Environment news

• Blue Planet gift from Theresa May to remind Beijing of plastic waste

  31-01-2018 23:36 via theguardian.com
  Boxset comes with message from David Attenborough as PM hopes for China’s help to cut pollutionTheresa May will present Xi Jinping with a Blue Planet boxset when the two meet in Beijing on Thursday, but the Chinese president may have already seen the BBC series – considering its huge popularity in his country.The seven-part series was watched by millions across the globe, and proved especially popular in China where an estimated 26 million people saw the first episode and approximate
  
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• Luxembourg PM watches GovSat-1 space launch

  31-01-2018 23:10 via bbc.co.uk
  Xavier Bettel is at Cape Canaveral in Florida to see his nation's latest space project go into orbit.
  
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• London Mayor's £34m low-carbon programme targets energy-efficient workplaces

  31-01-2018 23:04
  Sadiq Khan has pledged new funding for fuel-poor homes alongside a £10bn commercial boiler scrappage scheme in a suite of new measures aimed at delivering cleaner, affordable energy across the capital.
  
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• Met Office warns of global temperature rise exceeding 1.5C limit

  31-01-2018 22:06 via theguardian.com
  In next five years greenhouse gases may push global warming past threshold set by Paris dealGlobal temperatures could break through the internationally agreed upper 1.5C limit within the next five years, according to a forecast by British scientists that raises fresh questions about the world’s efforts to tackle climate change.The Met Office forecasting service said that in the period from 2018-2022, annual global average temperatures are likely to exceed 1C above pre-industrial levels and
  
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• Chris Packham memoir voted UK's favourite piece of nature writing

  31-01-2018 22:00 via theguardian.com
  Naturalist describes accolade as ‘Boaty McBoatface in book form’ after Fingers in the Sparkle Jar beats Wind in the Willows and The Peregrine When academics asked readers to vote for Britain’s favourite piece of nature writing, they probably didn’t expect a celebrity memoir about Asperger’s to trounce otters, badgers and peregrines.But Chris Packham has seen off famous poets and naturalists such as John Clare, Kathleen Jamie and Gilbert White, as well as much-loved
  
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• Global use of mosquito nets for fishing 'endangering humans and wildlife'

  31-01-2018 20:00 via theguardian.com
  Study warns that use of anti-malarial nets may reduce people’s protection and affect fish stocks, and calls for urgent research into potential impactsAnti-malarial mosquito nets are being used to catch fish around the world, according to the first global survey, risking harm to people and fish stocks.More research is urgently needed to assess these impacts, say the scientists, but they also caution that the draconian bans on mosquito net fishing seen in some countries may cause more harm t
  
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• Industrial landscape should be protected | Letters

  31-01-2018 19:05 via theguardian.com
  Donal Boyle says Historic England must preserve some of the country’s cooling towers; while David Smythe says there is no justification for fracking in the UKWe are in danger of losing a major feature of the late 20th-century industrial landscape (Gas under pressure: Solar plants squeeze power station firms, 30 January). I refer to the piecemeal removal of the 2000MW coal-fired power stations that have, since the 1960s dominated the flat landscapes of the Midlands and north of England. You
  
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• Couldn’t Banksy be called a vandal too? | Brief letters

  31-01-2018 19:01 via theguardian.com
  Banksy mural defaced | ‘Don’t learn to type’ | Plastic-wrapped fish | Folk music | Pop and rockYour report (Report, 30 January) says a Banksy mural was “defaced by vandals”. But why is Banksy’s work “art” while its erasure is merely the work of vandals? That one man can paint anything he likes on any property in the country, and have it unquestioningly praised simply because he’s famous, is a great example how our celebrity-obsessed inequalit
  
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• Hong Kong bans ivory trade in 'historic' vote

  31-01-2018 18:36 via bbc.co.uk
  The move by Hong Kong's lawmakers is hailed by campaigners as "a lifeline for elephants".
  
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• The 'super blue blood Moon' across the world

  31-01-2018 18:23 via bbc.co.uk
  Eyes around the globe have been turning to the skies to view the lunar event.
  
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• Skywatchers see 'super blue blood Moon'

  31-01-2018 17:13 via bbc.co.uk
  A blue blood supermoon and lunar eclipse across Asia heralds a year of lunar science milestones, say scientists.
  
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• Ryanair makes pledge to become 'plastic free' on all flights by 2023

  31-01-2018 15:26 via theguardian.com
  Airline vows to eliminate use of nonrecyclable plastics on aircraft and at head offices and basesRyanair has pledged to become “plastic free” in the next five years, with the airline set to trumpet its relative green credentials as part of its ongoing makeover. The Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary, has famously suggested shooting environmentalists, and repeatedly denies climate change is driven by carbon emissions, which aviation produces in abundance.Continue reading..
  
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• Work in the construction sector? Take edie's 5-minute 'state of sustainability' survey

  31-01-2018 14:01
  Sustainability professionals, CSR experts and energy managers working within Britain's construction sector are invited to take part in a short survey which will help to inform edie's next insight report into the sustainability challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
  
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• Hong Kong votes to ban domestic ivory sales

  31-01-2018 13:10 via theguardian.com
  Lawmakers overwhelmingly vote for the bill to abolish trade by 2021, which will shut down a massive ivory market and throw a ‘lifeline’ to elephantsHong Kong has voted to ban ivory sales in a landmark move to end the infamous trade in the city. Lawmakers overwhelmingly voted for Wednesday’s bill, which will abolish the trade by 2021, following China’s complete ban on ivory sales that went into effect at the end of last year.Continue reading...
  
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• Forests fall, animals die, desert looms: Uganda's burning problem – in pictures

  31-01-2018 13:10 via theguardian.com
  Charcoal is an integral part of everyday life in Uganda, where most people rely on some form of wood fuel to cook or boil water. For many, the sale of trees also provides a valuable income. Yet this levelling of the landscape, which causes loss of habitat for wildlife and leads to climate change, is unsustainableAll photographs by Jennifer Huxta Continue reading...
  
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• Sustainable Business Covered podcast: Day Two at the Sustainability Leaders Forum

  31-01-2018 12:51
  Following on from yesterday's podcast covering day one of the Sustainability Leaders Forum, edie's senior reporter Matt Mace brings listeners a range of interviews from the likes of O2 and ING.
  
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• Cambodian forest defenders killed after confronting illegal loggers

  31-01-2018 12:34 via theguardian.com
  Three-person team reported to have been attacked by government forces while patrolling in the Keo Seima wildlife conservation sanctuarySoldiers in an area of north-eastern Cambodia where illicit logging and smuggling are rife are reported to have killed a forest protection ranger, a military police officer and a conservation worker in apparent retaliation for their seizure of equipment from illegal loggers, officials have said.Keo Sopheak, a senior environmental official in Mondulkiri province,
  
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• Tapping into frequency response: edie launches free guide for businesses

  31-01-2018 12:20
  Organisations seeking to capitalise on the benefits offered by the UK's frequency response market now have access to a new edie Explains guide which breaks down everything you need to know about frequency response services.
  
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• Killer whale says 'hello'

  31-01-2018 12:15 via bbc.co.uk
  A killer whale is taught to mimic words such as "hello" and "bye bye" in a scientific experiment.
  
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• Cryonics: Your body preserved for future revival?

  31-01-2018 11:49 via bbc.co.uk
  Arizona-based company Alcor offers cryonic preservation in the hope of reviving you in the future.
  
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• Mortgage lender raises the roof over leasehold solar panels

  31-01-2018 11:36 via theguardian.com
  Our buyer’s preferred lender won’t consider them for a mortgageWe bought a house in 2010 and had solar panels installed on a leasehold basis. We want to sell, but the buyer’s preferred lender won’t lend on properties with leasehold panels.We have tried to buy out the panels, as per a clause in the lease. It states that we have to compensate the company for the loss of their “feed-in tariff” – we know this will be around £20,000.Continue reading...
  
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• Report: Britain ahead of EU pack in low-carbon transition

  31-01-2018 10:05
  The UK's growth in renewable generation this decade has outstripped nearly all other European countries, according to new research.
  
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• Yorkshire Water backs Northern Forest to reduce flood risk and offset carbon emissions

  31-01-2018 10:04
  Yorkshire Water has announced plans to plant one million trees as part of the creation of a Northern Forest, while also addressing flood risk and offsetting carbon emissions.
  
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• Australian trees 'sweat' to survive extreme heatwaves, researchers reveal

  31-01-2018 08:57 via theguardian.com
  Climate experiment shows trees release water but stop absorbing carbon in extreme heatAustralian researchers growing trees in climate change conditions have found the leaves “sweat” to survive extreme heatwaves.The year-long experiment showed that trees continue to release water through their leaves as an evaporative cooling system during periods of extreme heat, despite the carbon-fixing process of photosynthesis grinding to a halt. Continue reading...
  
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• Terry the green sea turtle practises for release by swimming with predators – video

  31-01-2018 08:01 via theguardian.com
  Footage taken at the Sealife Melbourne aquarium shows a green sea turtle that was rescued from a beach on the Mornington peninsula swimming laps alongside predators  to prepare for his release into the wild. Terry the turtle has a phalanx of divers to act as bodyguards for his first foray into the tank Continue reading...
  
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• Mortage lender raises the roof over leasehold solar panels

  31-01-2018 08:00 via theguardian.com
  Our buyer’s preferred lender won’t consider them for a mortgageWe bought a house in 2010 and had solar panels installed on a leasehold basis. We want to sell, but the buyer’s preferred lender won’t lend on properties with leasehold panels.We have tried to buy out the panels, as per a clause in the lease. It states that we have to compensate the company for the loss of their “feed-in tariff” – we know this will be around £20,000.Continue reading...
  
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• Stripes of wildflowers across farm fields could cut pesticide spraying

  31-01-2018 07:30 via theguardian.com
  The stripy fields have been planted across England as part of a trial to boost the natural predators of pests that attack cereal cropsLong strips of bright wildflowers are being planted through crop fields to boost the natural predators of pests and potentially cut pesticide spraying.
  The strips were planted on 15 large arable farms in central and eastern England last autumn and will be monitored for five years, as part of a trial run by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH).Continue readin
  
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• Super blue blood moon: Get ready for a rare celestial show

  31-01-2018 07:21 via bbc.co.uk
  A lunar eclipse, supermoon and blue moon are about to happen at once. Here's what you need to know.
  
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• Country diary: this stony grazing is littered with prehistoric remains

  31-01-2018 06:30 via theguardian.com
  North Hill, Bodmin Moor, Cornwall: Marks of cutting on the edges of split rock are softened and disguised by turf, moss, lichen and rushy poolsRun-off streams down the lane leading to isolated farmsteads and moorland above the Lynher Valley. Thick moss and pennyworts soak up wetness on boundary walls, and polypody ferns thrive on dripping branches of the overhanging trees. Uphill, little fields adjoining the open moor are exposed to yet another blast of heavy rain; bedraggled sheep drift towards
  
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• Green sea turtle 'Terry' practises swimming with predators before release

  31-01-2018 03:26 via theguardian.com
  The turtle washed up on a beach in August and will be released into the wild next monthA green sea turtle rescued from a beach has been swimming laps alongside predators at Sealife Melbourne aquarium to prepare for his release into the wild, with a phalanx of divers to act as bodyguards.The immature turtle was discovered washed up on a beach on the Mornington Peninsula in August, severely underweight and battling pneumonia.Continue reading...
  
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• Skywatchers await 'super blue blood Moon'

  31-01-2018 02:56 via bbc.co.uk
  A blue blood supermoon and lunar eclipse across Asia heralds a year of lunar science milestones, say scientists.
  
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• Lobsters and crabs should not be boiled alive, say campaigners

  31-01-2018 02:50 via bbc.co.uk
  Lobsters and crabs are sentient organisms that feel pain and need more protection, say campaigners.
  
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• Orcas can imitate human speech, research reveals

  31-01-2018 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Killer whales able to copy words such as “hello” and “bye bye” as well as sounds from other orcas, study showsHigh-pitched, eerie and yet distinct, the sound of a voice calling the name “Amy” is unmistakable. But this isn’t a human cry – it’s the voice of a killer whale called Wikie.New research reveals that orcas are able to imitate human speech, in some cases at the first attempt, saying words such as “hello”, “one, two&rd
  
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• The killer whale that can say 'hello' and 'bye bye'

  31-01-2018 00:58 via bbc.co.uk
  A killer whale that can mimic words such as "hello" is thought to be the first of its kind to copy human speech.
  
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