Environment news

• Why The World Needs to Rethink The Value of Water

  23-11-2017 21:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  Research led by Oxford University highlights the accelerating pressure on measuring, monitoring and managing water locally and globally. A new four-part framework is proposed to value water for sustainable development to guide better policy and practice.
  
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• Galapagos finches caught in act of becoming new species

  23-11-2017 20:06 via bbc.co.uk
  A population of finches on the Galapagos is discovered in the process of becoming a new species.
  
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• Where have all our insects and birds gone? | Letters

  23-11-2017 19:53
  Rosemary Mason notices a decline in insects in south Wales; Kate Phillips says there is a major shift in insect and bird life in Buckinghamshire; and Eyke Shannon questions the role played by the Forestry Commission and the RSPB in SuffolkWith regard to David Marjot’s letter about lost insects in Surrey (18 November), we too have noticed a sharp decline in insects over the last 10 years in south Wales, but there are no neonicotinoids used in the area. In fact, as he noted in Surr
  
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• Radiographs of Dolly's Skeleton Show No Signs of Abnormal Osteoarthritis

  23-11-2017 19:19 via feedproxy.google.com
  Original concerns that cloning caused early-onset osteoarthritis (OA) in Dolly the sheep are unfounded, say experts at the University of Nottingham and the University of Glasgow.
  
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• Engineers Model the California Reservoir Network

  23-11-2017 19:15 via feedproxy.google.com
  For the first time, engineers at Caltech have developed an empirical statewide model of the California reservoir network. The model was built from data gathered over a 13-year period that includes the latest drought, allowing researchers to make observations about how 55 of the state's major reservoirs respond to a variety of external conditions as a unified system.
  
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• Ludwig Researchers Unravel Novel Mechanism by Which Tumors Grow Resistant to Radiotherapy

  23-11-2017 18:50 via feedproxy.google.com
  A Ludwig Cancer Research study has uncovered a key mechanism by which tumors develop resistance to radiation therapy and shown how such resistance might be overcome with drugs that are currently under development. The discovery addresses a longstanding challenge: as many as 40% of large tumors develop resistance to radiotherapy, significantly complicating treatment. Overcoming such resistance could go a long way toward treating tumors, especially those that cause significant discomfort to patien
  
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• Meadows Beat Out Shrubs When it Comes to Carbon Storage

  23-11-2017 18:36 via feedproxy.google.com
  Excess carbon dioxide, emitted by burning fossil fuels like coal and petroleum, is one of the most important factors in driving global warming. While the world is focused on controlling these emissions to limit climate change, less attention has been paid to the capacity of vegetation and soils to take up and store carbon.
  
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• Research Reveals China's Reversing Emission Flows

  23-11-2017 18:30 via feedproxy.google.com
  The flow of China’s carbon emissions has reversed according to new research led by scientists at the University of East Anglia.
  
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• Ocean Floor Mud Reveals Secrets of Past European Climate

  23-11-2017 18:25 via feedproxy.google.com
  Samples of sediment taken from the ocean floor of the North Atlantic Ocean have given researchers an unprecedented insight into the reasons why Europe’s climate has changed over the past 3000 years.
  
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• Floods in north-west England prompt criticism over missing defences

  23-11-2017 18:23
  Cumbria MP says government is dragging its feet, as torrential rain causes flooding in area hit by Storm Desmond in 2015Torrential rain has forced dozens of families from their homes and caused disruption across the north-west of England, prompting a local MP to accuse the government of dragging its feet over £25m of flood defences promised two years ago.Lancaster and the nearby village of Galgate were the worst-affected areas, with 70 people rescued by firefighters and 27 people evacuated
  
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• Climate Change Could Increase Volcano Eruptions

  23-11-2017 18:21 via feedproxy.google.com
  A new study, led by the University of Leeds, found there was less volcanic activity in Iceland when glacier cover was more extensive. As the glaciers melted, volcanic eruptions increased due to subsequent changes in surface pressure.
  
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• Could octopus DNA reveal the secrets of west Antarctica’s ice sheet collapse?

  23-11-2017 18:00
  Understanding what happened to the ice sheet will be key to knowing what the future holds for global sea levelsThere are a lot of scientific eyes on west Antarctica right now, for some pretty obvious reasons.The West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) holds a lot of water – enough to push up sea levels around the world by 3m or so. Continue reading...
  
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• Farmland bird decline prompts renewed calls for agriculture overhaul

  23-11-2017 17:39
  Official figures show a 9% decline between 2010-15 in birds living and breeding on the UK’s farmlandBirds living and breeding on the UK’s farmland have seen numbers decline by almost a tenth in five years, official figures show. Farmland bird populations have declined by 56% since 1970, largely due to agricultural changes including the loss of mixed farming, a switch to autumn sowing of crops, a reduction in hay meadows and the stripping out of hedgerows.Continue reading...
  
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• Solar Energy Becomes Largest Source of New Electricity Capacity in India

  23-11-2017 16:40 via feedproxy.google.com
  The solar sector has surpassed coal as the largest generator of new electricity in India, accounting for 39 percent of new electricity production in 2017, according to new data.
  
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• EVs could provide 11GW grid capacity by 2030, research claims

  23-11-2017 16:32
  Electric vehicles (EV) could deliver more than 11GW of flexible capacity to the grid by 2030, according to new analysis from a leading energy technology firm.
  
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• Dolly the sheep health fears 'unfounded'

  23-11-2017 16:17 via bbc.co.uk
  Concerns that Dolly the cloned sheep had early-onset arthritis were unfounded, scientists say.
  
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• London cannot bid for national clean air funding, mayor says

  23-11-2017 16:11
  Sadiq Khan says capital will not be included in the chancellor’s £220m clean air fund despite having 40% of the most polluting roads in England and WalesLondon cannot bid for a £220m clean air fund announced in the budget – despite being home to 40% of the most polluting roads in England and Wales, Sadiq Khan revealed on Thursday.Giving evidence to the Commons joint inquiry into air quality, the mayor of London revealed he was lobbying the government to support a £5
  
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• Anyone for crickets? Finnish bakery sells bread made from insect

  23-11-2017 14:46
  Fazer in Helsinki claims to be first store in world to offer insect bread, which contains about 70 crickets ground up into flourA Finnish bakery has launched what it claims to be the world’s first insect-based bread to be offered to consumers in stores. The bread, made using flour ground from dried crickets as well as wheat flour and seeds, has more protein than normal wheat bread. Each loaf contains about 70 crickets and costs €3.99 (£3.55), compared with €2-3 for a regula
  
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• Deep fat fryers may help form cooling clouds

  23-11-2017 14:41 via bbc.co.uk
  The fatty acids released in cooking may help form clouds that cool the climate, say scientists.
  
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• Fracking firm wins extension to 'draconian' protest injunction

  23-11-2017 14:39
  UK high court extends wide-ranging injunction sought by Ineos which prohibits campaigners from interfering unlawfully with their operationsA multinational firm has secured a long-term, sweeping injunction against anti-fracking protesters despite critics calling it “draconian and anti-democratic”.On Thursday, a high court judge extended the wide-ranging injunction sought by petrochemicals giant Ineos, which covers all anti-fracking campaigners. Continue reading...
  
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• If air pollution is deforming sperm, will men finally take it seriously? | Jenny Jones

  23-11-2017 14:31
  Links between pollution and other conditions are already proven. Maybe the heterosexual men who run the world might pay attention this time• Jenny Jones is a former chair of the Green partyThere is nothing like the image of deformed sperm to grab the attention of male politicians. The tentative link between male fertility and pollution has been put forward by medics in China and in a world where heterosexual men still make most of the decisions, I hope it makes pollution a personal priority
  
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• What counts as nature? It all depends

  23-11-2017 14:11 via feedproxy.google.com
  Think, for a moment, about the last time you were out in nature. Were you in a city park? At a campground? On the beach? In the mountains?Now consider: What was this place like in your parents’ time? Your grandparents’? In many cases, the parks, beaches and campgrounds of today are surrounded by more development, or are themselves more developed, than they were decades ago.
  
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• Sustainable Business Covered podcast: In the green room with Unilever's Tony Dunnage

  23-11-2017 14:11
  Welcome back to the green room - edie's exclusive interview hub for sustainability leaders, brought to you as part of the Sustainable Business Covered podcast. Up next to provide the insights of leading sustainable business: Unilever's group director of manufacturing sustainability Tony Dunnage.
  
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• Arthritis, autoimmune disease discovery could lead to new treatments

  23-11-2017 14:11 via feedproxy.google.com
  More than 23.5 million Americans suffer from autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma and lupus, in which an overzealous immune response leads to pain, inflammation, skin disorders and other chronic health problems. The conditions are so common that three of the top-five selling drugs in the United States aim to ease their symptoms. But no cure exists, and treatments are expensive and come with side effects.Now CU Boulder researchers have developed a potent, drug-like compound
  
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• Would a plastic tax help the UK become a world leader in resource efficiency?

  23-11-2017 13:58
  A major talking point of yesterday's Autumn Budget was the Chancellor's decision to consult on the use of a tax for plastic packaging. But what are the realistic chances of the measure proving a success for both the environment and taxpayer?
  
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• Will the plastic tax help the UK become a world leader in resource efficiency?

  23-11-2017 13:58
  A major talking point of yesterday's Autumn Budget was the Chancellor's decision to consult on the use of a tax for plastic packaging. But what are the realistic chances of the measure proving a success for both the environment and taxpayer?
  
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• Images from a Warming Planet - the UK in pictures

  23-11-2017 12:54
  The 2016 book by photojournalist Ashley Cooper documented the effects of climate change over 13 years and in more than 30 countries. Earlier this month, Cooper won the Green Apple award for environmental best practice at a ceremony at the UK House of Commons.Cooper is planning to set up a website, I Commit, which aims to get citizens of the world to lower their carbon footprint and upload their own images of climate impacts. Here are his images of how extreme weather has affected the UK in recen
  
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• 70 rescued from floods as severe UK weather continues

  23-11-2017 11:50
  People evacuated in Lancashire as rain causes widespread flooding and power cuts in north-west England and north WalesFirefighters have rescued more than 70 people as torrential rain caused widespread flooding and power blackouts across north-west England and north Wales.
  Parts of north Lancashire, including Lancaster and the village of Galgate, were the worst affected as heavy rain fell in areas badly hit by Storm Desmond two years ago. Continue reading...
  
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• Xerox targets verified science-based target for 2018

  23-11-2017 11:24
  EXCLUSIVE: Printing services company Xerox intends to have a verified science-based target in place when it launches new sustainability goals in 2018, as part of a commitment to the Paris Agreement that has been years in the making.
  
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• Xerox aiming for verified science-based target for 2018

  23-11-2017 11:24
  EXCLUSIVE: Printing services company Xerox intends to have a verified science-based target in place when it launches new sustainability goals in 2018, as part of a commitment to the Paris Agreement that has been years in the making.
  
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• Jane review – wondrous footage lights up Goodall's Tarzan dream

  23-11-2017 09:00
  Jane Goodall’s research into chimp behaviour was a great leap forward in scientific research and this documentary does her work full justiceHere is a portrait of the primatologist as a young woman. Using footage only recently rediscovered in the National Geographic archive, octogenarian Jane Goodall recollects her first field study of chimpanzees in the wild in Tanzania. This was the 1960s, and Goodall was a 26-year-old typist with no academic training. Yet on that trip she made a great le
  
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• Global firms accused of importing timber linked to Amazon massacre

  23-11-2017 08:40
  Greenpeace alleges 12 companies continued to trade with Madeireira Cedro Arana after its founder was accused of ordering torture and murderMore than a dozen US and European companies have been importing timber from a Brazilian logging firm whose owner is implicated in one of the most brutal Amazonian massacres in recent memory, according to a Greenpeace investigation.The first-world buyers allegedly continued trading with Madeireira Cedro Arana after police accused its founder, Valdelir Jo&atild
  
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• Country diary: a couple of calls announce a whole flock of redwings

  23-11-2017 06:30
  Sandy, Bedfordshire The migration of these winter thrushes may be less of a trickle and more of a flood than our ears tell usA flock of redwings were playing sky rounders in the park, flying from tree to tree, first base to second, second to third, not landing but pressing on, as if going for a home run. They came near enough that I heard their calls. But only two or three called out of a flock of 50 or more.These winter thrushes seep into our consciousness all through the autumn. However, their
  
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• Elon Musk's Tesla battery in South Australia poised for final testing

  23-11-2017 04:56
  Jay Weatherill says Tesla has finished installing powerpacks and 100-megawatt battery will now be energised and testedThe world’s largest lithium-ion battery, which is being built in South Australia by Tesla to store renewable energy, is about to enter final testing.The premier, Jay Weatherill, said Elon Musk’s Tesla company had finished installing the battery powerpacks at Jamestown, in the state’s mid-north, where they are linked to an adjacent windfarm. Continue reading...
  
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• Australia facing climate disaster on its doorstep, government's white paper warns

  23-11-2017 03:44
  Foreign policy paper says climate-related conflict and migration could put Australia’s economic interests under pressureClimate change is creating a disaster on Australia’s doorstep, with environmental degradation and the demand for sustainable sources of food undermining stability in some countries, especially “fragile states”, according to the Australian government’s first foreign policy white paper in more than a decade.
  The new white paper, released on Thursday,
  
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• Why the nights are getting brighter – but not in a good way

  23-11-2017 03:16
  Spread of light pollution is bad for the environment, animal life and humans, five-year study concludes The world’s nights are getting alarmingly brighter – bad news for all sorts of creatures, humans included – as light pollution encroaches on darkness almost everywhere. Satellite observations made by researchers during five consecutive Octobers show Earth’s artificially lit outdoor area grew by 2% a year from 2012 to 2016. So did nighttime brightness. Continue reading..
  
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• Three cups of coffee a day 'may have health benefits'

  23-11-2017 01:32 via bbc.co.uk
  But there is no reason to start drinking coffee for health reasons, the BMJ study found.
  
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• EU ban on bird imports sees 'massive' cuts in global trade

  23-11-2017 00:43 via bbc.co.uk
  There's been a 90% drop in the trade in wild birds around the globe mainly due to an EU ban, say researchers.
  
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• How we are losing the night

  23-11-2017 00:05 via bbc.co.uk
  Satellite images show that artificially-lit areas are expanding around the world.
  
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