Environment news

• Amelia Earhart: Island bones 'likely' belonged to famed pilot

  08-03-2018 20:11 via bbc.co.uk
  A new study claims the remains discovered on a Pacific island are a 99% match with the explorer.
  
  Read more

• Killer cyclists? Let’s not forget the real threat on our roads | Laura Laker

  08-03-2018 19:51 via theguardian.com
  People on bikes do stupid things. But 99% of pedestrian collision deaths in Britain involve a motorised vehicle. A dangerous cycling law won’t solve our problemsLast weekend, as rumours of a “death by dangerous cycling” law circulated, I went on TV to defend cyclists again. Above a banner that read “killer cyclists”, I tried to explain that although there’s nothing wrong with bridging a gap in the law by creating a new offence – if our goal is to improve
  
  Read more

• Rising threat of transport emissions | Letters

  08-03-2018 19:30 via theguardian.com
  Harold Forbes says the principle of polluter pays is rarely implemented; Jeremy Tomkinson calls for clear policy on lowering petrol emissions; Chris Tidmarsh laments the sparsity of electric-car charging points in Southwark and LambethYour article on carbon dioxide emissions from new vehicles (Fall in CO2 output from new cars goes into reverse, 27 February) makes no mention of the eight-year freeze on fuel duty, which has contributed to UK fuel prices being 4% below their 2000 levels in real ter
  
  Read more

• Penguins pose for selfie in Antarctica

  08-03-2018 19:18 via bbc.co.uk
  Two Emperor penguins stumbled across a camera that was left by an Australian Antarctic explorer.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Widow of jailed wildlife expert prevented from leaving Iran

  08-03-2018 19:14 via theguardian.com
  Seyed-Emami family were boarding plane to Canada when security forces stopped widowThe widow of an Iranian-Canadian environmentalist who died in a Tehran prison under disputed circumstances has been barred from leaving the country, according to one of her sons. The family – all of whom are dual citizens of Iran and Canada – were boarding a Lufthansa flight for Canada on Wednesday when Maryam Mombeini, 55, was stopped by security forces and told she was forbidden from leaving the coun
  
  Read more

• Landmark case challenges land clearing based on climate change impact

  08-03-2018 18:00 via theguardian.com
  Northern Territory government-approved land clearing likely to cause up to 3 megatonnes of C02-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions A landmark court case in the Northern Territory is set to consider a challenge to a massive land-clearing approval based on its impacts on climate change.The case, brought by the Environment Centre NT, is believed to be the first of its kind in Australia, using the consideration of greenhouse gas emissions from clearing as a lever to seek to have an approval overturn
  
  Read more

• Climate policies place $1.6trn fossil fuel costs at risk, report warns

  08-03-2018 15:56
  Fossil fuel companies are exposed to $1.6trn in potential expenditure by basing business decisions on existing policies rather than international climate goals, while businesses committed to sourcing 100% renewable electricity will require $94bn to reach their goals.
  
  Read more

• UK fracking backlash: seven out of eight plans rejected in 2018

  08-03-2018 15:37 via theguardian.com
  Shale companies failing to speed up development of industry, despite Tories’ pledge of supportIneos’s bid to explore for shale gas in South Yorkshire has been rejected by local councillors, bringing the number of planning decisions that have gone against fracking companies this year to seven.The application by the UK-based petrochemicals firm to drill a well near the village of Woodsetts was turned down by Rotherham metropolitan borough council, on the grounds that it could harm wild
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• UK fracking backlash: seven of eight plans rejected in 2018

  08-03-2018 15:37 via theguardian.com
  South Yorkshire rejection of Ineos drill application adds to refusals, which include those from Tory councilsThe application by Ineos to explore for shale gas in South Yorkshire has been rejected by local councillors, bringing the number of planning decisions that have gone against fracking companies this year to seven.Rotherham metropolitan borough turned the application by the UK-based petrochemicals firm to drill a well near the village of Woodsetts on grounds that it could harm wildlife and
  
  Read more

• Planet Jupiter's winds run deep

  08-03-2018 13:44 via bbc.co.uk
  Nasa's Juno mission begins to unravel the mysteries of the gas giant's interior structure.
  
  Read more

• Chinese panda park to be twice the size of Yosemite

  08-03-2018 13:03 via theguardian.com
  National park will bolster local economy while providing animals with unbroken habitatThe Bank of China has pledged at least 10bn yuan (£1.1bn) to create a vast panda conservation park in south-west Sichuan province, the Chinese forestry ministry has said. Related: What sound do pandas make? You asked Google – here’s the answer | Jules HowardContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• Chinese bank to fund giant panda conservation park

  08-03-2018 13:03 via theguardian.com
  National park will bolster local economy while providing animals with unbroken habitatThe Bank of China has pledged at least 10bn yuan (£1.1bn) to create a vast giant panda conservation park in south-west Sichuan province, the Chinese forestry ministry has said. Related: What sound do pandas make? You asked Google – here’s the answer | Jules HowardContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• Nerve agents

  08-03-2018 13:01 via bbc.co.uk
  A nerve agent was used to poison a Russian former spy and his daughter. What are they and what do they do?
  
  Read more

• International Women's Day: How gender equality can transform the energy sector

  08-03-2018 13:00
  EXCLUSIVE: A failure to integrate gender equality at board level could be holding the UK's energy industry back from embracing the transformational benefits of renewables and smart-data technologies.
  
  Read more

• Where is the world’s noisiest city?

  08-03-2018 12:00 via theguardian.com
  The ‘ignored pollutant’ can cause depression, stress, diabetes and heart attacks. What are cities doing to curb excess noise?The constant roar of traffic, incessant construction noise, piercing sirens, honking horns, shrieking loudspeakers – noise in cities is clearly a nuisance.But it’s also a danger. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described noise pollution as an underestimated threat that can cause hearing loss, cardiovascular problems, cognitive impairment, st
  
  Read more

• Apple moves towards greener supply chain with zero-waste and clean energy milestones

  08-03-2018 11:58
  Apple has made progress in its ongoing effort towards a greener supply chain, with big achievements over the past year in key areas such as waste and low-carbon energy procurement.
  
  Read more

• Moss-covered recycled tyre combats air pollution on the go

  08-03-2018 10:38
  One of the world's largest tyre companies has unveiled a new prototype for a recycled tyre that uses moss to clean the air as it drives, while also generating electricity to power added sensors and processing units.
  
  Read more

• Bird Photographer of the Year 2018 – in pictures

  08-03-2018 09:00 via theguardian.com
  The shortlist for the coveted Bird Photographer of the Year awards has been announced by Nature Photographers and the British Trust for Ornithology. Here we display a few of the entries in the running for the awards, which will be announced by Chris Packham in August at the annual Rutland Birdwatching FairContinue reading...
  
  Read more

• Country diary: trees stand as witnesses to history

  08-03-2018 06:30 via theguardian.com
  Chicksands Wood, Bedfordshire A shaft of sunlight enticed me to a place where the wood’s medieval heart beat stillAlmost seven centuries ago, a great calamity 50 miles out to the east sent men with axes and saws into priory-owned Chicksands Wood. The Norman central tower of Ely Cathedral had collapsed, and the architect of its replacement chose to bridge the gap not with stone, but with wood. To this day, the Octagon Tower has Bedfordshire oak timbers holding up its roof to heaven. Continu
  
  Read more

• Climate change 'impacts women more than men'

  08-03-2018 03:15 via bbc.co.uk
  Women are disproportionately affected by the impacts of changing weather patterns, studies show.
  
  Read more

• Record-high wool price leaves Australian growers in shear delight

  08-03-2018 01:13 via theguardian.com
  Strong demand from China, as well as European fashion houses and US sportswear companies, is proving a boom for the industryThe price of wool has reached an historic high after decades of poor returns and Australian woolgrowers are saying the market is stronger than it has been in 30 years.The price signal, the eastern market indicator, reached a record $18.30 per kilogram this month, double where it was eight years ago. The hike has been driven by strong demand from China and European fashion h
  
  Read more

• Green groups target Adelaide festivals ahead of SA election – and reviews are mixed

  08-03-2018 00:51 via theguardian.com
  Culture meets politics as environmental groups distribute scorecards rating the major parties’ environment policiesRenewable energy groups are targeting Adelaide’s festival season ahead of the South Australian election with scorecards rating the major parties’ environmental policies, with the Greens and Labor leading the way.A scorecard distributed by the Australian Conservation Foundation gives its only five-star rating for renewables to the Greens. Labor gets a glowing four-a
  
  Read more

Follow @UK_Environment on Twitter!