Environment news

• Plantwatch: unspoilt, rare, dunes earmarked for new golf course

  14-08-2018 22:30 via theguardian.com
  Planning go-ahead for Coul Links development, Sutherland, ‘threatens unique habitat and last stronghold for wild plants’One of the last unspoilt coastal dunes in Scotland is under threat from plans for a championship golf course, which the developers say will be environmentally friendly. Coul Links, near Embo, Sutherland, north-east Scotland, is considered very special – a complete, undisturbed dune system, on a stunning coastline, that has a unique mosaic of habitats. The dune
  
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• Creatures of the cold: the Antarctic photography exhibition – in pictures

  14-08-2018 20:00 via theguardian.com
  The annual exhibition, which is part of Hobart’s Antarctica festival is back on with its chilly, majestic imagery. The winner this year is Sydney’s Sam Edmonds with his striking photo of a gentoo penguin in the snow. The show is currently being exhibited at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery’s Basement Bond Store Gallery. Continue reading...
  
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• Claimed power price cuts from energy guarantee are 'virtually meaningless'

  14-08-2018 20:00 via theguardian.com
  Coal-fired power subsidies mean the projections relied on by Coalition are not credible, study saysThe Turnbull government is trumpeting power price reductions as a consequence of its national energy guarantee – but a new analysis says subsidies for coal-fired power stations will render those forecasts “virtually meaningless”.The government has failed to rule out the building of new coal plants as a consequence of its underwriting of new power generation, and Labor declaring th
  
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• Study suggests drastic decline in mountain hares

  14-08-2018 19:36 via bbc.co.uk
  Conservation groups have called for an end to the "indiscriminate and ruthless" mountain hare culls.
  
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• Stop climate change, don’t ‘adapt’ to it | Letters:

  14-08-2018 19:04 via theguardian.com
  Judy Hindley says we must increase the price of fossil fuels, and Iain Climie raises the issue of climate change refugeesWhile I appreciate your work in keeping the spotlight on the global heatwave (World on fire: the rise of the 50C city, G2, 13 August), I’m scared by the emphasis of your correspondents and leader writers on “adapting” to climate change (Letters, 11 July). You don’t “adapt” to a raging fire, do you? You have to stop it. And the first thing yo
  
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• Rare Chinese tree's flowers attract visitors to Roath Park

  14-08-2018 18:00 via bbc.co.uk
  The Chinese tree has flowered for the first time since it was planted in Cardiff more than 100 years ago.
  
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• Next few years 'may be exceptionally warm'

  14-08-2018 17:31 via bbc.co.uk
  The next few years could be "anomalously warm", according to a new study.
  
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• Plastic, warm seas and propellers – the Cornwall turtle is a modern parable

  14-08-2018 17:06 via theguardian.com
  The leatherback beached on Sunday has revealed the multiple ways mankind threatens marine life. It is a sad tale of our mindless economic progressIt’s a beachcomber’s nightmare: an enormous leatherback turtle slumped on a Cornish strand. The 1.8-metre-long animal, discovered on Sunday at Marazion beach, has since been necropsied (an animal autopsy) by researchers from the University of Exeter, who found plastic in its stomach. Leatherbacks, like other endangered marine turtles, rely
  
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• Extreme temperatures 'especially likely for next four years'

  14-08-2018 17:00 via theguardian.com
  Cyclical natural phenomena that affect planet’s climate will amplify effect of manmade global warming, scientists warnThe world is likely to see more extreme temperatures in the coming four years as natural warming reinforces manmade climate change, according to a new global forecasting system.Following a summer of heatwaves and forest fires in the northern hemisphere, the study in the journal Nature Communications suggests there will be little respite for the planet until at least 2022, a
  
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• Being human: Big toe clung on longest to primate origins

  14-08-2018 15:35 via bbc.co.uk
  Our big toe was one of the last parts of the foot to become human-like, as our early ancestors evolved to walk on two legs.
  
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• Warm weather brings freshwater jellyfish to Shropshire canal

  14-08-2018 13:31 via theguardian.com
  First UK sighting of tiny jellyfish species normally found in the Yangtze basin in ChinaFirst came the wasps, exotic sharks and marauding seagulls. Now the long hot summer has revealed another initially alarm-inducing animal in British waters – or more precisely, in the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union Canal.Freshwater jellyfish more normally found in the Yangtze basin in China have been spotted swimming in the waters near Bridge 23 of the canal between Middlewich and Winsford, ac
  
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• Warm weather brings freshwater jellyfish to Cheshire canal

  14-08-2018 13:31 via theguardian.com
  First UK sighting of tiny jellyfish species normally found in the Yangtze basin in ChinaFirst came the wasps, exotic sharks and marauding seagulls. Now the long hot summer has revealed another initially alarm-inducing animal in British waters – or more precisely, in the Middlewich branch of the Shropshire Union Canal.Freshwater jellyfish more normally found in the Yangtze basin in China have been spotted swimming in the waters near Bridge 23 of the canal between Middlewich and Winsford, ac
  
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• 'It can’t get much hotter ... can it?' How heat became a national US problem

  14-08-2018 12:59 via theguardian.com
  Heat now kills more Americans than floods, hurricanes or other natural disasters – but cities are facing it almost entirely aloneOn yet another day of roasting heat in Phoenix, elderly and homeless people scurry between shards of shade in search of respite at the Marcos De Niza Senior Center. Along with several dozen other institutions in the city, it has been set up as a cooling centre: a free public refuge, with air conditioning, chilled bottled water, boardgames and books. Last summer a
  
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• UBS doubles sustainable portfolio of assets to almost £2bn

  14-08-2018 12:55
  Financial services firm UBS has today (August 14) announced that it now manages £1.93bn worth of assets through its sustainable portfolio, more than double the size from when it first launched seven months ago.
  
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• Tune into edie's 30-minute masterclass: How to implement the circular economy

  14-08-2018 12:45
  Sustainability and CSR professionals wanting to create value from the transition to a circular economy through innovation and business leadership are invited to register for a free, 30-minute masterclass webinar.
  
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• edie's next 30-minute masterclass: How to implement the circular economy

  14-08-2018 12:45
  Sustainability professionals seeking to drive value from the transition to a circular economy are invited to take part in a free, online masterclass taking place on Wednesday 12 September.
  
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• Fraser Anning: criticism of 'final solution' wording a bid to shut down debate – as it happened

  14-08-2018 12:22 via theguardian.com
  Crossbencher condemned for calling for plebiscite on Muslim immigration in his maiden Senate speech. All the day’s events, live 11.22am BST Just in case I have to fact-check Fraser Anning’s speech for anyone, Muslims have been in Australia since before federation.There is evidence Muslims from south-east Asia traded with Indigenous people as far back as the 1600s.11.18am BST For those who can’t access the video, here is what Tony Burke said in full in response to Fraser Anning&
  
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• Breakthrough as New Caledonia votes to protect coral reef

  14-08-2018 12:15 via theguardian.com
  The Pacific Island is home to one of the world’s most pristine coral reefs, boasting more than 9,300 marine species New Caledonia has agreed to tougher protections around a huge swathe of some of the world’s last near-pristine coral reefs, in a move conservationists hailed as a major breakthrough. The Pacific nation, a French overseas territory, is home to a rich array of wildlife including 2.5 million seabirds and more than 9,300 marine species such as dugongs and nesting green sea
  
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• Is renewable energy just a 'passing trend' for businesses?

  14-08-2018 12:04
  Despite the strong progress that the business world has made in driving the renewables revolution in recent months, a new survey of 1,000 UK-based utility decision makers has revealed that more than a quarter (27%) believe that renewable energy is "just a passing trend".
  
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• Fraser Anning urges vote on ending Muslim immigration – politics live

  14-08-2018 11:49 via theguardian.com
  Senate censures David Leyonhjelm for his comments about Sarah Hanson-Young. All the day’s events, live 10.49am BST Tony Burke on Fraser Anning’s speech in full: 10.45am BST Tony Burke in the House of Representatives:“Don’t apologise for racism, don’t imitate it and don’t preference it,” he finishes with. Continue reading...
  
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• Big-name investors make joint call for stronger palm oil certification standards

  14-08-2018 11:23
  More than 90 institutional investors representing more than $6.7trn in assets under management have jointly urged the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to strengthen its draft certification standards before they are finalised in November.
  
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• Palm oil: A new threat to Africa's monkeys and apes?

  14-08-2018 11:16 via bbc.co.uk
  Large-scale expansion of palm oil in Africa will very likely risk the lives of primates, a study finds.
  
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• In maiden Senate speech, Fraser Anning urges vote on ending Muslim immigration – politics live

  14-08-2018 10:42 via theguardian.com
  Senate censures David Leyonhjelm for his comments about Sarah Hanson-Young. All the day’s events, live 9.42am BST The states have agreed during their conference call with Josh Frydenberg to release an exposure draft of the amendments to the national electricity law, changes which will underpin the National Energy Guarantee.9.25am BST As promised - here is what Richard Di Natale had to say during the censure motion:I want to make this point. Senator Leyonhjelm’s defence seems to be th
  
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• Beyond The Cove: what happened after the Oscar-winning documentary?

  14-08-2018 10:00 via theguardian.com
  In new documentary A Whale of a Tale, film-maker Megumi Sasaki revisits the Japanese town of Taiji and examines the damage left behindThe 2009 documentary The Cove, which depicted the practice of corralling and slaughtering dolphins in a small bay tinged crimson from the blood, has visited a bewildering past decade upon the small Japanese town of Taiji.Related: The Bleeding Edge: behind the terrifying new Netflix documentaryContinue reading...
  
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• How to win a Sustainability Leaders Award: A guide to entering

  14-08-2018 09:38
  The deadline to enter the 2019 Sustainability Leaders Awards is now just one month away. With that in mind, edie has created a free online guide outlining our top tips to make your entry stand out from the crowd.
  
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• Senate votes to censure David Leyonhjelm – politics live

  14-08-2018 09:15 via theguardian.com
  Senate censures Liberal Democratic senator for his comments about Sarah Hanson-Young. All the day’s events, live 8.15am BST Sigh. This is another thing which is happening:https://twitter.com/michaelkoziol/status/1029265083040321537 8.14am BST Scott Morrison is so proud of the Taylor Swift line, he tweeted it:In the last 12 months, a massive 95,200 young Australians got a job - strongest financial year since 1989. Cue the beat... #auspol #QT pic.twitter.com/siC8tOmqmU Continue reading...
  
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• The ‘grieving’ orca mother? Projecting emotions on animals is a sad mistake | Jules Howard

  14-08-2018 09:00 via theguardian.com
  When we interpret animal behaviour as humanlike, we risk simply seeing ourselves – which demeans us and themAnd so, the killer whale known as J35 is back to her old self. She is no longer carrying the dead body of a calf she held aloft in the water for more than two weeks. Her so-called tour of grief has ended, to the relief of a global audience who had become wrapped up in this heart-wrenching animal drama. Great news, right? Sure. Yet I have a strange feeling in my stomach. It’s a
  
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• Scotland's mountain hare population is at just 1% of 1950s level

  14-08-2018 07:30 via theguardian.com
  Culling and loss of moorland in favour of conifer forests blamed for severe decline in wildlifeThe number of mountain hares on moorlands in the eastern Scottish Highlands has fallen to less than 1% of the level recorded more than 60 years ago, according to a long-term study.The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the RSPB teamed up to study counts of the animals over several decades on moorland managed for red grouse shooting and nearby mountain land.Continue reading...
  
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• Sanitary bins could come to men's toilets in war on wet wipes

  14-08-2018 07:01 via theguardian.com
  London Assembly call for bins to be placed in men’s toilets so items that could cause blockages are not flushed awayMen using public toilets in London may soon be confronted with an unusual new arrival in their cubicles.Sanitary bins, familiar for years in female loos, are poised to be introduced into male conveniences in an attempt to cut down on fatbergs in the capital’s sewers, if Greater London Assembly members have their way. Men use wet wipes too, as well as other products that
  
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• Which cities are liveable without air conditioning ... and for how much longer?

  14-08-2018 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Mapping the world’s cities where you can live comfortably without heating or air conditioning reveals how few boast such ideal climates – and how global warming would further narrow the field Continue reading...
  
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• Which cities are liveable without air conditioning?

  14-08-2018 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Mapping the world’s cities where you can live comfortably without heating or air conditioning reveals how few boast such ideal climates – and how global warming would further narrow the field Continue reading...
  
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• Toxic 'red tide' algae bloom is killing Florida wildlife and menacing tourism

  14-08-2018 07:00 via theguardian.com
  This year 267 tons of marine life, including thousands of small fish and 72 Goliath groupers, have washed up along 150 miles of the Gulf Coast from the unrelenting bloomWith its long, white, sandy beaches, Sanibel Island off the coast of south-western Florida is usually a perfect place for families to enjoy these last days of summer.This year, however, 267 tons of marine life, including thousands of small fish, 72 Goliath groupers, and even a 21-ft whale shark have washed up on the beach since J
  
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• Tony Abbott attacks 'merchant bankers' gobbledegook' after Turnbull's Neg win – politics live

  14-08-2018 05:48 via theguardian.com
  National energy guarantee wins support from Coalition party room despite internal opposition. All the days events, live 4.48am BST And so has the Climate Council:(from its statement) 4.46am BST The IPA have made their position on the Neg clear:(from its statement) Continue reading...
  
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• The farmers using sewage to make saris

  14-08-2018 01:08 via bbc.co.uk
  As groundwater supplies dwindle in rural India, farmers turn to wastewater to grow crops like mulberry, which is used to make silk.
  
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• Going plastic-free with kids: Tips to reduce your dependence

  14-08-2018 01:05 via bbc.co.uk
  Blogger Mamalina gives five tips on reducing your plastic dependence if you have young children.
  
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• Going plastic-free with kids

  14-08-2018 01:05 via bbc.co.uk
  Reducing your dependence on plastics can be daunting, especially if you've got a young family.
  
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• Josh Frydenberg wins a battle, but energy war still looms – politics live

  14-08-2018 00:15 via theguardian.com
  The national energy guarantee has passed a critical hurdle, getting majority support from the coalition backbench committee despite Tony Abbott’s dissent. All the days events, live 11.15pm BST And welcome to the next battle in the energy war, where Josh Frydenberg is entering the coalition party room with the endorsement of the backbench committee.Well, most of them.According to one source at the meeting, Tony Abbott was opposed and two others, Craig Kelly and Ken O’Dowd, were unhapp
  
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