Environment news

• COP26: Government has 'no plans' to delay climate summit

  31-03-2021 20:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Downing Street sources reject reports the COP26 meeting in Glasgow will be postponed until next year.
  
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• G7 should double help for poorer countries to cut CO2 emissions, says UN

  31-03-2021 20:21 via theguardian.com
  
  Richer nations also urged to ensure make-or-break climate talks this year are a successThe world’s richest G7 group of countries must double the amount of finance they are offering to poor countries to help them cut greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the impacts of climate breakdown to make vital climate talks this year a success, the UN has said.As part of that commitment, the G7 countries should meet their targets of providing 0.7% of their GDP in overseas aid, said Amina Mohammed, d
  
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• The Guardian view on cherry blossom: lessons from fragile, fleeting beauty

  31-03-2021 20:09 via theguardian.com
  
  The pandemic has made us all long for spring. In Japan and elsewhere, full bloom is coming earlier than everEarly in Junichiro Tanizaki’s great novel The Makioka Sisters, we learn of the family’s annual trips to admire the cherry blossom; occasions anticipated long in advance, as they plan their outfits, scan the latest forecasts of the full bloom’s arrival, and agonise over any hint of poor weather. Without witnessing the full glory of Kyoto’s trees, spring does not feel
  
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• #SustyTalk: Talking purpose-led business for B-Corps Month

  31-03-2021 19:18
  
  edie's #SustyTalk interview series continues with an exclusive panel discussion, held in celebration of B-Corps Month.
  
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• #SustyTalk: Taking purpose-led business for B-Corps Month

  31-03-2021 18:32
  
  edie's #SustyTalk interview series continues with an exclusive panel discussion, held in celebration of B-Corps Month.
  
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• European Union official sounds alarm over threats to Great Barrier Reef

  31-03-2021 18:30 via theguardian.com
  
  EU commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius urges Australia to sign Leaders’ Pledge for Nature that promotes a green recovery from Covid crisisA senior European Union official has sounded the alarm over the rapid decline of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef while backing calls for all countries to make more ambitious cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.The EU’s commissioner for environment, oceans and fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, told Guardian Australia he was deeply conce
  
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• Microwave boilers and autonomous EVs: The best green innovations of March 2021

  31-03-2021 17:58
  
  Every month, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up five of the best from March 2021.
  
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• Damage from invasive species 'trebling every decade'

  31-03-2021 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Mosquitoes, rats and termites among species that have hitched ride on trade routes, causing at least $1.3tn of damageThe costs of damage caused by invasions of alien species across the world is trebling every decade, research has found.Mosquitoes, rats, ragweeds and termites are among the species that have hitched a ride on globalised trade routes, bringing disease, crop destruction and damage to buildings. The scientists calculated the costs at $1.3tn (£944bn) since 1970, and said even th
  
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• Sewage discharged into rivers 400,000 times in 2020

  31-03-2021 15:29 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Waterways in England had sewage discharged into them for three million hours
  
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• Skull of dinosaur called 'one who causes fear' found in Patagonia

  31-03-2021 14:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The animal had horns and a large skull making it a fearsome predator around 85 million years ago.
  
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• Science cuts could see experts leave UK, warns Nobel laureate

  31-03-2021 13:53 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Nobel laureate Sir Paul Nurse also says science is crucial for dealing with climate change.
  
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• Mars Petcare debuts insect-based cat food and packaging with less plastic

  31-03-2021 13:30
  
  Mars Petcare has announced plans to launch what it claims is the UK's first fully insect-based cat food, after releasing new packaging formats that contain less plastic.
  
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• Water firms discharged raw sewage into English waters 400,000 times last year

  31-03-2021 12:34 via theguardian.com
  
  Data published for first time by Environment Agency shows 27% increase on previous yearWater companies discharged raw sewage into rivers and coastal waters in England more than 400,000 times last year, Environment Agency (EA) data has revealed.Untreated human effluent poured into rivers and seas for a total of 3.1m hours via storm overflow pipes that are supposed to be used only in extreme weather to relieve pressure in the sewage system. Continue reading...
  
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• Seaspiracy: Netflix documentary accused of misrepresentation by participants

  31-03-2021 12:29 via theguardian.com
  
  NGOs and experts quoted in film say it contains ‘misleading’ claims, erroneous statistics and out-of-context interviewsA Netflix documentary about the impacts of commercial fishing has attracted celebrity endorsements and plaudits from fans with its damning picture of the harm the industry does to ocean life. But NGOs, sustainability labels and experts quoted in Seaspiracy have accused the film-makers of making “misleading claims”, using out-of-context interviews and erro
  
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• UK must dramatically scale battery energy storage to meet net-zero, report reveals

  31-03-2021 12:09
  
  If the UK is to align its energy sector with its net-zero target, domestic capacity for energy storage and other assets that enable flexibility will need to grow to 49.5GW this decade.
  
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• Molson Coors set for 100% renewable electricity switch in the UK

  31-03-2021 12:09
  
  Molson Coors Beverage Company, which produces drinks for brands including Carling and Doom Bar in the UK, has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) that will enable it to transition to 100% renewable electricity in the UK.
  
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• We sampled tap water across the US – and found arsenic, lead and toxic chemicals

  31-03-2021 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  In a nine-month investigation by the Guardian and Consumer Reports we found forever chemicals, arsenic and lead in samples taken across the USIn Connecticut, a condo had lead in its drinking water at levels more than double what the federal government deems acceptable. At a church in North Carolina, the water was contaminated with extremely high levels of potentially toxic PFAS chemicals ( a group of compounds found in hundreds of household products). The water flowing into a Texas home had both
  
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• How to test your drinking water – and what to do if it's contaminated

  31-03-2021 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Our lab tests found that US drinking water might not be safe as you think. Take our test to learn how to test your waterFinding out what’s in your water and which water filter you need isn’t always straightforward. You need to find out which, if any, contaminants are in your tap water, and which filter works best for your situation. Plus, advice can vary depending on whether you’re on municipal or well water, and whether you have young children at home.This interactive will hel
  
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• Report: Investors ditching fossil fuel stocks as value drops by billions of dollars

  31-03-2021 10:58
  
  The value of share offerings in fossil fuel firms has plummeted by $123bn since 2012, a new report has revealed.
  
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• ‘Similar to having a baby, the euphoria’: rediscovery of rare gecko delights experts

  31-03-2021 09:43 via theguardian.com
  
  New Zealand lizard expert Ben Barr, who spent years looking under rocks for the elusive Cupola, has finally found what he was looking forAfter two years spent turning over thousands of rocks in search of the Cupola gecko, New Zealand lizard expert Ben Barr had been starting to wonder: “Am I ever going to find this thing?”But this month, in the Nelson Lakes national park at the top of the South Island, he lifted another rock – and there it was. “I was totally euphoric. I w
  
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• Japan's cherry blossom bloom - in pictures

  31-03-2021 09:11 via theguardian.com
  
  Japan’s famous cherry blossoms have reached their flowery peak in many places earlier this year than at any time since records began nearly 70 years ago, with experts saying climate change is the likely causeContinue reading...
  
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• A few frequent flyers 'dominate air travel'

  31-03-2021 08:16 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Those who fly more should be taxed more, and air miles incentives should be banned, campaigners say.
  
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• Urgent policies needed to steer countries to net zero, says IEA chief

  31-03-2021 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Economies are gearing up for return to fossil fuel use instead of forging green recovery, warns Fatih BirolNew energy policies are urgently needed to put countries on the path to net zero greenhouse gas emissions, the world’s leading energy economist has warned, as economies are rapidly gearing up for a return to fossil fuel use instead of forging a green recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.Most of the world’s biggest economies now have long-term goals of reaching net zero by mid-cen
  
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• How nearly 3,000 cattle came to be stranded at sea for three months

  31-03-2021 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  After being refused entry to several countries on health grounds, the surviving animals were ordered back to Spain for slaughterRead more: Stranded cattle ship ordered to dock in Spain after ‘hellish’ three months at sea
  After more than three months stranded in the Mediterranean, the surviving bulls onboard a livestock ship were humanely slaughtered by the Spanish authorities in Cartagena on Sunday. An official Spanish veterinary report described dire conditions onboard the Elbeik, o
  
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• Elite minority of frequent flyers 'cause most of aviation's climate damage'

  31-03-2021 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Small group taking most flights should face frequent flyer levy, says environmental charityAn “elite minority” of frequent flyers cause most of the climate damage resulting from aviation’s emissions, according to an environmental charity.The report, which collates data from the countries with the highest aviation emissions, shows a worldwide pattern of a small group taking a large proportion of flights, while many people do not fly at all. Continue reading...
  
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• A good year for UK butterflies but third of species still in decline

  31-03-2021 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Conservationists warn about lowering of expectations as people forget earlier biodiversityLast year was the third good summer in a row for butterflies and the 10th best since records began, but one-third of Britain’s species are still in long-term decline.Conservation scientists warned against overstating the butterfly boom, saying perceptions of a “good” year have lowered in the light of plummeting insect numbers. Continue reading...
  
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• Country diary: the last of the redwings slip away | Lev Parikian

  31-03-2021 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  West Norwood, south London: These sharp little thrushes have been a tonic to this long winter lockdown – but they’ve taken off without a murmurThe least they could do is say goodbye. Just a head round the door and “see you in October”. But that’s not the redwing way. They slip off between visits without a murmur, leaving me scanning the trees for one last sighting. Rude.These sharp little thrushes have been an antidote to this endless winter. Sometimes they’ve
  
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• Destruction of world's forests increased sharply in 2020

  31-03-2021 06:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Calls for forests to be high on Cop26 agenda after loss of 42,000 sq km of tree cover in key tropical regionsThe rate at which the world’s forests are being destroyed increased sharply last year, with at least 42,000 sq km of tree cover lost in key tropical regions.According to data from the University of Maryland and the online monitoring platform Global Forest Watch, the loss was well above the average for the last 20 years, with 2020 the third worst year for forest destruction since 200
  
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• Melbourne researchers find elusive giant burrowing frog tadpoles thanks to increased rain – video

  31-03-2021 03:08 via theguardian.com
  
  A new tadpole breeding program for one of Victoria’s most elusive frog species will allow scientists to understand for the first time what makes the giant burrowing frog tick. Scientists from the Arthur Rylah Institute have been been searching for the giant burrowing frog for years. Thanks to higher than average rainfall across Victoria’s Gippsland, researchers from Melbourne Zoo have been able to locate and collect tadpoles. The species will be held and bred in captivity for the fir
  
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• Climate change: China absent from key UK meeting

  31-03-2021 01:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Despite an official UK invite, China is not taking part in a key summit on climate and development.
  
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