Eastbourne or London?

  31-10-2017 22:40 via bbc.co.uk
  The UK cities with atmospheres considered harmful to health by the WHO are revealed in a new report.
  
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• Asteroid impact plunged dinosaurs into catastrophic 'winter'

  31-10-2017 21:34 via bbc.co.uk
  Scientists are now clearer on the freezing climate conditions that forced dinosaurs from the Earth.
  
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• Birmingham And East African Partners Lead The Battle On Air Pollution: Urban Africa's Silent Killer

  31-10-2017 21:28 via feedproxy.google.com
  An alliance of African and British experts are studying the growth of cities in East Africa in a bid to understand how to save lives at risk from air pollution – one of the biggest killers in urban Africa.Led by the University of Birmingham, the international study looks at how rapid urbanisation in three African cities - Addis Ababa, Kampala and Nairobi impacts upon air quality.‘A Systems Approach to Air Pollution in East Africa’ brings together leading UK and East African res
  
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• Stanford Researchers Seek Citizen Scientists to Contribute to Worldwide Mosquito Tracking

  31-10-2017 21:10 via feedproxy.google.com
  It’s a sound that can keep even the weariest among us from falling asleep: the high-pitched whine of a mosquito. This irritating buzz already makes us run, slap and slather on repellant. But if Stanford University researchers have their way, it may also prompt us to take out our cellphones and do a little science.
  
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• Air Pollution is Associated with Cancer Mortality Beyond Lung Cancer

  31-10-2017 20:44 via feedproxy.google.com
  Air pollution is classified as carcinogenic to humans given its association with lung cancer, but there is little evidence for its association with cancer at other body sites. In a new large-scale prospective study led by the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, and the American Cancer Society, researchers observed an association between some air pollutants and mortality from kidney, bladder and colorectal cancer.&nbs
  
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• Spooky Conservation: Saving Endangered Species Over Our Dead Bodies

  31-10-2017 20:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  The secret to the survival of critically endangered wildlife could lie beyond the grave, according to a University of Queensland researcher.
  
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• NASA Examines the Powerful U.S. Northeast Storm

  31-10-2017 20:36 via feedproxy.google.com
  The remnants of Tropical Storm Philippe had merged with another system and brought gusty winds and heavy rainfall to New England. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core observatory satellite flew over the northeastern United States on Sunday, Oct 29, 2017 and gathered data on the powerful storm that was affecting the region.
  
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• Future Climate Change May Not Adversely Impact Seafood Quality, Research Suggests

  31-10-2017 20:32 via feedproxy.google.com
  The eating qualities of UK oysters may not be adversely affected by future ocean acidification and global warming, new research has suggested.
  
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• Are the Grandkids Worth It? Climate Change Policy Depends on How We Value Human Population

  31-10-2017 20:29 via feedproxy.google.com
  If the human population continues to grow, more pressure will be put on carbon dioxide emissions — leaving future generations vulnerable to the effects of climate change. To head this off, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced, but that could cost billions of dollars or more over the next few decades, a dilemma plaguing today’s policymakers.
  
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• Rescued women defend choice not to use beacon: all signs said we weren't going to die

  31-10-2017 20:26 via theguardian.com
  Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava respond to criticism while experts doubt storm they described, adding to list of mounting doubts about their storyOne of the two Hawaii women who say they were lost at sea for five months, said Tuesday that had not activated their emergency beacon because, in her experience, it should be used only when facing imminent physical danger and death in the next 24 hours. Related: Women rescued at sea 'had unused emergency beacon' – US Coast GuardContinue reading..
  
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• UK mining firm in court over claims it mistreated environmental activists

  31-10-2017 20:24 via theguardian.com
  Peruvian lawsuit in London claims Xstrata should be liable for alleged police violence against demonstrators near Tintaya mineA UK-registered mining company, which is now part of Glencore, is facing claims in a London court that it hired security forces to mistreat environmental activists protesting about a copper mine in Peru.Two demonstrators died and others were left with serious injuries following the confrontations which lasted for several days during May 2012 on a remote hillside in the An
  
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• Antarctic Research Station To Close As Cracks In Ice Shelf Grow

  31-10-2017 20:23 via feedproxy.google.com
  A research station in Antarctica, the Halley VI, will be temporarily shut down for the second year in a row among concerns over deep, growing cracks in the ice shelf on either side of the facility, The Guardian reported. The station, which sits atop the nearly 500-foot thick Brunt ice shelf, is operated by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
  
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• Pacific Islanders call for Australia not to fund Adani coalmine

  31-10-2017 18:00 via theguardian.com
  Caritas says thousands face threats to their wellbeing, livelihoods and ‘their very existence’ due to rising sea levels Pacific Islanders whose homes face eradication by rising sea levels have called on Australia to not fund the Adani Carmichael coalmine, as a new report reveals the worsening impact of climate change across Oceania.Residents of the endangered islands have described their forced displacement as like “having your heart ripped out of your chest” as they call
  
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• Satellite eye on Earth: September 2017 - in pictures

  31-10-2017 17:54 via theguardian.com
  Algal blooms, hurricanes and volcano fields are among the images captured by Nasa and the ESA last monthA potentially harmful algal bloom covered more than 700 square miles in the western basin of Lake Erie in late September, turning the lake bright green and alarming residents and local officials. Blooms tend to thrive in Lake Erie during summer, sustained by warm water temperatures and nutrients from farm runoff. This year, the bloom had been ongoing since mid-July. Continue reading...
  
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• Cod and haddock 'may vanish' from Scotland's west coast

  31-10-2017 17:25 via bbc.co.uk
  Herring and haddock could also disappear by the turn of the century due to global warming, warn scientists.
  
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• Moves to curb democratic fracking protests in the UK 'extremely worrying'

  31-10-2017 17:12 via theguardian.com
  Green MP Caroline Lucas criticises attempts by chemicals multinational Ineos to impose a sweeping injunction against anti-fracking campaigners The chemicals multinational Ineos is facing criticism for seeking to curb democratic protests against fracking in a move described by Green MP Caroline Lucas as “extremely worrying”.On Tuesday Ineos began its latest legal move to impose a sweeping injunction against all campaigners protesting over its fracking operations. Continue reading...
  
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• Study shows 44 of 51 UK towns and cities breach air quality rules

  31-10-2017 16:13
  New evidence has found that the vast majority of highly-populated British urban areas are in breach of World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended guidelines for air quality.
  
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• FUTURE VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS COULD CAUSE MORE CLIMATE DISRUPTION

  31-10-2017 16:13 via feedproxy.google.com
  Major volcanic eruptions in the future have the potential to affect global temperatures and precipitation more dramatically than in the past because of climate change, according to a new study led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).
  
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• Lord Stern: Flexible policy approach will catalyse low-carbon transition

  31-10-2017 16:03
  Lord Nicholas Stern has called on governments across the world to implement "predictably flexible" policy frameworks that enable businesses to map investment opportunities during the transition to a low-carbon economy.
  
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• Technologies shine spotlight on climate role of undersea canyons

  31-10-2017 14:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  Unprecedented high-resolution data from undersea canyons off Vancouver Island’s west coast is bringing new understanding of the importance of these canyons as rapid-transit corridors for carrying carbon from the ocean surface to the deep sea.An international study co-led by Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) staff scientist and University of Victoria biologist Fabio De Leo uses synchronized real-time data from “Wally” the deep-sea crawler and NASA’s MODIS satellite for the first
  
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• Every day is Halloween for these eerie insects

  31-10-2017 14:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  With Halloween upon us, it’s worth remembering that living things take part in similar costume parties all year long, adopting weird and wonderful forms.Though rather than a haul of candy, organisms might earn the chance to live, prosper and mate. It’s all part of evolution, the principle where the fittest individuals pass their genes onto the next generation.
  
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• British Antarctic research station to shut for second winter as cracks in ice grow

  31-10-2017 14:23 via theguardian.com
  Having changed location earlier this year to avoid being cut off, the Halley VI station will close again over fears that the ice shelf it stands on may break A British research station in Antarctica is being shut down for the second winter in a row following concerns over growing cracks in the 150-metre thick ice shelf on which it stands.The Halley VI station, which is parked on the Brunt ice shelf, will be shut down between March and November 2018, with the 14-strong staff who had been gearing
  
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• UN: World must raise ambition to close 'unacceptable' emissions gap

  31-10-2017 13:15
  As figures show that levels of CO2 in the atmosphere increased at record speed last year, a stark UN report has warned that there is an "unacceptable" gap between national pledges and the emissions reductions required to meet the Paris Agreement's climate targets.
  
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• UN: World must act now to close 'unacceptable' emissions gap

  31-10-2017 13:15
  As figures show that levels of CO2 in the atmosphere increased at record speed last year, a stark UN report has warned that there is an "unacceptable" gap between national pledges and the emissions reductions required to meet the Paris Agreement's climate targets.
  
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• UK's Halley Antarctic base set for second closure

  31-10-2017 13:13 via bbc.co.uk
  The UK's Halley station will be mothballed again this year because of uncertainty over ice cracks.
  
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• The Chinese 'miracle' elixir that threatens donkeys around the world

  31-10-2017 12:00 via theguardian.com
  Chinese demand for donkey gelatine is hammering the Chinese and African donkey populations, putting the price of donkeys out of reach for subsistence farmersIt was a bout of period pain that led to Liu Yanan’s first taste of donkey gelatine. The 13-year-old was visiting family in Beijing when her cramps started for the first time. Her aunt took out an ornate box filled with smooth chocolate-brown slabs, broke off a small piece, and stirred it into a pot of sweetened rice porridge.The medic
  
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• Emissions gap remains 'alarmingly high' says UN

  31-10-2017 11:51 via bbc.co.uk
  Carbon cuts planned under the Paris accord still fall well short of what's needed, says the UN.
  
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• UN warns of 'unacceptable' greenhouse gas emissions gap

  31-10-2017 11:48 via theguardian.com
  Report reveals large gap between government pledges and the reductions needed to prevent dangerous global warming There is still a large gap between the pledges by governments to cut greenhouse gas emissions and the reductions scientists say are needed to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, the UN has said.Current plans from national governments, and pledges made by private sector companies and local authorities across the world, would lead to temperature rises of as much as 3C or more by
  
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• Tony Juniper takes on lead advocacy role at WWF

  31-10-2017 11:26
  WWF has announced that prominent conservationist Tony Juniper has joined the green organisation as executive director for advocacy and campaigns.
  
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• The plastics problem: are natural alternatives doing more harm than good?

  31-10-2017 11:16 via theguardian.com
  Advances in bioplastics mean they have ever more uses in packaging – but do they encourage a disposable culture?They sound more at home on a beach than in a laboratory – but shrimp shells and algae are just two of the natural materials scientists are working with to develop more sustainable types of plastic.In a sector predicted to be worth around $7.2bn (£5.5bn) by 2022, the race is on to develop materials that can take the place of oil-based plastics, which can have a detrime
  
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• Whyalla steelworks to be powered by $700m solar, battery and pumped hydro project

  31-10-2017 09:42 via theguardian.com
  Project announced after British billionaire Sanjeev Gupta chairs his first Zen Energy board meeting in AdelaideThe clean energy company Zen Energy has approved a $700m solar, battery and pumped hydro project at the South Australian town of Whyalla to power the OneSteel steelworks at Whyalla.The project was announced on Monday after the British billionaire Sanjeev Gupta, who bought the Arrium steelworks from receivers on 31 August, chaired his first Zen Energy board meeting in Adelaide. Continue
  
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• Climate change isn’t just hurting the planet – it’s a public health emergency | Christiana Figueres

  31-10-2017 09:00 via theguardian.com
  Doctors have revealed that millions are already suffering the effects, in the spread of infectious diseases, uneven crop yields and longer allergy seasons
  • Christiana Figueres is chair of the Lancet Countdown advisory boardWhen the doctor tells you that your cholesterol is too high, you tend to listen and change your diet. When the world’s climate scientists tell us that temperatures are rising to dangerous levels, we should heed their advice. It’s time to give up climate chang
  
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• London has most food waste offenders in UK, survey shows

  31-10-2017 08:15
  London residents are the biggest culprits of throwing away fruit and vegetables in the UK, according to a new study.
  
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• Searching for the Old Ones: Lovecraftian giant cephalopods and the fossil record

  31-10-2017 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Enigmatic ocean giants, giant squid and colossal squid are the largest living invertebrates but even larger suckered giants may have lived in the pastWe’ve already looked at ghosts and zombies in the fossil record but if you fancy your Halloween horrors a little more Lovecraftian then I’ve got some ancient suckered creatures from the depths of the ocean and time for you. Tenuous seasonal segue over, let’s look at giant cephalopods from the fossil record. Cephalopods are a class
  
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• Country diary: one spider to make a song and dance about

  31-10-2017 06:30 via theguardian.com
  Río Almonte, Extremadura, Spain Camel-haired legs, gleaming black eyes and the largest pair of spider jaws you’ve seen in your life – a tarantulaThere were all sorts of exciting birds overhead, including vultures in elegant spirals and clusters of crag martins spooked up by a hunting sparrowhawk. Yet the group’s attention had been called to an insignificant hole in the bare ground by the picnic table.The hole was 4cm across and had an untidy circlet of dead grasses arran
  
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• New Zealand considers creating climate change refugee visas

  31-10-2017 05:41 via theguardian.com
  Minister says experimental humanitarian visa category could be introduced for people displaced by rising seasNew Zealand’s new government is considering creating a visa category to help relocate Pacific peoples displaced by climate change.The new category would make official the Green party’s pre-election policy which promised 100 visas for those affected by climate change. Continue reading...
  
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• A pint of view: What do farmers think about Brexit?

  31-10-2017 01:37 via bbc.co.uk
  What do the farmers out in the field, in the dairy, and in the milking parlour think about Brexit?
  
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• Climate change already damaging health of millions globally, report finds

  31-10-2017 00:30 via theguardian.com
  Heatwaves, pollution and disease are the main health issues linked to global warming but action to halt emissions would deliver huge benefits The health of hundreds of millions of people around the world is already being damaged by climate change, a major report has revealed.
  Heatwaves are affecting many more vulnerable people and global warming is boosting the transmission of deadly diseases such as dengue fever, the world’s most rapidly spreading disease. Air pollution from fossil fuel b
  
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• Climate change already bringing disease, air pollution and heatwaves

  31-10-2017 00:30 via theguardian.com
  Heatwaves, pollution and disease are the main health issues linked to global warming but action to halt emissions would deliver huge benefits The health of hundreds of millions of people around the world is already being damaged by climate change, a major report has revealed.
  Heatwaves are affecting many more vulnerable people and global warming is boosting the transmission of deadly diseases such as dengue fever, the world’s most rapidly spreading disease. Air pollution from fossil fuel b
  
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