Environment news

• ‘Green hydrogen’ from renewables could become cheapest ‘transformative fuel’ within a decade

  02-10-2020 22:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Government has nominated ‘clean hydrogen’ using gas and CCS but for many countries ‘clean’ already means without fossil fuels“Green hydrogen” made with wind and solar electricity could become the cheapest form of what the Australian government has described as a “transformative fuel” much faster than expected, analysts believe.Chinese manufacturers have reported making systems to create hydrogen with renewable energy for up to 80% less than officia
  
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• From laggard to leader? Why Kraft Heinz is betting on ESG to turn its sustainability story around

  02-10-2020 17:24
  
  EXCLUSIVE: Kraft Heinz's decision to shift its sustainability approach away from CSR and towards ESG is designed to help it to avoid repeating "past mistakes" and transform the way it is perceived in the environmental sphere, the company's global ESG lead has revealed.
  
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• Nasa Wallops launch: Astronauts to test new $23m toilet at space station

  02-10-2020 16:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Astronauts will test the female-friendly toilet before its probable use in a future lunar mission.
  
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• Aviva sets 2050 net-zero target for pensions, urges Government to force others to follow suit

  02-10-2020 15:01
  
  Aviva has committed to ensuring that companies held in its auto-enrolment default pension funds generate net-zero emissions by 2050 - and urged the Government to make this a unified commitment across the sector.
  
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• Water firms in England criticised over rising environmental pollution

  02-10-2020 14:23 via theguardian.com
  
  Environment Agency says pollution from nine companies at worst level in five yearsWater companies in England were responsible for their worst levels of environmental pollution in five years in 2019, leading to condemnation from ministers and the Environment Agency.In its annual assessment of the nine privatised water and sewerage companies, Emma Howard Boyd, the chair of the EA, said their performance continued to be unacceptable. More investment was needed by several of the companies wich were
  
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• Americans are becoming climate migrants before our eyes | Alex Domash

  02-10-2020 14:05 via theguardian.com
  
  While the US closes the doors on climate migrants from abroad, it must acknowledge that the problem has already come homeIn November 2018, I traveled with a caravan of thousands of Central American migrants as they marched across Mexico towards the US border. While some were seeking refuge in the US from gang violence or political persecution, many others were looking to escape something much more subtle: climate change. The Trump administration decried these climate migrants as “invaders&
  
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• Authors hope The Lost Words followup will inspire action and change

  02-10-2020 13:44 via theguardian.com
  
  The Lost Spells by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris celebrates the magic of British wildlife
  Their last book of poems about everyday wildlife became an international cultural phenomenon. Now Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris, the creators of The Lost Words, have produced a new book conjuring up the magic of British wildlife in a time of ecological crisis.The Lost Spells, which celebrates barn owls, swifts, gorse and foxes through poems and artwork, is already being adapted for music and fil
  
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• Aldi to remove single-use plastic bags from fruit and veg aisles

  02-10-2020 13:09
  
  Aldi UK & Ireland will remove single-use plastic bags from the produce aisles in all of its stores by the end of the year, the supermarket announced today (2 October).
  
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• National Grid unveils science-based climate targets on road to net-zero

  02-10-2020 12:54
  
  National Grid has had its interim targets for reaching net-zero by 2050 approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and vowed to transition to a zero-emission vehicle fleet within a decade.
  
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• Cambridge is right to join the flight from fossil fuels. But divestment is just a start

  02-10-2020 12:12 via theguardian.com
  
  The financial system is what’s driving the climate emergency. It needs a complete structural overhaulIt’s been a year of considerable blows to the fossil fuel industry. Thursday’s announcement that Cambridge University’s will divest its endowment fund from fossil fuel corporations is another considerable win for campaigners, who have spent many years doggedly demanding change from an institution that – despite being a global leader in scientific research and educati
  
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• UK Government reps 'discussing potential COP26 sponsorship deals with oil majors'

  02-10-2020 12:11
  
  Despite a promise to ensure that COP26's corporate sponsors are "making real contributions" to climate action, government representatives have reportedly been in discussions with some of the world's highest emitting firms, including Equinor, BP and Shell.
  
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• A second Trump term would be 'game over' for the climate, says one of the world's top climate scientists

  02-10-2020 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Michael Mann, one of the world’s most eminent climate experts, says Earth’s future ‘is in the hands of American citizens’This article is published as part of Covering Climate Now, a collaboration of 400-plus news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story. The Guardian is the lead partner of CCN.Michael Mann, one of the most eminent climate scientists in the world, believes averting climate catastrophe on a global scale would be “essentially impossible&rdqu
  
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• NGOs attack plans to include carbon offseting in EU climate goals

  02-10-2020 10:33
  Environmental campaigners have condemned proposals to include carbon credits from projects in developing countries when the European Parliament votes on the EU's proposed climate law next week.
  
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• National Trust suffers 'worst year' for ash dieback

  02-10-2020 09:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The late frost and dry spring has created a 'perfect storm' for disease spread, the charity says.
  
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• Covid-19 and the climate crisis are part of the same battle | Jeffrey Frankel

  02-10-2020 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  To survive the challenges we must reinforce respect for science and nature, sensible public policy and the interconnected world
  From early on in the Covid-19 pandemic, a common refrain has been, “At least maybe now we will get serious about addressing climate change.” One can certainly see the logic behind this thinking. The terrible toll the pandemic has taken should remind us of the importance of three things that are also necessary to tackle global warming: science, public policy,
  
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• Covid-19 and the climate crisis are part of the same battle

  02-10-2020 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  To survive the challenges we must reinforce respect for science and nature, sensible public policy and the interconnected world
  From early on in the Covid-19 pandemic, a common refrain has been, “At least maybe now we will get serious about addressing climate change.” One can certainly see the logic behind this thinking. The terrible toll the pandemic has taken should remind us of the importance of three things that are also necessary to tackle global warming: science, public policy,
  
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• 40,000 trees face felling by National Trust after surge in ash dieback

  02-10-2020 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Woods that inspired Beatrix Potter and John Constable in danger after hot, dry spring speeds up diseaseWoods that inspired Beatrix Potter and John Constable could be lost because of a surge in a disease affecting ash, the National Trust has warned.The conservation charity said it faced its worst year on record for felling trees owing to ash dieback, in part due to one of the warmest and driest springs on record. Increased prolonged hot and dry conditions driven by the climate crisis were putting
  
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• Country diary: these lacewings are welcome guests at my crafty bug hotel

  02-10-2020 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Langstone, Hampshire: This species will overwinter here and stock the garden with voracious ‘aphid lions’Once the sun has set, there’s a chill in the air, but it’s still mild enough to leave my bedroom windows wide open at night. As soon as I switch on the lights, the glow acts as an irresistible invitation to every passing crane fly, moth, mosquito and midge, though they aren’t the only winged insects to be lured towards the light source – a phenomenon known
  
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