Environment news

• 'Help yourself': 36 exotic animals disappear from Florida wildlife sanctuary after fake ad

  05-03-2018 22:31 via theguardian.com
  Owners fear for health of lemurs, marmosets, monkeys, birds and tortoises removed from Miami site in incident police are treating as theftThe advertisement on Craigslist was specific: “Free exotic animals. We’re a sanctuary going out of business. Go around back and help yourself.”
  Early on Sunday morning, somebody did just that, driving a truck up to the rear gate of the We Care Wildlife Sanctuary in Miami and loading up seven ring-tailed lemurs, five marmosets, four monkeys, s
  
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• Exotic animals disappear from Florida wildlife sanctuary after fake ad

  05-03-2018 22:31 via theguardian.com
  Owners fear for health of lemurs, marmosets, monkeys, birds and tortoises removed from site in incident police are treating as theftThe advertisement on Craigslist was specific: “Free exotic animals. We’re a sanctuary going out of business. Go around back and help yourself.”
  Early on Sunday morning, somebody did just that, driving a truck up to the rear gate of the We Care Wildlife Sanctuary in Miami and loading up seven ring-tailed lemurs, five marmosets, four monkeys, seven b
  
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• 36 exotic animals disappear from Florida wildlife sanctuary after fake 'help yourself' ad

  05-03-2018 22:31 via theguardian.com
  Owners fear for health of lemurs, marmosets, monkeys, birds and tortoises removed from Miami site in incident police are treating as theftThe advertisement on Craigslist was specific: “Free exotic animals. We’re a sanctuary going out of business. Go around back and help yourself.”
  Early on Sunday morning, somebody did just that, driving a truck up to the rear gate of the We Care Wildlife Sanctuary in Miami and loading up seven ring-tailed lemurs, five marmosets, four monkeys, s
  
  Read more

• Latin American countries sign legally binding pact to protect land defenders

  05-03-2018 19:16 via theguardian.com
  New treaty compels states to investigate and punish killings and attacks on people defending their land or environmentOfficials from 24 Latin American and Caribbean states have signed a legally binding environmental rights pact containing measures to protect land defenders, almost two years to the day since environmental leader Berta Cáceres was killed in her home in Honduras.Last year almost 200 nature protectors were killed across the world, 60% of them in Latin America. The new treaty
  
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• The sad inevitability of energy price rises | Letters

  05-03-2018 19:06 via theguardian.com
  Replacing the government-controlled system by private companies made the costs of the delivery process soar, writes David Reed. Plus letters from John Heawood and Mark LewinskiPrivatising our vital energy services was a disaster waiting to happen, though the Tories daren’t admit it (Row over rise in energy bills for 1m households, 3 March). Every house has one set of cables carrying electricity and one set of pipes with gas; in addition, all the key energy market prices are set nationally,
  
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• Australia has 1,800 threatened species but has not listed critical habitat in 10 years

  05-03-2018 18:00 via theguardian.com
  Only five habitats put on critical habitat register since national environmental laws enactedAustralia has not listed any critical habitat for the protection of threatened species on the federal critical habitat register for more than a decade.And only five places have been registered on the database since Australia’s national environmental laws – the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act – were enacted. Continue reading...
  
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• Ban Ki-moon: US has caused serious damage to Paris climate efforts

  05-03-2018 17:28 via theguardian.com
  Ex-UN secretary general tells the Guardian decision to withdraw hampers global political actionDonald Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris agreement has created serious problems for global efforts to tackle climate change, Ban Ki-moon has said.The former UN secretary general said Trump’s move was politically damaging to international action to limit carbon emissions and had created difficulties in delivering financial aid from richer to poorer countries to help the latt
  
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• Mass die-off of sea creatures follows freezing UK weather

  05-03-2018 17:02 via theguardian.com
  Starfish and crabs among animals piled ankle-deep along parts of the North Sea coastMassive numbers of starfish, crab, mussels and lobsters have been washed up on the North Sea coast of the UK, following the recent freezing weather and storms.
  Tens of thousands of creatures are piled up ankle-deep in places along the Holderness coast in Yorkshire and similar mass mortality has been reported in Kent and Norfolk. Continue reading...
  
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• Ethical fashion is order of the day for Stella McCartney in Paris

  05-03-2018 15:43 via theguardian.com
  Designer has been doing ethical fashion since 2001 – finally the rest of the world is catching up
  The invitation for Stella McCartney’s fashion show in Paris came in a glossy pouch with “I am 100% compostable (and so are you!)” printed on it. Inside was a freebie with purpose: a pair of yellow socks made from 85% upcycled yarn using no water, chemicals, dyes or pesticides.In a socially conscious climate in which more and more fashion brands are pledging their commitment t
  
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• The big plastics debate: Industry must be fearless in zero-waste pursuit, Iceland claims

  05-03-2018 14:40
  Iceland said it would not be afraid to make mistakes when tackling the issue of plastics waste, during a unique panel debate also featuring Co-op, Marks and Spencer (M&S) and Coca-Cola.
  
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• Job satisfaction for sustainability professionals outperforms national average

  05-03-2018 14:19
  Job satisfaction within the sustainability sector continues to outperform the national average, with factors such as pay rises, stable employment and career mobility all contributing to a "highly satisfied" workforce, a new survey has found.
  
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• Sound of speed

  05-03-2018 13:38 via bbc.co.uk
  The Bloodhound supersonic car will produce a huge amount of noise when it starts running later this year.
  
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• £555bn pension funds questioned over climate risk 'misunderstandings'

  05-03-2018 12:53
  Government ministers are concerned about "outright misunderstandings" amongst the UK's top 25 pension funds, with assets under management worth £555bn, relating to failures to account for climate-related risk.
  
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• In a laver: seaweed shuts nuclear reactor again in bad weather

  05-03-2018 12:46 via theguardian.com
  EDF’s Torness plant east of Edinburgh has previously been taken offline due to jellyfish Roving jellyfish and seaweed have long been unwanted guests at Scotland’s last two nuclear power stations. Now the marine algae have hit again, forcing one of the plants to partially power down despite freezing temperatures pushing up demand for electricity.During last week’s cold weather, excessive amounts of seaweed entered the cooling system of the Torness plant in East Lothian, causing
  
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• Diesel slide continues as UK car sales fall for 11th month running

  05-03-2018 12:14 via theguardian.com
  Number of new cars registered in February falls by 2.8% despite rises in petrol and electric salesSlumping demand for diesel vehicles dragged down new car sales in February, marking the 11th consecutive month of declines for Britain’s new car market. The number of new cars registered dropped 2.8% compared to the same month a year ago to 80,805, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the industry trade body. Continue reading...
  
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• Stop blaming ‘both sides’ for America’s climate failures | Dana Nuccitelli

  05-03-2018 12:00 via theguardian.com
  The fault lies entirely with the GOP. Focus on fixing it, not laying blame where it doesn’t belongSteven Pinker is a cognitive psychologist, linguist, and author of Bill Gates’ two favorite books. However, his latest – Enlightenment Now – has some serious shortcomings centering on Pinker’s misperceptions about climate change polarization. Pinker falls into the trap of ‘Both Siderism,’ acknowledging the Republican Party’s science denial, but also wr
  
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• Baby bird fossil is 'rarest of the rare'

  05-03-2018 11:10 via bbc.co.uk
  Fossil gives a peek into the lives of primitive birds that shared the Earth with the dinosaurs.
  
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• Energy innovation: Next edie webinar to explore 'smart grid of the future'

  05-03-2018 10:22
  Energy experts from Aggregate Industries and Oxford University are among the confirmed speakers for a live, interactive webinar taking place later this month which will be focused on delivering the smart grid of the future, today.
  
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• Tree loss pushing beetles to the brink

  05-03-2018 10:08 via bbc.co.uk
  Nearly a fifth of European beetles that live in old and hollowed wood are at risk of extinction.
  
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• Why what we eat is crucial to the climate change question | Ruth Khasaya Oniang’o

  05-03-2018 09:00 via theguardian.com
  Our food – from what we eat to how it is grown – accounts for more carbon emissions than transport and yet staple crops will be hit hard by global warming
  Did you know that what’s on your plate plays a larger role in contributing to climate change than the car you drive? When most wealthy people think about their carbon footprint, or their contributions to climate change, they’ll think about where their electricity and heat come from or what they drive. They’ll thin
  
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• One-fifth of Europe's wood beetles at risk of extinction as ancient trees decline

  05-03-2018 07:30 via theguardian.com
  Demise of the beetles, that need rotting wood to survive, could have devastating knock-on effect for other species, say scientists in a new reportAlmost one-fifth of Europe’s wood beetles are at risk of extinction due to a widespread decline in ancient trees, according to a new report which suggests their demise could have devastating knock-on effects for other species. The study says 18% of saproxylic beetles – which depend on dead and decaying wood for some of their lifecycle &ndas
  
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• A fifth of Europe's wood beetles at risk of extinction as ancient trees decline

  05-03-2018 07:30 via theguardian.com
  Demise of the beetles, that need rotting wood to survive, could have devastating knock-on effect for other species, say scientists in a new reportAlmost a fifth of Europe’s wood beetles are at risk of extinction due to a widespread decline in ancient trees, according to a new report which suggests their demise could have devastating knock-on effects for other species. The study says 18% of saproxylic beetles – which depend on dead and decaying wood for some of their lifecycle –
  
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• Country diary: sublime beauty sculptured from a Siberian blast

  05-03-2018 06:30 via theguardian.com
  Helvellyn, Lake District The combination of deep, drifting snow and mountain wind creates absorbing patterns
  A flare of sun, a rush of endorphins, and the cloud scatters like a flock of birds to reveal the Patterdale fells, snowbound and sublime. There was not a speck of snow in overcast Glenridding but as we climbed the snow cover had gradually spread, until this sudden sunburst at about the 700 metre contour marked the feeling we had crossed from the valleys below to the winter hills above, a
  
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• Lassa fever

  05-03-2018 02:41 via bbc.co.uk
  Since the beginning of the year, Nigeria has been gripped by an outbreak of the deadly Lassa fever.
  
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