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world/2017/jul/08/onus-on-australia-to-take-diplomatic-initiative-in-protecting-antarctica | Onus on Australia to take diplomatic lead in protecting Antarctica | Tim Stephens | Shortly before World Ocean Day, and a special UN meeting to address threats facing oceans, the US president, Donald Trump, announced that the country was walking away from the Paris agreement. Here in Australia, there was a welcome bipartisan commitment to stay the course, with Malcolm Turnbull defending Australia’s participation in this critically important environmental pact. But Australia’s environmental diplomacy needs to be more than just defensive. Taking a cue from French president Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to “make the planet great again” by determined leadership on climate action, Australia should likewise move on to the front foot. And one place where it can make a big contribution is in its own backyard – Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. The Antarctic and its surrounding seas are experiencing profound physical and ecological pressure as a result of climate change and ocean acidification. Just last week, scientists reported on a big melting event on the surface of the Ross ice shelf during 2016, across an area of about 800,000 sq km, which is larger than Texas. Antarctica’s ice shelves are also melting from below and are beginning to fracture and disintegrate. The Larsen C ice shelf, a major extension of the West Antarctic ice sheet, is the latest to show alarming signs of collapse, with a big rift rapidly “unzipping” a large portion of the shelf from the ice front. The calving of the shelf is only a matter of time. The states that manage Antarctica and the Southern Ocean have powerful tools at their fingertips to give ecosystems the best possible chance of adapting to the physical changes under way in Antarctica, while governments globally come to grips with the climate crisis. These tools include Marine Protected Areas, in which fishing is banned or limited to protect ecosystems and species. The science is clear that marine reserves can mitigate climate change and help ecosystems adapt to changes in water temperature, chemistry and circulation. MPAs help build ecosystem resilience, provide refuge for marine species and can also protect carbon pools, or sinks (“blue carbon”). In 2016, a deadlock of more than five years was broken when the Ross Sea MPA, the largest marine reserve in the world, was established by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. CCAMLR is the international body established under the Antarctic treaty system with the specific mandate of protecting the Southern Ocean ecosystem. Australia rightly enjoys a reputation as a global leader in the protection of the Antarctic environment. But our country needs to step up its diplomacy, particularly if it wishes to achieve the designation of the east Antarctic representative system of marine protected areas, a joint initiative of Australia, France and the EU. The proposal was developed in 2010 on the basis of extensive scientific research. But since then, it has not gained consensus support within CCAMLR. Successive revisions have been made to the proposal to make it more acceptable to the CCAMLR parties. The east Antarctic MPA is already smaller than initially proposed, comprising three areas instead of seven. Also still up for discussion is how strong the protections will be within the MPA. There is a risk that the proponents will water down the proposal and accept a compromise in the face of potential Chinese and Russian opposition. The east Antarctic MPA is therefore still in flux – France and the EU have drafted a revised proposal that has been shared with the Australian government. The ball is now in Australia’s court on how best to proceed. The experience with the Ross Sea MPA shows that high-level political engagement is vital to make breakthroughs in Antarctic protection. The Ross Sea MPA was achieved in large part because of the direct interventions of the then US secretary of state John Kerry and president Barack Obama to persuade Russia and China to support the proposal. If the east Antarctic MPA is to be much more than just a “paper park” – an MPA in name only – it is vital that the Australian government identify it as a top diplomatic priority. Strong protections need to be retained in the MPA, including strict no-take areas where fishing is prohibited, which will protect the coastal and ocean ecosystems, including foraging areas for Adélie and emperor penguins. There is limited time for bilateral negotiations before the next CCAMLR meeting in Hobart in October, and the success of the MPA will hinge on whether Australia can join France and the EU in advocating for areas that will be firmly off limits for the commercial fishing industry. If Australia is successful, it would mark a big achievement in Southern Ocean protection. But success is far from assured, and without a strong diplomatic effort at the highest levels, we could be saddled with a second-best outcome and one that would fail to serve the interests of effective Antarctic protection in an era of rapid environmental change. • Saturday 8 July marks 100 days until the CCALMR meeting. Tim Stephens is a professor of international law and an ARC future fellow at the University of Sydney’s law school. He attended the Antarctic treaty consultative meeting in Beijing as an academic observer with the Australian government delegation | ['world/antarctica', 'environment/oceans', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'environment/environment', 'environment/marine-life', 'type/article', 'tone/comment', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2017-07-08T01:04:29Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
news/2023/jan/05/noises-of-the-northern-lights-weatherwatch | Whistles, cracks, hisses: the noises of the northern lights | You may have seen the shimmering greens and pinks of the aurora borealis lighting up the night sky, but have you ever heard them? Rare reports of crackling and whooshing noises accompanying auroras have traditionally been dismissed by scientists as folklore, but data gathered in Finland has shown that under the right weather conditions, auroras can be accompanied by a noise. The northern (and southern) lights are caused by solar particles colliding with gas molecules in Earth’s upper atmosphere. They tend to be visible near the poles because the charged particles are steered towards the poles by Earth’s magnetic field. But most aurora take place well out of earshot, about 62 miles (100km) above our heads. In an attempt to lay the question to rest, scientists set up recording equipment in the Finnish village of Fiskars and listened to the night sky. Most of the time the auroras were silent, but to their surprise they found that about 5% of the strongest auroras were associated with whistles, cracks and hisses. The researchers found that the noises always coincided with a temperature inversion (cold air trapped under a lid of warm air) and appear to be caused by the release of static charge, linked to changes in atmospheric electricity caused by the aurora’s disturbance to Earth’s magnetic field. | ['news/series/weatherwatch', 'science/meteorology', 'science/science', 'world/finland', 'uk/weather', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/kate-ravilious', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-weather'] | news/series/weatherwatch | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2023-01-05T06:00:14Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
australia-news/2019/jan/22/labor-promises-to-supercharge-hydrogen-industry-as-green-groups-say-no-role-for-coal | Labor promises to 'supercharge' hydrogen industry as green groups say 'no role for coal' | A $1.1bn plan announced by Labor to build up Australia’s hydrogen industry has been welcomed by environmental groups, so long as it is backed by renewable power. Labor said on Tuesday its national hydrogen plan would “supercharge” Australia’s renewable energy industry and create thousands of regional blue-collar jobs, particularly in Queensland. Under the proposal, a Labor government would allocate $1bn in funding from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation for clean hydrogen development and invest up to $90m from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency for research, demonstration and pre-commercial deployment of hydrogen technologies. It would also establish a $10m Arena funding round for hydrogen refuelling infrastructure and set up a hydrogen “innovation hub” in Gladstone with an initial investment of $3m. Labor said that the direct investment from the policy was focused on the production of hydrogen gas using renewable energy, but the platform did include regulatory reforms and infrastructure investment that could assist hydrogen production from non-renewable sources. Arena is restricted from supporting non-renewables technology and the legislation for the CEFC prevents it from investing in carbon capture and storage. “Developing a hydrogen industry will deliver new opportunities for manufacturing, transport and electricity generation,” Shorten said in a joint statement with other Labor ministers. “As the global demand for hydrogen surges to an expected $215bn market by 2022, Australia is uniquely placed to benefit from the development of this new, job-generating industry.” Hydrogen gas can be made from water, coal or natural gas. While the definitions vary, generally “green” or clean hydrogen is made from water through electrolysis using electricity from renewable energy. “Blue” hydrogen is made from natural gas and “brown” hydrogen is made from coal. Both blue and brown hydrogen production usually uses electricity from fossil fuels and, for this to be zero-carbon, the process must use carbon capture and storage to offset the resulting greenhouse gases. Some of the proposed regulatory reforms from Labor would support the use of existing gas pipelines for hydrogen, support the shipping of hydrogen, and the storage of CO2 from blue and brown hydrogen production. Richie Merzian, the climate and energy program director at the Australia Institute, said the CEFC was well placed to support clean hydrogen development and that hydrogen made using water and renewable energy was “a rare and opportune industry for Australia to transition its energy exports”. But he said it would “be disappointing if any proposed support for the new industry would go to hydrogen made using gas or coal, on the basis of businesses making dubious promises to capture and bury resulting greenhouse gases”. “Australia Institute research has shown the federal government has committed over $1.3bn to carbon capture and storage and has nothing to show for it, with most projects failing,” he said. “Solar, wind and hydro energy should be powering the hydrogen industry and we see no role for coal with carbon capture and storage.” The Australian Conservation Foundation said a $1.1bn commitment to the industry was “a win for the environment, regional communities and job creation so long as it backed by renewable power”. “Australia has an enormous opportunity to export our virtually limitless wind and solar energy to power-hungry neighbours, particularly across the Asia-Pacific region, through green hydrogen,” said Suzanne Harter, the ACF’s climate change campaigner. She said Australia had some of the best clean energy sources in the world and the cost of producing hydrogen with renewables had fallen dramatically in recent years. “But in a world where we must urgently stop climate pollution to limit the damage from global warming, only hydrogen produced from clean energy sources, not polluting coal and gas, is acceptable,” Harter said. | ['australia-news/labor-party', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/hydrogen-power', 'australia-news/energy-australia', 'environment/energy', 'environment/environment', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/lisa-cox', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/renewableenergy | ENERGY | 2019-01-22T06:01:45Z | true | ENERGY |
australia-news/2022/may/10/growing-anger-in-flood-zones-prompts-nsw-government-apology | Growing anger in flood zones prompts NSW government apology | New South Wales flood recovery minister, Steph Cooke, has apologised for delays in getting relief money into flood-affected communities, while announcing changes to make it easier for small businesses to access grants. The government has been criticised after Service NSW data revealed just 2,445 of the 15,335 applications for small business grants had been approved, with 6,500 rejected and another 5,000 held up while the government seeks more information from the applicant. The Guardian on Tuesday documented the frustrations of small business owners in Lismore unhappy with the speed of the rollout and the criteria applied to the grants. Speaking on 2GB radio on Tuesday, Cooke lamented that “nothing goes perfectly” when a government tries to get $3bn in funding out the door, noting widespread fraud concern had slowed efforts. She revealed changes to the requirements for sole traders, who she said accounted for about half of the almost 6,500 businesses that had been rejected. “There is now a requirement for less paperwork, which is going to put money into the hands of those sole traders more quickly,” she said. “When problems emerge, like we have discovered with sole traders, that’s when we look to find that fix as quickly as we possibly can.” Sole traders have always been eligible for the grants, but have required additional documentation to other small businesses. With the changes they will now be able to seek initial approval by submitting a statutory declaration instead. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Lismore state MP, Labor’s Janelle Saffin, lashed the government over the complex processes being foised upon “traumatised” residents. “It’s no good for the government to say ‘we’re with you’ and then you don’t get the grant. They’ve just got to make sure it changes,” she said. “It’s a plea really, to the NSW government – get your act together, get the grants out, spend the money, open the chequebooks, we need it now. We need flexibility and we need compassion.” Saffin said she also supported land swaps and relocation of some parts of the badly affected north and south Lismore to higher ground, as was put forward by the Lismore council as part of a discussion paper exploring options for the town’s future. “I am supporting it. For now, it’s the government, state and federal, that have to support it,” Saffin said. “Next time the premier comes or the prime minister, whoever comes, open the chequebook so that we can look at those longer term options.” Opposition emergency services spokesperson Jihad Dib described the grants rollout as a “shemozzle” and called on the state government to assist people in putting applications in so the rejection rates were lower. “Individual case management is so incredibly important,” he said. “It’s also incredibly important to make sure that we provide the support that’s required to an individual that maybe doesn’t necessarily fit within the parameters of a box.” Cooke said the government was working “around the clock” to speed things up while ensuring applications were thoroughly checked. “I apologise to people who haven’t received money as quickly as they would like,” Cooke said. “We’re doing everything that we possibly can across the whole of government. “We have an obligation to make sure that we’ve got checks and balances in place when we’re assessing people’s applications because we know fraud is a huge issue.” Service NSW data also revealed that just 1,346 of the 9,570 applications for rental relief had been approved so far. More than half had been deemed ineligible and declined. Cooke said there were “complexities” in the scheme. “We are working through with both individuals and the families to find the best possible solution for their medium-to-long-term housing needs,” she said. “In order to take up the rental support scheme, you’ve got to have a place to move into. We’ve had a huge shortage of accommodation and other types of accommodation in the northern rivers.” | ['australia-news/new-south-wales-politics', 'australia-news/new-south-wales', 'environment/flooding', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/tamsin-rose', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-state-news'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2022-05-10T06:36:59Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2020/oct/03/dramatic-plunge-in-london-air-pollution-since-2016-report-finds | ‘Dramatic’ plunge in London air pollution since 2016, report finds | Air pollution in London has plunged since Sadiq Khan became mayor, with a 94% reduction in the number of people living in areas with illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide. The number of schools in such areas has fallen by 97%, from 455 in 2016 to 14 in 2019. Experts described the reductions as dramatic and said they showed the air pollution crisis was not intractable. More than 9,000 people in the capital were dying early each year due to dirty air in 2015. The report from the mayor of London, reviewed by scientists, shows that more than 2 million people in the capital lived with polluted air in 2016, but this fell to 119,000 in 2019. The report, which does not include the further falls in pollution seen after the Covid-19 lockdown began in March, shows levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) by roads in central London fell by 44% between early 2017 and early 2020. The pollution cuts have been achieved by charges that have deterred dirty vehicles from entering the city centre and have driven up the use of cleaner vehicles. Putting low-emission buses on the dirtiest routes, ending the licensing of new diesel taxis and extending the amount of protected space for cycling have also contributed. However, Khan said there was still a long way to go, particularly as 99% of London had particle pollution levels above the World Health Organization’s recommended limits, which are much tighter than the UK limit. Almost a quarter of roads in inner London – between the north and south circular roads – still exceed the legal limit for (NO2), which is mostly produced by diesels. But the ultralow emission zone (Ulez), in which charges are levied for polluting vehicles, is to be expanded to cover all of inner London from October 2021. Air pollution is the biggest environmental risk to health, according to the WHO, and it may be damaging every organ in the body, a comprehensive global review concluded in 2019. Most urban areas in the UK have had illegal levels of NO2 since 2010 and the government has repeatedly been defeated in the high court over the adequacy of its plans. There is also growing evidence that dirty air worsens infection and death rates from coronavirus, and that people from minority ethnic communities fare the worst. Those people are more likely to live in areas with high air pollution. “Today’s report confirms the transformative impact that my policies have had on our toxic air crisis,” said Khan, who was elected in May 2016. “I’m pleased that Londoners are breathing cleaner air and that we’re saving the NHS billions of pounds.” “However, air pollution remains a major public health challenge and it’s time for the government to step up,. We can’t sleepwalk from the health crisis of Covid back into complacency over the major impact of toxic air on everyone’s health.” He said the stricter WHO limits should be included in the forthcoming environment bill as a legally binding target for 2030. Boris Johnson was mayor of London from 2008 to 2016 and a study by King’s College London looking at the rate of improvement in NO2 levels during that time found it would have taken 193 years to reach legal compliance. Khan said the city was now on track to meet legal levels everywhere by 2025. “Breathing bad air has had an intolerable impact on Londoners’ health for far too long [but], starting around 2016, London’s air pollution underwent a dramatic change,” said Dr Gary Fuller, an air pollution expert at Imperial College London. “The changes in NO2 in central London and along main bus routes were some of the fastest that we’ve ever measured” in 30 years of monitoring, he said. “These successes show that our city’s air pollution is not an intractable problem.” Prof Stephen Holgate, a special adviser on air quality to the Royal College of Physicians, said: “Air pollution is a scourge on society, especially harming the young and old. What the mayor of London has shown in his first term is that major reductions in toxic pollutants can be achieved and that businesses and the public are willing to make the necessary changes to deliver this.” He said the pollution cuts would have enormous benefits for Londoners. The report shows there are 44,000 fewer dirty vehicles being driven in central London every day compared with 2017, when charges for polluting vehicles were confirmed. “I am looking forward to seeing the Ulez cover a far greater area with the knowledge that so many more people will benefit,” Holgate said. Khan has been criticised for backing a new four-lane road tunnel under the Thames at Silvertown. Victoria Rance, of the Stop the Silvertown Tunnel Coalition, said using the funding for public transport, cycling and walking offers far better environmental outcomes. In June a report from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies said the tunnel was incompatible with the Greater London Authority’s aim to become carbon neutral by 2030. A spokeswoman for the mayor said: “The combination of introducing tolls on both the Blackwall tunnel and at Silvertown – and the extension of the Ulez from 2021 so that Silvertown will be within the area covered – will play a crucial role in tackling congestion and improving air quality.” | ['environment/air-pollution', 'environment/pollution', 'cities/cities', 'uk/transport', 'uk/uk', 'environment/environment', 'uk/london', 'politics/sadiq-khan', 'politics/politics', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/damiancarrington', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/topstories', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2020-10-03T07:00:17Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/blog/2007/dec/18/terrymacalister | Waning appetite for nuclear power | Slightly puzzling that the Nuclear Industries Association (NIA) has not made more of an effort to highlight its annual survey of consumer confidence in the wonders of atomic power. The atomic cheerleader has been good enough to put the latest numbers (pdf) up on its website but seems curiously willing not to draw it to anyone's attention by contacting journalists or other interested parties. Or is that connected with the fact that at a time when the government is poised to push the dayglo buttonfor a new generation of plants that the public's appetite for such is receding - fast. The figures from Ipsos Mori show that 65% of the public appear to agree that Britain needs a mix of energy sources to ensure a reliable supply of electricity - including nuclear and renewables - but that is down from the 72% recorded 12 months ago and comes after four years of steadily increasing support. Keith Parker, the chief executive of the NIA, is honest enough to admit the latest findings are a "reality check" for the atomic industry but he believes this should encourage it to redouble its efforts to "promote greater understanding of our industry." In fact the fall in support for nuclear could suggest that the more people know about nuclear the less they want it because more has been written about this industry over the last 12 months than was the combined case over the three years, I would bet. The NIA also claims that the survey shows public familiarity with nuclear issues is increasing and yet "some 68% of the public claim to know 'just a little' or 'almost nothing' about atomic power". I will repeat that scary statistic. More than two-thirds of the public still know next to nothing or nothing about nuclear. Greenpeace may still take the government to court for a bogus consultation on atomic power but should it not be indicted for failing almost completely from educating the public about the pros and cons of going down this path? | ['environment/blog', 'environment/corporatesocialresponsibility', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/blog', 'profile/terrymacalister'] | environment/corporatesocialresponsibility | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2007-12-18T10:30:12Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
uk-news/2021/sep/29/insulate-britain-activists-block-m25-by-glueing-themselves-to-road | Police say charging M25 climate protesters ‘difficult’ | Police have claimed it is “very difficult” to bring charges against environmental activists after 27 members of Insulate Britain were arrested for blocking a roundabout at a junction with the M25. Lisa Townsend, Surrey’s police and crime commissioner, said the police were receiving “an enormous amount of flak” over their response but she insisted officers were “doing their utmost to prevent the disruption”. It comes after the same junction was targeted twice in six hours. On Wednesday morning, police arrested 11 people who had glued themselves to the road on a roundabout at junction 3, the Swanley Interchange in Kent, at about 7.30am. The group returned at 1pm when a further 16 arrests were made for the same offence. All 27 people are being held in custody. Insulate Britain, which is calling on the government to insulate all UK homes by 2030 to cut carbon emissions, has continued to block the M25 despite the government obtaining an injunction prohibiting protesters from doing so. The high court injunction obtained by the government means anyone blocking the motorway could be found to be in contempt of court, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison or an unlimited fine. But Townsend said: “It has been very difficult for the police because if they charge the protesters with a relatively minor offence, it is likely to be discontinued. “If they try to elevate the charge to a more serious one, they are finding it is not reaching the necessary threshold. “The public deserves to see a response from all parts of the criminal justice system and it is unfair for the police to be blamed if people do not end up before the courts.” Insulate Britain, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, said in a statement: “We are going nowhere. You can raid our savings. You can confiscate our property. You can deny us our liberty and put us behind bars. “But shooting the messenger can never destroy the message: that this country is going to hell unless you take emergency action to stop putting carbon into the air. Boris get on with the job.” Wednesday was the seventh day that the group has targeted the M25. The activists have become noted for their tactic of blocking London’s orbital motorway and other major roads as they try to draw greater attention to the climate crisis. Specifically, they have called for ministers to fully insulate all homes in the UK within a few years. They argue that the act would not only reduce the UK’s climate emissions, it would also help tackle fuel poverty, which the latest official figures show affects more than 3m households in England alone. Last Tuesday, the high court granted an injunction preventing protesters from disrupting traffic on to or along the M25 after several protests. The activists also targeted roads leading to Dover and a judge granted a further injunction last week. The activists claimed the campaign, which entered its third week on Monday, has been carried out by 115 people and resulted in more than 400 arrests. While Insulate Britain’s methods have been heavily criticised by some, academics and policy experts have suggested there is support for the end the activists seek. Experts have seen properly insulating homes as “low-hanging fruit” in the effort to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions. Last week, Jess Ralston, an analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, told the Guardian a 2017 study had found the initial cost of the work would be dwarfed by the financial and social benefits it brought. Kent police tweeted: “The Swanley Interchange roundabout at J3 of the M25 has now reopened following an earlier protest, which has resulted in us arresting 11 people. Delays remain in the area whilst the backlog of traffic clears. Thank you for your patience.” Activists welcomed a pledge by the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, to insulate every home that needs it in Britain over the next decade. One woman glued to the road said: “That’s excellent news. Let’s get the Labour party in. “It would cut UK emissions by 15%, it’s the easiest thing to do.” Another woman added: “When will the Conservatives do the same thing?” As well as targeting the London ring road, protesters have blocked other important routes including the A1(M) and A20 near the Port of Dover. | ['environment/activism', 'uk/london', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'environment/extinction-rebellion', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'environment/insulate-britain', 'profile/kevin-rawlinson', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/extinction-rebellion | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2021-09-29T18:36:05Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
environment/2016/jun/28/new-yorks-whales-to-be-studied-for-the-first-time | New York's whales to be studied for the first time | The habits of New York’s little-understood whale population are to be fully analysed for the first time, with scientists hoping the new information will help protect the marine behemoths that navigate one of the busiest shipping areas in the world. An acoustic monitoring buoy has been deployed off the coast of Long Island to eavesdrop on the cacophony of underwater noises made by whales that feed and travel through New York waters. Data from the research project will plug a surprising gap in scientists’ knowledge of the world’s largest creatures. Despite the large human population of New York and its continual shipping traffic, little is known about the presence of whales in the New York Bight – a stretch of water spanning New York to New Jersey. The buoy will listen out for whales from its position 22 miles out to sea from Fire Island, a strip of land in the central part of Long Island. The project, overseen by the Wildlife Conservation Society’s (WCS) New York aquarium and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), will run for an initial two years, although funding will be sought to extend this. “It’s quite remarkable really, we have snapshots of what whales are doing from fishermen and whale watching tours but we don’t have an holistic picture of their lives,” WCS’s Dr Howard Rosenbaum, co-lead of the project, told the Guardian. “I’ve worked all around the world developing important baselines on whale abundance and yet we don’t have much information here in New York, where I saw my first whales in the 1970s. This really is the start of our learning about whales here. We really have some catching up to do.” Humpback whales are regularly spotted off areas such as Brooklyn, while fin whales are known to inhabit the waters around the eastern tip of Long Island. Five other species, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale and minke and sperm whales, have also been seen or heard in New York waters. The presence of these species will be picked up by the acoustic buoy, which was developed by WHOI. The buoy sits six feet above the sea surface and is anchored to the sea floor 125ft below via hoses to a weighted frame. An underwater microphone called a hydrophone will record the sound of whale vocalisations, which are the clicks, whistles and calls made by a whale to other members of its pod. This information will be relayed via satellite to WHOI’s base in Massachusetts, where the sounds will be referenced to a “library” of whale noises. This compendium of sounds will be used to help identify species of whale and determine roughly how far they are from the buoy. Whales have distinctive “songs” they use to communicate with each other or find food. Recent research off the US west coast suggests that increasing underwater noise from shipping could be disrupting this communication, with potentially serious consequences for whale wellbeing. New York waters are some of the busiest in the world, with 3.3m cargo containers handled in the Port of New York and New Jersey in 2014 – a 5.4% increase on the previous year. “We are very concerned by ocean noise writ large,” said Rosenbaum. “Getting hit by ships is another concern – we saw a number of animals killed by blunt force trauma in New York waters last year. We want to generate information so we can work with agencies to protect whales, so that the waters are safe for recreational and maritime boats as well as the whales. “We hope this also an opportunity for people in the New York area to get excited about marine wildlife. So many people don’t know we have whales in our own back yard. Most people enjoy a day at the beach and don’t even know whales are out there.” The real-time data will be made available through WHOI’s website and via the New York aquarium. | ['environment/whales', 'environment/environment', 'environment/cetaceans', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/wildlife', 'us-news/new-york', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/oliver-milman', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2016-06-28T10:21:07Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
society/shortcuts/2016/jun/06/cash-wardrobe-clearout-unworn-clothes-raise-charity-oxfam | Cash in the closet: how much could a wardrobe clearout raise? | Wake up. Remove dog from head. Ponder 100+ items of clothing in drawers so overstuffed they no longer close properly. Feel defeated by this cluttered life. Then rub face against vintage silk kimono, purchased on impulse in a charity shop on Orkney. Perk up. Put on same jeans as day before but with different top. Done. This is my morning routine, and according to research by Marks & Spencer and Oxfam, I’m not the only one building up a collection of clothes I will never put on. The research, which polled 2,000 wardrobes for the “Shwopping” campaign to recycle clothes for charity, found £2.7bn worth of unworn items stored throughout Britain. All those stacks of identical Gap jeans are eating into our time, too: women spend an average of 17 minutes each morning, or four days a year, deciding what to wear (for men it’s 13 minutes). “As a nation we only wear 44% of our wardrobe on a regular basis,” says the campaign’s spokesperson Andrew Soar. “That means 3.6bn garments left unworn in the country’s wardrobes. Release their power by giving them to Oxfam.” In an attempt to “release the power” of my threads, I begin by counting clothes, which is surprisingly fun. I have 164 items – more than I expected. On average, each wardrobe in the UK contains 152 items, of which 57 are never worn or haven’t been worn in the past year. I more or less stopped buying clothes three years ago when I had a baby and took voluntary redundancy. Since then, my clothes have come from charity shops – with the odd Uniqlo splurge. I soon discover that there is something particularly sad about an unworn item of clothing originating from a charity shop. Twice as rejected, twice as pointless. Of my 164 items, at least only 25 fall into the never/rarely worn category. The reasons for abandonment are various, ranging from sentimentality (the green corduroy skirt bought in Buenos Aires on the holiday of a lifetime) to shame (I should never have bought that Celia Birtwell for Topshop dress, therefore I will pretend I never did). What else? A 1950s tartan jacket that was deeply ironic when I lived in Glasgow but deeply conventional since I moved to Edinburgh. A black dress with gold coins attached to the asymmetric hem that is as silly as it sounds. An impressive selection from Stella McCartney’s first H&M collection. The afore-mentioned kimono. And a pair of white lace hotpants that Shirley Conran, author of 80s bonkbuster Lace, once gave me. Don’t ask. Soar estimates the resale value of my 25 items using the Oxfam price guide. The total comes to a staggering £630. I’m shocked and inspired to have a clear-out, returning much of the clothing to the charity shops from whence they came. Which is double the recycling, or really, really pointless, depending on how you look at it. It’s the Stella McCartney that really bumps up the value – a silk dress goes for £120 and a pair of trousers for £80 – but the kimono plays its part, too. “Ooooh, I’m going to price it at £60,” Soar says when I reluctantly describe it to him. That may be three times what I paid, but some things are never worth giving up. | ['society/charities', 'society/voluntarysector', 'environment/recycling', 'environment/waste', 'environment/ethical-living', 'environment/environment', 'world/oxfam', 'world/world', 'marks-and-spencer/marks-and-spencer', 'society/society', 'fashion/fashion', 'lifeandstyle/lifeandstyle', 'tone/features', 'news/shortcuts', 'tone/blog', 'type/article', 'profile/chitra-ramaswamy', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/g2', 'theguardian/g2/features', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-g2-features'] | environment/waste | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2016-06-06T17:12:51Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
sustainable-business/plastic-bag-eu-law-tax-charge-retailers-sustainable | EU legislation on plastic bag pricing must be accompanied by retailer action | The Danish MEP Margrete Auken is a politician who likes her stats. In a recent four-minute speech to the European Parliament, she squeezed in three examples: 70% of marine pollution is caused by plastic; 95% of Fulmar seabirds in the North Sea have plastic in their guts; and Europeans get through a "quite grotesque" 100bn plastic carrier bags every year. The numbers hit home with her fellow MEPs, who this month voted overwhelmingly in favour of proposed charges for single-use plastic bags. A final vote on Auken's draft law is expected before the European elections on 22 May. If passed, it will require member states to cut their consumption of plastic bags by 80% within five years. "We're not going to ban the use of plastic bags, but we're doing to try and reduce their use", said Auken, whose proposal includes a range of policy interventions from levies and taxes to marketing restrictions. There are precedents for successful plastic bag reduction programmes. Wales introduced a 5p charge for single-use bags in 2011 and bag use dropped by 76% in the first year. Similar interventions in Northern Ireland, Denmark, France, Bulgaria and the Republic of Ireland have had equally dramatic results. The success of charging policies is partly down to the extra cost for consumers. As important, however, is the prod they give to consumers to think twice. Having to reach into your pocket at the checkout to pay for a bag acts as a "habit disruptor", according to Wouter Poortinga, an expert in environmental psychology at Cardiff University who evaluated the Welsh scheme. The ability of bag charges to raise environmental awareness explains why litter rates drop too. In Wales, for example, 88% of people say they have "become more aware of the importance of recycling or reuse rather than throwing items away". The figure jumps to 98% for those who use "bags for life". Yet in Scotland, which has yet to introduce a tax at the point of sale (a 5p charge will come into effect this October), only 70% agree with the statement. The EU proposals won't surprise some retailers. In Germany, Portugal and Hungary, supermarkets have pre-empted legislative requirements by voluntarily introducing charges for plastic bags. In the UK, Marks and Spencer kicked off with a 5p bag charge in its food halls in 2008. Usage has dropped from 464m single-use carrier bags before the charge to 116m today. The UK supermarket donates the money raised to charity, generating more than £6m for organisations such as WWF, Groundwork and the Marine Conservation Society. The British Retail Consortium concedes that voluntarism will only get us so far. If the UK government wants "further and faster reductions", then legislation is the way to do it, says BRC's director general, Helen Dickinson. The facts bear this out. Plastic bag usage continues to grow in England, up from 6.29bn bags in 2010 to 7.06bn (more than 11 bags per person per month) in 2012, according to the government's waste reduction agency. New rules will see English supermarket shoppers faced with a mandatory 5p change for plastic bags in 2015. A recent report by the parliamentary Environment Audit Committee throws up some warnings for policymakers across the EU. The first is to keep things simple. For example, exempting small retailers (as is currently proposed in England) is likely to cause "unnecessary confusion for customers", according to the Association of Convenience Stores. Pricing marks another important issue. For administrative ease, Wales opted for a 5p charge, rather than the more awkward 7p as originally considered. Poortinga says a periodic increase in charges may also be appropriate as evidence shows that shoppers grow accustomed to paying extra for a bag and go back to their previous bag-using habits. The issue of pricing also comes into play with "bags for life". In an attempt to wean consumers off the use of thin plastic bags, retailers often market reusable ones. Like for like, however, reusable plastic bags are responsible for four times more carbon emissions than thin, single-use bags. Consumers need to use them at least five times to make a positive environmental impact. Retailers need to price "bags for life" substantially above the charge for standard ones, policy experts say. Replacing broken reusable bags marks another positive step open to supermarkets and others. As the Environment Audit Committee report concludes: "Retailers should clearly communicate to shoppers that they can obtain a free replacement at the end of the bag's useable life, so that the charge for 'bags for life' is a one-off cost." The sustainable living hub is funded by Unilever. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here. Join the community of sustainability professionals and experts. Become a GSB member to get more stories like this direct to your inbox | ['sustainable-business/sustainable-business', 'guardian-professional/sustainability', 'environment/waste', 'environment/environment', 'world/europe-news', 'tone/blog', 'type/article', 'sustainable-business/series/sustainable-living', 'profile/oliver-balch'] | environment/waste | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2014-04-29T16:20:45Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2022/jun/17/we-must-protect-this-precious-welsh-landscape | Sign our petition to protect this precious Welsh landscape | Letter | Jim Perrin’s Country diary on the treecreepers at Soar Y Mynydd (14 June) beautifully evokes the peace, Welsh heritage and wildlife value of the central section of the Cambrian mountains, Yr Elenydd. But his comments on the damage done by off-roaders and the thoughtless planting of huge expanses of monoculture conifer plantations ring all too true. Indeed, the track from Soar Y Mynydd to the hostel at Ty’n Cornel is so deeply eroded as to be in places difficult to pass even on foot, let alone for the horse riders who used to use it. Facing the chapel itself, beyond the small grove of trees in the graveyard, the hillsides have been hidden from view with featureless trees, today being clear-felled to leave an equally ugly picture. The Cambrian Mountains Society is petitioning the Senedd seeking designation of the Elenydd, as well as the adjoining Mynydd Mallaen and Plynlimon massif, as an area of outstanding natural beauty. The objective is not merely to conserve the landscape, but also to restore the native woodlands and carbon-sequestering peatlands of these precious landscapes. We need 10,000 Welsh signatures to ensure a debate. I ask readers who care for our environment to sign at petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/245150. Lorna Brazell Cambrian Mountains Society • Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication. | ['environment/conservation', 'environment/forests', 'environment/environment', 'uk/wales', 'uk/uk', 'uk/ruralaffairs', 'environment/wildlife', 'type/article', 'tone/letters', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/journal', 'theguardian/journal/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2022-06-17T16:40:38Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jun/28/bus-cuts-cars-bp-oil-spill | Bus cuts drive Americans back to cars | Sasha Abramsky | Just at the moment when the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill has generated two months of non-stop headlines about the dangers of oil dependency and the federal government in America finally has something of a platform to call for Americans to wean themselves off oil dependency, cities, counties and states across the US are decimating their public transit systems and forcing people, willy-nilly, to return to their cars. In most countries, one might expect fiscal collapse to lead to more people taking public transport. After all, while buses, trams, light rail, and underground systems are less convenient than private vehicle usage, and while using such systems oftentimes involves sharing one's environs with too many people and too many competing body odours, at least it's cheaper than filling up one's car with gas and driving miles each day. Utilising public transport is a sensible, relatively painless way to penny pinch. But, in America, at least in part because public transport has not, in recent years, won the hearts and minds of the politically influential classes in many regions of the country, these systems are peculiarly vulnerable to cuts during the down-times. In fact, a poll released in early April by the Economist indicated that, faced with declining government revenues, more than twice as many Americans would want federal public transit subsidies cut versus reductions to highways expenditures. At a local level, too, many Americans' relationship to public transit systems is tendentious at best. And hence the tragic irony: as local governments continue to haemorrhage revenues, and thus have to look for evermore ways to tighten their belts, so public transit systems suffer. Take Sacramento, California's capital city, for example. For three years now, aid to public transit systems across the state has been slashed by legislators. Now the dollar reductions are hitting home in a big way. In Sacramento, huge service cuts, designed to save the local transit system $12m, are now in effect. Twenty-six weekday bus routes have been entirely eliminated, along with many weekend routes. Late night light rail service has been ended, and earlier evening services slashed. From the peak of the boom times to now, Sacramento's public transit system has shrunk by about a third. The result? A major metropolitan area with no functional public transportation system for workers needing to get to and from jobs late at night or in the dawn hours of the morning. On the other side of the country, New Jersey recently cut more than 30 trains for commuters. Cleveland cuts services by 12%. And the list goes on. In the Denver region, where a succession of mayors have been promoting sustainable growth models in recent years that rely heavily on an expanded public transit system being able to bring commuters in from the suburbs, cutbacks are putting the new model at risk. Free shuttle busses are becoming a thing of the past in some 'burbs. Elsewhere, routes are being reduced. Even cities such as New York, Chicago, DC and Boston – all places where the middle classes use public transportation systems almost as regularly as do their less affluent neighbours, and where mass transit ridership has soared in recent years – are seeing vast cuts to services. Free rides for students were cut last December in New York, where the Metropolitan Transit Authority is facing a stunning $800m shortfall, and the system is laying off large numbers of employees. Getting serious about America's energy crunch means finding ways to keep public transport systems attractive to users even during the harsh economic years we are currently living through. Bad systems that cover cities inadequately during the daytime and not at all at night simply scare riders back into their cars. And once that relationship of consumers to public transit systems is broken it may well prove impossible to rebuild – even when the economy rebounds. | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'business/useconomy', 'environment/oil', 'environment/bp-oil-spill', 'environment/environment', 'us-news/us-news', 'business/business', 'world/world', 'tone/comment', 'type/article', 'profile/sashaabramsky'] | environment/oil | ENERGY | 2010-06-29T11:00:28Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2020/sep/11/american-tv-news-california-oregon-fires-climate-crisis | Most wildfire coverage on American TV news fails to mention link to climate crisis | Most news coverage of the wildfires raging in California, Washington and Oregon on American TV channels made no mention of the connection between the historic fires and climate crisis, according to a new analysis from Media Matters Reviewing coverage aired over the 5-8 September holiday weekend, the progressive media watchdog group found that only 15% of corporate TV news segments on the fires mentioned the climate crisis. A separate analysis found that during the entire month of August only 4% of broadcast news wildfire coverage mentioned climate crisis. Wildfires are raging in states across the American west, burning record acreage in California, Washington and Oregon. The wave of fires was first sparked and stoked by a spate of unusual weather in August, including rare lightning storms that hit parts of California that were vulnerable to fire because drought and heat had dried out vegetation. The fires came before low-elevation, coastal parts of the state reached peak fire season in the autumn when fierce offshore winds have driven the biggest fires in recent years. The fires that hit Oregon in recent days were stoked by dry conditions and rare easterly winds. Although untangling the weather conditions from climate crisis is complicated, it’s clear that overall, in recent years “fire risk is increasing dramatically because of climate change”, said Chris Field, who directs the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Global heating has given rise to drier, hotter conditions and more frequent, extreme droughts that have left the landscape tinder-dry and prone to explosive blazes. Although California’s landscape has long been prone to fire, climate crisis has “put pressure on the entire system”, Field said, throwing it out of balance and giving rise to more extreme, catastrophic events. The current fires expanding with such explosive force have burned more acreage within a few weeks than what has burned in previous years. A consensus of research has made clear that extreme heat and drought fueled by global heating has left the American west tinder-dry and especially vulnerable to runaway fires. A 2019 study found that from 1972 to 2018, California saw a five-fold increase in the areas that burned annually. Another study estimates that without human-caused climate crisis, the area that burned between 1984 and 2015 would have been half of what it actually was. And a research paper published last month suggests that the number of autumn days with “extreme fire weather” – when the risk of wildfires is extremely high – has more than doubled over the past two decades. “Our climate model analyses suggest that continued climate change will further amplify the number of days with extreme fire weather by the end of this century,” the researchers write, “though a pathway consistent with the UN Paris commitments would substantially curb that increase.” Climate crisis is not the only factor driving the barrage of blazes across the region. Ironically, a century of suppressing fires – extinguishing the natural, necessary fires in western forests and other wildlands to protect homes and timber – has led to an accumulation of fire-fueling vegetation. “A deficit of fire, concatenated with the effects of climate change have led us here,” said Don Hankins, a fire ecologist at California State University, Chico. Media Matters singled out two TV news journalists who are regularly talking about the role of climate crisis: the CBS meteorologist and climate specialist Jeff Berardelli and NBC’s Al Roker. The Media Matters analysis also noted that so far, 2020 has been the third year in a row during which corporate broadcast TV news discussed the impacts of climate crisis in fewer than 5% of wildfire segments. | ['environment/climate-crisis', 'world/wildfires', 'media/media', 'us-news/us-news', 'us-news/california', 'us-news/washington-state', 'us-news/oregon', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'us-news/west-coast', 'profile/lois-beckett', 'profile/maanvi-singh', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/west-coast-news'] | world/wildfires | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2020-09-11T22:10:41Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2014/oct/19/amazon-deforestation-satellite-data-brazil | Amazon deforestation picking up pace, satellite data reveals | The deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon has accelerated rapidly in the past two months, underscoring the shortcomings of the government’s environmental policies. Satellite data indicates a 190% surge in land clearance in August and September compared with the same period last year as loggers and farmers exploit loopholes in regulations that are designed to protect the world’s largest forest. Figures released by Imazon, a Brazilian nonprofit research organisation, show that 402 square kilometres – more than six times the area of the island of Manhattan – was cleared in September. The government has postponed the release of official figures until after next Sunday’s presidential election, in which incumbent Dilma Rousseff of the Workers’ party faces a strong challenge from Aécio Neves, a pro-business candidate who has the endorsement of Marina Silva, the popular former environment minister . But the official numbers are expected to confirm a reversal that started last year, when deforestation rose by 29% after eight years of progress in slowing the rate of tree clearance. Among the reasons for the setback are a shift in government priorities. Under Rousseff, the government has put a lower priority on the environment and built alliances with powerful agribusiness groups. It has weakened the Forest Code and pushed ahead with dam construction in the Amazon. The environment ministry has tried to step up monitoring operations and campaigns to catch major violators, but farmers and loggers have also become more sophisticated by clearing areas of less than 25 hectares – below the range that can be detected by the Deter satellite, which the government had been using until recently. More precise images should be available with a new satellite that has come into operation, but it is thought that better pictures will be likely to show even sharper deterioration. Covert GPS surveillance of timber trucks by Amazon campaigners has shown how loggers evade the authorities. Much of the timber is laundered and sold to unwitting buyers in the UK, US, Europe and China, Greenpeace revealed this year. Despite the worsening situation in the Amazon – and São Paulo’s most severe drought since records began – the environment has played little part in the debates between the two presidential candidates. Alarmed by these trends of environmental degradation and political complacency, Imazon, the Environmental Research Institute of Amazonia and Friends of the Earth have come together to urge the next administration to make diversity and sustainability official priorities for the Amazon. “It’s time to realize that current investments in the Amazon do not promote development, and deforestation is impeding development. Based on this, you need to design and implement a regional development policy based on diversity of the territory,” said Roberto Smeraldi, director of Friends of the Earth. | ['environment/amazon-rainforest', 'environment/forests', 'environment/deforestation', 'environment/environment', 'world/brazil', 'world/americas', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/jonathanwatts', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2014-10-19T17:58:51Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
us-news/2017/oct/15/california-wildfires-jeopardize-fate-of-family-run-vineyards | California wildfires jeopardize family-run vineyards | Will Bucklin always had “a pretty good vision of armageddon”. The owner of Old Hill Ranch in Sonoma valley – one of the oldest vineyards in the region – had imagined and prepared for a day when there would be a wildfire. The fire department would arrive, and they would battle to save the property and its 40 acres of 100-year-old grape vines. “I should have been more creative with my imagination,” Bucklin said this week, under a choking haze of smoke that blotted out the surrounding mountains. Smoke and flames continued to rise from pockets of his land and several buildings lay ruined. “I didn’t envision being out here on my own,” he said. Like so many survivors of the wildfires that have consumed at least 150,000 acres and more than 5,000 structures in Napa and Sonoma counties, Bucklin received no warning, nor any assistance. After awakening to a “dramatic glow” around 1.30am on Monday, he stayed on his property for nearly six hours, attempting to battle the flames even after the electricity failed – and with it his running water. Compared with many, Bucklin was lucky. Though he lost several structures and about a dozen vines, the houses where he and his employee live remain standing. As fires continue to ravage California’s premiere wine country – Napa and Sonoma, both about 50 miles north of San Francisco – they threaten 100,000 acres of vineyards. The industry employs more than 100,000 workers and many of the vineyards are small, family-run businesses. The harvest season has come to a screeching halt. About 90% of the grapes in Sonoma county had been picked, according to Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers, but the remainder represented wages for an agricultural workforce largely made up of immigrants. “We still have to pay this by tomorrow,” said Rene Reyes, as he stood in the parking lot of Elsie Allen high school in Santa Rosa, clutching a phone bill. Reyes, his wife and their three-year-old daughter had been sleeping at the school for three nights. Were it not for the fires, he probably would have spent the week harvesting grapes. The day labor center had called to say there was no work. He wasn’t sure how he was going to keep his phone in service. “It’s a big problem,” Reyes said. “We still have to pay the bills, the rent.” The predominantly Spanish-speaking workforce has also grappled with confusion and fear, especially for those without documents. “The national guard got called in this week to help,” said Alicia Sanchez, president of a bilingual radio station that tailors its broadcasts to farm workers and has been fielding calls from terrified listeners. “They are standing in front of the shelters in green uniforms and they have rifles. The Mexican people started calling us and saying, ‘Migration is here,’ and we say, ‘No, no, no.’” Sanchez said the station was encouraging listeners to make use of shelters but its headquarters had also turned into a gathering place. “They feel safe here,” she said. Bucklin said he would like to harvest the 15% to 20% of his grapes that remain on the vine, but he was not going to make demands of the harvest crew amid the emergency. Even if people wanted to get to work, road closures, evacuation orders and the fires that continue make accessing the fields impossible for most. Wine connoisseurs warn that grapes that remain on the vine will suffer from “smoke taint”, an ashy taste. But Bucklin is something of an iconoclast. He doesn’t irrigate his plants, and said he “liked the idea of a little smoke taint” as a sort of memorial to this year. “We’re going to remember this vintage for a long time,” he said. Rene Byck, co-owner of the Paradise Ridge Winery that lost its tasting room, most of its facilities and about 11,000 cases of wine, said he believed farm workers would be able to find work relatively easily once the recovery gets under way. More concerning was the housing farm workers rely on. The city of Santa Rosa, where entire neighborhoods were leveled, lost about 5%. Homeowners will have the backing of insurance companies to rebuild. Renters and poor people will not. “Our event coordinator lost her house and we’re not going to be doing events at the winery for some time,” Byck said. Insurance would cover some employees’ costs, he said, “but I don’t know for how long.” On Thursday morning, Pierre and Nathalie Birebent caught rides with reporters up to Signorello Estate, a family owned winery in Napa where Pierre is winemaker and vineyard manager and Nathalie works in the tasting room. Pierre, a sixth-generation winemaker from Corsica, battled the flames last Sunday night alongside two employees, but the winery’s main structure fell. As the wreckage of her workplace came into view, Nathalie cried. “It is one thing to see the pictures …” she said, trailing off into silence. Pierre, who a few weeks ago celebrated his 20th harvest with Signorello, was confident the estate would recover. Owner Ray Signorello had committed to rebuilding and was in the process of renting a temporary office in Napa. The skies were blue and the air seemed almost clear for the first time all week. The tasting room was leveled but the wicker furniture on its patio was untouched. Trees on the hillside were scorched but a shrine to the Virgin Mary erected by Catholic workers had been spared. A few hours later, the winds began to shift and the plume of smoke over the mountains dividing Napa from Sonoma began to darken and grow. Helicopters and planes could be seen flying low over the peaks. The haze thickened and the view was gone. “It doesn’t stop, it’s not going to end,” said Nathalie Birebent. “An earthquake is better. It’s bad, but then it’s over.” • This article was amended on 16 October 2017. An earlier version referred to Santa Clara when Santa Rosa was meant. | ['us-news/california', 'world/wildfires', 'food/wine', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/natural-disasters', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/julia-carrie-wong', 'profile/erin-mccormick', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/west-coast-news'] | world/wildfires | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2017-10-15T11:32:26Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
us-news/2017/aug/29/houston-dam-hurricane-harvey-overspill-floods | Houston dam begins to overspill as Harvey triggers unprecedented impact | A vital dam in suburban Houston that protects the central city began overspilling on Tuesday, and officials said the rainfall from Harvey is so unprecedented they do not know what the impact on surrounding communities will be. Water levels in the Addicks reservoir have reached 108ft, said Jeff Lindner, a Harris County flood control district meteorologist. He warned that neighbourhoods in the spillway zone would begin to see street and possibly structural flooding. “We have never faced this before. We have uncertainty in how the water is going to react as it moves out of the spillway and into the surrounding area,” Lindner told a news conference on Tuesday. “We are trying to wrap our heads around what this water will do.” Linder named six subdivisions that appear most at imminent risk and told residents: “If you want to leave, now is the time to leave. The reason being, once the water comes into the street you’re not going to be able to leave.” Another major dam and reservoir nearby, Barker, is also enduring exceptionally high water levels, and some residents in streets to the west of it are under voluntary evacuation orders. They also face the possibility that their roads could be rendered impassable just as the storm’s precipitation appears to be decreasing in intensity. “New streets will continue to flood, new homes will continue to flood … the amount of water that goes over the spillway will be increasing,” Lindner said. He added that it is unlikely to happen quickly but could leave some homes inundated for a month. “I completely understand the uncertainty that people are dealing with. This is a complex situation,” he added. “My own house is in the spillway region of [Addicks] reservoir so I completely understand what you’re going through.” Addicks and Barker were constructed in the 1940s by the US army corps of engineers, which maintains them. The dams are designed to control the flow of water into the Buffalo bayou, a river that stretches for dozens of miles and goes through the heart of the city, depositing water in the ship channel to the east. As Harvey battered the region over the weekend, the corps began “controlled releases” of water into the bayou and warned that surrounding areas were at increased risk of flooding as a result. The corps is performing a balancing act with water levels that sees some nearby places flood, or existing floods worsen, while protecting a much larger area from potentially catastrophic effects. The dams have been undergoing extensive repairs because several years ago the corps deemed them at “extremely high risk” of failing. The federal agency has repeatedly denied this means there is a serious chance of a disastrous breach. Many parts to the east of the dams were already flooded by the bayou even before the corps started the controlled releases. The bayou is so high that it has submerged outlets designed to feed it to relieve the reservoir levels. The Houston region’s dramatic population growth – about a million new residents in the past decade – has seen extensive construction of new houses, offices and apartment complexes built around the dams in what once was empty grassland. The area is now dubbed the Energy Corridor because it is popular with oil industry workers. A number of companies are headquartered there. “If you’re building in areas that are considered storage for the reservoir, that is an issue,” a corps spokesman said. To add to the problems, Lindner said that a reservoir monitoring gauge in the Barker reservoir was flooded on Monday evening and no longer works, and because so many streets and highways are unusable, United States Geological Survey officials are unable to reach the site and repair it. “We have law enforcement personnel going to pick them up in a high-water vehicle to take them to Barker and establish a temporary measuring gauge. Based on the elevation of Addicks we are concerned we may lose the Addicks gauge,” he said. | ['us-news/hurricane-harvey', 'us-news/houston', 'us-news/texas', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/natural-disasters', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/tom-dart', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | us-news/hurricane-harvey | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2017-08-29T15:25:20Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2021/oct/27/human-rights-group-uranium-contamination-navajo-nation | ‘Ignored for 70 years’: human rights group to investigate uranium contamination on Navajo Nation | Rita Capitan has been worrying about her water since 1994. It was that autumn she read a local newspaper article about another uranium mine, the Crownpoint Uranium Project, getting under way near her home. Capitan has spent her entire life in Crownpoint, New Mexico, a small town on the eastern Navajo Nation, and is no stranger to the uranium mining that has persisted in the region for decades. But it was around the time the article was published that she began learning about the many risks associated with uranium mining. “We as community members couldn’t just sit back and watch another company come in and just take what is very precious to us. And that is water – our water,” Capitan said. To this effect, Capitan and her husband, Mitchell, founded Eastern Navajo Diné Against Uranium Mining (Endaum). The group’s fight against uranium mining on their homeland has continued for nearly three decades, despite the industry’s disastrous health and environmental impacts being public knowledge for years. Capitan’s newest concerns are over the Canadian mining company Laramide Resources, which, through its US subsidiary NuFuels, holds a federal mining license for Crownpoint and nearby Church Rock. Due to the snail’s pace at which operations like this can move, Laramide hasn’t begun extraction in these areas, but is getting closer by the day. While the US legal system hasn’t given them much recourse to fight the mining, Capitan and other community members see new hope in the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Endaum and the New Mexico Environmental Law Center made a substantial evidence filing last week with the commission, alleging that the US government and its Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) have violated their human rights by licensing uranium mines in their communities. The petition with the commission won’t necessarily offer Endaum legal recourse. However, a favorable recommendation could help them in future legal proceedings against uranium mine projects while also guiding future advocacy on mining policy, said Eric Jantz, senior staff attorney at the New Mexico Environmental Law Center. He said it would also be a form of vindication: “There is moral value in having an international human rights body lay bare the abuses of the nuclear industry and the US government’s complicity in those abuses.” While these mines haven’t begun operation yet, the impending threat hangs over local residents’ heads – especially considering the deadly history of mining for the radioactive metal on the Navajo Nation beginning during the cold war. “There are four generations of Navajo folks who had to deal with existing contamination and who live essentially in the middle of or next door to radioactive waste dumps,” Jantz said. “And the federal government has ignored those communities for the last 70 years.” The type of mine in question uses in situ leach technology (ISL), also known as in situ reach (ISR), the most common form of uranium extraction. It involves drilling holes into the earth to reach the mineral deposit. A chemical solution is pumped underground, often into the aquifer, to dissolve the uranium deposit. This solution is then pumped back to the surface with the mineral in tow for processing. “The mineralization at Crownpoint has been previously shown to be amenable to ISR techniques,” Laramide says on its website. Residents, however, are deeply concerned about the risks of pollution. On the Navajo Nation, most uranium deposits sit in aquifers. Drilling into these aquifers can cause radioactive uranium to leach into the water, contaminating both the underground supply and the water absorbed from the surface. Laramide did not respond to a request for comment. On its website it says it has an “aquifer exemption on the property” from the Environmental Protection Agency. More than 500 abandoned uranium mines sit on Navajo Nation land today, each one a potential vector for unleashing more radioactive particles into the air and water, on top of the damage that’s already been done. Uranium mining operations have caused higher rates of cancer, respiratory diseases and kidney conditions among Navajos. From the 1970s to the 1990s, cancer rates on the reservation have doubled, according to its government. To this day, no mining company has fully cleaned an aquifer it polluted with in situ leach mining, according to the non-profit group Earthworks. Laramide’s proposed uranium mining operation would involve drilling in the Westwater Canyon Aquifer – which supplies water to about 15,000 Navajo people. For many Church Rock and Crownpoint residents, more uranium mining is simply a nonstarter. Larry King, a Church Rock resident who used to work on a uranium site, has problems breathing and a heart condition, according to testimony filed with the commission. He’s been advocating against Laramide and other uranium projects for more than two decades and says those fights have robbed him of any normalcy. “Those 24 years, those should have been the best years, when I could have been enjoying my life. I did not,” King testified. | ['environment/nuclear-waste', 'world/indigenous-peoples', 'world/native-americans', 'environment/mining', 'environment/environment', 'us-news/us-news', 'environment/energy', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/cody-nelson', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/west-coast-news'] | environment/mining | ENERGY | 2021-10-27T10:20:28Z | true | ENERGY |
australia-news/2016/may/25/barnaby-joyce-links-live-export-ban-to-increase-in-asylum-seeker-boats | Barnaby Joyce links live export ban to increase in asylum seeker boats | Barnaby Joyce has drawn a link between the Gillard government’s live export ban and the increase of asylum seeker boats, effectively accusing the Indonesian government of allowing people smuggling. In the regional leaders’ debate in Goulburn, the deputy prime minister suggested Labor and the Greens were “crabwalking” to another live cattle export ban and then suggested the previous ban led to the flow of asylum seekers to Australia. “Might I remind you when we closed down the live animal export industry, it was around about the same time that we started seeing a lot of people arriving in boats in Australia,” Joyce said. The ABC compere Chris Uhlmann replied: “Do you realise you are suggesting the Indonesian government then unleashed the boats in response?” “I think it’s absolutely the case that we created extreme bad will with Indonesia when we closed down the live animal exports,” Joyce said. Uhlmann again asked: “Are you suggesting the Indonesian government is sending refugees here?” “I suggest the Greens and Labor party created immense bad will and it was affected,” Joyce responded. Joyce was debating Labor’s agriculture shadow minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, and the Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, after all three spent the previous days campaigning in regional seats. The topics ranged from the dairy crisis to the cost of data, the National Broadband Network, equal education access for rural students, Indigenous jobs, bringing immigrants to regional areas, climate change, renewable energy and coal and coal seam gas. The debate began with the dairy crisis, with Di Natale suggesting a milk floor price could be considered. Joyce rejected the idea, given that a wool floor price caused a stockpile which caused a temporary collapse in the industry. Fitzgibbon said the agricultural cooperative Murray Goulburn’s board was responsible for the current dairy crisis. Land usage questions drew applause. Di Natale called for an end to coalmining and coal seam gas, but Joyce said that although he agreed with a windfarm project in his electorate, he did not support a complete ban on coal and coal seam gas. “This is not a binary argument of banning it or allowing it,” said Joyce. “I don’t want mining on prime agricultural land. It needs to be protected. If you say banning mining or coal seam gas everywhere, I don’t believe that because it will put a lot of people out of work.” Fitzgibbon also advocated a case-by-case basis for mining – arguing that energy poverty meant Australia had valuable resources to offer countries such as India. “There will be some coal seam gas projects that can be done without harm to the environment and water tables,” Fitzgibbon said. “There will be those which can’t be.” But Di Natale accused the major parties of having a “revolving door” between former ministers and the mining industry. He named former National party leaders Mark Vaile and John Anderson, as well as Labor ministers Greg Combet and Martin Ferguson. “You think that is a form of corruption?” asked Uhlmann. “You have to ask questions when you have this revolving door between our politicians and the coal and gas lobby and massive donations that flow back to the Labor party and to the Liberal National party from those fossil fuel interests,” said Di Natale. During an argument about foreign ownership, Fitzgibbon accused Joyce of sending the wrong signals to the world when Australia needed to attract foreign investment. Joyce asked what he meant, to which Fitzgibbon replied: “I thought you went to a private school.” In response to a question about Indigenous employment opportunities, Joyce said “everybody wants to make sure we work with Aboriginal Australians”. “I work with Aboriginal people in my area and assist them to get the fruits of their nation because they were here first.” Di Natale urged Joyce to fund a program of 5,000 Indigenous rangers, while Fitzgibbon said the first step would be to fund the Gonski education model. But one of the biggest audience responses of the night followed a question on the internet and the cost of data in rural areas compared with cities. “Why do telecommunications [companies] charge $100 for a terabyte in the cities but [for] residents of small towns they charge nearly $10,000 for a terabyte?” asked the audience member. Fitzgibbon said there was “no bigger issue” than network speeds and data. “Under our NBN proposal we had a very important measure and the wholesale access would be equal whether you lived in the capital cities or deep rural Australia,” he said. “Barnaby wants to get rid of that equalisation and people in regional Australia will be paying more. There is no greater divide between city and country than the transformation push effect of the internet.” Joyce said data over wireless or fibre to the node was the same price, wherever it was used. “If you use wireless, you will pay the same price wherever you use it,” Joyce said. “If you use fibre to the node, you will be paying the same price wherever you use it.” On the eve of the debate, Joyce used his electorate to announce a dairy package which extends concessional loans previously used for drought, as well as the farm household cash payments worth $1,000 a fortnight. | ['australia-news/barnaby-joyce', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'world/indonesia', 'australia-news/richard-di-natale', 'world/asia-pacific', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'world/world', 'australia-news/national-party', 'australia-news/australian-immigration-and-asylum', 'world/refugees', 'australia-news/australian-election-2016', 'australia-news/australian-greens', 'australia-news/labor-party', 'australia-news/liberal-party', 'australia-news/coalition', 'business/mining', 'environment/coal', 'environment/coal-seam-gas', 'technology/national-broadband-network-nbn', 'australia-news/rural-australia', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/gabrielle-chan', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/coal | ENERGY | 2016-05-25T12:14:39Z | true | ENERGY |
uk-news/2022/oct/06/how-will-uks-winter-weather-forecast-affect-heating-bills | How will UK’s winter weather forecast affect heating bills? | All eyes are on the UK’s crucial winter weather forecast as the temperatures will affect how households manage their energy bills. Long-term weather forecasting is notoriously difficult, but forecasters can come up with a broad sense of the weather in the months ahead. For those trying to reduce their bills this winter, the impact of a cold or mild winter will be huge in terms of energy use, said Christopher O’Reilly of the department for meteorology at the University of Reading. “In the UK, winter temperatures have a strong impact on the demand for gas and electricity,” he said. “For example, a winter with a 1C temperature anomaly results in roughly a daily average gas demand anomaly of 100 GWh over a winter season. “In monetary terms, based on the UK October gas price cap (10.3p a kWh), this equates to about £1bn for each 1C UK temperature anomaly … the numbers are pretty big, and the stakes are pretty high.” The latest long-term Met Office forecast, therefore, will be welcome news for households across the UK. Prof Paul Davies, Met Office fellow (meteorology) and chief meteorologist, predicts a mild late autumn and early winter, with periods of wet, windy weather predominantly in the north and west. But the impact on energy bills may not last, because once winter sets in as November turns to December, there could be a cold snap, with the threat of snow and ice, particularly in the north. Milder conditions, however, are likely to take over once more into 2023, and Davies said the chances of a very cold winter, comparable to 2009-10, were low this winter. “The most likely scenario as we head into 2023 is for the risk of high-pressure to decrease, and a return to more unsettled conditions with wet, windy and mild spells possible,” he said. The main influence on European winter weather is the North Atlantic Oscillation. Positive phases correspond to windy, mild and wet conditions, while negative phases relate to still, cold and dry weather, which means we can obtain some indication of how likely a windy winter is. Another global factor that could influence the UK this winter is La Niña: a cooling of the ocean in the tropical Pacific, leading to high pressure in the Atlantic in late autumn and early winter, and potential cold snaps for the UK. “Long-range outlooks are unlike weather forecasts which cover the next few days,” said Davies. “The science in this area is at the cutting edge of meteorology and the Met Office is one of the leading lights in this research area. Even with ‘perfect’ prediction systems and ‘perfect’ meteorological observations, the fundamental chaotic nature of the atmosphere will still limit the skill of these predictions.” | ['uk/weather', 'uk/met-office', 'money/energy', 'environment/energy', 'science/meteorology', 'uk/uk', 'environment/environment', 'science/science', 'money/consumer-affairs', 'money/household-bills', 'money/money', 'type/article', 'tone/explainers', 'profile/sandralaville', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/energy | ENERGY | 2022-10-06T13:20:30Z | true | ENERGY |
politics/2017/jul/13/brexit-department-position-papers-euratom-nuclear-european-court-of-justice | Brexit department lays out nuclear and justice stance for negotiations | The Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) has published position papers on the UK’s stance in the Brexit negotiations on the European atomic energy community (Euratom) and the role of the European court of justice (ECJ). Euratom The government has resisted calls from Conservative MPs for a rethink on leaving Euratom, arguing that Brussels insists the UK cannot withdraw from the EU and stay in the nuclear energy treaty. DExEU said Britain would quit the treaty but seek to work with Euratom’s member countries to ensure a “smooth transition” to a new regime of nuclear cooperation and safeguards. The position paper shows the government is not changing course from its decision in January to leave the treaty, despite warnings by radiologists this week that doing so would threaten the supply of radioactive isotopes used in health scans and treatment. Politicians and the nuclear industry have urged ministers to consider associate membership, an option that does not appear in the paper. There is no mention of radioactive isotopes. The paper argues that Brexit meant the UK had no choice but to leave the treaty, because the European commission had insisted it could not stay. Steve Baker, a junior minister in the Brexit department, pointed to comments by Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament’s Brexit coordinator. However, the government also made it clear that one of the key reasons for leaving Euratom was that it gave the ECJ jurisdiction over the UK. The Brexit secretary, David Davis, said: “While we’re leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe, and we want to continue cooperating with our friends and neighbours on issues of mutual importance including nuclear safeguards. By ending the jurisdiction of the court of justice of the European Union [CJEU], UK courts will be supreme once more.” Rupert Cowen, a nuclear expert at Prospect Law, said the paper showed the government wanted “to follow through with their intention to withdraw from Euratom, despite the fact that there is probably no legal reason requiring them to do so”. The nuclear industry said ministers had failed to give the sector enough clarity to date on the government’s plans regarding Euratom. “While containing very little detail, the UK government’s position paper demonstrates the complexity of replicating Euratom arrangements in UK regulation and cooperation agreements with third countries which the industry has warned of,” said Tom Greatrex, the chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association. Mike Clancy, the general secretary of the Prospect union, said: “While it is welcome that the government has set out its principles for Euratom, there is little reassurance in the paper about the scale of the challenge facing the UK.” European court of justice The ECJ should not be allowed to rule on UK cases that will not be before the court on the day Britain leaves the EU, the Brexit department said. The position puts the UK at odds with Brussels’ negotiating position that the ECJ should continue to have jurisdiction over cases that originate in UK courts before Britain’s departure date. Cases before the ECJ can take many years to be resolved. The UK’s position paper on the ECJ says the court should not be able to hear UK cases from the day after Britain leaves the EU, but could still rule on UK law if the cases begin before the departure date. May has made leaving the court’s jurisdiction one of her “red lines” in the negotiations and the department’s second Brexit position paper lays out in broad terms how cases should proceed during the two-year negotiation period. However, the paper also acknowledges that there “will likely be a small number of cases which are pending at the CJEU on the date we leave”. Those cases may originate in British courts, referring questions of EU law. The paper says the UK aims to give “as much certainty as possible to those who find their cases before the court at the point of withdrawal”. However, the paper says the ECJ will not be allowed to rule on UK cases that were not before the court on the day Britain leaves the EU. “This would apply even where the facts of the case occurred before withdrawal,” the paper says. Davis said: “By ending the jurisdiction of the court of justice of the European Union, UK courts will be supreme once more. Our sensible approach to pending cases means there would be a smooth and orderly transition to when the court no longer has jurisdiction in the UK.” EU organisations and agencies The UK is to guarantee that EU organisations and agencies can continue operating in Britain for a transitional period after Brexit, with the same “privileges and immunities”. The position paper says: “The UK sees the need, in the context of an overall settlement on withdrawal, for certain privileges and immunities to apply for a limited period after exit.” Organisations based in the UK include the European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority, which will relocate from London. The paper says the transition period would be granted “primarily on the grounds of functional need”. The government said these privileges and immunities would “apply for a limited period after exit, in order to permit the EU a reasonable time in which to wind up its current operations in the UK”. The paper says the “scope and duration of such a transitional period may be different for different types of asset or agency.” | ['politics/eu-referendum', 'world/eu', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'world/world', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'environment/energy', 'environment/environment', 'law/law', 'law/european-court-of-justice', 'politics/foreignpolicy', 'world/europe-news', 'politics/daviddavis', 'politics/article-50', 'business/energy-industry', 'world/european-commission', 'business/business', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/adam-vaughan', 'profile/jessica-elgot', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2017-07-13T11:17:06Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2015/apr/27/world-bank-fudges-fossil-fuel-facts | World Bank fudges the fossil fuel facts | Letters from Oil Change International and others | The World Bank’s response (Letters, 22 April) to your article (World Bank ‘increased finance for fossil fuels’, 18 April) incorrectly characterises how Oil Change International (OCI) classifies fossil fuel projects, and in doing so further obscures how much of the institution’s support is going to oil, gas and coal. OCI considers “fossil fuel” lending to include oil, gas, and coal projects, as well as policy loans, transmission and distribution, and financial intermediaries that have been found to be directly linked to or to support oil, gas or coal development. Using this methodology, OCI found the World Bank Group lent $3.3bn in fossil fuels during its last fiscal year. The suggestion that OCI counts hydropower and all transmission and distribution as “fossil fuels” is absolutely incorrect. Large hydropower is classified as “other” energy, and in our report large hydropower is broken out into its own category. The large majority of transmission and distribution projects (over $2bn worth) is not classified as fossil, either because the source was not clear or the project was clearly linked to a non-fossil fuel source; only when the transmission project clearly links to oil, gas or coal do we count it as fossil fuel. The World Bank seems to have developed a classification system that would have any incremental improvement – including only slightly more efficient coal or oil plants and all natural gas – as “low carbon”. The science is now clearly telling us that fossil fuels must be phased out of the world’s energy systems in order to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change; the World Bank seems to want to solve the problem by changing its label on business as usual to sound climate-friendly. Finally, as our report shows, universal energy access for the poor is not going to be achieved by fossil fuel projects. Just 3% of the Bank’s financing targeting energy access to the poor was from oil, gas or coal. But the Bank, like the coal industry, continues to hide behind this excuse for funding fossils despite the clear evidence to the contrary. Elizabeth Bast Managing director, Oil Change International • On the day you published a special supplement containing 24 readers’ letters to the Wellcome Trust, calling on it to quit investing in fossil fuels, you also published your regular car review column (On the road, Weekend, 25 April). Isn’t it time you knocked this weekly page of free puff for the car industry on the head? Graham Clews Lewes, East Sussex • I can’t help thinking that the Guardian’s Keep it in the ground campaign is not really serious as long as you are willing to take full-page advertising from the likes of Total, as per page 24 on 25 April. Stan Sourbutts Leicester | ['environment/climate-crisis', 'business/worldbank', 'tone/letters', 'world/world', 'business/economics', 'business/global-economy', 'business/business', 'environment/environment', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'science/science', 'environment/series/keep-it-in-the-ground', 'business/oil', 'environment/oil', 'business/oilandgascompanies', 'type/article', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/editorialsandreply'] | environment/oil | ENERGY | 2015-04-27T17:23:15Z | true | ENERGY |
sport/blog/2021/jun/07/ollie-robinsons-england-suspension-is-the-right-move-by-ecb | Ollie Robinson’s England suspension is the right move by the ECB | One Test into the summer and English cricket already finds itself under siege. Were it simply criticism of the national team’s lack of ambition with the bat on the final day at Lord’s, it could at least be blocked out like Dom Sibley shovelling one off his pads. The far trickier delivery faced right now is the fallout from Ollie Robinson’s unacceptable past postings on Twitter, with the England and Wales Cricket Board on Sunday evening announcing his suspension from international duty pending the outcome of a disciplinary investigation. On Monday this prompted the culture secretary Oliver Dowden to take to social media himself, first stating that Robinson’s tweets were “offensive and wrong” before the kicker: “[they] are also a decade old and written by a teenager. The teenager is now a man and has rightly apologised. The ECB has gone over the top by suspending him and should think again.” While the prime minister’s office said Boris Johnson supports this sentiment, the ECB has thus far chosen not to respond. But even if you ignore the fact that Dowden’s boss has previous here, the move to stand Robinson down for the foreseeable – essentially Thursday’s second Test, given they intend to move reasonably quickly – was not, on the face of it, an unreasonable one to take. If nothing else, Robinson’s place was approaching untenable on a practical level. We already know from what was an impressive debut cricket-wise that he can cope with the spotlight turned up to full beam but his ongoing presence still threatened to distract the team as they look to beat this impressive New Zealand side. The ECB also had little choice but to act after lining up the players at Lord’s before the start of the first Test for a “moment of unity” wearing T-shirts that bore slogans rejecting various forms of discrimination. After Robinson’s statement later that day, delivered with a haunted look, came another from the ECB chief executive, Tom Harrison, that scarcely concealed his anger and cited “zero tolerance”. The governing body could not then brush off the issue and in doing so create an instant statute of limitations on racist and sexist tweets. Aged 18 and 19 when those “jokes” were posted, Robinson was old enough to vote, buy a beer, serve on a jury or go to war. He may well have changed since but, whatever the minister says, he was an adult back then. In suspending Robinson the ECB has essentially given itself time to work through its own regulations – plus the player’s then status as an out-of-season academy player at Kent – in order to establish whether the matter falls under the auspices of its “at-arms-length” Cricket Discipline Commission or the governing body itself. It was not, as Dowden would seemingly have it, the actual punishment for the tweets Robinson wrote less than a decade ago, rather what many employers would do in such instances: ask the individual to step away for a spell so all parties can discuss the matter further, establish the full picture and find out how the person back then differs from the person today. Those close to Robinson at Sussex do say he has come a long way since his teens and, as far as we know, he has not pushed back on the ECB’s holding position. Naturally there will be distress at losing the chance to back up his seven-wicket performance at the first opportunity, but he has apologised to his teammates, shown contrition and is said to have pledged to continue bettering himself. Dowden’s intervention therefore does Robinson few favours, instead making him a poster boy for one side of the ongoing culture war. Perhaps the issue here was the use of the word “suspension” in the ECB’s statement, which has been taken (perhaps wilfully by some) as the punishment having already been handed down. Rewind to the infamous Bristol fight in 2017 and, following footage being published by the Sun newspaper, the ECB stated that both Ben Stokes and Alex Hales “will not be considered for selection for England international matches until further notice”. Similar wording again on Sunday evening might have better. The Stokes/Hales affair is also the closest cricket has to a precedent. Stokes was given an eight-match ban and fined £30,000 but included in this were two matches and half of the money for a video of the all-rounder impersonating the disabled son of Katie Price which the Daily Express published during the aftermath. Whatever the sanction, Robinson won’t have been “cancelled” as some are now claiming. His temporary exclusion from the England squad right now is highly unlikely to be the end of an international career that has started so brightly and he is also free to play for Sussex in the meantime. It’s worth remembering too that there is a wider context to all this, not least on the subject of race and racism. For a start the professional game does not remotely reflect the demographics of those playing the sport recreationally. And there has been a tide of complaints about English cricket’s recent past, be it the allegation of institutional racism from former umpires John Holder and Ismail Dawood, the probe into Azeem Rafiq’s time at Yorkshire (something that is proving more glacial than England’s batting at Lord’s), or the experiences of professional cricket that Michael Carberry shared last year. Robinson may be drawing the focus right now but the sport’s issues remain far greater. | ['sport/england-cricket-team', 'sport/ecb', 'sport/new-zealand-cricket-team', 'sport/england-v-new-zealand-2021', 'sport/cricket', 'sport/sport', 'sport/blog', 'type/article', 'tone/comment', 'profile/ali-martin', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/sport', 'theguardian/sport/news', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-sport'] | sport/ecb | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2021-06-07T15:55:02Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
commentisfree/2021/aug/15/the-observer-view-on-britains-net-zero-plan | The Observer view on Britain’s net-zero plan | Observer editorial | The language of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report on global warming last week was unusual for its uncompromising candour. As its authors made vividly clear, the world can no longer seek solace in the expectation that it can continue the unrestricted burning of gas, coal and oil without triggering devastation. Widespread flooding, severe droughts, rising sea levels, melting ice caps, coral reef destruction, heatwaves and forest fires will surely intensify unless we change our ways, the report’s authors emphasised. The message is clear. Humanity must break its fossil fuel dependence in short order and every nation will have to play a part in bringing a speedy halt to that addiction, though the burden facing the United Kingdom is a particularly severe one. For a start, we have been burning fossil fuel, mainly coal, on a large scale for longer than any other nation. The Industrial Revolution was born in Britain, after all. Thus, we have a special duty to be in the vanguard of nations doing the most to counter the unpleasant impacts that greenhouse gases are already having on our world. More specifically, the UK is set to chair the Cop26 UN climate summit in Glasgow in November. This, effectively, is the world’s last chance to agree measures that could limit global warming to a 1.5C rise above pre-industrial levels and so head off the worst consequences of our looming crisis. The UK therefore faces particularly intense pressure to ensure this summit is a success and needs to send out a clear message that it possesses the credentials to achieve that goal. To do this, Britain must make it clear that it has plans to put its own house in order with a programme of measures that demonstrate it can curb its carbon emissions speedily and effectively. Many nations will be coming to Glasgow to look for inspiration and the UK’s credibility as summit host rests on it having a clear strategy that shows that in the near future Britain will not be putting more carbon into the atmosphere than it removes, so achieving the goal of net-zero emissions. Unfortunately, there are few signs that such a master plan is anywhere near readiness. Boris Johnson may have become a recent convert to green causes, having derided the science of climate change many times in the past. Nevertheless, his administration remains guilty of continuing to support measures that are irreconcilable with a strategy of achieving net zero in the near future. This list of incompatibilities includes the government’s recent scrapping of the green homes grant insulation scheme; freezing fuel duty while doing little to help electric car owners; authorising billions to be spent on new road schemes; delaying the phasing out of gas boilers in homes; and encouraging airport expansion. All are likely to lead to increases in carbon dioxide emissions rather than helping us to reduce them. Certainly, Cop26 delegates from developing nations will see little inspiration in such an inventory. For good measure, the recent deep cuts that have been made to our overseas aid have badly harmed the UK’s reputation internationally. Our prospects of influencing the world at Cop26 at this moment look bleak, though there have been some encouraging moves, with Johnson revealing that he is set to announce a new £400m scheme to encourage homeowners to buy low-carbon alternatives to gas boilers. Nevertheless, the claim that Britain is nearing a coherent climate policy is unconvincing. It is estimated we need to invest about 1% of our GDP to build the infrastructure that will achieve net-zero emissions. At present, we are committing a tiny fraction of that. Britain clearly has a great deal to do before Cop26 but has a worryingly small window of opportunity to act. An injection of urgency into our climate preparations is now badly overdue. | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'environment/cop26-glasgow-climate-change-conference-2021', 'politics/boris-johnson', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/editorials', 'tone/comment', 'profile/observer-editorials', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/news', 'theobserver/news/comment'] | environment/cop26-glasgow-climate-change-conference-2021 | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2021-08-15T05:30:05Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
global-development/2015/dec/09/climate-change-lights-touchpaper-terror-conflict-fight-them-together | Climate change lights the touchpaper on terror – we must fight them together | Harriet Lamb and Janani Vivekananda | In Paris this week, world leaders are working to agree a robust climate deal to curb greenhouse gas emissions. They are also grappling with how to tackle the pervasive threat of terror. The aim in both cases is to safeguard the right of current and future generations to live safe, secure and fulfilled lives. The fact that the climate conference is taking place in Paris grimly underscores this duality. But it isn’t simply that tackling climate change and insecurity are parallel challenges. They are linked risks that need to be met with linked responses. Even if we get the best possible global agreement to cut emissions in Paris, the effects of warming already in the system will play out for at least the next two decades, with an impact on conflict, security and fragility. Climate change plays a role in the ongoing political conflicts in Darfur and Mali, and in food insecurity across the Sahel. Climate change has also complicated conflicts linked to the Arab spring, most notably in Syria. Of course, no conflict has a single cause. Rather, climate change can exacerbate issues that can already cause conflict, such as unemployment, volatile food prices and political grievances, making them harder to manage and increasing the risk of political instability or violence. For example, Syria’s 2006-2011 drought was the nail in the coffin, making fragile livelihoods of rural farmers untenable. With failing crop yields and falling incomes, many left to move to urban centres, such as Daraa, putting a strain on weak infrastructure and scant basic services. It wasn’t the drought in itself that caused the conflict, but the existing social, political and economic tensions. The effects of climate change, such as more frequent hurricanes, long-term changes in rainfall and temperatures, and rising sea-levels are not experienced in isolation. They combine with social, political or economic factors already at play. In fragile contexts, where poverty, weak governance and conflict are frequent and the ability to cope with these risks is low, climate change increases the risk of violent conflict. Research conducted by International Alert for the G7 group of leading industrial economies found that climate change is the ultimate multiplier of threats. Climate change will continue to inhibit peace unless it is effectively integrated into managing risk and building resilience. Many of those most affected by climate change live in fragile states, where underdevelopment is intractable. The response to recent floods in the UK are unlikely to push local communities towards violence. Yet in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the impact of devastating floods combined with poverty, endemic corruption and long-standing perceptions of marginalisation by Delhi have all created such tensions that failure by local or central government to respond adequately could pose a very real risk of violence or political instability. This will make it harder for affected communities to adapt to climate change and for authorities to provide adequate support in building resilience, locking them into a vicious cycle of conflict, poverty and climate vulnerability. There is much that can be done to ensure that climate change does not lead to increased conflict. Addressing the root causes of vulnerability to the effects of climate change – such as the lack of livelihood diversification, political marginalisation, unsustainable management of natural resources, weak or inflexible institutions and unfair policy processes – can help ensure countries plan for uncertainty and peacefully manage future risks. The best way to reduce the threat is to get the best possible deal at the talks in Paris. But with dramatic changes already under way, people need to adapt. And how people and governments adapt, especially in fragile contexts, is critical. Better policy responses are required to ensure that how we tackle climate change does not inadvertently fuel conflict. For example, a push towards renewable energy in 2007 saw a switch of land use from food production to growing crops for biofuels, which was perceived to contribute to higher food prices and resultant food riots in more than 40 countries around the world. If we want to reduce the risk of people falling into extremism through education, training and jobs, we need to make sure that those skills and jobs are “climate-proof”. There would be little value in providing support for farming to unemployed young Syrians when long-term drought is the reason they cannot pursue a livelihood in farming. Whatever happens in Paris, there will be new money for tackling climate change. If these resources address vulnerability, they could achieve the triple win of building resilience to climate change, conflict and poverty. Supporting the provision of sustainable livelihoods in Mali, buffering communities from the volatility of food prices in import-dependent countries like Yemen, and ensuring social safety nets are in place to protect the poorest when subsidies are removed in Egypt, will all address some of the root causes of conflict as well as vulnerability to climate impacts. We need leaders in Paris to agree a global deal to reduce emissions. We need adequate funds to support the poorest and most vulnerable to adapt. And we need to find ways for developing countries to progress in a low-carbon way. Single-sector interventions will not deal with compound risks. Integrating policies and responses in three sectors – climate change adaptation, development and humanitarian aid, and peace-building – is critical to ensure efforts on all three fronts can strengthen resilience to climate-conflict risks and create a climate of lasting peace. Harriet Lamb is CEO of International Alert and Janani Vivekananda is head of its environment, climate change and security programme | ['global-development/conflict-and-development', 'global-development/global-development', 'global-development/environmental-sustainability', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'type/article', 'world/natural-disasters', 'tone/comment', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'environment/cop-21-un-climate-change-conference-paris', 'environment/global-climate-talks', 'environment/sustainable-development'] | environment/sustainable-development | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2015-12-09T10:00:00Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
environment/2019/dec/05/country-diary-oak-leaves-fall-to-continue-the-cycle-of-life | Country diary: oak leaves fall to continue the cycle of life | Oak fall, and the soil that feeds the oak trees is fed by oak trees. Oak leaves are among the last to fall, they turn golden slowly, biding their time, toughing out the weather until a shudder runs through them and they let go, surrendering to a gravity they have resisted since the unfolding of spring. It’s their destiny, they drop. In the morning, each leaf wears an edge of rime and the jewellery of almost-frozen rain. A fox, the same colour, nosed through them last night, sniffing their beery tannin, hungry for a trace of voles where worms slip deeper underground. This morning is one of frost and fog. Hawthorn, damson, ash, for the first time this year, have a gauntness; they are winter trees now. Flying wood pigeons disappear silently; distant traffic growl merges with the muted banter of blackbirds and robins; a peregrine on radar ghosts above. The oaks, free of foliage clutter, begin a kind of afterlife, darkly. Their leaves are tickets dumped at summer’s destination, receipts for the life that came from light. Now they wait for the return journey, to a subterranean realm where darkness turns death back into life. The skin of these leaves is still too coarse; the alchemy of rot begins with ice crystals picking apart the cells and grazing by millipedes, letting microbes and fungi in, softening them up for burial by worms, taking them into the humus layer to sustain the metropolis of soil, feeding tree roots. Oak leaves bring acidic tannins that protect them from insect attack, pathogens and browsing animals above, down to earth. In the leaf litter, the tannins are a phytotoxin, inhibiting fungi involved in decomposition and suppressing other plants. However, as oak leaves decompose slowly, their pH rises to become more neutral, and levels of nitrogen in the soil rise. This litter, before it turns to mulch, is a beautiful drift of gold, ochre, browns and purples, a richness of colour that appears to glow, even in the fog. It is a fleeting and transitory new layer of land but kicking through the leaves reveals the sound, the feel and smell of them, drawing us into the breath of oak earth. | ['environment/series/country-diary', 'environment/forests', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/paulevans', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/journal', 'theguardian/journal/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2019-12-05T05:30:03Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
business/2010/nov/02/bp-oil-spill-costs-40-billion-dollars | BP oil spill costs to hit $40bn | BP said today it expects the cost of the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster to be $7.7bn (£4.8bn) bigger than previously thought, pushing the total bill to nearly $40bn. The oil giant announced the new charge to cover the cost of the Gulf of Mexico spill alongside its financial results for the third quarter of the year. It blamed the delays that dogged its attempts to seal the leak, along with higher clean-up costs and legal fees. The new charge knocked BP's pre-tax profits for the third quarter of 2010 down to $1.8bn, compared with $4.98bn a year ago. In late July BP set aside $32.2bn to cover the cost of the clean-up, more than the City had expected, a move which pushed the company into a record loss of $17bn for the second quarter of 2010. At that time, though, the Macondo well was still leaking oil into the ocean, and was only finally shut off in mid-September. Richard Hunter, head of UK equities at Hargreaves Lansdown Stockbrokers, said the additional $7.7bn provision was "a stark reminder that the fallout from the spill will follow BP for some considerable time to come". The final cost of one of the worst environmental disasters ever could climb further. BP said that the total charge of $39.9bn was its "current best estimate of those costs that can be reliably measured at this time". So far, BP has actually paid $11.6bn in total costs since the incident, but still faces ongoing clean-up charges, compensation claims, and probably a multi-billion dollar fine from the US government. BP owned 65% of the Macondo well with two partners owning the remainder – Anadarko Petroleum with 25%, and Mitsui with 10%. BP has billed Anadarko and Mitsui a total of $4.29bn, but admitted that both companies are "withholding payment in light of the investigations surrounding the incident". Separately, Mitsui revealed today it had received a $1.9bn bill from BP to cover some of the clean-up costs of the spill. Underlying performance impresses When the costs of the oil spill were excluded, BP's operating profits for the quarter were 18% higher than a year ago at $5.5bn. Chief executive Bob Dudley, in his first results announcement since taking over from Tony Hayward, said they showed BP was "on track" to recover from the disaster. "This strong operating performance shows the determination of everyone at BP to move the company forward and rebuild confidence after the terrible events of the past six months," Dudley said. BP also said that it would reconsider its current dividend freeze in February 2011. Richard Griffith, analyst at Evolution Securities, said BP's underlying performance was better than expected. Shares in BP rose by 1.5% this morning to 430p, around a third lower than their value before the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in April. | ['business/bp', 'business/oilandgascompanies', 'business/oil', 'business/business', 'environment/bp-oil-spill', 'environment/oil', 'world/world', 'environment/oil-spills', 'business/bob-dudley', 'us-news/us-news', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/graemewearden'] | environment/oil | ENERGY | 2010-11-02T08:06:33Z | true | ENERGY |
uk-news/2015/dec/31/jeremy-corbyn-york-storm-frank-floods-pressure-government-environment-agency-funding | Corbyn vows to pressure government to properly fund flood defences | The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has called for greater flood defence spending after experts criticised the chancellor, George Osborne, for prioritising cutting the deficit. Speaking in the flood-hit city of York, Corbyn praised emergency workers for helping those who found their homes and businesses inundated over the Christmas and new year period. “[We are going to put] pressure on the government to fully fund the Environment Agency, not cut its budget, [to] fully fund new flood defences where they are necessary, not just in York but in other cities as well,” he told reporters. Corbyn praised the emergency services for their coordinated response. “But they do need public support, they do need public investment. So, cutting flood defence money, which has been cut over the past five years, is not the answer, the answer has to be to increase it,” he said. Osborne faced criticism on Wednesday from academics who said their analysis showed that flood defence spending had fallen. Prof Simon Wren-Lewis of Oxford University said the government had shown no signs of taking into account the growing threat of extreme weather. “What you would really expect is to see spending at a much higher level. It doesn’t seem like the same kind of reaction which we know has happened to the threat of terrorism, where we know spending levels have increased by a large magnitude,” he said. Official data showed flood defence spending was cut significantly at the start of the last parliament, from £360m in 2010-11 to less than £270m in 2012-13. The prime minister, David Cameron, has pledged to spend £400m a year on flood defences over the next six years and there was a one-off spending boost following the Somerset Levels floods. But the National Audit Office warned in November 2014 that excluding this, funding had fallen by 10% in real terms since 2010-11. Overnight, it emerged that the Labour leader would demand to know why the Environment Agency had not deployed 10 high-volume water pumps his party said had remained idle throughout Storm Frank. Corbyn said on Thursday: “A lot of very, very hardworking engineers who work at the Environment Agency have made superhuman efforts to try to protect this city as, indeed, they have tried to protect other cities all around the country. I think we should be grateful to them for that. “The problem is that the system has been overwhelmed by the level of rainfall and the river flow and we now have to look very seriously at improving flood defences, at improving river basin management and making even more resilient pumping systems.” He also faced questions about why he had waited until New Year’s Eve to visit the areas of the country affected by flooding. “I don’t want to get in the way of people doing an emergency job at a highly critical time and I think that, to turn up in the midst of all of that and distracting engineers from what they were doing ... would not have been helpful,” he told reporters. “I decided to come today to support Rachael Maskell, our local MP, who has done a fantastic job. I am here to learn from her, to learn from the Environment Agency, the local authority, the police and army, so that we can deal with these issues for the future, as well as the immediate.” | ['uk-news/storm-frank', 'politics/jeremy-corbyn', 'uk/weather', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'environment/flooding', 'environment/environment', 'world/natural-disasters', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/kevin-rawlinson'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2015-12-31T13:28:04Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
sustainable-business/water-financing-models-sink-swim | Water financing models: the time to sink or swim is now | In the UK, cooperation between businesses, water companies and the government will be key to managing scarce water resources and securing future supplies. But who is going to take leadership to address the problem? Sink or Swim, a new report from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) launched today at the Royal Society in London, is the result of a collaboration between nine companies across six sectors that examined new strategies to manage this economically strategic resource. It has been made clear that, to date, the management of and investment in water has been disjointed and collective action is required to create resilience. More and more companies are recognising the importance of water to their business and the material consequences water scarcity can have. For example, retailers source their produce from suppliers who cultivate and grow crops on land, where climate change and the impacts of too much and/or too little water can have severe implications for the reliability of production. Companies like Olam International recognise that their future success depends upon water, and plan their operations and investments accordingly. With farm level water consumption estimated to be 26.3bn cubic metres per year, Olam has identified that the greatest business related water risks exist within its upstream supply chain rather than their direct operations. The company has therefore pledged to establish landscape level water management to minimise its risks. Currently public water infrastructure in the UK is mostly financed by private water companies, which is regulated by Ofwat. However, this single sector approach does not necessarily meet, nor provide for, the increasing demands for water from other sectors. Thus, there are incentives for other sectors to become involved in the development and financing of new strategies to secure water. There are a variety of benefits, and income, that different sectors could generate by supporting a water infrastructure investment. For example, in the agricultural sector, farmers could benefit by being able to guarantee better yields by becoming drought resilient. This could ensure the timely delivery of crops to retailers and food manufacturers which, in turn, could create a better supplier-retailer relationship. From the retailers' perspective, they might secure the quantity of produce, possibly at a cheaper price, which prevents costly last minute sourcing from overseas when their suppliers are not able to provide due to water shortages. Of course these benefits don't come for free. The Sink or Swim report gives four new financing models that could deliver resilience to water scarcity for different sectors. This is the very first attempt to bring together multi-sector stakeholders with dependency upon water; it envisages a future where each might contribute to water infrastructure that delivers cross-sector benefits. The models are: Single sector finance with multi-sector benefits Water companies are the sole financier, but the water resource is split between public water supply and un-regulated private provision; it can therefore provide multi-sector storage solutions. Joint water company and farmer financing Farmers and water companies would co-invest in the multi sector storage solutions. Each would own a share of the water resources as well as maintaining a proportionate ownership stake in the asset. This model envisages significant water trading between farmers and water companies Retailers become water service providers The third model engages the non-direct water user by establishing retailers as a co-financier. This can provide supply chain security and harness supplier relations. In this instance retailers become water service providers. A catchment based collective 'pot' The last finance model proposes a Water Service Company (WASCO) model that involves a third-party contractor to sit in the middle of the finance chain and serve as the key interface between the water storage facility, the investors and the water users. This is essentially a catchment based collective 'pot' that is managed by a third-party. Through these models it could be possible to enhance stakeholders' resilience to water shortages. This includes securing the long-term supply of produce from farmers to retailers, and offering water companies the opportunity to expand their business beyond the regulated public water supply. The time is now ripe for different sectors to work together to build a coherent approach through which to finance the long term security of water. Gemma Cranston is programme manager at Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). The water hub is funded by Grundfos. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here. Join the community of sustainability professionals and experts. Become a GSB member to get more stories like this direct to your inbox | ['sustainable-business/sustainable-business', 'sustainable-business/collaboration', 'business/business', 'environment/water', 'environment/corporatesocialresponsibility', 'tone/blog', 'type/article', 'sustainable-business/series/water'] | environment/corporatesocialresponsibility | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2014-06-03T17:58:00Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
environment/2022/feb/01/country-diary-in-this-world-of-moss-everything-has-been-upholstered | Country diary: In this world of moss, everything has been upholstered | It’s the time of year they call the “hungry gap”, when the land is exhausted but winter drags on. We looked across the bare ground on which we stood, through a low grey sky, to the deep grey ashwoods opposite, which rippled up the far slope following its contours. The only chromatic variation came from the canopy, which was feathered pale as if dusted with frost. How odd to get down into the dale’s darkest section and suddenly be overwhelmed by the colours of life. The woodland flanking Cressbrook’s stream is so sheathed in mosses that it takes on an almost animate, mammalian quality. It’s not only the green-furred trees but the walls, the ground, any waist-high sapling or even just a dead stick or snag somehow lodged upright. Everything was coated in moss, but unevenly, so that twig ends blossom out as rounded nest-like masses. These cushions have, in turn, given opportunity for lichens and polypody ferns to take hold. Yet the most completely transformed are hawthorns. Instead of their customary February profile of barbed-wired meanness, they are turned into something suggestively soft and enfolded. While everywhere is in subaquatic gloom, the moss limbs of these smothered hawthorns are a singing yellow-green. They evoke something paradoxical or upside down, like a skeleton in a wedding dress. Mosses, like ferns and liverworts, are often called “lower plants” – a reference to their different, simpler ecology and to the fact that they appeared on Earth far earlier than the dominant vegetation of our modern world, which comprises plants called angiosperms. Heather moorland, flower meadows, deciduous woods, even our gardens are populated with angiosperms. Look out of your window now and you’re almost certainly seeing some of the planet’s 308,000 species. Mosses and ferns may be “lower plants”, but we shouldn’t mistake that as meaning lesser or less successful. In Cressbrook, you see how vibrant the presence of these 400m-year-old survivors is. Here, the angiosperm trees look little more than a convenient scaffold or stage on which the Earth’s lower plants fulfil their ongoing destinies and thrive. • Country Diary is on Twitter at @gdncountrydiary | ['environment/series/country-diary', 'environment/plants', 'environment/forests', 'environment/environment', 'uk/ruralaffairs', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/markcocker', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/journal', 'theguardian/journal/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2022-02-01T05:30:10Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2022/jan/17/fish-legal-information-blackout-sewage-discharges-england-environment-agency-investigation | Legal group challenges information blackout on sewage discharges in England | A campaign group is challenging what it says is an information blackout imposed by the Environment Agency on its investigation into suspected illegal sewage dumping in England. The inquiry began after water companies admitted to the agency they may have been illegally discharging raw sewage from treatment works into rivers and streams. The investigation involves more than 2,000 water treatment works, nearly a third of the total in England, and is likely to involve most, if not all, water companies. Fish Legal has asked the agency in an environmental information request for details of the treatment works being investigated, the time period the inquiry is examining and whether the inquiry would mean that the agency’s already delayed responses to pollution incidents would be delayed further. But the agency has refused to release any details on the grounds that there would be adverse harm to its investigation, despite strong public interest in the case. Penny Gane, the head of legal practice at Fish Legal, said it was trying to ensure a veil of secrecy was not kept over the operation and the impact of storm overflows by water companies. Historically, EA investigations have taken years. Southern Water was fined £90m last year for dumping billions of litres of raw sewage into protected seas, after a seven-year investigation by the agency. Gane said imposing a blackout on information relating to sewage discharges would hamper campaign groups and the public, who had brought to light the systemic abuse of the permit conditions under which sewage treatment works have to operate in the first place. “The concern is that nothing is going to be shared now for years and people who have been looking at the harms caused by sewage discharges will be unable to continue their work because the agency is using a blanket application of the ‘course of justice’ exemptions under the environmental information regulations, which will continue for years,” Gane said. In its response to Fish Legal, the agency said it could not disclose the information because it would have an adverse effect on their ability to investigate under exemption 12(5)(b). The agency acknowledged “the factor of public interest” was strong and said it would seek to provide an update when appropriate that did not undermine the confidentiality of the investigatory process. Fish Legal is challenging the refusal to release information and has requested the agency review their decision. MPs on the environmental audit committee said in a report on Thursday they were alarmed at the extent of sewage discharges, large spills and misreporting by water companies. They also cited evidence from Prof Peter Hammond, who revealed that the scale of illegal sewage dumping from treatment plants could be far greater than the amount reported to the agency by water companies. Hammond’s information came from requests under the environmental information regulations to the EA and water firms. “It is just this kind of information which we fear will now not be released,” Gane said. The Environment Agency declined to comment. | ['environment/rivers', 'environment/waste', 'environment/environment-agency', 'environment/environment', 'environment/pollution', 'uk-news/england', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/sandralaville', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2022-01-17T09:22:53Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
business/2013/sep/16/japan-nuclear-shutdown-raises-energy-prices | Japan turns off last nuclear reactor amid fears of surge in gas prices | Japan will switch off its last nuclear reactor on Monday, amid fears that a growing dependence on gas imports there could push up electricity bills in the UK. Kansai Electric Power's only functioning reactor was scheduled to be disconnected from the power grid and then shut for planned maintenance, ending hopes that an industry that until three years ago provided 30% of the electricity to power the world's third largest economy would stage a quick recovery. Continuing problems at the Fukushima plant, where radioactive water has continued to spill into the sea, and a reluctance by voters to back what looks like a badly managed industry, have led to more than 50 nuclear plants being closed, sending Japanese imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) back to levels last seen after the 2011 tsunami. Energy analysts said that Japan's shutdown, combined with Germany's commitment to end nuclear power production by 2022, was pushing up gas prices on the international markets. Rising demand for gas combined with the cost of subsidies for renewable energy, much of which is added to household and business bills, is expected to push up energy prices in the west. According to the CBI, there is a growing unease among UK businesses that energy costs look likely to rise. A survey and report published by the business lobby group the CBI found that around 95% of British business leaders are worried about the cost of energy and that more than three-quarters of them have little faith that matters will improve in the next five years. The pessimistic view about government policy – and inaction – may be related to the way in which energy has overtaken transport as the chief area of concern among the 526 executives polled by the CBI and the business services firm KPMG. "The huge number of businesses concerned about energy supply and costs is alarming," said John Cridland, the CBI's director general. "The government must get the energy bill on to the statute books and bring forward secondary legislation to give potential investors the certainty to deliver the energy infrastructure we need to keep our lights on." German businesses have complained that they pay the highest energy bills in the EU following the pioneering decision to subsidise renewable production. Much of the subsidy cost is passed on through higher bills, forcing major manufacturers BMW, Mercedes and Siemens to pay double the cost of electricity in the US. The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has promised to cut subsidies to solar and wind farm operators, but has yet to specify the size of the cut or the timescale. It is also unclear what will replace the more environmentally friendly forms of electricity if operators are discouraged from further investments by lower subsidies. At the moment Germany and the UK have dramatically increased their consumption of coal and gas to make up the shortfall from nuclear production. At their conference in Glasgow, the Liberal Democrats said the prospect of rising gas prices meant it was necessary for the UK to back further investment in nuclear power. The UK's trade deficit widened in 2003 when the country became a net importer of oil and gas, and the situation is projected to deteriorate as production falls over the next 10 years. Japan, which ran huge trade surpluses until the Fukishima disaster, has seen its balance of payments thrown into reverse by the costs of purchasing LNG. Japan consumes about a third of the world's LNG and it is likely that demand will grow to record levels over the next couple of years. LNG imports rose 4.4% to a record 86m tonnes, and 14.9% in value to a record 6.21tn yen (£39bn) in the year to March. Imports are likely to rise to around 88m tonnes this year and around 90m tonnes in the year to March 2015, according to projections by the Institute of Energy Economics Japan, based on 16 reactors being back online by March 2015. Thirty months on from the Fukushima disaster, such is the level of public concern about nuclear safety that the government is struggling to come up with a long-term energy policy – a delay that is having a profound impact on the economy and underlining just how costly a nuclear-power-free future may be. "There's talk the Abe administration is putting heavy pressure on the regulator [to restart reactors]," said Osamu Fujisawa, a Japanese-based independent oil economist. "It's obviously the economy the administration is [concerned about] [rather than safety]. Otherwise, the business community will look away, [which would be] an end to the Abe administration." | ['business/energy-industry', 'business/business', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'business/cbi', 'environment/energy', 'environment/environment', 'world/japan', 'world/world', 'world/germany', 'world/europe-news', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/phillipinman', 'profile/terrymacalister', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/financial3'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2013-09-15T23:03:00Z | true | ENERGY |
food/2020/nov/23/country-diary-hard-pressed-to-gather-an-abundance-of-apples | Country diary: hard pressed to gather an abundance of apples | With the year in full retreat, and travel limited by the pandemic, the usual seasonal markers have taken on a deeper significance. The apple crop, mostly from a mixture of trees we planted a quarter of a century ago, has been unusually impressive. Robust early blossom, supported by good weather and a welcome abundance of wild bees to act as pollinators, set large quantities of fruit that swelled rapidly as the storms of late summer dumped yet more rain on to already wet soil. At the peak of the harvest, and with windfalls appearing by the bucketful after every gale, we were hard pressed to gather all the apples available. Several pairs of blackbirds, with new families to take care of, took full advantage of the abundance. We later saw them directing their awkward fledglings towards the best trees. Now we have picked the very last apples from an ancient tree that might well be a Howgate Wonder, or possibly a Peasgood’s Nonsuch – opinions vary. What surplus of good fruit we couldn’t give away was mostly peeled, sliced and frozen – but there are always apples too gnarled for eating, yet too good to waste. From these, we traditionally make a few gallons of cider. The roots of cider-making run deep in Wales, taking the summer glut of fruit and converting it into liquid sunshine to cheer the spirits in the dark of winter. Chopping, crushing and pressing the fruit yields a sweet, cloudy juice, which is welcome in itself but perishable, and using it to make cider extends the shelf life almost indefinitely. When the juice is fermented in glass demijohns the natural yeasts work their magic at an intriguing but leisurely pace. Tiny bubbles form a turbid fountain within the vessel, speeding up during the day and slowing as the evening cools. When the food supply is exhausted, the yeast falls to form a pale sediment, leaving rich, golden cider above it. Each batch, being a mix of apple varieties and random yeasts, tastes subtly, unrepeatably different. We bottled the first pressing a week ago, and this is slowly maturing in the cool darkness of the workshop. By Christmas it should be ready to savour, in celebration of the turning of the year. | ['food/fruit', 'uk/ruralaffairs', 'lifeandstyle/gardens', 'environment/forests', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'food/food', 'society/alcohol', 'environment/winter', 'type/article', 'environment/series/country-diary', 'lifeandstyle/lifeandstyle', 'tone/features', 'profile/john-gilbey', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/journal', 'theguardian/journal/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2020-11-23T05:30:42Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
big-energy-debate/fracking-energy-security | Fracking is no answer to 'immediate dilemma' of energy security | Fracking might be a controversial proposition, but there is no need to panic just yet. It may be that shale is indeed the solution to our energy crisis, but many are unaware of the complex and tangled web of legal issues to be picked through before anyone puts a drill in the ground. Fracking involves the extraction of methane gas from layers of shale by pumping high pressure water down a well. But shale gas stocks are legally owned by the Crown, and it is the Crown (via the Department for Energy and Climate Change) which licenses developers to conduct shale gas exploration. Any developer who wishes to drill for must obtain special consent to do so, and the department can impose numerous conditions on a license to explore the ground below. Planning permission must be obtained firstly from the local council and also from the minerals planning authority before drilling starts – with yet another approval from the Coal Authority if the process interferes with coal seams. Just like the department, councils can impose conditions on planning permission. If a developer conducts any drilling or fracking without a government licence or without the necessary access rights, this will amount to trespass. Even where the developer has a licence and all rights in place, if a landowner can establish that damage is likely be caused to his property which is not permitted by the licence, he may seek an injunction. There are also many environmental, health and safety consents that have to be in place – and once fracking starts, regular monitoring of seismic activity is required. A traffic light system, signalling a red warning if any potential danger is perceived, will govern whether works may progress. It will inevitably be a lengthy process for developers, with challenge after challenge and numerous stumbling blocks – and that is before we factor in the impact of local, vocal opposition to fracking. What happens if land is contaminated? Who bears the liability? What happens if the developer goes bust? Will the taxpayer be called upon to pick up the bill? These questions are still the topic of fierce public debate, many of which have yet to be resolved. Although shale gas exploration is still in its early stages, its emergence as a key energy source seems to be inevitable. What shale cannot do is solve our immediate dilemma: how do we bring down the cost of energy at a time when our traditional resources are becoming more expensive? To solve that problem in the short term, we will need to look elsewhere. Catherine Wigmore is a solicitor at Mundays LLP This feature is part of the Guardian's big energy debate series. Click here to find out more about this project and our partners. | ['big-energy-debate/big-energy-debate', 'environment/energy', 'environment/fracking', 'tone/comment', 'tone/blog', 'type/article'] | environment/fracking | ENERGY | 2014-03-10T10:01:19Z | true | ENERGY |
australia-news/2024/oct/12/from-the-sea-to-your-plate-how-to-choose-more-sustainable-salmon | From the sea to your plate: how to choose more sustainable salmon | Salmon remains one of the most popular seafoods globally. However, there is growing concern about the environmental impact of farming salmon, while environmental groups have claimed that “responsibly sourced” labelling on seafood products may be misleading – making it hard for consumers to know what exactly they are purchasing. Fortunately, there are some small ways to make more ethical choices without completely cutting salmon out of our diets – and that starts with developing a critical eye when choosing your seafood products, and educating yourself about what to avoid. The devil is in the detail Laurence Wainwright, the course director of the University of Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, who studied eco-labels on seafood for his PhD thesis, says there are some rules of thumb to be followed when choosing more sustainable salmon. The first piece of advice is to choose one of the two most reputable certification labels: the Marine Stewardship Council (which certifies wild caught fish) or the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (which provides assurances that seafood has been sustainably farmed). “These rigorous certification schemes utilise the best available evidence and stringent standards to produce seafood in a sustainable, responsible and scientifically informed manner,” Wainwright says. That is important to look out for because although both wild caught salmon (which is fished from the open sea) and farmed salmon can be sustainable, these certifications can help you avoid types of salmon that are overfished or drawn from vulnerable species populations. Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads He cautions, however, to be wary of other certification schemes and environmentally dubious labels – for example a logo containing a smiling fish “can mean as little as the brand makes a tiny donation from each sale to recreational fishing in Australia through to ‘salmon welfare is a priority of ours’”. Beyond the labels, Wainwright recommends consumers educate themselves to develop a critical eye, perhaps by downloading and using a sustainable seafood app (such as the Australian Marine Conservation Society’s GoodFish guide). “Learn to really connect with the species that you are consuming and understand its story and its journey from sea to plate.” He also warns that consumers should not be convinced by salmon that is labelled “organic”. Most people understand organic to refer to products grown without chemicals or from organic feed, yet the term is often incorrectly used for wild caught salmon. “How we farm matters,” says Kelly Roebuck, the vice-chair of Environment Tasmania and a SeaChoice representative of the international Living Oceans campaign. “Farming in open-net cages can result in waste and antibiotics being released directly into our public waterways. In sensitive ecosystems, this can be catastrophic to the health of the waterway and those native wildlife that call it home,” Roebuck says. “Farming in land-based recirculating aquaculture systems provides a more sustainable alternative as it eliminates the interaction with wildlife and closes the loop on any waste.” If in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask While labels and certifications can help inform salmon purchases in stores, when ordering salmon in a restaurant it’s worth asking about the origin of the salmon on the menu. Key questions to ask are: where is the salmon sourced from, and was it farmed or wild caught? At a minimum, the restaurant should know what species of salmon it is serving up, and whether it has been farmed using sustainable feed, or, if it is wild caught, what the bycatch associated with it is. If the proprietor does not have the answers, let them know that you care about this and encourage them to be prepared to answer these questions in future. Remind them that customers expect transparency around what they are consuming, and encourage them to use salmon that is certified by reputable eco-labels. “Salmon is a remarkable fish species with a fascinating life cycle – even when farmed,” Wainwright says. “Like all seafood products, salmon carries with it various social and environmental impacts, but by making good quality decisions, the differences in how significant these impacts are can be drastically reduced.” Expanding our seafood choices Adrian Meder from the Australian Marine Conservation Society says it is time for Australian seafood consumers to try incorporating more alternatives to salmon into their diets, since salmon has become so ubiquitous. “We know that it can be difficult to find other seafood options amongst the rows of salmon products. The good news is we also know when seafood lovers demand better alternatives and apply the power of our wallets, the market will step up and provide them. They’ll also likely be supporting a smaller Australian-owned business, and a regional community too.” Roebuck agrees, noting that numbers of Tasmania’s endangered Maugean skate have fallen sharply over the past decade as its environment has been degraded by human influence, including from salmon farming pollution. “Most Australians reach for the usual salmon, tuna or prawns; it’s time to think outside the box and choose some unsung seafood heroes such as farmed shellfish, mussels, oysters, Australian-farmed barramundi, even farmed seaweed,” Roebuck says. “Some of the most sustainable and healthiest options can be from aquaculture.” | ['australia-news/series/change-by-degrees', 'food/seafood', 'food/australian-food-and-drink', 'lifeandstyle/australian-lifestyle', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/environment', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'campaign/email/five-great-reads', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/james-norman', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-opinion'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2024-10-11T23:00:10Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
business/2009/jul/16/green-energy-plans-criticised | National Energy Action criticises government's green energy plans | The charity National Energy Action (NEA) criticised the government for watering down its promise to introduce "social" energy tariffs in its low carbon white paper, saying only a fraction of poor people would benefit. The NEA, which campaigns on fuel poverty issues, said it was also concerned that funding for the existing Warm Front scheme to help poorer households would be halved next year. Its chief, Jenny Saunders, said: "NEA has been pressing hard for a social mandate on energy tariffs and we are pleased that the government has included this in its low carbon transition plan. But we are concerned at … the potential narrowing of assistance to pensioner households when millions of low income families are also in fuel poverty and need access to lower tariffs and protection from rising prices. "And while the white paper recognises the importance of Warm Front in assisting vulnerable households, NEA is concerned the reduction of funding for the next year has not been addressed, which will lead to 50% fewer households being assisted." There are an estimated 5 million people in Britain living in so-called "fuel poverty" – defined as people who spend more than 10% of their income on fuel and light. The Tories said ministers had not been honest about the social costs of their low carbon transition, though the party broadly supports the policies. "[Energy secretary] Ed Miliband has deliberately disguised this and has not been honest that it could cost some people more than others," the shadow energy and climate change secretary, Greg Clark, said. He also said that because of Labour's almost total inaction in the area of renewable energy over the past decade, the costs of a dash to sustainable energy would now be higher than they had to be, and it would probably mainly benefit foreign firms, who would rush in to fill the void as the domestic renewable energy industry struggled to catch up with demand. The Department of Energy and Climate Change rejected the claims. "The government is providing immediate help for households to make energy savings and reduce bills, and since 2000 has spent £20bn on helping people in fuel poverty", a spokesman said. "We're determined to minimise the impacts on the poorest in society – which is why we're reforming the system of social tariffs to allow the most vulnerable to receive compulsory support from the energy companies and increasing the amount spent." A key part of the government's plans is the so-called "clean energy cashback" which is a more user friendly name than the "feed-in tariff" label used in most the national grid. They have been used to great success in other countries and are the model the British government wants to follow. But renewables companies, which have been considering the numbers since the proposed tariff levels were published on Wednesday, were disappointed. The government claims its tariffs are designed to give investment returns of between 5% and 8%, lower than those offered by many other countries' tariffs. But Solar Century, one of Britain's leading solar energy groups, claims the return is more like 4% on photovoltaics – leaving a long payback time and hardly providing an incentive for households or businesses to invest. Executive chairman Jeremy Leggett said: "The government has accepted solar PV can make a significant contribution to our future energy needs. It's unfortunate that the consultation numbers, if confirmed later this year, will do little to boost demand for non-domestic solar PV." | ['business/business', 'environment/energy', 'society/poverty', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'business/utilities', 'tone/news', 'society/fuel-poverty', 'type/article', 'profile/ashleyseager'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2009-07-16T19:33:10Z | true | ENERGY |
world/2014/sep/09/illegal-loggers-blamed-for-of-peru-forest-campaigner | Illegal loggers blamed for murder of Peru forest campaigner | Illegal loggers are being blamed for the murder of four Asheninka natives including a prominent anti-logging campaigner, Edwin Chota, near the Peruvian frontier with Brazil. Authorities in Peru have confirmed that Chota, the leader of Alto Tamaya-Saweto, a community in Peru’s Amazon Ucayali region, fought for his people’s right to gain titles to their land and expel illegal loggers who raided their forests on the Brazilian border. He featured in reports by National Geographic and the New York Times that detailed how death threats were made against him and members of his community. “This is a terribly sad outcome. And the saddest part is that it was a foreseen event,” said Julia Urrunaga, Peru director for the Environmental Investigation Agency, an international conservation group. “It was widely known that Edwin Chota and other leaders from the Alto Tamaya-Saweto community were asking for protection from the Peruvian authorities because they were receiving death treats from the illegal loggers operating in their area.” Local leader Reyder Sebastian Quinticuari, the president of Aconamac, an association of Ashaninka communities, told local media that Edwin Chota and his companions were killed on 1 September but the news was delayed due to the remoteness of the location. The circumstances of the deaths are not clear but one local indigenous leader, Robert Guimaraes Vasquez, told a newspaper that illegal loggers bound and shot Chota and companions on the sports field in their village in front of the inhabitants. He said illegal loggers were taking revenge after having been reported to the authorities. The Associated Press said the other slain men were identified by a police official in Pucallpa, the regional capital, as Jorge Rios, who was Chota’s deputy, Leoncio Quincicima and Francisco Pinedo. “Edwin Chota’s widow and other villagers travelled for six days by river to come here to report this crime,” Peru’s vice minister of intercultural affairs, Patricia Balbuena, told the Guardian. She had travelled to the regional capital, Pucallpa, to further investigate the case. “There are no military or police posts in these dangerous border regions and that must change,” she added, indicating police would travel to the scene of the crime as part of the investigation. Henderson Rengifo, a leader with Peru’s largest indigenous federation, Aidesep, called on the Peruvian state to do more protect indigenous people from criminal mafias. “There’s so much corruption in the regional governments that these logging mafias can kill our brothers with impunity,” he told the Guardian. “We must ensure that justice is done and this crime does not go unpunished.” A 2012 World Bank report estimated that as much as 80% of Peru’s logging exports are harvested illegally [PDF] and investigations have revealed that the wood is typically laundered using doctored papers to make it appear legal and ship it out of the country; while a 2012 report by the Environmental Investigation Agency indicated at least 40% of official cedar exports to the US included illegally logged timber. A recent operation conducted by Peruvian customs looked at other timber species and, in three months, stopped the export of a volume of illegally logged timber equivalent to more than six Olympic pools. | ['world/peru', 'environment/deforestation', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/forests', 'world/americas', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/dan-collyns', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international'] | environment/deforestation | BIODIVERSITY | 2014-09-09T03:01:54Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2022/oct/14/cop27-egypt-host-climate-talks | Egypt silenced climate experts’ voices before hosting Cop27, HRW says | The Egyptian regime has successfully silenced the country’s independent environmentalists in the run-up to hosting this year’s UN climate talks, as part of a wider strategy to repress human rights that also threatens to derail meaningful global climate action, according to a leading advocate. In an interview with the Guardian, Richard Pearshouse, environment director at Human Rights Watch, said failing to address abuses by Egypt and other authoritarian regimes will obstruct the rollout of ambitious climate policies needed to transition away from fossil fuels and curtail global heating. “It will be a fundamental mistake if diplomats go to Cop27 thinking they need to go softly softly on human rights in order to make progress in the climate talks. We will not get the urgent climate action needed without civil society pressure, the situation in Egypt shows us that. “Human rights versus climate action is a false debate, it’s not either or. We need people in the streets, independent environmentalists and human rights activists, strategic litigation and independent courts to generate change,” said Pearshouse. Cop27 takes place in November in Sharm El Sheikh, an upmarket resort city between the desert of the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea. It’s a place where some of Egypt’s most pressing climate and environmental problems – rising sea level, water scarcity, and over development – can be found, yet delegates are unlikely to hear from Egyptian scientists, advocates or journalists on these topics. A recent HRW report found that these and other sensitive topics such as environmental harms caused by corporate interests (tourism, agribusiness and real estate) and military businesses (water bottling plants, cement factories and quarry mines) have become “no-go areas” for academics and environmental groups. Also off limits is industrial pollution, which contributes to thousands of premature deaths every year in Cairo – one of the world’s most polluted cities. Those working on these issues have been arrested, forced into exile or silenced through a slew of bureaucratic restrictions that make research impossible. Instead, a new cohort of environmentalist groups working on issues palatable to the government such as trash collection, recycling, renewables and international climate finance has emerged. “Outspoken, independent, strident voices have by and large been silenced, exiled, or coralled into working in safe, less damaging environmental spaces that match the government’s priorities. Topics the government considers sensitive are now environmental red zones or no-go areas in Egypt – and in other repressive regimes,” said Pearshouse. For the recent report, HRW researchers spoke with 13 activists, academics, scientists, and journalists – all on the condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals. Another six declined to be interviewed, citing security concerns or because government restrictions had forced them to abandon sensitive environmental issues including the impact of national infrastructure projects, many of which are associated with the president’s office or the military. The Egyptian government rejected HRW’s findings. “It is deplorable and counterproductive to issue such a misleading report, at a time where all efforts should be consolidated to ensure the convening of a successful Cop that guarantees the implementation of global climate commitments,” Ahmed Abu Zeid, the spokesperson for Egypt’s ministry of foreign affairs, said in a statement last month. Egypt is not the first country to restrict environmental critics or civil society participation at the UN climate talks, and it won’t be the last given next year’s will take place in the United Arab Emirates – another country with an inglorious record of human rights abuses and urgent climate and environmental challenges. Last year at Cop26 in Glasgow the legitimacy of the talks was questioned due to the exclusion of civil society and Indigenous peoples from the negotiating. Still a counter people’s summit and huge protests across the UK gave communities and activists numerous platforms to share stories, complaints and alternative solutions. None of this is likely in Egypt, where the right to protest and free speech has been violently quelled by the authoritarian regime since the Arab spring. Tens of thousands of political prisoners including human rights and environmental activists like Alaa Abd El Fateh have been locked up and tortured in the past decade. So far this year, there have not been reports of any would-be critics being denied visas, but Egypt’s foreign minister has said that activists and protesters will be restricted to a separate designated facility away from the UN negotiations. “The environmental space in Egypt is already tightly controlled. The Fridays for Future and Greta Thunbergs of Egypts have been exiled or silenced. But this was a warning sign that we’ll likely see tight restrictions on how and where people can express dissent at Cop27,” said Pearshouse. The need to put human rights front and centre of the UN talks is not just about addressing the unequal harms caused by the climate crisis and extractive industries, it’s about ensuring a just transition away from fossil fuels to renewables. Africa is at the forefront of both: it’s the continent most affected by global heating despite contributing to less than 4% of greenhouse gas emissions. And it will play a crucial role in the race to zero emissions thanks to its richness in transition minerals and the boom in renewable energy. “There is an urgent need for human rights to be embedded in the renewable energy value chain … if not, the just transition is likely to be derailed and global net zero targets are at risk,” warned the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, a non-profit tracking the human rights impacts of companies across the globe. With less than a month before the 27th round of climate negotiations, Pearshouse fears that the UNFCCC still doesn’t properly understand that effective climate action is a human rights issue. “What’s happening to the environmental movement in Egypt should be a wake-up call, and delegates must talk about human rights in Sharm. Having blind faith that the world’s authoritarian regimes, many of which have fossil fuel industries, will somehow come round to a just transition is profoundly naive.” | ['environment/cop27', 'environment/environment', 'world/unitednations', 'world/world', 'world/egypt', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/nina-lakhani', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | environment/cop27 | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2022-10-14T06:05:29Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
world/2012/oct/31/new-york-east-village-signs-of-life | New York's East Village: signs of life amid the eerie calm | If it were not for the constant wail of sirens, it could almost be Christmas in New York's East Village. Like much of downtown Manhattan, the streets of the famous neighbourhood were eerily quiet, almost every shop was closed and only a trickle of pedestrians walked the streets. But, of course, this was no public holiday. This was the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, which has wreaked havoc in New York and paralyzed a good deal of the city and left swathes of it without electricity. Many have simply left. All along the streets people tugged small suitcases and hauled backpacks as they headed to other parts of New York where electricity was flowing and – despite a dearth of public transport – life has pretty much gotten back to normal. Trent Anderson, 34, was one who left. After two days without power, no cell phone and no internet, he trekked uptown on foot to recharge his phone. It was only then, nearly two days after Sandy hit, that he realised the extent of the damage it had wrought across the north-east: a sign of how rapidly one can go from a hyper-connected world to one where information is very scarce indeed. "I read about it all this morning. On Monday I didn't think it was too bad, then I walked around the neighbourhood and now I heard this morning about what happened in New Jersey," he said, referring to the devastation in the neighbouring state just over the Hudson river. Now he is heading to stay with friends in Brooklyn. "There really is not much to do around here without power," he said. After all, his downtown tech company's office was closed and without power, too. But, in fact, there were signs of life in a neighbourhood once famous for its edgy artistic scene and rampant drug problem, but which is now undergoing a wave of gentrification. Indeed, a few hardy restaurants opened. If those staying behind fancied Ukrainian food, then Veselka's was serving takeout, or they could buy into the Mexican buffet at La Palapa or grab a slice of pizza at Stromboli. Even the famed Luke's Lobster Roll was open, dishing out pricey $15 lobster rolls and crab sandwiches. So, too, were a few grittier options. The Niagara bar had a row of grizzled-looking drinkers propping up the darkened inside, and a sign on the door that read: "Cash only, obv." Not everyone was leaving. Diane Ward, a 76-year-old who has lived in the area for 45 years, stayed put to look after her cat. She had just gone to a local home supplies store that was hawking candles and batteries on the street. "I bought some candles," she explained. "It is depressing inside when you are living by flashlight. Candles are much nicer." Ward had no power, but she did have water and gas and so could wash and cook. She was not enjoying herself but with her daughter nearby she was finding a few upsides to the sudden turning back of the clock to a power-free age. "My 11-year-old grandchild was playing gin rummy last night by candlelight and he said: "We have to do this more often." It was nice," she said. Elsewhere, an impromptu soup kitchen had been set up by a local artistic collective to feed the hungry with warm meals. Next to the roaring grill two volunteers also peddled a stationary bike that powered a generator that allowed queues of people to recharge their phones. "This is great. It is just what I needed," said Julian Gomez, a local resident whose phone had run out the previous day. Indeed, evidence of the seriousness of the situation was all around. At the north end of the East Village, just off 14th Street, is a major electricity substation which exploded during the storm, cutting out power to many. Video of the explosion had gone viral on the web, but seeing it in person was something else, explained local artist Jaime Apraez, 63. "I was watching when the explosion happened. I saw the light. It was like a firework," he said. Apraez watched as the waters flowed in from the East river and rushed through the outer edges of the neighbourhood, surpassing even the worst fears of weather forecasters. "It was like a weird tsunami," he said. The remnants of that massive storm surge were still visible. Across Avenue C in the east of the neighbourhood, groups of men stood around car after car with its hood open. They were trying to fix vehicles which had been swamped in the deluge. A few fallen tree branches still littered the sidewalks and pumps were trying to drain the flooded basements of homes and restaurants. But the oddest sight in all of the East Village could be seen by simply crossing the north-south avenues that bisect the neighbourhood. Any pedestrian glancing northwards up into the rest of Manhattan could see the distant twinkle of traffic lights: a sign that just a dozen or so blocks away the city was almost back to normal. | ['us-news/new-york', 'us-news/us-news', 'us-news/hurricane-sandy', 'world/hurricanes', 'us-news/us-weather', 'world/natural-disasters', 'world/world', 'tone/features', 'type/article', 'profile/paulharris'] | us-news/hurricane-sandy | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2012-10-31T21:57:42Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2017/mar/01/burger-king-animal-feed-sourced-from-deforested-lands-in-brazil-and-bolivia | Burger King animal feed sourced from deforested lands in Brazil and Bolivia | The hamburger chain Burger King has been buying animal feed produced in soy plantations carved out by the burning of tropical forests in Brazil and Bolivia, according to a new report. Jaguars, giant anteaters and sloths have all been affected by the disappearance of around 700,000 hectares (1,729,738 acres) of forest land between 2011 and 2015. The campaign group Mighty Earth says that evidence gathered from aerial drones, satellite imaging, supply-chain mapping and field research shows a systematic pattern of forest-burning. Local farmers carried out the forest-burning to grow soybeans for Burger King’s suppliers Cargill and Bunge, the only two agricultural traders known to be operating in the area. Glenn Hurowitz, Mighty Earth’s CEO, said: “The connections are quite clear. Bunge and Cargill supply Burger King and other big meat sellers with grain. McDonald’s, Subway and KFC are not perfect but they’re doing a hell of a lot more to protect the forests. If Burger King does not respond immediately to people who want to know where their food comes from, then people should shop elsewhere.” The destruction of tropical forest and savannah land highlighted in the report is concentrated in Bolivia’s lowland forests and in the Brazilian Cerrado, where the pace of deforestation is now outstripping that of the Amazon. One of Burger King’s suppliers buys soy from Bunge that originates in the Brazilian Cerrado, according to commodities data provided by the Stockholm Environment Institute. Cargill has also sponsored Burger King’s annual convention in 2015, and donated a five-figure sum to the Burger King McLamore Foundation in 2014. Last year, nearly 2m hectares of land was deforested in Brazil – up from 1.5m in 2015 – while an estimated 865,000 hectares of forest was cleared in Bolivia, compared to 667,000 a year in the 2000s. Not all of the forest clearing was linked to soy production, but Mighty Earth says food companies are not doing enough to prevent deforestation in areas they operate in, and offer financial incentives that spur the process in the first place. Burger King, which is owned by the Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital, does not disclose details of its suppliers but has refused to rule out buying products produced on deforested land. Sharon Smith, a tropical forests manager at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said: “Burger King is one of the world’s largest fast food companies, but consistently ranks last in the industry when it comes to environmental protection policies. The fast food giant needs to follow its competitors like McDonald’s and demand that its suppliers are not destroying tropical forests as part of their business model.” The fast food giant, which operates at least one joint venture with Cargill, declined to respond to requests for comment. Cargill has also sponsored Burger King’s annual convention in 2015, and donated a five-figure sum to the Burger King McLamore Foundation in 2014. In a written statement to the Guardian, Cargill stressed its commitment to halving incidences of deforestation in its supply chains by 2020 and ending it by 2030. A company statement sent to the Guardian said: “In Brazil, we have seen great progress as we partnered to advance the soy moratorium in the Amazon for more than a decade. Today, we are working with more than 15,000 soy farmers and collaborating with governments, NGOs and partners to implement the Brazilian forest code and advance forest protection.” Campaigners counter that Cargill has refused to extend the soy moratorium beyond the Amazon, with its trade association citing the lack of a “crisis situation”. Bunge said that the report made a misleading correlation between Bunge’s presence in the Brazilian Cerrado and total deforestation figures in that region. “Two facts are important,” it said. “First, most land use change is not directly related to the crops Bunge buys. According to Global Forest Watch, soy covers 25% of land cleared since 2011 in the Matopiba region, where recent deforestation has been most prevalent. Second, our market share for the municipalities where we operate silos in the region is only 20%.” More than half of the Cerrado’s natural vegetation has already been cleared, compared to 25% of the Amazon’s. Investors representing $617bn of assets on Tuesday sent a letter to Cargill, Bunge and several burger chains, in which they “demand that companies reaffirm and extend zero deforestation commitments specific to Latin America”. • This article was amended on 2 March 2017 to add a statement from Bunge received after publication. | ['environment/food', 'environment/deforestation', 'environment/forests', 'business/burger-king', 'world/brazil', 'business/fooddrinks', 'environment/environment', 'business/business', 'world/americas', 'world/world', 'world/bolivia', 'uk/uk', 'environment/conservation', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/arthurneslen', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/deforestation | BIODIVERSITY | 2017-08-21T09:40:42Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2023/feb/20/us-protesters-wind-turbines-whale-deaths-evidence | US protesters turn ire on wind farms to explain whale deaths – but where’s the evidence? | Thousands gathered at New Jersey’s Point Pleasant beach on Sunday with a united mission: to pause offshore wind projects in response to recent whale deaths along the New York-New Jersey coast. The gathering unfolded even as officials dispute the notion that the projects may be to blame for the dead whales, a controversy that – like many – is breaking along political party lines. Holding signs reading “Save the Whales” and “Whale Lives Matter” on Sunday, World Whale Day, a coalition of ocean conservationist groups and homegrown activists argued that local wind turbine survey projects were harming marine wildlife. “You are the ocean’s voice,” said organizer Cindy Zipf, encouraging protesters to get in touch with their local officials. Since 2023, at least 10 whales have washed ashore on the New York and New Jersey coastlines. Last Monday, a ninth humpback whale was found dead in Manasquan, New Jersey. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) fisheries division, which investigates such whale deaths, has called them “unusual mortality events”. As organizers at Sunday’s protest argued for a moratorium on wind turbines in the area, others say there is no evidence to support claims that wind turbines are the cause of the whale deaths. Many raising alarms on recent whale deaths have pointed to noise created by offshore wind survey work as confusing the whale’s navigation system. But scientists argue that current evidence does not support such a claim. “It’s just a cynical disinformation campaign,” Greenpeace oceans director John Hocevar said to USA Today. And even though the agency considers the whale deaths unusual, a statement from Noaa fisheries officials added: “[T]here is no evidence to support speculation that noise resulting from wind development-related site characterization surveys could … cause mortality of whales, and no specific links between recent large whale mortalities and currently ongoing surveys.” Noaa fisheries research on the 183 total whale deaths found that 40% of them resulted from human interaction, either from ship strikes or netting entanglement. Many attendees of Sunday’s rally are locals to the New Jersey coast and say they came out to express their concern. “I’ve gotten lots of information from different sources, and you can’t argue with the fact that 10 whales have washed up,” said Kim Wetzel, 57, an Ocean City resident. Wetzel works in a primary school and became involved through whale advocacy work in Ocean City. “Even though we don’t have the facts yet, the facts will come – but we’re seeing the evidence with our own eyes,” Wetzel said. “Also, what’s real is common sense,” Michelle Gehring, a stay-at-home mom, also from Ocean City, added. Gehring said that outside whales, residents of Ocean City were complaining that offshore wind projects were causing their houses to shake. Both felt that more time and research was needed to understand how offshore wind projects affect the environment. Others came to the protest via friends and local Facebook groups. “I’m trying to educate myself,” said Casey Small, a teacher who lives in Cape May, almost two hours away from Sunday’s rally. Small said many participants did not seem to have evidence on the survey’s exact impact. “What I’m finding is a lot of people don’t really know what’s going on,” Small said. “We don’t really have a lot of information on it. I think it’s important to have concrete evidence. I’m learning that it’s really hard to find.” Trisha Devoe, a whale-watching naturalist, organized Sunday’s rally and became involved after learning about recent humpback whale deaths. “You have to stop and say, ‘Is it contributing to these deaths’?” said Devoe, who wants more studies on the whale deaths. Zipf, who has organized for decades with her group Clean Ocean Action, said organizers originally supported a pilot project for wind turbines. But they have grown concerned as larger projects develop without a complete understanding of the turbines’ ecological impact. “[People] are outraged because they feel like they weren’t told that this has been happening,” Zipf said. “All of a sudden, their ocean is being turned into a giant power plant.” Politicians also participated in Sunday’s event. The New Jersey congressman Chris Smith, a Republican who represents Point Pleasant, echoed calls for a moratorium on wind turbine projects. Smith, who said he supports clean energy where viable, has introduced a bill for the federal General Accountability Office to determine how well the environmental impact statements on wind development projects were done. “It hasn’t been looked at strongly for those who are about the benefits financially,” Smith said. “That brings a healthy skepticism to people like myself who think, ‘I don’t get anything out of this. I just want a clean ocean’.” Discussions around whale deaths have become increasingly partisan. Arguments that windfarms are harming whales is a talking point that has been parroted by conservative politicians and figures, including far-right Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Tayor Greene and Fox News host Tucker Carlson. But many at Sunday’s rally said the issue, for them, wasn’t political. “It’s very frustrating that this has become a partisan issue because the ocean has always been and always will be non-partisan,” Zipf said. “We all depend on a clean and healthy ocean.” | ['environment/whales', 'us-news/us-news', 'tone/news', 'us-news/new-jersey', 'us-news/new-york', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/wildlife', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/gloria-oladipo', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2023-02-20T16:54:22Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
media/2006/sep/21/business.newmedia1 | 3 loses out on free World Cup clips | 740,000 users a week watched video footage of the World Cup on mobile operator 3's handsets - but it still made a loss, it was revealed today. As 3's mobile World Cup content was offered free to its 3 million customers, supported by advertising and sponsorship, it did not make money as a standalone service, according to David Stranks, who was involved in the operator's coverage of the event. Mr Stranks - who joined TV sports producer Sunset+Vine after the World Cup as head of new media - said that offering free coverage of big events, supported by advertising and sponsorship, was the way forward for mobile sports content in the short to medium term. "People are very happy to use it when it's free, but I'm not sure that, beyond the committed fan, people are willing to pay for it," he told a Westminster e-forum seminar on mobile sports content today. During the World Cup in Germany, 3 offered video previews of every match, plus two minutes of highlights within five minutes of the final whistle and three and a half minutes within an hour of each game ending. The mobile firm also provided SMS text alerts and nine-second clips of goals, plus a twice-daily football chatshow. Mr Stranks said 740,000 3 users were watching World Cup video on their mobiles each week during the tournament, out of a subscriber base of 3 million. The chatshow was getting more than 100,000 mobile viewers a week. "This proves that the right event, offered up in the right way, not attempting to duplicate what was being done on traditional TV, can attract the casual mobile user," he added. "It was a good PR and branding exercise, but it's not a commercially sustainable model." Mr Stranks said a wider survey of 3's subscriber base had found that 31% of users never accessed content via their mobile and just used voice and text services. Another 21% had tried using 3's content and given up; 31% were "semi-active"; and only 14% of 3's subscribers used its audio and video content every week. Mr Stranks also quoted Olswang research, which found that 37% of respondents said they would not pay for mobile content. "To grow the mobile sports content market beyond the passionate, committed fan - given these sort of statistics - seems fairly insurmountable. "At 3, during the World Cup, I think we did prove that with the right event you can do that." · To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email editor@mediatheguardian.com or phone 020 7239 9857 · If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication". | ['media/media', 'business/business', 'media/digital-media', 'media/mediabusiness', 'media/worldcupthemedia', 'type/article', 'profile/jasondeans'] | media/worldcupthemedia | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2006-09-21T10:39:00Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
environment/2004/dec/27/indianoceantsunamidecember2004.naturaldisasters2 | Millions lack food and shelter | Aid agencies are rushing to provide food and shelter for millions of people made homeless by the tidal waves across Asia. In India, World Vision said the first concern was feeding survivors of the tsunami. "We are providing cooked food so that people have sustenance and we expect to feed 5,000 families today on the east coast," said communications manager Jayath Vincent. "We are also moving into the supply of dried food such as rice and dhal as well as blankets so that people have at least something to start with when they go back." World Vision's relief director in Sri Lanka, Andrew Sundersing, said that the charity was running feeding programmes in eight districts and would be launching more tomorrow. "We are co-ordinating and working with the government and other NGOs and we are concentrating at the moment on providing water and cooked food for people. This is the worst thing we have seen in the country in 50 years. We have never had such a natural disaster." Oxfam has sent sixty 1,000 litre water tanks to Trincomalee, one of the worst affected areas in Sri Lanka, and is planning urgent water distribution. The aid agency is also preparing 25,000 food packs containing rice, flour, dhal, fish, sugar and cereal, and 10,000 packs containing other essential items such as soap, candles and matches. In the north of the country, Oxfam has started distributing sleeping mats, plastic sheeting and food to thousands of homeless families, and is flying in flood experts from Bangladesh to help manage the response. The charity has launched an appeal for public donations to assist with the disaster, and is carrying out assessments of the situation in Tamil Nadu and Indonesia. The British Red Cross has also launched an appeal in response to the widespread flooding and its emergency response unit (ERU) is on standby to go to the region. Red Cross volunteers trained in disaster response have been evacuating affected people and giving first aid to the injured. The Norwegian government has donated £500,000 to Save The Children for immediate relief in Sri Lanka, though the charity estimates it will need several million pounds to provide an effective response to the tragedy. A spokeswoman for Save The Children said the agency had staff working along the coast from Jaffna in the far north of the island down to Galle in the south. "We are looking at providing food as well as non-food items including sheets, candles and detergent to 33,000 families in Sri Lanka. "Children and women have been most affected in large numbers and our priority is looking after them and helping them," she said. | ['environment/environment', 'world/tsunami2004', 'world/natural-disasters', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'type/article'] | world/tsunami2004 | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2004-12-27T15:58:59Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
stage/2019/aug/08/parakeet-review-punk-eco-musical-roundabout-summerhall-edinburgh | Parakeet review – punk eco-musical promotes DIY activism | Planting saplings has been proposed as part of a DIY solution to the climate crisis, for those of us who can’t approve legislation (about a trillion new trees should do it). So what direct action can be taken when councils lop down precious trees? That’s one of the questions posed by Parakeet, an eco-musical of small scale but with moments of mighty power, which finds a perfect home in Paines Plough’s intimate Roundabout venue. Written by Brigitte Aphrodite with music by Gaz Tomlinson, AKA Quiet Boy, it’s as colourful in its approach to complex material as their 2015 show about depression, My Beautiful Black Dog. Parakeet also asks how theatre can play a role in sustainability. And, in a show fizzing with youth, one other question stands out: if 16-year-olds can legally become company directors and have sex, why on earth can’t they vote? Michelle Tiwo is immediately compelling as Girl, an otherwise unnamed teenager uprooted from London to Margate, where the landscapes show a “sky that can’t be denied”. As Girl struggles with coming out to her mother, and deals with her mum’s new geezer boyfriend, the only comfort she finds is in spotting the rose-ringed parakeets that appear as magically and mysteriously in Thanet as they do in the capital. One theory, posed in the show, is that they represent the spirit of Jimi Hendrix, who released a pair in London. (Others credit Shepperton Studios’ 1951 production of The African Queen with the south-east’s parakeet population.) When Girl meets Dust (Isabel Oliver), who was raised in Margate, and Tam (Lula Mebrahtu), an Eritrean refugee, the trio form a punk group. But these punks are about empathy as much as anarchy and they rally to save a tree that is home to nesting parakeets and due to be felled. The play’s exotic-bird metaphors stand out like the bright green hair of Aphrodite and Quiet Boy, who share the stage with the three actors. The parakeets are vilified, we’re told, for drowning out the voices of native British birds. This tale of fitting in and speaking up treads familiar ground and lacks depth of characterisation, but Laura Keefe’s production and Aphrodite’s script have an appealingly raggedy quality that matches punk’s DIY spirit. It also complements Alex Noble’s patchwork, birdlike costumes, made using materials sourced from a charity that collects unwanted clothing. And when these punks sing, the show soars with an energy you could only dream of harnessing. At the Roundabout, Summerhall, Edinburgh, until 25 August. Read all our Edinburgh festival reviews. | ['stage/edinburgh-festival-2019', 'stage/stage', 'culture/culture', 'stage/theatre', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'stage/musicals', 'culture/edinburghfestival', 'culture/festivals', 'environment/forests', 'type/article', 'tone/reviews', 'stage/summerhall', 'profile/chriswiegand', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/g2', 'theguardian/g2/music', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-culture'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2019-08-08T09:11:42Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2021/sep/01/spains-energy-cooperatives-lead-charge-to-exploit-solar-power | Spain’s energy cooperatives lead charge to exploit solar power | Spain’s growing energy cooperative movement has received a boost after the government announced that some of the latest allocation of renewable energy will be in small lots, rather than large tranches that only big energy companies can afford. The move signals a change of attitude after successive governments have given in to the demands of the power giants. It comes as cooperatives in rural and urban areas are trying to break free from the major electricity suppliers that have exploited high demand during the recent heatwave to push prices up to record levels. Cristina Alonso, energy spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth, welcomed the government’s apparent change of heart as “a favourable measure – but not one that actually promotes energy communities because it doesn’t define what they are. These need to be defined as democratic and genuinely autonomous.” Solar installation has accelerated rapidly since the abolition in 2018 of the so-called “sunshine tax”. The rightwing government imposed this on self-sufficient consumers in 2015 for, in effect, depriving power companies of income. Consumers were also obliged to give their surplus energy to the grid free of charge. With no oil or gas and not much coal, sunshine is Spain’s greatest energy resource, and yet it remains underexploited. According to the Spanish Electric Network, in 2020 renewables accounted for 43.6% of energy production of which only 6.1% came from solar power, with the bulk coming from wind (21.7%) and nuclear (22.2%). Germany has three times as much installed solar power as Spain even though it had about 1,896 hours of sunshine in 2020, compared with almost 3,000 hours in Spain. In countries where most people live in single-family dwellings, any individual can generally decide to install solar panels. In Spain, however, 66.5% of the population live in apartment blocks, usually a mix of owner-occupiers and tenants, so the situation is more complex. To get around the problem of trying to get everyone to agree to invest in renewable energy for a multi-occupied building, one solution is to install solar panels on the roofs of public buildings such as schools, as well as factories and warehouses, that can supply electricity to neighbouring homes and businesses. The NGO Sustainability Observatory has proposed a rooftop campaign that would produce 15,400GWh, enough for 7.5 million people, on an investment that it says would be recoverable within six years. This is what Athletic Bilbao football club is offering its neighbours. When the club built a new stadium in 2013, it installed 300 solar panels and through its offshoot Tekathletic supplies electricity to 200 homes and businesses within a 500-metre radius at prices 25% below the going rate. Something similar is happening in Zaragoza, where the NGO Ecodes has teamed up with the power company EDP and the local authority to initiate the Solar Neighbourhood project. EDP has supplied and installed solar panels on the roofs of two municipal sports centres, each of which generates 50kWp, enough to supply 200 homes and businesses in the vicinity. Cecilia Foronda, the head of energy at Ecodes, explains that participants in the scheme do not pay up front for the installation, in recognition that people who are not homeowners are not motivated to invest. Participants pay a monthly quota of €6.90 (£5.90), which goes to repay the cost of the installation, and enjoy electricity prices that are about 30% cheaper than the market rate. The quota is waived for those least able to pay. Foronda says Ecodes is seeking European funding in order to replicate the scheme in six other Zaragoza neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, Som Energia (We Are Energy), which was founded in Girona in north-east Spain in 2010 and claims to be Europe’s oldest energy cooperative, has about 70,000 members. The co-op, which is run democratically, acts as an umbrella for smaller co-ops across the country, says Albert Banal-Estanol, its president. Members pay a €100 joining fee that is later reimbursed. When individuals want to install solar panels on their homes, Som Energia encourages them to form a local cooperative and then buy in bulk as it is not only cheaper but creates an energy community that in turn helps spread the word about self-sufficiency. “Last year we had a project that cost around €5m and we asked members to contribute, money that would be paid back from the income we get from selling excess electricity to the grid,” says Banal-Estanol. “We set a deadline of 15 days but we raised it all in one day.” “We want to extend this model but at the same time we’re not obsessed with growth,” he says. “We just want to see renewables grow.” Now that the big power companies can no longer rely on the government to stymie the spread of the cooperative movement, they are getting in on the act, offering to fund rooftop installations for communities in order to hang on to their customers. A genuine energy community, Alonso says, has social and environmental objectives, as well as economic ones. If it’s simply a case of a company supplying electricity from renewable sources “the company still owns the installation, you have a contract with them, and the only difference is the electricity comes from solar panels.” “The big power companies are reconfiguring themselves from selling electricity to selling services,” says Foronda. “But we need to ensure that energy self-sufficiency is in the hands of citizens because it empowers them.” | ['world/spain', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/energy', 'environment/environment', 'world/europe-news', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'tone/news', 'profile/stephen-burgen', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2021-09-01T08:57:39Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/article/2024/aug/10/endangered-greater-glider-australia-queensland-conservation | It looks like a cross between a koala and a possum – and it’s in big trouble, Australian conservationists say | There is “damning evidence” of logging occurring close to endangered greater glider populations, conservationists say as they call on the Queensland government to urgently act on a promise to create a park to protect the species. Volunteers used drones in July to film logging in St Mary state forest near Maryborough, about three km from where gliders had been seen. It came after the Miles government in June promised to turn 50,000–60,000 hectares of “high-value ecosystems” in the region into a Greater Glider Forest park. The commitment was detailed in the terms of reference for a new timber industry framework, but it did not include maps of the area that would be protected. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Nicky Moffat, a campaigner with the Queensland Conservation Council, said the government should act urgently to stop logging in the area. “These areas actually have to come off the logging schedules. You can’t log them and then put them in a conservation park,” she said. Moffat said the greater gliders were “captivating” and considered a “keystone species” – meaning when gliders were thriving, it was considered an indicator of a healthy ecosystem. “It’s the biggest gliding possum in the world. It’s up to a metre long … It’s got this massive floppy tail. It’s got big floppy ears. It looks like a cross between a koala and a possum,” she said. Moffat said St Mary state forest was a priority area for the park, particularly given volunteers spotted seven greater gliders within the forest on a single night. The council is calling for protection of all glider habitat on state-owned land and a commitment to fund new national parks and protected areas dedicated to the species’ recovery. While not responding directly to the claims, a Queensland government spokesperson said the commitment to establish a greater glider park was based on a conservation council proposal and experts were identifying the highest priority habitat for protection. “This is a huge contribution to helping to save greater gliders and so many other species in these areas,” they said. “That’s in addition to the 20,000 hectares of state forest in [south-east Queensland] that is in the process of being dedicated as national and conservation park.” Announcing the greater glider forest park in June, the premier, Steven Miles, said Queensland’s timber industry was “the backbone of the housing and building sectors and that he was “doing what matters to support timber workers and the industry to continue building our state, while also increasing our protected area estate”. The national greater glider population is estimated to have halved in little more than 20 years, and it was listed under national environmental laws as endangered in 2022. It was particularly affected by the catastrophic black summer bushfires of 2019-20. The species is the largest gliding possum in eastern Australia. Matt Cecil, a project manager with the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, said greater gliders “don’t cope well with habitat disturbances like human-caused logging”. “They are not inclined to travel far across open ground to move between trees. They require connected, mature eucalypt forest with a high proportion of large tree hollows, and feed almost exclusively on eucalypt leaves.” | ['environment/series/australian-climate-and-environment-in-focus', 'environment/environment', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'australia-news/queensland', 'environment/wildlife', 'campaign/email/afternoon-update', 'environment/logging-and-land-clearing', 'environment/forests', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/petra-stock', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/logging-and-land-clearing | BIODIVERSITY | 2024-08-10T00:00:28Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/blog/2015/may/05/inspirational-climate-researchers-feared-dead-on-arctic-expedition | Inspirational climate researchers feared dead on Arctic expedition | When you were a little kid and you imagined what a polar explorer might look like, it was probably men like Marc Cornelissen and Philip de Roo that you pictured; one short and stocky, with bright eyes and plenty of swagger; the other tall and slender with a boyish face. You probably imagined men who were always smiling and full of energy, men who somehow seemed a little more alive than the rest of us. What you probably didn’t imagine is that the very sense of adventure that fills men like Marc and Philip with life can also, sometimes, be what takes life away from them. Nine years ago exactly I was in a tent on the Arctic ice sheet: one of six students taking part in the Ben and Jerry’s/WWF Climate Change College. The college involved several months of training in climate science and campaign strategies, followed by two weeks in Greenland to observe the effects of climate change first hand. It was a project that was only made possible because of the hard work of many people. Two of those people were Marc Cornelissen and Philip de Roo. When news came through last week that Marc and Philip were missing in the Arctic, presumed drowned during an expedition to collect data on the state of the ice, their former students started reaching out to each other. We have spent the last few days exchanging messages of grief and shock. Marc was an experienced Polar explorer, with an unwavering commitment to tackling climate change. His expertise was in gathering ice and snow samples that could be used to validate existing data, such as that gathered by ESA’s CryoSat. Philip was Marc’s wingman. He was only 21 when we first met him and had already completed three Polar expeditions. He had a love of wildlife and had volunteered extensively for WWF in his teens. It is hard to think of two more inspiring role models for us as young activists. Every day in Greenland there was work to be done. Marc was testing new pieces of tech equipment, and spent much of his time in the communications tent surrounded by satellite phones and computers. Philip joined us outside, digging and drilling into the ice to take samples for analysis. So it was in the evenings – sitting in the communal tent and sharing stories - that we really got to know them. Marc and Philip talked about the relationship you need to work together under tough conditions; the absolute trust you must have in each other. But they also talked about why they did it; why, even without the personal satisfaction that came from pushing themselves, they felt it was their responsibility to take part in the fight against climate change. Those evenings were a lot of fun. The two men epitomised the philosophy of working hard first and playing hard after. Philip liked to drink hot chocolate, with a good glug of whisky in it. Marc preferred red wine, which in Greenland usually had large chunks of ice floating in it. He often talked with immense pride about his daughter, back home in the Netherlands. As the sun dipped low in the sky, he would step out of the tent to smoke a cigar. He would stretch an arm out and gesture at the vast expanse of ice, glowing in the soft light. “Look at this,” he would say. “Does it get any better that this?” I cannot believe that they are gone. Like everyone who met Marc and Philip there are parts of them that will stay with me forever. I will remember their great big belly laughs, which came easily and often. I will remember their kindness and their enthusiasm. I will remember their framing of climate change as a justice issue. More than anything I will remember and do my very best to honour their commitment to the idea of collective action – their belief that we each have to strive for our best without ever forgetting that our personal efforts are only one small part of a large and powerful movement. The personal efforts of explorers like Marc and Philip were more than most of us can achieve. But they give us something to aspire to. The lives and work of these two men may have stopped, but the movement will go on. | ['environment/blog', 'environment/series/keep-it-in-the-ground', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'world/arctic', 'environment/environment', 'environment/poles', 'environment/sea-ice', 'type/article', 'tone/blog'] | environment/poles | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2015-05-05T10:23:04Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
business/2020/jan/12/sajid-javid-must-deliver-a-uk-budget-that-works-quickly-a-tricky-task | Sajid Javid must deliver a UK budget that works quickly – a tricky task | In politics, the year just gone will be remembered for a number of reasons. It recorded a change of prime minister, a spell when the executive lost control of the parliamentary agenda, and a general election. One thing it won’t be remembered for is its budget: 2019 was the first year since the Napoleonic wars that there was no big day out for the chancellor of the exchequer. By the time Sajid Javid stands up in the House of Commons on 11 March it will have been more than 15 months since Philip Hammond delivered the last budget. For those who can’t remember – most people, in all likelihood – Hammond’s main announcement was extra money for the NHS. Javid is under pressure to do what Hammond – and few other chancellors – have ever managed: to deliver a budget that really counts. Boris Johnson owes his 80-seat majority to voters in the Midlands and the north of England wooed with promises of action to sort out the UK’s lopsided economic geography. And if the government is to deliver on its pledges there is no time to delay, because the task it faces is formidable. That’s not to say that the focus on levelling up the regions is unwelcome. The fact that only three regions – London, the south-east and the east of England – contribute more to the Treasury coffers than they receive, speaks volumes. Nor is regeneration impossible. But many of the seats that voted Conservative for the first time in living memory on 12 December have been struggling for decades. The idea that they can be turned round quickly is for the birds, which means Johnson and his ministers need to be careful of raising expectations that cannot be met. That’s because it is a lot easier to identify the problem than to come up with the solution. The Conservative political narrative is that Labour paid the price for neglecting its “red wall” seats and allowing them to rot, but this is not really true. Labour has seen its dominance eroded in some of Britain’s industrial heartlands not because it took voters for granted but because the policies it tried failed to work, especially in the smaller, more isolated, towns. Stian Westlake, the director of Nesta, the UK’s innovation foundation, made this point well in a recent blog. The government has been giving the impression that the failure in economic development in the less prosperous parts of Britain is simply a matter of political will, when really the issue is that no one is sure what policies work, or even if such policies are possible. For Westlake, the starting point is to recognise four big themes. Firstly, Britain is not unique, because towns in every developed country are becoming less productive relative to cities. Secondly, UK cities are less productive than their counterparts in France, Germany and the US due to poor transport infrastructure and a dearth of investment in skills. Thirdly, over a prolonged period the UK has invested less in both physical capital and in research and development. Finally, the planning system makes housing prohibitively expensive for people who might want to move from less prosperous towns to places – Oxford, Cambridge and London, for example – where they have a better chance of finding high-paid jobs. Spending cuts since 2010 have made the situation worse. Faced with the need to save money, a variety of public bodies – from councils to the NHS and police authorities – have tended to close facilities in the same places, which are those most remote from urban centres. Once the police station, the swimming pool and the hospital close it is not long before the shops start to close too. But austerity has merely provided a cyclical twist to a deeper structural trend, exposing problems but not causing them. Likewise, an end to austerity does not mean the problems magically go away. There are smart people around Boris Johnson who get this: Dominic Cummings for one. In a pre-election blog, the PM’s special adviser directed his followers to a paper that had ideas for “changing our economy for the better”. The paper in question is not a free-market tract but was written by Richard Jones, professor of physics and vice-chancellor for research and innovation at Sheffield University. There is not a lot that is earth-shatteringly new about what Jones has to say. He proposes spreading innovation from the golden triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London to the rest of the country. He thinks Britain is failing to bring its good scientific ideas to market. He wants more attention to be paid to skills and the creation of clusters of expertise. Jones accepts that Britain is so far behind rival countries in some sectors – solar panels for example – that it will never catch up. But he says the way forward is to boost spending on research and development and direct it at industrial sectors where the UK has existing strengths. Britain needs to make the transition to a low-carbon economy and there is scope, he says, to build industrial capacity in wave and tidal power in Wales and Scotland, in wind power in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and in energy storage and electric vehicles in the West Midlands. Make no mistake, this sort of approach involves no quick fix. It will be a long process and the main beneficiaries will be the big regional cities, with satellite towns benefitting through a process of industrial trickle down. The noises from the government suggest that ministers intend to deliver for their newly won constituencies. The budget will show whether they mean it. | ['business/series/economicsmonday', 'business/economics', 'business/economicgrowth', 'politics/economy', 'business/economic-recovery', 'business/business', 'politics/politics', 'politics/sajid-javid', 'uk-news/budget-2020', 'business/austerity', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/green-economy', 'type/article', 'tone/comment', 'profile/larryelliott', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/financial3', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/renewableenergy | ENERGY | 2020-01-12T11:20:26Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2022/jan/30/uk-windfarms-generate-record-electricity-storm-malik | UK windfarms generate record amount of electricity during Storm Malik | The UK’s windfarms generated a record amount of renewable electricity over the weekend as Storm Malik battered parts of Scotland and northern England. Wind speeds of up to 100 miles an hour recorded in Scotland helped wind power generation to rise to a provisional all-time high of more than 19,500 megawatts – or more than half the UK’s electricity – according to data from National Grid. National Grid’s electricity system operator said that although it recognised the new milestone towards the UK’s ‘net zero’ carbon future, it was “also thinking of those affected by Storm Malik”. The deadly storm caused widespread disruption over the weekend, leaving thousands without electricity and killing two people. Many of the areas affected by Storm Malik were also hit in December by Storm Arwen, which caused the most severe disruption to power supplies since 2005, leaving almost a million homes without power for up to 12 days. The winter storms have followed a summer of low wind power generation across the UK and Europe, which caused increased use of gas power plants during a global supply shortfall. Gas markets around the world reached record highs due to rising demand for gas as economies have rebounded from the economic shock of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the UK, electricity market prices reached an all-time high of more than £424.60 a megawatt-hour in September, compared with an average price of £44/MWh in the same month the year before. The UK’s weekend surge in renewable electricity helped to provide a temporary reprieve from its heavy reliance on fossil fuel generation in recent months, which has caused market prices to reach record highs. The market price for electricity on Saturday fell to £150.59 pounds a megawatt-hour, the lowest level since 3 January, while the price for power on Sunday, when wind was expected to fall, jumped to more than £193.50/MWh. The new wind generation record bettered a high recorded last year when the gusty May bank holiday weekend recorded 17.6GW. | ['environment/windpower', 'uk/uk', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/environment', 'environment/energy', 'uk/weather', 'business/energy-industry', 'business/business', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/jillian-ambrose', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/energy | ENERGY | 2022-01-30T13:27:21Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2010/may/27/obama-strategy-offshore-oil-drilling | Barack Obama orders six-month freeze on offshore drilling and expansion | Barack Obama reversed a planned expansion of offshore drilling today, admitting he had been wrong to believe that oil companies were prepared to deal with a catastrophic oil spill. He told a White House press conference he was ordering a six-month freeze on the opening up of the remote waters of the Arctic to oil exploration and on the drilling of 33 deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico. Proposed lease sales off the coast of Virginia and in the western Gulf would also be cancelled. The US president said he was calling the pause to plans by Royal Dutch Shell to begin drilling exploratory wells in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, after studying an interior department review of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. He acknowledged that the enormity of the Gulf oil spill had forced a change in his earlier thinking that offshore drilling was safe and should remain a vital part of America's energy mix. "Where I was wrong was in my belief that the oil companies had their act together when it came to worst-case scenarios," he said. "It just takes one to have a wake-up call." The announcement represents a retreat from Obama's proposal last March to expand offshore oil drilling. It was overshadowed in part by the president's moves to assert his command over the oil spill and appease critics who say his government has yielded to BP too much authority over plans to plug the well and clean up the environmental damage. The president, who said repeatedly he remained in command of the disaster, also defended that earlier decision. He acknowledged he had underestimated the scale of corruption and dysfunction in the government agency charged with oversight of the offshore oil industry, the Minerals Management Service. "There has been a scandalously close relationship between oil companies and the agency that regulates them," Obama said. His administration had started cleaning up the agency, notorious for sex and drug parties in the George Bush era. But "the culture had not fully changed at MMS. And I take responsibility for that," he said. "We have to make sure if we are going forward with domestic oil production that the federal agency overseeings its safety and security is operating at the highest level." The six-month halt in drilling falls short of the outright ban sought by Democratic members of Congress on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and by environmental organisations. Conservationists said they hoped the review of environmental and safety regulations also discussed by Obama would lead to better protection, especially for the Arctic. "The greatest risk had been the exploratory wells that Shell wanted to move forward with up in the Arctic, so we are particularly pleased the administration is putting forward a time-out," said Jeremy Symons, senior vice-president of the National Wildlife Federation. "It should give time to assess and learn the lessons from this in terms of drilling anywhere else." Obama said he was basing his decision on the safety review conducted by the interior secretary, Ken Salazar. The administration also imposed tougher safety standards on drilling rigs, ordering more rigorous testing of blow-out preventers and procedures for well control; both were seen as critical failures in the lead-up to the explosion. The administration announced the exit of Elizabeth Birnbaum, the head of MMS. But the high-profile sacking is unlikely to satisfy calls for sweeping reform of an agency that has had overly close ties with the oil industry. "She has only been the public face of MMS for 10 months," said Nick Rahall, who heads the house committee on natural resources which is investigating the oil disaster. "It must not be the end game of our efforts to get at the root cause of the problems in the MMS." Obama is facing calls from conservationists to sack other senior MMS officials, including Sylvia Baca, who was appointed to the agency last June after being employed for more than eight years by BP in senior management positions. | ['environment/bp-oil-spill', 'environment/oil-spills', 'us-news/barack-obama', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/environment', 'environment/oil', 'us-news/us-news', 'us-news/louisiana', 'business/oilandgascompanies', 'business/business', 'business/oil', 'business/royaldutchshell', 'business/bp', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/suzannegoldenberg', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/topstories'] | environment/oil | ENERGY | 2010-05-28T00:28:00Z | true | ENERGY |
books/2014/oct/28/amazons-crowdsourced-publishing-venture-kindle-scout-goes-live | Amazon's crowdsourced publishing venture Kindle Scout goes live | First they dominated the book industry; now retailing giant Amazon is increasing its investment in the publishing sphere, by outsourcing its selection process to readers through Kindle Scout, a self-publishing crowdsourcing venture solely for its Kindle e-reader. Would-be authors can now submit their novels to Kindle Scout for readers to peruse, who can then vote whether or not Amazon’s e-book publishing company, Kindle Press, should publish them as e-books. The first few pages of prospective titles – up to 5,000 words, according to Amazon – will sit on Kindle Scout for 30 days, during which time readers can nominate up to three books they want to see published in full. At the end of the month, Kindle Scout staff will consider the top nominated books and make the final call on which of the selected titles will be published. The successful authors will receive “five year renewable terms, a $1,500 advance, 50 percent eBook royalty rate, easy rights reversions and featured Amazon marketing”. If a book does not make a profit of $25,000 in the first five years, Amazon guarantees it will return full rights to the author upon request. Amazon has said it will not be making public how many nominations each book receives, as: “We want to make sure each book gets a fair shot and don’t want the number of nominations a book receives to influence other readers. We want readers to weigh in with their individual preferences.” Readers who vote for a winning book will receive a free copy to encourage future sales through reviews. Amazon has published self-published books before, through their Kindle Direct Publishing system. Some authors, like science-fiction author Hugh Howey, received physical book deals after successfully gaining an audience using KDP. Authors using KDP receive 70 percent of royalties if their book is priced between $2.99 and $9.99; but in comparison to Kindle Scout, they are not guaranteed marketing support for their books from Amazon. The Kindle Scout option may prove attractive to self-published authors who have previously turned to online platforms like Wattpad, Kickstarter and other crowdsourcing websites to fund marketing for their self-published books. However, only authors with Amazon.com accounts can submit their work to Kindle Scout and all books submitted must be over 50,000 words and not be published elsewhere previously. Amazon says it will seek out reviewers for Kindle Scout titles among Kindle users and through the social media platform Goodreads, which Amazon bought in 2013. | ['books/self-publishing', 'books/books', 'culture/culture', 'technology/kindle', 'technology/kindle-fire', 'technology/amazon', 'technology/ereaders', 'technology/gadgets', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/sian-cain'] | technology/gadgets | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2014-10-28T16:10:03Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
environment/2020/jul/18/country-diary-the-deadly-yew-also-offers-welcome-shade | Country diary: the deadly yew also offers welcome shade | Outside the village of Clipsham there’s an avenue of ornamental yew trees half a kilometre long. They are sculpted into shapes like foliage chess pieces: opposing rows across a grassy coachway. It has been here for centuries, once leading to a nearby hall. Now it’s open to all, but oddly adrift, its lines on the land a genteel equivalent of the many disused, overrun runways hereabouts. The yews are still tended and trimmed, and contrast with a backdrop of larch and redwoods – the latter species itself once a statement in wood of exotic means. This wilder edge is full of wood pigeon canopy-rattle, and pleasingly disorderly against these preened lines. I veer in at the first track. Clipsham Park Wood is a marble of contrasts: sun of the sharpest kind against black shadow, and over all of it a cosmos of insects like flung, golden dust. Upwards, a row of pointed crowns, that treeline silhouette of the north but here in the east. The sky they seem to indicate is a coiffure of high cloud against blue. Then back to the avenue, and the rich green and black of those trees. The shade of a yew is remarkable: a solid thing, palpably cool on a hot day, the sweet scent of the needles accompanying that feeling of calm found often beneath something stately and living. I run my hand against the trim-line, the needles are waxy and cool. And deadly, of course. Besides that opaque shade, there’s so much other darkness by proxy with the yew, which makes it a striking choice for festive pruning. The graveyard tree, the ever-living tree, the “death tree”. Every part of it is poisonous – bark, foliage, seed – and those portly boughs are a hidey-hole of thousands of years of superstition. Also, there’s that unsettling thing about large topiary; so flamboyant, yet inscrutable. One of the yews has lost its greenery. It’s an odd sight, like a narwhal tusk: far from that fat cylinder of ancient, cabled wood you might find in an old churchyard yew. It’s more like a candyfloss plucked to the stick. But another has a crack in the shell, and is more reassuring: inside, branches like old fingers, complex and organic. A real tree, after all. | ['environment/series/country-diary', 'environment/forests', 'environment/environment', 'environment/plants', 'environment/insects', 'environment/wildlife', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/simon-ingram', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/journal', 'theguardian/journal/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2020-07-18T04:30:11Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
commentisfree/2006/jul/26/anotherdodgydossierfromthe | What a (nuclear) waste | I have belatedly found time to scan the government's energy review, published earlier this month. The experience was not good for my blood pressure. The review joins a growing list of dodgy dossiers published by the Blair government in support of its growing catalogue of policy misjudgments. The real energy review, of course, was published in 2003, after lengthy consultations, which were genuine. Patricia Hewitt, secretary of state of the day, described that review as one of the most exhaustive consultations ever conducted by a government. I witnessed this process close to, as a representative of one of the 60-plus energy companies that took part. The final review, reflecting a remarkable consensus across the energy sector - nuclear industry excepted - concluded that we should cut emissions deeply, with renewables and energy efficiency, and put nuclear on the shelf, not to be reconsidered for five years at least. But for last-minute manoeuvring by the DTI, the outcome could easily have been an outright rejection of nuclear. Three years on, the UK remains in the doldrums on renewables, and instead of the "urgent action" promised by the new secretary of state in the foreword to the review, we have the promise of further consultations. The review concludes that new nuclear can make a "significant contribution" to the UK's energy requirements but writes about renewable energy with a strange absence of targets, timetables and concrete policy steps to meet them. The media, by and large, seem to have fallen for the government line that a 20% renewables target by 2020 is a major new commitment, when it should more accurately be read as confirmation of what we were told in the February 2003 energy white paper. There is also no firm guarantee in the wording of the review that the renewables obligation, the requirement on energy providers to include a particular percentage mix of renewables in their supply, will definitely increase from 15% to 20% by 2020. For micro-renewables, the review amounts to a restatement of the threadbare "key policies" announced in the micro-generation strategy, including such essential policy drivers as "a review of communications activity" and "a new power for parish councils to promote micro generation in their own parishes". The review does confirm the government's intention to extend the energy efficiency commitment to include all micro-renewables and to review permitted development rights, but these hardly amount to "new" promises. It is difficult to understate the seriousness of the missed opportunities here. As Europe burns up in another heatwave, and the evidence points ever more clearly to catastrophic global warming ahead, this energy review can be likened to a government paper in the late 1930s recommending that we focus our limited resources enthusiastically on cavalry and cannons while shunting Spitfires and Lancasters into the sidings. | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'tone/comment', 'environment/energy', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'politics/tonyblair', 'commentisfree/cif-green', 'type/article', 'profile/jeremyleggett'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2006-07-26T16:05:09Z | true | ENERGY |
uk/2012/jun/28/flood-sweeps-man-death-uk-storms | Flood sweeps man to death as UK storms continue | A man has died after being swept away by floodwater as heavy rain and thunderstorms continued to batter much of England, Scotland and Ireland. West Mercia police said the man was overcome by the water in a stream at Bitterley, near Ludlow in Shropshire, shortly after 10.30am on Thursday. The accident was reported by witnesses and the man's body was found after an extensive search involving police, fire crews and the Severn Area Rescue Association. Residents named him as maths teacher Mike Ellis, who lived in the village with his wife. The West Midlands, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire all suffered heavy flooding during the day. Later the storm spread north, closing both main rail lines between England and Scotland, with the west coast mainline closed at Tebay in Cumbria and a landslip blocking the east coast line near to Berwick. At one point the Tyne road tunnel was closed in both directions, and police warned motorists stuck in traffic to stay with their cars until emergency services reached them. Residents in several locations across Tyneside had to be evacuated. The Environment Agency urged people to be on alert for more flash flooding across the Midlands, northern England and Scotland as the Met Office forecast outbreaks of torrential rain across central and northern parts of the country. There was a continued risk of surface flooding if drainage systems were overwhelmed by rainfall. The heavy rain could also cause rivers to rise rapidly, the EA warned, and it advised the public to stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through floodwater. It also urged people to check its website and Twitter feed for the latest updates and flood warnings. There were seven flood warnings in place for the Midlands, two for the north-east, one for the north-west and one for Scotland. Flooding has also hit Ireland, where more than 50 homes and many businesses were flooded and several thousand left without power after 50mm of rain fell in a seven-hour period across Cork. There were fears in Northern Ireland that overnight flooding which swamped Belfast could happen again. Further downpours were forecast as thousands struggled to clean up damage caused by flooding across the city and parts of Co Antrim. Emergency services reported receiving more than 700 callouts linked to flooding in Belfast, while the region's water authority said it handled nearly 3,000 flood calls, and 1,000 homes were hit by power cuts. | ['uk/weather', 'environment/flooding', 'world/world', 'world/natural-disasters', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'world/ireland', 'world/europe-news', 'uk/northernireland', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/samjones', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2012-06-29T00:52:00Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2008/aug/24/gmcrops.food | Letters: Charles is right to back organic farming | Nick Cohen repeats the usual misconceptions about small-scale organic farming in his attack on Prince Charles ('Charles, a very modern Marie Antoinette', Comment, last week). As someone who traded a white collar profession for running a vegetable box scheme, I can assure him that the backbreaking drudgery of farm work is as nothing compared to the mind-numbing drudgery of modern office work. Cohen's implication that capital-intensive agribusiness has been a liberating force for the Latin American poor is also a serious misreading of the facts. But the real cloud on the horizon for modern agribusiness is its utter dependence upon fossil fuel for transport, traction and agro-chemicals. For this reason, there will probably come a time when small, local, organic agriculture will be the only game in town. But Cohen is right about one thing - there will be no place in such a future society for a parasitic landed aristocracy, however correct the pronouncements of some of its current members. Onward, then, to a republic of peasant proprietors, where we can grow our cake and eat it! Chris Smaje Frome, Somerset GM seeds are programmed to withstand the heavy doses of pesticides that kill weeds efficiently, so that high doses can be used. Yet the seeds also absorb these chemicals. Most of America's corn is GM and it ends up in corn oil, tacos, cornstarch in soup, so that even if you watch your labels you're probably getting some. And it's so new, so radical, that we really don't know how our bodies will react to these innovations down the road. Remember, DDT (the pesticide now banned worldwide) was once considered a miracle boon. Christopher Logan Ilan, Taiwan Regardless of GM technology, farmers have been getting phenomenally high yields for 50 years by 'selectively breeding' wild crops such as maize or wheat. On the other hand, GM crops contain DNA from different animals and plants; a GM wheat crop can contain genes from fish, fungus or bacteria to enhance a particular resistance, whereas 'selective breeding' between two closely related species is a common occurrence in nature. Whenever GM crops are grown on open fields, there is a risk that they can contaminate 'selectively bred' or organic crops and that is why GM technology is so carefully controlled. Rupert Eden Seville, Spain Prince Charles might be rich but he does try to think holistically and focus on what makes life worth living. Our complex global problems need science and brilliant organisation to be solved but also, vitally, an awareness that life has more dimensions than the purely practical. Christine Avery Plymouth Nick Cohen missed the most thorough and relevant research into the use of science in agriculture - the recent UN International Assessment of Agriculture Science and Technology for Development. In the report, 400 scientists conclude that GM crops offer no panacea to future food needs and fail to increase crop yields. The GM industry is simply using the heightened interest in food prices as a vehicle to promote its products. This is evidenced by a new partnership between Monsanto and other agribusiness giants - the Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy. The group has been set up to promote biofuels - which drive up the price of food - with one hand, while offering GM crops as the solution to the price rises with the other. Prince Charles and others concerned about the proliferation of GM crops are not seeking to 'limit food production at a time of growing hunger,' but to prioritise the needs of the world's billion or so small farmers over those of big business. Clare Oxborrow Food Campaigner for Friends of the Earth London N17 Write to us Letters, which may be edited, should include a full name and postal address and be sent to: Letters to the Editor, The Observer, 3-7 Herbal Hill, London EC1R 5EJ (to be received by noon Thursday). Fax: 020 7837 7817. Email: letters@observer.co.uk (please insert Letters to the Editor in subject field). | ['environment/gm', 'environment/food', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/endangered-habitats', 'environment/environment', 'uk/monarchy', 'uk/ruralaffairs', 'uk/uk', 'tone/letters', 'uk/prince-charles', 'news/series/observer-big-issue', 'type/article', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/news', 'theobserver/news/comment'] | environment/endangered-habitats | BIODIVERSITY | 2008-08-23T23:01:00Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2012/mar/27/renewable-heat-incentive-scheme-delayed | Renewable heat incentive scheme delayed for a year | An £865m scheme to financially reward households that generate hot water or heat from renewable sources has been delayed for up to a year in a further embarrassment for government over low carbon energy payments. The second phase of the renewable heat incentive, seen as the equivalent of the solar feed-in tariff for generating electricity, was announced last year and due to be launched next week. But in a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Energy and Climate Change said that it wanted to conduct further consultations on how to control costs. The scheme, which is intended to make it financially attractive for consumers to install low carbon heating systems like solar water heaters, biomass boilers and ground source heat pumps, is unlikely now to be in operation until mid-2013. Consumers and business have previously been told that they can expect to be paid around 8.5p/kWhr for the hot water and heat which they generate and use themselves, with a further payment if surplus heat is "exported" to other users. The payments, which will run for 20 years, are expected to come direct from the Treasury, rather than electricity companies who are paying consumers for solar electricity generation. But embarrassment over the introduction of the solar feed-in tariff has pushed the government into rethinking how it can manage public demand for the heat subsidy. In the last year the government has had to make two emergency changes in the solar tariff and has lost three court cases brought by Friends of the Earth and solar companies. Decc now proposes to include an "emergency brake" mechanism which would close the RHI scheme down as payments approached pre-set levels. Climate minister, Greg Barker, said: "Putting in place cost control measures for the RHI is the prudent thing to do, given this is millions of pounds of taxpayers' money at stake and taking on board the lessons learned from the feed-in tariff scheme. We will ask industry for its views in the summer and in the meantime will arrange for interim measures to be in place to manage the scheme's budget. Decc will launch a formal consultation in the summer to explore different policy options to ensure the RHI stays within its budget. This could include a system to lower tariffs as the scheme grows." Paul Thompson, head of policy at the Renewable Energy Association, said: "To launch an official consultation on bringing the shutters down, having only just fired the starting gun on the RHI, is premature to say the least. The renewable heat market isn't going to flare up like solar did. If anything were concerned about an underspend. This consultation on interim cost control is unnecessary and unhelpful, but it's certainly not a reason for lenders to become alarmed – particularly as government intends to remove this power when longer-term control measures are in place." | ['environment/feed-in-tariffs', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/energy', 'money/money', 'money/energy', 'tone/news', 'uk/uk', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'profile/johnvidal'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2012-03-27T14:58:40Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2012/jun/06/tesco-supplier-amazon-rainforest-destruction | Tesco supplier accused of contributing to Amazon rainforest destruction | British consumers are unwittingly contributing to the devastation of the Amazon rainforest by buying meat products from Tesco, according to Greenpeace. The environmental group says in a report that canned beef from the supermarket chain has been found to contain meat from ranches that have been carved out of the lands of indigenous peoples, and farms the Brazilian government believes have been sited in illegally deforested lands. The allegations stem from an 18-month investigation carried out by Greenpeace into the practices of JBS, a big Brazilian supplier of meat and cattle byproducts. The campaigning group claims it unearthed evidence of serious violations of the company's own ethical code, and those of companies it supplies, including Tesco. Sarah Shoraka, forests campaigner at Greenpeace, said: "Beef farming is the biggest cause of Amazon destruction. Tesco is driving this problem through its beef sourcing. Tesco canned beef supply comes from illegal farms that destroy the Amazon and occupy indigenous people's land. Tesco's supplier JBS refuses to tackle the problem. Tesco needs to take the bull by the horns and stop selling beef that destroys the Amazon." In response, Tesco said it had begun to terminate its contracts with JBS more than a year ago, but certain products could still be within its supply chain because of the time needed to end the agreements. The company added: "We are committed to tackling rainforest deforestation, including working with other consumer goods companies (through the Consumer Goods Forum) to help end deforestation by 2020. "The vast majority of the beef we sell, including all fresh beef, is sourced from the UK and Ireland. Canned beef products sourced from Brazil account for less than 1% of total beef sales. We started to cut back our supplies from JBS a year ago and have now ceased sourcing any canned beef products from JBS. Ethics and sustainability remain an important part of our dialogue with suppliers." Cattle ranches are the leading source of rainforest destruction in the Amazon, as ranchers chop down trees to make room for herds often many thousands strong. These herds have to be moved frequently as the rainforest soil is soon exhausted by their intensive grazing, leading to a pattern of deforestation that threatens one of the world's most important ecosystems. Much of the beef, leather and other byproducts are sold in the west, often passing through a long supply chain and rebranded many times, so it is all but impossible for consumers to tell where their purchases originated. The Greenpeace report claims direct links between the widespread destruction of the Amazon for cattle ranches and the sale of products from those ranches in the UK and other countries. JBS, the focus of the Greenpeace study, is one of the world's biggest food suppliers. It is accused of a series of major violations of its own ethical pledges, including failing to monitor sites and taking products from sites suspected to be illegal or within indigenous areas. Few western consumers will be familiar with the company, but its clients have included many of the world's biggest food brands. It is understood that several have ceased – or begun to review – their relationships with JBS following warnings from campaigners that the company's practices may violate their policies on ethical sourcing. Companies to have reviewed arrangements are understood to include the retailers Sainsbury's, Asda and Ikea, the footwear company Clarks and food firm Prince's. Greenpeace's latest investigations follow a groundbreaking study in 2009 that for the first time established a clear chain of responsibility stretching from Amazonian ranches on land cleared illegally to western companies including luxury brands, supermarkets and a variety of "household name" firms using everything from leather, beef and other cattle byproducts to paper packaging. After that report, a wide range of multinational companies pledged to re-examine their supply chains to ensure no material from illegally cleared forests in the Amazon reached their customers. As part of that effort, the Brazilian companies most heavily involved in the Amazon trade also vowed to clean up their supply chains, going further than the minimum required by Brazilian law. But this latest study alleges that in the past three years JBS has failed to live up to its pledges. According to evidence amassed by Greenpeace, the company bought animals from at least five farms accused by the Brazilian government of illegal deforestation, between June and December 2011. According to tThe report says JBS has also failed to monitor its indirect suppliers – contrary to a promise it made after Greenpeace's 2009 investigation – so many of its suppliers are taking goods that do not meet the standard of sourcing JBS and its customers have committed to. Audits that the company claims to have undertaken have not been made available, and where the company has collected data on the whereabouts of its suppliers' farms – which should in theory show that they are in legal areas – the data has been incomplete, giving just one GPS reference when in fact several are needed to establish the borders of the properties involved. JBS has also, Greenpeace alleges, failed to present evidence that its suppliers are registered with Brazil's environmental authorities. Greenpeace said it had traced beef from questionable farms from the sources through JBS's processing facilities and from there into cans sold in the UK by Tesco and in the Netherlands. JBS, whose motto is "In God we trust, Nature we respect" said: "JBS as a leading meatpacking company with relevant operations in Brazil is proud of its track record in leading sustainable initiatives in all its activities. We continue to proactively liaise with NGOs, customers and stakeholders in general towards providing healthy products for a growing global population while forwarding the most sustainable practices." It said it had written to Greenpeace and its own customers taking issue with the Greenpeace report. | ['environment/amazon-rainforest', 'business/tesco', 'business/supermarkets', 'business/retail', 'business/business', 'environment/forests', 'environment/deforestation', 'environment/environment', 'business/ethicalbusiness', 'world/brazil', 'world/americas', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/fiona-harvey', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews'] | environment/deforestation | BIODIVERSITY | 2012-06-05T23:01:03Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2024/nov/27/country-diary-getting-to-know-autumn-again | Country diary: Getting to know autumn again | Country diary | After five years in Orkney, my partner and I have moved “sooth” – that is, to the Scottish mainland. There’s a lot to get used to, not least carrying our house keys again. But what has caught me by surprise is the sense of having rediscovered a whole season. I’d forgotten about autumn, you see. No trees up north. Or what few hardy souls brave the gales lose their foliage to the wind in a single afternoon. Not so in our new street in Glasgow, where leaves of scarlet, tan, lemon and rust amass in knee-high banks and block the drains. The neighbours complain, but to us it is still novel. Hoping to soak in as much forest as I can find, I take a break from unboxing belongings and head to Pollok Country Park, the 360-acre grounds of the old Pollok House. In mature woodlands there, I greet trees like old friends: calm stands of beech, bronze leaves fluttering like prayer flags; the rough, scaly torsos of horse chestnuts. And hiding among the leafdroppers, a little yew, dark and sharp-spined, still fully dressed while the others shrug off their clothing. From each twiglet grows a little scarlet bauble, which softens the tree’s otherwise gothic affect and lends it a festive air. Strictly speaking, these are not berries, but “arils” – a similar fleshy jacket around individual seeds. Every part of the yew is deadly poisonous – consumption can easily kill a cow or horse – except for these tiny arils. These are soft and sweet, if rather gooey, but perhaps not worth the risk – the seed they encase is highly toxic. A daredevil’s harvest. Just beyond the yew’s dark form, more mellow fruitfulness awaits: the snowberry, bare-branched but hanging heavy with globular white fruit, each a striking matte white that seems aglow in the shady wood, though I see a few already deflating, browning. It’s an import from the US, long become native and a firm favourite of small birds, which take shelter in its dense branches (I can hear them in the thicket, but I don’t see them). Beneath my feet, leaves are crisp or already gone to mould. A welcome mat. Honey, I’m home. • Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian’s Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at guardianbookshop.com and get a 15% discount | ['environment/series/country-diary', 'environment/autumn', 'environment/environment', 'uk/ruralaffairs', 'uk/uk', 'uk/scotland', 'environment/forests', 'environment/plants', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/cal-flyn', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/journal', 'theguardian/journal/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2024-11-27T05:30:50Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
uk-news/undercover-with-paul-lewis-and-rob-evans/2015/mar/06/new-book-puts-spotlight-on-role-of-covert-police-in-human-rights-controversy | New book puts spotlight on role of covert police in human rights controversy | Next week will see the publication of a new book on a scandal that has not received as much attention as many believe it should have done. The book - Blacklisted : the Secret War between Big Business and Union Activists - is a comprehensive expose of how thousands of workers were blacklisted and prevented from getting work. Multi-national construction firms unlawfully kept secret files on workers that they thought were politically troublesome. This here, here, and here gives some background on how the blacklist operated. The book contains an illuminating account of what is so far known about one particular aspect of this controversy - the clandestine help that police appear to have given to the construction industry blacklisters over many years. It describes evidence of how the police secretly collected information about the political activities of workers that was passed onto the blacklisters to store in their secret files. An extract from the book was published by The Guardian at the weekend (it can be read here). Slowly more information is emerging about this apparent collusion. For instance, Peter Francis, the former undercover officer turned whistleblower, has described (see here) how he believes that he personally collected some of the intelligence that later appeared in the files of the blacklisting agency. The book will be launched at a public meeting at the House of Commons next Thursday (March 12). The speakers include the two authors, Dave Smith and Phil Chamberlain, Unite’s assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail, and MP John McDonnell. The meeting - open to all - starts at 6pm and will be in committee room 15. This here is a short video about the book. It is available to buy from bookshop.theguardian.com. | ['uk/undercover-with-paul-lewis-and-rob-evans', 'uk/undercover-police-and-policing', 'uk/metropolitan-police', 'world/privacy', 'law/law', 'world/protest', 'law/employment-law', 'technology/data-protection', 'uk/police', 'money/discrimination-at-work', 'uk/police-and-crime-commissioners', 'uk/ukcrime', 'uk/peter-francis', 'environment/activism', 'uk/uk', 'business/construction', 'money/work-and-careers', 'news/information-commissioner', 'politics/tradeunions', 'uk-news/unite', 'money/employment-tribunals', 'business/business', 'law/human-rights', 'type/article', 'tone/blog', 'profile/robevans'] | environment/activism | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2015-03-06T10:32:29Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
environment/2017/nov/10/fiji-told-it-must-spend-billions-to-adapt-to-climate-change | Fiji told it must spend billions to adapt to climate change | To prepare for the rising temperatures, strengthening storms and higher sea levels in the coming decades, Fiji must spend an amount equivalent to its entire yearly gross domestic product over the next 10 years, according to the first comprehensive assessment of the small island nation’s vulnerability to climate change, compiled by its government with the assistance of the World Bank. Released half-way through the COP23 in Bonn, which Fiji is presiding over, the report highlights five major interventions and 125 further actions that it says are necessary to achieve Fiji’s development objectives, while facing the potentially devastating impacts of climate change. Combined those actions would cost about US$4.5bn over the next decade. The report concluded that some parts of the country, especially those on low-lying outer islands, could be made uninhabitable by sea level rise and increased storm surges. It recommended existing towns and cities be made more resilient, but also for brand new and resilient greenfield sites to be constructed to house the growing population. In light of the results, the World Bank and Fiji called for the world to lift its ambitions in fighting climate change, and also for the developed world to help the world’s most vulnerable people adapt and build resilience to climate change. “The results of the [Climate Vulnerability Assessment] reinforce what we already know to be true – that the situation we face is urgent and the world needs to immediately raise its ambition to tackle this great threat,” said Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Fiji’s attorney general and minister responsible for climate change in a foreword to the report. But he said the report itself would assist in that happening, since it “provides a specific blueprint that quantifies the resources necessary to climate-proof Fiji, giving us a full account of the threat that climate change poses to our national development.” Victoria Kwakwa, vice president, East Asia and the Pacific at the World Bank said the Paris Agreement was not just a commitment to keeping global temperature rise well below 2C, but “also a global commitment to help build resilience and adaptation capacity among vulnerable countries – especially those most at risk from climate change, such as Small Island Developing States.” In the report, Fiji called on the world to take “drastic action that limits greenhouse gas emission while supporting action to enhance resilience.” It notes that Fiji has limited capacity to manage those risks itself, and that investment from other nations was needed. The biggest investment needed to build resilience in the country was into transport, where US$228m was needed each year, the report found. A detailed analysis in the report found specific parts of the road network that were critical for the country, and should be strengthened to protect against worsening storms. Significant sums were needed to protect the country’s water, health and education facilities, housing and environmental assets. “These investments and expenditures would have resilience-related benefits that extend over decades – far beyond their implementation period – as well as significant non-resilience benefits, improving the population’s well-being and development prospects,” the report found. Fiji is expected to face as much as a metre of sea level rise by the end of the century, increasing the risk of coastal flooding, with flood events that currently happen only once a century expected to recur every second year if global emissions are not abated. In just a few decades – by 2050 – the fraction of the country’s GDP lost every year due to tropical cyclones is expected to increase by up to 50%, reaching more than 6.5%. That estimate didn’t include the additional risk caused by sea level rise, which would magnify it further. The report also concluded that some parts of the country, especially those on low-lying outer islands, could be made uninhabitable by sea level rise and increased storm surges. It also highlighted the impacts climate change would have on Fiji’s health system, with water-borne diseases and respiratory diseases expected to worsen. “These health issues threaten the Fiji population and will challenge the health care system, and could also have a negative impact of some key sectors of the economy, especially the tourism sector, which is highly vulnerable to negative risk perceptions,” the report said. Coming less than two years after Tropical Cyclone Winston devastated the country, killing 44 people and costing the economy 20% of its GDP, the findings are likely to raise some attention at COP23. In a statement released with the report, prime minister of Fiji and current president of COP23 Voreqe “Frank” Bainimarama said: “As the president of the COP23 and on behalf of the small island nations, and building on the findings of this report, Fiji is asking the world for drastic action on climate change-building resilience through adaptation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions so that climate change does not impose a limit to our development and the aspiration of our people to live in their own lands.” The talks going on this week and next at COP23 are focused on writing the “rulebook” for implementing the Paris Agreement – including how countries will be required to “ratchet up” their commitments to achieve the agreed aims. | ['environment/bonn-climate-change-conference', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'world/fiji', 'world/asia-pacific', 'world/world', 'environment/environment', 'environment/global-climate-talks', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/michael-slezak', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/global-climate-talks | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2017-11-09T21:37:30Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2016/may/06/deep-sea-microbes-may-be-key-to-oceans-climate-change-feedback | Deep sea microbes may be key to oceans’ climate change feedback | Howard Lee | Microbes are hardly the poster-children of climate change, but they have far more impact than polar bears on Earth’s carbon cycle – and therefore on our climate. A new study published Friday in Science Advances finds that seabed bacteria and archaea (which look like bacteria but have very different genetics and biochemistry) are sensitive to climate. Because their habitat covers 65% of the entire globe, they form a huge part of the biosphere and are important in the regulation of carbon in the deep ocean, which affects long-term climate change. The microbes in question are packed together in the top 15 centimeters of the deep ocean seabed, like rush hour commuters in a city metro, up to a million times more abundant than in the sunless ocean water, or buried in deeper layers of seabed sediments. Their city-like crowding is fueled by a sparse sordid snow of excrement and microscopic dead bodies from life in the upper ocean, far above them. The scientists, led by Professor Roberto Danovaro of Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona, Italy, collected 228 samples from various locations in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, from a range of ocean depths (400 to 5570 meters deep) and a wide variety of ocean bottom temperatures. They measured the microbe populations using two independent DNA profiling techniques: “catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization” (thankfully abbreviated to “CARD-FISH”) and “quantitative polymerase chain reaction” (qPCR). They discovered that the seabed microbes thrive where water temperatures are cold, but their populations decline significantly as deep ocean waters warm. Professor Antonio Dell’Anno, one of the paper’s authors, told me: That is also linked to the fact that warmer deep-sea ecosystems have a low input of organic carbon supplied from the surface waters. In other words, their population is limited because their food is limited. Moreover, as the microbes warm so does their metabolic rate, requiring more food to survive, so the meagre food supports fewer individual microbes. The study also discovered that archaea make up a far larger proportion (11% to 31%) of the living matter in the ocean seabed than previously thought (less than 6%), and most of that population is made up of a temperature-sensitive group known as “Marine Group I Thaumarchaeota.” Professor David Archer of the University of Chicago calculated some years ago that there was an unexplained temperature-sensitive CO2 feedback that amplified the warm and cold cycles of the ice ages. He narrowed it down to the oceans, but it remains unsolved. I asked Professor Dell’Anno if deep seabed archaea might be the answer, but It’s too early to say: We do not know yet how temperature shifts can influence the biological interactions within food webs. We cannot yet predict whether prokaryotes will exacerbate or attenuate the magnitude of climate change on marine ecosystems, but they are expected to be a key component that is able to influence the oceans’ feedback on climate change. To move closer to an answer, the team is now looking to incorporate their results into new climate models, but it may be years before we fully appreciate the global impact of these tiniest of creatures. Howard Lee is a geologist and science writer who focuses on past climate changes. | ['environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/oceans', 'environment/environment', 'environment/series/guardian-environment-blogs', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'science/science', 'type/article', 'tone/blog'] | environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2016-05-06T10:00:22Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
sustainable-business/2015/jan/29/plastic-industry-recycling-learn-from-steel-circular-economy | What plastic can learn from steel in a circular economy | The global plastics industry generates over 280m metric tons in waste every year (pdf). The majority ends up in landfills, incinerators or as marine and land litter. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 32m tons of plastics waste were generated in 2012, with only about 9% recovered for recycling (collected, sorted, baled and sold). Actual recycling rates are even lower because not everything in the bales is recycled. This is especially true with mixed plastic bales, which are mostly sent to developing countries for “low-cost” recycling. And this is not just an issue of waste or disposal. These environmental health and safety practices impact workers and local ecosystems. The by-products and waste from these processors are often disposed of in ways that would be considered illegal in the countries where the waste originated, including dumping into “self-cleaning” streams that eventually find their way into oceans. Following in the footsteps of steel Plastics are much more valuable by weight than steel, which has an extremely high recycling rate. Interestingly, virgin steel companies often said that steel recycling would never expand beyond “downcycling” – a method of recycling that involves breaking an item down into its component elements or materials – into applications like reinforcing bars. Today, however, the biggest steel companies in the US are based on mini-mills and recycled steel. According to the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), “steel produced by predominantly scrap-fed electric-arc furnaces accounted for more than 60% of the total raw steel produced in the United States in 2013.” Plastics, an even more versatile material than steel, could follow the same trajectory and for the same reasons. Why don’t more US recycled material processors build the capacity to intercept this material and process it more responsibly in the US? One of the challenges is the lack of a large domestic market for buyers of scrap plastics who want supplies that are reliable and consistent in both volume and quality, and collectors, generators and recyclers who want a reliable market that can create sufficient value to cover their costs and provide an attractive return on their investment. In fact, while US material recovery facility operators demand long-term supply agreements often extending from 10 to 20 years from local municipalities before they make investments in their material recovery facility (MRF) operations, they remain reluctant to sign long-term supply agreements with their customers on the other side of their businesses, preferring to rely instead on a “trading to the highest bidder” model. This reluctance continues, even with the slowdown in export markets for mixed plastic waste and the fact that their trading models have recently turned against them. New economic opportunities So how do we change this situation? First, let’s get past the fear of raising our waste management costs. Responsible waste management and scrap export polices across Europe and other regions are creating jobs and promoting domestic economic development directly via their processing plants, and indirectly by providing sources of post-consumer recycled materials to domestic manufacturers. Some waste management companies suggest that increased recycling mandates will increase waste management costs. While such mandates might increase investment requirements, numerous studies have found that larger overall economic benefits can be realised by promoting recycling. After years of implementing and optimising very large recycling programs across Europe, the European Union has seen so many benefits that it is pushing even more aggressive recycling targets and promoting it as a critical part of its overall determination to develop a robust and more resilient circular economy. As You Sow estimates that over $11bn (£7bn) of recyclable materials are wasted annually in America alone, making opportunities in the US huge. The US Environmental Protection Agency, among other US organisations, has produced studies highlighting significant economic advantages to be realised from recycling materials from our waste streams compared to disposal, including Recycling is Working (pdf) and Recycling Means Business (pdf). Plastic recycling needs financing and assurance of supply Initiatives such as the Closed Loop Fund, which has brought key business leaders together in a commitment to increase recycling across America, have potential not only because they elevate industry-wide collaboration on a key infrastructural issue, but because they target a national issue from a market standpoint. By addressing the issue of access, the fund is creating a systemic change that can, if applied and invested in strategically, be relied on to replicate and scale effectively. The other critical factor required to encourage businesses to make substantial investments in domestic recycling infrastructure is feedstock security, and material recyclers need a similar assurance of supply required by waste management companies for the same reasons. Without availability of financing and assurance of supply (which helps make the financing more secure), we will continue to see many of our valuable resources buried, burned or shipped overseas for “low-cost” informal recycling. And we will fail to realise the full potential of the economic, environmental and societal benefits associated with moving to a more circular economy. The circular economy hub is funded by Philips. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled ‘brought to you by’. Find out more here. Join the community of sustainability professionals and experts. Become a GSB member to get more stories like this direct to your inbox. | ['sustainable-business/series/circular-economy', 'sustainable-business/sustainable-business', 'guardian-professional/sustainability', 'environment/recycling', 'environment/waste', 'environment/ethical-living', 'environment/environment', 'business/business', 'type/article', 'tone/blog'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2015-01-29T14:24:48Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2024/dec/11/humpback-whale-makes-record-journey-of-more-than-13000km-from-south-america-to-africa | Humpback whale makes record journey of more than 13,000km from South America to Africa | A humpback whale has journeyed more than 13,000km from South America to Africa, which researchers say is the longest distance ever recorded for an individual whale. New research published in Royal Society Open Science recorded sightings of a male humpback whale, initially spotted near the coast of Colombia and recorded nearly a decade later near Zanzibar, Africa. Co-author Ted Cheeseman, a whale biologist based at Southern Cross University, said the distance travelled was unusual – almost twice the typical migration – and suggesting the whale ended up way out of its usual range and population group. Researchers were unsure how the whale may have been received, he said. “When he showed up, was it like, ‘Oooh, sexy foreigner with a cool accent’?” The discovery was made possible by Happywhale, a platform Cheeseman co-founded, which enabled researchers, citizen scientists and whale watchers to record sightings and then identify individual whales by their flukes, using a modified form of facial recognition. A whale’s tail, or “flukeprint”, is as unique and identifiable as a fingerprint. “It’s like a five-metre banner of their ID,” Cheeseman said, pointing out that each has its own different patterns, pigmentation and scars. Whale scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta, who was not involved with the research, said it was a “brilliant example” of combining citizen science and technology to “take a single day of whale watching and turn it into something remarkable”. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email There was a lot that was still not known about whales, Pirotta said. “It’s always so refreshingly wonderful, especially in my career, to hear these fascinating stories documented in the scientific literature.” Pirotta is the author of Humpback Highway, a book taking its title from local whale populations’ migratory route along Australia’s east and west coasts. “They come to Australian waters generally to breed or give birth. And then they’ll return and migrate south to the southern waters to feed,” she said. Her own research, tracking an all-white humpback called Migaloo, showed whales often do not “stick to the script”. Sometimes, instead of heading up Australia’s east coast, Migaloo crossed “the ditch” and went across to New Zealand instead. Researchers did not yet know whether new technology was revealing more about existing whale movements, or whether the unusual patterns reflected a changing environment due to climate change. “We are learning way more because we have the tools in place,” Pirotta said. “As a world we are way more connected, and that means that the stories that we can tell about whales are more connected globally than ever before.” | ['environment/series/australian-climate-and-environment-in-focus', 'environment/whales', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/cetaceans', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/petra-stock', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2024-12-11T08:05:30Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2008/sep/01/forests.brazil | Brazil: Deforestation rises sharply as farmers push into Amazon | Concerns over the destruction of the Brazilian rainforest resurfaced at the weekend after it emerged that deforestation jumped by 64% over the last 12 months, according to official government data. Brazil's National Institute for Space Research this week said that around 3,145 square miles - an area half the size of Wales - were razed between August 2007 and August 2008. With commodity prices hitting recent highs and loggers and soy farmers pushing ever further into the Amazon jungle, satellite images captured by a real-time monitoring system, known in Brazil as Deter, showed that deforestation was once again on the rise after three years on the wane. The figures launched the controversy over how best to preserve the Amazon rainforest onto the front pages of Brazilian newspapers, and triggered a war of words between environmental campaigners and members of the government who claim that their struggle to protect the rainforest is not being given sufficient recognition. "This is not about luck, it is about work, work, work," Brazil's environment minister, Carlos Minc, told reporters. News that total deforestation rose over the entire year came quickly after the announcement of monthly figures showing that month-on-month deforestation had in fact fallen. Government figures show that between May and June this year deforestation fell by 25%. Despite the good news in recent months about the deforestation of the world's largest tropical forest slowing, Minc admitted his country still faced huge challenges in order to stamp out illegal logging and described the levels of destruction as "alarming". "We can't celebrate [the monthly drops] because deforestation is [still] very large. We have to invest everything into sustainable development," Minc told the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper. Critics claimed that the annual statistics gave a more accurate picture of the destruction been wrought on the Brazilian jungle. Environmental campaigners fear that Brazil's push to expand its economy and develop the Amazon region is posing increasing threats to Brazil's natural resources. They accuse the government of retreating from its promises to defend the Amazon rainforest, which has been decimated since the 1970s by a mixture of logging, cattle ranching and soy farming. "The president [Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva] said there would be no steps backwards," the former environment minister Marina Silva said in an interview published yesterday in the O Globo newspaper. "But suddenly there is a conjuncture of things that go against everything that was being done." | ['environment/forests', 'world/brazil', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'tone/news', 'world/world', 'environment/deforestation', 'environment/amazon-rainforest', 'world/americas', 'type/article', 'profile/tomphillips', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international'] | environment/deforestation | BIODIVERSITY | 2008-08-31T23:01:00Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2019/sep/20/hundreds-of-thousands-attend-school-climate-strike-rallies-across-australia | Hundreds of thousands attend school climate strike rallies across Australia | Hundreds of thousands of Australians took to the streets on Friday as they called for greater action on the climate emergency in more than 100 cities and towns across the country. Organisers of the school strike for climate claimed about 300,000 people attended dozens of rallies, including an estimated 100,000 in Melbourne and 80,000 in Sydney. The unprecedented climate crisis protests were likely the largest public demonstrations in Australia since the marches against the Iraq War in 2003. “I fight for climate justice because everyone deserves a safe future,” 17-year-old student Niamh told a crowd that spilled out of a Melbourne park and into the city streets. “The government is not supporting it yet, but together we will change that.” Sparked by the first climate striking student, Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, the protests have grown into a global movement. In Australia, they have garnered support from the wider environmental movement, but also from other non-profits and charities, unions and some businesses. Friday’s crowds doubled the size of the student strikes in March, organisers said. Protesters ranging in age from toddlers to the elderly chanted slogans such as “we are not drowning, we are fighting,” and held up signs and placards. Many were personally critical of the prime minister, Scott Morrison, who is currently in the US to visit Donald Trump. Morrison drew criticism this week after confirming he would not attend the United Nations Emergency Climate Summit in New York. In Sydney and Melbourne, there were long lines to enter the rallies, which brought parts of both cities to a halt. Throngs of students, families, mums with strollers, officer workers and unionists filled Sydney’s Domain to hear from protest organisers, Indigenous students, Pasifika activists, and union leaders. Moemoana, 18, had come from Wollongong to the protest, and her homeland is Samoa. “I’ve come to fight for the Pacific,” she told Guardian Australia in the crowd. “Seas are rising and it’s affecting Pacific Islands, especially Tuvalu and Kiribati, it’s a real threat and Australia needs to know that Pasifika are neighbours and Australia really needs to help out.” Marlie Thomas, a Kamilaroi high school student from Gunnedah, said she was attending the rally on the authority of her elders, not the department of education. “I’ve had to help collect bottled water for our family in Walgett,” she said, about the western NSW town which has run out of water after rivers dried up. About 35,000 people attended a protest in Brisbane. Across Queensland, climate strikes had a very direct local message to match the ambitious global demands of protesters: a stop to the Adani Carmichael coalmine and action to save the Great Barrier Reef. Large crowds turned up in places torn between coal basins and the Queensland coast in places like Mackay and Townsville, which have mineworkers’ jobs and a tourist industry at stake. “We strike because our future is in their hands,” said Brisbane year 12 student Morgan. “Our very existence sits precariously on the shoulders of politicians who care more about whether almond milk can be called milk than they do about climate change.” In Melbourne, where the protests coincided with the last day of the school term, the rally packed out Treasury Gardens and spilled onto Spring Street, where the state’s parliament sits. “I feel like there isn’t going to be very much of a future, or if there is, it will be very short unless we do something,” said Michaela Pam, 15, who took the day off school to attend. But the Coburg High School student told Guardian Australia of the large crowds: “It makes me feel really happy. You get a little bit of hope.” Melbourne organisers Niamh and Freya, 16, told the crowd the protesters did not blame those who worked in the fossil fuel industry for the climate crisis. “We understand the role fossil fuels have played in putting food on the table for families,” said Freya. “It’s vital we all work together, not against one another. It’s not about jobs versus the environment.” Large numbers also gathered in Australia’s other major cities. Organisers estimated about 15,000 attended a strike in the capital, Canberra, while there were about 10,000 people at rallies in both Perth and Adelaide. Organisers in Tasmania said 22,000 people attended an event in Hobart. Bob Brown, a former leader of the Greens and a giant of the environmental movement, said the crowds were larger than those during protests against the Franklin Dam in the 1980s. Students and protesters also gathered in smaller centres, from the beaches of Byron Bay on Australia’s east coast to the outback towns of Alice Springs and Katherine. In the Queensland town of Chinchilla, a lone striker, Ariel Ehlers, 12, staged her own strike. Organisations striking included 33 Australian unions, 2,500 businesses including Atlassian, Canva, Domain and Intrepid, and faith institutions including the Anglican Church and Uniting Church, organisers said. Universities said they would not penalise students who missed classes to attend, while the Uniting Church synod for NSW and the ACT also allowed their students to strike. Catholic and Anglican church-run schools as well as NSW public schools said students should remain in class. The acting prime minister, Michael McCormack, said the rallies should have been held on a weekend so they didn’t disrupt businesses, schools and universities. | ['environment/school-climate-strikes', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'environment/activism', 'world/protest', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/luke-henriques-gomes', 'profile/helen-davidson', 'profile/lisa-cox', 'profile/ben-smee', 'profile/naaman-zhou', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/activism | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2019-09-20T09:47:02Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
australia-news/2015/oct/06/victorian-firefighters-battle-bushfire-threatening-melbourne-steel-plant | Australia's east coast braces for more bushfires as temperatures soar | A fire threatening a steel plant is now under control and Victorian firefighters expect a cool change to bring relief to hot weather conditions in the state. The Bluescope plant on Denham Rd in Tyabb was under threat from a bushfire on Tuesday morning but firefighters from 27 fire trucks managed to contain it. Bushfires at Woodend north of Melbourne, and Magpie near Ballarat, have also been brought under control. A fire broke out in the Otway Ranges about 3pm on Monday and burned through 10 hectares of bush before it was controlled in the evening. Brad Carter, who lost his home at Wensleydale, near Anglesea, said the blaze took 100 firefighters and two aircraft hours to control. “There’s nothing left at all. Photos and relics, treasures, photos of kids, travel, tools of the trade, everything (is gone),” he said. Fire weather warnings have been issued in five states as unseasonably hot conditions are expected across Australia’s eastern seaboard. The mercury is tipped to climb to 30C and beyond in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart and Canberra. More hot and windy weather was predicted for Victoria with fire bans are in force until midnight affecting metropolitan Melbourne and the regional centres of Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Seymour, Mildura, Swan Hill, Shepparton, Warrnambool, Hamilton, Horsham, Wimmera and Mallee districts. Most of NSW is on high fire alert, with temperatures set to reach into the mid-30s. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting the mercury to hit 38C at Parramatta for the second consecutive day on Tuesday but those at Bondi Beach can expect a more mellow maximum of 27C. Fires are burning at Cessnock in the Hunter region, Clarence Valley in the Northern Rivers region and Wakool in the Riverina’s west. There are 24 bush, grass and scrub fires across NSW, of which 10 remain uncontained, an RFS spokesperson said on Tuesday. “None of those are close to homes or infrastructure,” he said. “Fires will start easily and spread quickly. So preparation is critical now.” While temperatures are “significantly higher” than Sydney’s October average of 22C they haven’t broken any records. Light winds will pick up on Tuesday afternoon leading to a reprieve on Wednesday when temperatures in Sydney are set to fall to a maximum 23C. The rural fire services commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, says NSW will experience extremely low humidity and winds reaching up to 80km/h. “Southeastern Australia is shaping up for an above normal fire season this year,” Fitzsimmons told Nine Network on Tuesday. “We need people to be vigilant and we need people to be careful.” Queensland is also on high alert, after three significant fires on Monday at Wivenhoe Pocket, west of Brisbane, North Gregory, southwest of Bundaberg, and Bluewater, northwest of Townsville. Fire crews are closely monitoring those blazes on Tuesday but say there are currently no threats to homes. There were a total of 60 blazes across Queensland over the weekend, including one that damaged a home and destroyed equipment at Cape Cleveland near Townsville. “We’re now back to 12 going fires, which we’ll be containing and monitoring today,” the Queensland fire and emergency services commissioner Mike Wassing said. “Those hinterland and interface areas around the whole of the coastal fringe are certainly at great risk in Queensland. Inland areas will also have fires but due to the drought conditions, there’s less fuel this year.” In Tasmania, more than 20 bushfires continue to burn as the state braces for high-risk conditions including winds of up to 100km/h. Temperatures are forecast to hit 32C on Tuesday, but the Bureau of Meteorology isn’t ruling out snowfall for parts of the state within the next 24 hours. “In and around the Hobart area that maximum temperature will occur early afternoon,” forecaster Alex Melitsis said on Tuesday. “Then we can expect to see a vigorous cold front come through by early evening and there is even the chance of snow later on high peaks including (Hobart’s) Mount Wellington.” Tasmania’s southeast and midlands regions are among the areas of greatest concern with crews already fighting remote fires near Orford, Osterley and at Tea Tree. The Tasmania fire service chief, Gavin Freeman, says it’s important the blazes are quickly controlled. “We have strike teams of firefighters pre-established and the same with aircraft and machinery; they’ll be on standby and prepositioned in the hot spots,” he said. “Our focus will be weight of attack ... putting a lot of resources on to fires when they start, should they start.” In South Australia, a burn-off at Sleaford designed to control invasive weeds, continues to burn near Port Lincoln on the state’s Eyre Peninsula. The blaze was sparked almost a week ago and flared up again on Monday as temperatures reached 35.6C in Adelaide while at Port Lincoln it was a hotter 37.2C. Authorities have defended the decision to go ahead with a controlled burn, saying it was necessary despite Monday’s hot conditions. The country fire authority assistant chief officer, Rob Sandford, said on FIVEaa radio: “This work does need to be undertaken to reduce the fuel load to lessen the impact (of potential fires).” | ['australia-news/bushfires', 'world/wildfires', 'australia-news/victoria', 'australia-news/new-south-wales', 'australia-news/tasmania', 'australia-news/australia-weather', 'society/emergency-services', 'weather/index/australasia', 'world/natural-disasters', 'australia-news/south-australia', 'tone/news', 'type/article'] | world/wildfires | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2015-10-05T22:35:45Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
sport/2018/apr/06/commonwealth-games-sarah-vasey-team-england-gold-medal-pool | Commonwealth Games: Sarah Vasey outshines club mate Peaty with gold | Adam Peaty rarely finds himself eclipsed by anyone, let alone another swimmer from the same club, but he was forced to surrender top billing to Sarah Vasey for one night as she added to England’s gold medal haul in the pool. Peaty will have his moment in the spotlight after breezing through to Saturday’s 100m breaststroke final but the City of Derby swimming club’s lesser known export Vasey has paved the way to glory. The 21-year-old betrayed no hint of first-time nerves as she became the 50m breaststroke champion on her Commonwealth Games debut, to give England their fifth medal in the pool. Vasey won in 30.60sec beating Alia Atkinson, of Jamaica, into second with Leiston Pickett, of Australia, completing the podium. “I’m feeling really good, it’s pretty mental,” Vasey said. “This time last year I won my first British title, now I’m Commonwealth champion – it’s crazy.” Inspiration had arrived the evening before when her room-mate in the athletes’ village, Aimee Willmott, returned with her own gold medal to show off. “When she came back I saw her medal and was like: ‘I want one of those,’” Vasey said. “The 50 was a bonus event for me. All my training’s more geared towards the 100, because that’s the Olympic event. But watching in the stands, that was what got me going. I just wanted to be a part of it.” An unexpected gold for James Wilby in the 200m breaststroke had proved particularly emotional. “James is just a really nice guy,” Vasey said. “He always seems to be just off it. He smashed his PB last night and I cried like a baby. I was an emotional wreck. It’s nice when you see how hard someone is working and they finally get the glory for what they have done.” In the absence of the recently retired Usain Bolt, Peaty is one of the international stars at these Games and organisers must have been hoping he could produce a fireworks moment by improving on his 100m breaststroke world record of 57.1sec. That seemed unlikely as he progressed to the final in 58.59, a way outside his best but still made him the fastest qualifier. The reigning Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth champion insisted he was determined to put on a show. “It’s what I’m built for,” Peaty said. “I welcome that with open arms, whatever the weather. That’s what Mel trains me to do. I’m pretty confident we can get something fast. “Everyone’s beatable. I want to defend my titles for four years and that’s what I’ve come here to do. I haven’t come here to go really fast because that’s not in our plan. I want to peak in worlds, I want to peak in Olympics. This is the kind of year where I turn up, defend those titles and go home and enjoy the process. I don’t want to look back at my career and think: ‘Bloody hell, I took it way too seriously.” England’s women took silver behind Canada in the gymnastics team event. Canada secured gold by finishing 1.25 points ahead of the inexperienced team of Kelly Simm, Alice Kinsella, Georgia-Mae Fenton, Lucy Stanhope and Taeja James. The selection of the team, which were decimated by the withdrawals of Claudia Fragapane, Ellie Downie and the Olympic medalist Amy Tinkler, has proved controversial. Charlie Fellows, a long-time member of the squad was overlooked despite winning medals at the British championships, something British Gymnastics attributed to other athletes having better long-term potential. There were, however, some fine individual performances, with Fenton and James qualifying in first place for the individual uneven bars and floor finals respectively. | ['sport/commonwealth-games-2018', 'sport/adam-peaty', 'sport/swimming', 'sport/commonwealth-games', 'sport/australia-sport', 'sport/sport', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/martha-kelner', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/sport', 'theguardian/sport/news', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-sport'] | sport/commonwealth-games-2018 | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2018-04-06T14:39:52Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
environment/2011/sep/01/fly-tipping-uk-taxpayer-cost | Fly-tipping 'costs taxpayers £40m a year' | Fly-tipping cost taxpayers £40m last year, with more than 75 incidents occurring every hour in England and Wales, according to new figures. The statistics, obtained by the Countryside Alliance under the Freedom of Information Act, revealed that councils spent £40m on clearing up and taking legal action for illegal rubbish dumping, but collected just £692,000 in fines in 2010-11. There were at least 656,000 fly-tipping incidents in the past year but just one in 50 cases led to a prosecution. In some cash-strapped rural local authority areas, the figure was just three prosecutions per 1,000 cases. The results of the research, to which four-fifths of local councils responded, show a marked fall in the amount of fly-tipping blighting the countryside since a similar survey in 2006-07 which revealed 2.5 million incidents at a cost of £100m. But the Countryside Alliance warned that with rising taxes on sending rubbish to landfill and cuts to council budgets, the problem of fly-tipping is likely to get worse. The rural organisation also said that if councils collected rubbish less frequently, with a trend towards fortnightly collections that the government has failed to arrest, authorities needed to be aware there could be more illegal dumping of waste. Fly-tipping remained a widespread problem facing the countryside and the costs of tackling the problem were unacceptably high for tax payers and private landowners, the alliance said. Alice Barnard, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: "Fly-tipping blights our countryside - ruining the beautiful views for which Britain is rightly famous, endangering wildlife and habitats, and costing the taxpayer millions of pounds to clear up. "The coalition government promised to end this scourge when they published the waste review this summer. "This is a promising start. However, they need to work closer with cash-strapped local authorities to tackle this blight. "By raising the landfill tax in the budget and with more cuts coming to council budgets, this problem is only going to get worse." The research also showed that local authorities and the Environment Agency carried out 386,010 enforcement actions, including handing out on-the-spot fines, but there were just 11,972 prosecutions. Barnard said: "Fly-tipping is a crime that perpetrators can get away with. "We need a co-ordinated plan which ensures that people who fly-tip are caught and punished, and provides greater support to local authorities and landowners who bear the brunt of the cost of clearing up the mess." The Countryside Alliance wants all incidents of fly-tipping investigated and not abandoned because it might be too time-consuming or costly, and an education campaign to make householders aware they must dispose of waste through licensed companies or bodies. The group also called for the extra money being raised from rising landfill taxes to be ring-fenced to help local authorities fight fly-tipping and greater support for private landowners, who typically spend £1,000 on each incident of illegal rubbish dumping. | ['environment/waste', 'environment/environment', 'environment/pollution', 'environment/landfill', 'uk/uk', 'uk/ukcrime', 'tone/news', 'uk/ruralaffairs', 'type/article'] | environment/waste | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2011-09-01T10:03:19Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2018/sep/27/uks-first-air-filtering-bus-launches-in-southampton | UK's first air-filtering bus launches in Southampton | One of the UK’s largest bus and rail operators has launched the country’s first air filtering bus in an effort to tackle air pollution. The Go-Ahead Group unveiled the Bluestar bus in Southampton on Thursday claiming that the new filtration system attached to the top of the vehicle will clean the air as it moves around the city. Go Ahead chief executive, David Brown said: “We are going a step further in the potential for our buses to actively clean the environment. It’s a huge development in our environmental leadership and we are also proud to be pioneering the prototype in the UK.” The diesel bus is fitted with a specially designed filter that its inventors say will remove ultra-fine particles from the air and trap them as the bus moves through the streets. The filter then allows the bus to blow out more pure air so that the air behind it is cleaner than that in front of it. Brown said Southampton had been chosen for the prototype as the World Health Organization revealed that the city is at its limit of unsafe air pollution. It is also one of five cities tasked with drawing up air pollution plans by the government. Brown said that if the trial is successful it could be rolled out to Go Ahead’s entire fleet of more than 5,000 buses. | ['environment/air-pollution', 'environment/pollution', 'uk/transport', 'uk-news/southampton', 'uk/uk', 'environment/environment', 'cities/cities', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/matthewtaylor', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2018-09-27T05:30:12Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
world/2023/oct/01/east-libya-postpone-derna-reconstruction-conference-amid-calls-for-unity | East Libya postpones Derna reconstruction conference amid calls for unity | The government in eastern Libya has been forced to postpone a reconstruction conference for the stricken city of Derna amid concerns about how donations will be spent and a lack of coordination with the west of the country. A large part of Derna was destroyed on the night of 10 September when severe flooding caused two dams above the town to burst. The death toll has been put at more than 10,000, but no official figure is yet deemed accurate. The official explanation for the reconstruction conference being postponed from 10 October until November was to give companies “the necessary time to present effective studies and projects that will contribute to the reconstruction process.” The conference date had been announced by the prime minister of the eastern-based government, Osama Hamad. But on Saturday Richard Norland, US ambassador to Libya, which has two rival administrations in charge, joined the calls for the reconstruction process to be a national event, rather than one conducted solely by the east. He said: “As focus on reconstruction increases, Libyans need to be assured public funds are used transparently, accountably, and that assistance goes to those in need. “The international community is preparing to assist in this effort with financial and technical expertise. The Libyans must establish the structures that bring authorities from across the country together to agree on priority expenditures and ensure funds are efficiently and properly allocated. “We urge Libyan authorities now to form such unified structures – rather than launching separate efforts – that represent the Libyan people without delay. “A proposal to hold a reconstruction conference in Benghazi on 10 Octoberwould be much more effective if it were conducted jointly and inclusively in coordination with institutions that manage resources and funding, taking into account the best interests of the Libyan people”. Late last week, European powers in conjunction with the UN special mission for Libya called “for the establishment of an independent mechanism to oversee reconstruction in the east”. It added: “The status quo of political and institutional divide, and the lack of accountability for national resources and funds, cannot go on.” Some diplomats hope to use outrage over the dam catastrophe to force Libyan politicians to agree to stage repeatedly postponed national elections. It has been made privately clear to politicians in Libya’s east that donation levels from European governments will depend on clearer stewardship of the funds. It also follows demands, echoed inside Libya, for the inquiry into the causes of the disaster to include an international element since there is widespread distrust over the internal inquiry currently under way. The public prosecutor’s office has provisionally arrested 12 officials in connection with the disaster. These mainly local officials range from the former head of the water resources authority to the mayor of Derna. The inquiry focus is on what happened to money allocated for the reconstruction of the dams, and why the work contracted to a Turkish firm was not pursued. Libya is an oil-rich country but suffers from rampant corruption, particularly in construction contracts. In September the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) announced that the country’s oil revenues in the first eight months of 2023 amounted to 59.8bn Libyan dinars (£10.2bn). Derna has been under a form of lockdown – with checkpoints put in place, international news organisations expelled and dissidents arrested – since a demonstration demanding clearer accountability for the disaster. On Wednesday, the eastern authorities announced the creation of a fund for the reconstruction of Derna and other areas affected by the flooding. They did not indicate how the new fund would be financed. Then, on Friday, the eastern administration announced it had begun compensating residents affected by the floods, distributing cheques to the mayors of the stricken towns. During talks with the European Commission, UN envoy Abdoulaye Bathily said he had called for funds delivered to Libya to be accountable. Many humanitarian workers say the immediate need is psychological counselling for traumatised residents. | ['world/libya', 'world/africa', 'world/middleeast', 'world/world', 'environment/flooding', 'world/extreme-weather', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/patrickwintour', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-foreign'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2023-10-01T17:45:51Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
news/2016/may/15/weatherwatch-antarctic-ice-shelf-collapse-global-implications | Continuing collapse of Antarctic ice shelves will affect us all | A terrifying incident rocked the Argentine Matienzo base on the Antarctic Peninsula in 1995. The base was built on an island surrounded by a thick shelf of ice called Larsen A. Ten soldiers manning the base noticed strange pools of melted water appearing on the ice surface, followed by gurgling noises as water drained through cracks in the ice, whilst far below came deep rumbling sounds. Shortly after, a monstrous collapse shook the base as the whole of Larsen A suffered a colossal implosion and shattered into a melange of icebergs. That was followed by the collapse of more ice shelves along the Peninsula. Because ice shelves float on the sea their melting didn’t add to rising sea levels. The ice shelves did, however, act as a brake on glaciers, and when they vanished the glaciers were free to slide into the sea and melt, incrementally adding to the threat of rising sea levels. Rising global temperatures remain a concern – just last year, the Antarctic Peninsula set a new record temperature of 17C for Antarctica and prolonged warming and subsequent ice shelf collapses have wide ranging global implications. A far greater worry is the giant West Antarctic ice sheet. The ice sheet is buttressed by fringes of floating sea ice, which, if a similar collapse were to take place, could be enough to set off a chain reaction leading to a vast ice-sheet recession over just a few decades. If it melted completely scientists think that it could add as much as three metres to global sea levels, and that would spell catastrophe for low lying coasts around the world. | ['news/series/weatherwatch', 'world/antarctica', 'environment/sea-level', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'science/meteorology', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/jeremy-plester', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-weather'] | environment/sea-level | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2016-05-15T20:30:16Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
politics/2009/jan/28/heathrow-third-runway | Heathrow expansion: Government survives Commons vote | The government tonight survived the first parliamentary test of its decision to expand Heathrow airport. Plans to build a third runway at Heathrow have been fiercely opposed by a coalition of environmentalists, opposition polticians and Labour MPs concerned at both the electoral consequences for their west London constituencies and the effects aviation expansion would have on the government's new carbon emission reduction targets. This morning, a parliamentary aide, Andrew Slaughter, resigned to be able to vote against the government. But though the vote – tabled by the opposition in the face of a government refusal to allow one – failed to inflict the damage to the government's decision to go ahead once expected, Labour's majority was still slashed by two-thirds. The Conservatives' motion was a word-for-word copy of the early day motion tabled by Labour MP John Grogan before Christmas – a tactic they believed would recruit maximum numbers of Labour MPs to their ranks – but in the event 28 went through the division lobbies with the opposition, with the government's majority slashed to 19. But tonight Labour rebels were claiming a victory of sorts — saying the 28 who voted with the opposition made it the biggest Labour rebellion on an opposition day debate since 1997, the last being that on post offices which saw 19 vote with the opposition. Though the vote would not have been binding, the government spent the day briefing it beleived the vote would be "tight". Former rebels and Liberal Democrats alike pointed to a shift in Conservative position which they regarded to undermine the Tories' environmental opposition to Heathrow and which deterred them from joining the Tory ranks. Though senior Tory party members have been quick to quash any suggestion they would endorse Boris Johnson's plans for airports in the Thames estuary, moving the motion in the Commons yesterday shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers injected some ambiguity into Tory policy when she admitted that she did not "rule out airport expansion in the south-east". A Conservative aide explained Villiers had placed the Conservatives against expanding Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick but that the party did not "rule out expansion in future". Speaking in the debate Labour MP Karen Buck said Johnson's ambitions made it impossible for a Labour rebel concerned about expansion to vote with the Conservatives. The rebel's ranks were diminished at the time the government announced a decision to expand Heathrow on Janaury 15 by the inclusion in the package of environmental concessions such as a cap on flights – something the it dubbed "half a runway" – and a commitment that all further aircraft slots would be "green slots". The climate change secretary Ed Miliband, spent most of the six-hour debate in the Commons chamber. Though he reminded Labour MPs expansion would only go ahead after air quality, noise quality and climate change commitments had all been met, Labour and opposition politicians remain sceptical that the safeguards will be binding, since recommendations against heathrow made by the Environment Agency have been ignored. Geoff Hoon, the transport secretary, accused Villiers of failing to explain what criteria the Conservatives would use for accepting or rejecting airport expansion plans. "This decision by the Conservative party is political opportunism of the lowest kind. This decision was determined by Conservative Central Office not on the basis of any kind of principle ... Unless she can answer basic questions she has no right to represent the Conservative party or her country," he said. | ['politics/conservatives', 'politics/transport', 'environment/heathrow-third-runway', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/travel-and-transport', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'uk/transport', 'tone/news', 'environment/green-politics', 'world/air-transport', 'type/article', 'profile/allegrastratton'] | environment/green-politics | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2009-01-28T20:01:00Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
environment/2017/nov/13/share-your-photos-and-stories-of-how-you-are-avoiding-plastic | Share your photos and stories of how you are avoiding plastic | Pret A Manger announced in October the installation of taps dispensing free filtered water in some of its stores in an attempt to reduce the company’s use of plastic. A growing number of food and drink outlets are taking action to ditch plastic amid deepening concern about its effect on the environment, with drinking straws and bottles among items being phased out. Wherever you are in the world, we’d like to hear your stories and see your photos of how you are trying to avoid plastic in your daily or weekly consumption. What are your top tips for reducing waste? Also have you seen examples where excessive plastic has been used for packaging? How well does your country reduce their use of plastic? How to contribute You can share your tips and pictures by clicking on the blue “Contribute” button on this article. You can also use the Guardian app and search for “GuardianWitness assignments”. If you prefer you can share your contribution via a form at the bottom of the article. | ['environment/plastic', 'environment/series/bottling-it', 'environment/environment', 'environment/recycling', 'environment/ethical-living', 'environment/waste', 'uk/uk', 'world/world', 'world/series/half-full-solutions-innovations-answers', 'type/article', 'tone/callout', 'profile/guardian-readers', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-special-projects', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-communities-and-social'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2017-11-13T10:32:20Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
commentisfree/2010/oct/01/bottle-deposit-scheme-costly-counterproductive | Response: A bottle deposit scheme would be costly and counterproductive | Your editorial on the Campaign to Protect Rural England's call for a deposits scheme for drinks containers highlighted that "it's a simple scheme and an old one" (In praise of… deposit bottles, 17 September). However, that's exactly the point – it's old, defunct. The deposit scheme worked in the UK at a time when containers were made to be refilled. Manufacturers needed to get them back and so used deposits to encourage return. It died out because, even with the financial incentive of the deposit, people stopped returning their used containers. Surveys conducted by the Glass Manufacturers' Federation in 1972 and 1977, when most deposit schemes were wound up, found that the amount of litter remained constant, which suggests that deposits had no effect on the behaviour of litterers. At the same time, there were new developments in can and plastic bottle technology that meant drinks could be packed in much less material, which enabled them to be supplied in fewer delivery lorries, with consequently lower overall environmental impact. At the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment, we support measures to reduce litter as a whole, but are completely opposed to a mandatory deposit scheme. Such a scheme would not deal with the vast bulk of waste – newspapers, leaflets, cigarette ends and chewing gum – that blights our streets and open spaces. And the waste that the scheme covers, namely some drinks bottles and cans, would be dealt with at considerable expense. CPRE admits that the scheme would cost as much as £700m a year to run – money that would ultimately come from consumers, either directly through unclaimed deposits or indirectly through higher prices. It argues, as stated in your editorial, "that the public sector would save £160m in cleaning costs", but this would hardly compensate for the cost of the scheme. We believe the best way to reduce litter is by education, cleaning and law enforcement. Education needs to focus on making people feel proud of their environment so that littering becomes as antisocial as spitting. For example, Disney World in the US and Thorpe Park in England employ people to clear litter as soon as it happens, in front of the public, and find that people are then much less inclined to litter partly because they feel guilty about doing it but also because they see the result of their actions. Using the deposit scheme to try to turn a civic duty into a commercial transaction will be simply counterproductive. Your editorial mentions two examples of places where deposits are in operation, New York state and Germany. But these are in a minority: 39 out of 50 US states and 19 out of 27 EU member states do not impose mandatory deposits. Your editorial states: "Retailers won't like it: they think customers should recycle glass bottles." But drinks containers are an income-generating part of councils' recycling collections, and vital to fund the other low- or no- value items. More than 60% of used packaging, including drinks containers, is recycled. The priority should be to persuade people to continue to support councils' kerbside and bank collections and make use of the increasing number of on-the-go recycling bins. Deposits would just divert effort and money away from this. | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'commentisfree/series/response', 'tone/comment', 'environment/recycling', 'environment/waste', 'environment/ethical-living', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'profile/jane-bickerstaffe', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/editorialsandreply'] | environment/waste | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2010-10-01T08:18:57Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2023/aug/22/bacteria-that-eats-methane-could-slow-global-heating-study-finds | Bacteria that ‘eat’ methane could slow global heating, study finds | Bacteria that consume the greenhouse gas methane could slow the rate of global heating, according to a study out this week. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas emitted from energy (natural gas and petroleum systems), industry, agriculture, land use and waste management activities. Now a group of researchers from the University of Washington are proposing a method of removing methane by using a group of bacteria known as methanotrophs to naturally convert methane to carbon dioxide and biomass. All the bacteria in this group “‘eat’ methane, removing it from air and converting part of it to cells as a source of sustainable protein,” according to the lead researcher, Mary E Lidstrom. Lidstrom’s team have found a strain of bacteria within this group called methylotuvimicrobium buryatense 5GB1C that can remove methane efficiently even when it is present in lower amounts. If it became widespread, the technology has the potential to help slow global heating, the researchers said. Typically, this group of bacteria thrive in environments with high levels of methane (between 5,000 and 10,000 parts per million (ppm)). The normal concentrations in our atmosphere have much lower levels of only about 1.9 ppm of methane. But certain areas such as landfills, rice fields and oilwells emit higher concentrations of about 500 ppm. “Bacteria that rapidly eat methane at the higher concentrations found around cattle herds, etc could make a huge contribution to cutting methane emissions, especially from tropical agriculture,” said Euan Nisbet, professor of Earth sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London, commenting on the findings of the study. The strain’s high methane consumption rate is probably due to a low energy requirement and greater attraction for methane – more than five times more than that of other bacteria, according to the study. “The bacteria oxidise the methane to CO2 (a much less powerful greenhouse gas) and so you can even use the exhaust to pump into greenhouses and grow tomatoes,” said Nisbet. “The biggest barrier to implementation now is technical: we need to increase the methane treatment unit 20-fold. If we can achieve that, then the biggest barriers become investment capital and public acceptance. We believe we could have field pilots tested within three to four years, and scale up would then depend on investment capital and commercialisation,” said Lidstrom. The agriculture sector is the largest source of methane emissions due to livestock manure and gastroenteric releases. Methane has more than 85 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it reaches the atmosphere, and poses a particular problem as a greenhouse gas. Atmospheric methane has been rising rapidly over the past 15 years, reaching record highs, and currently accounts for at least 30% of total global heating. In 2021 several of the world’s largest economies agreed at Cop26 to work together to urgently reduce methane levels. However, they continue to rise. To implement methane-eating bacteria on a mass scale, thousands of high-functioning reactors will be needed. “This may be daunting but if our survival depends on lowering atmospheric methane now the cost may be a lower priority in allocating resources. Lack of political will and understanding in the private and public sectors about the urgency of the need to reduce methane now will make global heating even worse in coming years,” said Mary Ann Bruns, professor of soil microbiology at Pennsylvania State University. Currently, most proposed methane reduction solutions are focused on decreasing emissions but this is not always possible. Researchers stress that both methane removal and decreased emissions strategies are needed to meet climate targets. However, Lidstrom warns that any emissions reduction strategies that enhance bacterial activity in natural communities may also result in increased nitrous oxide (N2O) emission, which has 10 times the global heating potential than that of methane. Critically, this methanotrophic bacteria-based technology does not produce nitrous oxide emissions. Recent projections predicted that global heating can be reduced 0.21C to 0.22C by removing 0.3 to 1 petagrams of methane by 2050. Temperature decreases of this magnitude are predicted to be significant especially when combined with other emissions reduction strategies. | ['environment/carbon-emissions', 'science/science', 'environment/environment', 'technology/technology', 'science/agriculture', 'environment/fossil-fuels', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/oksana-pyzik', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/fossil-fuels | EMISSIONS | 2023-08-22T17:55:53Z | true | EMISSIONS |
technology/2021/nov/29/chinese-could-hack-data-for-future-quantum-decryption-report-warns | Chinese could hack data for future quantum decryption, report warns | Chinese hackers could target heavily encrypted datasets such as weapon designs or details of undercover intelligence officers with a view to unlocking them at a later date when quantum computing makes decryption possible, a report warns. Analysts at Booz Allen Hamilton, a consulting firm, say Chinese hackers could also steal pharmaceutical, chemical and material science research that can be processed by quantum computers – machines capable of crunching through numbers at unprecedented speed. In a report titled “Chinese threats in the quantum era”, the consultancy says encrypted data could be stolen by “Chinese threat groups”. It says quantum-assisted decryption will arrive faster than quantum-assisted encryption, giving hackers an edge. “Encrypted data with intelligence longevity, like biometric markers, covert intelligence officer and source identities, social security numbers, and weapons’ designs, may be increasingly stolen under the expectation that they can eventually be decrypted,” the report says. It says “state-aligned cyber threat actors” will start to steal or intercept previously unusable encrypted data. However, it adds there is a “very small” likelihood that quantum computing could break the latest encryption methods before 2030. The analysts say quantum computing’s advantages over classical computing – the computing used in everything from laptops to mobile phones – are at least a decade away. “Although quantum computers’ current abilities are more demonstrative than immediately useful, their trajectory suggests that in the coming decades quantum computers will likely revolutionize numerous industries – from pharmaceuticals to materials science – and eventually undermine all popular current public-key encryption methods,” the report says. Quantum computing is viewed as an exciting development. For example, experts say it could predict accurately what a complex molecule might do and thus pave the way for new drugs and materials. China is already a strong player in the field, and Booz Allen Hamilton says it expected the country to surpass Europe and the US – where IBM recently made the most powerful quantum processor – in quantum-related research and development. “Chinese threat groups will likely soon collect encrypted data with long-term utility, expecting to eventually decrypt it with quantum computers,” the report says. “By the end of the 2020s, Chinese threat groups will likely collect data that enables quantum simulators to discover new economically valuable materials, pharmaceuticals and chemicals.” | ['technology/hacking', 'world/china', 'world/asia-pacific', 'technology/technology', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/danmilmo', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-foreign'] | technology/hacking | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2021-11-29T16:36:42Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
food/2020/aug/24/uk-wine-boxes-bagnums-bottle-lockdown | Bag-in-box wines enjoy sales boost during UK coronavirus lockdown | From so-called “bagnums” to “cardbordeaux”, bag-in-box wines have enjoyed a sales surge in the UK during lockdown as Britons opted for better value for money and fewer trips to the supermarket. The Co-op chain reported an unprecedented 300% sales uplift across its range as consumers have shopped less but drank more at home during the closure of pubs and restaurants, with the trend set to continue into the autumn. Larger pack sizes – typically three litres, or four 75cl bottles – represent better value. Amid the easing of lockdown the boom in UK camping and picnicking is now helping to drive sales, as consumers have recognised the portability, convenience and eco-credentials of the new-style products. The packaging means little oxygen enters even once it has been opened, so wine stays fresher for longer – up to six weeks – than in a bottle. The Co-op has bolstered its 12 bag-in-box range (which includes Fairtrade red and white) by an additional six wines in order to meet demand, and is currently trialling a premium dry rosé. Sarah Benson, wine buyer at Co-op, said people were buying into boxed wine because they could get more in a single purchase and it allowed customers to share the wine among a wider group than a smaller bottle. Marks & Spencer has adapted the original Australian-style three-litre format – better suited to cavernous fridges in hot countries – to 1.5 litre slimline “pouches” that fit neatly inside UK machines or coolers – and sales have doubled. Sales of the pouches – nicknamed “bagnums” by customers – were up 40% during lockdown. M&S winemaker Belinda Kleinig said: “Pouches have definitely gone upmarket: as packaging technology has improved, so too has wine quality, and customers are now happy to bring out their pouches at picnics and parties.” Sainsbury’s reported a 41% rise in sales across its bag-in-box wine since UK lockdown – compared with the same time last year – and is now expanding the range, with a slew of premium “Taste the Difference” products in boxes due in January. “Lockdown gave bag-in-box wine a real opportunity to shine,” said Sainsbury’s wine buyer Hugh Browne. “Shoppers could get the same great taste in a larger container that kept their wine fresh for six weeks from opening, with fewer trips to the shops.” The tipple is attracting a more diverse customer base as more brands enter the market and quality has increased, said Tesco. The company also highlighted the appeal of its eco-credentials – it’s more environmentally friendly than transporting glass bottles. However, while the cardboard “cartons” are widely recyclable, the inner bags with attached pouring spout are generally not and have to be removed and disposed of separately. | ['food/wine', 'business/supermarkets', 'business/packaging', 'environment/recycling', 'world/coronavirus-outbreak', 'uk/uk', 'business/business', 'environment/environment', 'environment/ethical-living', 'food/food', 'business/retail', 'environment/waste', 'business/tesco', 'business/marksspencer', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/rebeccasmithers', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/topstories', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2020-08-23T23:01:09Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
books/2019/may/29/greta-thunberg-review-speeches-that-appeal-to-both-heart-and-mind | No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference review – Greta Thunberg’s vision | In 1791, a tall, good-looking ex-naval officer called Richard Brothers claimed to hear the voice of an angel predicting God’s imminent destruction of London. In the same year, William Bryan – a Bristolian with mellifluous voice and “clear and gentle” eyes – prophesied the overturn of global monarchies, followed a few years later by the “fall” of Bristol, and an earthquake in which London would “burn like an oven”. Their critics accused Brothers and Bryan of “enthusiasm”, of falsely believing they were acting under divine inspiration. Satirists aligned them with the bloodiest of French revolutionaries. They seemed to exhibit the same disrespect for established social hierarchies, the same untamed emotions, the same wild eyes, torn clothes and dangerously unkempt appearance. Judging by the criticism levelled at Greta Thunberg – the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist who launched a Skolstrejk för klimatet (School strike for the climate) in August 2018 – many fear her as the Brothers or Bryan of our times. She has been accused of alarmism and fearmongering, with a “doomsday” prophecy of climate catastrophe, necessitating changes that will crash the global economy. Jeremy Corbyn’s brother Piers Corbyn has dismissed Thunberg as a “brainwashed child”, an inspired puppet of cynical adults. Spiked magazine’s Ella Whelan sees Thunberg’s school strike as an encapsulation of her entire method: a rejection of rationalism and education for “kneejerk, panicky responses” and wild, self-indulgent emotion. Thunberg is painfully aware that “people tell me that I’m retarded, a bitch and a terrorist, and many other things”. But her speeches – now collected and published under the title of her refrain, “no one is too small to make a difference” – give the lie to these caricatures. Yes, she reiterates, “I want you to panic … I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.” But this is offset by dispassionate emphasis on bullet-pointed facts and figures, and the defence that emotion – even panic – is completely rational. Perhaps Thunberg is a prophet after all. Brothers and Bryan leaped to fame in the 1790s, when their visions of toppling hierarchies and ravaged cities gave shape to people’s inchoate hopes and fears about change and corruption after the French Revolution. Their prophecies confirmed the widespread sense that to live in 1790s Britain was to live in a time of profound, unsettling and not necessarily optimistic change. Thunberg’s appeal to us now is slightly different. Her simple emotion and “black-and-white” rationalism suggest authenticity and trust to her audience, many of whom are wary of adult experts suspected of harbouring hidden agendas. But most of all, whereas Brothers and Bryan’s prophecies gave shape to public fears of catastrophe and collapse, Thunberg speaks to a people acutely aware of living in a time of transition, on a knife-edge between multiple possible futures. Her argument is not driven by a belief that we are all doomed, but is cut through with tentative hope. And as a small, isolated figure, with her pigtails and open face, poised bravely behind an enormous lectern, facing down a roomful of powerful, suited adults, she embodies what it’s like to be an individual who yearns for change, against a juggernaut of commercial and political interests defending the status quo. I wonder if many of us right now, across a multitude of political persuasions, see ourselves in Thunberg, in the fragility of our political and environmental hopes, and our sense of personal impotence. As she says: “I’m too young to do this. We children shouldn’t have to do this.” A greater readiness to involve ourselves in collective action would go a long way towards lessening not just Thunberg’s vulnerability, but our own. • No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg is published by Penguin (£2.99). To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com. Free UK p&p on all online orders over £15. | ['books/books', 'tone/reviews', 'culture/culture', 'environment/environment', 'environment/greta-thunberg', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'books/scienceandnature', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'type/article', 'environment/school-climate-strikes', 'profile/rachel-hewitt', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/guardianreview', 'theguardian/guardianreview/saturdayreviewsfeatres', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/review'] | environment/school-climate-strikes | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2019-05-29T11:00:39Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
us-news/2022/sep/01/dead-fish-oakland-lake-merritt-algae-bloom | Thousands of dead fish wash up in Oakland lake to create a putrid mess | Thousands of fish carcasses have been floating up to the edges of the San Francisco Bay, and the scummy top of Oakland’s Lake Merritt – stewing under the sun and wafting a putrid stench into nearby neighborhoods. The dead bat rays, striped bass, sturgeon, anchovies and clams, are probably mass victims of an algal bloom that scientists are racing to understand. In the meantime citizen scientists, local photographers, joggers and naturalists have been capturing dramatic photos of the die-off. “The diversity of life in Lake Merritt is just incredible,” said Damon Tighe, a naturalist who documents wildlife in the lake, a unique ecosystem in Oakland, California, that contains both fresh and saltwater. A range of fish, crustaceans and mollusks call the lake home as do large breeding populations of herons, egrets, geese and ducks. Salmon, sturgeon, jellyfish and leopard sharks have also navigated into the lake in recent years. The die-off in the lake is probably due to an algal bloom of Heterosigma akashiwo, which was first spotted at various points across the San Francisco Bay and estuaries in late July. The alga is likely sucking up all the dissolved oxygen in the water, leaving the fish to asphyxiate, said Jon Rosenfield, a scientist with the San Francisco Baykeeper conservation group, which has been tracking the phenomenon. Heterosigma akashiwo also produces a toxin that may have killed the fish. The result is ruddy, brown-tinged water – slopping into shores along with thousands of bloated fish bodies. According to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, algae density measured on 10 August were the highest observed in more than 40 years. The deaths of sturgeon in parts of the San Francisco Bay have been especially striking, given that the fish are so large, and armored against many environmental threats. The fish can live for decades. “This is like losing giant redwoods,” Tighe said. “I don’t think people quite understand the significance – this is really big.” Researchers are also conducting tests to investigate what might have caused the bloom. Effluent water from wastewater treatment plants is probably to blame, according to Rosenfield. “Researchers have known for decades that the levels in this estuary are really high,” he said. “In fact, many have wondered why this hasn’t happened yet.” Existing wastewater systems were not designed to filter out the phosphorus and nitrogen that leads to such red tide algae blooms, he added. “This is a problem society as a whole has ignored for too long.” Officials have suggested that decreased water flow from estuaries to the ocean, due to the statewide drought, may also have contributed. As the Bay Area braces for a brutal heatwave in the coming week, Rosenfield said the warm temperatures could exacerbate the bloom, depending on whether or not it has already passed its peak. The heat could also further cook the carcasses and worsen the stench. Crews in Oakland have begun cleaning up the dead fish in anticipation of hotter temperatures through the holiday weekend. “I worry about how long this will last and what the longer impacts will be,” said Tighe, noting that many birds feed on the lake’s fish. “This could cause big ripple effects.” In 1870, Lake Merritt became the first protected wildlife refuge in America. In recent years, local officials have been working to restore its water quality and clear it of built-up trash. The Associated Press contributed to this story | ['us-news/california', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/environment', 'environment/wildlife', 'us-news/san-francisco', 'us-news/us-news', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/maanvi-singh', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/west-coast-news'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2022-09-01T10:00:04Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2018/feb/05/asda-joins-wave-of-supermarkets-pledging-to-cut-plastic-waste | Asda joins wave of supermarkets pledging to cut plastic waste | Asda has become the latest supermarket to join the war against plastic by pledging to reduce it “wherever” it can, including slashing the amount in its own-brand packaging by 10% in the next 12 months. In a series of measures, Asda promised to scrap 5p carrier bags in all stores by the end of the year, switch 2.4m plastic straws used in its cafes to paper and introduce reusable drinks cups in its shops and cafes by the end of 2019. “Where we are able to go faster and harder to remove avoidable plastics from our products, we will,” said Asda chief executive Roger Burnley. “Our logic is to remove plastic wherever we can, and where it is required, to make it as recyclable as possible.” The initiative comes after a Guardian investigation exposed how supermarkets are coming under growing pressure to reveal the amount of plastic they create, and pay more towards its safe disposal. Amid mounting concern about the devastating environmental impact of plastic pollution around the globe, the Guardian revealed in January that the UK’s leading supermarkets create almost 1m tonnes of plastic packaging waste every year. Asda was among leading retailers which refused to reveal the exact amount of waste they trigger, saying the information was “commercially sensitive”. Last year, the former boss of the chain, owned by US company Walmart, called for supermarkets to stop using plastic packaging and said billions of pounds of investment in recycling had failed to resolve the plastic crisis. Andy Clarke, Asda’s chief executive for six years, said the only solution was for retailers to reject plastic entirely in favour of alternatives such as paper, steel, glass and aluminium. In January Iceland became the first major UK retailer to commit to eliminating plastic packaging for all its own-brand products, pledging to go plastic-free within five years. Environmental groups said Asda’s move did not go far enough. Friends of the Earth waste campaigner Julian Kirby said: “Asda’s pledge to slash plastic use is certainly very welcome – but why can’t it copy Iceland’s lead and ditch plastics from all its own-brand products? Supermarkets should pull the plug on plastic packaging altogether – a move advocated by former Asda boss, Andy Clarke.” Trewin Restorick of the environmental charity Hubbub called for “a collaborative approach from retailers, manufactures and the recycling industry. We are in danger of too many piecemeal initiatives causing more consumer confusion without creating a solution at scale.” Tisha Brown, oceans campaigner at Greenpeace, commented: “A 10% reduction in own brand products over one year doesn’t beat Iceland’s pledge. If Asda applied the same tactic to reducing plastics as it does to competing on price, we’d be really impressed.” | ['environment/plastic', 'business/packaging', 'business/asda', 'business/supermarkets', 'environment/environment', 'business/business', 'business/retail', 'business/ethicalbusiness', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/rebeccasmithers', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/plastic | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2018-02-05T16:24:15Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2019/nov/05/bristol-becomes-first-uk-city-ban-diesel-cars | Bristol council votes to ban diesel cars in first for a UK city | Bristol is to become the first UK city to ban diesel cars from its streets as part of action to tackle illegal levels of air pollution. The city council voted on Tuesday, following a public consultation, to impose a total ban on all privately owned diesel vehicles during the day in the city centre. The scheme, which still needs government approval, is due to start in 2021. Bristol is one of several cities with illegal levels of air pollution from diesel traffic. The UK government has been ordered by the courts to bring air pollution levels down to legal limits in the shortest possible time. The central ban zone in Bristol, from which privately owned diesel cars will be banned between 7am and 3pm, includes part of the M32, the old city, Redcliffe, Spike Island, the Harbourside and part of Hotwells. Under the plans all vehicles except taxis and emergency services will incur fines if they enter the banned area, while commercial vehicles will have to pay to enter the area. A number plate recognition system will be used, similar to the one for London’s congestion charge. The council agreed a business proposal for the idea on Tuesday, but details of what the fines would be, and which categories of vehicles and people might be exempt from the ban, are yet to be decided. Bristol has long had poor air quality, particularly from high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) released by diesel vehicles. It is one of 36 out of 43 local authorities in England and Wales where toxic air breaches legal limits. UK air pollution causes an estimated 23,500 early deaths every year from NO2, rising to 40,000 when other pollutants are considered. Bristol has gone further than the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, who has imposed clean air zones and levies in the capital to reduce air pollution. The government has lost several legal challenges over its failure to bring toxic air down to legal limits. | ['environment/air-pollution', 'uk/bristol', 'environment/environment', 'environment/pollution', 'world/road-transport', 'money/motoring', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/sandralaville', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/air-pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2019-11-05T19:02:42Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
sport/2021/may/04/womens-cricket-lost-leaders-ecb-spin | The Spin | Women’s cricket is in fine shape but where are the game’s lost leaders? | Almost three decades ago, on 1 August 1993, a 17-year-old Claire Taylor made her way through the Grace Gates for the first time. That day, she watched an England team led by Karen Smithies defeat New Zealand by 67 runs in the Women’s World Cup final. The players wore skirts, they were all amateurs who had to take time off work to compete, and the idea of prize money was unthinkable. Last week Taylor was back at Lord’s, now a proud MCC member, the chair of the MCC cricket committee, and with two World Cup winner’s medals in her trophy cabinet. As one of the panellists for a special event on “The Future of Women’s Cricket”, Taylor was in a unique position to reflect onhow much has changed in the women’s game in the short space of time since she retired from the international game in 2011. Taylor’s sacrifices, playing at the back end of the amateur era, were perhaps bigger than most. In order to continue with cricket after university, she had to give up her lucrative graduate career as a management consultant, and return home to live with her parents. It is the kind of choice that is now – thankfully – a relic of a bygone age. Following the England and Wales Cricket Board’s introduction of 41 domestic professional contracts last December, Taylor’s fellow panellist Naomi Dattani (who may go on to represent England) is now able to proudly call herself a professional cricketer. “It was always seen as a hobby for us,” said Taylor, a former Wisden Cricketer of the Year. “The idea now that you can be paid to play cricket, and that is a real choice? That’s brilliant.” Alongside Taylor and Dattani was Beth Barrett-Wild, head of the Hundred women’s competition, who spoke about the potential of the Hundred to “turbo-charge the profile of women’s cricket”, and “catapult it to a new and wider audience”. Every match of the competition (men’s and women’s) is set to be televised live by Sky or the BBC; a genuine attempt is being made to give the men’s and women’s teams equal prominence; and the £600,000 prize pot is being split equally between the competitions. Like it or loathe it, it would be hard to disagree with Barrett-Wild’s assessment that the tournament “has the potential to be game-changing for women’s cricket”. Unprecedented visibility. Professional contracts. Equal prize money. The theme of the event last Thursday may have looked at the future of the women’s game, but the message seemed to be: women’s cricket’s present is pretty damn good, thanks very much. Those watching were left waiting until almost the end of the hour-long panel to hear the caveat. (Experienced followers of the women’s game will tell you there is always a caveat.) In this instance the flipside was presented by the ECB’s managing director of women’s cricket, Clare Connor, who was chairing proceedings. She shared some damning statistics about the underrepresentation of women in senior decision-making roles in English cricket: Across the first-class counties there isonly one female chief executive, and one female chair. Only 15% of cricket board members in England and Wales are women. Only 12% of cricket coaches currently operating in cricket in England and Wales are female. Diplomatically, Connor failed to mention the ECB’s own board has eight men and four women – and only one of those 12 directors has a background in women’s cricket. But for the woman who in October 2021 will become the MCC’s first female president in its 233-year history, it is clearly a subject close to her heart. Listening in, I found myself reflecting on the fact that were the panellists on Thursday to suddenly, in a Doctor Who-style twist, find themselves back in August 1993 – on that fateful day when Claire Taylor first went to Lord’s – Connor’s statistics would seem as alien as a Dalek. England’s 1993 World Cup-winning team was coached by a woman, Ruth Prideaux, and managed by a woman, Norma Izard. Those who organised the competition, a special subcommittee of the Women’s Cricket Association, were all women. And the WCA itself, the governing body of women’s cricket in England since its formation in 1926, was an all-female organisation, led by an all-female board. Five years later, thanks to a government directive, the ECB took over the sport, the WCA dissolved itself, and the women who had run the sport for decades left their roles, replaced by men who had little or no knowledge of the women’s game. It is this controversial period that is the subject of my research, which involves interviewing women from a number of sports who went through this same process in the 1990s – hockey, lacrosse, squash, football and athletics. Early results suggest the move towards “merged governance”, whereby the same organisation is tasked with running both men’s and women’s sport for the first time, became a trade-off. Since 1998, women’s cricket (along with many other women’s sports) has gained investment that it could previously have only dreamed of, paving the way for visibility, prize money and professional contracts. But the ECB’s takeover of women’s cricket also involved pushing a generation of female leaders, officials and coaches out of the game. Twenty years down the line English cricket is finally realising those female voices should never have been lost. Better later than never, I guess. • This is an extract from the Guardian’s weekly cricket email, The Spin. To subscribe, just visit this page and follow the instructions. | ['sport/series/thespin', 'sport/cricket', 'sport/womenscricket', 'sport/blog', 'sport/sport', 'sport/ecb', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/raf-nicholson', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/sport', 'theguardian/sport/news', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-sport'] | sport/ecb | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2021-05-04T10:33:08Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
uk/2011/apr/11/protesters-found-themselves-police-databases | The protesters who found themselves on police databases | John and Linda Catt John and Linda Catt, an elderly artist and his daughter, received files showing how police had covertly recorded their presence at more than 80 demonstrations over four years, logging details such as their appearance and slogans on their T-shirts. Even John Catt's artistic endeavours were being recorded by police. "John Catt sat on a folding chair by the southern most gate of EDO MBM and appeared to be sketching," one entry stated. "He was using his drawing pad to sketch a picture of the protest and police presence," said another. Matt Salusbury Matt Salusbury, submitted a data protection request to Scotland Yard and discovered that police had photographed him coming out of an openly advertised public demonstration and had too recorded what he had been wearing and said at protests. One entry showed that noted that at a demonstration against Britain's biggest arms fair in 2007, police had noted that "at 1240 hours, Matt Salusbury, male IC1, observed cycling along Victoria Dock Yard wearing a high-visibility vest, black and red rucksack ... the bicycle he rode was a green Giant mountain bike with a carrier". He also obtained a photograph taken by police photographers of him when he went to an east London community centre for a public meeting to organise a concert to raise money for an anti-capitalist campaign. It shows how campaigners are also entitled to obtain photographs and video recordings of themselves which are held by police. | ['uk/police', 'environment/activism', 'world/protest', 'uk/undercover-police-and-policing', 'type/article', 'profile/robevans', 'profile/paullewis'] | environment/activism | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2011-05-03T07:28:00Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
environment/2009/sep/14/home-endangered-bat-scott | Sir Peter Scott centenary marked by new home for endangered bats | A gleaming white cube that the Turner prize winner Jeremy Deller calls "a luxury hotel for bats" will be unveiled today to mark the centenary of the birth of the naturalist and wildlife artist Sir Peter Scott. The £120,000 bat house has been built at the London Wetland Centre by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust founded by Scott. The only child of Scott of the Antarctic, Scott was born on 14 September, 1909, and was dubbed "conservation's patron saint" by Sir David Attenborough. The complex of ponds and shallow lakes at the centre in Barnes, west London – created 10 years ago from a derelict waterworks – is home to hundreds of native and migrating birds as well as thousands more plant and animal species, including rare moths and butterflies, dragonflies, frogs and water voles. At dusk, bats, increasingly endangered in the south-east, hunt through the mist of insects hovering over the water. Of the 17 native British species of bat, eight have been spotted at Barnes. Along with brass bands, acid house music, bicycles, processions, and tin badges, Deller loves bats. He sees them in trouble, their flight paths disrupted by lighting, their roosts in trees and old buildings vanishing under concrete. He persuaded the Wetland Centre to add a bat house to its wildlife habitats, and organised an international design competition that attracted hundreds of entries from schoolchildren, architects, and members of the public. The sleek, white and modern design is by two architecture students, Jorgen Tandberg from Oslo and Yo Murata from Tokyo, who met at the Architectural Association college in London. It incorporates homes for several species of bats, designed on the advice of the Bat Conservation Trust. The box, which has an invisible black roof to make the interior warmer, is built of Hemcrete, an environmentally friendly mixture of hemp fibre and lime that holds layers of computer-cut fretwork panels, which are not just decorative but incorporate the small, dry, dark spaces bats love. "It's great," Deller said. "I wouldn't mind living there myself." | ['environment/endangered-habitats', 'science/people-in-science', 'environment/biodiversity', 'culture/heritage', 'environment/endangeredspecies', 'uk/london', 'uk/uk', 'environment/environment', 'tone/news', 'culture/culture', 'type/article', 'science/science', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/conservation', 'profile/maevkennedy', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2009-09-13T23:05:28Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/ethicallivingblog/2007/aug/01/greenisthenewsexy | Is green the new sexy? | Recycling and turning off the standby are apparently the new ways to a woman's heart according to a poll for men's magazine Nuts. Women quizzed for the survey on the personality traits they found most attractive in men, put caring about the environment top of their list, surprisingly ahead of a good sense of humour. Call me cynical, but I find it hard to believe that most women would really base their decision on whether to go out without someone on how often they pop to the bottle bank. As a woman who rides a bike and eats organic, I should have been on the look out for a eco-friendly man when I met my boyfriend. But I never once checked to see if he was dimming energy efficient light bulbs, or recycling those bottles of wine we consumed over dinner. Yet according to Nuts relationship expert Louise Prior "There is something sexy about a man who recycles". If that's true then the new place to meet men will be at the bottle bank, with women asking in all seriousness, 'Do you come here often?'. What about singles adverts? In future will they be peppered with the acronym Cate (cares about the environment)? Some experts have partially attributed women's change of attitude to global heart-throbs including Leonardo DiCaprio backing environmental causes. In the UK, does that make Bill Oddie or our very own Leo Hickman the new pin-ups? It may come as a surprise to learn that there are already a host of dating websites catering for the more "environmentally responsible" adult, from earthwise singles, to veggie romance and lovesorganic. Ironically 'well travelled' is a trait women also rated highly in the poll, just after confidence and intelligence. (No mention of good looks or being good in the sack). But isn't it difficult to be well travelled these days, without flying vast distances and destroying the planet in the process? So perhaps bragging about the size of your carbon offset credits will become the new party chat up line. And if that doesn't work, there's always, "Is that an organic courgette in your pocket, or are you just pleased to see me?" Prior says that if a man goes green it shows that he "cares about more than just himself and shows he has a sensitive side and thinks about the future". But isn't Cate man just the new man or the metrosexual dressed in organic clothing? A new market for the advertisers to sell green gadgets to? | ['environment/ethical-living', 'environment/environment', 'lifeandstyle/lifeandstyle', 'tone/blog', 'environment/recycling', 'environment/green-living-blog', 'type/article', 'profile/alisonbenjamin'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2007-08-01T15:23:05Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
technology/2018/may/31/how-much-screen-time-is-too-much-for-kids-parents-advice-children-digital-media | How much screen time is too much for kids? It's complicated | For many parents in the digital age, battles over screen time and devices have become a depressing part of family life, and knowing how much is too much has become a moving target. Whether it’s three-year-olds throwing tantrums when the iPad is taken away, seven-year-olds watching YouTube all night, nine-year-olds demanding their own phones, 11-year-olds nagging to play 18-rated video games that “all their friends” are, or 14-year-olds who are never off Instagram, every stage of childhood and adolescence is now accompanied by its own delightful new parenting challenges. Up until a few years ago parenting advice centred around the concept of “screen time” quotas with a Goldilocks-style sweet spot of two or so hours of screens a day, beyond which media use could become harmful. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) still recommends a maximum of one hour of “high-quality programming” for children under 6, but thereafter simply encourages parents to “place consistent limits on the time spent using media” and designate screen-free time as a family. It’s unclear whether that means four hours playing a video game on a Sunday is okay, or whether it is better to have three 20-minute sessions with the iPad than one hour-long session. Is it really that bad if my 18-month-old watches a couple of episodes of the Twirlywoos before dinner? Many parents will be relieved to hear that recent research suggests that it’s not so much the length, but the nature of the screen time that matters. Whether it’s passive TV or social media monitoring, active video game playing, socialising with WhatsApp, or getting creative in iMovie. Jocelyn Brewer, a psychologist who specialises in the concept of “digital nutrition”, likens media diets to what’s on our plates: rather than counting calories (or screen time), think about what you’re eating. “It’s not just about whether you consume any potential digital junk foods, but also your relationship to technology and the role it plays in your family life,” says Brewer. “We know that using screens to soothe or pacify kids sets up some concerning patterns of relying on devices to calm or distract a child (or teen, or adult) from their experience of unpleasant or uncomfortable emotions – so we want to avoid using screens to placate tantrums, just like we want to avoid eating ‘treats’ to calm emotional storms.” For young children, the most important thing is whether parents and kids are playing, watching or browsing together. A study of 20,000 parents published late last year by the Oxford Internet Institute and Cardiff University determined that there was no correlation between limiting device use and children’s wellbeing. The study’s lead author Dr Andrew Pryzbylski said: “Our findings suggest the broader family context, how parents set rules about digital screen time, and if they’re actively engaged in exploring the digital world together, are more important than the raw screen time.” Another study from December by the University of Michigan on people aged four to 11 similarly found that “how children use the devices, not how much time they spend on them, is the strongest predictor of emotional or social problems connected with screen addiction”. But the authors said that concern over a child’s screen use is warranted when it leads to poor behaviour, loss of interest in other activities, family or social life, withdrawal, or deception. Most research agrees that although specific screen time limits are dated, there does come a point where excessive device use has negative impacts, affecting sleep, health and mood. One study from January found that “adolescents spending a small amount of time on electronic communication were the happiest”, though its suggestion of one hour of daily screen time for teenagers is laughable to anyone trying to parent one. Talk about kids and technology usually tends towards the negative, but it doesn’t have to be so. The internet and video games can be fun, social and provide a new creative outlet for children. “Evidence-based benefits identified from the use of digital and social media include early learning, exposure to new ideas and knowledge, increased opportunities for social contact and support,” says the AAP. The consensus is that screen time, in and of itself, is not harmful – and reasonable restrictions vary greatly, depending on a child’s behaviour and personality. There is little point in obsessing over how many minutes a day your kids are spending with screens. Instead, parents should be doing what they can to ensure that what they’re watching, playing and reading is high-quality, age-appropriate and safe – and joining in wherever possible. “It’s important there is balance in the online and offline worlds and in leisure and learning, but what that looks like for different kids at different ages and in different families is hard to ‘prescribe’,” says Brewer. “Research shows that not having access to the digital world has a negative impact on kids – so its about finding the right amount with a holistic approach.” | ['technology/technology', 'technology/tablet-computer', 'technology/computing', 'technology/smartphones', 'technology/mobilephones', 'technology/telecoms', 'society/children', 'society/society', 'media/social-media', 'technology/television', 'society/childprotection', 'media/digital-media', 'media/media', 'technology/apps', 'technology/youtube', 'lifeandstyle/family', 'lifeandstyle/lifeandstyle', 'technology/gadgets', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/keza-macdonald', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-technology'] | technology/gadgets | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2018-05-31T06:00:15Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
business/2019/dec/30/firms-must-justify-investment-in-fossil-fuels-warns-mark-carney | Firms must justify investment in fossil fuels, warns Mark Carney | The outgoing governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has said all companies and financial institutions must justify their continued investment in fossil fuels, and warned that assets in the sector could end up “worthless”. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme being broadcast on Monday, Carney said that although the financial sector was starting to cut back on investment in oil and gas companies, the process was not moving quickly enough. Carney, who will focus on his new role as UN special envoy for climate change and finance after he steps down from the governorship in the new year, agreed to appear on the programme for an edition edited by the climate crisis campaigner Greta Thunberg, one of several guest editors on Today over the holiday period. Carney has been one of the most vocal central bank governors on the need for the financial sector to do more to transition towards a zero-carbon economy. He told the programme that the climate crisis was a “tragedy on the horizon” and that more extreme weather events were inevitable. “By the time that the extreme events become so prevalent and so obvious, it will be too late to do anything about it,” he said. Political leaders had to “start addressing future problems today”. On the issue of whether investors should be divesting from companies in the fossil fuel sector, Carney said fund managers would “have to make the judgment and justify to the people whose money it ultimately is”. When pressed on whether pension funds should divest from oil and gas companies even if the returns were attractive, he replied: “Well that hasn’t been the case but they could make that argument. They need to make the argument, to be clear about why is that going to be the case if a substantial proportion of those assets are going to be worthless.” He warned: “If we were to burn all those oil and gases, there’s no way we would meet carbon budgets. Up to 80% of coal assets will be stranded, [and] up to half of developed oil reserves. A question for every company, every financial institution, every asset manager, pension fund or insurer: what’s your plan?” The Bank of England has said assets worth up to $20tn (£16tn) could become worthless very quickly if the financial sector and business do not make a smooth transition towards a zero-carbon economy. In his interview, Carney urged climate change deniers to drop their opposition on the issue, saying: “We can’t afford on this one to have selective information, spin, misdirection.” One such sceptic is the former Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore, who guest-edited Today on Saturday and included in his programme a feature questioning the global consensus on the climate crisis. Complaining about how much internal opposition there had been to this item being included, Moore accused the BBC of “climate change alarmism”. | ['business/mark-carney', 'business/financial-sector', 'business/investing', 'business/oilandgascompanies', 'business/energy-industry', 'business/oil', 'environment/fossil-fuel-divestment', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'business/business', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/andrewsparrow', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/topstories', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/fossil-fuel-divestment | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2019-12-30T07:31:11Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
environment/2010/aug/25/plastic-bag-use-plummets-supermarkets | Plastic bag use plummets in supermarkets since 2006 | Customers at the UK's leading supermarkets used 43% fewer carrier bags in 2009-10 than they did in 2006, when figures were first recorded, with 6.1bn single-use bags used in 2009-10 against 10.7bn four years earlier. According to the Waste & Resources Action Programme (Wrap), the amount of material used to make carrier bags has reduced by 39,700 tonnes per year in the past four years, but figures for May 2010 alone indicate that we may be seeing a return to greater usage. Data collected from Asda, Cooperative Group, M&S, Sainsbury's, Somerfield (now owned by the Cooperative Group), Tesco and Waitrose shows that during the past year, total bag usage in the UK fell by 0.7bn, or 10%. Single-use carrier bags fell by 9% in the UK in total during that time, with Wales experiencing a 15% drop and Scotland a 13% drop, followed by Northern Ireland with a 9% fall and England with an 8% drop. A spokesman for Marks & Spencer said: "We started charging for food carrier bags in all stores in May 2008. Last year we used 89m single-use carrier bags in our food business – over 80% less than 2006/07. This has been achieved by encouraging customers to re-use, use bags for life and charging 5p per carrier bag. Across our stores, carrier bag use is down by 64% since 2006." In 2008, the UK government, along with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the seven supermarkets agreed to a voluntary approach to cut the number of single-use bags given to customers by 50% by spring 2009. In May last year, Wrap reported that retailers had cut the number of single-use bags by 48%, falling short of the target. Although the formal agreement ended last year, this year retailers volunteered to share their figures. But figures for the month of May suggest that since the voluntary agreement ended, the supermarkets' performance has dipped. In May, the number of single-use bags increased slightly from May 2009, with 45% fewer bags used this May than in May 2006, compared to 48% fewer in 2009. It means UK consumers used 7.7 bags per person during the month. In Wales, that figure was 8.9 bags per person and in Scotland, 8.3 bags. Shoppers in England used 7.6 bags, while the figure in Northern Ireland was 8.1. A spokesman for waste campaigners Waste Watch said: "If we are seeing a return to more carrier bag usage and retailers are not able to reduce numbers, we would like to see a bag tax introduced. That said, carrier bags are totemic and not the biggest waste issue we face. There are many more single-use products out there that we would like to see eliminated such as disposable picnic plates and cutlery, and disposable razors. We need to get into the habit of reusing things." Stephen Robertson, BRC director general, argued that the headline reduction figures showed that customers were permanently adopting the habit of re-using their bags. "Retailers are working hard on a range of other environmental measures, such as reducing food waste, reducing and redesigning packaging, as well as providing customers with recycling information through the on-pack recycling label." | ['money/money', 'environment/waste', 'environment/recycling', 'environment/ethical-living', 'environment/environment', 'business/supermarkets', 'business/retail', 'business/business', 'uk/uk', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/markking', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews'] | environment/waste | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2010-08-25T16:14:41Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
sustainable-business/2016/mar/03/tasmanian-power-crisis-reveals-urgent-need-for-more-renewable-energy | Tasmanian power crisis reveals urgent need for more renewable energy | The timing couldn’t have been any worse. On 20 December 2015, the undersea cable connecting Tasmania with mainland Australia malfunctioned, leaving the island state’s energy infrastructure stranded without help – just when it was needed most. The bulk of Tasmania’s internal energy capacity comes from its extensive hydroelectric network but, with 2015 delivering the driest spring on record, water levels in the state’s dams were catastrophically low. More than ever, the Apple Isle was counting on electricity imported via the Basslink cable so that the hydroelectric dams could be given time to replenish. Obscured by the Bass Strait’s silty seabed, the fault in the cable is yet to be identified, let alone repaired, and things are getting desperate. Dam water levels are at 16.8% and falling, low enough that aquatic ecosystems are being put under strain. State-owned energy provider Hydro Tasmania had in December already reassembled and rebooted the old Tamar Valley gas-fired generators to ease the burden on the dams and is now spending $44m on importing temporary diesel generators with 200MW of capacity to help keep the lights on while the state waits for cables to be fixed or the rain to arrive. Perversely, it is weather patterns consistent with climate change forecasts forcing Tasmania to return to the fossil fuels that likely helped generate the crisis in the first place. That would be the case even once the Basslink cable is repaired, as it will be Victoria’s brown coal-fired power stations providing Tasmanians with energy. Thanks to its hydro network, the state is head and shoulders ahead of the rest of Australia in terms of renewable energy but that counts for little if the water runs out. According to the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre’s Climate Futures for Tasmania project, water catchment areas for the state’s dams are over the next century projected to experience increasingly severe rainfall shortages as coastal areas become subject to flooding due to warming oceans bringing El Niño weather events further south – just as happened in late January when the rain bucketed down in all the wrong places while the highlands were left dry. So dry in fact that bushfires, which continue to this day, swept through the area and forced sections of the state’s already strained energy infrastructure to be disconnected. As a long-term solution, the Tasmanian government is awaiting a feasibility study due midyear into the prospect of creating a second Basslink cable and also has a sub-committee examining long-term renewable energy options. Estimated to cost upwards of $1bn, having a second Basslink connected to the mainland would dramatically reduce the chance of being completely cut off again but the proposal has independent energy consultants concerned. According to Phil Harrington, the Tasmania-based senior principal of carbon and energy at Pitt & Sherry, it would be difficult to demonstrate the net market benefit for such a project, suggesting instead that the money could be spent on expanding utility-scale wind power within Tasmania. The state currently features roughly 310MW of wind capacity, well short of the average demand of around 1000MW. Harrington says adding more wind farms into the mix would perfectly complement the existing hydro capacity. “It’s a marriage made in heaven basically,” he says. “The dams act as a big battery so you don’t have to worry about the intermittency of wind and, in turn, there is the opportunity to capture wind farm power when the wind is blowing and reduce the draw on dams.” Harrington notes that ramping up wind capacity would not just be beneficial in preventing the current crisis from repeating but could also bring long-term economic benefits by allowing the state to consistently export rather than import energy. That’s without even factoring in the reduced carbon emissions that would result from in-house renewables as opposed to imported electricity from fossil fuel power plants. There are several planned wind farm projects around Tasmania, including West Coast Wind’s 33-turbine Granville Harbour proposal, but an unfavourable legislative and investment climate has seen progress stall in recent years. Harrington also advocates improving energy efficiency and lifting the solar feed-in tariff, which the Tasmanian government slashed by two-thirds in 2013. Marc White, the principal consultant at Tasmania-based Goanna Energy consulting, wants to see an independent inquiry that considers all options – including the possibility of doing nothing at all. “We don’t want any kneejerk reactions that result in overinvestment, given we’ve got spring inflows 50% below 30-year lows and Basslink failing, which have all conspired to hammer us,” he says. White says it needs to be determined whether low rainfall levels are the new normal and also whether current energy consumption will be maintained into the future. “We’ve got 60% of our energy consumed by five industries,” he says. The five major users of energy in Tasmania are Bell Bay Aluminium, Nyrstar, Norske Skog, Temco and Savage River mine. “Are those five industries expected to be here in 50 years’ time?” White agrees that hydro and wind complement each other up to a point but is uncertain whether incentivising households to take up rooftop solar would be the most cost-effective approach for the broader energy network. “There are consequences [to rooftop solar] in regard to stranded energy assets,” he says. “But I can see why people feel motivated to take control of their own destiny when they see the risks all around them.” There were some small drops of good news late last week as the highlands, where the dams are located, received some rain. Not enough to significantly improve water stocks but perhaps the start of a recovery that can’t come quickly enough. Plenty more is needed for a state that needs to save up not for a rainy day, but for the increasingly frequent dry ones to come. | ['sustainable-business/sustainable-business', 'sustainable-business/series/innovations-in-renewables', 'environment/environment', 'australia-news/tasmania', 'australia-news/business-australia', 'environment/energy', 'environment/hydropower', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/windpower', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'type/article', 'tone/sponsoredfeatures', 'tone/features', 'profile/max-opray'] | environment/renewableenergy | ENERGY | 2016-03-02T23:04:03Z | true | ENERGY |
business/2024/sep/30/port-talbot-steel-town-braces-for-shutdown-of-its-last-blast-furnace | Port Talbot: steel town braces for shutdown of its last blast furnace | The steel town of Port Talbot is braced for the shutdown of the final furnace at its plant on Monday which will result in heavy job losses and deal a devastating blow to communities in south Wales. Tata Steel has begun the process of winding down operations at blast furnace 4 at Port Talbot and engineers have already started altering the raw materials poured into the top of the furnace to prepare for decommissioning. Blast furnace 5 was closed in July. The closure is part of Tata’s transition towards a greener form of steelmaking as it builds a £1.25bn electric arc furnace for the Port Talbot site by 2027, which produces steel by melting scrap metal. The blast furnace closure will mean nearly 2,000 jobs will go at the plant over the coming months, with thousands more jobs lost in the wider community that relies on the steelworks. It marks the end of traditional steelmaking in south Wales and means Port Talbot will be stripped of its ability to make its own “virgin” steel. The jobs of 2,500 workers are also under threat at British Steel’s site at Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, with fears that the plant’s Chinese owner, Jingye, could bring forward the closure of the UK’s remaining blast furnaces before the end of the year. If the remaining closures go ahead, Britain would become the only major economy in the G20 with no ability to produce steel from a blast furnace and will be reliant on imports to meet the needs of the aerospace, rail and automotive sectors. Unions and politicians have warned about the threat to the UK’s economy and security from its inability to make primary steel from iron ore and coal. The furnace closure at Port Talbot follows decades of decline for Britain’s steel industry which in 1971 employed about 320,000 people (excluding the processing of steel). It now employs about 33,700, according to UK Steel, the trade association. The new Labour government agreed a taxpayer-backed deal earlier this month for the Port Talbot plant in which it will provide £500m towards the construction of the new greener electric arc furnace at the site, with the plant’s Indian owners, Tata Steel, paying £750m. The electric arc furnace is far less labour intensive and greener, with about 500 jobs being created during its construction. But Tata’s management had rejected an alternative plan from the unions to keep one blast furnace at Port Talbot open until 2032 to reduce the scale of the job losses, saying the plant is losing £1m a day. Unions called the decision a “missed opportunity”. Roy Rickhuss, the general secretary of Community Union, which represents steelworkers, said: “Today marks an incredibly sad and poignant day for the British steel industry and for the communities in and around Port Talbot which are so intricately connected to blast furnace steelmaking. “It’s also a moment of huge frustration – it simply didn’t have to be this way. Last year, Community and GMB published a credible alternative plan for Port Talbot which would have ensured a fair transition to green steelmaking and prevented compulsory redundancies. Tata’s decision to reject that plan will go down as an historic missed opportunity. “The closure of blast furnace 4 marks the end of an era, but this is not the end for Port Talbot. We will never stop fighting for our steel industry and our communities in south Wales.” The job losses are expected to hit Port Talbot hard as the steelworks are the town’s largest private employer. Unions say that for every job in the steel plant, about three or four jobs are supported in the wider community. At Port Talbot more than 2,000 workers have expressed an interest in taking voluntary redundancy and will receive an enhanced deal. Those granted it will be offered 2.8 weeks of salary for every year of service up to 25 years, with a minimum payment of £15,000. The previous offer was 2.1 weeks of salary for every year. Employees will also have the opportunity to sign up to a year-long training programme, which will result in them receiving full pay for the first month and the equivalent of a £27,000 salary for the remaining 11 months. Jo Stevens, the secretary of state for Wales, who chairs the Tata Port Talbot transition board, which has access to £100m to invest in skills and regeneration for the local area, said £13.5m had already been released to help businesses and staff in the supply chain who were affected by the closures at Port Talbot. The funds will help people to retrain and reskill into new employment, and will help businesses to diversify and go into new markets if they are a primary customer of Tata Steel. The government has promised to publish a new steel sector strategy in spring 2025. | ['business/steel-industry', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'business/job-losses', 'uk/wales', 'environment/environment', 'business/business', 'uk/uk', 'business/tata', 'business/manufacturing-sector', 'environment/green-economy', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/jane-croft', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/financial3', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/carbon-emissions | EMISSIONS | 2024-09-30T05:01:04Z | true | EMISSIONS |
environment/2017/mar/29/cyclone-debbies-cooling-effect-wont-prevent-great-barrier-reef-bleaching-scientist-says | Cyclone Debbie's cooling effect won't prevent Great Barrier Reef bleaching, scientist says | The cooling effect of Cyclone Debbie will not be enough to prevent further mass bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, a leading marine scientist has said. The category-four tropical storm made landfall on the north Queensland coast on Tuesday, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Airlie Beach, Proserpine and Bowen were among the worst hit, though Hamilton, Hayman and Daydream islands were also affected. The extent of the devastation wrought by the slow-moving cyclone on the embattled reef remains to be seen but suggestions that the wild weather could prevent further mass bleaching have been downplayed. The environmental charity OceanWatch had expressed hope that the cooling effect of Cyclone Debbie on ocean temperatures could have alleviated the pressure the reef is under and prevented further bleaching. Temperatures of between 23C and 29C are optimum for coral but the Great Barrier Reef has suffered through unusually warm waters in 2017 and much of 2016, prompting sustained, and in some cases, severe bleaching. OceanWatch suggested that the wild weather would have brought deeper, cooler water to the surface while shading the coral from the sun, reducing light stress. But Prof Terry Hughes, the director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, told Guardian Australia that the effects of Cyclone Debbie would not prevent further mass bleaching events, as the most severe damage this year had occurred north of her path. “Cyclone Debbie has come a month too late and in the wrong place to prevent mass bleaching,” he said. The centre began reef-wide aerial surveys on 16 March, though further activities were delayed by Debbie. Preliminary information from the first survey showed that all reefs assessed between Cairns and Lockhart river showed some signs of bleaching, ranging from mild to severe. Last week Hughes had flown over the reefs between Mackay and Townsville, which he said were “only very lightly bleached compared to reefs further north”. “The cloud and wind has cooled down the sea temperature, which might help the lightly bleached corals near the cyclone recover their colour more quickly. But it’s too late for further north.” The storm had also likely caused structural damage to some coral that, already weakened by bleaching, may struggle to recover. Earlier this month, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority confirmed “moderate to severe” mass coral bleaching for the second consecutive year. The Tasmanian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson raised the devastating impact of the bleaching in the Senate on Wednesday. He quoted Hughes’s tweet last year: “I showed the results of aerial surveys of bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, and then we wept.” This drew a mocking response from the Liberals, with the South Australian senator Simon Birmingham replying that “Senator Whish-Wilson needs a lot more than a hanky ... [he] needs a reality check”. | ['environment/great-barrier-reef', 'australia-news/cyclone-debbie', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'australia-news/queensland', 'environment/environment', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/elle-hunt', 'profile/joshua-robertson', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/great-barrier-reef | BIODIVERSITY | 2017-03-29T04:41:01Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
business/2009/dec/13/shanks-carlyle-tom-drury | Carlyle interest in Shanks shows waste is no longer down in the dumps | Confirmation that private equity is a dirty business came last week when the Carlyle Group approached Shanks, the quoted British waste management firm, with an unsolicited bid of £536m. Ask Shanks's well-regarded chief executive, Tom Drury, whether he shares the opinion beloved of conspiracy theorists that Carlyle, a US private equity firm, represents an extension of neo-conservative American foreign policy and he politely suggests: "They're your words. Not mine." In the City office of Shanks's joint broker Investec, Drury is careful not to ratchet up hostilities in what could yet turn into a protracted bidding war that many believe will see his company taken over in the first quarter of next year. Last Monday, shares in the Milton Keynes-based company leapt 40% after it revealed the approach. It is strongly believed that Carlyle will not be a lone bidder. Drury's response to the situation typifies two attributes from his Yorkshire upbringing: a direct style fused with caution. "The approach is slightly opportunistic," he says. "The share price was relatively low and I guess the waste market has declined through the recession. It will pick up and when it does we'll be in a good position to grow. I suspect the private equity approach suggests it's not a bad time to buy into a company like Shanks." Drury, a 47-year-old rugby fan and real ale drinker, responded to Carlyle that a 135p-a-share bid undervalued the company. But in a move that surprised the City, he suggested an offer pitched at 150p (£600m) or more would be well received. Crucially, Schroders and Legal & General, who between them speak for 25% of Shanks' share register, were on board with him. Drury has in effect set a reserve price for Shanks, which could spark an auction. Other possible bidders include French industrial group Suez, which owns waste disposal business Sita, and AVR, another waste rival owned by private equity giants KKR and CVC. "We wanted to indicate we don't have a closed mind to an approach," Drury explains. "But we didn't see the point of going through the normal 'dancing around the handbags'. We wanted to give a clear level to the market that at that [price] or more we would engage. We accept it's an unusual thing to do, but the vast majority of feedback is that it's a bold and sensible thing to do." Shanks is reckoned to be valuable because under Drury it has tidied up its balance sheet and rid itself of its landfill holdings – a sector that will soon be obsolete thanks to tough environmental legislation. It is considered well positioned in Europe, and in particular the UK, to take advantage of growth in recycling and in creating power from waste. The company suffered after it bought into waste businesses in Belgium and Holland in 2000 with a view to bringing advanced recycling technologies to the UK; the timing was wrong, because the UK failed to tax landfill at high enough levels to allow recycling to take off. That is why 56% of Britain's waste is dumped in landfill sites, against 3% in Holland and 1% in Germany. Shanks's recycling divisions failed to win enough business. But this is changing. Any company or local authority dumping waste in a landfill site now has to pay a tax of £48 per tonne. By 2013 this will grow to £72. "If you add on what the landfill operator needs you're going to pay £90 per tonne by 2013," Drury says. "To their credit, this government has pushed landfill tax to a level where they are actively discouraging landfill as a solution [and] I think very clearly the Conservatives are aligned with the same approach." It will allow Shanks to open its first anaerobic digestion plant in Scotland next year, taking food waste and turning it into electricity. Four more facilities are planned. The tax increases are required to bring the UK into line with European regulation. To bring change about, Britain must also invest £10bn in new waste management facilities and local authorities are now offering 25-year PFI contracts. "People see the UK as the fastest growing waste market in Europe because we have got a lot of people, we've got the biggest change to make – and that creates opportunities for this company," Drury says. That is why the waste sector, which for so long has been about burying rubbish underground, is now a very visible target. | ['business/shanksgroup', 'business/privateequity', 'environment/recycling', 'environment/waste', 'environment/landfill', 'tone/features', 'type/article', 'profile/nickmathiason', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/businessandmedia', 'theobserver/businessandmedia/news'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2009-12-13T00:05:59Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
society/2015/oct/27/open-government-partnership-conference-make-deals-with-business-more-transparent | More transparency is needed over public contracts, if the UK is to do business with China | Jane Dudman | Just across the road from the imposing headquarters of the African Union in the centre of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, is a block of housing and several Chinese cafes. This is where the Chinese workers live who maintain the Union’s huge conference centre and 20-storey office building, opened in 2012 amid controversy about why it had been built by a Chinese company with Chinese labour, rather than by locals. With the UK government claiming £40bn of new business as a result of last week’s state visit from China, there are similar questions for British civil servants about the role of this undemocratic nation, with a poor record on human rights, in building and controlling parts of the UK’s infrastructure. This includes seven potential HS2 contracts, worth almost £12bn, which the chancellor, George Osborne, opened up to Chinese investors on his recent trip to China, and the controversial billion-pound deals agreed last week for a Chinese state-controlled company, with a minority French state partner, to build nuclear power plants at Hinkley Point, Bradwell and Sizewell. There’s more, too: a UK/China cybersecurity deal that could pave the way to closer security cooperation between the two countries; and UK/Chinese work in the technology and creative industries. Details of these deals are likely to remain opaque under the auspices of commerical confidentiality. On the other side of the world, however, Cameron’s government tells a very different story. Mexico City is the venue for this week’s annual conference of the Open Government Partnership – the alliance, set up in 2011 of countries committed to more open and transparent government. China does not belong to the OGP. The UK is a founding member and co-hosted the annual OGP conference in London in 2013. Eleanor Stewart, the UK government’s head of transparency, will be in Mexico City to consider progress on the national plans set out by all member countries. One of the key elements in making governments more open is finding out more about the deals they sign and who they work with. Every year, trillions of dollars are spent around the world on deals between governments and businesses; deals that result in roads, schools, hospitals – tangible assets that citizens really care about. “When government and business meet, rules need to be clear and deals made public,” say Georg Neumann, senior communications manager, and Gavin Heyman, executive director of the Open Contracting Partnership, both of whom will be at the Mexico conference to push through ideas to make all governments more accountable. Open contracting – knowing more about how governments work with business and the kinds of deals they do – is one of the most vital aspects of open government. Neumann and Heyman say in a blog ahead of the conference that corruption could see up to 20% of government procurement budgets being wasted. “Corruption … hurts those who do not have a choice over which road to travel, where to be treated when sick or in which school to enrol their children.” Open government campaigners in the UK have long called for the Freedom of Information Act to be extended to private companies delivering public services. But despite the apparent commitment to openness and the UK’s membership of the OGP, the Conservatives seem barely committed to preserving FOI, let alone extending it. A review of the FOI Act, out next month, is expected to suggest ways to curb public access to government information. In Mexico City, global open government campaigners calling for sweeping changes in order to shine a light on the too often murky relationship between government and business, are making three basic demands: government deals should be open by default, as in the case in Slovakia, where a government contract is not legal until it is published; governments should provide standard, open data on public procurement, for ease of comparison; and governments should get everyone – citizens, businesses, experts and journalists – more involved in monitoring public procurement. Three simple steps to make public contracts open and accountable. Three simple steps that seem further away than ever. | ['society/series/publicmanager', 'society/public-finance', 'society/society', 'business/energy-industry', 'business/business', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'politics/transport', 'world/china', 'tone/features', 'world/mexico', 'type/article', 'profile/janedudman', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/society'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2015-10-27T14:00:05Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2017/apr/22/nearly-40-million-people-live-in-uk-areas-with-illegal-air-pollution | Nearly 40 million people live in UK areas with illegal air pollution | Nearly 40 million people in the UK are living in areas where illegal levels of air pollution from diesel vehicles risk damaging their health, according to analysis commissioned by the Labour party. The extent of the air pollution crisis nationally is exposed in the data which shows 59% of the population are living in towns and cities where nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution breaches the lawful level of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre of air. Labour says the air pollution crisis is a “national scandal”. Sue Hayman, shadow secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, said a Labour government would bring in a new clean air act to tackle what was a public health emergency. “Labour will not allow the Tories to use the snap general election or Brexit to kick this issue into the long grass or water down standards that would put millions of UK adults and children at risk,” said Hayman. She said the party was committed to putting in place a network of clean air zones across the UK where there are high emissions, and would act at an international level to close loopholes in emissions testing of vehicles. The analysis published by Labour shows more than 38 million people, representing 59.3% of the UK population, are living in areas where levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution are above legal limits. Local authorities including Aberdeen, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Burnley, Derby, Chelmsford, Leeds, Northampton, Richmond and Sheffield – among many others – have NO2 levels above the legal limit. The new figures were revealed as the government made a last-minute application to the high court to delay publication of a new tougher air quality plan to tackle the pollution crisis. On Friday at 7pm, ministers lodged the court application – too late for it to be considered. Judges had ordered them to come up with a tough new draft air quality plan by 4pm this coming Monday – 24 April – after judges said the original measures were so poor as to be unlawful. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, criticised ministers for failing to produce a new air quality plan. “I am deeply disappointed that ministers have missed a golden opportunity to show real leadership and urgently introduce new plans to deal with our filthy air,” he said. “This could have been done well before the pre-election period started had the government treated this as a priority as I do. Instead they have used the general and local elections as a smokescreen to hide their incompetence as they seek to extend the court-ordered deadline for publishing their draft plan.” James Thornton, the CEO of legal NGO ClientEarth, which successfully took the government to court over its air quality plans, said the Labour data showed air pollution was a national problem which required a national solution. “Our court case forced the government to come up with new plans to bring down illegal levels of air pollution across the country,” said Thornton. “Those plans must include a national network of clean air zones to keep the dirtiest diesel vehicles out of pollution hotspots, if we are to stand any chance of dealing with this public health crisis.” ClientEarth condemned the government’s application to the high court to delay the plans being published. Thornton said: “This is not a political issue but a public health issue. Whichever party is in power, the British public need to see an air quality plan which relies on good scientific evidence and which ensures that people no longer have to breathe toxic air and suffer the grave consequences to their health as a result.” ClientEarth will be able to raise objections if the new draft plan - when it is eventually published after the election – does not fulfil the NGO’s five clear lines in the sand. These are: The need for robust modelling and roadside, not lab-based, emissions testing. Proper funding to make sure cities and towns can delivery the necessary changes. Mandated clean air zones in every town and city with illegal levels of air pollution. A diesel scrappage scheme or other form of compensation for drivers who bought their cars in good faith as successive governments favoured diesel over other fuels. The Guardian revealed earlier this month that tens of thousands of children in schools and nurseries across England and Wales are being exposed to illegal levels of damaging air pollution from diesel vehicles. The joint investigation with Greenpeace, which examined the government’s most recent air pollution modelling, showed 2,091 schools, nurseries, further education centres and after-school clubs are within 150 metres of a road emitting illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide. European data shows modern cars emit 10 times more noxious fumes than trucks and buses – which are subject to a much stricter testing regime. Research consistently shows exposure to traffic fumes is harmful for children and adults. Children are more vulnerable because their lungs are still developing and exposure to nitrogen dioxide reduces lung growth, produces long term ill-health and can cause premature death. Nitrogen dioxide emissions from diesel traffic cause 23,500 of the 40,000 premature deaths from air pollution each year, according to figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). In April last year, MPs said air pollution was a public health emergency. In London, Labour mayor Sadiq Khan will force polluting cars to pay up to £24 a day to drive into the city when he creates an ultra-low emission zone in 2019. The price will comprise the existing congestion charge of £11.50 per day, which applies to all cars entering inner London, plus an extra amount. The government’s original air quality plan involved clean air zones in five cities and an ultra-low emission zone in London – but these were rejected by the high court. | ['environment/pollution', 'environment/environment', 'society/health', 'cities/cities', 'society/society', 'politics/labour', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'environment/air-pollution', 'profile/sandralaville', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/air-pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2017-04-22T10:59:17Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
society/article/2024/sep/04/air-pollution-harms-male-fertility-while-women-face-similar-risk-from-noise-study-finds | Air pollution harms male fertility while women face similar risk from noise, study finds | Air pollution is associated with a higher infertility risk in men, while noise pollution is associated with a higher risk of infertility in women, a study has found. The study, which has been peer-reviewed and published in the BMJ, looked at whether long-term exposure to road traffic noise and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a particular form of air pollution, was associated with a higher risk of infertility in men and women. It drew from a database of 526,056 men and 377,850 women aged 30 to 45 who had fewer than two children, were cohabiting or married, and who had lived in Denmark between 2000 and 2017. This subset of the database was selected to include a high proportion of people who were actively trying to become pregnant. The study excluded sterilised men and women who had had surgery to prevent pregnancy. Between 1995 and 2017, the average amount of PM2.5 pollution was recorded at the addresses of each participant, and infertility diagnoses were recorded from the national patient register. Across the 18-year period, infertility was diagnosed in 16,172 men and 22,672 women, and after adjusting for factors such as income, education level and occupation, it was found that exposure to levels of PM2.5 that were 2.9 micrograms per cubic metre higher than average over five years was associated with a 24% increased risk of infertility in men aged 30 to 45. Although PM2.5 was not associated with infertility in women, exposure to levels of road traffic noise that were 10.2 decibels higher than average over five years was associated with a 14% increased risk of infertility among women over 35, while for women aged between 30 and 35 noise was not associated with infertility. Road traffic noise was associated with a small increased risk of male infertility for those aged between 37 and 45, but not those aged between 30 and 37. Infertility affects one in seven couples in the UK trying to conceive. The researchers said several previous studies had found negative links between particulate air pollution and sperm quality, but t these studies had been inconsistent. They concluded: “Based on a nationwide cohort, designed to include a high proportion of people actively trying to achieve pregnancy, we found that PM2.5 was associated with a higher risk of an infertility diagnosis among men and road traffic noise was associated with a higher risk of an infertility diagnosis among women older than 35 years, and possibly among men older than 37 years. “As many western countries are facing declining birthrates and increasing maternal age at the birth of a first child, knowledge on environmental pollutants affecting fertility is crucial. If our results are confirmed in future studies, it suggests that political implementation of air pollution and noise mitigations may be important tools for improving birthrates in the western world.” | ['society/fertility-problems', 'society/health', 'society/society', 'lifeandstyle/pregnancy', 'lifeandstyle/family', 'lifeandstyle/health-and-wellbeing', 'environment/air-pollution', 'environment/pollution', 'environment/environment', 'science/reproduction', 'science/biology', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/tobi-thomas', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2024-09-04T22:30:47Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
commentisfree/2020/aug/23/the-observer-view-on-the-climate-catastrophe-facing-earth | The Observer view on the climate catastrophe facing Earth | Observer editorial | Thirty years ago this week, the population of Earth was given official notification that it faced a threat of unprecedented magnitude. Emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, spewed into the atmosphere from factories and vehicles burning fossil fuels, were pinpointed, definitively, as triggers of future climate change. Melting icecaps, rising sea levels and increasing numbers of extreme weather events would be the norm for the 21st century unless action were taken, warned the authors of the first assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The scientists had been charged by the IPCC, which had been set up two years earlier, with establishing whether climate change was a real prospect and, if it was, to look at the main drivers of that threat. They concluded, in a report released in August 1990, that the menace was real and that coal, gas and oil would be the principal causes of global heating. Unless controls were imposed on their consumption, temperature rises of 0.3C a decade would be occurring in the 21st century, bringing havoc in their wake. Three decades later, it is clear that we have recklessly ignored that warning. Fossil fuels still supply 80% of the world’s energy, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to rise and global temperatures are still increasing. According to Met Office statistics, there was a 0.14C increase in global temperatures in the decade that followed publication of the first assessment report. This was then followed by a 0.2C increase in each of the following two decades. The world could easily heat by 3C by the end of the century at this rate, warn scientists. The impact on the world will, by then, be catastrophic. As the Observer reveals this week, our overheating planet has already lost a staggering 28tn tonnes of ice from its ice sheets and glaciers, triggering sea level rises that are now accelerating at a rate that matches the worst-case scenario predictions of the IPCC. Or consider the heatwave that struck Siberia this year, bringing forest fires, permafrost melting and pest invasions in its wake. Such an event would have been impossible in a world with limited, pre-industrial levels of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere. It would therefore be tempting to blame IPCC scientists for this troubling state of affairs. Should they not have guided us more adroitly through these worrying times? Could they not have acted with more precision? Certainly, the organisation is not without its critics who have claimed, on occasions, that it is overstaffed and sometimes slipshod in its work. However, we should be careful when apportioning blame for the world’s failure to act over climate change. It is the government members of the IPCC who are at fault for ignoring their own scientists’ warnings. They have allowed lobbying by the fossil fuel industry to play havoc with attempts to limit carbon emissions, while nations such as Canada, Saudi Arabia and the United States have blocked all attempts to limit global fossil fuel consumption. By contrast, the IPCC has at least made the world aware of the impending crisis, a task of considerable complexity. Getting scientific experts from 195 nations to agree anything can be likened to the herding of a similar number of bad-tempered cats. Thanks to the IPCC, we are at least aware of the problem that now faces our world. We know exactly how much fossil fuel we have left to burn if we want to limit global temperature rises to a relatively safe rise of 1.5C. Individual nations have until next year – at the United Nations climate change conference in November – to announce how they will achieve those reductions in oil, gas and coal burning in order to make that target possible and to halt global heating. It is an achievable aspiration even at this late date. We still have hope, in other words. | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'science/science', 'uk/uk', 'environment/fossil-fuels', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/comment', 'tone/editorials', 'profile/observer-editorials', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/news', 'theobserver/news/comment', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/observer-comment'] | environment/carbon-emissions | EMISSIONS | 2020-08-23T05:15:47Z | true | EMISSIONS |
environment/2018/feb/15/marine-scientists-urge-protection-for-endangered-shellfish-reefs | Marine scientists urge protection for endangered shellfish reefs | Marine scientists are lobbying the federal government to ensure protection for Australia’s most endangered – but least known – ocean ecosystem. Shellfish reefs, formed by millions of oysters or mussels clustering together in or near the mouths of estuaries, have declined by up 99% since British colonisation. Yet they are not formally recognised as a threatened ecosystem under Australian environmental law. A study led by the Nature Conservancy Australia and published in the peer-reviewed open access journal Plos One on Thursday found that the number of reefs formed by Australian flat oysters, Ostrea angasi, had declined 99% from 118 found in historical records to just one, in Tasmania’s Georges Bay. The number of reefs formed by rock oysters, Saccostrea glomerata, which are found on coastal banks around Sydney, declined 90% from 60 known historical locations to six surviving reefs. It is even more drastic than the decline in the Great Barrier Reef, which suffered unprecedented mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 that are believed to have killed up to half of the coral, and the shrinking of kelp forests, which have declined 90% off the coast of Western Australia due to successive marine heatwaves. “While it and other coral reefs are indeed under threat, it’s the shellfish reefs that have really suffered the most,” James Cook University senior researcher Ian McLeod, a co-author on the study, said. “It’s just that most of them disappeared before we were born so people aren’t aware we’ve lost them,” Chris Gillies, marine manager at the Nature Conservancy Australia and lead author on the study, said researchers would use the data from the latest study to apply this month for shellfish reefs to be included on the threatened ecosystem list under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. “As a species they are not going to be wiped off the map, but as an ecosystem there is not many of them left,” he said. “It’s like river red gums. There are always going to be river red gums but river red gum forests – there’s very few of them left.” Gillies said that he hoped the proximity of shellfish reefs, which have historically been found in high population areas such as Sydney harbour and Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay, would help drive community support. Restoration projects, involving dropping rocks into the previous reef sites and seeding those rocks with oyster larvae, have already been funded along Australia’s southern coast. “It’s something that’s right under the nose of most coastal Australians,” Gillies said. “These reefs are restorable with funding. We can bring back the reef sand, all the benefits that come with that as well.” The benefits are in water filtration, increased local fish production, and bank stabilisation. A one-hectare oyster reef can filter 2.7bn litres of sea water per year, removing 142kg of nitrogen and 22kg of phosphate. That is about 100L of water per oyster per day. Those toxins are converted into pellets, which provide a rich food source and allow the reef to sustain 375kg of new fish per hectare per year. Researchers examined fishing records and Indigenous middens to determine the locations of historic shellfish reefs, which were harvested and polluted to extinction by white settlers in the late 18th and early 19th century. Much of the information came from newspaper clippings, often from people writing in to complain that the oyster bank they harvested had declined. Mention of natural oyster reefs dropped away by the 1950s. Farms using pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), a Japanese native, soon took over the food supply. “People essentially forgot about native oyster reefs because they stopped farming from them, and they left them behind in the fishing records,” Gillies said. | ['environment/marine-life', 'environment/environment', 'environment/wildlife', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'science/science', 'profile/calla-wahlquist', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2018-02-14T17:00:51Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
technology/2020/may/21/animal-zoom-calls-coronavirus-lockdown | 'It started as a joke': the animal Zoom calls delighting a locked-down public | While the rest of the world has been in lockdown, the goats of Cronkshaw Fold farm in Lancashire have never been busier. In the past few weeks they’ve been to a rave in Berlin and a birthday party in New Zealand, while Mary goes to church services every Sunday – all virtually, of course. They’re one of an increasing variety of animal breeds people can now book to join their Zoom meetings, whether it’s to break the tedium of a work conference call or to surprise someone on their birthday. “We started it as a bit of a joke really, and then we got inundated with messages,” said farmer Dot McCarthy. They now have capacity to do up to 100 Zoom calls a day, charging £5 for a 10-minute appearance. “I’m on the phone all day and people are just in hysterics because they’ve sneaked a goat into the business meeting and the boss hasn’t noticed,” said McCarthy. “It’s so ridiculous, it’s complete escapism. At the moment people just want something completely surreal so they can forget about everything else.” The goats are all in pens as it is kidding season, making them convenient for filming, but also giving people the added bonus of seeing the newborns. “There was a group of women this morning who were all crying because they just love the baby goats,” McCarthy said. In the US, Sweet Farm in California has animals including llamas available for video meetings, while in Fife, Scotland, Alison Johnson has started offering alpaca parties over Zoom to boost the farm’s income during lockdown. The call is just like any chaotic family video call. New mother Emily bleats calming tones at two-day-old Ethan. Best friends Joseph and Owen are having an argument before playing up for the camera. Stubborn Reginald reluctantly glances at the screen with a scowl, apparently dismissive of the whole enterprise. “The boys are on the whole more confident than the girls,” said Johnson, who runs Bowbridge Alpacas with her husband, son and daughter. “In the boys’ field, you’ll be talking about one alpaca and another alpaca will come up and photobomb. But they are all very friendly, and they all have their own personalities.” During each Zoom party, she introduces a number of the alpacas, talks about their personalities, and reels off interesting facts, covering everything from their mating habits to the consistency of their fleece. The farm offers bronze, silver and gold Zoom packages, which include options to adopt one of the 39 alpacas and add gift vouchers, greeting cards and even a lock of fleece along with the call. It has been a crucial source of revenue for the business, which normally relies on selling wool on the farm and at fairs, and offering alpaca experiences. “The animals still need to be fed, and we still have vet bills,” Johnson said. “But we’ve already made the decision that we’re going to keep doing this when things go back to normal,” adding that it allows family and friends from all over the world to experience something together. A huge range of businesses have turned to video calling as a way to keep their businesses afloat during the lockdown – everything from yoga classes to live events are being transferred to the virtual world. Sedona Ferguson runs Goldilocks, a children’s entertainment company, and has adapted her kids’ birthday parties to work over Zoom. For the younger children, she does musical statues and scavenger hunts, and dresses as princesses and pirates, while her TikTok dance parties – where she teaches viral dance routines – are more popular with the older ones. “I was a little sceptical at first how a birthday party would work online, but I started promoting it on Facebook and it really took off,” she said. “I have had some Zoom calls with about 40 different people on, which is crazy.” Having the parties online allows people to invite relatives from all over the world, some of whom might not have spent a birthday together in years. “I even had one lady message me and say that it was the best party she’s ever had, lockdown or not,” said Ferguson. “It’s something so out of the ordinary and so unlike what we’re used to that … it makes it memorable.” | ['technology/zoom', 'environment/farming', 'technology/technology', 'world/coronavirus-outbreak', 'lifeandstyle/lifeandstyle', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/jessica-murray', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/farming | BIODIVERSITY | 2020-05-21T05:00:47Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2017/sep/22/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-dam | Puerto Rico evacuates 70,000 after dam fails in Hurricane Maria's wake | Officials are rushing to evacuate tens of thousands of people from their homes in western Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria inflicted structural damage on a dam and unleashed “extremely dangerous” flash floods. Some 70,000 residents in the municipalities of Isabela and Quebradillas were being evacuated by bus after a crack appeared in the nearly 90-year old Guajataca dam. “It’s a structural failure. I don’t have any more details,” Governor Ricardo Rossello said from the capital, San Juan. “We’re trying to evacuate as many people as possible.” “This is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. Buses are currently evacuating people from the area as quickly as they can,” the US National Weather Service tweeted on Friday . In a later message, the NWS tweeted: “All Areas surrounding the Guajataca River should evacuate NOW. Their lives are in DANGER! Please SHARE!” More than 15in (nearly 40cm) of rain has fallen on the mountains surrounding the Guajataca dam, swelling the reservoir behind the nearly 90-year-old dam, which holds back a manmade lake covering about two square miles (five square kilometres). An engineer inspecting the dam reported a “contained breach” that officials quickly realized was a crack and could be the first sign of total failure of the dam, said Anthony Reynes, a meteorologist with the US National Weather Service. “There’s no clue as to how long or how this can evolve. That is why the authorities are moving so fast, because they also have the challenges of all the debris. It is a really, really dire situation,” Reynes said. “They are trying to mobilize all the resources they can, but it’s not easy. We really don’t know how long it would take for this failure to become a full break of the dam.” The scale of the damage inflicted by Hurricane Maria is only just beginning to emerge, partly because communications to outlying areas of the island were severely hampered by the storm. A government spokesman, Carlos Bermudez, said officials had no communication with 40 of the 78 municipalities on the island more than two days after the category 5 storm crossed the island, toppling power lines and cell phone towers and sending floodwaters cascading through city streets. Maj Gen Derek P Rydholm, deputy to the chief of the air force reserve, said at the Pentagon that it was impossible to say when communication and power would be restored. He said mobile communications systems were being flown in but acknowledged “it’s going to take a while” before people in Puerto Rico will be able to communicate with their families outside the island. Until Friday, he said, “there was no real understanding at all of the gravity of the situation”. Maria was the second major hurricane to hit the Caribbean this month and the strongest storm to hit the US territory in nearly 90 years. It completely knocked out the island’s power, and several rivers hit record flood levels. Officials on the island said on Friday that six people had been confirmed killed by the storm: three died in landslides in Utuadno, in the island’s mountainous center; two drowned in flooding in Toa Baja, west of San Juan; and one died in Bayamón, also near San Juan, after being struck by a panel. Earlier news media reports had the death toll on the island as high as 15. “At the moment, these are fatalities we know of. We know of other potential fatalities through unofficial channels that we haven’t been able to confirm,” said Héctor Pesquera, the government’s secretary of public safety. | ['us-news/puerto-rico', 'world/hurricane-maria', 'world/natural-disasters', 'environment/flooding', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/hurricanes', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'world/caribbean', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-foreign'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2017-09-22T20:55:57Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
business/2022/feb/01/business-department-agrees-three-month-carbon-dioxide-deal | UK beer and meat producers breathe sigh of relief after CO2 deal is struck | Food and drink makers have cautiously welcomed a deal that will secure UK production of carbon dioxide, which is used in making meat, beer, baked goods and fizzy drinks, for at least three months. Meat processors, brewers, bakers and soft drink producers all use CO2 in making and packaging their goods. It is also required for the humane slaughter of animals including pigs and chickens, and is used by hospitals and nuclear power plants. A short government statement said the new industry-led deal would enable CF Fertiliser plant in Billingham, County Durham, to continue to operate. The plant was scheduled for potential shutdown this week after a three-month emergency deal brokered by the government came to an end on Monday. That deal was prompted by a crisis in CO2 supplies in late September as high energy prices combined with annual maintenance shutdowns to bring UK production to a near halt. The government was forced to use taxpayer money to fund a three-week bailout for CF Industries, which accounts for 60% of the UK’s CO2 supplies, to stave off supply chain chaos before the first three-month deal was agreed. It said it would not put up further funds. Kate Halliwell, the chief scientific officer at the Food and Drink Federation trade body, which represents hundreds of UK food and drink businesses, said: “UK food and drink manufacturers welcome the deal that will ensure continuity of CO2 supply, keeping our shops, pubs and restaurants stocked with our favourite food and drink.” But industry insiders said there were concerns about what the new industry deal would mean for the cost of CO2, which has risen sharply in the light of soaring energy prices. Emma McClarkin, the chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “We are encouraged by the agreement made between suppliers and CF industries, however we urgently need further details on the nature of the arrangement in order to understand the impact on our sector and the longer term sustainability of CO2 supply for the UK drinks sector. “Our sector is still reeling from the impact of a devastating winter and face rising cost pressures from all angles. A swift resolution to the CO2 supply issue is crucial in ensuring a strong and sustainable recovery for the beer and pub sector.” The business department said in a statement: “The government welcomes the industry’s agreement which is in the best interest of businesses.” It added that in the longer term the government would “like to see the market take measures to improve resilience, and we are engaging on ways this could happen”. | ['business/supply-chain-crisis', 'business/fooddrinks', 'business/business', 'uk/uk', 'environment/meat-industry', 'environment/environment', 'environment/farming', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/sarahbutler', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/farming | BIODIVERSITY | 2022-02-01T13:17:03Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2009/jun/02/carbon-offset-friends-of-the-earth | UK carbon offsetting schemes 'failing to reduce emissions' | Britain is the world centre of a multibillion dollar "carbon offset" industry which is failing to lower global greenhouse gas emissions, a major report from Friends of the Earth claimed today. The authors urged governments meeting this week in Bonn for UN climate change talks to drop plans to expand offsetting schemes, which allow rich countries to invest in projects that reduce emissions in poor countries as an alternative to more expensive emission reductions in their own countries. Offsetting is set to expand enormously if the 192 governments meeting in Bonn allow forests, nuclear power and other sources of "clean energy" to count towards emissions reductions as part of a UN climate treaty expected to be agreed in Copenhagen this December.. The problem, said the report, is that offset schemes are delivering much lower greenhouse gas cuts than the science says are needed to avoid catstrophic climate change. Offsetting supports the idea that the cuts can be made in either rich or in poor countries " ... when it is clear that action is needed in both," said the report. "Offsets are a dangerous distraction ... It is almost impossible to prove that offsetting projects would not have happened without the offset finance. Nor is it possible to calculate accurately how much carbon a project is saving," it added. Offsetting has been promoted heavily by the UK government in Europe and the UN as a painless way of reducing global emissions. The idea has mushroomed in the last five years with the rapid growth of the UN's clean development mechanism (CDM) which attracts investment money to poorer countries in new projects. These are expected to deliver more than half of the EU's planned carbon reductions to 2020. "The clean development mechanism is supposed to be a way of making the same level of carbon cuts as would otherwise happen, but more cost effectively. At best it shifts a cut in a developed country to one in a developing one. In practice, it does not even do this," said Andy Atkins, executive director of Friends of the Earth UK. Moreover, said the report, the CDM is locking in poor countries to a high-carbon path, with some big CDM projects approved for even major fossil fuel power stations. "A large part of CDM revenues are subsidising carbon intensive industries or projects building fossil fuel power stations." Two previous analyses of the CDM suggested that companies routinely abuse the UN-backed offsetting scheme, wasting billions of pounds. The UK government has already used offsetting as a way to justify high carbon investments in major projects like the expansion of Heathrow, it said. "Offsetting makes it far more likely that developed countries will continue on a high-carbon path, choosing to buy cheap permits rather than invest in low-carbon infrastructure," said the report's authors. Nearly 30% of the world's 2,500 CDM projects originate in London, although not all the projects offset UK emissions. | ['environment/carbon-offset-projects', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/johnvidal'] | environment/carbon-offset-projects | EMISSIONS | 2009-06-02T16:59:39Z | true | EMISSIONS |
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