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environment/article/2024/jul/25/ulez-expansion-led-to-significant-drop-in-air-pollutants-in-london-report-finds | Ulez expansion led to significant drop in air pollutants in London, report finds | Levels of harmful air pollutants have dropped significantly since the ultra-low emission zone was enlarged to cover Greater London last year, according to a report from city hall. Analysis covering the first six months since the Ulez expansion found that total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from cars across London were 13% lower than projected had the scheme remained confined to inner London, while NOx from vans was 7% lower. Levels of particulate pollution in the form of PM2.5 exhaust emissions from cars in outer London are an estimated 22% lower than without the expansion. The total change was equivalent to removing 200,000 cars from the road for one year, the report said. London’s air quality was continuing to improve at a faster rate than the rest of England, with the capital’s pollution rapidly approaching levels seen across the country, it found. Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, extended Ulez from the inner London boroughs across the whole of London in August 2023. The move was bitterly opposed by many in outer London with a number of Conservative-led councils taking legal action. The most polluting cars must normally pay a £12.50 charge each day they are driven in the capital. Only a minority of cars on the road are affected, with most petrol cars under 19 years old and diesel cars under nine years old exempt. The proportion of non-compliant vehicles entering the expanded Ulez halved to less than 4% in February, compared with more than 8% detected on London’s roads last June. About 90,000 fewer non-compliant vehicles were detected daily on average each day in the zone. City hall said the improvements in air quality had exceeded the targets it had set in its consultation before the policy was implemented last year. Khan said: “Today’s report shows that the Ulez is working even better than expected. The expansion to outer London is already having a significant effect – driving down levels of pollution, taking old polluting cars off our roads and bringing cleaner air to millions more Londoners. “We are now set to get London’s air to within legal limits by 2025, 184 years earlier than previously projected.” Christina Calderato, the director of strategy at TfL, said the expansion had cut 424 tonnes of NOx emissions in six months. She said: “We know that toxic air is associated with increased risks of asthma, cancer and dementia, and that it disproportionately affects poorer Londoners and those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. “With the greatest number of deaths attributable to air pollution occurring in outer London, it’s great to see these results since the Ulez was introduced London-wide.” Actual levels of NOx from cars in London have fallen by 23% year on year. About nine million people live in the area now covered by Ulez. A scrappage scheme has disbursed £184m to more than 53,000 approved applications, with about 250 vehicles sent to Ukraine instead of being scrapped. Overall traffic levels have not changed, bar usual seasonal variations, according to the report. Silviya Barrett, the policy director at Campaign for Better Transport, said: To further improve the capital’s air quality and reduce congestion, we now need to see fewer vehicles on the roads with ongoing investment in public transport and walking and cycling to help reduce the need to drive.” | ['environment/low-emission-zones', 'environment/air-pollution', 'politics/transport', 'uk/london', 'politics/sadiq-khan', 'environment/pollution', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'business/business', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/gwyntopham', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2024-07-25T04:00:37Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
world/2010/jul/25/afghanistan-war-logs-military-leaks | Afghanistan war logs: Massive leak of secret files exposes truth of occupation | A huge cache of secret US military files today provides a devastating portrait of the failing war in Afghanistan, revealing how coalition forces have killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents, Taliban attacks have soared and Nato commanders fear neighbouring Pakistan and Iran are fuelling the insurgency. The disclosures come from more than 90,000 records of incidents and intelligence reports about the conflict obtained by the whistleblowers' website WikiLeaks in one of the biggest leaks in US military history. The files, which were made available to the Guardian, the New York Times and the German weekly Der Spiegel, give a blow-by-blow account of the fighting over the last six years, which has so far cost the lives of more than 320 British and more than 1,000 US troops. Their publication comes amid mounting concern that Barack Obama's "surge" strategy is failing and as coalition troops hunt for two US naval personnel captured by the Taliban south of Kabul on Friday. The war logs also detail: • How a secret "black" unit of special forces hunts down Taliban leaders for "kill or capture" without trial. • How the US covered up evidence that the Taliban have acquired deadly surface-to-air missiles. • How the coalition is increasingly using deadly Reaper drones to hunt and kill Taliban targets by remote control from a base in Nevada. • How the Taliban have caused growing carnage with a massive escalation of their roadside bombing campaign, which has killed more than 2,000 civilians to date. In a statement, the White House said the chaotic picture painted by the logs was the result of "under-resourcing" under Obama's predecessor, saying: "It is important to note that the time period reflected in the documents is January 2004 to December 2009." The White House also criticised the publication of the files by WikiLeaks: "We strongly condemn the disclosure of classified information by individuals and organisations, which puts the lives of the US and partner service members at risk and threatens our national security. WikiLeaks made no effort to contact the US government about these documents, which may contain information that endanger the lives of Americans, our partners, and local populations who co-operate with us." The logs detail, in sometimes harrowing vignettes, the toll on civilians exacted by coalition forces: events termed "blue on white" in military jargon. The logs reveal 144 such incidents. Some of these casualties come from the controversial air strikes that have led to Afghan government protests, but a large number of previously unknown incidents also appear to be the result of troops shooting unarmed drivers or motorcyclists out of a determination to protect themselves from suicide bombers. At least 195 civilians are admitted to have been killed and 174 wounded in total, but this is likely to be an underestimate as many disputed incidents are omitted from the daily snapshots reported by troops on the ground and then collated, sometimes erratically, by military intelligence analysts. Bloody errors at civilians' expense, as recorded in the logs, include the day French troops strafed a bus full of children in 2008, wounding eight. A US patrol similarly machine-gunned a bus, wounding or killing 15 of its passengers, and in 2007 Polish troops mortared a village, killing a wedding party including a pregnant woman, in an apparent revenge attack. Questionable shootings of civilians by UK troops also figure. The US compilers detail an unusual cluster of four British shootings in Kabul in the space of barely a month, in October/November 2007, culminating in the death of the son of an Afghan general. Of one shooting, they wrote: "Investigation controlled by the British. We are not able to get [sic] complete story." A second cluster of similar shootings, all involving Royal Marine commandos in Helmand province, took place in a six-month period at the end of 2008, according to the log entries. Asked by the Guardian about these allegations, the Ministry of Defence said: "We have been unable to corroborate these claims in the short time available and it would be inappropriate to speculate on specific cases without further verification of the alleged actions." Rachel Reid, who investigates civilian casualty incidents in Afghanistan for Human Rights Watch, said: "These files bring to light what's been a consistent trend by US and Nato forces: the concealment of civilian casualties. Despite numerous tactical directives ordering transparent investigations when civilians are killed, there have been incidents I've investigated in recent months where this is still not happening. Accountability is not just something you do when you are caught. It should be part of the way the US and Nato do business in Afghanistan every time they kill or harm civilians." The reports, many of which the Guardian is publishing in full online, present an unvarnished and often compelling account of the reality of modern war. Most of the material, though classified "secret" at the time, is no longer militarily sensitive. A small amount of information has been withheld from publication because it might endanger local informants or give away genuine military secrets. WikiLeaks, whose founder, Julian Assange, obtained the material in circumstances he will not discuss, said it would redact harmful material before posting the bulk of the data on its "uncensorable" servers. WikiLeaks published in April this year a previously suppressed classified video of US Apache helicopters killing two Reuters cameramen on the streets of Baghdad, which gained international attention. A 22-year-old intelligence analyst, Bradley Manning, was arrested in Iraq and charged with leaking the video, but not with leaking the latest material. The Pentagon's criminal investigations department continues to try to trace the leaks and recently unsuccessfully asked Assange, he says, to meet them outside the US to help them. Assange allowed the Guardian to examine the logs at our request. No fee was involved and WikiLeaks was not involved in the preparation of the Guardian's articles. | ['world/the-war-logs', 'world/afghanistan', 'us-news/us-military', 'us-news/us-foreign-policy', 'uk/military', 'us-news/cia', 'politics/foreignpolicy', 'world/al-qaida', 'world/taliban', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'world/war-logs', 'type/article', 'profile/nickdavies', 'profile/davidleigh', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/special-supplement', 'theguardian/special-supplement/special-supplement'] | world/the-war-logs | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2010-07-25T21:03:00Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
environment/2010/aug/24/twitter-backfires-climate-camp | Twitter backfires for Climate Camp | James Randerson | No self-respecting NGO and campaign group would be seen these days without a Twitter account to spread the word (Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and WWF have over 200,000 followers between them for example). But Monday's day of mass action by the Climate Camp protesters showed just how badly Twitter can backfire. The Climate Campers set up in the grounds of the Royal Bank of Scotland corporate headquarters on the outskirts of Edinburgh and were protesting against the bank's funding of fossil fuel interests – including highly CO2-intensive tar sands in Canada. During the course of the day small bands of protesters targeted RBS-owned locations and other companies across the city. Climate Camp had its own Twitter feed of course, but anyone browsing through the #climatecamp hashtag would probably not have got the impression of the day's events that the spinsters at Climate Camp wanted. Supportive texts were swamped by tweeters ridiculing the activists or even pretending to be them. @oldhoborn, for example, mercilessly lampooned the campers all day for their middle-class demographic. For example: and Oldholdborn also threw in a fake retweet: Others, went for the "get a job" or "get a bath" line while @Akvavitix, had this: But the rather presumptuously named @wearethebritish put it most concisely: He was right. It is surprising that an organisation that puts so much emphasis on the art of manipulating the media (according to the Climate Camp media pack journalists are "weak and cowardly" and "astoundingly unimaginative") did not think harder about how to use a medium that cuts out the peaky middlemen altogether. | ['environment/climate-camp', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/activism', 'world/protest', 'uk/scotland', 'technology/twitter', 'tone/blog', 'environment/blog', 'type/article', 'profile/jamesranderson'] | environment/activism | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2010-08-25T09:27:26Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
uk-news/2020/feb/02/fears-grow-over-hs2s-potential-impact-on-biodiversity | Fears grow over HS2's potential impact on biodiversity | When Labour announced HS2 in 2010, the 153-page launch document contained one mention of wildlife. Only “a few” protected wildlife sites would be affected, it said. There would be a line of concrete and steel crossing middle England, but any wild space that was destroyed would be compensated for with new trees, woods and ponds – “no net loss of biodiversity”, in eco-speak. But critics say HS2’s commitment to biodiversity has weakened, at a time when concern is rising over mass extinction and the continuing decline of wildlife in Britain. HS2 now says it will “seek to achieve a no net loss in biodiversity at a route-wide level as far as reasonably practicable” – in other words, an aspiration at best. Since HS2 was first devised, the environment has been placed at the heart of planning decisions, with the principle of “biodiversity net gain”. The national planning policy framework, which governs planning decisions, asks that developments ranging from housing estates to roads deliver measurable improvements for wildlife. The government’s environment bill is expected to enshrine “net gain” in law. But according to the Wildlife Trusts, even HS2’s much more modest “no net loss” is unachievable under current plans. HS2 has undertaken the UK’s largest ever survey of British wildlife to determine what is imperilled and how it could ameliorate its loss. Although formal construction has yet to get under way, “enabling works” have begun. Ancient trees where bats roost in summer have been removed while bats are absent over winter (it is illegal to disturb roosting bats), and miles of hedgerows have been grubbed up so roads and utilities including gas mains and pylons can be diverted. No one is counting exactly how much hedgerow has been destroyed. As well as being a habitat for nesting birds in the spring, many hedges in winter contain eggs of rare butterflies such as the brown hairstreak. HS2 will damage swaths of countryside where wildlife lives, although the project’s proponents point out it represents an efficient land-take, potentially transporting as many people as a 10-lane motorway. The Wildlife Trusts calculate that HS2 presents a significant risk to five internationally protected wildlife sites, 33 sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs, the gold standard of wildlife habitat), 108 ancient woodlands and 693 local wildlife sites covering 9,696 hectares. These calculations include sites within 500 metres of the high-speed line that could experience disruption, such as from the relocation of utilities or noise pollution, but may not be directly affected. HS2’s figures for directly affected sites are lower: it says 14 SSSIs, 62 ancient woodlands and 204 local wildlife sites will be affected. The London-Birmingham stage includes 25 miles of tunnel, 140 bridges and underpasses and 16 “green” bridges for wildlife. New habitat will include specially constructed newt ponds created in advance so wildlife has a place to move to. Opposition to HS2 has hardened since these compensation efforts have taken shape. Thousands of new trees died in Warwickshire after the hot summer of 2018; HS2 said it was more cost-effective to replant than water them. The Wildlife Trusts and HS2’s own ecologists agree that the new line will provide a barrier to the movement of some birds, mammals and insects. Species particularly vulnerable to train strikes include low-flying barn owls and rare bats. There remain unresolved questions about the fate of chalk aquifers in the Chilterns and underground streams supplying drinking water, as well as ponds and wetlands. The loss of ancient woodland areas, continuously wooded since at least 1600, is particularly controversial. HS2 argues that only small portions of 62 ancient woodlands are affected, and 85% of these will remain. The Woodland Trust’s calculation of 56 lost hectares on the London-Birmingham and Crewe stages amounts to 0.018% of Britain’s remaining 308,000 hectares of ancient woodland. HS2 has a £7m woodlands fund ((less than 0.007% of its projected £106bn total cost) supporting the creation of 116 hectares of new woodland and the restoration of 159 hectares of ancient woodland as compensation. HS2 may only take fragments of woodlands but in cases such as Glyn Davies wood it is removing the best bits, such as ancient boundary trees. Ancient woodland is considered irreplaceable by Natural England, the government’s conservation watchdog. It takes at least 100 years for new woods to reach maturity. Many woodland species, such as the marsh tit, require old trees in order to breed successfully. Ancient woodland soils untouched by chemical farming are particularly precious, so HS2 is proposing to dig up and move the soil. The Woodland Trust cites one relevant 10-year study of soil translocation after a new road was built. “It’s nowhere near long enough to prove that it works,” said Luci Ryan, an ecologist at the Woodland Trust. Soil translocation will destroy the “woodwide web”, the subterranean network of mycorrhizal fungi that play a vital, complex and poorly understood role in regulating woodland health. “HS2 say they are only taking a fragment of ancient woodland,” said Ryan. “If I went into the National Gallery and cut off the corner of every painting, I would be accused of gross cultural vandalism.” The Woodland Trust fears HS2 sets a precedent. “If the government says it’s irreplaceable, it’s not a good look when the government also says ‘we’re only taking a little bit’. Other developers are going to say: ‘Why can’t we?’” | ['uk-news/series/hs2-who-is-right', 'uk/hs2', 'environment/travel-and-transport', 'environment/biodiversity', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/conservation', 'politics/transport', 'uk/rail-transport', 'uk/transport', 'environment/environment', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'tone/news', 'profile/patrickbarkham', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2020-02-02T16:40:54Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2013/may/15/food-industry-waste-campaigners | Food industry should audit supply chains, say waste campaigners | The food industry should be forced to audit its supply chains regularly to cut down on the amount of food being thrown away, according to waste campaigners. The group This is Rubbish (TiR) called for more transparency in the system, claiming that householders are being unfairly blamed for the UK's food waste when the industry generates over half of the 18-20m tonnes food wasted every year. An estimate in January by the UK's Institution of Mechanical Engineers put the amount of food wasted worldwide each year at up to 2bn tonnes, or half of what is produced. TiR's report, Counting What Matters, said there is more support for audits from the industry than previously believed, although there were concerns about who would bear the cost, and about practicalities. Food industry experts and insiders interviewed by the authors mostly cited increased efficiency a the benefit of such audits. TiR co-director Caitlin Shepherd said: "We know the food industry has a big problem with waste, one that comes with significant environmental, social and economic costs. Despite this, food waste is not widely monitored or reported even among large businesses, meaning the problem stays largely hidden." In the UK, the voluntary Courtauld Commitment and Hospitality and Food Service Agreement require signatories to report waste data annually. It is held in confidence by the government's waste advisory body, Wrap, and aggregated to provide an assessment of how the sector is performing against agreed targets. British Retail Consortium director of food and sustainability, Andrew Opie, said: "Retailers already audit the food waste they're responsible for. They rely on the independent resource-efficiency body WRAP to co-ordinate industry-wide food waste reduction figures. Let's not distract from what will win us the greatest gains. That is getting consumers to think harder about what they waste." | ['environment/food', 'environment/environment', 'environment/waste', 'uk/uk', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/rebeccasmithers'] | environment/waste | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2013-05-15T05:30:00Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2021/aug/03/firm-seeks-funding-for-performance-sneakers-made-from-coffee-waste | Firm seeks funding for ‘performance sneakers’ made from coffee waste | It is the typical morning routine for hundreds of thousands of Britons: have a cup of coffee and then slip on your trainers before heading for a jog. Upon returning, a quick drink of water to rehydrate before stepping into the shower. Now, one firm has enabled one thing to beget another, by creating trainers made of recycled plastic bottles and used coffee beans. Finnish footwear firm Rens launched an online fundraising campaign for its latest sustainable trainer on Tuesday, which it claims will be climate neutral in its production, packaging and transport. “Shoes made from recycled coffee grounds may seem novel to some, but we wholeheartedly believe that this is just the beginning of a revolution in garment technology and manufacturing,” said Son Chu, the firm’s co-founder. The company said the shoe, called Nomad, will be made from coffee waste and recycled bottles, while recycled polyester will be used to create the membrane to make the footwear waterproof. This is the second shoe the firm has produced to similar specifications, having launched its general purpose trainer via another Kickstarter campaign in the summer of 2019. It said that demonstrated there was a market for a more performance-related product this time round. The brand’s original shoe was made from 21 cups of coffee waste and six bottles of recycled plastic each. Jesse Tran, co-founder and CEO of Rens, said: “With the new model, we are continuing our mission to promote sustainable fashion with technology and innovation. “We are particularly pleased that we were able to include the feedback from our previous customers in the development of the Nomad, who explicitly requested a performance sneaker.” The latest launch indicates a growing trend for athletic wear made from recycled materials, alongside a growing consciousness of the importance and feasibility of more sustainable consumer products more broadly. In June, the market analyst Mintel said it was seeing more and more brands releasing athletic wear made from recycled materials, citing as an example the French outdoor brand Salomon, which released a running shoe with an upper made from recycled polyester that can be recycled again into new thread for fabric. Mintel predicted that brands switching to sustainable production processes and schemes to encourage the return of used products could benefit in the future. One of the more high-profile examples was Adidas’s 2015 partnership with Parley for the Oceans, which included the launch of a shoe made from reclaimed marine plastic. Other major brands, such as Gucci and Stella McCartney, have also worked with the organisation. | ['environment/ethical-living', 'fashion/fashion', 'world/finland', 'world/world', 'environment/recycling', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'fashion/sustainable-fashion', 'profile/kevin-rawlinson', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2021-08-03T14:00:50Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
commentisfree/2012/oct/29/hurricane-sandy-blows-away-election-ephemera | Hurricane Sandy blows away election ephemera, leaving stark choice | Ana Marie Cox | In any election, politicians' pretty much always-false modesty prompts them to exclaim that they themselves are playing but a part in the march of history. Obama cut an ad that admitted: "Sometimes, politics can seem very small – but the choice you face? It couldn't be bigger." Last week, Paul Ryan made a feint at bipartisanship with a similar argument: "Mitt and I have a message that's bigger than party." Hurricane Sandy reminds us of what truly monumental events, and the decisions we make in the face of them, look like. Sandy is not just bigger than any campaign and powerful enough to banish all the feeble fantasies humans s have about our relationship to the physical world. Though Sandy may finally bring a discussion about the environment to the forefront of politicians' minds, one of humanity's only creations that's almost impervious to the kind of force battering the US east coast is denial. (Then again, note the Earth's stubborn, intractable reactions to our abuse.) We can talk about "man-made" climate change, but there's a difference between having control over something and taking responsibility for it. Our part in global warming is more like that of someone dropping a lit cigarette in the forest, rather than someone starting a fire for heat. As for arguments about who did or didn't "build that" – Sandy don't care. Buildings are flimsy and our plans even more insubstantial; our opinions revealed to be nothing more than spit and a wish for wind in the right direction. You can sense among political professionals a vague sense of panic about Sandy, which is ancillary to the more specific and very real worries that they harbor about loved ones and their own, mostly likely east coast, lives. We don't yet know Sandy's precise impact on the election – on a practical level, the storm will disrupt early in-person voting, rallies in east-coast states will go unattended, ads may be inescapable when people are driven indoors, or they may be unwatched in places that lose power. Beyond that immediate effect, will Sandy wash away political trivia and remind voters of the true stakes of picking a president? Will these disruptions freeze the race where it is, or will Sandy remind people of the stakes involved in picking a leader, swaying them toward the one who seems the safer choice? The magnitude of the storm should underscore, not contrast, the relationship between the people's will and predictions that existed before. It's not as though pundits and pols had any better idea of what would happen prior to Sandy's landfall. This election has been unprecedented on so many levels, you couldn't even tweet them all: the amount of money being spent, the ideological divide between the parties, the infuriating vagueness of one candidate's ideas. Sandy is just another element beyond control: you can't even poll a storm – much like the ideas of low-information, undecided voters, it's nothing but a resounding, echoing howl. The Frankenstorm – an appellation that would make Mary Shelley wince at the lack of a possessive, though she might approve of the sentiment – is an immediate, measurable reminder that politics is, in the end, not about messaging and postures and positioning, but the structure of people's lives: who they can turn to when they have no resources left themselves, who they can look to when all the options are bad, and what they can do with what they have left when it seems like nothing at all. We're not choosing the nation's CEO, a boss-in-chief. Mitt Romney's approach to poor performance is eliminating jobs, it's only Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) employees he could fire – and he's said he wants to – not the natural disaster itself. You can't put the bravery of first responders on a balance sheet, or quantify human loss. Whoever becomes president, the job is really that of a community organizer – whether that's the role they're prepared for or not. | ['commentisfree/series/ana-marie-cox-column', 'us-news/us-politics', 'us-news/us-news', 'us-news/barack-obama', 'us-news/mittromney', 'us-news/us-elections-2012', 'us-news/hurricane-sandy', 'world/hurricanes', 'world/world', 'world/natural-disasters', 'commentisfree/commentisfree', 'tone/comment', 'environment/environment', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'type/article', 'profile/ana-marie-cox'] | us-news/hurricane-sandy | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2012-10-29T21:15:00Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
uk-news/2020/aug/31/scottish-tory-leader-accused-of-misquoting-farmers-union-on-food-standards | Scottish Tory leader accused of misquoting farmers' union on food standards | The Scottish Tory leader, Douglas Ross, has been accused of twisting quotes from the National Farmers Union in the debate over US exports of chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected beef. Jonnie Hall, policy director for National Farmers Union Scotland, said he was left “fuming” after Ross quoted him agreeing that MPs had never voted in favour of cutting the UK’s food quality standards. Ross cited NFU Scotland’s response when BBC Scotland questioned him about an interview with the Guardian in which he said: “I would be in no doubt and have no hesitation in voting against any legislation which would allow those products into this country. That’s a categorical assurance.” Ross told the BBC and the Guardian that during a Scottish affairs select committee session in June, Hall had agreed with him that Westminster had never passed legislation lowering the UK’s food standards. “And that was clear and categorical from the National Farmers Union of Scotland,” Ross said. The Scottish Tory leader said Hall had also agreed parliament would transpose all the EU’s world-leading food safety laws into UK law after the post-Brexit transition period ended in January 2021. Hall said that was a misrepresentation of NFU Scotland’s position. He said the union shared widespread concerns about the UK government’s decision to reject an amendment to the trade bill, known as clause 11, which would require all future food and drink imports, plant health and environmental standards to meet or exceed the UK’s exacting food safety standards. “I was fuming at the time,” Hall said. “And I remain very concerned that an honest and straightforward answer to a question has been basically turned through 180 degrees and to misrepresent the situation, whereby, I think people are being misled.” Hall said Ross’s point about MPs not voting to lower standards in the past was a “very, very different” issue to the NFU’s stance on the clause 11 proposals. The union was “perplexed” by Ross’s stance, he said. The NFU supported clause 11, he said, because it would guarantee food standards were protected in future trade deals and would act as a safety net for food producers. He said the union had had differences with Ross in the past and were urgently seeking a meeting with him to discuss the latest dispute. Ross was defended by John Lamont, the Tory MP for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk, who also sits on the Scottish affairs select committee. Lamont said the Conservatives had rejected that clause because it would illegally require foreign governments to adopt UK regulations on food production standards in breach of World Trade Organization rules. Lamont said Ross had quoted the NFU Scotland response accurately and in the correct context. Lamont also insisted he opposed importing chlorinated chicken in the UK but clause 11 was very problematic. He said the Tories wanted farmers to be able to export their produce. “I don’t want export doors to be slammed shut in their face because parliament passes a clause which is not compliant with WTO rules,” he told BBC Scotland. | ['uk/scotland', 'world/food-safety', 'business/fooddrinks', 'politics/conservatives', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'environment/farming', 'politics/trade-policy', 'politics/eu-referendum', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/severincarrell', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/farming | BIODIVERSITY | 2020-08-31T17:52:25Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
money/2004/dec/22/christmasfinance.environment | Christmas recycling push | Nearly half the country describe their overflowing rubbish bins after Christmas as a big problem: the extra consumption in the 12 days of festivities increases domestic waste by 3m tonnes. So in an attempt to get people to recycle more of this waste a £10m television and newspaper advertising campaign will begin on Boxing Day to get as much as possible piled on compost heaps or turned into useful items as diverse as fleeces, cushions and drinking goblets. The government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme, which is running the Recycle Now campaign, estimates that about half the Christmas rubbish - about 60m wheeled bins full - could be recycled. Gareth Lloyd, its communications director, said: "All the extra partying and present-buying has an unwanted knock-on effect of creating extra rubbish. A new year's resolution to recycle more is an easy one to make and to keep to." A survey shows that 20% of people admit binning all their Christmas leftovers: 75% say they have tried to recycle some thing and 41% say they recycle as much as possible. Paper and card were the items most recycled, closely followed by glass bottles and jars. Only one in 10 recycled a Christmas tree. About 80,000 tonnes of clothing gets discarded over Christmas, too, even though much of it could be re-used by charity shops. One of the big recycling efforts this year will be Christmas cards: every branch of WH Smith and Tesco will have special bins from 12th night, January 5. The Woodland Trust, which has 300,000 members, and manages 1,000 sites containing 50,000 acres (20,000 hectares) of trees, says that last year 45m cards were collected by this scheme, saving an estimated 15,000 trees. The cards were recycled into newsprint and other products. This year's target is 50m cards. About 6m Christmas trees are bought each year, of which 10% are recycled and another 5% planted in the garden for re-use. About half the country's households use artificial trees. Many DIY and garden centres take trees back after Christmas to make wood chippings. Over Christmas an estimated 750m extra bottles and jars and another 500m drink cans are used. From Boxing Day onwards the comedian Eddie Izzard will be telling us how to recycle them. Festive waste Over 3m tonnes of extra rubbish is thrown away over Christmas - enough to fill 120m wheeled bins. Over 6m trees will have been bought by Christmas. Most are later thrown away, creating 9,000 tonnes of rubbish. The UK will consume 5.5m jars of mincemeat, 12m jars of pickles, and 6.5m jars of cranberries - few will be recycled. Recycling them would save enough energy to boil water for 60m cups of tea. Up to 1bn Christmas cards could end up in bins. People will throw away 83 sq km of wrapping paper, enough to cover Hyde Park 33 times. | ['environment/environment', 'money/money', 'society/society', 'environment/waste', 'environment/recycling', 'uk/uk', 'lifeandstyle/christmas', 'lifeandstyle/lifeandstyle', 'type/article', 'profile/paulbrown'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2004-12-22T10:27:10Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2022/nov/18/shameful-un-silencing-indigenous-voices-say-banned-cop27-activists | ‘Shameful’ UN silencing Indigenous voices, say banned Cop27 activists | Four US activists who had their Cop27 accreditation revoked after briefly interrupting the US president, Joe Biden, in Sharm el-Sheikh have described the UN as “shameful” and say it has silenced Indigenous voices. Big Wind, Jacob Johns, Jamie Wefald, and Angela Zhong missed the second week of the climate conference after being suspended for standing up with a “People vs Fossil Fuels” banner during Biden’s speech last Friday. The Indigenous activists, Wind and Johns, gave a war cry to announce themselves and draw attention to the fossil fuels crisis before security officials confiscated the banner. The group then sat down and Biden continued. The activists appealed against the suspension to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), but the case has not yet been resolved. “We’ve been locked out, our voices silenced,” said Johns, 39, a Washington state-based community organiser from the Akimel O’otham and Hopi tribe. “The climate collapse is coming, we are literally fighting for our lives. If we’re not allowed to advocate for our future, who will? It’s shameful.” Wind, 29, an Indigenous conservation associate for Wyoming Outdoor Council and member of the Northern Arapaho tribe, said: “This is a clear example of radical Indigenous people and youth being silenced, we’re muted when we try to express our frustration in these spaces. It shows the UN’s true colours.” Cop27 has been one of the most repressive – and expensive – UN climate summits on record. The Egyptian regime banned any unsanctioned protests or actions taking place inside or outside the conference centre. A handful of summit delegates have been arrested, deported and harassed, while hundreds of Egyptian civilians were arrested in Cairo amid rumours of brewing political protests. Price gouging has left grassroots activists struggling to raise funds to cover accommodation and food. Inside the conference centre, known as the blue zone, plainclothes security officials have monitored the small authorised protests demanding climate justice and an end to fossil fuels. Government stooges interrupted panel events drawing attention to the plight of hunger striker Alaa Abd el-Fattah and Egypt’s 60,000 other political prisoners. Ukrainian activists who earlier this week interrupted a Russian delegation event with shouts of “Russia is guilty of war crimes” were also suspended. The four US activists, who had secured hotly sought-after tickets for Biden’s speech, said they wanted to call out false market solutions being pushed by the US and other western economies. “Joe Biden is no climate hero. We wanted to create a moment on behalf of all frontline communities in the global north and south to demand real climate solutions,” said Wefald, a 24-year-old climate activist from Brooklyn. After the brief interruption, they sat quietly through the remainder of the speech before being escorted out by UN security staff. John said: “The UN security said that our war call had put people’s lives in danger, and we were now deemed a security threat. Our badges were pulled and we had to leave.” According to an email from the UNFCCC observer relations team, Biden’s speech was a US government event, and they only learned about the suspension from the Guardian’s live blog. The appeal, which was supported by the Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus and several nonprofits, remains unresolved. Wind, who had been closely following negotiations on article 6, in which Indigenous people are fighting to ensure protections are built into carbon markets, said: “We are scared that carbon markets will take our lands away, and I should have been there making our concerns heard to the US delegation. I am worried about future Cops. It’s easy to label us as troublemakers so that our voices are not heard.” Johns, who raised money through small individual donations to participate in Cop27 and was following loss and damage negotiations, is also part of the international Earthrise Collective of Indigenous wisdom keepers and thought leaders conducting prayers and meditations inside the blue zone. “The world is falling apart but inside the destruction there is creation and a healthy liveable future, and we try to bring this energy to the chaotic negotiations. International spaces have been historically off limits to indigenous peoples, but different perspectives can hold a lot of power. I’ve been denied that basic right.” A UNFCCC spokesperson said no advocacy actions were allowed inside plenary and conference rooms and that the four were suspended for breaking the code of conduct. “A final decision on the suspension shall be made after further inquiry of the issue,” they said. The US delegation have been approached for comment. | ['environment/cop27', 'world/indigenous-peoples', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'world/unitednations', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/nina-lakhani', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | environment/cop27 | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2022-11-18T14:08:34Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
news/2018/mar/14/world-weatherwatch-noreaster-whips-against-us-as-cyclones-slam-south-pacific | World weatherwatch: Nor'easter whips against US as cyclones slam South Pacific | Cyclone Hola continued its path south-eastwards across the South Pacific this week, brushing along the northern-most fringes of New Zealand’s North Island. The cyclone, which intensified to category 4, brought with it heavy rain and strong winds in excess of 70mph to communities along the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne as well as to the country’s capital, Auckland. It was the third big storm to strike the country this year. Across the Atlantic, in the northern and eastern parts of the US, a second “nor’easter” as coined by American meteorologists, brought further strong winds and heavy snowfall along the east coast, affecting the states of New York, Pennsylvania and Maine last Thursday. A third winter storm is expected to strike during the coming days bringing strong winds and a mix of heavy rain and snowfall. The anomalous warmth in the Arctic, which in part was responsible for the swath of exceptional cold that swept through Europe over the past few weeks, has done little to maintain the extent of the sea ice in the region, which should now be approaching its typical maximum limit. As it stands, and within the satellite record, the sea ice extent recording seems to have put this winter within the top three for having the lowest ice extent. And there has been a reduction in the ice cover over the last three consecutive winters. | ['news/series/world-weatherwatch', 'science/meteorology', 'world/natural-disasters', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/sea-ice', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'world/snow', 'weather/newzealand', 'world/newzealand', 'world/asia-pacific', 'weather/usa', 'news/series/weatherwatch', 'world/arctic', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-weather'] | news/series/weatherwatch | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2018-03-14T21:30:18Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2021/feb/12/pollutionwatch-campaign-doctors-champion-clean-air | Pollutionwatch: campaign calls on doctors to champion clean air | Conversations with our doctors frequently include ways that we can reduce health risks: eating better and taking more exercise, for instance. Air pollution is now a top five global risk factor for an early death. This has prompted an international group of cardiac organisations, societies and foundations to call for doctors to advise us on the air that we breathe. They want clinicians to become advocates for clean air and to address the impacts of their own facilities. The reason for this goes beyond the burden of disease from breathing poor air. It reflects the gains from improving it. Improvements in air pollution between 1999 and 2015 account for about 15% of the increased life expectancy for Americans. In 1962, debates on tobacco took an important step forward when UK doctors told people to stop smoking. In 2016 the Royal College of Physicians warned about the lifelong impacts of air pollution. Today, many hospitals are working to improve the air around their facilities and 10 hospitals will be measuring air pollution as part of the Breathe London project. It’s possible that soon, in towns and cities, doctors may suggest leaving cars at home to reduce air pollution, and instead advise people to walk along back streets or through parks away from busy traffic. | ['environment/series/pollutionwatch', 'environment/air-pollution', 'society/doctors', 'society/gps', 'environment/pollution', 'environment/environment', 'society/health', 'society/nhs', 'society/society', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/gary-fuller', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2021-02-12T06:00:35Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
commentisfree/2022/jul/05/australia-unprepared-for-climate-reality-of-consecutive-disasters-nsw-floods-flooding | Australia is woefully unprepared for this climate reality of consecutive disasters | Greg Mullins | Almost unbelievably, communities in New South Wales are once again having to flee the fourth major flooding event in the state in just 18 months. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but there’s no avoiding it: this is our new climate reality of consecutive, compounding disasters. And as anyone in Lismore who faced a cold and terrifying wait for a neighbour in a tinny to pluck them from their rooftop will tell you: Australia, we are woefully unprepared. Australia lost a critical decade of preparation under a former federal government that repeatedly failed to heed the advice of scientists and experts. We are now in a position where we’re ill-equipped to get ahead of disasters and nowhere near where we should be to address the climate crisis. Australia’s emissions are once again climbing at an alarming rate and despite the UN being crystal clear that a liveable future depends on ceasing all fossil fuel developments, new gas and coal developments are still being approved. With La Niña officially declared over (for now), it’s reasonable to question whether this rain event we’re going through once again is connected to climate change. It’s not unusual for Sydney to experience wet weather and east coast lows at this time of year. But we need to understand that all weather is being supercharged by a warmer atmosphere. Older Australians have lived through their fair share of fires, floods and droughts – disasters are part of our DNA in this country – but the disasters of the past were fewer and further between and a lot more predictable. We often hear politicians refer to “natural disasters”. There is nothing natural about what we’re going through now, and perhaps it’s time for us to instead be calling them unnatural disasters. We’re now in a situation in Australia where fire seasons last 130 days – a month longer than they did in the 1970s – and with every fraction of a degree of warming, they will get longer, meaning little or no reprieve for our firefighters, except when they’re called by the SES to assist with floods and storms. It’s not welcome news to anyone, but there is a 50% chance a third La Niña event will return by year’s end, something that has rarely happened before. It’s no longer a case of when it rains, it pours. The amplifying effect of climate change means that when it rains, it floods. And when the rains dry up, Australia burns and burns and burns because of the prolific growth. We will all have to learn to live with this, and this means adapting, preparing communities to be on the front foot, and having a much better resourced emergency sector ready to respond and help communities to recover. I have over half a century of experience in firefighting and emergency management, but the rapid escalation of off-the-charts disasters of the past three years keeps me awake at night. I am frightened about what lies ahead given projections that the weather that drove the Black Summer fires could be “average” by 2040. It’s time governments had a big rethink. The lessons are there to be learned. Their first priority must be adequately preparing communities and first responders. Old ways of thinking, based on history, won’t cut it from now on. The Black Summer was a huge turning point for all of us. It really marked a new era of disaster management. For many of us it was a horrendous epiphany that in some years, we’re not going to be able to fight: the only option for us will be to hide. That disaster produced the royal commission into national natural disaster arrangements. There are 80 recommendations that need urgent attention. States, territories and the previous federal government have failed to implement many of them; this must be a priority, or else we have learned and gained nothing. The truth is: Australia is underprepared for our current reality and we’re devastatingly unprepared for what is to come. Only a very small fraction of disaster spending (3%) is committed to preparedness and resilience building. We should expect a big shift in this ratio to see a much larger focus on preparedness given the escalating risk of climate-fuelled disasters. With a new government at the helm, there is hope. Even before the furniture was moved into his new ministerial office, Chris Bowen’s first meeting as federal climate change minister was with myself, two other members of Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, along with the new emergency management minister, Murray Watt. We presented our six-point plan to help prepare for disasters in Australia. By asking for this meeting, the new Labor government sent a pointed political message: that they are listening. To many of us who have been ignored for so long as our country has been in crisis, it was very reassuring. This week it was good to hear Watt telling a national audience on RN Breakfast the climate crisis has well and truly arrived in Australia and these disasters will happen more frequently and become more severe. Watt gets it. And so does the government he is a part of. He then acknowledged we need to see more investment in federal and state disaster mitigation and greater cooperation between these agencies to prepare and respond. This is promising and we’ll be watching the October budget carefully for more announcements. My message to our new government is this: you know what needs to be done, so with your mandate, please hit the accelerator pedal. We’ve lost 10 years. We cannot afford to lose a minute more. Greg Mullins, former commissioner of Fire & Rescue NSW, Climate Council member, and founder of the Emergency Leaders for Climate Action | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/environment', 'australia-news/australia-weather', 'environment/flooding', 'australia-news/labor-party', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'type/article', 'tone/comment', 'profile/greg-mullins', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-opinion'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2022-07-05T00:23:31Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
world/2009/jan/16/uae-nuclear-power | UAE in line to become first Arab country with nuclear power | The United Arab Emirates took a step yesterday towards becoming the first Arab country to acquire a nuclear capability, a move that could prompt other states to seek to join the club and alter the balance of power in the region. The Gulf state said it was seeking a nuclear programme for energy, not to produce an atomic weapon. But other Arab countries, if they built reactors, may be more likely to switch from civilian to military use. The UAE's embassy in Washington said yesterday that Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, was scheduled to sign a nuclear co-operation pact with her UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayid al-Nahyan, at the state department. The pact had been delayed because of protests by members of Congress that it could accelerate nuclear proliferation and add volatility in the region. It will be one of the last acts of the Bush administration, in defiance of concerns raised by Congress. Arab countries having reactors within the next decade would mean stockpiles of nuclear material accumulating in the region. One estimate is there would be enough to build between 1,000 and 2,000 nuclear bombs. Israel is the only country in the Middle East with a nuclear weapons capability, though it publicly refuses to confirm this. Iran is suspected by the US, Britain and other countries of also seeking a nuclear weapons capability, but it claims it is only interested in developing nuclear power to meet its energy needs. The UAE deal will go to Barack Obama to sign off, but his team has not yet expressed a view on it. Republican members of Congress raised worries that nuclear technology could be smuggled from the UAE to Iran. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the senior Republican on the House foreign affairs committee, introduced legislation designed to delay the pact. But Sean McCormack, the state department spokesman, argued that the pact would help counter proliferation. The agreement only came after the UAE agreed to conditions, including signing a protocol that would allow intrusive inspections by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. It has also agreed to import nuclear fuel and not build a uranium enrichment plant that would make it possible to switch from civilian to military use. The UAE hopes to have the reactor working by 2017. British, French and US companies are expected to compete for the contract. David Albright, an arms control specialist at the Washington-based International Science and International Security, has been among those sceptical of signing a deal, describing the country as "a nuclear smugglers' hub". In November he co-authored a report warning that stocks of nuclear material could accumulate in the Middle East over the next decade which could be used to produce more than 1,700 nuclear bombs. | ['world/middleeast', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/world', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'environment/environment', 'tone/news', 'world/united-arab-emirates', 'type/article', 'profile/ewenmacaskill', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2009-01-16T00:01:00Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2018/aug/01/retailers-likely-to-face-backlash-for-failing-to-curb-plastic-use-survey-finds | Retailers likely to face backlash for failing to curb plastic use, survey finds | Retailers are likely to face a consumer backlash if they fail to take action to curb plastic use, according to a survey by the owners of Canary Wharf in London. The operators of Canary Wharf are pledging to become the world’s first plastic-free commercial centre, in partnership with the campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS). As part of their commitment to become plastic-free, Canary Wharf Group carried out an audit of consumers, retailers and corporate businesses within the commercial and residential area, stretching across 16.5m square feet. It revealed 94% of businesses, consumers and retailers were keen to do something to reduce plastic use. The survey found consumers in particular felt they were using a lot of unnecessary plastic in their daily lives. The vast majority – 84% – said they would show more loyalty to a brand or organisation that was taking clear action on plastic. But the report said that retailers did not seem to be aware of the growing public pressure on plastic use and showed a degree of complacency. “Consumer scrutiny of plastic is at an all-time high with shopper protests against single-use plastic and packaging breaking out in supermarket aisles across the UK,” the report said. “It may be only a matter of time before smaller retail outlets face a similar backlash if they aren’t seen to be doing enough to curb plastic use.” The report identified plastic food packaging as a major concern, and said more recycling bins and better signage were needed. Hugo Tagholm, chief executive of SAS, said Canary Wharf was attempting a world first and he encouraged other business centres to take similar action. “We’d like to see other global financial centres take similar action on single-use plastics in the interest of healthy and happy communities everywhere,” he said. “Given the scale of threats to our coasts and marine habitats there could not be a more important time to take action on plastic pollution.” | ['environment/plastic', 'environment/waste', 'uk/london', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'money/consumer-affairs', 'business/retail', 'business/business', 'money/money', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/sandralaville', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/plastic | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2018-08-01T16:01:03Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2010/nov/05/un-climate-funding-feasible | UN told climate funding is 'feasible' | Seventeen finance ministers, leading economists and heads of state say that it is "challenging but feasible" to raise $100bn (£62bn) a year by 2020 to allow poor countries to adapt to the effects of climate change and reduce emissions. If their findings, contained in a major report handed to the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, are politically acceptable, the chances of a new global climate agreement are substantially increased. Money from banks, carbon taxes, carbon permit auctions and new transport taxes could raise the $100bn promised to developing countries at the Copenhagen summit last December, said the high-level advisory group which was chaired by the prime ministers of Norway and Ethiopia and included Lord Nicholas Stern, the financier George Soros, UK energy secretary, Chris Huhne, and South African, Indian and French politicians. The authors suggested public money could be raised from carbon taxes ($30bn), possible aviation and shipping taxes ($10bn), the redirection of fossil fuel subsidies ($10bn), and by increasing the flows of money from multinational development banks such as the World Bank ($40bn). Private funding of between $30bn and $50bn could come from carbon offset markets and a further $100bn -$200bn could be generated from private sector flows. A possible "Tobin-type tax on all financial transactions was effectively ruled out by the high-level group which argued that it was complicated to implement because it would require global agreement. "I do think it fits the bill. It's an agreed report and that is significant. A big chunk of the money, as much as $50bn, is public money," said Stern. "There was a lively discussion. You have some pretty strong people there, many of us have had direct responsibility for making public policy at a senior level. It's now for the political processes around the world to pick up. There is inertia in the international discussions, I hope this will help," he said. Stern said that a higher price on carbon was needed. "A modest price on emissions, in the range of US$20-25 per tonne of CO2 would push incentives in the right direction and raise substantial revenues," he said. Guaranteeing major new aid flows for developing countries has become a prerequisite for a new climate agreement, but many developing countries argue that the $100bn on offer from rich countries falls far short of the funding necessary to help 130 poor countries which face devastating climate change. Others want the money to be drawn wholly from public finance sources which they say is more predictable. Developing countries declined to react until they had read the report in detail but non-governmental groups said that initial analysis suggested that all the money could be raised from public funds. Tracy Carty, Oxfam climate change policy adviser, said: "The $100bn committed to in the Copenhagen accord must come from public sources of funding rather than private to ensure it reaches communities desperately in need of money to help them adapt to climate change and develop in a low-carbon way. Private finance cannot meet the needs of developing countries for adaptation." According to the high-level group, national governments would have options on how to raise some money but much of the money would depend on institutions such as the World Bank being strengthened. Members stressed that they had not been asked to advise how much individual countries should pay or the combination of revenue which could be adopted. "So far, market responses to climate change have failed to meet the needs of the poorest people in developing countries, who are least responsible but worst affected by climate change," said Sol Oyuela, Christian Aid's senior adviser on climate change and poverty. "It is crucial that most if not all the $100bn comes from new sources of public funding, such as taxes on planes, ships and financial transactions. "This report quite clearly sets out a system of climate financing and makes clear that concerted global action and a carbon price of at least $25 is required to achieve the necessary transformation in the global economy. But we acknowledge this isn't the end game and the real challenge lies ahead as developed and developing countries work together to ensure concrete proposals are delivered," said Huhne. "The next steps should include the proposals on international transport being considered by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the International Air Transport Association and the International Maritime Organisation, and the multilateral development banks working on proposals for new green funds and for enhanced collaboration with the private sector," said Stern. | ['environment/global-climate-talks', 'environment/cancun-climate-change-conference-2010', 'environment/copenhagen', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/johnvidal'] | environment/global-climate-talks | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2010-11-05T15:21:31Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
environment/2021/sep/20/big-tech-climate-change | Big tech’s pro-climate rhetoric is not matched by policy action, report finds | The world’s biggest tech companies are coming out with bold commitments to tackle their climate impact but when it comes to using their corporate muscle to advocate for stronger climate policies, their engagement is almost nonexistent, according to a new report. Apple, Amazon, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Facebook and Microsoft poured about $65m into lobbying in 2020, but an average of only 6% of their lobbying activity between July 2020 and June 2021 was related to climate policy, according to an analysis from the thinktank InfluenceMap, which tracked companies’ self-reported lobbying on federal legislation. The report also sought to capture tech companies’ overall engagement with climate policy by analyzing activities including their top-level communications as well as lobbying on specific legislation. It found that climate-related engagement levels of three of the five companies – Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft – had declined compared to the previous year. Tech companies, which have some of the deepest pockets in corporate America, have been racing to come out with increasingly ambitious climate pledges. Amazon has a target to be net zero by 2040 and to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, and Facebook has a target of net zero emissions for its entire supply chain by 2030. In 2020, Microsoft pledged to become carbon negative by 2030 and by 2050 to have removed all the carbon the company has ever emitted. Apple has committed to become carbon neutral across its whole supply chain by 2030. And Google has pledged to power its operations with 100% carbon-free energy by 2030, without using renewable certificates to offset any fossil-generated power. “The science is clear, we have until 2030 to chart a sustainable course for our planet or face the worst consequences of climate change,” the Google and Alphabet CEO, Sundar Pichai, said in a video announcing the policy. Yet this strong pro-climate rhetoric is not being matched by action at a policy level, according to the report. “These gigantic companies that completely dominate the stock market are not really deploying that political capital at all,” said the InfluenceMap executive director, Dylan Tanner. Tech companies have not been entirely silent. Apple, for example, has expressed support for the Biden administration’s proposed clean energy standard, which aims for all US-generated electricity to be renewable by 2035. But these efforts are significantly outweighed by those of big oil and gas companies, which have ramped up their climate lobbying over the same timeframe, according to the report. “Most of their political advocacy is devoted to climate change and it’s negative,” said Tanner. A lack of engagement is especially disappointing given the new momentum around climate action under the Biden administration, said Bill Weihl, a former Facebook and Google sustainability executive and now executive director of Climate Voice, which mobilizes tech workers to lobby their companies on climate action. “The dominant business voice on these issues is advocating against the kind of policies that we need,” he said. Joe Biden’s $3.5tn budget reconciliation bill, which includes large investments for climate action, is facing fierce opposition from some industry groups. The US Chamber of Commerce, the country’s most powerful business lobbying group, has said it will “do everything we can to prevent this tax raising, job killing reconciliation bill from becoming law”. All of the tech companies, with the exception of Apple, are members of the Chamber. “Our best chance to lead the planet to safety in the race against climate change is through this reconciliation bill, yet InfluenceMap has shown that big tech is still MIA on climate in Congress,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat and longtime advocate for climate legislation. Microsoft and Apple declined to comment on the report and Alphabet did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Amazon said the company engages at local, state and international levels to “actively advocate for policies that promote clean energy, increase access to renewable electricity, and decarbonize the transportation system”. A Facebook spokesperson said “we’re committed to fighting climate change and are taking substantive steps without waiting for any legislative action”, adding that the company supports the Paris climate agreement goals and helped found the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance. But these actions are not enough given the scale of the crisis, said Tanner. The UN warned in a report published on Friday that even if current climate emissions targets are met, the world is still on a “catastrophic pathway” for 2.7C of heating by the end of the century. “We’re running out of time,” Tanner said, “physically on climate but also on a public policy level.” | ['environment/series/green-light', 'environment/environment', 'business/technology', 'technology/google', 'technology/apple', 'technology/facebook', 'technology/alphabet', 'business/business', 'technology/technology', 'technology/microsoft', 'technology/amazon', 'politics/lobbying', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'environment/paris-climate-agreement', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/laura-paddison', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-business'] | environment/carbon-emissions | EMISSIONS | 2021-09-20T13:00:05Z | true | EMISSIONS |
world/2014/jan/14/electricity-tariff-reform-a-hot-issue-among-energy-experts | Electricity tariff system unfair and unsustainable, say energy experts | People sweltering without an air conditioner in south-east Australia's heatwave are subsidising the power bills of those who use the energy-hungry appliances by at least $250 a year because of a tariff system the power industry and experts say is unsustainable. The inequity arises because the cost of the hugely expensive network of "poles and wires" needed to guarantee uninterrupted power supply during massive short-term spikes in demand – for example when air conditioners are turned on during heatwaves – is spread evenly across all users. Research by the Centre for Policy Development released late last year concluded that the 30% of Australians without air conditioners are subsidising the cost of the electricity network needed only to supply power to those with air conditioners by at least $250 a year. A similar study by the Productivity Commission, which also took into account the cost of generating the power, put the effective subsidy at $350 a year. Grattan Institute energy program director Tony Wood says the solution has to include some form of differentiated pricing, with the portion of an electricity bill earmarked to pay for the distribution network no longer levied uniformly per unit of power used, but increased for those who routinely use more power at times of peak demand, for example homes with multiple air conditioners. “The current system is unfair,” he says, likening it to building a multi-lane highway across the Sydney Harbour bridge so there were never traffic jams even at peak hour but charging everyone, whether they used it or not. But tariff reform, which will be canvassed in the government’s forthcoming energy white paper, enters dangerous political territory. With network costs now comprising about 45% of the average household bill, spreading them out more equitably across users could have a much bigger impact on bills, both up and down, than the proposed repeal of the carbon tax, which added on average a one-off increase of 9% or about $200 a year for the typical home. According to the Energy Supply Association of Australia (ESAA), 73% of Australian homes had an air conditioner in 2011 compared with 35% in 1999. The Committee for Economic Development of Australia found that air conditioners bought for $1,500 frequently imposed a $7,000 cost on the energy system. The inequitable increase in electricity costs has been exacerbated by the huge uptake of rooftop solar panels, the ESAA and the Grattan Institute argue, because solar households avoid the high network charges levied evenly across units of power used, but actually demand power from the grid just as much during those peak times which contribute most to the costs of the network. “Households with solar end up paying less for the network because they generate some of their own electricity and import less from the grid. But solar households can be among the biggest users of the networks, because they both import and export electricity at different times of the day,” ESAA says in a discussion paper titled "Who pays for solar energy?". “Most solar households end up only paying a fraction of their fair share of the cost of maintaining the network. They’re not doing it deliberately, it’s just the way the billing arrangements for electricity were set up, long before rooftop solar reached the scale we see today.” But in a study for the Australian PV network, the Centre for Policy Development found that solar photo-voltaic panels actually reduced the cross subsidy because to whatever extent solar is operating during times of high demand, it reduces that demand. The ESAA and the Grattan Institute say that if the government does nothing, power bills could rise even further as the market enters a “death spiral” – where fewer customers are forced to pay the high fixed costs of the electricity network, encouraging even more customers to turn to rooftop solar to reduce their bills, increasing still further the inequity in the electricity billing system. “An increasing proportion of consumers no longer pay their fair share of network costs,” ESAA said in another discussion paper titled “Air conditioners and solar: why electricity pricing needs to be reformed”. It says Queensland, with its high uptake of both air conditioners and rooftop solar, could already be in the early stages of a “death spiral” as a result of the current system – where higher bills push still more households to take up rooftop solar. In its report “Shock to the system: dealing with falling electricity demand”, the Grattan Institute identified the same problem. “For residential customers, rapid uptake of air conditioners has increased peak load on the network and pushed up prices for other users. By allowing some users to reduce the amount they pay in network charges without reducing the costs they impose on the network, rooftop solar has also pushed up prices. All these changes give customers even more incentives to reduce consumption. The possible long-term result is a ‘death spiral’. “The ‘death spiral’ is a term used to describe the situation where declining demand, technology changes and rising prices may interact in a way that induces large numbers of consumers to disconnect from the network. In that case the whole funding model of Australia’s regulated power networks is under threat ... and falling demand keeps pushing up power prices. “The need for reform is now urgent. We can’t keep going as we are,” Wood said. Dr Robert Passey of the solar PV institute agrees that tariff reform is essential and unavoidable, but argues it should be “technology agnostic”. | ['australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/energy', 'environment/energyefficiency', 'environment/solarpower', 'money/consumer-affairs', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/lenore-taylor'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2014-01-15T01:30:32Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2022/may/11/england-fails-to-reach-household-waste-recycling-target | England fails to reach household waste recycling target | Recycling rates in England are falling and the government has failed to meet its target to recycle 50% of waste from households by 2020. But Wales has become a world leader, with the country recycling 56.5% of its household waste. Household recycling rates in England went down from 46% in 2019 to 44% in 2020. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the Covid pandemic had disrupted collections in some areas. The Welsh government said its high rate of household recycling had prevented more than 400,000 tonnes of CO2 a year from being released into the atmosphere and further accelerating climate change. Data shows that Wales was the only UK nation to reach the minimum 50% recycling target by 2020 set by the European Union. The minister for climate change in the Welsh government, Julie James, said: “Our recycling stats are world class thanks to a Team Wales effort. Despite the pandemic and all the challenges it bought with it, local authorities managed to prioritise recycling, the collectors worked heroically all the way through, and the fantastic people of Wales continued to recycle. “We must now continue to raise our ambitions to reach zero waste by 2050 and net zero carbon emissions so we can tackle the climate and nature emergencies in earnest, and pass on a resilient, green and prosperous planet to our future generations.” The amount of waste generated in the UK continues to rise. UK households produced 27m tonnes of waste in 2020, an increase of 2.1% from 2019. England is responsible for the vast majority of the waste, 22.6m tonnes, or 84% of the UK total. Most household waste is made up of food, paper, cardboard, glass bottles and plastics. Only 44% of the 2.5m tonnes of plastic packaging waste produced in 2021 was recovered for recycling, according to the data. The government has yet to introduce a deposit return scheme for plastic bottles, which was promised in 2018 to reduce the pollution caused by the public’s use of 13bn plastic drinks bottles a year. It has consulted on a policy to ban more single-use plastic items but has yet to announce when this would come into force. The government said in a statement: “We want to recycle and reuse more of our waste, and support households to do so. Our Environment Act is transforming the way we deal with waste; we have already responded to our consultation on extended producer responsibility, we are introducing a deposit return scheme and we will shortly respond to our consultation on consistent collections in England.” In 2018, the government released its resources and waste strategy which said the UK would aim to process more of its waste domestically. Two years ago, Interpol reported an alarming increase in illegal plastic trade pollution across the world. The UK exports roughly two-thirds of its plastic waste. James Bevan, the chief executive of the Environment Agency, called recently for the UK to impose a complete ban on the export of waste to combat crime. “Sending certain kinds of waste abroad is legal, but is it right? Is it morally right to dump the waste we create on another country to deal with?” he said. Bevan was criticised by the Recycling Association, which said conflating waste crime with exports was wrong and failed to address the real reasons behind criminal activity. Bettina Gilbert, head of programme delivery at the government’s waste advisory body Wrap, said: “2020 was an unprecedented year with full lockdown and huge disruptions, which likely caused the decline. Priority was given to maintaining residual waste collections for health and safety reasons, while garden waste collections and recycling often had to be suspended or severely curtailed. “That the levels have not fallen further is testament to the amazing job done by the thousands of key workers continuing to collect our waste and recycling. Recycling helps protect our planet, so it’s crucial that we continue to recycle as much as we can.” | ['environment/recycling', 'environment/waste', 'environment/environment', 'environment/environment-agency', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'uk/uk', 'environment/pollution', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/sandralaville', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2022-05-11T11:44:39Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
technology/2018/may/31/nest-hello-google-launches-facial-recognition-data-doorbell-uk-privacy-concerns-amazon-ring | Google launches video doorbell with facial recognition in UK | Google’s facial recognition video doorbell, the Nest Hello, is launching in the UK to challenge Amazon’s Ring. Initially released in the US in March, Nest Hello is the first of Google’s new home security product lineup to make it to the UK, ahead of its Nest Secure alarm system. Nest Hello is a £229 wifi-connected smart doorbell with a wide-angle camera that captures high definition HDR video with night vision after dusk. It will send alerts with pictures from the camera to users’ phones and allows them to talk to visitors through the doorbell from anywhere with an internet connection. Users can also opt to have the doorbell say one of three quick phrases, such as “we’ll be right there”. Nest’s big differentiating feature, however, is its machine-learning technology that analyses video from the front door, which Google claims can differentiate between people walking by, visitors or delivery people approaching and loitering burglars, only alerting users when necessary. Lionel Guicherd-Callin, head of EMEA product marketing for Nest Labs, said: “Your front door is where home begins. It’s the entryway to special moments with family and friends – but also the most common way burglars enter your home. So we’ve designed a doorbell experience that makes your front door more safe and secure, yet still feels friendly.” With an optional Nest Aware subscription starting at £4 per month, Google goes one step further with cloud video recording and face recognition, which allows users to name visitors and then have them automatically identified on subsequent arrivals at their door. “Instead of just alerting you that there’s someone at the door, we can tell you that your kids are at the door, or there is someone you don’t know standing at the door,” said Guicherd-Callin. The Nest Hello can also connect to other smart home devices, including Google Assistant speakers so that users can get alerts through them. If the face of the visitor is recognised the speakers can announce the name of the person at the door, for instance, or Nest Hello can trigger a smart light. Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight, said that a recent survey by the analysis firm of smart home device owning UK consumers put connected doorbells in the top three next purchases. But, Wood warned: “Ring has become synonymous with connected doorbells and with the might of Amazon behind it there have to be concerns for rivals such as Nest and DoorBird as to whether they are able to survive the competitive onslaught.” Google’s facial recognition system first launched in the UK in April, but the same technology in a doorbell, which primarily faces the street and is more likely to capture neighbours and passers-by, is more likely to raise privacy concerns. “Facial recognition on smart home cameras is not something new – but the Nest Hello will likely raise awareness among consumers that could spark a deeper debate about the implications of such technology being deployed by people’s front doors,” said Wood. “This could be a major challenge for Google given the broader unease around privacy at present.” Nest warns about the implications of capturing others on video and the fact that such cameras facing into public spaces could face regulation under data protection laws which are currently being revised. “The ICO’s current guidance on domestic CCTV and data protection was principally based on a judgment of the European Court of Justice under the previous legal regime for data protection,” said an ICO spokesperson. “Following the introduction of GDPR and the new Data Protection Act 2018, we are the process of reviewing the legal position and will update our guidance in due course.” Nest does not offer a free trial of the service for the doorbell, unlike its IQ cameras, and stores video and facial-recognition data within Irish data centres for those in Europe. But it remains to be seen whether facial recognition technology at the front door will prove the killer feature or simply create a privacy headache for Google. Amazon’s Ring specifically does not offer such a system, relying simply on motion detection and video capture for security purposes. “There maybe some nervousness from others given the privacy concerns the technology will likely generate, but ultimately it comes down to how the data is used and how useful consumers find it,” said Wood. The Nest Hello will cost £229 for DIY fitting powered by existing doorbell wiring and a 2mb wifi connection, or is available with professional installation for £329, shipping 13 June. Nest Learning Thermostat third-gen: the simple, effective heating gadget Ring Video Doorbell 2 review: deal with doorsteppers from your sofa | ['technology/google', 'technology/smart-homes', 'technology/alphabet', 'technology/technology', 'technology/gadgets', 'world/surveillance', 'world/world', 'world/privacy', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/samuel-gibbs', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-technology', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/consumer-tech--commissioning-'] | technology/gadgets | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2018-05-30T23:01:05Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
environment/2012/oct/18/summer-drought-flooding-unprecedented | UK's year of drought and flooding unprecedented, experts say | The dramatic switch from drought and hosepipe bans in England this spring to the wettest April to June ever and widespread flooding was of a magnitude never seen before, water experts said on Thursday. While water supplies have made "dramatic" recoveries from droughts before, such as in 1975-76, "sustained recoveries of this magnitude during the late spring and summer have not been seen before," said Terry Marsh, from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH). Earlier this month, the CEH said that following the wet summer, groundwater levels were above and "well above" the average for early autumn. The Environment Agency (EA), which is responsible for drought measures and flood defences, said the extreme weather showed the need for the UK to adopt greater resilience to protect homes, roads and power stations. Christine Tuckett of the EA said: "The weather extremes which we've seen this year – with widespread floods almost immediately following a long-term drought – have brought the importance of resilience into sharp focus. Taking action today to prepare and adapt our homes, businesses, and infrastructure is vital." Sarah Jackson, chief adviser to the government at the Met Office, was reported by the Press Association as saying: "We are coming into a period [November to April] which is traditionally the wetter period. Because the ground is so wet, if we do have any prolonged heavy rainfall in any part of the country, there is going to be heightened risk." Thousands of homes across the country have been hit by flooding in the past few months, with the Guardian revealing in July that hundreds of flood defences have gone unbuilt due to budget cuts. Officials at the EA said homeowners should sign up to flood warnings to avoid "the worst impacts of flooding". In January, flooding was ranked as the number one impact of climate change in the UK, in the government's first comprehensive assessment of how global warming will affect the country. It estimated up to 3.5 million people will be at flooding risk by 2050, as temperatures rise. "There is some hint but we certainly can't say categorically that the rainfall we've seen this summer is a consequence of climate change," said Jackson. | ['environment/drought', 'environment/flooding', 'environment/water', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'world/natural-disasters', 'uk/uk', 'tone/news', 'uk/weather', 'type/article', 'profile/adam-vaughan', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2012-10-18T12:43:35Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
commentisfree/2022/jan/04/the-us-military-is-polluting-hawaiis-water-supply-and-denying-it | The US military is polluting Hawaii’s water supply – and denying it | Wayne Tanaka | “This [fuel facility] is not the eighth wonder of the world. It is Frankenstein’s monster. And we have to kill it before it kills us.” This is the plea from Marti Townsend, one of more than 1,000 Hawai’i residents urging the Honolulu City Council to take action to protect our island’s most important resource: fresh, clean water. Frankenstein’s monster is the US Navy’s Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility: a massive underground “farm” of 18-million liter fuel tanks and pipes just 100 feet above metropolitan O’ahu. Its construction began before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Since then, it has leaked over 180,000 gallons of petroleum into the groundwater aquifer that provides drinking water for over 400,000 residents and visitors from Hālawa to Hawaiʻi Kai. Despite its longstanding threat to water systems, this decrepit facility has been in use until operations were “paused” in late November, after hundreds of military families reported rashes, headaches, nausea, vomiting – symptoms of petroleum poisoning. The Navy denied these facts for days. “We have no immediate indication that the water is unsafe to drink,” their representatives said, even after the Navy had quietly shut down its own drinking water well. Pearl Harbor’s commander even told our community – of sick families, pregnant women and nursing moms – that “my staff and I are drinking the water on base.” Hawai‘i’s Health Department finally stepped in, advising Navy water system users not to drink their tap water. Navy officials still refuse to acknowledge that this is a crisis. It views the Governor’s emergency order to de-fuel the Red Hill Facility as a mere “request,” and has enlisted top Navy lawyers to make sure its 600m liters of petroleum stay perched above our water supply. A military spouse in our legal proceedings this week sobbed as she described the family dog rejecting its water dish for days. Another mother teared up as she remembered her infant child vomiting constantly after the Navy advised that her water was safe (it wasn’t); their own beloved and once-healthy dog had to be put down, after thousands of dollars could not diagnose its sudden debilitating illness. The Navy’s Assistant Secretary, in his subsequent remote testimony from the nation’s capital, even had the gall to complain that he had missed that night’s weekly American football game. The injustice of the Red Hill tragedy reflects the impunity of the US military – not only in its endless wars in the Middle East, but right here in Hawai’i. A fraction of the US’s $768bn defense budget could help boost our ailing and inequitable healthcare system, provide free college for all, or make the investments needed to halve our carbon emissions and help keep entire countries from heartbreaking devastation. Yet every year our politicians pour ever more taxpayer dollars into the planet’s most expensive, and deadly, machine. Not even Hawai‘i’s federal delegation has been to stand up to this mighty power. Their long-due request to the US federal government has been milquetoast: we need more studies, and we need to fix some pipes. Only Representative Kai Kahele, the only Hawai‘i delegate with military experience, has acknowledged that the facility must be defueled. The US commander-in-chief, President Joe Biden, has yet to even acknowledge the situation. Frankenstein’s monster is not just the facility: it is the larger US military machine. America’s elected leaders are unable and unwilling to rein in this monster that consumes ever more of the country’s resources as it poisons our atmosphere and now, our island’s water. These leaders dare to call themselves representatives of the people while allegedly lying under oath, letting military families be poisoned, and sacrificing entire islands of US citizens. While America’s Frankenstein may consume its creator, the people of Hawai‘i will resist it. We think about the ones we love, our children and grandchildren, and what we would do to protect them from harm. Our weapons are not guns and ships but words, signs, songs, and aloha ʻāina, love for our home, for each other. Native Hawaiians, whose ancestors have always understood the importance of wai, of water, who have fought and died and won against the US Navy before, are now leading the fight to fix a mess they had no hand in making. “History will remember the people that stood up,” Dr Kamanamaikalani Beamer recently told a crowd of several hundred at the steps of Hawai‘i’s capitol, by the statue of Hawai‘i’s last queen, herself unlawfully deposed by the US Navy. “We will regain control and authority over our resources to do what is pono (just) because we must preserve them for the generations to come. There are more battles on this issue. We’re not making suggestions to the military. We are making demands.” Wayna Tanaka is Director for the Sierra Club of Hawai’i | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'tone/comment', 'environment/environment', 'environment/pollution', 'us-news/hawaii', 'type/article', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-opinion'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2022-01-04T11:17:10Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
australia-news/2023/apr/03/eastern-australia-gas-outlook-improves-but-winter-shortfall-still-possible-for-south-watchdog-says | Eastern Australia gas outlook improves but winter shortfall still possible for south, watchdog says | Eastern Australia’s gas supply outlook has improved, but there is still the prospect of a winter shortfall for southern states without piped supplies from Queensland or altered export contracts, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has said. The ACCC’s March gas inquiry report found the outlook for 2023 had improved since January, with a projected gas shortfall of three petajoules for the year, down from the 30 petajoule shortfall forecast previously. The improvement was because of an increase in production estimates and a reduction in the amount of uncontracted liquefied natural gas (LNG) that could be exported. However New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania will need at least 26 petajoules of additional gas from Queensland or local storage to avert a shortfall between July and September, the report said. A projected surplus of 18 petajoules across Australia in the final three months of 2023 could help meet demand, the ACCC chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, said. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup “If gas supply is brought forward, for example through gas swaps, or if LNG producers commit further gas to the domestic market, supply should be sufficient to meet demand in the third quarter of 2023,” she said. She encouraged gas producers to “consider this information and amend their plans to ensure domestic demand will be met each quarter”. The competition watchdog last August flagged the prospects of an “alarming shortfall” of gas for this year, with demand expected to exceed supply by 56 petajoules, or the equivalent of about 10% of consumption. Its warning was aimed at LNG exporters who were reaping record profits by shipping uncontracted gas to overseas customers desperate to diversify supplies after Russia invaded Ukraine. The potential of domestic gas shortages in one of the world’s biggest gas exporters irked many energy users, large and small. The federal government imposed temporary domestic price caps on gas and black coal, and warned producers that it was reviewing other measures, including the introduction of “reasonable price tests” for new gasfields in a bid to lower energy costs. According to the ACCC, gas producers are expected to have 91 petajoules of uncontracted gas in 2023, or 54 petajoules less than was forecast in January. The drop was mainly primarily due to 45 petajoules of uncontracted gas being committed to additional sales and LNG spot cargoes, the ACCC said. The LNG producers – dominated by three large, mostly foreign-owned consortiums – have also committed an additional five petajoules of gas to the domestic market. But Cass-Gottlieb said risks remained for the sector, such as lower-than-forecast supplies from Victoria or the Northern Territory or higher-than-expected demand. Gas shortfalls also remain a threat over the longer term, particularly after 2027, without expanded production, the ACCC said. | ['australia-news/energy-australia', 'business/gas', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/gas', 'environment/fossil-fuels', 'campaign/email/afternoon-update', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/peter-hannam', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/fossil-fuels | EMISSIONS | 2023-04-03T09:30:42Z | true | EMISSIONS |
world/2020/jul/02/fire-or-explosion-damages-building-at-iran-nuclear-site | Fire or explosion damages building at Iran nuclear site | A fire damaged a building on Thursday morning at one of Iran’s main nuclear facilities, a site that has previously been the target of cyberattacks and where enrichment activity has been ramped up in the past year. Iranian officials downplayed the incident – the third prominent industrial accident in the country in recent days – though the BBC’s Farsi service said it received an email before the news of the fire was made public from a purported dissident group taking credit for what it said was an attack. US satellite data showed an explosion or fire large enough to be detected from space breaking out at a building above the underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility in central Isfahan province just after 2am. The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) said damage was sustained to an “industrial shed” that was under construction, with no casualties or release of radiation. The Natanz governor, Ramazanali Ferdowsi, was quoted by the state-linked Tasnim news agency as blaming a fire. Footage later played on state media showed a brick building lined with ventilators with parts of its roof apparently blown off and the surrounding ground littered with debris. An image released by the AEOI appeared to show scorch marks and a door blasted from its hinges. “There are physical and financial damages and we are investigating to assess,” Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for the AEOI, told Iranian state television. “There has been no interruption in the work of the enrichment site. The site is continuing its work.” Journalists from the BBC’s Farsi service said on Thursday afternoon that some of them had received a statement – hours before the incident was publicised – from a group calling itself “Cheetahs of the Homeland”, which claimed to have carried out an “operation” at the Natanz facility, targeting an overground building so that the destruction would be “undeniable”. The statement claimed the group was made up of dissidents within Iran’s defence establishment, but its veracity could not be independently confirmed. Iranian officials did not raise the possibility of a hostile act but the country’s state-run IRNA news agency published commentary about the risk of attacks from the US and Israel. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has so far tried to prevent intensifying crises and the formation of unpredictable conditions and situations,” the commentary said. But “the crossing of red lines of the Islamic Republic of Iran by hostile countries, especially the Zionist regime and the US, means that strategy ... should be revised.” The US thinktank the Institute for Science and International Security said satellite analysis suggested the damaged building was the site of a centrifuge production workshop that it first publicly identified in 2017. “A centrifuge assembly building could catch fire, but what I find interesting is that it’s this one, very sensitive building that catches fire or explodes,” said Fabian Hinz, a research associate at the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies in California. He said the destruction of a centrifuge production facility could slow the advancement of the technology at the site and would be a useful target for Iran’s enemies. The Natanz site, which includes buildings buried around 7.5 metres (25ft) underground to protect them from attacks, including airstrikes, is among the sites monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with the US and other countries. From around 2007, the facility was targeted by a sophisticated and malicious computer virus known as Stuxnet that was widely thought to have been developed by the US and Israel – along with several western allies – and which played havoc with enrichment processes at the site by causing them to malfunction. Since the US unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear deal in May 2018, the IAEA says Iran has been using Natanz to enrich uranium to about 4.5% purity, above the terms of the nuclear deal but below the weapons-grade threshold. It also has conducted tests on advanced centrifuges, according to the UN atomic agency. Thursday’s fire followed an explosion last Friday that rattled Iran’s capital and came from an area in the eastern mountains that analysts believe hides an underground tunnel system and missile production sites. Iran has blamed the blast on a gas leak in what it describes a “public area”. Associated Press contributed to this report | ['world/iran', 'world/world', 'world/middleeast', 'world/iran-nuclear-deal', 'world/irans-nuclear-programme', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/michael-safi', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-foreign'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2020-07-02T19:01:18Z | true | ENERGY |
global-development/2013/mar/15/africa-solar-health-cape-town | Solar-powered mobile health centre rolls into Cape Town | David Smith | At the back of the truck is a small soundproof booth with a chair, light and pair of headphones. Outside the door sits a "screening memory audiometer" with a laptop and printer. This is an ear clinic on wheels, designed to reach the far-flung corners of Africa. "Before they go to school, children are tested so we know their specific needs," says Kea' Modimoeng, of Samsung, unveiling the $250,000 (£168,000) vehicle in Cape Town, South Africa, this week. "If David has a hearing difficulty, let him sit at the front of the class instead of the back, where he's not able to take part in the lesson." The ear clinic is just one element of what is billed as Africa's first solar-powered mobile health centre. The seven-metre truck also contains a fully equipped eye and blood clinic and a dental surgery. Its target is the six in 10 people in sub-Saharan Africa who live in rural areas, often lacking the time and money to travel long distances to reach health services. Patients will be screened for conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, tooth decay and cataracts. There will be an emphasis on health education and encouraging tests as a preventative measure. In the next 10 weeks, Samsung plans to add a mother-and-child clinic capable of 4D ultrasound scans and delivering babies. "Healthcare and education are the key challenges in Africa," Modimoeng says. "The challenges are huge. In Africa our existing healthcare system is overcrowded. We are trying to ease that burden." On Wednesday, the truck was parked on Grand Parade, where thousands gathered to hear Nelson Mandela's first speech from the city hall after his release from prison in 1990. It was among innovations promoted by Samsung, the South Korean giant better known for mobile phones and televisions, under the slogan, "Built for Africa". The mobile health centre was constructed in Johannesburg, painted in Samsung's corporate blue and white, and included, under an awning, a TV screen. Modimoeng said public information videos would be shown to communities as they queued. Inside, many of the products are made by specialist manufacturers or pharmaceutical companies. At the front is the eye and blood clinic, with a reclining chair for the patient, a sink and mirror, and hi-tech equipment including a blood analyser, spectacle repair kit and "Reichert PT100 portable NCT" – a non-contact tonometry test to measure pressure inside the eye. It is likely to have a staff of four. The facility would enable testing for HIV, malaria and numerous other conditions, Modimoeng says. "You can get blood test results instantly. They can print a prescription for you." Next comes the dental clinic, much like any other with its familiar chair and overhead light. It also has an x-ray unit, air motor, mobile suction unit, water distiller and needle incinerator. It will have three staff. At the rear is the ear clinic, expected to have two staff. This is the first of its kind, Modimoeng says, and the ambition is to reach 1 million people in Africa by 2015. "We are scaling up with Africa in mind. We want to collaborate with governments. The intent is there from various countries." But he admitted that solar power alone is still not enough. "This uses a lot of energy. The solar power charges the lighting, TV and so on. The rest relies on an inbuilt generator using unleaded fuel or a power plug. It's a step in the right direction and, as time unfolds, we are looking at getting equipment that uses less energy." But can the health centre withstand Africa's notorious potholed, bone-jarring roads? "Definitely," Modimoeng insists. Also on show at the Samsung forum, where the Guardian was among 200 invited media guests, was a solar-powered internet school – a 12-metre container that can accommodate at least 21 pupils, each with a laptop, and has 24 solar panels providing nine hours of power a day. Fully charged, the batteries last three to five days. Since their launch in 2011, the $100,000 schools have begun operating in Angola, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa, helping an estimated 7,000 children. Nearby was a solar power generator that can be connected to conventional classrooms. Samsung says that, on average, less than 25% of rural areas in Africa have access to electricity. Leonard Tleane, smart schools solutions provider for the company, says solar energy is a growing part of the solution. "The costs are definitely coming down and most of corporate South Africa is moving into solar power. You walk into the townships these days and almost every house has a solar geyser." | ['global-development/global-development', 'global-development/environmental-sustainability', 'society/health', 'society/society', 'world/southafrica', 'world/africa', 'world/world', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/environment', 'tone/features', 'type/article', 'profile/davidsmith'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2013-03-15T07:00:02Z | true | ENERGY |
business/2021/sep/21/iea-calls-on-russia-to-send-more-gas-to-europe-before-winter | IEA calls on Russia to send more gas to Europe before winter | The world’s energy watchdog has called on Russia to send more gas to Europe as the energy supply crunch bleeds across the continent, in a rare public rebuke of the Kremlin. The International Energy Agency (IEA), which advises global governments on energy policy, called out the gas-rich country for refusing to increase exports even as fierce demand has driven market prices to successive record highs, appearing to support claims that Russia is withholding supplies. “The IEA believes that Russia could do more to increase gas availability to Europe and ensure storage is filled to adequate levels in preparation for the coming winter heating season,” the Paris-based agency said. “This is also an opportunity for Russia to underscore its credentials as a reliable supplier to the European market,” it said. The IEA’s intervention has come amid growing unease in Europe over Russia’s decision not to increase gas exports to Europe next month, despite record gas market prices across the continent. It said Russia had been “fulfilling its long-term contracts with European counterparts – but its exports to Europe are down from their 2019 level”. EU politicians have accused the Kremlin of deliberately withholding gas supplies while it awaits regulatory approval for a controversial pipeline project, Nord Stream 2, which would double Russia’s capacity to export gas to Germany. Russia is not using all of its available pipeline capacity to export gas to Europe but state officials and executives at the state-owned gas company Gazprom have reportedly said it may increase gas sales to Europe once the pipeline has been approved. About 40 EU politicians have asked the European Commission to investigate the role of Gazprom’s behaviour in driving European gas prices to record levels. The IEA’s decision to speak out against Russia’s gas export policy as Europe’s crisis deepens supports the view that Moscow has played a role in the crisis, alongside global energy market drivers. The IEA, which is mostly funded by OECD countries, was originally set up to monitor global oil supplies after the 1970s oil crisis, and provides independent advice to major governments designed to safeguard international energy security. Fatih Birol, the executive director of the IEA, said: “Today’s situation is a reminder to governments, especially as we seek to accelerate clean energy transitions, of the importance of secure and affordable energy supplies – particularly for the most vulnerable people in our societies. “Well-managed clean energy transitions are a solution to the issues that we are seeing in gas and electricity markets today – not the cause of them.” | ['business/gas', 'business/energy-industry', 'business/gazprom', 'world/russia', 'business/commodities', 'environment/fossil-fuels', 'business/business', 'world/europe-news', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/jillian-ambrose', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/fossil-fuels | EMISSIONS | 2021-09-21T17:16:24Z | true | EMISSIONS |
environment/2015/sep/09/large-scale-solar-farms-given-350m | Large-scale solar farms given $350m push by renewable energy bodies | Up to 10 new large-scale solar farms are to be built across Australia through $350m in funding from two government renewable energy bodies, following the creation of the southern hemisphere’s largest solar farm in New South Wales. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) will offer grants and loans to help the solar projects get off the ground. Arena has a $100m round that will invite companies proposing major solar PV projects, with a minimum generation capacity of five megawatts, to bid for grants of up to $30m each. Meanwhile, the CEFC will provide $250m in large-scale solar financing, aimed at recipients of Arena’s grants. Successful projects will get loans of $15m or more. It’s anticipated that between four and 10 projects will be funded, as part of an Arena goal to develop a further 200 MW of additional large-scale solar in Australia. State governments may get involved to ensure the projects go ahead, following an initiative by the Australian Capital Territory to meet a renewable energy target of 90% within five years by directly investing in large windfarm projects via a tender. The largest solar farm in Australia, in Nyngan, NSW, is now fully operational and has been sending 102 MW of electricity to the national grid. The AGL and Arena-funded solar farm, along with a twin project in Broken Hill, is expected to provide enough power for 33,000 households in NSW. Oliver Yates, chief executive of the CEFC, said the funding will be transformative for large solar developments in Australia, bringing them more in line with what is happening internationally. “By working closely with Arena, and investing alongside private sector co-investors to bridge the financing gap for projects that make commercial sense, we’re seeking to build Australia’s expertise in solar and bring down development costs,” he said. Ivor Frischknecht, chief executive of Arena, said the agency’s aim was to bring down the cost of large-scale solar so that it was comparable with wind-generated power by 2020. “Australia has huge natural advantages in this area: more sun than almost anywhere else and a solar R&D sector that is the envy of the world,” he said. “The funding round is about unlocking that capability to deploy large-scale solar farms across the nation.” The CEFC and Arena are also supporting the creation of Australia’s largest solar and battery storage project, at the Sandfire Resources DeGrussa copper mine in Western Australia. The Coalition previously attempted to scrap the CEFC, despite its investments making a profit for the government, only for the measure to be blocked by the Senate. Instead, the government has changed the agency’s mandate, instructing it not to support wind and small-scale solar projects. | ['environment/solarpower', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/environment', 'environment/energy', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'australia-news/new-south-wales', 'environment/windpower', 'australia-news/australian-capital-territory-act', 'australia-news/western-australia', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'australia-news/energy-australia', 'profile/oliver-milman'] | environment/windpower | ENERGY | 2015-09-09T01:38:13Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2014/feb/21/flooding-prevented-better-planning-experts-tell-david-cameron | David Cameron told better planning could have prevented some flooding | Some of the damage caused by the recent flooding could have been prevented by better planning and land management, experts from 15 professional bodies have told David Cameron. As the Met Office confirmed it has been the wettest winter on record, a group led by the Landscape Institute expressed concerns that the government's approach to flood management is too focused on short-term results. In an open letter published in the Telegraph, they called for measures such as tree-planting to hold back water in the upper stages of a river and better protection for new homes on flood plains. "The commitment to provide essential funding is a useful step, but it is even more essential that this is invested appropriately, and provides the best and most sustainable outcome to both society and the affected communities," the letter says. "A comprehensive range of water management techniques could have helped prevent the effect of water through villages, towns and over the surrounding land seen in the last few weeks." The group is particularly worried about the political mood in favour of dredging, reversing advice from the Environment Agency, after David Cameron said the measure would be a critical part of flood management in future. If done inappropriately, it could flood more properties in different places and cause more problems than it solved, the group said. Sue Illman, president of the Landscape Institute, said: "This group of institutions were concerned that there seemed to be a culture of blame between departments. There seemed to be a lot of knee-jerk responses to the immediate problem. We want the money that is going to be invested spent wisely to give us a proper outcome." In the same newspaper, Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, promised Labour would take a longer-term view of flood management. "Rather than the short-termist salami-slicing of budgets we have seen, we need instead to make long-term decisions now that can save money in the future," he said. "Next month's budget must begin to set out that action, and I am also clear that investment in flood defences – preventative spending that can save money in the long-run – must and will be a priority for the next Labour government." A Downing Street spokesman said the response to the floods would include a mixture of measures. "We are looking at all potential options to tackle flooding and are spending £2.4bn on flood management and protection from coastal erosion. That is more than ever before. "We have already announced record level of capital investment at £370m in 2015/16 rising to over £400m in 2020/21 as part of our long-term plan to improve resilience. We need to employ a range of techniques to alleviate flooding, including dredging in some areas. We will look at the lessons to be learned to see where additional flood protection can help." | ['environment/flooding', 'environment/environment', 'environment/environment-agency', 'politics/davidcameron', 'politics/politics', 'tone/news', 'uk/weather', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'profile/rowena-mason'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2014-02-21T10:05:23Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2009/dec/19/copenhagen-blame-game | Rich and poor countries blame each other for failure of Copenhagen deal | The blame game over the failure of the Copenhagen climate talks started last night with countries accusing each other of a complete lack of willingness to compromise. The G77 group of 130 developing nations blamed Obama for "locking the poor into permanent poverty by refusing to reduce US emissions further." "Today's events are the worst development for climate change in history," said a spokesperson. Pablo Solon, Bolivian ambassador to the UN, blamed the Danish hosts for convening only a small group of countries to prepare a text to put before world leaders. "This is completely unacceptable. How can it be that 25 to 30 nations cook up an agreement that excludes the majority of the 190 nations." But rich countries said that developing countries had wasted too much time on "process" rather than the substance of the talks. An epic stand-off over whether to ditch the Kyoto protocol's legal distinctions between developed and developing countries and their obligations to cut their emissions caused a huge delay to the negotiations. But Martin Khor, director of the South Centre, an intergovernmental think tank for developing countries said, "Developing countries are very disappointed because they've invested a lot of time in the documents they're negotiating here." Politicians from all corners of the world were blamed widely for not setting ambitious enough targets to counter climate change. "They refused to lead and instead sought to bribe and bully developing nations to sign up to the equivalent of a death warrant. The best outcome now is no deal," said Tim Jones, climate policy officer from the World Development Movement. China's prime minister, Wen Jiabao, blamed a lack of trust between countries: "To meet the climate change challenge, the international community must strengthen confidence, build consensus, make vigorous efforts and enhance co-operation." But indigenous Bolivian president Evo Morales blamed capitalism and the US. "The meeting has failed. It's unfortunate for the planet. The fault is with the lack of political will by a small group of countries led by the US," he said. Even veterans of previous environmental negotiations were disappointed. "Given where we started and the expectations for this conference, anything less than a legally binding and agreed outcome falls far short of the mark," said John Ashe, chair of the Kyoto protocol talks. | ['environment/copenhagen', 'environment/environment', 'tone/news', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/kyoto-protocol', 'environment/global-climate-talks', 'type/article', 'profile/johnvidal'] | environment/global-climate-talks | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2009-12-19T01:29:06Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
environment/2023/may/19/call-dementia-risk-included-uk-air-pollution-policies | Call for dementia risk to be included in UK air pollution policies | A wealth of research shows that air pollution is harming our brain health, including our mental health and our risk of dementia. A new report has outlined what we should do next. Prof Frank Kelly of Imperial College London, a former chair of the UK Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution, said: “Dementia is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, global challenge for health and social care in the 21st century. Recognition that air pollution might accelerate the decline in cognitive function and contribute to the development of dementia came as a surprise when such an association was first postulated. “Logic suggested that air pollution would affect our lungs, then research found that circulatory diseases were also affected by poor air quality. It didn’t take long for researchers to ask if other organs like the brain were affected as well.” Research in this area began about 20 years ago with the discovery of brain changes in pet dogs in chronically polluted Mexico City and the finding that these changes can begin in young puppies. Evidence accumulated over the past five years includes a study from Spain showing that air pollution can affect children’s brain development and performance in tests. Research on 1,700 Londoners showed increased mental health problems with exposure to air pollution. Last year Kelly’s Department for Health and Social Care committee reviewed 69 studies and concluded it was likely that air pollution accelerated cognitive decline in elderly people and increased the risk of developing dementia. It is likely that damage to brain health accumulates slowly from the air pollution people breathe each day. The new report calls for an audit of existing policies to fast-track actions that reduce our exposure to air pollution through our whole lives, including low-pollution school zones and the development of dementia-friendly communities. The report also calls for health, and specifically brain health, to be part of net zero strategies. Prof Brian Castellani of the University of Durham, director of the new report, said: “A major step change is improving urban life, for example road congestion, green spaces, indoor air quality, ultra-low emission zones, biking and pedestrian lanes, as well as tackling health and economic inequalities. We also need policies to recognise that even legal limits of air pollution can be harmful and potentially worsen the situation of people living with dementia, neurodegenerative disease or early life brain health issues.” | ['environment/series/pollutionwatch', 'environment/air-pollution', 'environment/environment', 'environment/pollution', 'society/mental-health', 'society/health', 'uk/uk', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/gary-fuller', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-weather'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2023-05-19T05:00:18Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2022/may/13/south-africa-floods-climate-crisis-global-heating | South Africa’s April floods made twice as likely by climate crisis, scientists say | The massive and deadly floods that struck South Africa in April were made twice as likely and more intense by global heating, scientists have calculated. The research demonstrates that the climate emergency is resulting in devastation. Catastrophic floods and landslides hit the South African provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape on 11 April following exceptionally heavy rainfall. The South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa called the floods a “catastrophe of enormous proportions” and “the biggest tragedy we have ever seen”, later declaring a national state of disaster. At least 453 people were killed and the port of Durban, the largest in Africa, was closed, causing global disruption in the supply of food and minerals. Other recent studies found that the heatwave in the Pacific Northwest region of North America in 2021 would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change, and that global heating exacerbated the extreme floods in Europe in July 2021 and the storms in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique in January. “If we do not reduce emissions and keep global temperatures below 1.5C, many extreme weather events will become increasingly destructive,” said Dr Izidine Pinto, at the University of Cape Town and part of the team that conducted the analysis. “We need to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a new reality where floods and heatwaves are more intense and damaging.” Dr Friederike Otto, at Imperial College London and also part of the team, said: “Most people who died in the floods lived in informal settlements, so again we are seeing how climate change disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable people. However, the flooding of the port of Durban is also a reminder that there are no borders for climate impacts. What happens in one place can have substantial consequences elsewhere.” A brutal heatwave is being endured in India and Pakistan and is certain to have been made worse by global heating. “There is no doubt that climate change is a huge game changer when it comes to extreme heat,” said Otto. “Every heatwave in the world is now made stronger and more likely to happen because of human-caused climate change.” Nick Silkstone, at the UK Met Office, said: “Temperatures are expected to peak on Saturday, when maximum values could reach around 49-50C [120-122F] in the hottest locations, such as Jacobabad, and the Sibi area of Pakistan. These values are around 5-7C above average for the time of year.” The analysis of the role of global heating in the South African floods used weather data and computer simulations to assess how likely the extreme rainfall was to happen in today’s heated climate – 1.2C hotter than before the industrial age – and in the unheated climate of the past. The results showed such extreme rainfall could now be expected about once every 20 years compared with only once every 40 years in the past, meaning it has become twice as likely. The assessment also showed the rainfall was 4-8% more intense than it would have been without climate change. This is consistent with scientific understanding of how climate change influences heavy rainfall. As the atmosphere becomes warmer it can hold more water, increasing the risk of downpours. | ['environment/climate-crisis', 'world/extreme-weather', 'world/southafrica', 'environment/flooding', 'world/africa', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'science/science', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/damiancarrington', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2022-05-13T11:01:10Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
australia-news/2017/dec/14/court-challenge-to-logging-in-victorian-highlands-could-have-national-impact | Court challenge to logging in Victorian highlands could have national impact | Green groups are challenging the validity of a Victorian forestry agreement in the federal court in a case that could have repercussions for the Australian logging industry as a whole. Environmental Justice Australia, acting on behalf of Friends of the Leadbeater’s Possum, has argued that the regional forest agreement covering Victoria’s central highlands region, which is home to the critically endangered possum, is invalid because the Victorian government failed to perform the requisite reviews. The challenge comes as conservationists have called for a moratorium on logging in 100,000 hectares (247,105 acres) of mountain ash forest in central Victoria, a move they say is necessary to save the Leadbeater’s possum from extinction and the forest from total ecosystem collapse. Regional forest agreements are a system of forest management introduced in the 1990s to try to resolve conflict between foresters and environmentalists. They are struck between the commonwealth and the relevant state or territory government, which is required to conduct a performance review of the 20-year deal every five years. The central highlands RFA was signed in 1998. Instead of a five-yearly review, the Victorian government produced a combined five- and 10-year review of the five RFAs operating in the state, which was published in 2009. The third five-year review was published in 2015. In a two-day hearing before federal court judge Debbie Mortimer that began in Melbourne on Thursday, Environmental Justice Australia will argue that the failure to produce five-yearly reports meant the RFA was invalid and,in the absence of that agreement, logging and other activities in the mountain ash forests was subject to environmental laws, such as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. Currently, RFAs are exempt from the EPBC Act. The EPBC Act requires significant mitigation for any action that may impact upon a listed species, like the critically endangered Leadbeater’s possum or vulnerable greater glider, which both rely on the old-growth mountain ash forests of the central highlands. If logging in the central highlands was found to be not protected under an RFA, it may not be allowed to continue. Mortimer granted an injunction in November, halting logging in 43 central highlands forestry coupes until after the case was heard. The Victorian and commonwealth governments joined the case as interested parties this month. They will argue, along with lead defendant, VicForests, that the agreement is valid. There are five current RFAs in Victoria, covering the central highlands, east Gippsland, Gippsland, the north-east and the west. There are also three in New South Wales, covering Eden, the north-east, and the southern district, and one each in Western Australia and Tasmania. All four states have similar reporting practices. If the central highlands agreement is found to be invalid it could undermine the validity of all except the Tasmanian agreement, which was rolled over this year. According to the RFA reports, which are published by the federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, none of the four states produced regular reviews that actually commenced at five-year intervals. Both NSW and WA produced at least one combined review, similar to the Victorian review, and Tasmania has not lodged a review since its 10-year review in 2006. The RFA process has long been criticised by environmentalists, who say they have allowed unsustainable logging practices and that their threatened species protection was “grossly inadequate.” | ['australia-news/victoria', 'environment/logging-and-land-clearing', 'australia-news/victorian-politics', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/forests', 'environment/environment', 'environment/endangeredspecies', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/wildlife', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/calla-wahlquist', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/logging-and-land-clearing | BIODIVERSITY | 2017-12-14T02:08:31Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
artanddesign/2016/mar/11/thats-me-picture-paul-gravett-leaflets-bob-lambert | Paul Gravett distributes leaflets in McDonald’s with undercover police officer, Bob Lambert, 1986 | I met Bob Lambert at my first London Greenpeace meeting in 1985, when I was in my early 20s. We got chatting about animal rights and quickly became friends; he was charismatic and like the older brother I never had. He was someone I could identify with; he was amiable, vegan and believed strongly in animal rights. He’d drop little compliments. One that stands out was at a benefit gig for the Animal Liberation Front in September 1986, at a squat in Islington. I designed the poster and he said, “That looks great. You’re an artist!” I was flattered, and it stuck with me. I now know that spies are trained to tell you things you want to hear. This photograph was taken on World Anti McDonald’s Day. We’d just published a new leaflet entitled What’s Wrong With McDonald’s: Everything They Don’t Want You To Know. I think I contributed one sentence: “Revolution begins in your stomach.” It was the leaflet that led to the McLibel trial – I was one of those sued by McDonald’s in 1990. I apologised under duress: we were advised by a libel lawyer we had no chance of winning and would be made bankrupt without the case even getting to court. Needless to say, there is no way I’d have said sorry had I known Lambert was a spy. A friend with a good SLR camera took pictures, to have a record of the demo. In this shot, we’re picketing McDonald’s on Oxford Street. There were about 10 of us, handing out leaflets and talking to people. Lambert’s staring down at the leaflet, almost as if he’s admiring his creation; he had a key role in producing it. He disappeared two years later, at the end of 1988. For years he was a sort of folk-tale hero, the activist who had eluded the police. He’d been downbeat the last time I’d seen him, saying his father had just died and that he wasn’t allowed to see his own son. I now know both were lies. In September 2011, I found out he was an undercover police officer for special branch, and had fathered a child with a fellow activist. It made me angry. He hadn’t just spied on me for years; he became a manager of the special demonstrations squad and trained others who also spied on me. He followed me from afar for more than two decades. We were aware the state would take an interest in us, but no one guessed they would create fake people using dead children’s identities and become part of our personal lives. Now we say, “We were a bit naive”; but if you behave as if everyone’s a spy, you’d make yourself so unwelcoming to outsiders, you couldn’t make a group work. If I saw Lambert again, I might hurl abuse at him, or I might ignore him. For more than 20 years, this was a private picture of someone I thought was a good friend, whom I missed. I would look at it from time to time and wonder about him. It’s strange that it’s now famous. It has been published widely online and in the book Undercover, about Britain’s secret police. When I look at it, I see an idealistic young man with someone he trusted. But he was a conman. He betrayed me. He used me, and others, to build his career. It hasn’t tainted those values I had. If he had changed me in that way, then he would have won. Are you in a famous photograph? Email thatsme@theguardian.com | ['artanddesign/series/thats-me-in-the-picture', 'artanddesign/photography', 'artanddesign/artanddesign', 'uk/police', 'environment/greenpeace', 'environment/activism', 'environment/environment', 'world/protest', 'uk/uk', 'world/world', 'culture/culture', 'tone/features', 'type/article', 'profile/erica-buist', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/weekend', 'theguardian/weekend/back'] | environment/activism | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2016-03-11T16:00:21Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
environment/2019/sep/05/amazon-fires-are-true-apocalypse-says-brazilian-archbishop | Amazon fires are 'true apocalypse', says Brazilian archbishop | The fires in the Amazon are a “true apocalypse”, according to a Brazilian archbishop who expects next month’s papal synod at the Vatican to strongly denounce the destruction of the rainforest. The comments by Erwin Kräutler will put fresh pressure on the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, following criticism from G7 leaders last month over the surge of deforestation in the world’s biggest terrestrial carbon sink. The archbishop’s words also highlight a widening division between the Catholic church and the Pentecostal movement. Pope Francis has championed a more harmonious relationship with the natural world for the sake of future generations, in contrast to the fast-growing new-world Pentecostalists who form the support base for the ramped-up resource exploitation advocated by Bolsonaro and Donald Trump. The gathering of bishops would condemn all forms of Amazon destruction and advocate a new view of ecology based on Christian faith in God as the creator of a “common home”, Kräutler said in an email exchange with the Guardian. Although retired as a bishop of Xingu, he is one of 18 members of the preparatory council appointed by Francis ahead of next month’s papal synod on the Amazon. Following the meeting, Francis is expected to reinforce this message with an “apostolic exhortation”. It is likely to build on his influential 180-page encyclical on climate change, Laudato Si’, published four years ago, which called for concrete steps to tackle the environmental crisis. Preparations for an Amazon synod have been under way since 2016, but the issue has become more urgent in recent months due to fires, threats and a hostile government, Kräutler said. “There have always been fires in the Amazon. When they are smaller, nature rebuilds itself within a few years. But what you are seeing now is a true apocalypse,” said the archbishop, who has spent 54 years in the region. “The fires this year surpass anything you can imagine. Undoubtedly, it is the consequence of comments by [Bolsonaro] about the opening of the Amazon to national and multinational companies. He understands ‘opening the Amazon’ as a licence to clear a rainforest and gain space for cattle to graze and plant monocultures such as soybeans and sugar cane.” Earlier this week, Catholic clergy in the Amazon released an open letter condemning violence and intimidation they say they are experiencing as a result of efforts to protect the forest, indigenous people and poor communities from miners and farmers. “We are deeply disappointed that today, instead of being supported and encouraged, our leaders are criminalised as enemies of the fatherland,” they wrote. “Together with Pope Francis, we are uncompromisingly defending the Amazon and demanding urgent measures from governments in the face of violent and irrational aggression against nature and the destruction of the forest that kills ancient flora and fauna with criminal fires.” Kräutler said the letter was necessary because the government had spread false rumours that the Catholic church was undermining Brazilian sovereignty. Priests and nuns have a long history of working with poor communities in the Amazon, which has often put them at odds with powerful business interests and the authorities. During the 1970s, the Liberation theology movement was closely aligned with leftwing resistance to the military dictatorship of the time. In 2005, the America nun Dorothy Stang was murdered by landowners. One of her followers, Father Amaro Lopes, was arrested last year in the Xingu River basin. Kräutler had so many death threats he needed police protection for more than 10 years. Tensions have risen further since Bolsonaro – a former military officer who has defended the use of torture and killings during the 20-year dictatorship that ended in 1985 – became president. He has weakened government protections of the rainforest, verbally attacked indigenous groups, accused environmental NGOs of starting fires and broken ties with foreign donors to the Amazon Fund. In July – when deforestation alerts jumped by 278% compared with the same month last year – he fired the head of the space agency that provided the data. On Saturday, Bolsonaro confirmed that he wanted the Brazilian intelligence agency to conduct surveillance on the Amazon synod. “There is a lot of political influence there,” the president reportedly told journalists. Although nominally a Catholic, Bolsonaro was baptised a few years ago by evangelical pastors in Israel. His rise to power has depended heavily on support from the Pentecostal movement, which is growing far more rapidly than the Catholic church. A primary goal of the synod is to increase the ability of the Catholic church to evangelise in the Amazon and – although unstated – to counter the rise of Pentecostalism, which tends to support resource exploitation and has made inroads among indigenous and riverine communities. But bishops have been hamstrung by the difficulty of finding priests willing to work in the remote region. One of the more radical ideas in a preparatory document for the synod, Instrumentum Laboris, is to allow older married men to be ordained – a move which would end a centuries-old requirement that priests are celibate. Francis has previously said he would be open to allowing married men to be ordained in areas where there is a scarcity of priests, but the idea is highly controversial among Vatican conservatives, with cardinals having described it as “heretical” and “apostasy”. Instrumentum Laboris also laments the crisis in the Amazon, which it attributes to “secularisation, the throwaway culture and the idolatry of money”. “Today the Amazon is wounded, its beauty deformed, a place of pain and violence,” it continues. “The manifold destruction of human and environmental life, the diseases and pollution of rivers and lands, the felling and burning of trees, the massive loss of biodiversity, the disappearance of species (more than 1m of the 8m animals and plants are at risk), constitute a brutal reality that challenges us all. “Violence, chaos and corruption are rampant. The territory has become a space of discord and of extermination of peoples, cultures and generations.” | ['environment/amazon-rainforest', 'world/catholicism', 'world/pope-francis', 'world/brazil', 'world/jair-bolsonaro', 'environment/deforestation', 'world/christianity', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/environment', 'world/religion', 'environment/forests', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/jonathanwatts', 'profile/harrietsherwood', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-foreign', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/amazon-rainforest | BIODIVERSITY | 2019-09-05T14:05:48Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2013/dec/26/christmas-flooding-weybridge-river-wey-surrey | Christmas tears as UK floods leave Surrey swamped | Eamonn Fagan was sharing after-dinner drinks at the end of a leisurely Christmas Day meal when river water started bubbling up around his feet. "We were just finishing our dinner at 5pm and water started to come up through the floorboards," said the 60-year-old from Weybridge. "We cleared the dining-room table, put the sofas on top and took everything else we could upstairs. We had the port and brandy out, saluted the house and left." Fagan was one of many in the Surrey town forced to bed down on friends' sofas or in hotels and guesthouses on Christmas night, returning on Boxing Day to survey the damage caused by the worst flood there since 2000. He found his home under half a metre of water, just one of 80 properties by the broken banks of the river Wey where residents were washed out or trapped. Static homes, riverside houses on stilts and wooden cabins were all flooded in this small community wedged between the flooded river and the swollen Wey navigation canal. Some residents, swathed in layers of jumpers against the 3C chill, were distraught at the devastation of their properties and loss of cherished pets, while others dealt with the disaster with mordant humour. "One of the benefits of living by the water," joked one home-owner as he waded across his submerged drive to report flooding throughout his house. Wearing borrowed waders and with a wheelbarrow full of possessions in black binliners, Hannah Kingerley, 34, was one of those whose health was put at risk by the flood. She is suffering from cancer and had to venture back to her static home to retrieve drugs needed for her chemotherapy. The fish in her tank had died because of a power cut and her cat, Bubbly, was missing. "A lot of stuff is floating," she said. "All my grandma's books. I'm a bit gutted about that. But we got the important stuff out: like our lives and mince pies." Her friends ran rescue missions in their dinghy, Miss Buckett, bringing out neighbours clutching 21st-century essentials: tablet computers, mobile phones and chargers. Parked cars were semi-submerged. The Environment Agency has warned that further flooding of properties is expected, with heavy showers predicted into Friday. Surrey firefighters spent all morning rescuing residents from the wider 80-home riverside community using an inflatable boat and a four-wheel vehicle equipped with an exhaust snorkel. Vera Chakhrabarti, 75, was in tears as she held her cat, Puss, and tried to keep warm in the fire engine's cabin after being rescued by boat at around 9am. Thirteen years ago, when the flood last came, she and her husband, Santanu, didn't get back in for 18 months and their home was underwater again. They had recently sold their house and were due to move out next month. "My son was coming with his family for a couple of days," she said. "There's turkey, presents. I know it's only food and such, but it's upsetting." Red Cross staff threw a blanket around her and gave her a cup of hot tea. Douglas Smith, 73, and his wife, Mavis, had been away for Christmas, but came back, urgently needing to get back into their cut-off home because Smith, a lung cancer survivor, needed inhalers and drugs. "I have got no medicine now," he said. "I'm all right today, but tomorrow I'll need it." His wife negotiated a berth on the boat, strapped on a life vest and floated off to try to get the supplies. A local flood warden, David Seager, had been away in Southampton spending Christmas with his children, and returned to find his route home blocked by waist-deep water. He said the Wey was around a metre higher than usual. Upstream at Byfleet, police closed flooded roads, causing heavy traffic as drivers trying to enter via the A245 were forced to turn back. Children on bikes gingerly forded the water at the town's bridge foot while a Lycra-clad cyclist tried it with gusto, only to get tipped off into the freezing water by a submerged obstacle. His fall drew cheers from bystanders. "Beats jumping in the Serpentine," he joked as he heaved his sodden frame back into the saddle. | ['uk/weather', 'environment/flooding', 'environment/environment', 'tone/news', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'profile/robertbooth', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2013-12-26T19:05:00Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
stage/2019/apr/10/atomic-50-review-leyton-sports-ground-london-waltham-forest-borough-culture-metalwork-tin | Atomic 50 review – hammer away in a ghost factory for metalheads | On a wall opposite Blackhorse Road underground station in Walthamstow, east London, a giant spangly heart declares: “Welcome to the home of people who make and create.” Up the road is the childhood home of one of the borough’s most famous makers, William Morris, now a hands-on museum. Aircraft engines were once built on the site of the nearby arts centre Gnome House. And round the corner from two former tin-toy factories is Blackhorse Workshop, where children and adults learn about welding and woodturning. The workshop’s new installation for children aged seven to 11, Atomic 50, has been created with Abigail Conway for Waltham Forest’s year as London borough of culture. It takes place in an old school building in Leyton, in the south of the borough, and celebrates the area’s history of manufacturing and metalwork. It’s also a hymn to tin as an eco-friendly material. That’s enough to interest Aggie, my nine-year-old daughter, who has been learning about recycling and counting our ever-growing mountain of plastic wrappings. With two dozen others, all clutching time sheets to clock in and out, we assemble inside what is billed as an “immersive ghost factory”. Aggie jumps when a knockabout trio of actors burst in, clad in blue boiler suits. Elizabeth Bartram, Lauren Deanna and Michael Armstrong – aka Mags Nesium, Ally Minium and Tim Smith – are our cheery guides through rooms exploring ancient, industrial and domestic uses of tin. It starts with a surreal little sketch. Plastic-wrapped strawberries and peaches pass by on a conveyor belt while we listen to the lament of tinned fruits who tell us they’re sweeter and safer for the environment. Then we gather around a giant dining table, spoons and dishes dangling above, with tin-whistle music in the background. But the main purpose is to get us making, not watching and listening. Our guide tells us about the dangerous work down the Cornish tin mines – more about this would have been interesting – and we’re asked to design a useful item made from natural resources. The kids’ ideas quickly put the adults to shame. Aggie sketches out a giant cat-shaped bus carved from wood, another girl has an elaborate design involving wind turbines and one boy invents a new type of car. When we’re led into a workshop and given goggles and gloves, I’m wondering how much of Aggie’s cat bus we can possibly whittle. But instead, we get instructions to make cone-shaped metal trumpets. “Punch, roll, rivet,” is the drill, but there’s nothing really dynamic about the scene. The actors have got their work cut out making sure we assemble our trumpets and move on before the next group come in. The banter is all a bit superficial – quick puns, throwaway gags – and there’s none of the atmosphere suggested by the “ghost factory” that had intrigued Aggie. Still, Soraya Gilanni Viljoen’s beautiful design for the next room – a wood with a homely tin hut – brings the smell of bark as well as a fun badge-making activity with designer Lua Garcia. It’s all done with a personal touch: the actors are open and encouraging with the children, who now strike initials into their metal badges. This is Aggie’s favourite bit and she proudly pins on her badge while I follow with the slightly wonky trumpet. A bit of digital wizardry is behind a lovely final scene that brings the audience together to share their experiences. I’d have liked a clearer picture of the local history and I’m not sure if this is an “immersive” installation or just a giant arts and crafts session. But if it’s not entirely riveting it feels as if it’s been made with love. Atomic 50 is at Leyton Sports Ground, London, until 30 April | ['stage/series/play-time', 'stage/stage', 'culture/culture', 'stage/theatre', 'artanddesign/artanddesign', 'artanddesign/art', 'artanddesign/installation', 'uk/london', 'lifeandstyle/craft', 'lifeandstyle/lifeandstyle', 'environment/recycling', 'environment/ethical-living', 'environment/waste', 'environment/environment', 'stage/childrens-theatre', 'type/article', 'tone/reviews', 'profile/chriswiegand', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/g2', 'theguardian/g2/music', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-culture'] | environment/waste | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2019-04-10T20:02:57Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
world/2005/jan/05/tsunami2004.jamesmeek | Cow causes crash that stretches aid lifeline | The tsunami relief effort in Indonesia was held up for several hours yesterday when a cargo plane hit a herd of cows that had strayed onto the runway at Banda Aceh airport. The accident at 1.15am local time caused the landing gear of the Boeing 737 to collapse, though none of the crew was injured. The plane was finally removed in the early evening, but with the runway out of action, hundreds of transport aircraft were left backed up around the region, unable to make their deliveries. Aid has been pouring into the airport, at the far north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Banda Aceh and the coast to the south-west were among the areas most most devastated by the earthquake and tsunami on December 26. The United Nations has estimated the number of Indonesians who have become de pendent on aid as a result of the earthquake and tsunami at 800,000, including those who may not have lost their home but have lost their livelihood. To add to problems on the ground, the two remaining hospitals in the provincial capital Banda Aceh are now so full that only the most essential evacuations to the city are being permitted. Doctors are also complaining that a shortage of vehicles for their medical teams is preventing them from reaching refugee camps and other areas where survivors are living. About a dozen people who had been airlifted from the worst-affected villages and towns were forced to wait on stretchers outside the small Fakima hospital in Banda Aceh while spaces were cleared in the wards inside. Many of the wards have no power and insufficient stands for intravenous fluid bags to rehydrate patients. "It's heartbreaking; we're so glad that we were close by and could rush in to help out," said Leslie Ansag, a medic from the American warship USS Abraham Lincoln, which is anchored off Sumatra's west coast. He told the Associated Press: "Everyone is trying to do the best they can." Dr Murdani Abdullah, a gastroenterologist who flew in from Jakarta last week, said there was a critical shortage of medical personnel at the hospital. "Half of the staff were killed, while many of the others ran away," he said. "Only one doctor was here when we arrived." The hospital is now mostly being run by teams from Jakarta and foreigners, including 38 doctors, nurses and other medics from Australia as well as the Americans. Indonesian police officers are staffing the pharmacy. Dr Murdani said the majority of injuries are broken limbs, cuts, lacerations, pneumonia and some infections from old injuries. "We thankfully are not treating anyone for any diseases yet," he added. Away Ludin, a 60-year-old farmer from the west coast town of Lamno, was one of the lucky ones airlifted out. He told the Associated Press that he had suffered breathing problems before the disaster and his health had deteriorated since then. "I thought this is the end, I'm going to die," he said. "I was so shocked and surprised to see these white people coming into the village. I'm so glad they were there." Arista Idris, a spokeswoman for the International Organi sation for Migration, which is helping coordinate the evacuation of refugees, said all but emergency evacuations had stopped. "The hospitals in Banda Aceh are inundated," she said. Overcrowding is equally bad at the other hospital, the Indonesian military's facility, according to Dr Aryono Pusponegoro, a surgeon from Jakarta. "When we arrived the corridors were double-lined," he told the Guardian. "Now we have 150 patients whereas the capacity is only 120." He said it would be crucial to reopen the city's main Zainal Abidin hospital. "It was flooded and covered in mud but the building is intact. We're trying to find out if we can do something about it." Dr Pusponegoro predicted the crush would probably last another two weeks unless alternative arrangements were made. He said the pressure could be eased by sending medical teams out to the regions to treat the injured there but that logistical problems were hampering this. "We want to go to the refugee camps to look for patients but the problem is we don't have the transportation," he said. "We have the teams but they can't get there." | ['world/world', 'world/tsunami2004', 'world/banda-aceh', 'type/article', 'profile/jamesmeek', 'profile/johnaglionby'] | world/tsunami2004 | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2005-01-05T23:58:45Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
global/blog/2017/nov/27/cooperation-key-to-saving-coral-triangles-green-turtles | Cooperation key to saving Coral Triangle's green turtles | Conservationists recently took a major step forward in their efforts to protect green turtles in the Coral Triangle with the establishment of a ‘turtle corridor’ in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape, which encompasses the territorial waters of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia and is one of the biodiversity hotspots of the Coral Triangle. The announcement was made at an event hosted by environmental organisation Conservation International at the 12th Conference of Parties of the Convention of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP 12), held last month in the Philippines. One of the major challenges in conserving marine species – or even getting accurate data about them - is that they tend to ignore borders. For migratory species like the endangered green turtle, localized Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are not enough: turtle numbers are declining despite significant funds going towards their conservation. The Marine Turtle Protected Area Network (MTPAN) aims to reverse this trend by connecting four MPAs in the Philippines as a first step towards establishing a transboundary network of safe havens for turtles across the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape - home to one of the biggest nesting populations of green turtles in the world. Turtles are among the most iconic creatures in the ocean and their popularity with tourists makes them an important source of revenue for local communities. But they continue to be illegally exploited for their eggs and meat – considered a delicacy by communities throughout the region – and their shells, which are still used to make tourist souvenirs. They often end up as bycatch in commercial fishing nets and have to contend with coastal pollution and destruction of habitats like coral reefs and sea grass beds. “If we are only protecting one area, and the other area is exploiting [turtles]… that is a problem,” said Minda Bairulla, Superintendent of the Turtle Island Wildlife Sanctuary – one of the four MTPAN marine parks in the Philippines. “We are affected by our neighbours who do not protect their marine ecosystems,” she added. Tubbataha National Park in the Philippines illustrates the point. It’s an important developmental habitat for green turtles, who stay there for between 13-23 years. “But if they don’t have a safe haven [elsewhere]...to lay their eggs, then we won’t have them in the future,” said Angelique Songco, the Park’s Superintendent. With the Philippines leading the way, the next step will be to add seven more sites from Indonesia and Malaysia to the network. The increased cooperation should lead to better management of turtle populations, provided systems for monitoring and protection are properly implemented. Though turtles are the figurehead of the MTPAN, the project is also a crucial opportunity for the three countries to cooperate in managing shared marine resources effectively. By extension, a trilateral strategy to protect turtles also conserves key ecosystems that local people rely on for their livelihoods. In 2009, the six Coral Triangle countries (Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste) established the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries & Food Security (CTI-CFF) in recognition of the interrelated nature of the six million sq km bio-region. Projects like MTPAN offer the possibility of putting policy into practice and establishing a model that can be replicated in other regions. However, if MTPAN is to have real world impact, all three countries will have to come on board, while each of the 11 member MPAs will need to effectively managed in their own right. “Each MPA needs to be strong in itself; then we collaborate to be an even stronger force,” said Angelique Songco. | ['type/article', 'environment/blog', 'environment/the-coral-triangle', 'environment/environment', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/conservation', 'world/philippines', 'tone/comment', 'profile/johnny-langenheim', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2017-11-27T17:38:48Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
australia-news/2017/sep/21/queensland-is-leading-source-of-renewable-energy-jobs-report-says | Queensland is leading source of renewable energy jobs, report says | Queensland has emerged for the first time as the nation’s leading source of renewable energy jobs, according to figures suggesting the Palaszczuk government’s policy push away from coal-fired power has gained momentum. The state had almost 6,500 people working in renewables in August, ending New South Wales’ long-standing dominance of employment in the burgeoning sector, the latest Australian Renewable Energy Index shows. This reflected a boom in large-scale solar- and wind-generation projects under construction in Queensland, which the index found generated 5,203 “job years” alongside 1,287 full-time jobs in solar rooftop installation. The figures come a day after the Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, challenged Malcolm Turnbull to take her lead on delivering “investment certainty” through a clean energy target. “I can tell you – and Malcolm Turnbull if he’s looking for some advice - the industry has responded to my government’s clear energy policy direction,” Palaszczuk said in a “state of the state” speech in Brisbane, amid speculation of a looming election announcement. On Tuesday Turnbull flagged federal funding for a new coal-fired power station in north Queensland if the Liberal National party won the election. Palaszczuk told a Committee of Economic Development Australia function that her government’s target of 50% renewable energy by 2030 had triggered a “$5bn pipeline of private investment” in projects. Seemingly using more conservative employment projections than Green Energy, Palaszczuk said these projects would “support 3,200 jobs”. They would also generate “5,000MW of clean energy”, which was “more than twice the theoretical capacity of the ageing and much-debated Liddell power station” in NSW, Palaszczuk said. The monthly renewable energy index – released for the first time last month by Green Energy Markets with funding by GetUp – found the share of national power generation from renewables across Australia rose again last month to 19.5%, up from 17.2% in 2016-17 and just 7% a decade ago. Solar rooftop systems installed in August alone would save households $180m over the next decade, it found. Queensland, which already had Australia’s largest number of rooftop solar systems and the bulk of its solar projects, overtook NSW by 1,772 renewables jobs last month, according to the index. Projects committed to construction in August included Australia’s largest wind farm, the 453MW Cooper’s Gap project near Kingaroy. Another three projects shifted to production. Palaszcuk said in two-and-a-half years under her government, large-scale solar power had gone from “zero generation to projects with a capacity in excess of 1,000MW”. Her government was also in talks to attract local production of battery technology that was the sector’s “greatest new frontier”, given the intermittent generation of renewables. “My vision for Queensland is not simply as a beneficiary of this technology, but as a builder of it,” she said. However, Palaszczuk acknowledged Queensland’s reliance on “Australia’s youngest and most efficient fleet of coal-fired generators” for being the only state to avoid predicted power shortfalls. She also blamed power price rises on other states “failing to develop their gas basins” and privatising their power assets, amid “outdated and unfair” national electricity market rules. GetUp Queensland campaigner Ellen Roberts said the state was belatedly realising its clean energy potential, with 38 projects under development and another 40 looking to link to the grid. These would eventually add 15 gigawatts of capacity, “more than Queensland’s entire fossil fuel power plant capacity” of 12 gigawatts, Roberts said. “With our solar advantage, we should be able to beat NSW on renewables as often as we beat them in the State of Origin,” she said. “But we’ll need to see more renewable energy action from the Queensland government if we want to hang onto the winners’ shield.” Championing clean energy projects to the Naif (Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility), which Turnbull had earmarked for funding a new coal station, “would be a great start”, Roberts said. | ['australia-news/queensland', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/energy', 'australia-news/malcolm-turnbull', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'australia-news/annastacia-palaszczuk', 'australia-news/queensland-politics', 'australia-news/labor-party', 'type/article', 'profile/joshua-robertson', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/renewableenergy | ENERGY | 2017-09-21T00:00:19Z | true | ENERGY |
commentisfree/2015/feb/24/netanyahu-bombing-sanctions-wont-work-iran | Netanyahu must realise bombing and permanent sanctions won’t work on Iran | Richard Dalton | The revelation that in 2012 Israel’s intelligence agency took a different view from its prime minister about Iran’s intentions is little surprise. It merely confirms that Binyamin Netanyahu is an unreliable witness in the global debate over what to do about Iran’s nuclear programme. For years he has exaggerated its nature and extent, cried wolf about the imminence of a nuclear weapon, promoted hyperbole about Iran dominating the Middle East, overplayed what sanctions or war could achieve for Israel, and decried the international rules in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Israel’s history is unique. Because of this, it has a missile-borne nuclear force, which gives as much deterrent power in the Middle East as such weapons give us in Europe. Iran sees itself as doing God’s work on Earth: that cannot be done if the Islamic Republic is obliterated in a nuclear exchange. We would all like absolute certainty that Iran will never seek to use its nuclear capabilities to acquire weapons. But the six governments negotiating with Iran know that neither bombing nor perpetual economic sanctions would eliminate that risk. Bombing could provoke Iran to develop a nuclear force, which it has not done so far; and new sanctions would not bring Iran to its knees. In the form proposed by some in the US Congress, however, more sanctions would induce Iran to close down both the current agreed limits on its activities and the transparency that enables the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor it. The six nations – the permanant security council members (US, Britain, France, Russia and China) plus Germany, or P5+1 – are negotiating hard for an enforceable agreed scheme that will ensure Iran abides by its declared policy of not seeking nuclear weapons. For 10 years this goal eluded the international community because it asked for more than any Iranian government could agree to – no enrichment, which contradicts the Non-Proliferation Treaty under which it is lawful for Iran to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. The negotiations turned a corner in 2012 only when the P5+1 based its case on reciprocity, the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and a step-by step process, and then – after skilful secret talks with America – agreed with Iran in November 2013 that this meant the country could retain its right to enrich uranium under IAEA supervision and would ultimately gain the permanent lifting of nuclear-related sanctions. The political atmosphere around these negotiations is going to heat up further in Tehran and in Washington. The US and its partners, and President Rouhani’s government backed by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, are showing admirable perseverance against their detractors. They are trying to resolve, by the end of March, how and when sanctions will be lifted; the duration of the agreement; and the exact dimensions of Iran’s enrichment programme (which includes the number of existing centrifuges, and arrangements for more advanced ones). Then there is Khamenei’s demand that all the implementation details be wrapped up with the core political negotiations and agreed in one go, not left for a second stage of discussion. The latest round of talks between Iran and the US, which have just ended, have given the clearest signs yet that, among other things, limits to Iranian capabilities and production, revelation of past military research and development and permanent adherence to the highest standards of monitoring, along with the gradual lifting of sanctions, are all negotiable. This is good news because it would allow both detection and deterrence of any dash for a weapon. It would block the available known pathways to the accumulation of sufficient highly enriched uranium for a bomb, and reduce – as much as can be done anywhere in the world – the risk of a covert weapons programme. Netanyahu portrays it as bad news, despite having no better alternative to offer. He would prefer that Iran’s potential for nuclear weapons be “eliminated”. That is is not possible – the knowledge of inherently dual-use technology that Iran has acquired cannot be erased. But it is possible to limit and to verify the Iranian programme for a substantial period of time, and to ensure Iran’s programme is exclusively peaceful. The key difference between Netanyahu’s assessments and those of the Mossad and the six countries negotiating with Iran today is whether or not Iran’s activities amount to the inexorable implementation of a plan to build nuclear weapons. They do not. | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'world/iran', 'tone/comment', 'world/middleeast', 'world/world', 'world/benjamin-netanyahu', 'world/israel', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'world/nuclear-weapons', 'type/article', 'profile/richard-dalton'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2015-02-24T19:33:38Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2014/jan/09/russia-greenpeace-senegal-trawler-fishing | Russia accuses Greenpeace of encouraging Senegal to seize trawler | Russia has renewed hostilities with Greenpeace after the release of the protesters known as the Arctic 30, accusing the environmental organisation of being behind the seizure of one of its trawlers in Senegalese waters. The trawler, the Russian-owned factory ship Oleg Naydenov, which regularly fishes off the west African coast, was boarded by armed Senegalese commandos near the maritime border with Guinea-Bissau last week and escorted back to the port of Dakar. The Senegalese government has reportedly demanded €1.5m (£1.2m) in fines for its alleged illegal fishing in the exclusive 12-mile fishing zone on 23 December. The ship's seizure has provoked a diplomatic row with the Russian government, which suggested Greenpeace had orchestrated the seizure of the trawler in retaliation for Russia's detention of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise in October 2013, following its activists' protest against Gazprom's oil drilling in the Arctic. The Arctic 30 were detained though finally released, as were two members of the band Pussy Riot, after an amnesty issued by Vladimir Putin last month. "It turns out the army of the sovereign republic of Senegal acts on the command of Greenpeace," Alexander Savelyov, a spokesman for Russia's federal fisheries agency, told the Novosti news agency. "As such the Senegalese army continues to hold the fishing trawler Oleg Naydenov along with citizens of Russia and Guinea-Bissau at a military base in Dakar." In a further statement, Savelyov said: "I am far from the thought that this is some kind of crude revenge for the Arctic Sunrise's actions that led to the arrest of the activists for their protest. But I will say that Greenpeace's actions are reminiscent of a woman of little social responsibility who can be used by any person of means." Greenpeace, which says it supports Senegal's move, denied that it had had any contact with the Senegalese government. "These accusations are a way for the Russian government to avoid taking responsibility," said Ahmed Diame, Greenpeace Africa oceans campaigner. The environment group and the Russian ship have a history of confrontation. When Greenpeace was monitoring illegal fishing off the west African coast in 2012, it claimed it found the Oleg fishing inside Senegalese waters with its name covered by a tarpaulin. Greenpeace activists working from small inflatable boats removed the tarpaulin and painted the words "plunder" and "pillage" on its side. On Wednesday it emerged that Senegal had repeatedly accused the Oleg Naydenov of fishing illegally in its waters, temporarily detaining the ship in 2010. Senegal and many other west African fishermen are up in arms against the fleets of giant, foreign-owned, trawlers that spend many months at a time fishing close to the coast and hugely depleting stocks. Senegal has estimated that 300,000 tonnes of fish are taken illegally from its waters each year. One large trawler, it is calculated, can catch as much as 250 tonnes of fish a day, roughly what 50 local fishing boats might catch in a year. Senegalese fishermen say they cannot compete with the industrial trawlers, and that the price of fish, a staple food item for much of the country, has risen, leading to hunger and increased poverty. According to the United Nations, overfishing in west African waters threatens to cause political instability by driving communities that live off the sea toward crime. Officials point to the precedent set in Somalia, where illegal fishing in the 1990s encouraged fishermen to turn to piracy. In April 2011 small-scale Senegalese fisheries demanded that the government revoke licences to foreign trawlers letting the ships get access to local waters. More than 20 licences for Russian, Belizean, Mauritanian, and Ukrainian vessels were cancelled. "Illegal fishing in west Africa is essentially out of control," said David Doulman, senior fisheries planning officer at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation said in 2011. Negotiations between the Senegalese and Russian governments and the ship owner are continuing. | ['environment/fishing', 'environment/greenpeace', 'environment/activism', 'environment/food', 'environment/environment', 'world/russia', 'world/senegal', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/johnvidal', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international'] | environment/activism | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2014-01-09T11:58:25Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
commentisfree/2023/may/25/orcas-ramming-yachts-spanish-whale-behaviour-trauma-humans | Orcas are ramming yachts off the Spanish coast – is the whale world rising up? | Philip Hoare | Recent accounts of “attacks” on vessels by orcas off the Iberian peninsula are challenging the way we expect the natural world to behave. Increasing in number since 2020, from northern Portugal to the strait of Gibraltar, these incidents suggest the need for a cetacean scene investigation team. On 4 May, in one of the most extreme events, orcas sank a yacht. “There were two smaller orcas and one larger,” the skipper Werner Schaufelberger told German magazine Yacht. “The little ones shook the rudder at the back while the big one repeatedly backed up and rammed the boat with full force from the side.” The word “attack” used in conjunction with animals is a human judgment; their actions are more likely to be defensive. But there is definitely something strange going on. Andrew Sutton, an experienced underwater photographer with whom I work and who is familiar with these particular orca pods, has noted them “doing weird things” in the strait, including “whacking rudders off and annoying fishermen”. Having witnessed two big intervention episodes last year, he suspects that an increase in vessels may be a factor – not least because the strait is now the most popular route for migrants setting off from Morocco. The Grupo Trabajo Orca Atlántica (GTOA, or Atlantic Orca Working Group), a highly respected partnership of Spanish and Portuguese scientists, has recorded hundreds of such reports, with 29 incidents this year around the strait alone. They believe that just 15 individuals, of a population of more than 50, are responsible. Dr Alfredo López Fernandez, of GTOA, told me that they have two hypotheses. One, the orcas “have invented something new and repeat it. This behaviour matches the profile of juveniles.” Or that it is a “response to an adverse situation; one or several individuals have had a bad experience and are trying to stop the boat so as not to repeat it. This behaviour coincides with the profile of adults.” Either way, it is an astonishing notion. Dr López Fernandez and his team have named, generically, the interacting orcas Gladis (after their original scientific name, Orca gladiator). They suspect an individual, Gladis Blanca, initiated this behaviour after a “critical moment of agony”, perhaps as a result of collison with a vessel; she also has a young daughter, born in 2021. Other Gladis whales have been entangled with fishing gear or suffered lacerations and even amputations. “All this has to make us reflect on the fact that human activities are at the origin of this behaviour.” The bare bones of Dr López Fernandez’s report evoke a plaintive story. Orca society is matriarchal; it recognises post-menopausal females as the most important members of a pod. Females pass on knowledge of feeding grounds and techniques. In the interventions, “grandmother” orcas have been seen to be observers, as if directing the events. Luke Rendell of the University of St Andrews has studied orcas extensively in the wild. He said that, while we can only speculate about the causes: “The spread of reaction to past trauma by one individual is plausible … but so are other explanations such as curiosity and play.” Part of me is secretly excited at this idea of nature fighting back. According to the charity Whale and Dolphin Conservation, at least 174 orcas have died in captivity since 1961, having been forced to swim aimlessly about in overgrown swimming pools without any of the peer interaction that defines them. The first whale I ever saw was an orca named (by humans) Ramu. He was kept in the dolphinarium at Windsor Safari Park (now Legoland) in the 1970s. As I and my whale-besotted sisters watched Ramu jump through his hoop, we realised that a magnificent animal had been reduced to a circus trick. I’ve spent 20 years seeing and writing about whales, but I didn’t see an orca again until 2017. Andrew Sutton and I were eight nautical miles off the coast of Sri Lanka, diving with a megapod of sperm whales. Close by, we came upon 30 of them surrounded by two pods of orcas trying to predate the sperm whale calves. When one of the orcas headed directly at us, we quickly got back in the boat. The orcas were defeated by the massed sperm whales. One pod left the scene. The other reassembled nearby. And we followed, out of curiosity. They began to circle us in the same way they had done with the whales, then head-butted our boat three times. I was the only one looking over the other side when five of the whales charged at us. It was utterly terrifying. At the last moment they slipped beneath us. As one of the Blue Planet film unit later told me, it is the same technique used by orcas to flip seals off ice floes. I felt I’d given up all notion of being a “superior” animal. Instead, I was part of this interaction of three cultures: orca, sperm whale and human. Orcas, not us, are probably the most successful mammal on Earth. They’ve been around in their evolved state for 6m years, and are present in every ocean. They have no known predator. Except us. I’ve no idea if the Iberian orcas are expressing a struggle for survival as we deplete their food sources and pollute their environment. Or just playing with us. But when Ranil Nanayakkara, the scientist with us on the boat, pulled up his underwater microphone after the orcas had gone, he discovered it had been bitten off. With thanks to Jeroen Hoekendijk Philip Hoare is the author of several books, including Leviathan, The Sea Inside and Albert and the Whale | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'environment/whales', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/cetaceans', 'environment/environment', 'environment/wildlife', 'world/gibraltar', 'world/spain', 'world/portugal', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/comment', 'profile/philip-hoare', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-opinion'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2023-05-25T13:00:06Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
commentisfree/2015/sep/07/niger-uranium-ali-idrissa | Même si je suis menacé je me battrai pour le Niger | Ali Idrissa | Tout a commencé en 1990. Je me battais pour la démocratie et de meilleures conditions pour les étudiants. Bien que notre pays ait obtenu son indépendance de la France en 1960, le Niger connaissait une instabilité politique chronique et était dirigé par un parti unique. J’étais jeune et tout ce que je voulais, c’était la liberté et la démocratie. A l’époque, la situation était explosive, et il y avait de violents affrontements entre les forces armées du Niger et ses citoyens. J’ai perdu un de mes cousins ainsi qu’un ami proche, abattus par l’armée lors d’une manifestation dans la capitale, Niamey. La lutte pour la démocratie était dangereuse et angoissante, mais j’ai décidé de canaliser le chagrin et la colère générés par la perte de mes proches dans un engagement plus profond en faveur du changement. Avec d’autres militants, j’ai créé Croisade, une organisation de défense des droits de l’homme. C’est ce qui s’est passé à cette époque qui a décidé de mon avenir en tant que militant. Dans les années 90, je militais pour la démocratie mais la pénurie de nourriture en 2005 m’a fait prendre conscience que le Niger était aux prises avec un autre problème majeur : la corruption. Cette pénurie, qui n’a jamais été reconnue officiellement comme une famine, fut causée par la sécheresse, les criquets des sables, et des décennies de pauvreté. Dans un effort pour trouver des fonds afin de sortir de cette crise, le gouvernement nigérien a décidé de créer une taxe sur les produits alimentaires de base comme le blé, le lait et le sucre. Cette nouvelle taxe a éveillé ma colère (car ce sont les plus pauvres qui en auraient pâti le plus), mais aussi ma curiosité : puisque nous étions le quatrième producteur mondial d’uranium, comment était-il possible qu’il n’y ait pas d’argent dans les caisses ? Si l’uranium représente 70 % de nos exportations, comment se fait-il qu’il ne contribue que 5.8 % à notre PIB ? Pour comprendre l’écart entre l’extraction d’uranium et l’argent qu’il nous rapporte, j’ai enquêté sur l’entreprise responsable de cette extraction, Areva. Areva est une entreprise française dont l’Etat français possède 87 % des parts. Elle opère au Niger depuis 1971 et elle a refusé de se conformer au code minier de 2006, qui a fait passer la redevance sur les activités minières de 5 % à 12 %. En 2013, lorsque les conventions entre notre pays et Areva devaient être renégociées, j’espérais que le gouvernement pourrait obtenir un meilleur accord. Avec des militants pour la transparence, nous avons fondé Rotab, un réseau d’organisations en faveur de la transparence et de l’analyse budgétaire. J’espérais que Rotab, en tant qu’organisme indépendant, aurait un impact sur les négociations. Après 18 mois d’intenses discussions, ponctuées par une visite du président François Hollande, un accord fut finalement atteint : Areva acceptait de payer un taux plus élevé de redevance minière, mais elle était toujours exemptée de TVA. Néanmoins, aucune information sur cet accord n’a été publiée et les conventions n’ont pas été rendues publiques, ce qui nous fait craindre qu’Areva ait pu faire pression sur le gouvernement nigérien pour qu’il lui permette de continuer ses activités minières. Demander des réponses de la part du gouvernement nous a beaucoup couté, à ma famille et à moi. J’ai raté des moments précieux de ma vie familiale et de l’éducation de mes enfants. J’ai été victime de menaces et de pratiques d’intimidation, qui ont parfois retenti sur ma famille. L’année dernière, un jour vers 4 heures du matin, des policiers armés ont enfoncé ma porte et m’ont arrêté, sous les yeux ébahis de ma femme enceinte. Mes voisins, qui se rendaient à la mosquée pour la prière du matin, ont été alarmés de voir des policiers en civil tout autour de mon domicile. C’était lors de la visite de François Hollande, le jour où nous avions organisé une manifestation pour exiger la publication du contrat Areva. Comme le gouvernement voulait cacher l’existence de contestataires, ils m’ont emprisonné pendant la durée de la visite du président français. Tout cela n’a pas été facile, et parfois je me suis demandé si je pouvais continuer. Beaucoup de choses ont changé depuis le coup d’état de 1999, car nous avons désormais un système démocratique et des lois en faveur des droits de l’homme. En théorie, nous bénéficions de la liberté de la presse et de la liberté d’expression, mais en tant que militant, j’ai encore peur pour ma vie. Cependant, ce sacrifice m’a permis de faire connaitre au monde les problèmes qui touchent les Nigériens. C’est le fait de savoir que j’ai le soutien de mes concitoyens qui me pousse à continuer. J’aimerais connaitre un Niger où nous travaillons ensemble pour assurer la stabilité du pays et promouvoir son développement. Mais cela n’arrivera pas tant qu’il n’y aura pas de répartition équitable des ressources naturelles, et tant que la corruption règnera. Cependant, même si j’ai souvent peur, et si je crains que ma vie ne soit en danger, je n’abandonnerai pas cette bataille pour le Niger, pour mon peuple, pour ma famille. • To comment on this article, click here | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'commentisfree/series/a-week-in-africa', 'world/niger', 'world/africa', 'world/world', 'global-development/transparency-and-development', 'global-development/global-development', 'world/france', 'world/europe-news', 'business/mining', 'business/business', 'environment/mining', 'tone/comment', 'environment/environment', 'law/human-rights', 'law/law', 'world/series/the-guardian-in-french', 'type/article', 'world/series/the-guardian-in-translation', 'profile/ali-idrissa'] | environment/mining | ENERGY | 2015-09-07T16:17:42Z | true | ENERGY |
politics/2018/may/16/from-royal-table-to-empty-fields-asparagus-farmer-faces-bust-over-brexit | From royal table to bust: asparagus farmer could close over Brexit | An asparagus farmer whose produce looks set to be served at Saturday’s royal wedding has warned he faces going bust because of Brexit. Kensington Palace dropped a heavy hint that the 600 guests will be offered asparagus from Andy Allen’s Norfolk farm when it published pictures of his fronds being prepared by the royal kitchens. Royal protocol prevents Allen from confirming his Portwood Asparagus farm has been chosen but he said: “We are certainly in the frame and I do know there will be a story to tell on Monday.” Supplying the royal kitchens provides a huge boost to Allen’s business but he warns it will not help him plug the gap in migrant workers he needs to stay afloat after the the UK leaves the European Union. Speaking to the Guardian, he said: “This is the best PR I could ever have had to be able to supply the royal kitchens and yet will I be able to continue to supply them? It is a huge privilege to be chosen, but it doesn’t help because who is going to pick the bloody stuff?“We are completely reliant on seasonal migrant workers. If we can’t get that labour I’ll have to pack up. There is not the technology to pick asparagus with robots.” Allen’s fears highlight the plight of many fruit and vegetable growers who rely on the EU’s free movement rules to find cheap labour for seasonal jobs shunned by British workers. Allen employs almost 120 EU citizens, predominantly from Romania and Bulgaria. He said he was already struggling to recruit workers and fears the supply will dry up completely after Brexit. Relatively high employment around Allen’s farm near Attleborough means he cannot attract local people to work at the minimum wage for the three months of the asparagus season. “There’s a large poultry industry in Attleborough so that sucks up any excess labour. People want jobs all year round and we just require them for three months.” Allen has lobbied the government for a solution but he has been unimpressed so far by the response: “I have had meetings with ministers which indicate they are floundering. They don’t blinking well know what to do. And we are all hanging on by our fingernails waiting for a decision on this. We don’t care if it comes from the rest of the world or the EU, we just need a supply of labour.” He added: “I know I sound like a whingeing farmer making too much of this, but this is reality and politicians really haven’t got a handle on it.” Allen is so concerned about finding workers next year that he has restricted planting on a crop that takes three years to grow. He also regrets some of his recent planting. “If I knew we were going to vote for Brexit and the whole thing was going to into uncertainty would I have done this? No.“I’m certain that from now on there are going to be big shortages – because migrant workers are looking at Britain and thinking what’s going to happen and going to mainland Europe instead.” Allen’s workers are sourced by the migrant labour charity Concordia, which supplies about 10,000 mostly EU workers to 200 farms. Its chief executive, Stephanie Maurel, said interest in working in the UK has already “dropped off dramatically” because of the uncertainty about Brexit and the decrease in the value of the pound. One of her farm customers has already gone out of business. She proposed to pilot a seasonal workers scheme involving students from Ukraine. It was rejected earlier this month by the Home Office. She said: “We are caught up in a political wave, I call it the Daily Mail effect, of public opinion against immigration. The public voted to not have enough workers to pick fruit and veg in this country. They haven’t made the connection that 95% to 100% of British asparagus is picked by an eastern European. “It is so sad: we have people who are keen to come; farmers who are desperate to have people pick their crops, and we just can’t bridge that gap and it is going to costs thousands in livelihoods.” | ['politics/eu-referendum', 'environment/farming', 'uk/royal-wedding', 'business/fooddrinks', 'uk/monarchy', 'uk/uk', 'business/business', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/matthewweaver', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/farming | BIODIVERSITY | 2018-05-16T17:56:24Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2023/mar/28/return-of-gedi-space-mission-maps-earths-forests-saved-from-destruction-aoe | Return of the Gedi: space mission that maps Earth’s forests saved from destruction | Nasa has extended the life of a key climate and biodiversity sensor for scanning the world’s forests which was set to be destroyed in Earth’s atmosphere. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (Gedi) mission – pronounced like Jedi in Star Wars – was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the International Space Station (ISS) in December 2018, and has provided the first 3D map of the world’s forests. Data from the $100m (£81m) sensor, which uses lasers to measure the structure and health of Earth’s forests, has helped scientists better understand drivers of biodiversity loss and global heating. It was going to be incinerated in the atmosphere at the start of this year. Now, after an appeal from forest experts, Nasa has changed its mind and extended the life of the mission. The sensor, roughly the size of a fridge, was put into storage last week in the International Space Station while another project completes its mission over the next 18 months. Survival heaters are being deployed to make sure critical components do not get damaged in the cold. It is understood that the sensor will be reinstalled and could last until the ISS is decommissioned in 2031, giving scientists more data on issues including how much carbon trees store and the effect of forest fires on the atmosphere. Researchers overseeing the project, based at the University of Maryland, said Gedi would have the chance to finish its work and calibrate its results with other satellites due to launch this decade that will monitor the planet’s ecosystems. “The outpouring of support we received for keeping the mission alive was incredible,” said Prof Ralph Dubayah, principal investigator on the mission. “Gedi has made over 20bn observations of the 3D structure of forests, over temperate and tropical forests. This data is helping to address longstanding issues on the role of forests in the carbon cycle – what impact has deforestation and degradation had on atmospheric CO2 concentrations? “The mission’s return in the 2025 timeframe is spot-on for further reporting on the Paris accords. Incredibly, Gedi may well provide a decade-long set of observations of the structure and biomass of forests. From this data we can understand how natural and anthropogenic disturbances are impacting forests and their functioning. “Nasa has shown great determination and foresight in its decision to continue the mission.” Thomas Crowther, professor of ecology at ETH Zürich, said: “This is incredible news. Global data about the state of Earth’s ecosystems is vital for our capacity to understand climate change, and to fight against it. Losing this wealth of data would be a travesty for the global climate and biodiversity movements.” Laura Duncanson, a research scientist on the Gedi team, said: “Extending Gedi until the end of the decade is incredibly exciting at a time when we need to understand how forests are changing in light of climate change, mass restoration efforts, shifting fire and disturbance regimes, and hopefully reduced deforestation. “I hope Gedi has a restful break and wakes up better than ever in late 2024.” Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features | ['environment/series/the-age-of-extinction', 'environment/forests', 'global-development/global-development', 'environment/environment', 'science/nasa', 'science/science', 'science/space', 'environment/biodiversity', 'environment/conservation', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/patrick-greenfield', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-age-of-extinction'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2023-03-28T06:30:09Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
global-development/2013/sep/11/kenya-water-discovery-drought-relief | Kenya water discovery brings hope for drought relief in rural north | Two vast underground aquifers, storing billions of litres of water, have been discovered in the poorest and least developed area of Kenya. The finds, in Turkana county in the north west, were uncovered using new technology to interpret ground-penetrating radar from satellites. Professor Judy Wakhungu, appointed minister of environment, water and natural resources in April, described the find as extremely significant. "It is not too deep and ought not to be not too expensive to develop," she added. Wakhungu said Kenya plans to use the technology to map the entire country: "We are excited to be able to provide a national map of the country's water resources." The barren semi-desert Turkana region is home to about 700,000 people. Most live off their herds of camels, goats and sheep. Temperatures rarely fall below 30C and water is scarce. "Many people have to live on around 10 litres of water a day," said Brian McSorley, Oxfam's water expert in Nairobi. "This is half the minimum daily requirement." The aquifers could change the lives of people in the region. One, close to the main town of Lodwar, is said to have a proven reserve of 10 billion cubic metres of fresh water. The other, the Lotikipi basin, further north, towards the Sudanese border, is even larger, holding at least 200 billion cubic metres of water. These aquifers are being recharged from the surrounding plains and hills, an area of 21,000 sq km, The study indicates it is being replenished at a rate of 1.2 billion cubic metres a year – more than enough to supply the entire county. The UN scientific and cultural organisation, Unesco, backed a France-based company, Radar Technologies, founded by Alain Gachet, which began the search for the water in November. Gachet, who cut his teeth as an exploration geologist in the oil industry, developed the Watex technology to interpret radar and oil exploration data in order to explore for water. "We processed imagery from the pace shuttle," Gachet said. "This allowed us to build up a detailed surface map. Then we interpreted radar imagery from the Japanese space agency and deep seismic data from the oil industry. With this approach, we were able to peel back the surface of the earth like an onion." Among his first customers was the UN refugee agency. At the height of the Darfur crisis, the technology helped supply the refugee camps that sprang up in the desolate regions of eastern Chad, as people streamed across the border to escape the war. The technology produces detailed maps indicating where water has accumulated deep beneath the surface. Test wells are then drilled to validate the findings. This has been done in Turkana and water was found less than 50 metres from the surface. As drilling progressed to a depth of 330 metres, three layers of the aquifer were discovered. "They are like a series of interconnected pancakes," said Casey Walther, a water expert who was a consultant with Unesco on the project, and now works with Gachet. "Water flows between the layers." McSorley said when he heard of the study he checked the technical possibility of using radar imaging with Oxfam's experts in the UK. "The concept is not revolutionary, but the science is good," he added. But getting the water to the scattered people of Turkana will be no easy matter. This is among the most remote and lawless regions of Kenya. There are sporadic raids from neighbouring Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia. Drought and disputes over livestock have plagued the area for generations. The Turkana, Samburu and Pokot people have traditionally engaged in cattle raids, but in recent years these have increased in intensity, leaving many dead. Oxfam gave a cautious welcome to the finds. McSorley believes the real test will be whether the infrastructure will be installed to allow the water to reach local people. He has been working at the giant Dadaab refugee camp in north-eastern Kenya for years. This lies close to another giant aquifer, but getting access to the water is not easy. "Groundwater resources here are not an issue but many of the surrounding communities still lack a borehole or the pumps to access it," he said. "Those that do cannot always afford the fuel to operate the generator to power the pump or have the cash to service and maintain the equipment." Turkana lies just south of the Ilemi triangle, a disputed border region, whose exact boundaries have never been agreed upon by neighbouring states. Quarrels over where the border runs began during the colonial period and continue to this day. Attempting to police this remote region has been expensive. In the 1920s, British officials in Kenya and Sudan attempted to pass responsibility to one another to escape bearing the cost of the operation. The result was a dotted border running between the countries, leaving plenty of room for disputes. Angela Docherty, chief executive of New Ways, one of the few charities working in the Ilemi triangle, says poverty breeds these skirmishes. "All conflicts relate to scarcity of resources. Everyone is trying to survive." Concern has increased in recent years, as oil finds have crept closer to the disputed border. The UK-based Tullow Oil company has been drilling in the area and found signs of oil in the Lokichar basin, south of Lodwar. The reserves are not yet proven, but if the region has oil and water, international attention is certain to be focused on the area. Asked whether the combination of poorly defined borders and these important resources could raise difficulties for Kenya. Wakhungu told the Guardian that all the country's borders have issues with transboundary water. "We manage these very carefully, but I can't worry about the diplomacy. My brief is to look at the water resources." | ['global-development/access-to-water', 'global-development/global-development', 'environment/water', 'world/kenya', 'environment/environment', 'environment/drought', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/martin-plaut'] | environment/drought | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2013-09-10T23:01:00Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
uk/2006/dec/08/weather.london | Wild weather: floods, gales and the terrifying sight of a tornado in London | Just before 11am in a fashionable part of north London, Caroline Phillips, a freelance writer, thought the apocalypse had come. Sitting at the front window of her home writing about the benefits of complementary therapy, she looked up to see the sky turn black. A grey tornado, taller than a house, spewing debris and roaring like a jet, was heading straight for her. "I dived under my desk and started screaming hysterically," she said. "I had my arms over my head. I heard the windows shatter all over the house." Roofs were ripped off cars, dustbins took to the air, and the facades of houses crumbled to expose the insides of children's bedrooms, as an 1,800ft tornado, gusting to 110mph, tore through the area. The tornado came amid wild weather across much of Britain yesterday. More than 60 flights out of Heathrow airport were cancelled, trains were delayed in the south of England after flooding between Eastleigh and Fareham in Hampshire, P&O ferry services between Dover and Calais were cancelled, and huge seas raged off the Welsh coast in force 11 storms. A lifeboat crew had to be winched to safety near Seaford in Sussex after getting into trouble as they tried to anchor a barge which had broken from its moorings in force 10 gales. The crew were airlifted to shore but the barge smashed into cliffs at Seaford Head. The weather reached its climax when the tornado struck the grid of tree-lined avenues - Crediton Road, Chamberlayne Road and Whitmore Gardens - in Kensal Rise, north London wreaking havoc in just 10 seconds. It was closely followed by hail storms and torrential rain. Six people were injured and up to 150 houses damaged in the tornado, which came out of Atlantic thunderstorms blowing north east from Cornwall on 60mph gusts of wind. Nathan Sweeney, from Crediton Road, was in his bedroom when the tornado hit. "There was a roar that sounded like an aeroplane, then everything went dark and my windows blew in," he said. "Out the back of our house all the gardens are now one, all the fences have gone." One man was taken to hospital after being struck in the head by the debris which was flung from the tornado as it spread. Fire crews from across London were sent to the scene, and police evacuated families from the streets. Miko Adam, 33, was helped from his home on Whitmore Gardens. "I was in my attic, and crawled under the bed because I thought the roof was going to come down," he said. "The foundations were moving. It seemed we were being wrenched from the ground." Hundreds were left without shelter, and the London Fire Brigade said some residents would not be allowed to return to homes until after a full assessment of the structural damage. By last night, at least 24 of the most damaged houses remained off limits, while residents of less damaged ones were briefly allowed home with a police escort to fetch necessary items. Some families sought refuge with friends; others took up offers of help from Brent Council, which set up a centre in a church, with food and drink offered. The Association of British Insurers said that it was too early to estimate the cost. But it is thought it could run into millions of pounds. There were some who were reaping the benefit last night. Within an hour of the tornado, dozens of glaziers' vans turned up on the streets around Kensal Rise. Glazier Colin Black said he received more than 30 calls in the minutes after the wind died down yesterday and the appeals for replacement windows were still coming in last night. Although the tornado appeared freakish, the Tornado and Storm Research Centre said the UK has the world's highest number of reported tornadoes for its land area. Terence Meaden of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation said about 70 tornadoes were reported in the UK in 2004 and 2005, with 40 this year. Backstory Tornadoes are the result of warm and cold winds travelling at different speeds and in different directions in storm conditions, creating a build-up of energy like a pressure cooker. The weather fronts can come together to create a violent twisting vortex - similar to water swirling down a plughole - that drags along the ground at speeds of more than 100mph. The huge cloud, called a supercell, becomes much taller and more powerful than normal and lightning and hail from it are more ferocious. The UK has the largest number of reported tornadoes for its land area in the world as cold air from the Arctic meets warmer, tropical air from the equator. Around 70 tornadoes were reported across the UK in 2004 and 2005, with 40 this year. Alok Jha | ['uk/uk', 'world/world', 'uk/london', 'uk/weather', 'world/tornadoes', 'type/article', 'profile/sandralaville', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/topstories2'] | world/tornadoes | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2006-12-08T03:18:48Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
us-news/2020/aug/29/hurricane-laura-donald-trump-visits-louisiana-texas | Hurricane Laura: Donald Trump visits storm-lashed Louisiana and Texas | Donald Trump got a first-hand look on Saturday at hurricane damage to south-west Louisiana, two days after Hurricane Laura roared in off the Gulf of Mexico with winds up to 150mph, killing at least 15 people, knocking out power and causing extensive flooding and lack of running water across several towns. After arriving at Lake Charles before meeting with politicians and emergency workers and a second, scheduled stop in Orange county, Texas, Trump said: “I’m here to support the great people of Louisiana. It was a tremendously powerful storm.” He added that he knows one thing about the state: “They rebuild it fast.” After visiting members of the Cajun Navy volunteer rescue organisation, the president later sat in sweltering heat to listen to state and federal officials, including Louisiana’s Republican governor, John Bel Edwards, describe extensive storm damage, smashed houses, downed power lines and trees, and debris strewn across the city of 80,000 people. “I know one thing: that we’ll provide a lot of what the call the green,” Trump said as he described federal support that would be made available after Louisiana’s request for a major disaster declaration in 23 parishes was approved on Friday. “We’re going to have this situation taken care of quickly.” In a statement, Edwards said the devastation and damage stretch all the way to northern parts of Louisiana. Officials said 400,000 were without power on Saturday morning and 200,000 without water. But despite the death and destruction, Trump could not resist on Saturday afternoon playing the joking, celebrity president. He handed out pens and signed pieces of paper for a handful of officials, saying: “Come here fellas” then telling each man he handed the souvenirs to: “You can sell this tonight on eBay. Who’s going to get this one? Sell it tonight on eBay. $10,000.” On Saturday, more than 40 million Americans up the eastern seaboard as far north as Connecticut, were braced for fierce weather stirred by Laura’s tail, with winds over 60mph and torrential rain forecast. Wind damage in Louisiana was widespread, with roofs blown off homes and windows smashed. Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power or clean water, but forecasts that the storm would inundate the state’s sixth largest city, Lake Charles, with as much as 20 feet of floodwater were not realized. Firefighters were still battling a chemical fire at a chlorine plant near the city on Friday, a day after the blaze was temporarily extinguished. Meteorologists also said the monster storm could have wreaked much more destruction than it did. The storm was still devastating, but not quite as catastrophic as it might have been. ”It was really, really bad instead of apocalyptic,” a Colorado State University hurricane researcher, Phil Klotzbach, said. Jamie Rhome, a National Hurricane Center storm surge specialist, referred to a small last-minute course change as the “little wobble” that saved Lake Charles from worse impact. In the end, the city got maybe half the storm surge it could have received, he said. Houston and the rest of eastern Texas also dodged a bullet after fears that the region could be hit as badly as from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Authorities had warned before landfall of an “unsurvivable” storm surge for a wide region. Others said swift evacuation of the local population also contributed to the relatively light loss of life. “I’m pretty much a cynic and a critic, but I think these parishes did wonderfully,” said Shirley Laska, a sociologist who studied Louisiana disasters at the University of New Orleans. “And I mean both the citizens and the leaders,” Laska said. “But they got out of ‘Dodge’. They evacuated as they were told.” Laska said she believed the months-long coronavirus pandemic helped make everyone more attentive to risk. Added to that was tropical storm Marco, which threatened the region only a few days earlier and then fizzled. | ['us-news/hurricane-laura', 'world/hurricanes', 'us-news/donaldtrump', 'us-news/louisiana', 'us-news/us-news', 'us-news/texas', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/edwardhelmore', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | world/hurricanes | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2020-08-29T20:00:25Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
football/2022/feb/21/pfa-claims-concussion-rules-failing-leeds-robin-koch-temporary-substitutions | Leeds call for temporary substitutions after Robin Koch head injury | Leeds maintain their medical staff adhered to the Premier League’s concussion protocols after Robin Koch sustained a head injury during the home defeat against Manchester United on Sunday but indicated they would endorse any future use of temporary substitutes in similar circumstances. Although the potential introduction of such short-term replacements is expected to be discussed at the AGM of Ifab,on Thursday 3 March, football’s international law-making body, has previously been cool on the idea and the Premier League is powerless to act without its approval. Leeds have come in for criticism for the decision to permit Koch to play on for 15 minutes after a clash of heads with Scott McTominay. The Professional Footballers’ Association claimed the top tier’s existing protocols were “failing to prioritise player safety” as it joined the brain injury charity Headway in advocating the introduction of concussion substitutes. Koch sustained a cut near an eye but swiftly returned to the pitch with his head heavily bandaged before sitting down on the turf 15 minutes later and signalling he could not continue. The delay in the defender’s departure appeared in contravention of Football Association guidelines adopted by the Premier League that state that any player who sustains a suspected concussion should immediately be removed from pitch. Leeds dispute this view and, despite confirming that Koch would not be involved at Liverpool on Wednesday, said: “Robin Koch passed all the on-field concussion screening tests that are currently part of the Premier League protocols,” it read. “The player was told that, if he developed any symptoms, he should sit down on the field of play and would be substituted immediately, which is what Robin did.” As part of an Ifab trial, the introduction of extra permanent substitutions are allowed in such instances, but the deployment of temporary concussions replacements would allow injured players to be fully evaluated before an informed decision about their fitness was made. Ifab is likely to face calls to trial temporary concussion substitutes but it has previously resisted the idea, arguing they would make little difference because the onset of concussion symptoms is often delayed. Moreover, most club doctors lack expertise regarding brain injuries, dictating the deployment of an extra permanent substitute is safer. Leeds disagree. “The medical staff at Leeds have always been in favour of temporary substitutions for head injuries as it would allow a period for symptoms to potentially develop,” they said. “Robin will now follow the concussion protocols before returning to play.” On Sunday Marcelo Bielsa, the Leeds manager, said Koch was withdrawn purely because of blood loss from the cut. The PFA believes the guidelines are being interpreted too loosely. “The current protocols are failing to prioritise player safety,” the players’ union said. “The ‘if in doubt, sit them out’ protocol is not being applied consistently within the pressurised environment of elite competitive football. We have been clear to Ifab that we want to see the introduction of temporary concussion substitutes. “They would allow a match to restart with neither side numerically disadvantaged, reducing pressure on players and medical teams to make quick decisions. The current rules set by Ifab are not working; players are being put at risk.” Headway’s deputy chief executive, Luke Griggs, said: “The game has to help medics by implementing temporary concussion substitutes. We need urgent answers from the Premier League as their reputation is on the line here.” Koch thanked the Leeds medical staff for “the good care”, tweeting that he felt “much better” and would “be back soon.” | ['football/leedsunited', 'football/football', 'football/pfa', 'sport/concussion-in-sport', 'sport/sport', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/louisetaylor', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/sport', 'theguardian/sport/news', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-sport'] | sport/concussion-in-sport | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2022-02-21T12:05:46Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
money/2018/jul/28/i-lost-my-cash-in-a-solar-project-but-after-a-five-year-battle-ill-get-it-back | ‘I lost my cash in a solar project, but after a five-year battle I’ll get it back’ | The offer for Secured Energy Bonds looked good. It was a chance to invest in a project to put solar panels on 22 schools across the country. The return offered was a decent rate of 6.5% over three years. That was 2013. I first saw the adverts in the Guardian. I was not a big investor, but wanted to put some money into an environmentally sustainable project. Secured Energy Bonds (SEB) appealed to me on several levels. As a committed environmentalist I wanted to put money into something that combated climate change. I was also one of the many investors hit by the rapid fall in interest rates and was looking for something that would provide a bit more of a return. There were risks – this was after all a mini-bond, meaning the project initiators had not been able to raise the funds from more traditional sources, such as the banks. However, my concerns were satisfied by the presence of Independent Portfolio Managers (IPM), which was regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It was security trustee and corporate director for the bonds. This all seemed pretty safe, so long as everyone involved did what it said in the invitation document. The solar panels would be fitted to the schools, so that even if some problems arose there would be assets to claim against. So I went ahead and invested £6,000 in SEB. All went smoothly for the first year. The trouble began in January 2015, when the fourth interest payment was not made. I had that queasy feeling that something was wrong. This grew, as emails to SEB remained unanswered and the phone line was dead. A call to Capita, which processed the interest payments, confirmed that they had been suspended. It soon emerged that a large amount of the funds intended to provide the solar panels had been siphoned off by the Australian parent company CBD Energy. But CBD Energy went into administration in 2014 – swiftly followed by SEB. The first chance to meet the other 900-odd investors was the creditors meeting in April 2015. There was a lot of anger – it looked like we were not going to get a penny back. A few of us established an email list that rapidly morphed into the SEB Investors Action Group. The group had media coverage and contacted MPs. Investors were advised to start by contacting IPM and then to go to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). It was doubly irritating in September to learn that IPM was again boasting about its role as a security trustee for another bond issuance. The initial response from the ombudsman was favourable, indicating that it was minded to look at our case against IPM. However, this then changed. We did not give up and made representations to the Treasury select committee and the FCA. Some investors took on a law firm to challenge the ombudsman and a barrister’s opinion helped to get it to change its position. Last year the FOS decided there was indeed a customer relationship between investors and IPM, which meant it could look at our complaints. The great news is that the FOS has now ruled in favour of the investors in two test cases. It ruled that IPM’s involvement was not only approving the promotion documents but that it “had an ongoing role in the investment scheme” and was “central to the security and quality assurance arrangements” of SEB. It also ruled that the security for the mini-bond was flawed, “leaving the security secured, in effect, on nothing. This was a fundamental flaw and one which IPM should reasonably have spotted.” At time of writing, the two test case investors have accepted the ruling, so IPM has now been ordered to pay. IPM is no longer an FCA-regulated company. If it fails to pay, investors have to go to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. More delays, but eventually I should see my money back. It has been a long road to come to this point. I cannot deny that for much of the five years I did not think I would see my money back. Sometimes it seemed things were being drawn out in the hope that investors would give up and go away. There are many lessons to be drawn from the case, not least the effect of collective action. Had that small group of investors not come together, I do not believe we would be seeing our money back. Also, there must be stronger regulation in this area, particularly of security trustees. • Money attempted to contact IPM for this article but had not received a reply at the time of going to press | ['money/moneyinvestments', 'financial-ombudsman-adjudicators-partner-zone/financial-ombudsman-adjudicators-partner-zone', 'money/fscs', 'business/investing', 'environment/solarpower', 'business/regulators', 'money/money', 'business/business', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'tone/features', 'type/article', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/money', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-money'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2018-07-28T06:00:22Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2013/nov/19/greenpeace-activists-arctic-30-russia-freed-bail | Nine Greenpeace activists to be freed on bail | A court in Saint Petersburg has ruled that nine Greenpeace activists can be freed on bail before their trial for hooliganism, raising hopes that the majority of the Arctic 30 will be released after two months in prison. New Zealander David Haussmann and Brazilian Ana Paula Maciel were granted release from pre-trial detention on payment of a 2m rouble (£38,000) bail surety on Tuesday morning, and as the day progressed activists from Finland, France, Italy, Argentina, Poland and Canada had bail requests approved on the same conditions. On Wednesday two of the six British citizens among the detainees, activist Alexandra Harris and freelance videographer Kieron Bryan, will have their bail requests heard. This week's decisions are the first time that Russian authorities or prosecutors have made concessions in the tough stance they have taken against Greenpeace since the 28 activists and two freelance journalists were seized in September on board the Arctic Sunrise during a protest against Arctic drilling. The group were first charged with piracy, which was later downgraded to "hooliganism as part of an organised group". This carries a maximum jail term of seven years although Greenpeace say the piracy charges have not formally been dropped. The 30 were moved from the Arctic port of Murmansk to Saint Petersburg by train this month. Three Russians among the 30 detainees were the first to have their hearings this week, and were all released on bail on Monday. Greenpeace has said it will pay the bail charges imminently, and the activists will be released when the money is transferred, possibly as soon as the end of the week. Ana Paula's mother, Rosangela Maciel, said this morning: "This is the most lovely news I've got in the last two months, but justice will only be done when all the absurd charges are dropped. A person who only does good for the planet, like my daughter, must be recognised by their actions, not unjustly accused. This is the only way we can keep the faith in the future." It is unclear how the release of the activists on bail will work, given that they are not in possession of valid Russian visas, and Greenpeace lawyers were unable to answer this question. However, the organisation says it has booked hotel rooms for those freed in Saint Petersburg. Not all of the activists are celebrating. On Monday, 59-year-old Australian citizen Colin Russell had his detention extended. His bail application was rejected and the court ruled he should remain in pre-trial detention while prosecutors worked on the charges. Kumi Naidoo of Greenpeace said: "In the space of two mornings we have had good news and bad, and the good news comes with a warning. We still have no idea what conditions our friends will endure when they are released from jail, whether they will be held under house arrest or even allowed outside. "What we do know for certain is that they are still charged and could spend years behind bars if they are convicted for a crime they did not commit. And we remain baffled and heartbroken that our colleague Colin was refused bail and sent back to prison for three months. "The Arctic 30 will not be free until every last one of them is back home with their families." Russia's Investigative Committee has said that activists who resisted arrest by the armed coastguard officers may be hit with new charges of endangering the lives of officials. Those named as being bailed on Tuesday are: Ana Paula Maciels, 31, from Brazil, Miguel Hernan Perez Orsi, 40, Argentina, David Haussmann, 49, New Zealand, Sini Saarela, 31, Finland, Paul Ruzycki, 48, Canada, Camila Speziale, 21, Argentina, Tomasz Dziemianczuk, 36, Poland, Francesco Pisanu, 38, France, Cristian D'Alessandro, 32, Italy. | ['environment/arctic-30-protesters', 'environment/greenpeace', 'environment/activism', 'environment/environment', 'world/russia', 'world/europe-news', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/shaun-walker', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international'] | environment/greenpeace | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2013-11-19T15:00:08Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
environment/2022/dec/29/weatherwatch-how-icicle-got-its-name | Weatherwatch: how the icicle got its name | “Icicle” sounds as though it is formed from “ice” and the diminutive “-cle”, like particle or cubicle. The truth is stranger. About 1,000 years ago, the Old English word for icicle was gicel. A scribe translated the Latin term stiria as “ises gicel”, or “icicle made of ice”. This redundancy may have been an attempt to distinguish it from a stalactite, sometimes called a “water icicle”. “Ises gicel” was gradually contracted to icicle. Some communities stuck with the older word, though it evolved over time. In Derbyshire and Yorkshire gicel became “ickle”, a term in use until at least the middle of the 20th century. In the Scots language, “gicel” morphed into “shockle” or “shuggle”, which can mean an icicle, a piece of floating ice, or, by extension, clotted blood. A 1959 study of English dialects revealed other gicel variants including “icittle” and “eckel”. Around Hull and Grimsby they preferred the more poetic term “ice-candle”. The rarest expression was “ice-bug”, a name that may not be related to insects but from an older meaning of bug as something that grows, and can also mean an evil spirit, as in bugbear. Technically, icicle is as redundant as “pin number”, and we should follow Yorkshire and say ickle. But it may be too late to change now. | ['environment/ice', 'environment/environment', 'news/series/weatherwatch', 'science/language', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/davidhambling', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-weather'] | news/series/weatherwatch | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2022-12-29T06:00:13Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
news/2021/may/13/world-weatherwatch-flash-flooding-afghanistan-europe-warms-up | World weatherwatch: flash flooding in Afghanistan, as Europe warms up | Multiple days of heavy rain and thunderstorms caused widespread flash flooding across several provinces of Afghanistan last week, with as much as 75mm of rain falling in places. While this may not sound significant, the monthly average rainfall for May in Herat province, one of those badly affected, is only about 10mm. The floods resulted in at least 78 deaths with hundreds of homes and properties being either badly damaged or destroyed. It hasn’t just been a cold April for the UK; many countries across Europe have also experienced one of the coldest Aprils in several decades. Germany had its coldest April for more than 40 years, and France’s mean minimum temperature plunged to 2.6C (36.7F) at the start of May, a low only reached once before in the last 40 years. However, last weekend a short but intense spell of warm weather caused temperatures to widely lift into the high 20s or low 30s celsius across west-central Europe. On 2 May, a severe thunderstorm claimed the lives of at least 11 people in China. The storm brought marble-sized hailstones and severe gales to the coastal city of Nantong. Peak gusts of 94mph were recorded, strong enough to spin a passenger plane at the city airport. | ['news/series/world-weatherwatch', 'news/series/weatherwatch', 'world/afghanistan', 'world/germany', 'world/china', 'world/france', 'world/europe-news', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-weather'] | news/series/weatherwatch | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2021-05-13T05:00:21Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
world/2015/feb/25/rio-2016-occupy-takes-swing-at-olympic-golf-course | Rio 2016: Occupy takes swing at Olympic golf course | First, there was Occupy Wall Street. Then, there was Occupy Starbucks. Now, in the latest take on the protest franchise, a small group of dedicated demonstrators are camped on the central reservation of a highway in an upmarket suburb of Rio de Janeiro, the Olympic-city-in-waiting. Their goal: Occupy Golf. After a 112-year hiatus, golf will return to the Games in Rio in 2016. But the city’s decision to build a new course on an Area of Environmental Protection has angered campaigners and raised questions about the authorities’ relationship with property developers. Local people struggling with intermittent water supplies in the midst of a severe drought have also expressed irritation at the liberal use of sprinklers to keep the new course green. Every day, 5m litres of water are pumped over the R$60m (£13.7m) course. The city authorities argue that the water does not come from the local utility company, but from aquifers under the ground. Ninety-five per cent of the water used is reabsorbed into the soil, according to the mayor’s office. Not surprisingly, protesters demur. Sitting on a flimsy deckchair in the middle of the busy road through the neighbourhood of Barra da Tijuca, Carlos França, 55, a journalist and activist, said the Occupy Golf movement was not against the sport itself. “We just don’t agree with the decision to build the course here,” he said. Every now and then, a passing driver beeped in support – or else a passenger leaned out of a window to hurl abuse. A few days ago, França said, someone had lobbed a home-made explosive device into the protest camp. The remains of the deckchair it had destroyed lay under one of the banners. Attempts to remove the protesters have failed. Since the group posted a video on its Facebook feed of an officer from the Municipal Guard punching a handcuffed demonstrator, the authorities have taken a more subtle approach. “A few weeks ago they turned off the street lights in the area around our camp,” França said. “So it’s completely dark at night. Then in the early hours a few cars park either side of us, and two or three guys will get out and just stand there. They’re trying to intimidate us.” In a controversial emergency session of the city council in late December 2012, the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, won approval to site the course inside the Marapendi reserve, a protected part of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. The reserve is home to various endangered flora and fauna, such as the Fluminense Swallowtail butterfly and the barredtail pearlfish. Sonia Peixoto, a biologist who works for the town hall’s conservation unit, said the decision to build had been taken without proper consultation. “There was no technical study, no public meetings, no democratic process,” she said. The mayor’s office said that no environmental impact assessment was required because the city council had approved the decision. Other campaigners argue the location benefits property developers closely linked to Paes. On 12 February, a Rio de Janeiro state prosecutor opened an inquiry into alleged misconduct by the mayor’s office, following a report by the group, called Golfe Para Quem? (“Golf for whom?”), which claimed that developers stood to make an R$1bn in property sales after the Games. The mayor’s office negotiated the use of the land with Pasquale Mauro, an 84-year-old billionaire property developer, whose claim to the area is disputed. In 2011, an inquiry by Rio’s state assembly labelled Mauro a grileiro, a term for someone who uses false documents to obtain property deeds. Mauro claims ownership of large swaths of Barra da Tijuca, but he is cited in dozens of local lawsuits. In 2008, the ministry of labour discovered 70 workers living in “slave-like conditions” on one of his estates. The local authorities point out that no public money has been used in the construction of the golf course. It is being financed by Fiori Empreendimentos, a company 70% controlled by Mauro, with the remaining shares owned by close family members. In return, the mayor’s office has waived planning restrictions in the areas surrounding the course, which had limited buildings to six storeys. RJZ Cyrela, a developer working in partnership with Mauro, now has permission to build 23 luxury condominiums, each 22 storeys high. RJZ Cyrela did not respond to a request for information on the price of a condominium in the new Riserva Golf. However in 2006, Mauro struck a deal with the company to build Riserva Uno, another condominium in the area, where the starting price for an apartment is R$6m. The property company was a major donor to Paes’ 2012 re-election campaign. Statistics from the city’s supreme electoral court show that RJZ Cyrela donated R$500,000 to his political party, of which 75% went to the mayor’s campaign. “The golf course has to be seen in wider perspective,” Fernando Walcacer, a professor of environmental law at Rio’s PUC university, said. “Property developers have always had huge political influence in Rio. The developers have been looking at this space for years, and now the Olympics has given them their chance.” Though the Olympics will be spread over across four separate zones, Barra da Tijuca, one of the wealthiest areas in Rio, will host the Olympic Park and the athletes’ village as well as the golf course. It will also receive the bulk of the public funds allocated for the Games. Since 2012 Barra has received two new high-speed bus routes. By the time of the Olympics, it will have a third, plus a new metro station. Orlando Santos Jr, a professor of urban planning at Rio’s federal university, said the city’s poorer northern zone would see few benefits from the Games. “Concentrating the event in Barra da Tijuca legitimises public investment in infrastructure and mass transportation in the area,” he said. | ['world/brazil', 'type/article', 'world/occupy', 'sport/rio-2016', 'sport/olympic-games', 'world/world', 'world/americas', 'environment/water', 'environment/environment', 'environment/activism', 'tone/news', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international'] | environment/activism | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2015-02-25T18:00:07Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
environment/article/2024/jun/12/ernest-shackleton-ship-quest-found-antarctic-exploration | Wreck of Shackleton’s ship Quest found, last link to ‘heroic age of Antarctic exploration’ | The wreck of the ship on which renowned Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton died has been found off the coast of Labrador, Canada, searchers have announced. Locating the Quest – a schooner-rigged steamship which sank on a 1962 seal hunting voyage – represents a last link to the “heroic age of Antarctic exploration”, said search leader John Geiger. “Finding Quest is one of the final chapters in the extraordinary story of Sir Ernest Shackleton,” said Geiger, who heads the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Geiger was speaking from the bridge of Leeway Odyssey as the oceanographic research vessel returned to port in St John’s, Newfoundland, after locating the Quest in 400 metres of water 15 nautical miles from shore. Quest’s final resting place was 7,500 miles (12,000km) from where it was anchored when Shackleton died of a heart attack onboard in the harbour at Grytviken, South Georgia, on 5 January 1922. The explorer was just 47 and was returning to Antarctica seven years after his previous ill-fated expedition had ended in near catastrophe. Coming three years after the expeditions of the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the Englishman Robert Falcon Scott first reached the south pole just weeks apart, in 1914 Shackleton hoped to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent. Instead, his doomed expedition became one of the most gruelling – and miraculous – survival ordeals of all time. The mission went awry when his ship, the Endurance, became trapped in pack ice in the Weddell Sea, forcing Shackleton and his men to camp on unstable ice floes. After months adrift, the Endurance sank and Shackleton sailed with his crew in lifeboats to the desolate and uninhabited Elephant Island. Realising their chances of rescue remained slim, Shackleton took five of his men in an open boat on an 800-mile odyssey across perilous oceans to reach the whaling station at Grytviken on South Georgia. Four months later, Shackleton succeeded in rescuing his crew from Elephant Island. All 27 members of Shackleton’s crew survived the ordeal, establishing their leader as a lion of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, with his care for his men distinguishing Shackleton in an era when polar explorers often died in the extreme conditions due to rudimentary equipment and insufficient supplies. In a further testament to Shackleton’s leadership, eight of the Endurance crew would return with him on his next expedition. This despite the Quest being smaller than the Endurance with a design apparently ill-suited for polar expedition. A wooden-hulled former sealer built in Norway in 1917, the Quest was “small, poorly fitted and reckoned exceedingly uncomfortable by those who sailed in her”, according to an exhibition on the ship at the South Georgia Museum. But journalists at the time marvelled at its modern gadgetry, which included wireless radio equipment, electric lights, an electrically heated crow’s nest, an instrument for plotting a ship’s course called an odograph, and even an Avro Baby seaplane. After Shackleton’s death, Frank Wild took command and the Quest continued towards the Weddell Sea but the underpowered ship struggled in icy conditions and its men returned despondent to the UK months later. The journey marked the end of the so-called heroic age, which was followed by a new “mechanical age” which relied less on the derring-do of its leaders and more on technological advances including tracked motor vehicles and aircraft. But the Quest continued sailing for decades in various capacities. When Norwegian polar explorer Amundsen disappeared while flying on a rescue mission over the Arctic in 1928, the Quest was sent to help in the unsuccessful search for his remains. British explorer Gino Watkins then used the Quest on his 1930 British Arctic air route expedition, which sought to survey an air route from the UK to Winnipeg. During the second world war the Quest served as a minesweeper in the Caribbean. After the war, the ageing vessel returned to her original purpose and it was while hunting seals in the Labrador Sea that the Quest struck ice and sank in May 1962, though all her crew were rescued. This year marks 150 years since Shackleton’s birth in County Kildare and more than a century after his death, the Anglo-Irish explorer’s story continues to make headlines. In 2022, the wreck of the Endurance was discovered 3,000 metres below the Weddell Sea, preserved by the freezing waters and absence of wood-eating organisms. “After Endurance was found, a lot of Shackleton buffs all over the world … immediately turned to Quest,” said Geiger, asking “‘Where’s Quest? Can we find it?’” “It was a bit of a detective story initially,” said search director David Mearns, a shipwreck hunter who was also involved in the decades-long project to find the Endurance. “I thought, personally, we had a shot, maybe a 70% chance of finding it.” Five days into the search, the team’s sonar equipment detected the wreck lying on the seafloor. “The masts are knocked down and that’s what we would expect, but the whole basically is intact,” said Mearns. The team plans to return to photograph the wreck later this year. The discovery has been welcomed by Shackleton’s closest living relative, Alexandra Shackleton, who noted that her grandfather had originally planned to use Quest on a Canadian Arctic expedition until the Canadian government of Arthur Meighen withdrew its support. “It is perhaps fitting that the ship should have ended its storied service in Canadian waters,” she said. | ['environment/series/seascape-the-state-of-our-oceans', 'world/canada', 'world/antarctica', 'world/world', 'culture/heritage', 'uk/uk', 'environment/series/shipwrecked', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/campbell-macdiarmid', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/topstories', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/global-development', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-foreign'] | environment/series/seascape-the-state-of-our-oceans | BIODIVERSITY | 2024-06-12T12:44:30Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
news/2011/jun/09/weatherwatch-bees-in-dry-spring | Weatherwatch: the dry spring and bees | There has been much concern over our bee population, which has been hit badly by the mysterious colony collapse disorder. Further stress could be serious; how well can bees survive a dry spring, a hot summer or a hard winter? Bees feed on nectar and pollen, and "nectar flow", the amount of nectar available, is monitored closely by beekeepers. Although we have had one of the driest springs on record, it has been warm. "The raised temperatures mean that nectar has been rising, which does not occur when it is cold, even when it is wet," says Tim Lovett of the British Beekeepers Association. This has ensured a food supply for the bees. Beehives can get dangerously hot in summer, but they are cooled down by worker bees acting as living fans to circulate air. If the weather gets even warmer they start gathering water. The tiny droplets produce a cooling effect from evaporation, a form of natural air conditioning. Stored honey allows the bees to survive hard winters, although they do need access to water to bring the honey to the consistency of nectar for consumption. "Lack of water is more of a problem in late winter when freezing conditions can make it hard to find water to dilute honey stores," says Lovett. Bees thrive in a wide range of conditions, from the Arctic Circle to the Sahara. They may not be completely weatherproof, but they can survive comparatively minor variations from year to year. | ['news/series/weatherwatch', 'tone/features', 'environment/bees', 'environment/spring', 'environment/winter', 'environment/summer', 'environment/drought', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2'] | environment/drought | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2011-06-08T23:11:00Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2022/jul/12/breaking-from-chinas-clean-energy-dominance-imperative-us-and-australia-say-after-new-climate-tech-deal | Breaking from China’s clean energy dominance ‘imperative’, US and Australia say after new climate tech deal | The US and Australia have stressed the importance of breaking the near-complete reliance on China for zero emissions technology supplies while signing a new agreement that promises to accelerate the development of climate solutions. In a joint press conference in Sydney, the US energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, and the Australian climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, announced a “net zero technology acceleration partnership”, including an initial focus on long-duration energy storage and digitising power grids. They said the agreement was motivated in part by the need for a clean energy and critical mineral supply chain that did not depend as much on China, which is responsible for about 80% of solar energy technology manufacturing. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), it is expected to reach 95% by 2025. Granholm compared the risk of relying on China for clean technology to the west’s over-dependence on Russian fossil fuels – a mistake that sparked a global energy crisis after it invaded Ukraine. “I worry that China has big-footed a lot of the technology and supply chains that could make us vulnerable if we don’t develop our own supply chains,” she said. “From an energy security point of view, it is imperative that nations that share the same values develop our own supply chains, not just for the climate, but for our energy security. “We’ve seen what happens when we rely too much on one entity for our source of fuel, and we don’t want that to happen – so to diversify those energy sources and to link up with partners is part of our energy security.” Bowen agreed. “It’s good for our own economies and it’s good for our national security to have supply chains among ourselves, but also amongst friends and allies,” he said. The Australian minister said the partnership would “work to ensure critical minerals supply chains are secure and resilient”. That meant ramping up production, processing and manufacturing capacity, he said. “The partnership is a commitment to make climate change a centrepiece of our alliance with the US,” he said. Granholm said the switch to renewables could be “the greatest peace plan of all” as no country could be “held hostage” over its access to solar and wind resources. “They have not ever been weaponised, nor will they be,” she said. The Australia-US partnership included few details, but said the countries would also focus on supporting the integration of variable renewable energy and the development of hydrogen and carbon dioxide removal, including direct air capture technology. It was revealed on the sidelines of the Sydney Energy Forum, co-hosted by the Australian government and the IEA. A common theme among speakers at the forum was the importance of focusing on renewable energy to address the crisis caused by Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The IEA’s executive director, Fatih Birol, said the world was in the middle of “the first global energy crisis” due to its over-reliance on Russian oil, gas and coal. He said it might get worse as the northern hemisphere entered winter, but expressed hope it could lead to governments accelerating the shift towards renewable energy. Birol said about 40% of energy policies across the globe were introduced as a response to the oil crisis of the 1970s. He was “very hopeful” that the move to clean energy would be accelerated in a similar way now. He said solar power had grown dramatically across the globe because it was cheap, and that people who argued that renewable energy policy was in part to blame for the crisis were “absolutely wrong”. “Factually and, in my view, ethically, this is very wrong and misleading,” he said. The forum was opened by Anthony Albanese arguing Australia had rejoined the ranks of “trusted global partner”. The prime minister later told reporters it was time for Australia to “stop the nonsense”, “wake up” and work across the political divide to end the climate wars. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Albanese said the latest round of catastrophic flooding made the case to get on with legislating a more ambitious policy. He said Labor would attempt to legislate its medium-term emissions target when parliament resumed, and if MPs or senators chose to vote against the legislation they would be “held accountable for it”. The prime minister said he was open to “sensible amendments” but not “game playing about figures plucked from the air”, and reiterated that Labor intended to stick with its target of a 43% emissions cut by 2030 compared with 2005 that it had modelled last year. The Greens and some independents have called for a higher target – ranging from 50% to 75% – based on advice from climate scientists. | ['environment/environment', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'world/chris-bowen', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'technology/energy', 'environment/energy', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/adam-morton', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/renewableenergy | ENERGY | 2022-07-12T08:58:28Z | true | ENERGY |
tv-and-radio/article/2024/jun/09/on-thin-ice-putin-v-greenpeace-review-a-jaw-droppingly-unforgettable-real-life-tale | On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace review – a jaw-droppingly unforgettable real-life tale | This six-part BBC documentary tells the story of the group who became known as the Arctic 30: two journalists and 28 Greenpeace campaigners, whose imprisonment for three months in a Russian jail in 2013 was the subject of international outrage. The incarceration and the diplomatic row it caused are to come in later episodes. For the opening double bill, On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace is a chaotic thriller, an exciting, enraging and inspiring cross between Captain Phillips and Total Wipeout. Interviewed now, members of the Arctic 30 recall a planned protest that was, with or without hindsight, somewhat rash. The state-controlled Russian oil company Gazprom was about to begin drilling in the Arctic and Greenpeace’s ship Arctic Sunrise was to travel to the oilfield to slow the project down and draw attention to its huge environmental costs. Activists would scale the Prirazlomnaya rig in the Pechora Sea. Then, a survival pod with people inside was to be winched into the air, leaving it dangling from the edge of the platform for as long as possible. Greenpeace pressure had already put Greenland, Finland and Norway off the idea of drilling for Arctic oil. The new protest was based on hoping that Vladimir Putin would be similarly reasonable about it. If that sounds like delusion bordering on derangement, we are reminded of the pure insanity that prompted it. Climate breakdown, greatly exacerbated by humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels, was already causing Arctic ice to melt. The Earth’s most powerful countries and corporations saw this not as a shaming alarm bell, but a commercial opportunity: now they could access the oil that had previously been deep-frozen. On Thin Ice is strong on the philosophy of protest: that logically, respect for the law or concern for your personal safety ought to be overridden by an important enough cause, but that it takes rare courage to follow through and take action. These heroes, the people who were willing to journey to the lethally frigid Arctic and risk personally angering the unstable leader of a rogue superpower, come across as a mix of danger junkies, reckless eccentrics and superficially meek, polite people who evidently have some steel in their core. So it was that this glorious mob left their training camp in Kirkenes on the north-east coast of Norway – after several days of merrily jumping in and out of cold water and shinning up ropes – for the five-day journey east to Prirazlomnaya. After one day, they noticed that Russian coastguards were tailing them; a chat with their new companions via radio led them to conclude that “coastguards” was a euphemism. But on they pressed, eventually reaching the rig and launching the dinghies that would complete the mission. After two failed attempts to hook a rope to the top of the rig using a catapult, the connection was made and a pair of Greenpeace climbers started their ascent, at which point the “coastguards” launched their own dinghies full of armed men in balaclavas, shouting in Russian and crashing into the Greenpeace boats as everyone bobbed around on the freezing waves. Greenpeace, knowing that an action like this has effectively not happened if the world can’t see video of it, had a cameraman on one of its dinghies. Thus we are right there, looking into the eyes of the FSB agents, who display all the classic traits of conscripts serving an authoritarian regime. They are scarily young and obviously panicking, their expressions showing not anger or ideological fervour, but fear: Putin’s orders were not to let those climbers get up those ropes, and woe betide them if they failed. To ensure their film made it back to the communications room on the Arctic Sunrise, the other activists retreated, literally leaving the climbers hanging. They had got about halfway up the side of the rig, but were being threatened by armed spooks below them, and drenched by Gazprom workers firing water cannon into their faces from above. Hypothermia and even drowning in mid-air were possibilities; they soon gave up and came down, deciding that the gun-toting spooks were the safer option. Back on the Arctic Sunrise, it was assumed that the capture of the abandoned climbers would be the end of it – but then a helicopter appeared overhead, a new gang of men with guns descended, and the next act of an incredible story began, as the Greenpeace crew locked the ship down and hoped for mercy. It’s here where the documentary adds dramatic reconstructions to the Greenpeace footage and, if you stop and think, it’s obvious where this trick has been used, but the events are too gripping for you to stop and think, and in any case nothing is more astonishing than the pictures the protesters shot at the time. A couple of episodes down and we’ve not seen a Russian prison yet, but it’s already a tale that is jaw-dropping enough to ensure nobody will forget what the Arctic 30 did or why they did it. Mission accomplished. • On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace is on BBC Two and available on BBC iPlayer. | ['tv-and-radio/series/tv-review', 'culture/television', 'tv-and-radio/tv-and-radio', 'culture/culture', 'campaign/email/whats-on', 'tv-and-radio/documentary', 'tv-and-radio/factual-tv', 'world/vladimir-putin', 'environment/greenpeace', 'tv-and-radio/politics-tv', 'type/article', 'tone/reviews', 'profile/jack-seale', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/g2', 'theguardian/g2/tvandradio', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-culture', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-g2-production'] | environment/greenpeace | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2024-06-09T20:30:24Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
news/datablog/2012/oct/15/data-visualisation-crochet-russia | Purls of wisdom: how to visualise data in crochet | More data More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian World government data • Search the world's government data with our gateway Development and aid data • Search the world's global development data with our gateway Can you do something with this data? • Flickr Please post your visualisations and mash-ups on our Flickr group • Contact us at data@guardian.co.uk • Get the A-Z of data • More at the Datastore directory • Follow us on Twitter • Like us on Facebook | ['data/series/show-and-tell', 'news/datablog', 'tone/blog', 'world/russia', 'world/world', 'technology/data-visualisation', 'type/article', 'profile/simonrogers'] | technology/data-visualisation | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2012-10-15T07:00:00Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
environment/2019/nov/13/greta-thunberg-to-hitch-a-ride-to-europe-with-australian-youtube-influencers | Greta Thunberg to hitch a ride to Europe with Australian YouTube influencers | Greta Thunberg will hitch a ride with two Australian sailing YouTubers on her low-emissions voyage from America to the UN climate change conference in Madrid. The 16-year-old Swedish climate activist had initially been stranded in the United States after the location of the conference was abruptly changed from Chile to Spain at the last minute. “It turns out I’ve travelled half around the world, the wrong way,” she said at the time. Thunberg travelled from Sweden to the US by yacht in August and has since travelled across the Americas by overland train and an electric car borrowed from Arnold Schwarzenegger. On Tuesday night, the Nobel peace prize nominee announced she had found a solution. Thunberg will set sail for Europe immediately on a 48-foot catamaran with Australian vloggers Riley Whitlum and Elayna Carausu and Englishwoman Nikki Henderson – who is a professional yachtswoman. The boat leaves little to no carbon footprint, boasting solar panels and a hydro-generators for power. It also has a toilet, unlike the boat on which she sailed from the United Kingdom to New York in August, which only had a bucket. Whitlum and Carausu are YouTubers who post a new video every week of their journey around their world with their 11-month-old son. They are YouTube’s most popular sailing vloggers, with over a million subscribers. The UN climate conference, known as COP25, was set for 2 December in Santiago, but was moved on 30 October after civil unrest hit Chile, leaving Thunberg with only four weeks notice to make it halfway across the world. Thunberg arrived in the US in August, after sailing for weeks from England. In New York she addressed the UN on the climate crisis, calling out governments for betraying young people. She had planned to travel slowly down to Chile through the Americas. Two weeks ago, she had posted to social media asking for help. “Now I need to find a way to cross the Atlantic in November ... If anyone could help me find transport I would be so grateful.” Whitlum and Carausu met on the Greek island of Ios, when she was working for a travel company and he was living on a sailboat. The pair has covered more than 65,000 nautical miles since 2014. Henderson is an accomplished sailor and last year became the youngest ever skipper to compete at the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, at age 25. Her team came in second place. | ['environment/greta-thunberg', 'world/unitednations', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'environment/activism', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'environment/cop-25-un-climate-change-conference', 'profile/naaman-zhou', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/activism | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2019-11-13T03:08:34Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
environment/2014/jul/24/uk-renewable-energy-subsidies-capped-at-200m-a-year | UK renewable energy subsidies capped at £200m a year | A ceiling of £200m a year will be placed on subsidies to some of the major forms of renewable energy from this autumn, affecting the funding of large-scale low-carbon installations from wind and solar farms to biomass-burning power plants. The money will be available under the coalition's new “contracts for difference”, which subsidise renewable energy companies who offer electricity at a lower rate of carbon emissions than fossil fuel generators, and are paid for by levies on household energy bills. Ed Davey, the secretary of state for energy and climate change, said the reforms would boost the market for renewable energy. He said: “Our plan is powering growth and jobs as we build clean, secure electricity infrastructure for the future. By radically reforming the electricity markets, we’re making sure that decarbonising the power sector will come at the lowest possible cost to consumers.” He predicted there would be 250,000 jobs in the UK’s low-carbon energy sector by the end of this decade. But some renewable companies said the spending represented a large reduction in the support they receive, and could lead to far fewer low-carbon installations being built. For instance, under the scheme, about £50m a year will be made available to companies ranging from large-scale solar farms to landfill gas operations and hydro-electric plants. This would translate into a cut in large-scale solar installations of about 65% to 80% next year, according to the Solar Trade Association. RenewableUK, the trade body for the renewable energy industry, said the level of funding was disappointing. Dr Gordon Edge, its director of policy, said: "Whilst the industry understands the pressures facing government when setting this budget, we are disappointed with the overly cautious approach used. "Although we appreciate that it’s necessary to hold back budget for future years in order to allow potentially cheaper projects to come forward later, this initial release of the draft budget risks being insufficient to drive industrialisation, competition and cost reduction." The new rules were also slammed for being too complex for small companies, which will have to compete with multinationals for the funds available. Contracts for difference are part of the government’s energy market reforms, which are intended to reshape the energy generation industry and “keep the lights on” as an increasing number of the UK’s ageing coal-fired electricity generation plants and nuclear reactors are taken out of service in coming years. The electricity market reforms are expected to make only a marginal difference to consumer bills, however, saving as little as 6% or £41 on the average estimated energy bill by 2030. The £200m will be divided among three broad sets of renewables: the more established technologies, such as onshore wind and solar power; less established technologies such as offshore wind; and the conversion of fossil fuel plants to biomass burning. Companies will have to compete for the pot of money available in their sector. Leonie Green, head of external affairs at the Solar Trade Association, said the amounts to be devoted to renewable energy were dwarfed by the £80bn guaranteed to the nuclear industry under a similar contract struck by the government. She said: “The message the government is sending out today is clear. It is backing nuclear and other more expensive renewables over value-for-money solar. This is an absurd decision that will ultimately hit energy bill payers across Britain. Solar is already cheaper than offshore wind; it will soon be cheaper than onshore wind, and it stands a realistic chance of being cheaper than gas by the end of the decade. But this is only achievable with stable government support and a level playing field." The solar industry is likely to be particularly affected by the changes, because the old subsidy system - known as the renewable obligation, by which generators are obliged to produce a certain amount of power from renewable sources, and are paid above the market price of electricity for doing so - is set to end in 2017 for most operators, but for large solar farms will end in 2016 instead. Paul Thompson, head of policy at the Renewable Energy Association, said: “It is vital that the most cost-effective sectors – biomass, solar, onshore wind and established waste to energy technologies – are given sufficient budget to minimise short-term costs for consumers. At the same time, contracts for difference must also foster those early stage technologies – geothermal, wave and tidal and advanced waste conversion – that will come down in cost as they mature, delivering low carbon energy security long into the future.” | ['environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/environment', 'environment/energy', 'environment/biomass-and-bioenergy', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/windpower', 'environment/green-economy', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/fiona-harvey'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2014-07-24T10:12:20Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2013/mar/31/recycled-or-fsc-certified-paper | Is it better to use recycled paper or FSC-certified paper? | Twenty years ago forests were vanishing worldwide. The developing world lost 200m hectares between 1980 and 1995, and in a climate of ecological panic the Forest Stewardship Council (fsc.org) – a not-for-profit alliance between NGOs, government, and paper and timber players – originated in California. There has been a decline in global deforestation, thanks partly to the increased use of recycled paper and the purchasing of paper products that are certified as coming from responsibly managed forests. This has been driven by consumers like you. Still, deforestation remains high. You are trying to choose between two different systems of producing less wasteful paper. Both have merits. Recycling one tonne of paper would power a home for nine months, save 7,000 gallons of water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one metric tonne of carbon equivalent (CO2e). We also "get it" – put the paper in the recycling bin, close the loop by buying recycled, and hey presto: virgin trees have been saved. But a lack of credible certification means "recycled" paper might not contain a very high a level of old paper. Check percentages: buy the highest level of "post-consumer waste paper" – aim for 100%. If the paper was recovered using energy generated from coal, it might as well not be recycled. Meanwhile, the FSC uses a system of inspecting and tracking timber and pulp right through the chain. So far, 174m hectares of forests have met its strict criteria. Violence and the displacement of indigenous peoples are also prohibited in its chain. This is crucial: forests support 1.6 billion of the poorest people in the world. The 2010 documentary Sustainable on Paper, by Leo Broers and An-Katrien Lecluyse, exposed a certified plantation in Brazil as a eucalyptus monoculture polluting local communities. Anecdotal evidence from the paper industry suggests that printers are put off by hefty fees to certify as FSC. Just 0.05m hectares of FSC-certified forest are owned by indigenous communities (compared to 50.5m hectares owned privately). But the WWF still considers FSC certification the only credible one (above the purely recycled). I suggest that rather than choosing between the two you look for both, as paper products increasingly offer both FSC-certified virgin fibre and recycled content (also certified). OK, so this is not the clear-cut answer you were looking for – but the situation with our forests isn't clear cut either. Green crush Walk the talk in Veja's new trainers inspired (unusually for a fashion capsule collection) by a research professor in global ecology. The print is based on Professor Greg Asner's aerial maps recording forest cover and biodiversity in tropical forest ecosystems. The shoes are made from organic fairtrade cotton canvas and the soles from wild Amazonian rubber tapped by a forest community in Brazil. Available from April at Asos.com, Diverseclothing.com, Hubshop.co.uk and Glassboutique.co.uk. Greenspeak: Biofacture {baio-fækt-shr} noun One up on biomimicry (mimicking nature to find greener design), biofacture replaces a polluting staple with a non-polluting natural one. For example, it's out with nylon fibres and in with hagfish slime If you have an ethical dilemma, send an email to Lucy at lucy.siegle@observer.co.uk | ['environment/recycling', 'environment/series/its-not-easy-being-green', 'environment/waste', 'environment/series/ask-leo-lucy', 'environment/ethical-living', 'environment/environment', 'lifeandstyle/lifeandstyle', 'tone/features', 'type/article', 'profile/lucysiegle', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/magazine', 'theobserver/magazine/life-and-style'] | environment/waste | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2013-03-31T07:30:01Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/blog/2010/dec/22/tory-privatisation-all-state-forests | For sale: all of our forests. Not some of them, nor most of them – the whole lot | John Vidal | We now know, thanks to the junior environment minister Jim Paice’s frank evidence to a recent House of Lords select committee, that the government is considering the sale of not just “some”, or even “substantial”, amounts of woodland as the public was originally led to believe, but of all state-owned English trees across the commission’s 635,000-acre Forestry Commission estate. This includes many royal forests, state-owned ancient woodlands, sites of special scientific interest, heathland, campsites, farms and sporting estates. Here is Paice is in front of the House of Lords select committee: Part of our policy is clearly established: we wish to proceed with very substantial disposal of public forest estate, which could go to the extent of all of it… Paice also accepts that foreign companies might want to buy up the trees, and that foreign-owned energy companies might want to cut the whole lot down for renewable energy. This is clearly not going to be received well in the Tory shires, where the trees mostly are. I have worries about two or three potential aspects of disposal, which we are looking at very carefully. Foreign purchases are one, although I do not think that they are automatically necessarily bad. Indeed, we could not prevent them under EU law. I am much more concerned about the possibility of established forest being bought by energy companies who would proceed to chip it all for energy recovery. So if not the energy companies, who does that leave to buy the trees? Major charities like the Woodland Trust and the National Trust, who may be tapped up to buy chunks of the estate on the cheap as “preferred bidder”, are not exactly beating on the commission’s door; very few communities have the means to buy even 30 acres of woodland, let alone maintain it, and the idea that the “big society” can raise £2bn – the rough cost of buying the commission’s 635,000 acres – is bizarre. The answer clearly is that the government expects developers to step in to exploit the land for whatever profit they can. But the opposition is mounting. By last night more than 98,500 people had registered their opposition to the sale with the group 38 degrees and more are joining the many local forest protection movements springing up as word spreads and people realise what is at stake. Many people want to protect access to “their” public woodland which is now at risk and they pose a real political threat to local Tory and LibDem MPs who never mentioned any of this in their separate or joint manifesto. Opposition is particularly intense around the Forest of Dean, where the Tory MP and junior minister for consitutional reform Mark Harper presides over a small – 2,500 – majority, and who must must be sweating already. Former sustainable development commission chair Jonathon Porritt this week warned Harper of the folly of supporting privatisation of the local – or indeed of any – forest: “When [Harper’s predecessor] Paul Marland supported an earlier attempt by a Conservative government to sell off the forest estate in the 1980s, he was quickly persuaded as to the error of his ways. I’m sure Marland’s words will be resonating with Harper today: ‘I regard the possible sale of the Royal Forest of Dean and other Crown Forests to faceless investors as a national disaster. The Royal Forest of Dean is steeped in ancient history and tradition. Today’s Forester is of the same independent mind and rugged character as were his forefathers. It is our duty to preserve his ancient rights and traditions.’” . Porritt also makes the good point that it is not the trees that the government wants to sell. The Forest of Dean has coal, and other resources. Other Forestry Commission land could be used for windfarms, holiday villages, the routes for new roads and so on. And if the private sector can run the forests profitably, could it not also oversee the rivers and even the national parks? The sale is clearly ideologically-driven, a statement that the private sector – traditionally the large landowner, but now the corporation – should maintain the environment. As such, we should see the sale as further evidence of the dismemberment of conservation in England, the approach that has marked environmental stewardship in Britain and most European countries for the last 60 years. | ['environment/england-forest-sell-off', 'environment/blog', 'environment/forests', 'environment/environment', 'environment/endangered-habitats', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/conservation', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'politics/conservatives', 'tone/blog', 'type/article', 'profile/johnvidal'] | environment/endangered-habitats | BIODIVERSITY | 2010-12-22T11:55:41Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
science/2019/jul/09/device-bring-both-solar-power-clean-water-to-millions | Device could bring both solar power and clean water to millions | A device that can produce electricity from sunlight while simultaneously purifying water has been produced by researchers, an invention they say could solve two problems in one stroke. The researchers say the device is not only a source of green energy but also offers an alternative to current technologies for purifying water. These, they add, often consume large amounts of electricity and require infrastructure beyond the reach of many communities that lack basic access to safe drinking water – a situation thought to affect more than 780 million people worldwide. “These people spend a collective 200m hours a day fetching water from distant sources,” said Prof Peng Wang, a co-author of the research from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. With solar farms often located in arid regions, the device could provide clean water where it is needed most. What is more, the team say it could be used in a backyard or on an industrial scale. “Having a significant amount of freshwater produced continuously on a daily basis [means] many challenging tasks can then be easily achievable,” said Wang. “The generated clean water can be used [for] cleaning solar panels to remove dust particles; it can be use to irrigate plants and crops, making desert agriculture possible.” Writing in the journal Nature Communications, Wang and colleagues reveal how they constructed the device. On the top is a horizontal commercial silicon solar cell and beneath this are several tiers through which saline, brackish or contaminated surface water is run. Waste heat from the solar cell warms the saline water passing immediately beneath it – the water evaporates, passes through a membrane and condenses to yield clean water, releasing heat in the process that warms the saline water in the tier below that – the process is then repeated for the next tier. The purified water flows out of the device and is collected. The team found the device can be used to purify saltwater as well as seawater contaminated with heavy metals, with the water collected containing levels of lead, copper, sodium, calcium and magnesium all below the levels deemed safe for drinking water by the World Health Organization. While the team outline various versions of the device, they reveal that under conditions on a par with a bright, cloudless day the energy efficiency of the solar cell was about 11% – a figure they say is on a par with what would be expected without the distillation section attached, and higher than previously reported by others working on such devices. The device was also able to produce clean water from seawater at a rate they say is higher than conventional solar stills. The device, while not the first to make use of solar distillation, has a particular advantage: by combining two types of device that typically each require a large land area, and mounting systems, the approach is relatively compact. Wang said the device turned the traditional link between water and electricity on its head: conventionally, electricity is produced by heating water to produce steam that is then used to turn turbines. While he said the team was still working on scaling up the device and reducing costs, they are optimistic. “It is our hope that we move quickly to push this technology towards its large-scale adoption,” he said. | ['science/science', 'environment/water', 'global-development/global-health', 'world/series/the-upside', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/nicola-davis', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-science'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2019-07-09T15:00:55Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2019/mar/14/environment-groups-accuse-government-of-denying-the-facts-on-land-clearing | Environment groups accuse government of 'denying the facts' on land clearing | Two of Australia’s largest environment groups have accused the federal environment department of providing inaccurate information about land clearing to the Senate, and of not acting to reduce habitat loss. The Australian Conservation Foundation and WWF Australia say the department has “cherry picked” data to claim that land clearing in Queensland has decreased, when national figures on land clearing rates in that state in fact show increases since 2011. The groups say it highlights the need for an independent environmental protection authority, something the Labor party has promised if it wins the next federal election. The department is sticking by its statements, first made to a hearing last year of the fauna extinctions inquiry that is currently before the Senate. The department’s deputy secretary, Dean Knudson, told a hearing “rates of land clearing have actually declined” nationally and “there’s an absolute decline in clearing in Queensland”. To make this argument the department is working from a baseline of 2004-05, when land clearing rates in Queensland had exploded to a high point – according to the department’s data – before steadily decreasing. Annual clearing rates started increasing again after 2011 when state laws were wound back by the Newman government. New laws introduced by the Palaszczuk government aimed at curbing land clearing began to take effect only last year. The chief executives of ACF and WWF Australia wrote to the Senate committee contesting the statements, and raised the matter again in Senate estimates hearings a fortnight ago. “Mr Knudson’s claims that ‘when we take a look at land clearing in the entire country, the rates of land clearing have actually declined’ and that ‘there’s an absolute decline in clearing in Queensland’ have both been proven conclusively false by the Federal Government’s own data and by the Queensland Government data,” they wrote. The department replied, defending its statements. There are two sources of land clearing data for Australia and Queensland. National and state-by-state data is produced as part of Australia’s national emissions accounting system. The Queensland government also tracks land clearing through its Slats (statewide landcover and trees study) record-keeping system. Numerous environment groups have pointed out inconsistencies between federal and state records. The environment department’s data through the national carbon accounting system lists primary clearing (of intact, remnant or old growth forest), secondary clearing (forests that have regenerated after logging) and emerging regrowth. Those records show that combined figures of primary and secondary clearing skyrocketed to 813,000 hectares nationally in 2005, 570,000 hectares of which was in Queensland. The Queensland figure declined to 205,000 hectares by 2011, but climbed back up to 303,000 hectares in 2013 before falling slightly to 269,000 and 253,000 in 2014 and 2015 respectively, and increasing again to 301,000 in 2016. A similar pattern can be observed in the national landclearing totals. The Slats data shows annual clearing rates increased every year in Queensland from 2009-10 until 2015-16, before decreasing slightly in 2016-17 and increasing again last year. The most recent summary listed combined primary and secondary clearing at 392,000 hectares in 2017-18. “The fact is, tree clearing may have come down since the last decade but in Queensland it went up meteorically after the former Newman government took an axe to the laws,” said Martin Taylor, a conservation scientist at WWF Australia. “To sit there and pretend it didn’t happen is dishonest.” James Trezise, a policy analyst at the Australian Conservation Foundation, said the department’s response was disappointing. “The data clearly shows land clearing exploded after the Newman government unpicked native vegetation laws in Queensland. Denying the facts undermines trust in our public institutions,” he said. “The department has cherry picked data to support its narrative that land clearing in Queensland hasn’t been a significant issue for the past seven years.” He said it was another example of how Australia’s environment laws were failing to protect threatened species and their habitat. “This episode highlights why we need an independent federal EPA to provide frank and fearless advice on environmental issues,” he said. But a spokesperson for the environment department said it “stands by its statements on land clearing”. “The national dataset shows that clearing of primary forest (forests not observed to have been previously cleared) has experienced long-term decline since at least 2004-05,” the department said. The department said its data showed primary clearing had fallen steadily in Queensland from 228,000 hectares to 35,000 hectares in 2014-15 and 36,000 hectares in 2015-16. “The dataset also shows that clearing of secondary forests (forests that have been observed to have been previously cleared) in Queensland has declined somewhat since 2004-05 falling from 343,000 hectares in 2004-05 to 265,000 hectares in 2015-16,” it said. The department said a forthcoming publication showed a large portion of this clearing was of vegetation that had been forest for “five years or less”. “Over the last nine years, the area of land under emerging forest regrowth across Queensland has also grown quickly – on average by 308,000 hectares a year – which is in excess of the average rate of clearing.” | ['environment/forests', 'australia-news/queensland', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/lisa-cox', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2019-03-14T02:03:41Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2010/jan/03/tigers-top-10-endangered-species | Battle will be stepped up this year to save the tiger | Scientists and conservationists are to intensify their efforts this year to save one of Earth's most powerful, and threatened, creatures: the tiger. Biologists have placed Panthera tigris at the top of a list of 10 key animals facing extinction, which should become the focus for major conservation efforts in 2010, they say. "This year has been designated the International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nations and so we have created a list of 10 critically important endangered animals that we believe will need special monitoring over the next 12 months," said Diane Walkington, head of species programme for the WWF in the UK. Animals on the WWF list include the polar bear and the giant panda. "This year will also be the Chinese Year of the Tiger, and so we have put it at the top of our list," added Walkington. "It will have special iconic importance." Over the past century, the world's population of tigers has been reduced by 95% as a result of hunting and poaching for their body parts, which are used in traditional Asian medicine. There are only around 3,200 tigers left on the planet. Of its nine main sub-species, three – the Bali, Caspian and Java tigers – are now extinct, while there has been no reliable siting of a fourth, the South China tiger, for 25 years. This leaves the Bengal, Amur, Indochinese, Sumatran and Malayan tigers, the numbers of which, with the exception of the Bengal and Indochinese, have been reduced to a few hundred per species. In recent years conservationists have achieved some noticeable success in halting the decline in tiger numbers. For example, they helped to halt hunting of the Amur tiger, which lives in eastern Russia. Its numbers had dropped to a few dozen. Today there are around 500 Amur tigers, thanks to conservation measures introduced by the Russian government. "It showed we could help the tiger," said Walkington. However, over the past two or three years, levels of poaching have risen again while habitat problems have added to the stress on tiger numbers. For example, sea level rises – caused by climate change – are now threatening the mangrove homes of tigers in the Sunderbans regions of Bangladesh and India. Hence the international decision to redouble efforts to save the tiger this year. "Of course, there are thousands of other species on the endangered list," added Walkington. "However, there is particular importance in selecting a creature such as the tiger for special attention. "To save the tiger, we have to save its habitat – which is also home to many other threatened species. "So if we get things right and save the tiger, we will also save many other species at the same time." | ['environment/endangeredspecies', 'environment/biodiversity', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'tone/news', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/wwf', 'type/article', 'profile/robinmckie', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/news', 'theobserver/news/uknews'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2010-01-03T00:12:49Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2022/jun/29/15-carp-species-extinct-philippines-aoe | Animals we’ve lost: the 15 carp species that disappeared from a single lake | It was a celebrated clan: a group of 17 carp species found nowhere else in the world except for an ancient freshwater lake in the Philippines. One so fat it could be fried without oil, another sought after for its delectable egg-filled ovaries, a third known, oddly enough, for its endearing overbite. Yet in recent years 15 of them have been declared extinct, victims of mismanaged fish farming efforts that accidentally introduced predatory fish into their home. In all likelihood, these invaders will continue to menace the native carp until none of them are left. It’s unclear how the carp ended up in Lake Lanao, on the island of Mindanao, in the first place. Probably they swam up a waterway on a primeval land bridge to the now-separate island of Borneo, which itself teems with carp. Once in the lake, they began to evolve in ways that have been called “explosive” – and are a little bit funny. The fish known as the bitungu (Barbodes truncatulus), for instance, was notable for its remarkably short lower jaw, which came up barely halfway to its upper counterpart. The result was a conspicuous overhang, like a diving board over a pool. Whiskers framing its lips drooped like foam noodles. Its “mouth seems to be open even when closed”, wrote one biologist. Indigenous locals called the Maranao, which means “the people of the lake”, were not overly concerned with its looks. Having built their traditions, culture and cuisine around Lake Lanao since at least the 13th century, this Muslim community knew the bitungu in another form: food. Though individuals were appetizer-sized – about the length of an iPhone mini, at best – they could become the centerpiece of a fine meal when fried, grilled or stewed en masse. In the mid-20th century, major changes occurred around the lake. The Philippines, which declared independence from the US in 1946, had formed a Bureau of Fisheries that began to stock the country’s lakes with non-native species like milkfish and tilapia in the early 1960s and 70s, according to marine biologist Armi Torres. Unfortunately, these budding aquaculture efforts were conducive to stowaways. Bigger omnivores like the snakehead gudgeon and the tank goby, which spawned year-round and had a taste for carp, hitched a ride with the stock fish and gained a foothold in Lake Lanao. “The Bureau of Fisheries meant well because their objective was to try and feed Filipinos, but they had no idea how quickly biodiversity could collapse,” said Gregg Yan, director of Best Alternatives, a Philippines-based group that works to mitigate damage caused by invasive fish. The construction of hydroelectric dams near the lake, the adoption of dynamite fishing, and increasing pollution only sped up the ecosystem’s demise. From the early 1970s to 1991, surveys of local fish markets near Lake Lanao showed more of the invasive species for sale – and far fewer native fish. The bitungu was last observed in 1973. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared it extinct in 2020, along with other members of the clan. Memory of the bitungu is fading fast, and relics anchoring its existence to this world have dwindled. “Sad to say that the name bitungu is only known to a few [elderly] locals,” says Onaya Labe, an assistant professor of biology at Mindanao State University, “and they don’t know its meaning.” A collection of preserved fish from Lake Lanao, including the bitungu, was largely destroyed in 1945, when Japanese troops bombed the country’s Bureau of Science. The only remaining image of the bitungu is a black-and-white illustration of a male fish from a 1924 manuscript. He might have been the glinting colour of topaz, or perhaps a warmer shade of amber, with a pale belly and fins. His kind might have spawned once a year, or many. Though it’s assumed he preferred the warm shallows of the lake, some quirk of evolution may have prompted him to venture into the depths. We will probably never know. The illustration captures an expression that a human observer might classify as quizzical, bewildered – or sad. | ['environment/series/the-age-of-extinction', 'environment/environment', 'world/philippines', 'environment/fish', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | environment/series/the-age-of-extinction | BIODIVERSITY | 2022-06-29T09:30:35Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
media/2009/nov/11/shetland-wind-farm-campaign-banned | Shetland wind farm mailout banned | A marketing campaign for a wind farm project, backed by Scottish and Southern Energy, has been banned by the advertising watchdog for misleading consumers over claims about financial and green benefits to the community. A mailout by Viking Energy promised to "harness Shetland's natural resources for a greener future". Viking Energy made a number of claims including that 50% of the profits would stay with the Shetland community; that annually £25m to £30m would be injected into the economy; that "upwards" of £18m in profits would go to the Shetland Charitable Trust; and that a report showed that the carbon produced in construction would be "cancelled out by green power in less than three years". The Advertising Standards Authority received five complaints about the claims challenging whether they could be substantiated and were misleading. Viking Energy admitted that its figures of millions of pounds were not precise and that, in fact, "heavily adjusted downwards and have subsequently found to be underestimates". The company also said that the report, published by the Scottish government in June last year, showed that the total carbon emission savings and payback time for the wind farm in question was between 1.8 and 2.6 years. However, the ASA said that it was not true that 50% of the economic benefits would go to community projects or bodies in the Shetlands because 50% would go to Scottish and Southern Energy and 5% to four directors. The ASA also said that the claims about financial figures were misleading because, despite Viking Energy supplying detailed calculations, it had not supplied real evidence such as contracts guaranteeing the prices of electricity the wind farm would generate. In its ruling the ad watchdog added that in addition to the governmental report Viking Energy also had its own environmental statement estimating that carbon payback would be most likely after 3.7 years. This made the claim of "less than three years" misleading. The ASA told Viking it could not use the claims again in its marketing material. • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediatheguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". | ['media/asa', 'media/advertising', 'environment/environment', 'media/media', 'environment/windpower', 'type/article', 'profile/marksweney'] | environment/windpower | ENERGY | 2009-11-11T07:06:12Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2019/sep/10/climate-strikes-are-you-taking-part-in-septembers-protests | Climate strikes: are you taking part in Friday's protests? | Millions of young people around the globe are expected to protest in a second worldwide strike on Friday organised by Fridays for Future and Earth Strike. This follows last Friday’s strikes where many took to the streets in protest. Strikes will take place in every continent with dozens set to take place in cities around the UK. We’d like to hear from young people, parents, teachers and others who are taking to the streets around the world to demand further action is taken to tackle our climate emergency. In particular, we’d love to hear from those who are taking part in a climate strike for the first time outside of London. Share your stories, pictures and videos We’d like to hear from young people and adults who are planning on taking part. Why do you feel compelled to take part in the climate strikes? Have you taken part in similar protests before? Which protest are you attending? Who will you be attending with? If you’re under 16, you will need to obtain permission from a parent or Guardian before we can publish your submission. Please share your stories in the encrypted form below. Only the Guardian will have access to your responses. One of our journalists will be in contact before we publish your submission. You can also share your stories, photos and videos with the Guardian via WhatsApp by adding the contact +44(0)7867825056. Only the Guardian will see your responses and we will include some of your responses in our ongoing coverage. If you’re having trouble using the form, click here. Read terms of service here. | ['environment/environment', 'environment/greta-thunberg', 'environment/activism', 'type/article', 'tone/callout', 'profile/guardian-readers', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-communities-and-social'] | environment/activism | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2019-09-10T15:06:06Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
world/2018/nov/22/canada-navy-live-fire-exercise-killer-whale-protected-habitat | Canada: locals angry after navy holds live fire exercises in orca habitat | Endangered killer whales off Canada’s west coast were forced to contend with machine gun fire and smoke bombs after the government allowed the country’s navy to conduct live fire exercises in a protected area. A strip of water roughly 45 nautical miles long and 6 nautical miles wide was temporarily closed to recreational and commercial fishing in June in an attempt to help the whales, also known as orcas, find more of their main food source, Chinook salmon. But according to residents on the south-west coast of Vancouver Island, the Canadian navy and the US coast guard continued to conduct live fire exercises in those same waters, which the government designated as a critical habitat area earlier in the summer. The area, in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the US state of Washington, was re-opened in October. But with more fishing closures expected in the future, the decision to allow exercises to continue frustrated both local residents and marine biologists. “Are you saying to me that a machine gun peppering the water and smoke bombs are less damaging than [a couple of guys] going fishing out of a 12ft aluminum boat?” said Ryan Chamberland, who owns a fishing lodge in the town of Sooke. As efforts intensify to help the endangered population of whales – known as the southern resident killer whales – the federal government has promised to spend $61.5m on programs to slow down commercial ships, reducing marine traffic noise which hampers the animals’ communication and ability to find prey. Canadian authorities also plan to create sanctuary areas, which will be closed to fishing boats and other vessels. Local residents argue that such restrictions should also apply to loud naval exercises. “They closed down this area to recreational fishing to save the whales, and then the navy sets off phosphorus bombs and 50 caliber guns,” said Paul Pudwell, a whale-watching captain in Sooke. “They do it 20, 30 times a year. We can’t fish there, but you can go shoot it up?” Pudwell said that several times he had spotted whales in the area while exercises were still happening. Federal fisheries minister Jonathan Wilkinson said the creation of sanctuaries could give the federal government more power to control activities in the area. “[These] may be areas where we simply want to exclude a whole range of actives and that would include naval and exercises and marine shipping and fishing,” he told the Guardian. The navy believes there is “no evidence” that the exercises have impacted the salmon or whales in the area, a spokesman said via email, adding that sonar equipment was prohibited during training and exercises. The navy has previously agreed not to fire munitions while whales are within roughly half a mile from ships, but last year, whale watchers off the southern coast of Vancouver Island were surprised by two explosions while killer whales swam nearby. In 2012, US authorities opened an investigation to determine if an orca was killed by sonar from Canadian naval exercises, after its carcass washed up on a beach in Washington state. While no definitive conclusion was reached, marine biologists who investigated the believe sonar from the ships, which disorients killer whales, was the best possible explanation for the whale’s death. | ['world/canada', 'environment/whales', 'world/americas', 'environment/cetaceans', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/leyland-cecco', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-foreign'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2018-11-22T11:00:38Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2012/may/11/italian-anarchists-kneecap-nuclear-executive | Italian anarchists kneecap nuclear executive and threaten more shootings | An anarchist group claimed responsibility on Friday for kneecapping an Italian nuclear engineering executive and warned it would strike another seven times at the firm's parent company, Finmeccanica. In a four-page letter sent to an Italian newspaper, the group, calling itself the Olga Nucleus of the Informal Anarchist Federation-International Revolutionary Front, said two of its members had shot Roberto Adinolfi, the CEO of Ansaldo Nucleare, in Genoa on Monday. The firm is owned by Italian state-controlled defence and aerospace group Finmeccanica, which operates 16 sites and employs 10,000 people in the UK. The letter, which was deemed credible by investigators, said the cell named itself after Olga Ikonomidou, one of eight Greek anarchists it listed as currently jailed in Greece. Seven further attacks would be carried out, one for each of them, the letter stated. After the shooting Finmeccanica's CFO, Alessandro Pansa, said the firm would not be intimidated. On Friday a spokesman declined to comment on the letter. The letter takes aim at Adinolfi, calling him a "sorcerer of the atomic industry" and criticising him for claiming in an interview that none of the deaths during the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011 were due to nuclear incidents. "Adinolfi knows well that it is only a matter of time before a European Fukushima kills on our continent," the letter stated. "Science in centuries past promised us a golden age, but it is pushing us towards self destruction and slavery," the group wrote, adding: "With our action we give back to you a small part of the suffering that you scientists are bringing to the world." Adinolfi, who was discharged from hospital under police guard on Friday after he was wounded in the shooting, said "Thank God I am OK". Before the letter arrived at the offices of Corriere della Sera in Milan, investigators had suspected the attack could be the work of the Red Brigades, the terrorist organisation that kidnapped former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro in 1978. The so-called Olga Nucleus stated that another cell within the Informal Anarchist Federation had sent a letter bomb to Italy's tax collection agency, Equitalia, in December, nearly blinding an official. Other letter bomb attacks in Italy have also been claimed by anarchist cells within the Federation. As Italy's economy dips, Equitalia offices have become a target for violence. After an armed man briefly took hostages in an office in Bergamo last week, police on Friday clashed with protesters outside a Naples office, while a suspect package containing powder was sent to a Rome office. On Thursday, the industry minister, Corrado Passera, warned Italy's economic crisis was threatening social cohesion. In its letter, the Olga Nucleus said it could have chosen to attack Equitalia but was not looking to win public support. "We have nothing to do with citizens who are indignant about something which doesn't work in a system in which they want to be a part," it wrote. "We are wild lovers of freedom, and will never renounce the revolution or the complete destruction of the state and its violence." | ['world/italy', 'world/europe-news', 'world/world', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'environment/energy', 'environment/environment', 'tone/news', 'business/finmeccanica', 'type/article', 'profile/tomkington'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2012-05-11T16:55:04Z | true | ENERGY |
australia-news/article/2024/sep/04/australian-threatened-wildlife-list-waratah-leaf-tailed-gecko-added | ‘A symbol of our nation’: waratah among 20 more species added to Australia’s threatened wildlife list | Twenty more plants and animals, including a type of waratah, have been added to Australia’s list of threatened wildlife, bringing the total number of endangered species and ecosystems to almost 2,250. The fresh listings come as the government faces a battle to pass legislation for a new national environment watchdog in the Senate, while Labor has also been under pressure from the Greens and Coalition about delays to a broader package of reforms to the country’s environment laws. The 15 plants, two lizards, one sea snake, one crayfish and one fish recognised as threatened with extinction include the New England leaf-tailed gecko (also known as the Moritz’s leaf-tailed gecko), the granite leaf-tailed gecko and the Gibraltar Range waratah (Telopea aspera), a species of the popular flowering shrub. The Gibraltar Range waratah, listed as endangered, is a different species but similar in appearance to the more well-known New South Wales waratah (Telopea speciosissima), which is the floral emblem for that state. The species is found in forests in northern NSW on the Gibraltar Range. One ecological community – the King Island scrub complex ecological community – was also added to the list, making a total of 21 new additions and bringing the overall list to 2,245. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email The environment and water minister, Tanya Plibersek, said the biggest threats to the newly listed species were invasive weeds and pests, such as feral cats and pigs, and the ongoing effects of the black summer bushfires. “It’s hard to imagine that the Gibraltar Range waratah – a symbol of our nation – is under threat in Australia from disease and predators,” she said. “Our government is committed to giving our precious threatened plants and animals a brighter future. That’s why today we’ve listed 20 species and 1 ecological community under national environment law for the first time – giving them stronger protection under law. “We are acting on the best available advice and science to better protect plants, animals and ecosystems under threat.” The additions come a month after 13 other plants and animals were added to the list, sparking renewed calls for the federal government to quickly overhaul the country’s nature laws. The Australian Conservation Foundation said at the time the expanding threatened species list showed the national nature laws were “powerless to stop Australian plants and animals being wilfully destroyed”. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said this week that promised new nature laws were unlikely to be introduced in this term of parliament after the government decided to carve up the reforms into stages. A broader overhaul, including new national environmental standards, which was recommended by a statutory review in 2020 has been delayed to an unspecified date. Legislation to establish a proposed national environment protection authority and a national environmental information agency is before the parliament. The Coalition, Greens and crossbench senators are all seeking amendments to the bills. Albanese said this week the government would consider watering down the EPA proposal in a bid to secure the Coalition’s support. The government has said it is committed to improving environmental protections, including through $550m to protect threatened species and tackle invasive pests, expanding the Indigenous Ranger Program and protecting an additional 40m hectares of land and sea areas. Scientists have estimated about $2bn a year is needed to recover Australia’s threatened plants, animals and ecological communities. | ['australia-news/tanya-plibersek', 'environment/wildlife', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/environment', 'campaign/email/breaking-news-australia', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/lisa-cox', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/wildlife | BIODIVERSITY | 2024-09-03T15:00:19Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2013/nov/19/letter-from-italy-mantua-mantova-rubbish-recycling | Letter from Italy: trash culture | The people of Mantua are talking nothing but rubbish these days. A new waste sorting and disposal system has been introduced and it's causing a stir. There have been heated meetings between residents and municipal officials, letters to the press, street protests, everything short of a madcap boycott. Every household has been supplied with transparent plastic sacks and a set of mini-bins: there's a blue bin, a green bin, a brown bin, a grey bin and a substantial amount of explanatory literature. One issue immediately raised was where people in apartments without balconies would keep these bins. Previously we were free to sort our own rubbish and deposit it in discreet containers in the street, metres from the door. Now the containers have gone and there are collection times specific to certain types of rubbish and areas. From 7pm rubbish sacks and mini-bins begin to spread out along the streets and are easy pickings for dogs, cats, rats and no-gooders. My friend Antonio says leaving rubbish in a transparent sack at the front door is like hanging out your dirty laundry: "What if I'm a Viagra user, or I have a chronic beer habit, or the wife and I shell peanuts in the kitchen on the QT for a big multinational? That'll come out in my now very public rubbish!" Households have received an instruction manual written in four languages with a chart sorting over 500 items of rubbish into eight categories. You can't go wrong, if you have the patience to study it. So far, few have. Recently, I noticed from our window that passersby were slowing down and having a tentative look at something on the pavement outside the block. Somebody taken ill, a hurt animal? It was a rubbish sack that the collectors had refused; a sticker was slapped on it warning that the contents had been incorrectly sorted. As nobody wanted to own up to this brutta figura, it lay there for 10 days, eventually taking on the curiosity of a Banksy piece. Despite the civic unease, it will all sort itself out, as in 2005 when Italy became the third country in Europe to ban smoking in public places, and 2003 when a daytime headlight law for vehicles was introduced. Still, there is something therapeutic about having a good moan over a load of rubbish. Every week Guardian Weekly publishes a Letter from one of its readers from around the world. We welcome submissions – they should focus on giving a clear sense of a place and its people. Please send them to weekly.letter.from@theguardian.com | ['world/series/letter-from', 'world/italy', 'environment/waste', 'environment/recycling', 'type/article', 'profile/joe-quinn'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2013-11-19T14:00:32Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2019/apr/12/london-housing-approved-in-area-with-illegal-pollution-levels-lewisham | Housing approved despite pollution warning to keep windows shut | A south London housing development has been approved in an area where air pollution is so high that residents will be advised to keep their windows closed. Nitrogen dioxide exceeds legal limits on the busy road where the development is planned, next to the A2 in Lewisham. An air quality assessment carried out on behalf of the developers found levels of 56.3 micrograms per cubic metre in the area – far above the legal limit of 40µg/m3. The highest estimate of NO2 inside the development was also above legal levels at 43.7µg/m3, which would affect residents on the first floor. The assessment includes the guidance: “With opening windows the developer should advise the future occupants that their health could be at risk due to relatively high levels of air pollution in the area.” Rosamund Adoo-Kissi Debrah, a campaigner from Lewisham whose daughter’s death has been linked to air pollution, called the decision “an absolute disaster”. Her daughter, Ella Roberta Kissi-Debrah, was nine when she died of acute respiratory failure and severe asthma. NO2 levels near their Lewisham home were consistently above the legal limit. The attorney general has approved a new inquest into the death. “They have learned nothing from my daughter’s death, nothing at all. It is an insult,” said Kissi-Debrah. Despite the developer’s warnings over air quality, Lewisham council deems it a “low priority consideration” in its planning report, rejecting solutions to mitigate against the risk of high air pollution. In one section, the council rejects providing glazing on the basis of a prediction that “air pollution levels should fall as vehicle emissions in the area reduce”. Instead, the council agrees to finance marketing materials so that “occupiers/residents … are notified of the potential air pollution risks to human health”. It states that such information “would be likely to take the form of marketing information, leasehold clause and welcome pack”. Claire Holman, an air quality expert, said interior air pollution can also be dangerous – such as pollution arising from using cleaning materials, toiletries, or a wood-burning stove, meaning it does not always make sense to keep windows shut. Holman, chair of the Institute of Air Quality Management, said residents would find it difficult to know when they should be able to open their windows. “People know whether it’s too hot inside, or too noisy outside, but sensing poor air quality is more difficult. They may open their windows during pollution events without realising.” She added: “I have a problem with leaving it up to the individual. People’s awareness of air quality is not great enough.” The developer has agreed to pay £7,500 towards monitoring air quality near the development, as it sits in an air quality management area – an area which is unlikely to meet national air quality objectives. The developer has also agreed to contribute £17,500 towards planting trees nearby and make further contributions towards pedestrian safety, better street signs and parking. Kissi-Debrah dismissed the contributions as piecemeal. “Those trees will be tiny when they are planted and will do little do absorb such high levels of nitrogen dioxide,” she said. “I would like to believe [Lewisham council] were not aware of the illegal levels of air pollution in the borough when my daughter was alive. “But now they know, how can they seriously have a policy that says people need to close their windows? Air seeps in. Do they expect people will never open their front doors? They can’t have taken [my daughter’s death] very seriously at all.” In a statement, Bluecroft Property Development did not respond to questions about air quality, but said homes would meet living-space requirements. “London needs new homes and better air quality, which is why the mayor is taking action on both issues. “All homes meet or exceed the standards the GLA’s private amenity space and internal space standards.” Lewisham council said: “The housing crisis and air quality are two of the greatest challenges facing London. A planning condition is in place that ensures that the building will meet air quality objectives. The developer will provide a ventilation system that will take clean air from the roof and deliver it to the first two floors of the development. “Lewisham is committed to improving air quality. We will soon be launching a borough wide consultation that proposes emission based charging for parking permits with the aim of encouraging residents to use low- or no-emission vehicles or, better still, seek other forms of transport.” | ['environment/air-pollution', 'uk/london', 'society/housing', 'society/communities', 'environment/pollution', 'money/property', 'society/society', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'money/money', 'business/realestate', 'society/localgovernment', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/poppy-noor', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2019-04-12T11:33:45Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
sustainable-business/blog/reducing-emissions-value-chain-supermarkets | Five obstacles to reducing value chain greenhouse gas emissions | The Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the University of Leeds has established a three–year project (Climate change governance beyond the state) to analyse the role that can be played by companies in delivering the low carbon economy, and the factors that influence the decisions that companies take to reduce their emissions and those of their suppliers, customers and other parties. One of the central questions of this research is whether and to what extent companies can influence greenhouse gas emissions across their value chains? The importance of this question is illustrated by the UK supermarket sector, whose operational and electricity-related greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be approximately 1% of the UK's total emissions, but whose value chain-related emissions are estimated to be an order of magnitude higher. For various reasons – consumer interest, high and volatile energy prices, brand/PR – many of the large supermarkets have started to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from across their value chains. While the specific actions differ between the companies, they fall into three broad categories: Reducing "embedded" emissions through, for example, working directly with suppliers to help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, supporting the development of product carbon footprinting, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport and logistics. Providing low emissions products and services. Examples include energy savings lightbulbs, commitments to only sell A-rated electrical appliances, and offering services and products (e.g. insulation) that contribute to reducing customer greenhouse gas emissions. Educating consumers through product labelling (e.g. airfreight labels, carbon footprint information), and providing guidance on the actions that customers can take to reduce their carbon footprints. The experience to date suggests that these actions can make a material contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, five major challenges have emerged: Companies tend to prefer issues where they can objectively measure before and after performance so that they can report on it. This has led to companies focusing on those issues that are amenable to quantification, which may not correspond to the areas where they have the greatest potential to exert influence. Addressing emissions from the supply chain frequently requires different management skills (and involves different parts of the business) to those required for addressing direct (operational) emissions. For example, acquiring data from suppliers is a very different process to gathering information from facilities owned and operated by the company. Companies have to satisfy multiple objectives (such as quality, safety and overall environmental impact). There is often a tension between these and the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. To give just one example, while a number of supermarkets have labelled products shipped by air, there are concerns that this may result in customers discriminating against products from developing countries. There is a tension between individual and the collective interests. For example, consumer information (or the lack thereof) is a well recognised barrier to individual action on climate change, and product labelling has a potentially important role to play in overcoming this barrier. However, the current trend for each retailer or company to develop its own labels and performance measures may actually perpetuate this barrier; while own brand labels may enable customers to differentiate between the climate change impacts of that retailers' products, they do not necessarily allow for meaningful comparisons to be drawn between different retailers' products. There is a potential conflict between the supermarkets and their suppliers. While both should have an interest in the goals of emissions reductions, it is not clear what the right balance is, or should be, between who provides the resources (e.g. capital, operational costs such as monitoring, intellectual knowledge) and who reaps the benefits (specifically, how much of any cost savings should retained by supplier and how much should be given to the supermarket through lower prices). The above comments are not intended as a criticism of the substantial efforts that supermarkets have made to reduce their overall carbon footprints. In fact, the fact that these types of issues are being raised indicate how much progress has been made in such a short period of time. The challenge is for retailers to address these obstacles while continuing to drive greenhouse gas emissions reductions throughout their value chains. Dr Rory Sullivan and Professor Andy Gouldson are leading the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy project Non-State Actors and the Low Carbon Economy. Further information on the project is here. Dr Rory Sullivan is a senior research fellow at the University of Leeds, Strategic Adviser to Ethix SRI Advisers and a member of the Advisory Board of Ethical Corporation. Professor Andy Gouldson is director of the Economics and Social Research Council's Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the University of Leeds This content if brought to you by Guardian Professional. Become a member of Guardian Sustainable Business for regular updates | ['sustainable-business/blog', 'sustainable-business/hubs-energy-efficiency', 'tone/blog', 'sustainable-business/sustainable-business', 'sustainable-business/low-carbon', 'type/article', 'sustainable-business/series/supply-chain', 'profile/rory-sullivan'] | sustainable-business/low-carbon | EMISSIONS | 2011-05-05T14:35:38Z | true | EMISSIONS |
environment/2020/feb/19/worst-thing-is-waiting-flood-hit-communities-stress-uk-flooding | 'The worst thing is the waiting': flood-hit communities tell of stress | Flooding not only wrecks businesses, destroys homes and disrupts everyday life but also causes long-lasting and dangerous levels of stress, residents from flood-hit communities have said. Hundreds of homes have been flooded and six people are thought to have died across England and Wales after heavy downpours and successive storms further exposed the fragility of flood defences and the gravity of the climate emergency. More flooding is expected as river levels continue to threaten to breach barriers. People in flood-hit areas are grappling with a seemingly relentless onslaught of extreme weather conditions, and are making preparations for the future while having to deal with the present consequences. “I am lucky, only one room of my house was flooded, but some people have had to leave everything,” Amanda Gillender, a 71-year-old painter from Eardisland on the River Arrow in Herefordshire, told the Guardian. The scale of the flooding in Gillender’s village has been unprecedented and there are record levels of water in rivers nearby. She fears life there may become untenable if the climate crisis is not taken seriously. But for now, her most immediate concern is dealing with her insurance claim as she assesses the damage to her 500-year old cottage. “The worst thing about flooding is the waiting and watching as the water rises foot after foot deep,” she said. “There’s nothing you can do. Once it has happened you’re completely isolated because you can’t go out and are left alone with the painful, disruptive aftermath.” Elsewhere, the cumulative stress is having a grave impact on communities. “There are thousands of small human stories of stress, worry and disappointment,” said Rachel Buchanan, from the Ludlow area in Shropshire. “We’re all looking at river level websites now before going out. It just makes everyone a little less willing to leave their home.” People are being prevented from getting to work and social events, caring for family members and attending to livestock, and are becoming ever more lonely, Buchanan believes. “You become slightly more isolated as the effects of the flooding encroach on everyday life,” she said. “A friend of mine who is a single mother simply won’t go out now. Small businesses are losing a day or a week of work and the roads are crumbling – it’s a mess.” All across the UK, flooding has become more frequent and the impact can be felt years later. While insurance agents visit to assess how much compensation is to be paid out, houses in areas not previously classified as being at risk of flooding are revalued. “One of our neighbours lost £70,000 in value,” says Ian Young, a father of two who lives with his partner on the Isle of Man and who was affected by flooding last year. “We lost both our cars and did not receive market value for them. Our premiums went through the roof as they had to go down as at-fault claims even though the vehicles were parked on the driveway and we weren’t in them.” He and his family have been living in temporary accommodation since the beginning of October and work to repair his property, the ground floor of which was completely flooded, has only just begun. “It was absolutely horrific,” he said. “You spend years trying to build up your life centred around your home and garden and then you’re kicked out. We’ve lost a Christmas with our kids. They only believe in Father Christmas until they’re eight or nine. But it was a write-off not having our own home.” In Surrey, where the Thames flooded twice in 2014, residents are still dealing with the consequences. “I don’t think we ever fully recovered from the experience,” said the fluid dynamicist and racing boat maker Carl Douglas. “It knocked the momentum out of us, left us poorer and messed up our business.” Receiving an adequate payout from his insurers proved an “incredibly stressful” ordeal that he knows was not unique to himself, and in 2015 he developed circulatory problems that forced him to have a triple bypass operation. “The surgeon looked at me and said: ‘You look pretty fit for your age so I wouldn’t have expected you to need this procedure. But have you been under a lot of stress?’ ‘Oh yes,’ I replied,” Douglas said. In many cases, communities have pulled together to help those who are most affected. In Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, which has been hit by flooding over the last couple of years, neighbours have responded by helping older people move their possessions to safety, sharing route information on Facebook, offering spare bedrooms and helping to flood-proof homes. But people such as Rory Deighton, a 49-year-old NHS worker, are looking towards Westminster for real action. “If we get nothing again from a central government that ignores climate change, does not act on grouse shooting or discuss farming practices, and does not focus on how we can prevent flooding, then people will just ask: what’s the point?” | ['environment/flooding', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'uk/wales', 'world/natural-disasters', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'uk/weather', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'tone/features', 'profile/mattha-busby', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-communities-and-social'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2020-02-19T14:24:38Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2023/oct/16/solar-powered-off-road-car-stella-terra-finishes-620-mile-test-drive-across-north-africa | Solar-powered off-road car finishes 620-mile test drive across north Africa | A solar-powered car said to be the first in the world capable of driving off-road over long distances without recharging has completed a 620-mile (1,000km) test drive across Morocco and the Sahara. The two-seat Stella Terra, designed by students at the Eindhoven University of Technology, completed the journey across a variety of challenging landscapes as part of a final test of its lightweight frame and aerodynamic profile. The car, which runs off the energy provided by multiple solar panels on its roof, has a top speed of 90mph (145kmph), weighs only 1,200kg (1.2 tonnes) and has a range of at least 440 miles (710km) on a sunny day. Wisse Bos, team manager of Solar Team Eindhoven, said the technology used, complementing a lightweight frame with highly efficient solar panels, was a decade ahead of anything on the market. He said: “Stella Terra must withstand the harsh conditions of off-roading while remaining efficient and light enough to be powered by the sun. That is why we had to design almost everything for Stella Terra ourselves, from the suspension to the inverters for the solar panels. We are pushing the boundaries of technology.” The car contains a rechargeable lithium (Li)-ion battery, which would also allow it to operate in less sunny climates but over shorter distances. Such is the level of energy provided by the solar panels on the car that it can provide sufficient electricity for cooking and charging devices such as a phone or camera. Aged between 21 and 25, the 22 students behind the car brought the project to life after taking a year off from their studies. The steering system on the olive-green car failed during the week-and-a-half-long experiment in the dry and varied landscapes of north Africa, from Tangier to the Sahara, but it was swiftly put right, according to Bob van Ginkel, 24, the project’s technical manager. He said: “We hope this can be an inspiration to car manufacturers such as Land Rover and BMW to make it a more sustainable industry. The car was actually very comfortable in the off-road conditions as it is very light and does not get stuck.” The car’s bespoke converter for the solar panels was found to be 97% efficient in turning sunlight absorbed by their PV cells into electrical charge. Stella Terra was found to be a third more efficient than had been originally envisioned. Britt van Hulst, 21, the project’s finance manager, said there remained further work to do before the design could go to market but that it offered an avenue for large automobile manufacturers to explore. The largest challenge for designers seeking to build solar-powered cars is the limited surface area on which to locate panels. Highly efficient panels able to generate sufficient energy to power vehicles over a long distance are expensive to produce. The most efficient panels on the market generally reach about 45% efficiency, while most panels are about 15% to 20% efficient. The Stella Terra team is not for profit and had relied on sponsors for its budget. A spokesperson said it was not able to provide a total cost for the project. The manufacturing cost appears to have been an inhibiting factor in the latest attempt to break into the automotive market by Atlas Technologies, a subsidiary of the Netherlands-based Lightyear. The company was intending last year to produce solar-electric cars, which had been due to retail at €500,000, but the firm announced its bankruptcy after a lack of orders. The company has since reemerged with a new model that would cost $40,000 a vehicle and be able to travel about 500 miles between charges. • This article was amended on 16 October 2023 to clarify that the car’s bespoke converter was found to be 97% efficient, not the solar panels. | ['environment/solarpower', 'world/africa', 'world/world', 'world/netherlands', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'science/science', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/daniel-boffey', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-foreign'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2023-10-16T07:00:35Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/damian-carrington-blog/2013/may/03/gorilla-cameroon-congo-conservation-whitley | Pride: a secret weapon in protecting primates | Damian Carrington | "What we use to motivate the people is pride," says Ekwoge Enang Abwe, whose extraordinary work in saving the gorillas and chimpanzees in the Ebo forest in south-west Cameroon has been recognised by a £35,000 award from the Whitley fund for Nature. The people have a great deal to be proud of - the forest harbours 11 primate species, forest elephants and the world's biggest frog - but for many years the 5,000 villagers spread around the forest relied hunting the animals for their livelihoods. The two million inhabitants of the city of Douala paid well for gorilla and chimp bushmeat, but Abwe's enthusiasm has prevailed. "You can see these chimpanzees cracking nuts with stone hammers and fishing for termites with sticks - that is a unique combination of tool use," he says. The 25 gorillas in the forest are also unique, he says, a fragmentary population isolated between the cross river gorillas to the north and the western lowland gorillas to the south, and only recorded by scientists in 2002. "Hunting was very common, but it is dying out," Abwe says. "It's been education, education, education. We cannot promise money from eco-tourism or fund farmers. But we do talk to them about other livelihoods and they are now getting into farming, such as cocoa." Abwe has pulled off a remarkable feat, achieved by working with traditional villages leaders to move towards a sustainable local economy. It is this on-the-ground success, created by local people, that the Whitley awards rightly celebrates. Another winner, John Kahekwa Munihuzi, took a different approach to confronting the difficult economic realities in the Kahuzi Biega national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he has worked for 25 years. "My people say 'an empty stomach has no ears'," Munihuzi tells me. The gorilla population in Kahuzi Biega park has suffered severely from bushmeat hunting. But in 1986, Munihuzi led an American tourist to see one troop of gorillas that he had visited. The man gave him $10 for a home-made T-shirt that read "I tracked gorillas in Kahuzi Biega national park". Six years later, that $10 turned into $6000, enough to start Munihuzi's Pole Pole foundation, which means Slowly, Slowly, and reflects Munihuzi's indefatigable approach. But the terrible war that then devastated the people of DRC did not leave the gorilla's unscathed. Numbers plummeted from 258 in 1996 to just 130. DRC remains the poorest on the planet and Munihuzi says: "My country has been forgotten by the world for years." The region around the park combines extraordinary biodiversity and vast unexplored areas with thousands of refugees, poachers, illegal miners and violent militia. But his slowly, slowly approach is working. "Now, due to all our efforts and all the risk we take, we have 178 gorillas," he says. "I have recruited 47 people, all of whom had been arrested for poaching many times." These people work for Pole Pole and some harvest charcoal, timber and carving wood from the forest of millions of trees it has planted. Munihuzi has a straightforward attitude to the natural riches in the park, a Unesco world heritage site: "You can't have a cow without drinking its milk." Munihuzi and Abwe show what can be achieved by brilliant people, working in the places where they were born. That local understanding is key to their success and rightly the focus of the Whitley Fund for Nature, which has now given almost £10 million to conservation and recognised 160 conservation leaders in more than 70 countries. It is very inspiring. | ['environment/damian-carrington-blog', 'tone/blog', 'environment/environment', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/biodiversity', 'science/primatology', 'world/cameroon', 'type/article', 'profile/damiancarrington'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2013-05-03T07:00:00Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2017/jan/16/chinas-booming-middle-class-drives-asias-toxic-e-waste-mountains | China's booming middle class drives Asia's toxic e-waste mountains | Asia’s mountains of hazardous electronic trash, or e-waste, are growing rapidly, new research reveals, with China leading the way. A record 16m tonnes of electronic trash, containing both toxic and valuable materials, were generated in a single year – up 63% in five years, new analysis looking at 12 countries in east and south-east Asia shows. In China the mountain of discarded TVs, phones, computers, monitors, e-toys and small appliances grew by 6.7m tonnes in 2015 alone. That’s an 107% increase in just five years. To get a sense of scale, if every woman, man and child in China had an old LCD monitor and dumped it the pile would not equal the 2015 tonnage. [1] The region’s fast-increasing middle class is the main driver of e-waste increases, not population growth, the report by the United Nations University found. However, Asia’s 3.7kg per person of waste is still tiny compared to Europe’s 15.6 kg per person, it said. “Growing incomes, the creation of more and more gadgets and ever-shorter lifespans of things like mobile phones are the reasons for this tremendous increase in Asia,” said co-author Ruediger Kuehr of the UN University. Electronics and electrical devices have a big eco footprint, meaning their manufacture consumes a lot of energy and water, along with valuable and sometimes scarce resources, making recycling and recovery very important. The increasing volumes of e-waste combined with a lack of environmentally sound management is a cause for concern, said Kuehr. “We risk future production of these devices and very high costs without recycling the materials,” he said. Although plenty of e-waste is recycled in Asia it’s mainly done by backyard businesses who resort to hammers and burning to access re-usable metals, resulting in local pollution and health impacts. Mobile phones, TVs, monitors, printers and other electronics contain hazardous materials such as mercury and lead. Ink toner from printers is also considered toxic. Much of Asia’s e-waste comes from Europe and North America despite restrictions on exports and imports by most countries, said Jim Puckett, coordinator of the NGO Basel Action Network (BAN). The scale of e-waste exported to Asia has previously been difficult to estimate. BAN put GPS trackers inside old printers and monitors sent to recycling centres in the US last year to enable them to get a clearer picture. About 40% left the US with most ending up in Asia. Nearly all of these exports were illegal under US law. “Some of the trackers died so it’s likely 50% were exported,” Puckett said. China, once a big importer of e-waste, has cracked down but Hong Kong has picked up the slack, with an estimated 100 containers of e-waste entering the port each day Puckett said. “There are at least a 100 small e-waste junk yards in a semi-rural part of Hong Kong called the New Territories. That’s where we found most of the printers and monitors with our trackers.” A similar investigation to track where Europe’s e-waste is really going is now being planned by BAN. Proper recycling of electronics is costly and expensive and is rarely done, even in the US. Manufacturers need to remove all toxins from their products and make them easier to repair and recycle, said Puckett. Another solution in Puckett’s view is to adopt a lease-based business model where people lease rather than buy most electronics, and use upgrades or trade-ins to get the latest features. • [1] My estimate based on the average weight of a 17in LCD monitor – 4.5 kgs. So 220 monitors would weigh 1 tonne | ['environment/waste', 'environment/recycling', 'environment/environment', 'environment/ethical-living', 'world/china', 'world/asia-pacific', 'world/world', 'uk/uk', 'business/electrocomponents', 'world/hong-kong', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2017-01-16T06:00:16Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
fashion/2019/oct/05/tights-go-green-fight-plastic-pollution | Tights go green to fight sheer waste | They can be nude, black, brown, glittering, golden or grey. But tights are rarely green. And for people grappling with how to marry fashion and sustainability, that’s a problem. Now a number of brands are swapping nylon for more eco-friendly material, recycling it, or making ladder-proof legwear that won’t be thrown away in minutes. Tights are “the single-use plastic of the textile industry”, says Daniel Clayton, who in January set up the Legwear Company to sell what it describes as “sustainable hosiery”. He estimates there is “in excess of 103,000 tons of hosiery waste created every year around the world … the equivalent of more than 8,000 double-decker buses”. Tights are enjoying a fashion moment, with even black opaques appearing on the catwalks at Alexa Chung, Balmain and Balenciaga, and on the legs of the Kardashian family on the cover of the latest issue of CR Fashion Book. At Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood the hosiery came decorated with chain links, at Ashley Williams red tights clashed against hot pink dresses, and at Burberry orange tights banged out from under brown suits. Linn Frisinger, one of the founders of Swedish Stockings, which uses recycled polyamide, elastane, biocotton and cashmere, says demand is “growing 100%” even in the warmer months. Swedish Stockings was founded in 2013 to “change and influence the entire hosiery industry because the hosiery industry as we know it is very traditional, outdated and a major source of pollution”. Jessica Kosak, of the Sustainability Consortium, says “the main environmental impact from tights is due to the energy needed to create workable yarn. Nylon requires a great deal of heat to create fibres and to form them into strands used to spin yarn”. Then there is a secondary impact: “When you wash things like nylon there’s a lot of microplastics that are released into the water,” says Sarah Needham, from the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion, UAL. “It’s sometimes very complex to be able to recycle it, so it’s a material that will end up at landfill and not be able to be broken down.” Hosiery waste, Clayton says, often goes under the radar: “Exactly the same polymer raw material goes into hosiery tights as plastic bottles and bags. They will meticulously recycle their household waste, but wouldn’t think twice about throwing a laddered pair of tights in the bin.” Swedish Stockings has just launched tights made from recycled bottles and cotton. “We’re the first doing this with tights,” says Frisinger. Wolford, meanwhile, is making net tights using recycled ocean fishnets and other nylon waste. Brands are also focusing on snaggability. Giving garments a longer lifespan is key to making them more sustainable. New brand Hedoine even offers a ladder-free guarantee. Sheertex, a Canadian brand, is marketing “the world’s first unbreakable sheers”, and the Legwear Co has a 60-day warranty. For Needham, it’s about “understanding that things like tights have become a real disposable item to us, but encouraging people to really invest in them in the first place and make sure they’re using them for as long as possible”. | ['fashion/tights', 'environment/recycling', 'fashion/fashion', 'lifeandstyle/lifeandstyle', 'uk/uk', 'tone/features', 'type/article', 'fashion/sustainable-fashion', 'profile/ellie-violet-bramley', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/news', 'theobserver/news/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/observer-main'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2019-10-05T13:35:45Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
commentisfree/2019/aug/31/brazil-amazon-fires-justify-environmental-interventionism | Do the Brazil Amazon fires justify environmental interventionism? | Lawrence Douglas | The horrific destruction of the Amazon rainforest under Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, raises a pressing question for the world community: do the prerogatives of sovereignty entitle a nation to destroy resources within its territorial control, when this destruction has global environmental consequences? The answer delivered by France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, at the G7 summit is an emphatic no. It is time for the international community to build on Macron’s lead and to recognize a right to environmental intervention patterned on the notion of humanitarian intervention. For centuries, the international community treated sovereignty as an absolute shield against intervention in a state’s domestic affairs. International law insisted that a nation’s treatment of its own citizens and legal subjects was not a matter of international legal concern. The ideology of sovereignty authorized a nation to treat – and mistreat – its people as it saw fit. Nuremberg shattered this understanding. At Nuremberg, the allies recognized that a sovereign’s systematic destruction of its own people was a matter of international concern and constituted an international crime. The Nuremberg understanding gave birth to the idea that the world community need not stand by idly when a nation commits atrocities against its own inhabitants. Many human rights activists today speak not simply of a right to intervene but of an affirmative obligation to do so. Activists understand that massive human rights abuses – crimes against humanity and genocide – never remain entirely local, even when committed exclusively within a state’s borders. These atrocities inevitably create refugee problems that spill over into other nations, creating larger international crises. All the reasons that support the project of humanitarian intervention apply with equal, if not greater force, in the case of the environment. Massive environmental crimes, such as those presently unfolding in the Amazon, necessarily have a spill-over effect, as the degradation of the rainforest will do grave, and arguably irreversible, damage to our planet’s climate. Admittedly, the concept of humanitarian intervention is not uncontroversial, especially as it is understood to authorize the threat or actual use of military force to put an end to massive human rights abuses. The doctrine can be manipulated to justify military intervention for less than humanitarian grounds. But the 2001 report on the Responsibility to Protect, prepared by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, offers a sound template for a workable practice of environmental intervention. The idea is that when a state fails to protect its own inhabitants, either by omission or commission, the international national community must take responsibility – not, in the first instance, by deploying military force, but through strong non-military means, such as trade sanctions and economic boycotts. All this can and should be applied to circumstances in which a nation fails to protect an environment the defense of which is a matter of global concern. Macron deserves credit for highlighting at the G7 summit Brazil’s environmental crimes. The $20m in emergency funds pledged by the G7 to fight the thousands of fires presently burning will hardly solve the problem. Far more promising was Macron’s threat to scuttle a trade deal with South American countries unless Bolsonaro acts in decisive fashion to stop the burning. In delivering this threat, Macron recognized that the responsibility to protect the environment is a matter of global concern and not a prerogative of a reprobate sovereign. Lawrence Douglas is the James J Grosfeld Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought, at Amherst College, Massachusetts. He is presently writing a book on the legal and constitutional consequences of a possible refusal by President Trump to acknowledge defeat in the next election, to be published by Hachette in 2020. He is also a contributing opinion writer for the Guardian US | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'environment/environment', 'world/brazil', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/wildfires', 'type/article', 'tone/comment', 'profile/lawrence-douglas', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-opinion'] | world/wildfires | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2019-08-31T10:00:51Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
world/2019/sep/06/hurricane-dorian-bahamas-grand-bahama-abaco-latest-news | 'It's all gone': shattered Bahamas counts cost of Hurricane Dorian's destruction | As Erica Roberts clung to a tall mango tree, the winds and sea water churned up by Hurricane Dorian pounding her face, a single thought ran through her head: “I will not die like this.” Her home, in the small town of High Rock on the eastern side of Grand Bahama, had been swept away. Her 24-year-old daughter Natori survived too, clinging to branches beside her. Roberts’ face and arms still bore dry, bloody cuts. The pair eventually lost their grip, she said, but they were swept close to a home that still stood. They got inside. “By the grace of God, we made it,” she said. “We are survivors.” The 41-year-old had not heard from seven close family members: two sons, a sister, two nephews, cousins, uncles. All were still missing. In a community of about 600, two were confirmed dead. At least 20 had not been heard from since Dorian spent two days destroying almost every building in sight. “We need aid,” Roberts said. “We have nothing. Everyone is doing this self-sufficiently.” The hurricane’s devastating 185mph winds brought destruction to Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands and left at least 43 people dead – a toll that is sure to rise as emergency crews search for survivors. Parts of the road just outside town had been stripped of tarmac, leaving rubble, exposed pipework and pools of bronzed water where trapped fish still swam. Broken pylons dangled in the street. Palms were bent at 45 degrees, leaves shaved off by the wind. The storm surge here, about half a mile from the sea, rose to around 20ft. Wind gusts were recorded at 220mph. Many who have lived here for generations said the brutality of the storm was something they had never seen or even heard of before. For Roberts, who works at a nearby casino – also obliterated – the unprecedented intensity of Dorian, the way it strengthened so quickly to category 5 and stood over the island for more than 24 hours, had a simple explanation. “I think the climate is playing a big role in all of this,” she said, starring at the muddy tiled floor of a partially destroyed home in which she had taken shelter. “The severity of this … it’s global warming. “I’ve recycled all my life. I use less plastic. And think about less emissions. I’ve always been committed. But the world is not.” As residents of High Rock began to assess the damage, the global climate crisis was on the minds of many. Euridice Kemp, a 40-year-old resident of Freeport, had returned to help salvage what she could from her grandparents’ home. All that was left of the building were the concrete foundations. Belongings – crockery, family photos, clothes, wooden furniture – were strewn on the muddy grass. She pointed to the horizon where six coconut trees once stood, where she played as a child. “It’s all gone. What we’re doing to Mother Earth and the way this turns around on areas like here … I just can’t. Never … never in my life. My heart is broken. I’m in shock.” Did she consider herself a victim of the climate crisis? “We are the biggest victims of climate change. But how can we fight for ourselves against bigger, global countries? How do we move forward?” At the shoreline, the sea still churned. A lighthouse was partially destroyed, its light blown away, leaving only a red-and-white striped tower. Pastor Joey Saunders, 61, was counting his blessings. The storm surge crept up to the roof of his house. He spent two days clinging to the branches of a tree, waiting for the water to recede, terrified that sharks might lurk below. The wind lashed him so hard, he began to feel numb. “I couldn’t feel anything any more,” he said. “I was just so afraid.” Limited aid has recently arrived in Grand Bahama and the Abaco Islands – with officials battling flooding and poor weather conditions for days. On Grand Abaco, the Royal Bahamas Defense force assisted around 160 evacuees to leave the island via ferry. The British navy is also assisting aid operations in the region and private vessels have begun to arrive as well. The Royal Caribbean cruise liner Symphony of the Seas arrived in Grand Bahama on Friday morning bringing with it 10,000 meals the company has provided itself. The food will be distributed by local NGOs and the Bahamian government. The United Nations has announced the purchase of eight tons in ready to eat meals and is aiming to provide other assistance including satellite communications and generators. The UN has said since Wednesday that around 70,000 people in the northern archipelagos of the Bahamas are in need of life-saving assistance. | ['world/hurricane-dorian', 'world/hurricanes', 'world/natural-disasters', 'world/extreme-weather', 'world/world', 'world/bahamas', 'world/americas', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'tone/features', 'profile/laughland-oliver', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | world/hurricanes | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2019-09-07T04:01:02Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
sport/2021/mar/03/government-inquiry-shows-how-seriously-sport-must-take-brain-injury | Parliamentary inquiry shows how seriously sport must take brain injury | Sport in the UK has been summoned to the headmaster’s office. The announcement by the digital, culture, media and sport select committee that it is launching an inquiry into the links between sport and long-term brain injury serves notice that the matter has registered at a political level. Of those shifting in their seats out in the corridor, football and both codes of rugby are the ones most obviously whispering questions to each other. Just how serious is this? Are they going through the motions, or are they going to start telling us what to do? The next few months will reveal how intent parliament is on addressing the gathering crisis in contact team sports. The imminent inquiry remains a long way short of any legislative intervention, but if football and rugby thought this was a storm simply to be ridden out, they now know higher powers are watching. The DCMS committee has surveyed its territory and pulled out this problem as worthy of attention. There are five other inquiries currently on its agenda, including a review of broadband and the route to 5G, and the future of public service broadcasting. So concussion in sport is rubbing shoulders with some reasonably weighty issues. That the first hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday suggests the matter is being pursued with some urgency, too. We will find out this week who is to be summoned to give evidence. An investigation into the science linking brain injury to dementia has been promised. As ever, the credentials and interests of those submitting will warrant close attention. The committee will issue its own call to witnesses but has also invited the submission of written evidence. That audible rumble rising from Wembley and Twickenham is perhaps the frantic scribbling of pens and clattering of keyboards. Presumably, the views of independent experts will also be sought. But the question of what might be done – and who might do it – remains poignant. A report will be issued, probably in the next six months, and the government will respond – and that could be that. Or, if the horrors uncovered by the inquiry are such, they may propel the matter further up the political agenda towards legislation. Unquestionably, football is sitting more comfortably than rugby at this point. The repetitive heading of the ball is more peripheral to that sport than the repetitive slamming of body against body is to rugby. If Brian Clough had had his way, the ball would never have left the grass, but to reduce the amount of heading a player is subjected to across a career, whether in training or match, is relatively easy to achieve. Not so with rugby and collision. The inquiry has named itself “concussion in sport”, but one of the first duties an in-the-know scientist may perform is to recommend a changing the term “concussion” to “brain injury”, which incorporates many other injuries, much harder to define or detect, beyond clinical concussion. The latest science suggests it is the frequency of the shaking of brains over a long period of time that plays a bigger role in determining future risk of dementia than isolated cases of concussion. Few, after all, are concussed by heading a football. It is telling the DCMS announcement was quick to reference youth sport. This is where rugby faces the greatest threat to its existence. Society can handle the licensing of all manner of dangerous activities for adults, but one violation sure to elicit condemnation in the court of public or parliamentary opinion is endangering of children. The vast majority of children who play rugby will not play enough in their lives to elevate their risk of dementia, but those early years will contribute, possibly decisively, to a heightened risk among those who go on to have long careers, especially at a high level. Some scientists have called for tackling to be banned in schools. There lies the vulnerability. This is where easy legislation might one day come to pass. Depending on how late the age of earliest exposure is set, rugby could be finished by such a measure. That remains a way off yet, if it happens at all, but well might sport be feeling as if it is front of the headmaster. An expulsion from school would prove the beginning of the end for some. | ['sport/concussion-in-sport', 'sport/sport', 'sport/rugby-union', 'sport/rugbyleague', 'football/football', 'type/article', 'tone/analysis', 'profile/michaelaylwin', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/sport', 'theguardian/sport/news', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-sport'] | sport/concussion-in-sport | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2021-03-03T08:00:11Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
sustainable-business/walmart-jack-sinclair-agriculture-crops-sustainability | Can Walmart, 'the most important force in agriculture', become a force for green? | One of the most powerful people in the US food industry is a 52-year-old native of Scotland who got his start in the business stacking groceries on supermarket shelves. Today, as an executive vice-president in charge of all the grocery operations at Walmart, Jack Sinclair is still stacking shelves – albeit on a grander scale. Sinclair, who has been with Walmart since 2007, doesn't just help to decide which products will make their way onto the shelves of America's biggest retailer: he also exercises influence over how and where they are grown. In fact, joining Sinclair at a panel discussion at the National Geographic Society last week, former US agriculture secretary Dan Glickman said: "If you ask me what is the most important force in the agriculture today, I'd point to Walmart." It's a startling claim, but there's little doubt that Walmart's impact on food and agriculture is vast. More than half of its annual revenues, which topped $476bn last year, come from groceries, and its market share is growing. Increasingly, the retailers has shown a willingness to use its buying power to influence the way that food is grown. Last week, for example, Walmart invited the CEOs of Campbell Soup, General Mills, Kellogg and PepsiCo, among others, to its Bentonville headquarters for a sustainability summit. Several of these top food execs promised to persuade farmers in their supply chains to use less fertilizer and water to grow crops, and to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. "One of Walmart's strengths is our convening power," Sinclair says. That's for sure: look at this selfie of food industry CEOs at the event. But Walmart does more than convene. Sinclair oversaw the deal that brought Wild Oats organic fare to Walmart customers, at prices said to be below those of other organic brands. He also signed an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a worker-based human rights group, to improve pay and working conditions for Florida tomato pickers. "We sell more food than anybody else," Sinclair says. "If we don't do it in a sustainable way, we will not have the kind of future that we need." I sat down with Sinclair last week in Washington DC to talk about Walmart's impact on food and agriculture. Here are some highlights from our conversation, and from the panel at National Geographic: On organic food: By working long-term with Wild Oats and farmers and processors in the supply chain, Walmart will be able to sell the Wild Oats brand for 25% less than other national organic brands. "What you find when you dig into the organic movement is everything is small scale," Sinclair says. "If you consolidate that, and give long term commitments, and look for efficiencies in distribution you can bring costs … Organic will be more efficient when Walmart gets involved." Some people will criticize this as Big Organic but the upshot will be more acreage under organic cultivation. On Florida's tomato workers: The Fair Food program put forth by the tomato workers group is "very reasonable and it gives us confidence that workers are being treated the way they ought to be treated," Sinclair says. Following such companies as McDonald's and Whole Foods Market, Walmart agreed to pay a penny per pound more for Florida tomatoes and support workers rights. (I didn't ask Sinclair why Walmart, which has come under intense criticism for being a low-wage employer, can't pay its own workers more.) On local food: Sourcing more food locally can save shipping costs and get produce to the shelves more quickly, Sinclair says. In Arkansas, Walmart is buying more locally-grown apples because their quality is competitive with those grown in Washington state. But as its sales volumes grow, Walmart will have to source food from everywhere. For example, the company will sell 1.1bn bananas this year and expects to sell 2bn in five years. "However much you want to do local, you've got to sell bananas from Costa Rica," Sinclair says. On GMO labeling: It's unnecessary, Sinclair says, and he's right. Consumers who want to avoid eating genetically modified crops can buy organic. That's one reason why Walmart is driving down organic prices. On food costs: Again and again, Sinclair talked about the importance of keeping food prices down. This is why Walmart is eager to promote precision agriculture and more judicious use of fertilizer and to look for ways to reduce food waste – all those practices save money. About 140 million people a week buy food at Walmart and "they can only afford what they can afford," Sinclair says. The supply chain hub is funded by Fairtrade Foundation. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here. | ['sustainable-business/sustainable-business', 'tone/interview', 'business/business', 'business/ethicalbusiness', 'environment/environment', 'environment/corporatesocialresponsibility', 'type/article', 'sustainable-business/series/supply-chain', 'profile/marc-gunther'] | environment/corporatesocialresponsibility | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2014-05-06T13:02:00Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
politics/2020/mar/03/tory-donor-crispin-odey-invested-in-firm-linked-to-amazon-deforestation | Tory donor invested in firm linked to Amazon deforestation | Crispin Odey, one of the biggest donors to Boris Johnson’s Conservative party, has invested in a Brazilian company linked to deforestation in the Amazon, the Guardian can reveal. SLC Agricola has been accused of clearing land for soy cultivation, mostly from the Cerrado ecosystem in Brazil, which is rich in wildlife and plant species and is an important carbon sink. It has requested licences to clear thousands of hectares of Cerrado land, on top of at least 30,000 hectares that it cleared between 2011 and 2017, which resulted in the Norwegian government pension fund divesting from the group. Though the company has government licences for the Cerrado land it is clearing and does not regard this clearance as deforestation, such clearances are controversial. Jair Bolsonaro’s government has drawn widespread criticism for allowing land to be cleared and burned in the Amazon and elsewhere in Brazil. Chain Reaction Research, which provides sustainable investment advice, has said SLC Agricola’s “planned deforestation and lack of zero-deforestation commitment exposes the company to a number of business risks [and] could raise concerns with equity investors”. Odey Asset Management donated £10,000 to Johnson for his leadership bid and has donated at least £1.7m to the Tories and the pro-Brexit campaign in the last decade. The company is understood to have a sizeable stake in SLC Agricola. Alasdair Cameron, an investigator at Friends of the Earth, said: “While Johnson talks of protecting and restoring the world’s ecosystems, he and his party gladly accepted donations from an investor profiting from the destruction of Brazilian forests. “The burning of tropical forests is not accidental – it is driven by the demand for soy, beef and other commodities. In the run-up to Cop26, it is worrying to see that the cosy relationship between environmentally destructive industries and UK politics is still going on.” A spokesperson for Odey Asset Management told the Guardian: “As active fund managers, we seek to invest in companies that we determine have a promising future, and one of the inputs to that evaluation is how those companies are using or adopting sustainable practices. “Brazil has formed a vital part of increased global agricultural output, that has allowed food to be cheaper in real terms than ever before, and enabled a growing global population to feed and clothe itself. SLC Agricola is a good corporate citizen that abides by relevant legislation and adopts the most modern agricultural technology to maximise yield and use land efficiently.” SLC Agricola said it had not deforested without licences and did not have a zero-deforestation policy. The company said it had converted 1,500 hectares of land to farming in the three years from 2017 to 2019, all of which was Cerrado land. The company said its current strategy was focused not on “the acquisition of raw land for conversion, as was the case in the past,” but on already developed areas and leased instead of owned land. A spokesman said: “We are in full compliance with the Brazilian forestry code, which requires us to preserve 30% of our owned land. Also, we do not have interest in planting in the Amazon, and we believe it should be preserved. There are still huge amounts of degraded pasture land to be converted into farming, and not even that will be necessary. Farming yields have been going up due to technology, which requires less and less land to produce the same amount of food.” | ['politics/conservatives', 'politics/partyfunding', 'environment/amazon-rainforest', 'environment/deforestation', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/environment', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/fiona-harvey', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-europe-project'] | environment/deforestation | BIODIVERSITY | 2020-03-03T18:11:52Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
commentisfree/2011/jun/17/waste-energy-bin-collection | A real waste of our wealth | Rose George | I once had a pleasant conversation with a young woman as she was daubing the walls of her house in preparation for the Indian monsoon season. I asked her if she would ever cook with biogas, which is methane taken from the digested contents of a latrine. Biogas doesn't smell, and cooks extra sticky rice, according to some of the millions of Chinese who use it. The young woman looked horrified. God! No. And then she dipped her bare hands into a bucket of slithering, gunky green cow excrement, and carried on plastering. It was a great example of an essential truth: when it comes to hygiene, dirt and sanitation, humans are weird. We assume that cleanliness standards are fixed, but they are anything but. They can change according to history, geography, culture and the weather. Cow-dung in India has been deemed clean; blowing your nose in Japan is considered filthy. This week's outrage as the government's waste review reversed its previous commitment to weekly dustbin collections is another dose of oddness. Despite the best efforts of heated tabloids – slop buckets! – I am not persuaded that getting our bins collected fortnightly will unleash rat plagues. Rats can't get into properly sealed bins. But because our concept of dirt – which, as the anthropologist Mary Douglas said, is matter out of place – is often psychological it shouldn't be surprising that any discussion of it is founded on emotion, not reason. I'm not denying the appeal of cleanliness. I've spent enough time in enough slums to delight in the modern sanitary city, and I thank the great Victorian sanitarians – Edwin Chadwick and Joseph Chamberlain – who created it. But look behind the bin-collection fury and you will find a proper scandal, which is the fact that we have the concept of "waste" in the first place. The government's waste review contained a document that has escaped most attention. It is about anaerobic digesters. No, stay with me. We all possess one, in the form of a stomach, and they work in the same way: organic material is processed in an airless environment, and the gas that is produced, unlike our human kind, can be captured and made into electricity, or cleaned and put into the national gas grid. I've met women in rural China who cook only with gas digested from the products of their latrines. They don't need firewood any more so deforestation is reduced. They have time to earn money. They don't choke on fumes from their ovens. There is no downside. But the Chinese have consistently understood that human "waste" can be a resource – which is why, like countries such as Turkey, they take our scrap and our rubbish, and use it. The inability to see our waste as wealth has been the real waste. So the government's commitment to more anaerobic digestion technology is good news (and therefore not tabloid newsworthy). The technology of digestion isn't new, indeed it dates back to Alexander the Great. But it needs proper infrastructure and investment that goes beyond five-year budget cycles. It can be done. Under national and EU initiatives such as EU Biogasmax, millions of French, Swedish and Norwegian citizens are now riding on buses and in taxis powered on gas from their kitchen scraps and sewage. Sweden even has a biogas-powered racing team. The UK has only 50 such plants, for now. But increasing energy bills will mean industry looking to save costs. Thames Water saved £15m on its electricity bill last year by generating its own from sewage. To the scandalised tabloid-writers, who also live in a country where landfill is bad and waste volumes are dizzying, surely money from old rope and more is something to shout about, more than the rats. | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'environment/waste', 'environment/environment', 'tone/comment', 'type/article', 'profile/rose-george', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/commentanddebate'] | environment/waste | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2011-06-17T20:30:01Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2017/jun/10/salmon-farmers-put-wild-wrasse-at-risk--sea-lice-scotland-anglers | Salmon farmers ‘put wild fish at risk’ in fight to kill off sea lice | Salmon farmers have been accused of playing dirty by using fish caught in the wild to clean lice from Scottish fish farms. Marine conservation experts say that shipping tonnes of English-caught wrasse a year – to tackle lice infestations in salmon pens north of the border – is endangering natural stocks. English anglers have also warned wrasse is becoming harder and harder to find in local waters. However, salmon farmers have rejected the charge. They say the use of wrasse as a “cleaner” fish is part of a long-term plan to replace chemicals – which are currently administered to pens to control lice infestations – with sustainable, biological controls. Fishermen remain concerned, nevertheless. “Wrasse play a role in keeping the marine ecosystem in balance,” said David Mitchell, of the Angling Trust. “We simply do not know what will be the consequence of removing so many of them from our coastal waters.” More than 170,000 tonnes of salmon a year are grown in Scotland at more than 200 marine farms. However, production is affected by lice infestations that cause lesions and secondary infections in the fish. Chemicals can control this but pollute water around the farms. Another solution is provided by wrasse which feed on marine insects. Many species – such as ballan and goldsinny wrasse – will eat lice that infect larger fish. As a result wild wrasse are being caught in pots and shipped to Scotland to tackle sea-lice infestations. One wrasse for every 25 salmon is used. But this exploitation of wrasse is raising concerns. “We are very worried that a large local fishery has developed rapidly over the past couple of years – with large numbers of wrasse being taken from local waters – without proper management or any indication of its sustainability,” said Samuel Stone, of the Marine Conservation Society. “It is a real concern.” A similar line is taken by the Angling Trust, which is particularly concerned that wrasse are killed after they have completed their lice-devouring activities. Wrasse caught by anglers are usually put back in the sea and the Angling Trust said it was receiving more and more reports from anglers who had found very few wrasse left in their local waters, particularly around south-west England. “Wrasse are very popular and many young people take up angling as a hobby after fishing for them,” said Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Angling Trust. “They put the wrasse back in the water because they are not particularly appetising. By contrast, those that are being shipped north are killed and discarded after they have done their work cleaning lice and that is causing real problems of depletion. It is also a waste of protein.” The fear that wild wrasse populations are shrinking badly is backed by researchers in Norway, where wrasse-catching to supply fish farming has also soared in recent years. According to a report in New Scientist, annual wrasse catches have risen from 2m to 22m in less than a decade to supply Norwegian salmon farms with cleaner fish. However, this was matched by considerable depletion of wrasse stocks where fishing took place. Conservationists and anglers are now calling for a number of measures to be introduced to tackle the issue. In particular, they want careful monitoring of wrasse numbers to be introduced and strict limits imposed on catches. However, the danger posed to wrasse stocks was dismissed by Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation. “The fishermen who supply us with wrasse do not take away juveniles or brood stock, so at the end of the day stock should always recover. And we simply do not have any hard figures that show serious depletion in going on.” He said that the industry – which employs around 2,200 people – was also moving towards wrasse sustainability. “We have set up farms for both wrasse and lumpfish, which also eat lice, and the aim is that we will produce our own cleaner fish from our own farms in a few years,” he told the Observer. It remains to be seen how successful this will be. Some marine conservation experts have questioned the potential usefulness of wrasse raised in farms as cleaner fish compared with those taken from the wild. Landsburgh remained confident. “We are spending a great deal of money on this. I am not worried.” | ['environment/fishing', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/food', 'uk/scotland', 'uk/uk', 'tone/news', 'environment/environment', 'environment/wildlife', 'type/article', 'profile/robinmckie', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/news', 'theobserver/news/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/observer-main'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2017-06-10T21:11:52Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
commentisfree/2017/nov/11/brighton-rampion-wind-farm-turbines-renewables | It’s true, wind turbines are monstrous. But I have learned to love them | Alice O’Keeffe | Over the last few months I have been watching with mixed feelings as the Rampion wind farm emerges like a great monster from the sea off Brighton beach. It has happened so quickly: one morning in the early summer a few small grey stumps appeared on the previously flat horizon. Only weeks later, the first turbines were up, instantly giving the familiar sea view a new, industrial edge. Since then more and more have appeared, row upon row of them. Though they are eight miles offshore, they dominate the view from the beach now, and create strange optical illusions; in some weathers they look close, and in others very far away. Occasionally, on a seemingly clear day, they inexplicably disappear from view. There is no getting around the fact that this is a major development that has changed the landscape of the area forever. Rampion is one of the biggest wind farms in the UK; there are 116 turbines out there, each with a tower 80 metres tall and weighing 200 tonnes, topped off with three 55-metre blades. The developer, E.On, predicts that the farm will generate its first electricity before the end of the year (the project is – remarkably, when you think about the kind of delays that afflict the construction of nuclear power stations – running ahead of schedule). When it is fully up and running, the turbines will provide enough energy to supply almost 347,000 homes, nearly half the households in Sussex. Clearly, to oppose such a project at this time of climate crisis would be the worst kind of nimbyism. Nevertheless, I have to admit there was a part of me that would have preferred it to be doing its excellent work somewhere where I didn’t have to look at it. Over the summer I mourned the glorious, uninterrupted horizons that used to beckon from the end of many of the streets in my neighbourhood. I can totally understand why communities across Britain have resisted wind farms. It’s not just about house prices (although, let’s be honest, that often comes into it). The landscape around us feels personal; it has a huge impact on us. The flat horizon was one of the things that drew me to Brighton, when the pressures of living in London got too much. When we moved here, I had recently had two babies, and money and housing worries had tightened around us like a belt. Some days, during those last few months in the capital, I felt I could hardly breathe. The day we moved here, I sat on the beach and gazed at the horizon, and just couldn’t believe my luck. It was August, and the sea and sky were bright blue. There was nothing but water and sky for as far as I could see. I could almost feel my pulse rate slowing, my lungs filling with air. There is nothing like a sea view for creating a sense of calm and freedom, and looking out over a wall of turbines just isn’t the same: “They fenced in the sea!” was one distraught comment on our local Facebook group. However, as time has passed an unexpected thing has happened. Not only have I become used to the wind farm; I’ve grown fond of it. Rampion may be a towering presence, but it is a positive one, a daily reminder that – as Trump rips up the Paris agreement and blocks the latest round of climate talks in Bonn – progress is being made, albeit too slowly, and that there are people out there finding solutions. What’s more, there are clear signs that offshore developments such as Rampion might form an important part of a greener future for the UK. “The government realised that they were facing significant resistance to onshore wind farms, so they provided generous support for offshore projects like Rampion, even though at the time it wasn’t the most cost effective option,” says Dr Florian Kern of Sussex University. Offshore wind is now cheaper to produce than new gas, and far cheaper than nuclear – effectively removing the cost obstacle that has held renewables back for so long. When I look at the turbines, I appreciate them as a landmark, a sign of hope, and a much more fitting tribute to the spirit of Brighton than the ugly, extravagant new i360 “tourist attraction”. Considering the scope of the development, it is remarkable that there was little resistance to it, while it benefited from strong support from the local Green MP, Caroline Lucas. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the loudest opposition has come from the Tory-leaning rural areas outside Brighton, where cable has been laid across the South Downs (the prime exhibit being the hostile short film recently made by Simon Konecki, who lives near East Grinstead with his wife, the pop star Adele). I’m happy and proud to be part of a city that is, for the most part, cheerfully willing to do its bit for a brighter future. In fact, I now can’t wait until those giant blades start turning.• Alice O’Keeffe is a freelance literary critic and journalist and former deputy editor of the Guardian’s Saturday Review section | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'uk/brighton', 'tone/comment', 'environment/windpower', 'environment/energy', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'profile/alice-o-keeffe', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/commentanddebate', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-opinion'] | environment/windpower | ENERGY | 2017-11-11T06:00:18Z | true | ENERGY |
australia-news/2022/oct/27/flood-prone-northern-nsw-homes-to-be-targeted-under-800m-buyback-scheme | Flood-prone northern NSW homes to be targeted under $800m buyback scheme | Homeowners in areas where major flooding poses a “catastrophic risk to life” in New South Wales’s northern rivers region will be eligible to sell their property to the government as part of a long-awaited $800m housing scheme. Anthony Albanese and the NSW premier, Dominic Perrottet, will announce the plan in Lismore on Friday, almost nine months after residents used dinghies to save each other from roofs as flood water rose to never-before-seen levels in February and March. Homeowners in the Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed LGAs will also be able to apply for grants to help cover the costs of having their houses raised, retrofitted or repaired. About 2,000 homeowners are expected to qualify for measures in the Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Fund package. The measures will be based on property assessments, flood data, risks and future flood predictions. The prime minister said the scheme would leave people safer in future flooding that would be “more frequent and more severe due to climate change”. “We know this repeated, relentless flooding can be emotionally and financially draining and we want communities to know we will be there to support them now, and as they recover,” Albanese said. Eligible homeowners will be offered grants of up to $100,000 to raise their houses, or $50,000 to retrofit homes, in areas where such improvements would make a difference during a flood and in recovery. Sign up for our free morning and afternoon email newsletters from Guardian Australia for your daily news roundup Perrottet acknowledged that many in the region had “suffered for too long” and hoped the program provided some relief in a week when much of the state had been on flood watch. “We are stepping up to provide options for residents to move out of harm’s way and protect themselves and their families but we cannot continue to build back as we have in the past,” he said. “We will work with the northern rivers community to ensure repairs, retrofitting and voluntary buybacks are undertaken in a way that will better protect people and their homes from future flood events.” The state government has faced criticism over its handling of the floods and many residents in the region felt abandoned by the state. Hundreds of people are still displaced and unable to live in their flood-damaged properties. The NSW government, in partnership with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation, will spend $100m to buy land in “flood safe” areas for future development. Expressions of interest to find suitable sites is already open. The NSW flood recovery minister, Steph Cooke, said this was important so people who choose to move will be able to do so to areas where “they can start their lives anew, not from scratch”. Buybacks were a recommendation of the independent inquiry into the flooding, conducted by Prof Mary O’Kane and Mick Fuller. Residents had expected details of the scheme when Perrottet was in Lismore in August, when he released the flood report and announced how the government would change its emergency responses in the wake of the disaster. Some, like South Lismore homeowner Harper Dalton, have been pushing for a scheme allowing residents to sell their land back to the government and keep and relocate their homes to higher ground. The new scheme will cover insured and uninsured homes. Outstanding insurance settlements will be deducted from the sale price. The federal emergency management minister, Murray Watt, said the costs of future flood disasters would be mitigated if the right investments were made. “We know that being prepared for future disasters is a huge boost when it comes to the damage and long-term recovery of the region,” he said. “Investing in resilience measures in the home can significantly reduce the effort, cost and time to recover from disasters.” To be eligible, people must own a home that was directly damaged by flood waters or as a result of landslip during the February and March events. Outreach for the scheme will begin within weeks. | ['australia-news/australia-east-coast-floods-2022', 'australia-news/housing', 'australia-news/new-south-wales', 'australia-news/australia-weather', 'environment/flooding', 'australia-news/anthony-albanese', 'australia-news/dominic-perrottet', 'australia-news/new-south-wales-politics', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'campaign/email/afternoon-update', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/tamsin-rose', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-state-news'] | australia-news/australia-east-coast-floods-2022 | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2022-10-27T11:30:28Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2020/feb/14/eu-spending-tens-of-millions-of-euros-a-year-to-promote-meat-eating | EU spending tens of millions of euros a year to promote meat eating | The EU has been accused of an “indefensible” approach to human health and the climate crisis in spending tens of millions of euros each year on campaigns to reverse the decline in meat eating and trying to rebut so-called “fake news” on the mistreatment of animals bred for food. Campaigns range from those designed to counter official warnings about the risk of cancer from eating red meat, to improving the public image of veal products said to be crucial in “deriving value from young male calves” superfluous to the dairy industry. The EU provides an annual €200m (£166m) subsidy for the “promotion of agricultural products” each year. About €60m has been spent in the last three years on 21 meat marketing campaigns, including in the UK, according to research by the Dutch animal welfare organisation Wakker Dier. The stated ambition of many of the projects has been to halt a decline in meat consumption amid a growing trend to vegetarianism among Europe’s young people. The livestock sector is responsible for about 14.5% of total human-derived greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists have provided evidence of a link between cancer and diets involving pork, beef and lamb products. The description on the European commission website of one recent campaign entitled Pork Lovers Europe, which secured €1.4m for marketing, including a “road-show” with a pink bus painted to look like a pig, noted “that the consumption of pork meat in Europe has decreased in recent years”. It continued: “Therefore, it is very important to promote pork meat to restore the confidence of the consumer, which was shaken by news such as the last IARC [International Agency for Research on Cancer] report.” Scientists at the IARC, a UN agency, reported in 2015 that the consumption of bacon, red meat and glyphosate weedkiller increased the risk of developing cancer. The Pork Lovers Europe adverts targeted consumers in the UK, Spain, Germany, France and Portugal. A campaign by the Association of Poultry Processors and Poultry Trade which will be run in six member states at a cost to EU taxpayers of €4.4m aims over the next two years to “contradict myths and fake news” about the rearing and slaughter of chickens for meat. “EU poultry consumption in the European Union is still increasing but at a slower pace, as more and more consumers are mistrustful regarding the poultry meat production,” the European commission’s website says. The campaign, targeting a 1.22% growth in chicken consumption in 2020 and 2021, is aimed at “young children, professionals, media and opinion leaders”. A second pork campaign received a €2.5m subsidy for an initiative aimed at Danes and Swedes. “Pork is no longer a natural part of the diet of young Scandinavians,” the commission website says. “They tend to eat less meat in general and to avoid pork in particular. The aim is to increase consumer demand and thus halt any otherwise expected fall.” A campaign in favour of the Dutch veal sector to promote the meat of calves in the Belgian, Italian and French markets received a €6m subsidy. “The veal market has been declining since the 2000s,” says a description of the project on the commission website. “There are various reasons for this: the economic crisis, changes in consumption behaviour and above all a lack of top-of-mind awareness. France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy are minded to fight this fall in consumption by boosting the image consumers have of European veal.” Sjoerd van de Wouw, a researcher at Wakker Dier foundation, said the funding policy was outdated indefensible. “We understand that you need to consider the interests of producers but not by completing ignoring the interests of consumers and the climate,” he said. In response, a European commission spokesman said: “The selection of projects is based on a strict and defined procedure involving external evaluators. The producers’ organisations send proposals regarding their campaign ideas and also participate in the funding of the campaigns. “In an effort to constantly evaluate and adjust its existing policy, the commission will soon launch a public consultation on the EU promotion policy for agricultural products.” | ['environment/meat-industry', 'environment/environment', 'environment/farming', 'environment/food', 'world/european-commission', 'world/eu', 'world/europe-news', 'world/world', 'society/health', 'society/society', 'business/fooddrinks', 'business/business', 'food/food', 'lifeandstyle/vegetarianism', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/daniel-boffey', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-foreign'] | environment/farming | BIODIVERSITY | 2020-02-14T12:12:23Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2015/nov/05/country-diary-bollihope-durham-evans-fossil-coral-frosterley-marble-limestone | Exquisite fossil coral unmasked in wet slabs | Standing under a leaden sky on this bleak moorland, with a bitter wind blowing over Harnisha Hill, it was difficult to imagine that the Frosterley marble that we had come to find was once a coral reef in a tropical sea. It has taken 325m years of tectonic plate movement, at a pace slower than a fingernail grows, to bring it to this valley from its equatorial origin. We were told we would find a good example of this decorative rock, which is not true marble but a fine-grained fossil-rich limestone, in Howden burn. After a short walk upstream we found the ledge, bearing the characteristic shapes of the coral Dibunophyllum bipartitum. Cut and polished examples grace buildings all over Durham. The font in Frosterley church is made from this rock. So are the flagstones under the feet of drinkers in the village pub, the Black Bull. It has enhanced the beauty of the pillars of the Chapel of the Nine Altars in Durham cathedral for the past 650 years and must have seemed like a godsend to the clergy. Here was a sermon in stone, incontrovertible evidence of antediluvian life forms that had failed to survive the biblical flood and become entombed for eternity. Such certainty begun to crack in the early 19th century, when geological science recalibrated time scales, and then, much later, crumbled away entirely as knowledge grew of the physical forces constantly reshaping Earth’s surface. Only faint outlines of the fossil coral were visible in the water-worn grey slab before us until we carried cupped handfuls of water up from the burn and splashed it. The wet rock matrix darkened and revealed the white filigree of the fossil coral exquisitely preserved, before it faded to grey again as the surface dried. The intricacy of the fossils was breath-taking. This may have been how mediaeval craftsmen first realised the rock’s potential and must have been what moved them to spend countless hours cutting and polishing it by hand with sandstone, grit and leather rags, until the surface gleamed like marble, mimicking in a human time scale what the erosive power of water took centuries to achieve. | ['environment/series/country-diary', 'science/fossils', 'environment/coral', 'science/geology', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/oceans', 'science/evolution', 'environment/environment', 'science/biology', 'science/science', 'uk/ruralaffairs', 'tone/features', 'type/article', 'profile/philgates', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2015-11-05T05:29:00Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2005/jan/28/indonesia.tsunami2004 | Tsunami disaster prompts peace talks | The Indonesian government was today holding talks with rebels to try to pin down a formal peace deal following the tsunami disaster. Talks were also expected to take place today between Sri Lankan officials and the rebel Tamil Tigers. In Helsinki, Finland, Indonesian officials were holding talks behind closed doors with representatives of the Free Aceh Movement (Gam) which has been fighting for independence in the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. It was unclear what exactly was on the negotiating table although the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyno, has offered the rebels an amnesty if they stop the conflict and asked them to drop their goal of independence in favour of "special autonomy". It was hoped a formal ceasefire would emerge from the talks, which were mediated by Finnish ex-president Martti Ahtisaari's crisis management initiative. Some 12,000 people have died in Indonesia in fighting between rebels and government forces since the 1970s and peace talks had broken down in recent years. However a new impetus for peace was created after the Boxing Day tsunami, which killed up to 178,000 people in Indonesia, with Sumatra being the worst hit. The tsunami killed people in 11 countries and left tens of thousands more missing and feared dead. Rebels in Jakarta and Aceh held a ceasefire after the disaster, however both sides have since accused each other of renewed fighting that threatens to disrupt the huge international aid efforts in the province. Meanwhile, moves were also under way in Sri Lanka to ease tension between Tamil Tiger rebels and the government. The two sides were to meet today to discuss rebel demands for greater control over relief efforts in areas they control in the north and east. Elsewhere, two UN reports said that while the situation in the areas hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami had improved, a month on there were still concerns about the malnutrition of children and the sanitation of relief camps. A report by the UN's children's fund warned that 12.7%, or roughly one in eight, of children in Banda Aceh are suffering malnutrition. Unicef said that figure showed there was a "critical emergency" requiring immediate intervention, and warned that conditions could be even worse outside the provincial capital. "It's a scary finding. Quite honestly, unless we improve water and sanitation in the camps where these children are staying, it's going to get worse," said Ali Mokdad, a US researcher who headed a Unicef survey team. In a separate report, the UN said the threat of disease was also still threatening unsanitary relief camps and aid deliveries were inconsistent. It said conditions were especially worrying in camps along Aceh's west coast. Bo Asplund, the UN representative in Indonesia, echoed the sentiments in the report but insisted the situation was "well on the path of recovery". "Some coastal communities - small ones - are still needing adequate food ... Other communities need better water and sanitation," he said. Speaking in Banda Aceh, Mr Asplund said: "We know there are needs that are not being met ... [but] we are no longer worried about [whether] anyone is starving. The schools are reopening. That is a sure sign of recovery." | ['world/world', 'world/indonesia', 'world/tsunami2004', 'world/asia-pacific', 'type/article', 'profile/markoliver'] | world/tsunami2004 | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2005-01-28T12:43:38Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
world/2021/may/10/boris-palmer-german-greens-vote-expel-city-mayor-online-racial-slur | German Greens vote to expel city mayor over online racial slur | The leadership of Germany’s high-flying Green party is facing the first test of its authority ahead of national elections in September, after a prominent Green mayor posted a racial slur about a German national footballer on social media. Regional leaders of the party voted at the weekend to expel Boris Palmer, the provocative mayor of Tübingen, over a Facebook post in which he referred to the former Germany international Dennis Aogo as an “awful racist”, in reference to an unsubstantiated anecdote on social media that the footballer, who has a Nigerian father and a German mother, had once bragged about the size of his penis, using the n-word. Palmer, who has been mayor of the southern university town since 2007, said he had made his comment in the context of a debate about footballers being banished from public life over their choice of language: “I exaggerated an absurd allegation of racism to such a grotesque extent that it was meant to be clear how beside the point it is.” Former professional-turned-pundit Aogo recently published a WhatsApp message on his Instagram account in which the former Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann called him a “token black guy”, leading to Lehmann’s sacking from Hertha Berlin’s supervisory board. Days later, Aogo himself apologised over a verbal lapse in a Sky Sports broadcast, having described a team “training until they are gassed”. Questions have been raised about why a public official with a prominent standing in German media would weigh into a social media storm uninvited, just as his party has taken a lead in national polls over Angela Merkel’s governing Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The n-word boast that Palmer referred to was relayed as an unverified anecdote by a user whose account has since been deleted. “It is undignified for a mayor to permanently polarise with provocations,” said Winfried Kretschmann, the Green premier of the south-western German state where Tübingen is located. Annalena Baerbock, the Green co-leader who stands a chance of succeeding Merkel after elections on 26 September, expressed her support for the move to exclude Palmer from her party. “The comments by Boris Palmer are racist and repulsive,” Baerbock posted on Twitter. She also rejected Palmer’s claim that he was being ironic and said he had lost the party’s backing. “This adds to repeated provocations that exclude and hurt people,” she said. The Greens in Baden-Württemberg have distanced themselves from Palmer in the past, without going as far as voting to revoke his membership. In a social media post in April 2019, Palmer criticised Germany’s rail provider Die Bahn for showing non-white people in an ad on its website. The process of excluding Palmer from the Green party could take between three and six months, and could allow him a further platform during an election campaign that has until now seen the environmentalist party display uncharacteristic unity. “The Palmer case could torpedo a very smooth election trail,” wrote Der Spiegel. The Greens are not the only party under pressure to contain rogue members, however. Its main rival for the top seat in German politics, the CDU, is under fire after its Thuringia branch backed the controversial Hans-Georg Maassen to run in this year’s parliamentary election. Maassen, a former head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, was removed from his job in 2018 after casting doubt on the authenticity of a video showing rightwing protesters chasing a man through the streets of Chemnitz. He has since become a prominent sharer of rightwing conspiracy theories on social media. The Social Democratic party (SPD), the junior partner in the current coalition government, took more than 10 years to expel Thilo Sarrazin, a former Berlin senator who published several books that strayed from the centre-left party’s policy positions. | ['world/germany', 'environment/green-politics', 'world/europe-news', 'world/race', 'football/football', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/philip-oltermann', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-foreign'] | environment/green-politics | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2021-05-10T12:41:19Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
news/2011/jul/06/weatherwatch-cloudbuster | Weatherwatch: Wilhelm Reich's cloudbuster | While many methods have been proposed for weather control, few have been quite as peculiar as the cloudbuster invented by Austrian psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich. This device manipulates Orgone Energy, a cosmic life force which also happens to hold clouds together. It resembles the chi of traditional Chinese belief and has yet to be detected by orthodox science. The cloudbuster is a set of hollow tubes pointing to the sky and "earthed" by a connection to water. It can supposedly form or disperse clouds and cause or prevent rain. Reich's theories attracted considerable media attention. In 1953, blueberry farmers in Maine offered to pay Reich if he could end a drought that threatened the crop. Reich set up his cloudbuster and operated it for just over an hour; the next morning it started raining, and the crop was saved. Sceptics suggested this was coincidence. Reich still has his disciples, and there are instructions online to build your own cloudbuster. The modern version is more sophisticated than Reich's. Although physically it looks like copper pipes standing in a paint pot filled with "double terminated quartz crystals," it is said to automatically restore atmospheric balance and end drought without the need for a human operator. This makes it much safer than the original. Reich warned his cloudbuster could drill holes in the sky and produce prolonged rain or even cause tornadoes if used by an unskilled practitioner. | ['news/series/weatherwatch', 'tone/features', 'environment/drought', 'type/article', 'profile/davidhambling', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2'] | news/series/weatherwatch | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2011-07-06T22:08:00Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
politics/2011/mar/21/health-safety-inspections-cut-third | Government to cut health and safety inspections by a third | Health and safety inspections are to be cut by a third in the deregulatory drive being pushed through Whitehall ahead of the "go for growth" budget due to be introduced in April. The work and pensions minister Chris Grayling is to announce that future automatic practice inspections should only focus on high risk sites, such as energy, nuclear sites and chemical industries. Grayling's proposal to end automatic inspections in medium and low risk industries should see a reduction of about 11,000 inspections a year. Ministers will also introduce a charge on employers who endanger public and employee safety by making them, in the event of a complaint, pay the costs of investigations that show them to be in breach of the law. A guilty firm would also expect to pay a fine. The charges are in part designed to fill a funding gap caused by a 35% cut in the budget of the Health and Safety executive by 2014-5. The cut was announced in the spending review last year. Critics of the reform fear it will act as a perverse incentive for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to find employers guilty of misconduct. The government is already reducing the number of injuries that need to be reported, so that an episode involving someone being absent from work for up to a week need not be reported. The deregulatory measures come alongside budget measures designed to relax employment laws for small businesses and change planning laws to make it easier to convert empty properties. One of the themes of the budget is to help people find jobs. Grayling will also announce a long term review of all health and safety laws in the workplace to be undertaken by Professor Ragnar E Löfstedt, of Kings College London, a specialist in risk management. He will publish his findings in the autumn, and will build on work undertaken by Lord Young, David Cameron's former health and safety adviser . The review will also look at so called goldplating of EU laws, something that is known to infuriate not just Cameron, but also ministers. Grayling will say: "Of course it is right to protect employees in the workplace, but Britain's health and safety culture is also stifling business and holding back economic growth. The purpose of health and safety regulation is to protect people at work and rightly so. But we need common sense at the heart of the system,and these measures will help root out the needless burden of bureaucracy". The proposals will be rejected by the construction union Ucatt. It is already angry at proposals that staff at companies employing fewer than 250 should no longer have the right to request training. This could include safety training in specialist areas such as asbestos awareness. Judith Hackitt, chair of HSE, defended the plans: "HSE remains focused on preventing death, serious injury and ill health to those at work and those affected by work activities. With even better targeting of our activities we will further help small businesses to understand what they need to do. This will enable us to give the highest level of attention to those areas with the potential to cause most harm and where we can have the greatest impact." The British Chamber of Commerce director general, David Frost, also backed the changes: "A thorough review of health and safety rules can only be good news, provided it is followed by real action to reduce burdens on businesses. "Simplifying and codifying health and safety laws will help employers spend less time on tick box exercises, and more time focusing on growing their businesses." review the gold plating of EU health and safety regulations which has occurred in this country over recent years. Ministers have already scrapped the planned extension of the right to request flexible working to parents of 17 year olds. They also intend to give small businesses a three-year exemption from the additional paternity leave scheme which allows mothers and fathers to share the mother's right to maternity leave and pay if they wish. | ['politics/health', 'society/health', 'politics/politics', 'politics/chrisgrayling', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'environment/energy', 'environment/environment', 'business/energy-industry', 'business/business', 'tone/news', 'society/society', 'type/article', 'profile/patrickwintour', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2011-03-21T00:05:00Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/blog/2011/dec/14/british-public-support-renewable-energy | British public strongly support renewable energy, survey says | Leo Hickman | Does the UK have a "silent majority" in support of further investment in renewables? You wouldn't necessarily think so if you listen to the very vocal, media-driven opposition against, say, wind power, but a recent YouGov survey commissioned by the Sunday Times suggests the true picture might be a little different. The Sunday Times itself chose not to report the YouGov findings related to renewables (you can draw your own conclusions as to why), but if you look beyond the headline polling about the 1,696 respondents' political leanings you start to reach some rather intriguing environmentally themed results from page seven onwards (pdf). For example, asked (over the period 24-25 November) if they would support or oppose a high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, the response was 54% in support and 27% in opposition. For a new airport in the Thames Estuary, 30% were supportive and 48% opposed. (The split among respondents in London was 50% / 34%, respectively.) But the real point of interest can be found on page nine, which asks: "Thinking about the country's future energy provision, do you think the government should be looking to use more or less of the following?" Solar power More than at present - 74% Less than at present - 6% Maintain current levels - 12% Not sure - 9% Wind farms More than at present - 56% Less than at present - 19% Maintain current levels - 15% Not sure - 9% Nuclear power stations More than at present - 35% Less than at present - 27% Maintain current levels - 23% Not sure - 15% Oil power stations More than at present - 10% Less than at present - 47% Maintain current levels - 27% Not sure - 17% Coal power stations More than at present - 16% Less than at present - 43% Maintain current levels - 25% Not sure - 17% It then asks: "Do you think the government is right or wrong to subsidise wind farms to encourage more use of wind power?" Right 60% Wrong 26% Don't know 15% Do you think increased use of wind power is or is not a realistic way of combating climate change? Realistic 47% Not realistic 36% Don't know 16% Do you think increased use of solar power is or is not a realistic way of combating climate change? Realistic 67% Not realistic 18% Don't know 15% Over at BusinessGreen, James Murray describes the survey results as "explosive", especially given that they "follow months during which the right-wing press has waged an increasingly virulent campaign against climate change, wind farms, renewable energy, and the green levies that pay for it". (See Duncan Clark's assessment of how "UK newspaper coverage is skewed against renewables".) As Murray correctly points out, it is worth the time drilling down into the various demographic, political and regional breakdowns of the results. For example, you see a clear age bias when it comes to wind farms. As the age of the respondent increases, their support for wind falls, but not to the point where the majority of the "60+" grouping are against it. The older respondents tend to be more supportive of nuclear energy, too. But support for solar energy is near equal across all age groups. It is worth noting the political differences, too. For example, 43% of Conservative voters say they want more wind farms than at present, compared to 62% of Labour voters and 70% of Liberal Democrat voters. Equally, Conservative voters are noticeably more supportive of nuclear energy than Labour or Lib Dem voters. But, somewhat counter-intuitively, support for wind farms is lowest among London-based respondents (49%) compared to areas that might consider themselves more at risk of being "blighted" by wind farms, say, Midland/Wales (57%) and Scotland (59%). Sadly, the survey doesn't distinguish between urban, suburban and rural residents, as those results might have provided extra illumination. When it comes to subsidising wind farms (it doesn't distinguish between off- and on-shore wind), 18-24 voters are far more supportive (70%) than 60+ voters (48%). YouGov didn't ask the same question of solar power (or nuclear, for that matter). James Murray describes the survey's findings as the "best kind of early Christmas present" for the "government's green agenda". I'm not sure I would go that far – it is only one snapshot survey, after all – but it does provide grist to the theory that there is a danger that the vocal minority (and their powerful media allies) who oppose investment in renewable energy shouldn't be allowed to drown out the views of the silent majority who seemingly favour such an approach. | ['environment/blog', 'environment/environment', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/energy', 'money/energy', 'environment/windpower', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'environment/green-economy', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'politics/politics', 'tone/blog', 'type/article', 'profile/leohickman'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2011-12-14T15:42:00Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2019/apr/24/support-for-extinction-rebellion-soars-in-wake-of-easter-protests | Support for Extinction Rebellion soars after Easter protests | Support for Extinction Rebellion in the UK has quadrupled in the past nine days as public concern about the scale of the ecological crisis grows. Since the wave of protests began more than a week ago, 30,000 new backers or volunteers have offered their support to the environmental activist group. In the same period it has raised almost £200,000 – mostly in donations of between £10 and £50 – reaching a total of £365,000 since January. The group said the figures showed the public was waking up to the scale of the crisis, adding that pressure was growing on politicians to act. “What this shows is that Extinction Rebellion has spoken to people who have been wanting to act on this for such a long time but haven’t known how,” said a spokesperson for the group. “The debate on this is over – ordinary people are now saying it is time for politicians to act with real urgency.” Diane Abbott backed the demonstrators in a speech to the eco-activists in Parliament Square on Wednesday. The shadow home secretary told a crowd of up to 100 protesters – one of whom towered above the group on six-foot stilts while others wielded banners – that she acknowledged a “climate emergency”, one of the group’s key demands. Abbott also emphasised that MPs needed to come together to host a “broad conversation” on one of the activists’ requests to bring the country’s greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025. She said: “I wouldn’t be in politics if I didn’t think change was possible. If things can change on the issues that I campaigned on when I was a very young woman, I think that things can change … on climate change and we can move towards the 2025 target.” Abbott suggested meeting Extinction Rebellion for a detailed discussion of policy aims – a proposal met with rapturous applause. She reiterated her commitment to learning and listening to protesters and said that, in the long term, climate change was more important than Brexit. The group’s organisers said the number of people on the streets for the protests had dwindled from a high over the Easter bank holiday weekend but that the number of people who had signed up to support future demonstrations had risen from 10,000 before the protest to 40,000 by Wednesday morning. The Extinction Rebellion spokesperson said the group was also becoming more diverse – attracting more working-class and black and minority ethnic supporters. “But that is definitely a work in progress – there is still more work to do in that area,” she added. The figures came a day after Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish student who sparked a global youth-based movement when she began a “climate strike” outside Sweden’s parliament last year, visited Westminster. In a speech to MPs, she said: “You lied to us. You gave us false hope. You told us that the future was something to look forward to. You don’t listen to the science because you are only interested in solutions that will enable you to carry on like before.” Extinction Rebellion’s youth group wrote to MPs on Wednesday, as parliament restarted after the Easter break, pleading with them to act swiftly to address the crisis. The letter states: “We are writing to ask you to hear the science, to feel the public’s change of heart and to act now to save our futures … Now the time has arrived to stand up and be counted – you are our elected representatives and we need your help.” More than 1,000 Extinction Rebellion activists have been arrested in the past week in a campaign of mass non-violent direct action to highlight how little time there is to halt manmade ecological breakdown. Protesters occupied four sites across the capital and staged acts of civil disobedience including blocking roads, disrupting a train line and conducting a protest at Heathrow. On Tuesday, the group said it intended to carry out further action in the next few days – including blocking roads in and around the City of London on Thursday. It is debating how and when to stop this stage of the protests. On Tuesday, senior Labour figures backed the protesters, likening them to the Chartists, suffragettes and anti-apartheid activists. Speaking in response to an urgent question in the Commons, the shadow energy minister Barry Gardiner said alongside the school strikes, the Extinction Rebellion protests were reminiscent of previous struggles. “All of those victories were won by citizens uniting against injustice, making their voice heard. And Extinction Rebellion and the school climate strikers are doing just that,” he said. Inside the chamber, the former Labour leader Ed Miliband said the government must declare a climate emergency and introduce a “green new deal”. Responding for the government, Claire Perry, the energy minister, rejected the idea of a climate emergency – “I don’t know what that would entail” – and said she had reservations about the Extinction Rebellion protests. She said though she was glad such arguments were being heard, they had caused “disruption for many hundreds and thousands of hardworking Londoners and had required a heavy policing presence. “I worry that many of the messages we are hearing ignore the progress that is being made, and as such make people fearful for the future rather than hopeful.” | ['environment/extinction-rebellion', 'environment/environment', 'environment/activism', 'world/protest', 'world/world', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'world/activism', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/matthewtaylor', 'profile/molly-blackall', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/extinction-rebellion | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2019-04-24T13:16:11Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
environment/2023/oct/06/indoor-wood-burning-raises-women-lung-cancer-risk-study | Indoor wood burning raises women’s lung cancer risk by 43%, says US study | Using an indoor wood stove or fireplace increases women’s risk of developing lung cancer by 43% compared with those that do not use wood heating, according to a US study. In the UK, one in 13 men and one in 15 women born after 1960 are expected to be diagnosed with lung cancer during their lifetimes. In the US it is one in 16 men and one in 17 women. The US study found that more frequent use of indoor wood heating led to greater risk. For example, people who used their wood burner on more than 30 days a year had a 68% increased lung cancer risk compared with people who did not burn wood. The results come from the Sister Study, which tracks the health of 50,000 US women who had sisters with breast cancer. Dr Suril Mehta, from the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and first author of the new study, said: “The Sister Study was designed to better understand genetic and environmental risk factors for breast cancer, but it is also equipped to evaluate other health outcomes in women. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among US women. It accounts for roughly one in five cancer-related deaths in the US.” Globally, tobacco smoking is the biggest risk factor for lung cancer, but not the only one. This was reflected in the Sister Study findings. The latest results come after tracking the women’s health for an average of 11 years. During this time 347 participants were diagnosed with lung cancer; 289 were current or former tobacco smokers and 58 were non-smokers. Having allowed for income and other factors that could have affected the women’s health there were clear differences in the risk of developing lung cancer in those that heated their homes with wood compared with those that did not. This extra risk was seen in both tobacco smokers and those who had never smoked. In the UK, only 4% of homes that use solid fuel rely on it as their only heating source. Similarly, the Sister Study homes primarily used gas or electricity for heating, with wood being mainly a secondary or tertiary heating source. Mehta said: “Our study provides evidence that even occasional indoor wood burning from stoves and fireplaces can contribute to lung cancer in populations where indoor wood burning is not the predominant fuel source for cooking or heating inside the home.” Prof Fay Johnston from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, Tasmania, who was not involved in the US research, said: “The new results from the Sister Study provide strong evidence of the risk of living in homes heated by wood combustion. Even relatively low usage was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer.” She added: “The message for policymakers and the public is clear. Wood heater smoke is not safe. Interventions to reduce exposure in homes and neighbourhoods should be a priority.” The research adds to growing evidence of the risk of cancer from wood smoke. In October 2006, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified wood smoke as probably carcinogenic to humans. Though far smaller than the Sister Study and using a different methodology, an international study from 2010 found increased lung cancer risk in people that used wood and coal heating compared with those that did not. Mehta said: “Wood smoke, from using wood-burning appliances indoors, may contain substances such as benzene, 1,3-butadiene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and other hazardous air pollutants which are known or suspected to cause lung cancer.” In the Sister Study, gas or propane heating in stoves and fireplaces was also associated with an increased lung cancer risk, but this was far smaller than that from wood burning. An earlier report from the Sister Study concluded that air pollution from indoor wood burning was also a widespread and potentially modifiable risk factor for breast cancer. | ['environment/series/pollutionwatch', 'society/lung-cancer', 'environment/air-pollution', 'society/society', 'environment/environment', 'environment/pollution', 'us-news/us-news', 'science/medical-research', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/gary-fuller', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-weather'] | environment/air-pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2023-10-06T05:00:33Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2002/may/22/whaling.internationalnews | Iceland storms out of whaling summit | Iceland stormed out of the International Whaling Commission yesterday, claiming it had been the victim of dirty tricks in its failed bid to regain full membership. On the second day of the plenary session, Stefan Asmundsson, the Icelandic commissioner, interrupted proceedings to accuse the anti-whaling nations of illegally rejecting his country's bid to rejoin the IWC the previous day. "We are the victim of a dirty tricks campaign and have decided not to take any further part in this charade because we are compelled to sit on the sidelines while the proceedings are hijacked by a narrow majority that is determined to advance its own domestic cultural prejudices at the expense of its obligations under international law," he said. He then led his delegation out of the conference, to the applause of delegates from Japan, Norway and other countries in the pro-whaling camp. For the second year running, Iceland had applied to rejoin the organisation on the condition that it did not recognise the 17-year old moratorium on whaling. The British delegate, fisheries minister Eliot Morley, a member of the anti-whaling camp, said no application could be accepted with strings attached. "I have no sympathy at all for Iceland. The situation is of its own making. Iceland is free to join, but it cannot decide in advance which parts to accept. The moratorium is the cornerstone of the IWC." The drama highlighted the passions that have inflamed this year's meeting of the international body, which has been deadlocked between the pro- and anti-whaling camps. Following a pattern set on the first day, all proposals to change the way the commission is run were voted down by one camp or another. The ill-natured debate will continue today, when delegates discuss the conditions under which hunting may be resumed if the moratorium is lifted. The"revised management system" covers killing methods, monitoring procedures and other technicalities. Anti-whaling nations are against the adoption of such a system on the grounds that existing safeguards against the poaching of protected species and the illegal trade of whale meat have repeatedly been circumvented. | ['environment/whaling', 'world/world', 'environment/whales', 'environment/cetaceans', 'type/article', 'profile/jonathanwatts'] | environment/cetaceans | BIODIVERSITY | 2002-05-22T01:45:44Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2014/sep/11/kashmir-monsoon-floods-million-displace-pakistan-india-aid | Kashmir monsoon floods leave 460 dead and displace almost a million | Authorities in Pakistan and India are struggling to cope with raging monsoon floods which have killed more than 460 people, displaced nearly a million people, and still threaten many more. Pakistani military specialists blew up dykes with explosives to divert water from rivers running close to three cities, while Indian authorities admitted that relief efforts had not yet reached about 300,000 people in Kashmir. Local people, aid-workers and medical staff in the Indian-administered parts of Kashmir criticised the relief effort, which they called "inadequate and chaotic". One aidworker based in Srinagar, a city of one million people, said the coordination between the Indian military, local authorities and NGOs had been "almost nonexistent". Valay Singh, of Save the Children, said that at least 50,000 people were living in community-run relief centres, mainly mosques and Sikh temples. "People who are rescued have next to nothing, as of now. They need shelter, food, medicines clothes. There's no consolidated list of the rescued people in the relief camps. There is an urgent need to compile lists as it will help in identifying people displaced by the floods and help them in reuniting them with their families." More than 200 people have been killed in Srinagar and bodies have reportedly been seen floating in the streets. Police said some residents of the city had been trapped in the top floors of their homes since heavy rains caused the Jhelum river to surge last week. Mohammad Farhan Malik, a volunteer doctor in Srinagar described a chaotic situation in the city. "There are over 20,000 people here [at one large mosque]. Most people are suffering from conjunctivitis, stress, gastroenteritis. We fear an outbreak of cholera. We have to be prepared for the worst. There are just eight to 10 doctors working ... but the government hasn't set up any proper health camp." Water levels in Kashmir have started to drop, but the extent of destruction in more remote areas remains unclear. "There are some villages where everything has been swept away. People are extremely angry, frustrated and exhausted," said R K Khan, an Indian police official. The Indian air force announced on Thursday night that it had been forced to scale back operations after angry survivors pelted helicopters with stones. Most communications networks in Kashmir had failed and only 20% of the population had clean water supplies, reports in India said. The Jhelum river flows from Indian Kashmir to the Pakistan side, then down into the flat fertile lands of Punjab. The two embankments destroyed by the army on Thursday were near the cities of Muzaffargarh and Multan. The new breaches flooded farmland and small villages. The disaster, caused by heavy rains over the last eight days, has so far forced more than 700,000 people to flee their homes in Pakistan. Some chose to remain to protect their property and land only to end up being trapped on what few high positions they could find. "We sat on roofs for three days waiting for help," said Allah Wasaee, a mother of 10 children, from a village near Jhang city. "Even the women climbed up into the trees to escape the water." Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan, visited the Pakistan-administered portion of Kashmir on Thursday and told flood victims that his government would do whatever it could to rebuild their damaged homes. The prime ministers of both India and Pakistan offered each other help at the weekend to deal with the disaster, which temporarily diverted attention from fighting along the national borders. The crisis is the first humanitarian emergency in India since Narendra Modi took power in India in May. The two states have fought four wars since winning their independence from Britain in 1947 and tension over Kashmir is a key factor in the mutual hostility. This week, however, violence flared again on the "line of control", the de facto border splitting Kashmir, as Indian troops shot dead three militants even as flood rescue operations began elsewhere. In Pakistan, hardline Sunni sectarian groups, some with a history of fighting in Kashmir, have rushed to assist families who have fled to relief camps. Other supposedly banned groups have also been quick to extend support, including the charity arm of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which is led by Hafiz Saeed, a controversial hardline cleric. The group has set up its own camps, as well as offered food to displaced families. Saeed is blacklisted under the UN's international terrorism sanctions and is also subject to a $10m US bounty for his role in the 2008 assault on the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people. South Asia experiences monsoon rains from June to September, which are vital for the regional agriculture. But the rains frequently turn to floods, devastating crops, destroying homes and prompting outbreaks of diseases and diarrhoea. Environmentalists in Delhi said the government should recognise that floods were getting worse due to climate change. "The Kashmir floods are a grim reminder that climate change is now hitting India harder," said Chandra Bhusan, head of the climate change team at the Centre for Science and Environment. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said this year's monsoon rains had killed more than 1,000 people in India alone. Disaster preparation in both countries often falls foul of bureaucratic infighting and political rivalries. Greater Kashmir, a newspaper in Srinagar, reported that the flood control department warned in a report in 2010 that a significant flood could occur in the state within five years. The report was sent to the union water resources ministry along with plans for a £220m flood prevention scheme, the newspaper said. In 2010 floods in Pakistan caused by the rains killed more than 2,000 people and caused huge damage. The southern Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Balochistan are bracing themselves as the storm surge continues down the length of the country. | ['world/india', 'world/pakistan', 'world/natural-disasters', 'global-development/aid', 'environment/flooding', 'society/cholera', 'world/landslides', 'global-development/global-development', 'global-development/humanitarian-response', 'science/meteorology', 'world/refugees', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/jasonburke', 'profile/jon-boone', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2014-09-11T17:53:51Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
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