Environment news

• UK takes £5bn stake in Welsh nuclear power station in policy U-turn

  04-06-2018 20:23 via theguardian.com
  Ministers reach initial agreement with Japanese firm Hitachi over new Wylfa plant The UK will take a £5bn-plus stake in a new nuclear power station in Wales in a striking reversal of decades-long government policy ruling out direct investment in nuclear projects.Ministers said they had reached an initial agreement with the Japanese conglomerate Hitachi to back the Wylfa plant but emphasised that no final decision had yet been made and negotiations were just beginning. Continue reading...
  
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• Wilderness: an immersive 360° journey into Patagonia – video

  04-06-2018 20:10 via theguardian.com
  The wilderness of Patagonia – shared by Argentina and Chile – has frequently been threatened by logging and oil industries. But in January, Chile signed a historic act of conservation, creating five protected national parks covering 4m hectares
  If you’re viewing on mobile you’ll need to download the YouTube app for the full 360° experience 
  If you’re viewing on desktop you’ll need the latest version of your web browser Continue reading...
  
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• South Australia rides renewables boom to become electricity exporter | Giles Parkinson

  04-06-2018 20:00 via theguardian.com
  State reverses decades of importing power, while solar continues to grow nationally and emissions fall, audit shows The politics may not change much, but Australia’s electricity grid is changing before our very eyes – slowly and inevitably becoming more renewable, more decentralised, and challenging the pre-conceptions of many in the industry.The latest national emissions audit from The Australia Institute, which includes an update on key electricity trends in the national electricit
  
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• South Australia rides renewables boom to become electricity exporter

  04-06-2018 20:00 via theguardian.com
  State reverses decades of importing power, while solar continues to grow nationally and emissions fall, audit shows The politics may not change much, but Australia’s electricity grid is changing before our very eyes – slowly and inevitably becoming more renewable, more decentralised, and challenging the pre-conceptions of many in the industry.The latest national emissions audit from The Australia Institute, which includes an update on key electricity trends in the national electricit
  
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• Carbon 'bubble' could cost global economy trillions

  04-06-2018 18:18 via bbc.co.uk
  Technology and energy efficiency could see a rapid fall in demand for fossil fuels even without new climate policies.
  
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• Guatemala volcano: Dozens die as Fuego volcano erupts

  04-06-2018 18:15 via bbc.co.uk
  Deadly torrents of hot gas and volcanic debris engulf villages on the slopes of Fuego volcano.
  
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• Latte levy could cost UK economy £819m as industry calls for infrastructure overhaul

  04-06-2018 17:42
  Introducing a 25p levy on drinks served in disposable paper cups should be avoided as it will cost the UK economy £819m and 11,000 jobs in the coffee retail sector.
  
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• Latte levy could cost UK £819m, paper cup industry claims

  04-06-2018 17:42
  Introducing a 25p levy on drinks served in disposable cups could end up costing the UK economy £819m and removing 11,000 jobs from the coffee retail sector, new research from the UK's eight largest paper cup manufacturers and suppliers has claimed.
  
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• What is the carbon bubble and what will happen if it bursts?

  04-06-2018 17:00 via theguardian.com
  As the world moves towards a low-carbon economy, fossil fuel investments worth trillions of dollars, from oil wells to cars, will lose their valueRead more: ‘Carbon bubble’ could spark global financial crisis, study warnsInvestments amounting to trillions of dollars in fossil fuels – coal mines, oil wells, power stations, conventional vehicles – will lose their value when the world moves decisively to a low-carbon economy. Fossil fuel reserves and production facilities wi
  
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• 'Carbon bubble' could spark global financial crisis, study warns

  04-06-2018 17:00 via theguardian.com
  Advances in clean energy expected to cause a sudden drop in demand for fossil fuels, leaving companies with trillions in stranded assetsPlunging prices for renewable energy and rapidly increasing investment in low-carbon technologies could leave fossil fuel companies with trillions in stranded assets and spark a global financial crisis, a new study has found.A sudden drop in demand for fossil fuels before 2035 is likely, according to the study, given the current global investments and economic a
  
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• Virunga National Park in Congo closes to tourists until 2019

  04-06-2018 16:29 via theguardian.com
  Security review to take place after 12 rangers are killed and two Britons are abductedAfrica’s oldest national park will close its gates to visitors until 2019 following the death of a ranger and the abduction of two British tourists by local rebels this year.Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to a world-famous population of mountain gorillas but has been hit by rising instability and violence in the country. Continue reading...
  
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• MPs urge UK Government to make climate risk reporting mandatory

  04-06-2018 14:00
  Ministers have urged the UK Government to make it mandatory for companies and asset owners to report on climate-related risks by 2022 in order to "fix" the short-term mindset of the current financial system.
  
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• 10 things you probably didn't know about a record-breaking year for renewables

  04-06-2018 13:44
  As a new report reveals that 2017 was a record year for renewable power installations, edie rounds up some of the headline trends that are shaping the transition to renewable energy.
  
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• G7 countries pour $100bn a year into oil, gas and coal: study

  04-06-2018 12:16
  Each year, at least $100bn goes to support the production and consumption of oil, gas and coal, according to a major new study published on Monday (4 June). That is despite a promise from all G7 and G20 members to stop subsidising fossil fuels by 2025.
  
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• The latest weak attacks on EVs and solar panels | Dana Nuccitelli

  04-06-2018 12:00 via theguardian.com
  The powerful few who benefit from the fossil fuel status quo are exerting their influenceOver the past two weeks, media attacks on solar panels and electric vehicles have been followed by Trump administration policies aimed at boosting their fossil fueled rivals. Continue reading...
  
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• Does Jurassic Park make scientific sense?

  04-06-2018 11:46 via bbc.co.uk
  How were the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park created, and what have we learned about them since?
  
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• 'No doubt our climate is getting warmer,' Malcolm Turnbull says

  04-06-2018 10:07 via theguardian.com
  Despite the PM’s declaration, it is unclear how current climate policy will ensure Australia reaches its Paris commitmentMalcolm Turnbull, on a tour of drought-stricken areas in New South Wales and Queensland, has declared there is “no doubt that our climate is getting warmer”.
  Flanked by Nationals on Monday in Trangie, Turnbull acknowledged climate change remained a live political debate but he said: “I don’t know many people in rural New South Wales that I talk to
  
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• Leaves reduced to lacework by caterpillars - country diary archive, 4 June 1918

  04-06-2018 07:00 via theguardian.com
  4 June 1918 Most of these foliage-devourers are the larvae of geometer moths of various kinds, sometimes called loopersCaterpillars are doing their best to eat up the woods. On some of the sycamores, elms, and other trees the leaves are already reduced to lacework; on others, oaks in particular, many of the leaves have vanished. Most of these foliage-devourers are the larvae of geometer moths of various kinds; they are sometimes called loopers, on account of their habit of humping up their backs
  
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• Country diary: walkers light up the hills to mend mountains

  04-06-2018 06:30 via theguardian.com
  Great Ridge, Peak District: Momentum builds like a wave, and in a thrilling, spine-shivering moment, a glittering ribbon sparkles into being along the ridgeI reach the top of Mam Tor, out of breath, as the sun is dropping behind the bulk of Kinder Scout and dying in a great flare of scattered orange. It is quarter past nine on a Tuesday night, but the top of the peak is a throng of activity; dozens of people are milling around the summit and marvelling at the sunset, unfazed by a biting wind. I
  
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• Meet the UN's nuclear inspectors

  04-06-2018 01:18 via bbc.co.uk
  BBC News went to the IAEA’s labs at Seibersdorf near Vienna to find out how they inspect the world's nuclear sites.
  
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