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technology/2009/oct/23/television-television | TV websites must begin charging, says Murdoch lieutenant | American internet TV service Hulu could stage an abrupt turnaround and begin charging viewers for the right to watch programmes online. The website – which is a joint venture between US television giants NBC, Fox, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and Disney – is considering bringing in charges for some premium broadcasts. According to News Corp's deputy chairman, Chase Carey, the advertising-supported free-to-air model that Hulu has used so far is not viable in the long term. "I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content," he told the Broadcasting & Cable OnScreen conference in New York on Thursday. "Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business." The site – which offers shows including House, The Simpsons and Lost – has proven a hit with American television viewers since it launched in 2007. However, the economics of the service have been questioned since the value of advertising on the site is far lower than that achieved on traditional broadcast TV. The move could put the brakes on plans to launch a British version of the service, which had been rumoured to be in the works. With UK users flocking to the BBC iPlayer website, which offers the corporation's programming for free, and Channel 4 recently forging a deal to put its shows on YouTube, it could prove tough to convince viewers to pay for online access. It also brings into question the decision to shutter development of Project Kangaroo - a plan to create a more open version of the iPlayer, supported by all of Britain's terrestrial broadcasters. That scheme was blocked by the Competition Commission earlier this year, after objections from Murdoch-owned Sky. While Carey did not confirm that there were concrete plans to introduce charges to Hulu, he suggested that a paywall could be introduced in 2010. "It's time to start getting paid for broadcast content online," he said. In recent months senior News Corp executives have announced a series of plans to roll back the company's free-to-access web strategy – including across its newspaper and TV outlets. Murdoch himself has said he wants to bring in paywalls to fix the media's "malfunctioning" business model, while former Times editor Robert Thomson – now running the Wall Street Journal – has lashed out at Google on several occasions for what he says is a parasitic attitude towards mainstream media. Yesterday, Thomson repeated his attacks - telling Google vice president Marissa Meyer that she encouraged a loose relationship between media companies and consumers. "Marissa unintentionally encourages promiscuity," he said. "The whole Google model is based on digital disloyalty – about disloyalty to creators." | ['media/online-tv', 'media/television', 'technology/television', 'culture/television', 'technology/internet', 'technology/technology', 'technology/digitalvideo', 'technology/youtube', 'media/media', 'media/rupert-murdoch', 'media/news-corporation', 'media/iplayer', 'media/bbc', 'tone/news', 'media/video-on-demand', 'type/article', 'profile/bobbiejohnson'] | technology/digitalvideo | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2009-10-23T05:20:04Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
australia-news/2023/nov/23/albanese-government-to-rapidly-expand-investment-scheme-for-clean-energy-projects | Albanese government to rapidly expand investment scheme for clean energy projects | The Albanese government will radically expand a taxpayer-underwritten scheme to support new clean power generation and storage capacity, acknowledging it is needed to meet its objective of Australia running on 82% renewable energy by 2030. The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, will confirm the expansion of the capacity investment scheme on Thursday after officials advised the government further intervention was needed to meet the electricity target and firm the grid as ageing coal plants retire. Bowen said the government would underwrite 32 gigawatts of new electricity, consisting of 9GW of storage and 23GW of variable renewable generation. Fossil fuels, including gas-fired power, will not be eligible. The government’s goal is to de-risk clean energy investments and shield consumers from price volatility during a transition to net zero emissions. It follows evidence that investment in large-scale solar and windfarms has fallen significantly this year. The Clean Energy Council has warned the first half of 2023 was the slowest start to a year for financial commitments on major clean energy developments since 2017. Analysts say while solar and wind are the cheapest forms of new energy generation, farms will not be built at the pace required to meet the 82% target and live up to climate commitments without additional policy support. The government has also faced pressure to respond to the US Inflation Reduction Act, which included A$560bn support for clean energy and has escalated global competition for climate-focused investment. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup It is unclear how much the capacity investment scheme, which will effectively replace the federal renewable energy target, will cost between now and 2030, or how much revenue is expected to be raised. The scheme involves the government underwriting new investments in renewable generation and storage through “contract for differences” that share the risks between investors and taxpayers. Contracts within the scheme are won through a competitive tender and include floors and ceilings for revenue earned by a development. If the revenue is higher than agreed, the proponent pays the commonwealth a percentage of the proceeds. If it is lower than agreed, the commonwealth pays the difference to the proponent. The government says the costs of the contracts will not be disclosed because telegraphing that information could undermine a competitive auction process. The scheme has been piloted in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. Six successful projects in NSW – three large batteries and three virtual power plants, with a combined capacity of 1GW – were announced on Wednesday. The proposed expansion will begin in April, with six-monthly auctions to follow until 2027. As well as delivering its portion of the underwriting, the federal government will also negotiate agreements with the states and territories to underpin what it hopes will be an orderly transition to net zero emissions by 2050. These agreements will cover a range of issues, including ensuring there are sufficient strategic reserves of generation in the market. Commonwealth underwriting will only support renewable projects but the states can determine the form of the strategic reserve. The significant expansion of the underwriting scheme comes before Australia’s participation in UN climate talks in the United Arab Emirates this month. Cop28 will include a global stocktake of progress on emissions reduction efforts. As countries prepare to gather, the UN has issued a stark public warning that the world is on track for a “hellish” 3C of global heating. Before he departs for the Cop, Bowen will deliver an annual climate change statement to the parliament next week, and release an independent assessment of domestic progress by the Climate Change Authority. He will also meet state and territory energy ministers on Friday. In a speech to the Lowy Institute this week, Bowen said reaching the renewable target in the electricity sector would provide Australia with a “strategic advantage when it comes to energy” because of an abundance of wind and solar resources, “enough to power our economy several times over”. He noted there was “no geopolitical crisis that can stop the sun shining or the wind blowing”. Bowen said the coal power fleet suffered thousands of hours of forced outages in 2022, leaving the grid short of forecast coal generation capacity for nearly a quarter of the year. “This isn’t a political view, it’s a practical reality and reinforces the urgency of the transition to renewables,” the minister said. But Labor is facing an intensifying partisan attack from the Coalition about the impact of large-scale renewable energy generation and transmission infrastructure on local communities. The coordinated pushback includes opposition to a proposed windfarm area off the coast of the NSW Hunter region. The Coalition has proposed building small modular nuclear reactors – which are not yet commercially available – on the site of retired coal generators to complement renewable energy in the grid. But the only company to have a small modular nuclear power plant approved in the US – cited by the Australian opposition as evidence of a “burgeoning” global nuclear industry – has cancelled its first project due to rising costs. | ['australia-news/energy-australia', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/energy', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'australia-news/labor-party', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'campaign/email/afternoon-update', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/environment', 'world/chris-bowen', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/windpower', 'australia-news/coalition', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/katharine-murphy', 'profile/adam-morton', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/energy | ENERGY | 2023-11-22T14:00:29Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2005/oct/24/usnews.hurricanes2005 | Hurricane Wilma hits Florida | Huge waves and 125mph winds pounded Florida today as Hurricane Wilma swept across the state after earlier battering large parts of Cuba. The storm - which has killed more than 20 people in the Caribbean and Mexico - hit Florida's south-west coast this morning, where there were reports of at least one fatality. A man in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Coral Springs died when a tree fell on him, local officials said. Wilma caused flooding in several areas on the coast, and large sections of low-lying Key West. Emergency officials said they were "very concerned" about people in Key West as less than 10% of the 78,000 residents had been evacuated. By mid-afternoon the hurricane, which caused power cuts across large sections of the state, was in central Florida and moving towards the east coast. Before reaching Florida at around 1130 BST, Wilma battered the west and north of Cuba. The storm churned up waves that submerged the Malecón road and flooded neighbourhoods in Havana and beyond. Army scuba diving teams in inflatable rafts had rescued around 244 people, including children, from flooded neighbourhoods by mid-morning. Wilma made landfall in Florida still as a category three storm, stronger than forecasters had predicted. It knocked out power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses in the Keys, Miami, Fort Lauderdale and other areas. More than 33,000 people took refuge in storm shelters across the state. David Paulison, acting director of Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), said later that he was "very concerned" that so many people in the Keys did not evacuate. He said his staff were in shelters waiting for the hurricane winds to die down before they could assess the damage and begin relief efforts. The eye of the storm made landfall in the US near Cape Romano, 22 miles south of Naples, causing a storm surge of up to 18ft (6m). One resident riding out the storm at his home near the beach in Naples, Paul Tucchinio, told reporters: "I looked out our place and I saw a bunch of stuff flying by. It sounds like someone threw a bunch of rocks against the boards." Within three hours of making landfall in the US, Wilma had been downgraded to a category two storm, the level which forecasters expected it to remain at by the time it reaches the east coast. By 1400 BST, the storm was centred in the middle of Florida about 45 miles south-west of West Palm Beach. Later, it was expected to skirt the southern end of Lake Okeechobee and head into the Atlantic off Palm Beach County. It was expected to be off the coast of Canada by early tomorrow but forecasters said it may not bring heavy rain because its projected track was far off shore. In Florida today officials from Fema - which was heavily criticised over its response to Hurricane Katrina - were poised to send in dozens of military helicopters and millions of ready to eat meals if needed. The National Guard was also on alert. The National Hurricane Centre, based in Miami, said Wilma could have caused rainfall of up to 38cm (15") in some parts of western Cuba, from where more than 625,000 people had been evacuated. Fidel Castro, the Cuban president, appeared on television to appeal for calm. Throughout Havana, downed trees, branches, and other debris littered the roads. Over the weekend, Wilma caused severe damage to the Mexican resort of Cancún and on the island of Cozumel off the Yucat´n peninsula. The storm has left around 20,000 tourists stranded in cramped shelters with no electricity, and British embassy officials have been deployed to assist stranded visitors from the UK. Wilma is reported to have caused eight deaths in Mexico, and 13 having in Jamaica and Haiti. Four bodies were found off the Mexican island of Cozumel, but it was not clear whether they had been killed by the storm. Forecasters were also monitoring tropical depression Alpha, which became the record-breaking 22nd named storm of the 2005 Atlantic season. Yesterday, Alpha brought torrential rain and high winds Haiti and the Dominican Republic, killing at least one person in Haiti. It was expected to move into the open Atlantic today after brushing the south-east Bahamas. | ['environment/environment', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/hurricanes', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'world/natural-disasters'] | world/hurricanes | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2005-10-24T16:36:45Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
world/2005/aug/15/indonesia.tsunami2004 | Legacy of tsunami brings peace to Aceh | The one copy of the local newspaper, Serambi, in the Lhok Igguh coffee shack had been pulled apart so that everyone sipping sweet, thick Acehnese coffee could read a page. "We want to know the latest developments - we want to know if it's really going to happen," said Alamsyah, known as Mr Moustache in the village on account of his prominent facial hair. "We've endured years of fighting and can't quite believe this is the end." "It" is the peace deal between the Indonesian authorities and the Free Aceh Movement (Gam), due to be signed in Helsinki today, designed to end the rebels' 29-year armed campaign for a separate country in the northern Sumatran province that has cost some 12,000 lives. Like the coffee drinkers in Lhok Igguh, a village in Pidie district at the heart of the war zone, virtually everyone in Aceh is amazed that a deal has been struck. Less than a year ago, as tens of thousands of Indonesian troops launched yet another offensive against a Gam army that had been weakened to about 3,000 fighters, no one would have predicted that the separatists would give up their demand for independence, or that Jakarta would offer Gam a blanket amnesty and allow it to form a political party. Two key events since then have influenced developments: the election of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has shown an unprecedented political will to find a solution to the conflict, and the Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami. This devastated much of Aceh - leaving 132,000 dead or missing and 500,000 homeless. "We would not be here without the tsunami," said Humam Hamid, a senior community leader. "It focused the minds on all sides. It demonstrated that there has been enough suffering in Aceh." Gam leaders admit as much. "It opened a huge door in the deadlock that no one thought was there," Muharam, the commander of the forces in and around the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, told the Guardian. "It made us realise that the future should not be about winning or losing, but about peace and obtaining what's best for the Acehnese people, so they're free to voice their aspirations and do what they want." Now, following five rounds of peace talks, at which the Finnish-based Crisis Management Initiative mediated, a deal has been reached whereby, in four phases over the next four months, Gam will surrender its weapons and obtain financial incentives to help its forces re-integrate into society. Jakarta, meanwhile, will withdraw more than half of its 53,000 troops and police. Aceh will also be given greater political autonomy and 70% of the income generated from the province's extensive oil and gas-based natural resources. About 250 monitors from the European Union and five of Indonesia's south-east Asian neighbours will oversee the process and arbitrate disputes. "As a package it's a hell of a wallop from our perspective," said Justin Davies, a senior monitor. "It has the political part, the financial part, the supporting role of the [monitoring] mission and clearly defined and clearly achievable aims for the mission." Few Acehnese disagree that, on paper, it is a fantastic deal. "But that's on top of the table," said Sulaiman, a Lhok Igguh coffee drinker. "What's going to happen here under the table, in the field, where no one's looking?" His fellow villager, Mr Alamsyah, pointed out: "We've had several attempts at peace before, but they've all ended in failure. It's going to take a lot to get this to succeed. I'm 50-50 [as to whether] this will succeed." Their concern is understandable. Both sides have committed so many atrocities against each other and the local population that the level of trust between them in the field is virtually non-existent. "On paper, the Indonesian military supports the peace deal, but we are convinced that on the ground they don't," said Commander Muharam. "We worry that the military will create militias to sabotage this agreement." A province-wide, pro-Jakarta militia, funded but not armed by the Indonesian military, has existed for several years. Its commander, Sofyan Ali, insists that his members will not derail the process. "We've effectively disbanded and taken a wait-and-see approach," he told the Guardian. "But it's all up to Gam. If they come down from the hills and surrender then everything will be fine. If not, we will reorganise. "Similarly, if the monitors are biased towards Gam then we will have to remind them about their responsibilities." Indonesian soldiers are also wary. "I've been in Aceh for 15 years and I just can't believe that Gam will change overnight," said Sergeant Muhammed Yusfiah, based in the town of Bireuen. "They're still kidnapping people and extorting ransoms. I'm not optimistic." Mr Humam, the community leader, said the Gam political leadership, in exile in Sweden, could make a huge impact by returning to Aceh immediately. "They should come home to Aceh and hold a roadshow for a week in all districts and say categorically that the war is over," he said. Despite the fears and uncertainty, signs are growing that the vast majority of people want to give the peace deal a chance. In remote areas such as Lhok Igguh, the fighting has virtually ceased. "The military have pulled back to their posts and are no longer sweeping through villages," said Mr Alamsyah. "Until a month ago, we would all go home immediately after evening prayers [at 7pm], but now people are staying out until midnight. There really is a new atmosphere." Toll of war · Aceh conflict began in 1976. Rebels cited Indonesian broken promises of greater autonomy · Total death toll about 12,000 out of population of four million. Atrocities committed by both sides · Two previous attempts at peace since 1998. Most recent was in 2002. Ceasefire lasted five months, after which Jakarta launched massive offensive | ['world/world', 'world/indonesia', 'world/tsunami2004', 'world/asia-pacific', 'type/article', 'profile/johnaglionby'] | world/tsunami2004 | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2005-08-14T23:03:00Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2011/nov/03/congress-demands-solyndra-memos | Solyndra battle intensifies as Congress demands internal White House memos | Republicans in Congress have escalated their war with the White House over Solyndra, voting to subpoena officials to turn over all internal memos related to the bankrupt solar company. In a 14-9 decision, the house energy and commerce committee voted to subpoena the White House chief of staff and other senior aides to Barack Obama for all their internal communications concerning the company. Solyndra received $528m in federal government loans before going bankrupt and laying off more than 1,000 workers. The resort to subpoenas – described by Democrats on the committee as an extreme measure – sets the Republican-led Congress and the White House even more firmly on their collision course over Solyndra and the Obama administration's entire strategy of supporting new clean energy industries. Solyndra was the first company awarded a loan guarantee through Obama's nearly $800bn recovery plan. The house chairman, Fred Upton, said getting the White House to co-operate with a congressional investigation into the failure of the solar company had been like pulling teeth without anesthetic. Cliff Stearns, the Florida Republican leading the investigation into Solyndra, said he had had no other recourse. "At this point in time, I am not confident that we will have a good faith response from the White House without issuing a subpoena," Sterns said. However, the White House said it had delivered several additional crates of email to the committee on Wednesday evening, and Democrats on the committee accused Republicans of deliberately trying to provoke a confrontation. "The White House repeatedly said that they had turned over documents and they were willing to turn over more documents," Diana DeGette of Colorado told the hearing. She said the subpoenas were an act of "irresponsible partisanship". Henry Waxman, a California Democrat, said Republicans were more interested in provoking a clash with Republicans than actually furthering their investigation into Solyndra. The administration has turned over about 80,000 pages of material on Solyndra to the congressional investigation to date, including memos from the White House, Office of Management and Budget, and the energy department. A new trove of 1,200 pages of memos between White House and energy department officials this week suggested the Obama administration was considering a bailout for Solyndra just two weeks before the company shut down last August. Lawyers for the White House have said the releases so far should be enough for the investigation, and that the Republicans have been too sweeping in their demands for more documents. The Republican demands, if met, could potentially give them access to Obama's BlackBerry, setting a dangerous precedent, some Democrats said. In a statement ahead of the vote, the Republicans said they wanted to examine emails dating back to 2009 from the former White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, economic advisor Larry Summers, senior advisor Valerie Jarrett, and the former chief of staff to vice president Joe Biden, Ron Klain. The dripstream of revelations has been embarrassing for the administration, solidifying the impression that federal government officials knew the company was in trouble but continued to support it anyway. None of the documents so far disclosed have produced clear evidence for the Republicans' central charge – that the Obama administration used the clean energy loans to parcel out favours to big donors and political allies. Republicans have suggested that Solyndra got the first loan under the recovery plan because of its links to a major Obama fundraiser. But documents obtained by the committee last July through a subpoena for records from the office of management and budget do show senior White House officials taking an interest in the loan, especially on the timing of its announcement. The White House has tried to limit its exposure to the scandal, announcing last week it would review the energy department's entire $35bn loan programme. But such moves are unlikely to make Solyndra go away. On Wednesday, the story of the failed solar company even became official election fodder, after a Tea Party group funded by the billionaire Koch company announced its was spending $2.4m on a 2012 campaign ad about the failed solar company. | ['environment/solarpower', 'environment/environment', 'environment/green-economy', 'us-news/obama-administration', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'us-news/us-news', 'type/article', 'profile/suzannegoldenberg'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2011-11-03T17:50:00Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2019/aug/16/edinburgh-limits-pupil-climate-strike-approval-to-once-a-year | Edinburgh limits pupil climate strike approval to once a year | Young activists have vowed to keep protesting in Edinburgh despite the city council saying it will only authorise pupils to miss school once a year to attend climate strikes. Pupils have been attending protests on Fridays outside the Scottish parliament on an ad hoc basis after the council granted permission in March. On Friday, however, the council’s education, children and families committee approved a motion by the Scottish National party-Labour coalition to limit authorised absences to one day. Activists had asked the council to support pupil participation in the continuing global movement started by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg. The council insisted it would not punish children for taking part in subsequent strikes but it said parental consent would be required. Edinburgh’s education convener, Ian Perry, said: “We support the young people making their voices heard regarding climate change as it is one of the most important issues that’s facing the world. However, there needs to be a balance struck and if we allow pupils more than one absence the issue is that they could be regularly missing school which affects their education.” Sandy Boyd, a member of Scottish Youth Climate Strike, said the decision was disappointing but added: “I’m still confident that our movement won’t be deterred by it. The council is short-sighted if it thinks one strike a year is enough to make this change. This movement will not stop and we’ll keep striking no matter what.” With Scottish secondary school pupils returning from the summer holidays this week, strikers moved their regular Friday action from Holyrood to the council’s offices at lunchtime, with about 30 young people congregating. Boyd said: “These actions are happening on a weekly basis, but authorisation is good on big dates like September 20 and 27 because lots of people want to come out [for the global climate strikes] and it allows them to come out feeling safe, and that they won’t be reprimanded.” | ['environment/school-climate-strikes', 'uk/edinburgh', 'uk/scotland', 'education/schools', 'education/secondary-schools', 'education/primary-schools', 'education/education', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'environment/activism', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/libbybrooks', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/school-climate-strikes | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2019-08-16T17:29:56Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
world/2015/jan/03/great-blue-hole-belize-clues-fall-mayan-civilisation | Great Blue Hole off Belize yields new clues to fall of Mayan civilisation | A massive underwater sinkhole surrounded by reefs, caves and sharks has provided archaeologists with clues in the mystery of the fall of the Mayan civilization, according to new research. Scientists from Rice University and Louisiana State University found evidence in Belize’s Great Blue Hole, a 400ft-deep cave in a barrier reef, that supports the theory that drought and climate conditions pushed the Mayans from a regional power to a smattering of rival survivors and finally a virtually lost civilization. The researchers took sediment samples from both the ancient sinkhole and the central Belize lagoon corresponding to the era of the Mayan decline, between 800 and1000 AD. In those samples they tested the ratio of aluminum and titanium – a sign of heavy rainfall from tropical cyclones pounding the element out of the rock and into the sea. Their study on the lagoon, which has yet to be published, complements one published last year in Scientific Reports on the Hole, and found relatively little titanium, meaning there had been fewer tropical cyclones and longer droughts than normal during those two centuries. Evidence of droughts as a factor in Mayan civilization’s long decline has been growing for years, including stalagmite evidence found in 2012, but the Great Blue Hole is better aligned with the path of storm systems passing over the ancient Mayan capital city of Tikal. The Yucatan peninsula lacks natural water resources, so the Mayans relied on rainfall that accumulated in limestone sinkholes – natural sinkholes called cenotes (sometimes also used for religious rituals) and manmade cisterns called chultunes. Several prolonged periods of drought, like those the evidence suggests, could have quickly drained the Mayans’ stores of potable water. Famine, unrest and war are natural consequences of a water crisis – the Mayans farmed on difficult soil and lived in a fractious, combative culture. By 900 AD any Mayan cities had been abandoned; a second period of droughts may have tipped the scales for other cities, as dirty water spread disease, dry weather killed crops and rival groups fought and fled in search of resources. Scientists have been puzzled for decades by the question of why the Mayans abandoned their cities and apparently forsook a civilization that gave them a script, elaborate art and architecture, sport, agriculture, trade and a three-tiered concept of time. Scientists have suggested war, climate, disease and politics as possible causes. Supporters of the drought hypothesis sometimes argue that it can assimilate many factors into a larger theory of systemic collapse. The major city of Chichen Itza, along the coast of the peninsula, thrived for about a century after 1000AD, almost certainly taking in Mayans who arrived from the arid south to build a revised iteration of Mayan culture in the north. Then, the Blue Hole research shows, a second period of droughts drained the peninsula, coinciding with the estimated time that Chichen Itza also quickly declined. Mayans did however continue to live there, albeit in smaller numbers, surviving the fall of their civilization, the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and the changes of the centuries until the present day. Climate change and drought have been cited as likely causes in the decline of other civilizations. Yale archaeologist Harvey Weiss and University of Massachusetts climatologist Raymond Bradley argue that massive droughts changed history in the Middle East, devastating the Akkadian empire and Egypt’s Old Kingdom around 2200 BC; that sometime after 500 AD drought and floods forced Peru’s Moche civilization north; and that almost a thousand years later similar problems caused the Anasazi to abandon their cities in the North American south-west. | ['world/belize', 'world/americas', 'world/sinkholes', 'world/natural-disasters', 'world/world', 'environment/drought', 'environment/flooding', 'environment/oceans', 'environment/environment', 'environment/water', 'science/science', 'science/archaeology', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/alan-yuhas'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2015-01-03T20:04:27Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
sport/2023/mar/30/yorkshire-cricket-racism-allegations-decision-friday | Decisions on Vaughan and Yorkshire racism allegations expected on Friday | The former England captain Michael Vaughan and five other players will discover whether they have been found to have used racist language and brought the game into disrepute when the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) publishes its findings on Friday morning. Vaughan was charged with using racist or discriminatory language after allegedly telling a group of four Yorkshire teammates – Azeem Rafiq, Adil Rashid, Ajmal Shahzad and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan – that there were “too many of you lot, we need to have a word about that” before the start of a T20 game against Nottinghamshire in 2009. Vaughan strenuously denies the allegation. The CDC met over four days at the International Arbitration Centre in London this month, with Vaughan the only one of the men charged to give evidence in person. The others – John Blain, Tim Bresnan, Andrew Gale, Matthew Hoggard and Richard Pyrah – did not participate in the process, so charges against them were heard in their absence. They, too, deny any wrongdoing. The ECB had announced the charges in June 2022, prompted by Rafiq’s allegations of racist abuse while at Yorkshire, and his appearance at the digital, culture, media and sport select committee in November 2021. The CDC was due to meet in November 2022, but the hearings were delayed until this month after the decision to hold them in public. Yorkshire pleaded guilty to four charges, including a failure to address systemic use of racist and/or discriminatory language at the club over a prolonged period. The former Yorkshire player Gary Ballance, who has since resumed his international career with Zimbabwe, admitted using racist and or discriminatory language. The findings will be published on the ECB website at 10.30am on Friday, with any sanctions due to be announced at a later date. | ['sport/yorkshire', 'sport/cricket', 'sport/azeem-rafiq', 'sport/sport', 'sport/ecb', 'sport/michael-vaughan', 'world/race', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/tanyaaldred', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/sport', 'theguardian/sport/news', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-sport'] | sport/ecb | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2023-03-30T17:09:58Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
sport/2023/aug/12/owen-farrell-argentina-rugby-world-cup-england-red-wales | Owen Farrell set to miss Argentina World Cup opener after England red | Owen Farrell looks set to miss England’s opening Rugby World Cup pool fixture against Argentina in Marseille on 9 September after his 63rd-minute rush of blood against Wales at Twickenham. The Wales coach, Warren Gatland, believes the England captain could have few complaints about his upgraded red card and a potential four-match ban may now await. England have only two more warm-up games against Ireland and Fiji before they face the Pumas and Farrell’s previous history of high tackle offences may count against him at his disciplinary hearing this week. As recently as January, Farrell received a four-week ban, later reduced to three, for a dangerous tackle in a club game and may struggle for similar mitigation this time. Gatland, for one, felt the high shoulder to the head of Taine Basham, who subsequently failed his head injury assessment, was clear enough. “I think it was the right decision but hopefully for Owen’s sake he doesn’t get too long a ban. You need someone like him in the game. He’d be a big loss to England if he does have a lengthy ban. Given his previous I’m not too sure what’s going to happen with that. Fingers crossed it’s not long for him.” England also face a nervous wait to discover if Freddie Steward is cited for his aerial tackle on Josh Adams which earned the full-back only a yellow card at the time. “It was probably on the threshold of a yellow to a red,” said Gatland. “He’s taken him out high in the air. Sometimes that decision, if it had been made by another official, might have been a red card. It was pretty close. It will be interesting to see what they come back with when they review it.” With the scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet having also suffered a nasty-looking ankle injury, England will almost certainly have to think again regarding their half-back pairing to face the Pumas. George Ford, Farrell’s likely replacement at fly-half, says the squad will support their captain regardless of the verdict. “He’s not a player who would intentionally want to do that,” said Ford. “We’ll get behind him, he’s our captain and leader and he’ll be back.” England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, would not be drawn on whether he now expected to be without Farrell – “What we’ll do is wait and see and deal in facts” – but stressed he was “proud of the character the players showed” after being reduced to 12 players in the second half. Gatland, though, felt Wales were to blame for their late downfall. “Our game management wasn’t good enough. We should have been comfortable. We did some good things last week but we capitulated a bit in terms of some guys not knowing their roles. But that was the most experienced England team they could put out there so we have got to be reasonably pleased. They didn’t really trouble us from an attacking perspective.” | ['sport/england-rugby-union-team', 'sport/owen-farrell', 'sport/wales-rugby-union-team', 'sport/rugby-union', 'sport/sport', 'campaign/email/the-breakdown', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/robertkitson', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/sport', 'theobserver/sport/news', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-sport'] | sport/wales-rugby-union-team | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2023-08-12T20:58:35Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
environment/2018/jun/08/heathrow-and-the-aviation-mafia | Heathrow and the ‘aviation mafia’ | Letters | The battle to construct a third runway has been going on for much longer than your estimate of 31 years (Editorial, 6 June). It first gained government approval as long ago as 1946 but was abandoned by the incoming government in 1952. Since then there have been further attempts and in 2009 it once again gained parliamentary approval. This was overturned by the coalition government one year later when David Cameron declared: “No ifs, no buts, no third runway.” This might have been the end of the matter but the ‘aviation mafia’ is nothing if not persistent and never gives up. Philip Sherwood Author, Heathrow: 2000 Years of History, Harlington, Middlesex • There is one vital element of the Heathrow runway debate that has not been aired this time (again) and is surely the central point. In the 1970s, an energy study warned us of the finite nature of oil-based transport. According to the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in 2016, there are 1.3tn barrels of proven oil reserves left in the world’s major fields, which at present rates of consumption should last 40 years. So if it takes 20-30 years to build the third runway, that means just 10 years of use. And that does not take into account current population expansion rates and the likelihood of greater demand on oil reserves over the next 30 years. A third runway at Heathrow is utterly futile and pointless. Air travel in its current form is dying. We need new solutions, new energy sources – not tired out old arguments. Nigel Cubbage Merstham, Surrey • Climate change is a good reason for opposing a third runway at Heathrow. Air pollution is another. The chief executive of Heathrow, John Holland-Kaye, has circulated local residents reassuring them that he takes this issue very seriously. In fact Heathrow uses diesel generators to refuel around 40% of its planes. It has been offered renewable energy generated locally but turned down the proposal as it was slightly more expensive. So pollution and sustainability do not seem to feature in Holland-Kaye’s business decisions. Nor it seems in the government’s. The real reason for Chris Grayling’s announcement is that Brexit will free the UK from the EU air quality directive; and we already know that Michael Gove’s new Environment Agency has no regulatory teeth. It can issue advisory notices regarding pollution levels at Heathrow, but the government will be immune from prosecution. Those who have hitherto failed to comprehend the cynical rationale behind Brexit need look no further than Heathrow. Dr Robin Russell-Jones Chair, Help Rescue the Planet • The Guardian continues raking in the ad revenue from flight and travel companies while moralising to us about the impact on the upper atmosphere of all this air travel. Isn’t it time to decide which you believe is more important – planet or profit? Martin Sandbrook Stroud, Gloucestershire • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters | ['environment/heathrow-third-runway', 'environment/travel-and-transport', 'uk-news/heathrow-airport', 'business/business', 'world/air-transport', 'business/theairlineindustry', 'uk/london', 'environment/environment', 'tone/letters', 'politics/davidcameron', 'politics/politics', 'environment/oil', 'business/oil', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'type/article', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/journal', 'theguardian/journal/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/oil | ENERGY | 2018-06-08T15:36:30Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2022/feb/11/business-secretary-approves-vast-offshore-windfarm-norfolk-vanguard | Windfarm off Norfolk coast gets second green light after court battle | A vast windfarm off the Norfolk coast has been approved by ministers for a second time after a local man convinced a high court judge to overturn the first decision a year ago. The high court verdict last February forced the government to reconsider the plans by the Swedish renewables firm Vattenfall to build two offshore windfarms capable of generating enough green electricity to power the equivalent of 4m UK homes. But on Friday Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, reapproved the Norfolk Vanguard offshore windfarm, more than a year and a half after first giving the project the nod. His department approved the Norfolk Boreas windfarm, its sister project, at the end of last year. The projects were temporarily derailed last year after a legal challenge by a local resident, Raymond Pearce, raised concerns about the impact on the landscape and the view. Pearce, who lives near Reepham in Norfolk, argued that ministers had not taken into account the “cumulative impacts” of the two projects and had given “inadequate” reasons for not doing so. The concerns centred on Vattenfall’s plans for a substation for both projects about 40 miles from the coast at Necton, which would require cables to pass within 80 metres of Pearce’s house. The high court judge added that the plans had attracted “substantial objections” from the local community, too. Conservationists also raised concerns about the safety of endangered birds in the area. Work on the windfarms, located almost 30 miles off the coast, is now expected to begin in 2023 and would “help to cement and maintain East Anglia as a UK renewable energy powerhouse” that could support thousands of jobs in the local area, according to Vattenfall. Danielle Lane, Vattenfall’s UK boss, said the approval was a “major step forward for a project that will help to unlock the huge potential of offshore wind for the UK”. “We’ll be working even more closely now with local communities as we begin to take the project towards construction,” Lane said. “This will include preparatory works on the ground, but also work with our local partners to make sure we get our plans absolutely right to maximise benefits to the region.” The industry group RenewableUK said the approval would also secure “significant investment in much-needed new energy infrastructure” to help the UK meet its climate targets. “The government has set the industry a target of nearly quadrupling our current offshore wind capacity to 40 gigawatts by the end of this decade,” said RenewableUK’s chief executive, Dan McGrail. “Giving the go-ahead to a major project like Norfolk Vanguard is a big boost to help us to get there. It also demonstrates to the rest of the world that the UK is committed to taking significant practical action against climate change,” he said. | ['environment/windpower', 'uk-news/norfolk', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/energy', 'environment/environment', 'environment/green-economy', 'politics/kwasi-kwarteng', 'politics/politics', 'business/business', 'uk-news/england', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/jillian-ambrose', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/windpower | ENERGY | 2022-02-11T16:50:46Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2021/dec/31/carbon-bomb-queensland-reveals-big-jump-in-land-clearing | ‘Carbon bomb’: Queensland reveals big jump in land clearing | Queensland landholders are clearing the equivalent of about 1,000 MCGs a day, including endangered ecological regions, according to state government data that raises new doubts about the accuracy of Australia’s carbon emissions claims. The Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (Slats) for 2018-19 showed landholders cleared 680,688 hectares of woody vegetation, or about 0.7% of Queensland’s total. • Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Improved accuracy of remote sensing make precise comparisons with earlier years difficult. The government had said the 2017-18 clearing rate was 392,000 hectares. About 84% of 2018-19 land clearing destroyed vegetation that was at least 15 years old, the new report said. The great bulk of the deforestation, or 88%, involved land with less than 50% tree cover. The report said 3% was in ecosystems “identified as of concern”, while less than 1% of the clearing involved endangered ecological communities. Stuart Blanch, a WWF Australia conservation scientist, said the figures were “a real shocker”, deliberately released ahead of New Year’s Eve to stir up the least attention. The data also suggests Australia’s carbon emissions are worse than reported, he said. “It’s a carbon bomb for the Queensland and federal governments because it shows we are vastly underestimating carbon emissions from land clearing,” Blanch said. “That’s going to really jeopardise our net zero commitments and any 2030 abatement targets. “We’re a massive land-clearing nation. Queensland has got the vast majority of it, and the vast majority of that is for beef.” Guardian Australia sought comment from the Palaszczuk and Morrison governments. In its 2021 projections update, the federal government predicted Australia’s carbon emissions in 2030 would be 30% below 2005 levels, beating the 26-28% reduction pledged at the 2015 Paris climate summit. That estimate, though, included recent years when the land sector was deemed to have absorbed more carbon dioxide than it released. In 2019, for instance, the sector contributed a net negative 25m tonnes of CO2 equivalent, that report said. Blanch, though, said Queensland’s new dataset, which assessed changes in vegetation down to 10 sq metre satellite imagery, were three times more accurate than that used to compile the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory figures. In 2018, for instance, the federal government estimated 2018 national land clearing to be just under 370,000 hectares, well shy of the 680,000-plus hectares reported by Queensland alone in 2018-19. As Guardian Australia reported last month, an analysis by Queensland researcher Martin Taylor showed earlier technology used to compile Slats was already detecting large areas of land clearing that was not picked up by the federal survey. Glenn Walker, a senior campaigner for Greenpeace, said the Slats data was “extraordinary, horrifying figures” that showed Australia remained one of the world’s fastest deforesting nations. “Behind these figures are millions of killed and maimed native animals like koalas and huge amounts of carbon emissions from burning and rotting trees,” Walker said. “Clearly the current laws aren’t working and the beef sector isn’t taking this issue seriously. This should be a huge wake-up call to act fast before we lose more precious bushland and wildlife.” The new data also indicate changes by Queensland Labor to tighten land-clearing regulations eased by the former Liberal National government under Campbell Newman were failing, Blanch said. Areas deemed to be so-called “category X” that remain excluded from the 1999 Vegetation Management Act accounted for just over 70% of the total cleared area, the government said. Costly efforts to reduce the amount of silt washing into the Great Barrier Reef region also appear to be undermined by the land clearing. About one-third of the 2018-19 deforestation, or 217,419 hectares, occurred in catchments flowing into the reef region. About 85% of that clearing remains exempt from the law changes introduced by Labor in 2018 as category X, Blanch said. The report also showed remnant clearing increased by 58% in the important Brigalow Belt in 2018-19 from the previous year to 35,550 hectares. “The Brigalow Belt supports the highest bird diversity of any bioregion in Australia and is home to at least three species of reptiles that do not occur anywhere else in the world,” Blanch said. “So the spike in clearing here is particularly heartbreaking. “It’s very disappointing the Queensland government sat on this data. They knew it was bad news and they buried it.” The deputy premier, Steven Miles, said on Thursday a group of scientific experts would be assembled in early 2022 to better understand the study results and find ways to help avoid clearing or whether other measures were needed. | ['environment/deforestation', 'australia-news/queensland', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/environment', 'environment/forests', 'type/article', 'profile/peter-hannam', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/deforestation | BIODIVERSITY | 2021-12-30T16:30:01Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
uk-news/2020/nov/02/scottish-village-langholm-moor-duke-of-buccleuch | Scottish village buys large part of Langholm Moor from Duke of Buccleuch | A village in southern Scotland has succeeded in buying a large part of Langholm Moor, a famous grouse moor held for centuries by the dukes of Buccleuch, among the UK’s most powerful hereditary peers. Buccleuch Estates said on Monday it would be selling just over 2,000 hectares (about 5,000 acres) of Langholm Moor for £3.8m to the local community, which plans to create a leading new nature reserve and community regeneration project. The deal, the largest ever community buyout in the south of Scotland, follows months of fundraising by the Langholm Initiative, which only succeeded with hours to spare before the deadline of 31 October. Kevin Cumming, the initiative’s project leader, said he was thrilled with the deal. “Community ownership can be a catalyst for regeneration, which we want to show can be done with the environment at its heart,” he said. “We hope the success here will encourage and inspire other communities in Scotland and across the UK.” After a late surge in public donations to the Langholm Initiative’s crowdfunder last week, the campaign group secured the final £200,000 they needed from forestry charity the Woodland Trust on Friday. The buyout involves about half the area of 4,200 hectares the campaigners had hoped to buy, at the substantial price of £6m. It proved impossible for the Langholm Initiative to raise that sum before 31 October, when a £1m grant from the government-funded Scottish Land Fund was due to lapse, raising questions among land reforms experts about the limitations of the current land buyout system. Buccleuch Estates told the campaigners it would continue talking about the possibility of buying the remaining 2,100 hectares that covers much of the former grouse moor, which would involve the Langholm Initiative raising another £2.2m. The new deal will take until January next year to negotiate, and Buccleuch Estates is not going to actively market the unsold portion, giving the Langholm Initiative time to discuss whether bidding for the remaining land is realistic or necessary. Land reformers believe that community ownership of valuable and expensive estates such as Langholm will only be possible with other forms of funding, through loans, guaranteed grants support and funding partnerships. The Scottish Land Fund, which is backed by the Scottish government, has been heavily oversubscribed after ministers expanded its scope to cover urban buyouts and the model has grown in popularity. Its £20m annual fund closed in August, months earlier than previous years. The Langholm buyout is one of three community land sales involving Buccleuch in south-west Scotland, all part-funded with taxpayers’ money. Earlier this year, Buccleuch Estates sold 300 hectares of land around the village of Newcastleton and has offered to sell 1,560 hectares of moorland, pasture and brownfield land to a community trust at Wanlockhead in the Leadhills for nearly £1.5m. Wanlockhead has bid for £1m in funding from the Scottish Futures Trust and expects to hear later this month whether its bid has been successful. The Langholm Initiative hopes the moorland regeneration, ecotourism and rural industries it plans to fund will bring enough money to plough back into community regeneration and bring in new residents. The scheme will focus on creating a new nature reserve called Tarras Valley, including restoring Langholm’s ancient peatlands and protecting the area’s threatened populations of hen harrier. The initiative hopes its reforestation and peatland restoration projects will attract subsidies from programmes funding measures to combat global heating. | ['uk/scotland', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/biodiversity', 'uk-news/land-ownership', 'environment/land-rights', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'type/article', 'profile/severincarrell', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2020-11-02T16:07:14Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
commentisfree/2022/oct/31/rishi-sunak-cop27-prime-minister-sharm-el-sheikh | Rishi Sunak badly misread the national mood, and now a Cop27 U-turn is looming | Gaby Hinsliff | So the gentleman is for turning. Well, maybe, anyway: after an outcry, Rishi Sunak may now attend the Cop27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh after all. It would be easy to be churlish about this, given it follows reports that Boris Johnson was planning to go and hog the limelight instead, while doubtless giving the impression of caring so very much more deeply about the planet than his successor (imagine being out-serioused by Johnson, who made Kermit the Frog jokes during a rambling keynote address last year to the UN on the climate emergency, and a U-turn becomes easier to understand). But in this freakishly balmy autumn, amid apocalyptic warnings about just how far the world is from containing the global temperature rise to 1.5C, I’m mostly grateful for small mercies. Although even more so for big ones. Last weekend’s presidential elections in Brazil were described as one of the most consequential sets of elections in the world for the climate. The ejection of another toxic populist – Jair Bolsonaro goes the way of Donald Trump and Australia’s culture warrior Scott Morrison, hopefully quietly – and the return of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva despite a corruption scandal some thought had finished him does at least bring some hope for the survival of the Amazon rainforest. “We will fight for a zero deforestation target in the Amazon,” Lula declared in his acceptance speech, reflecting campaign pledges to overhaul environmental policy and “green” the economy. “Brazil and the planet need an Amazon that’s alive.” Lula’s environmental record during his last spell in office was far from perfect, and who knows whether he can deliver. But there’s a pattern emerging in the US, Australia and now South America too: wherever rightwing populism is pushed back, environmentalism gets room to breathe. Joe Biden and Australia’s Anthony Albanese have their flaws, but they have at least opened doors that previously seemed slammed shut, indicating that changes of governments may be key to unlocking progress. Unfortunately, there’s little sign yet of Britain’s rapid turnover of prime ministers delivering. Albanese has also reportedly considered giving Sharm el-Sheikh a miss this year, which may be one of the reasons Downing Street thought it wouldn’t matter enormously for Sunak to skip it and focus instead on a critical not-quite-budget – which he would never ever be forgiven for bungling – being compiled at breakneck speed. Sunak may well have calculated, too, that his presence was unlikely to make much practical difference in Egypt; having been in office only a few days, it’s not as if he is some grizzled elder statesman to whom other world leaders look for their lead. But unlike Albanese, who campaigned on the premise that his predecessor hadn’t taken a series of floods and wildfires seriously enough, Sunak still needs to prove to his country that he gets why the climate matters. And that’s why he should have moved heaven and earth to be in the room. Our new prime minister is not a climate denier. He was quick to replace Jacob Rees-Mogg, the “climate dinosaur” Liz Truss so preposterously made business and energy secretary, with the Tesla-driving net-zero enthusiast Grant Shapps; his insistence on sticking to the 2019 manifesto also suggests less backsliding on targets than there might have been under Truss. He will listen to experts, and understands the growth potential of new green technologies. But Sunak is also by nature cautious not bold, and overly anxious about placating angry factions within the parliamentary party whose raison d’etre is refusing ever to be placated. In his desperation to win over party members during the summer, he boxed himself in badly, committing to block both onshore windfarms and farmers putting solar panels in their fields despite evidence that public opposition is visibly softening. (Nearly three-quarters wouldn’t oppose a new windfarm in their area, according to YouGov; Vladimir Putin has unwittingly helped make a powerful case for them, but I wonder if rural communities haven’t also just got more used to the sight of those whirling blades on the horizon). He must now avoid making a similar mistake with anti-net zero zealots on the backbenches. They may be noisy, but they’re as out of step with an alarmed British public on climate as they are on almost everything else, and setting a compass by them is madness; the situation cries out now for a prime minister who can lead, not follow, opinion. Perhaps the best lesson an inexperienced prime minister could draw meanwhile from the Cop27 episode is that always prioritising today’s urgent problem (in this case the budget) over tomorrow’s more distant but more existential one (the prospect of the entire planet frying) is roughly how we ended up in this burning mess. Sometimes, tomorrow needs to come before today. Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'environment/cop27', 'politics/rishi-sunak', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'environment/environment', 'world/jair-bolsonaro', 'world/world', 'world/egypt', 'type/article', 'tone/comment', 'profile/gabyhinsliff', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-opinion'] | environment/cop27 | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2022-10-31T15:41:28Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
australia-news/2024/nov/29/nsw-farmer-fined-land-clearning-koala-habitat | NSW farmer fined record $1m for wiping out critical koala habitat for private airstrip larger than Sydney airport | The former graincorp chair and prominent wheat farmer Ronald Greentree has been handed a record fine of more than $1m for illegal land-clearing in the north-west of New South Wales. Greentree and his company Auen Grain were sentenced in the state’s land and environment court on Friday for offences related to illegal clearing of an area larger than Sydney airport on the property “Boolcarrol”, north-west of Narrabri. The sentence follows a 2022 court decision that found Greentree and Auen Grain guilty of eight separate land-clearing events at the property between December 2016 and January 2019. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email The 1,262 hectares (3,120 acres) of native vegetation cleared included critical habitat for 30 threatened species, including the koala and Glossy Black Cockatoo, to make way for a private airstrip, crops and cattle yards, the NSW government’s environment department said. Greentree was fined $1,015,200, the largest ever fine for an individual for unlawful land-clearing in the state. Auen Grain was fined $1,072,800. The court also ordered Greentree and his company to pay $278,000 for the prosecution’s legal costs. Ingrid Emery, from the NSW environment department, said: “We are pleased with the outcome of this case, particularly given the landholder’s prior convictions for similar offences.” A judgment published on Friday said the prosecutor had noted there was “no evidence of insight, contrition, or remorse from the defendants and the defendants concede that there is no evidence of remorse.” The defendants pleaded not guilty. The court had heard evidence that nine threatened species were “highly likely” to have been present prior to clearing – including the pale-headed snake, south-eastern glossy black-cockatoo, spotted harrier, brown treecreeper, painted honeyeater, grey-crowned babbler, hooded robin, diamond firetail and yellow-bellied sheathtail-bat. There was further evidence that 17 threatened species were “moderately likely” to have been present prior to the clearing, including the stripe-faced dunnart, koala, little pied bat and barking owl. The court heard evidence the clearing also likely caused significant damage to the habitat of eight threatened plant species. The Greens MP and environmental lawyer Sue Higginson said that “Greentree should be remorseful for his criminally and seriously harmful land damage, but I suspect he is laughing all the way to the bank. “It is clear from the judgment that Greentree doesn’t accept the criminality of his actions,” Higginson said. “The court did not accept his evidence and found he held no remorse for destroying so much biodiversity which included endangered ecological communities and threatened species habitat for his own profit and profit he made. “The fact Greentree has a history of destroying biodiversity suggests a level of impunity a sense that he thinks he’s above the law.” | ['australia-news/new-south-wales', 'environment/logging-and-land-clearing', 'environment/endangered-habitats', 'tone/news', 'campaign/email/breaking-news-australia', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'type/article', 'environment/endangeredspecies', 'profile/lisa-cox', 'profile/natasha-may', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/endangered-habitats | BIODIVERSITY | 2024-11-29T09:21:46Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
australia-news/2023/feb/08/war-on-cigarette-butts-coalition-plan-to-reduce-pollution-never-existed-tanya-plibersek-says | ‘War on cigarette butts’: Coalition plan to reduce pollution ‘never existed’, Tanya Plibersek says | Almost two years after the former Coalition government declared “war on cigarette butts”, a promised taskforce to reduce pollution still hasn’t been established. Up to 9bn plastic cigarette butts are discarded and washed into waterways in Australia each year, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature. The filters can take up to 15 years to break down into microplastic. The former environment minister, Sussan Ley, announced a “taskforce to address plastic in littered cigarette butts” in March 2021 as part of a new national plan to tackle plastic waste. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup The “industry-led cross-sectoral stewardship taskforce”, which was welcomed by many environmental groups, would have examined potential solutions – including removing butts from cigarettes entirely. The current environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, said the former government had “no money set aside, no members selected, no staff allocated and no terms of reference”. “Sussan Ley announced a ‘war on cigarette butts’ with a new taskforce that never existed,” Plibersek said. Ley’s office has been contacted for comment. Plibersek did not confirm whether the cigarette butt taskforce would now be established. Instead, she said she had asked her department to report back “with options to sort this issue out”. “I’ve been clear in my public statements that the Albanese Labor government stands prepared to regulate if industry is unable to achieve results by themselves,” Plibersek said. Jeff Angel, the director of the Boomerang Alliance of 53 nongovernmental organisations concerned about plastic pollution, said the federal government should regulate change “rather than just set up a talkfest taskforce”. ‘‘The previous government duped the community because its plastic plan with its bans on certain items and cigarette taskforce never got past the press release. I think the community is fast running out of patience and I hope they take heed of this,” Angel said. When the national plastics plan was announced, Ley described the 1m tonnes of single-use plastic consumed by Australians each year as “unsustainable”. Shannon Mead, the founder of the advocacy group No More Butts, recently requested an update on the taskforce given the time lapsed since its announcement and the scale of the problem. “Cigarette butts are the most littered item in Australia, costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars to clean up each year,” Mead said. “We encourage and welcome action to address this issue from a regulatory standpoint and are happy to work with any federal or state government or department to deliver an outcome.” Around one-third of the nearly 100 chemicals inside cigarette butts are “acutely or chronically toxic” to sea life, according to Clean Up Australia. Butts have been found in the stomachs of birds, turtles, whales and fish. Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson said the taskforce was “always doomed to fail” and regulation was required to overhaul the recycling industry. “Voluntary waste reduction targets and stewardship schemes without legally binding mandates do not work. It’s that simple,” Whish-Wilson said. Kate Noble, a manager with WWF Australia, said the federal government should be leading on tobacco-related pollution as it did with plain packaging reforms. “Options for regulation at the global level are now being discussed as part of UN plastic pollution treaty negotiations and new laws are being introduced in Europe to make tobacco companies pay for waste management and clean-up,” Noble said. When the taskforce was announced in 2021, a spokesperson for British American Tobacco Australia – the country’s biggest manufacturer of tobacco products – said the company was “not aware of the details” but welcomed “any opportunity to work with the government to address butt litter”. | ['australia-news/australia-news', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'environment/environment', 'environment/pollution', 'society/smoking', 'environment/plastic', 'australia-news/sussan-ley', 'australia-news/coalition', 'australia-news/tanya-plibersek', 'campaign/email/afternoon-update', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/henry-belot', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2023-02-07T23:00:06Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2019/oct/23/amazon-rainforest-close-to-irreversible-tipping-point | Amazon rainforest 'close to irreversible tipping point' | Soaring deforestation coupled with the destructive policies of Brazil’s far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, could push the Amazon rainforest dangerously to an irreversible “tipping point” within two years, a prominent economist has said. After this point the rainforest would stop producing enough rain to sustain itself and start slowly degrading into a drier savannah, releasing billions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, which would exacerbate global heating and disrupt weather across South America. The warning came in a policy brief published this week by Monica de Bolle, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington DC. The report sparked controversy among climate scientists. Some believe the tipping point is still 15 to 20 years away, while others say the warning accurately reflects the danger that Bolsonaro and global heating pose to the Amazon’s survival. “It’s a stock, so like any stock you run it down, run it down – then suddenly you don’t have any more of it,” said de Bolle, whose brief also recommended solutions to the current crisis. Bolsonaro has vowed to develop the Amazon, and his government plans to allow mining on protected indigenous reserves. Amazon farmers support his attacks on environmental protection agencies. His business-friendly environment minister, Ricardo Salles, has met loggers and wildcat miners, while deforestation and Amazon fires have soared since he assumed office in January. The policy brief noted that Brazil’s space research institute, INPE, reported that deforestation in August was 222% higher than in August 2018. Maintaining the current rate of increase INPE reported between January and August this year would bring the Amazon “dangerously close to the estimated tipping point as soon as 2021 … beyond which the rainforest can no longer generate enough rain to sustain itself”, de Bolle wrote. De Bolle is also head of the Latin American studies programme at Johns Hopkins University and last month addressed a US Congress committee on preserving the Amazon. She called her prediction a “provocation”. “If Bolsonaro is serious about developing the Amazon without paying any attention to sustainability or maintaining the forest’s standing, these rates would happen within his mandate,” she said. Carlos Nobre, one of Brazil’s leading climate scientists and a senior researcher at the University of São Paulo’s Institute for Advanced Studies, questioned her calculation that estimated deforestation would quadruple from an estimate of nearly 18,000 km2 this year to nearly 70,000 km2 by 2021. “It seems very improbable to me – the projected deforestation increase is more an economic calculation than ecological,” he said. However, he added: “We are seeing an increase in deforestation, I am not questioning this.” Last year, Nobre argued in an article written with celebrated American conservation biologist Thomas Lovejoy that the Amazon tipping point could happen in eastern, southern and central Amazonia when 20% to 25% of the rainforest has been felled – not expected for 20 to 25 years. He has since brought forward his prediction by about five years. “The Amazon is already 17% deforested, so when you calculate at the current rate of deforestation, this 20% to 25% is reached in 15 to 20 years,” he said. “I hope she is wrong. If she is right, it is the end of the world.” But Lovejoy, a professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, said that de Bolle’s projection could come true because global heating, soaring deforestation and an increase in Amazon fires have created a “negative synergy” that is accelerating its destruction – citing droughts in recent years as a warning sign. “We are seeing the first flickering of that tipping,” he said. “It’s sort of like a seal trying to balance a rubber ball on its nose … the only sensible thing to do is to do some reforestation and build back that margin of safety.” Among other commitments under the Paris climate deal, signed by leftist former president Dilma Rousseff, Brazil agreed to reforest 12m hectares and end illegal deforestation by 2030. Mongabay reported last month that Brazil looks increasingly unlikely to meet its Paris targets. Deforestation began rising under Rousseff in 2013 after nine years of decline and has accelerated under Bolsonaro. Claudio Angelo of the Climate Observatory – an umbrella of non-profit environmental groups – said he thought de Bolle’s calculations were too pessimistic, but praised her brief’s other recommendations. These included expanding the Amazon fund, which finances sustainable rainforest projects to include the United States and other countries so that Brazil is not expected to fund rainforest protection virtually on its own. The Amazon Fund is currently financed by Norway and Germany, but both countries suspended payments in August. De Bolle said Brazil should revive a resolution that made rural credit financed by public banks dependent on lenders proving that they complied with environmental and other laws. “That’s a big stick,” she said. Angelo said “the points [de Bolle] made are quite real”. “For all the madness, Bolsonaro did manage to make people talk about the Amazon,” he said. | ['environment/amazon-rainforest', 'environment/deforestation', 'world/brazil', 'world/jair-bolsonaro', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'environment/conservation', 'world/americas', 'world/world', 'environment/forests', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/dom-phillips', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/deforestation | BIODIVERSITY | 2019-10-23T16:13:18Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2022/aug/19/leading-grain-traders-sourcing-soy-beans-from-brazilian-farm-linked-to-abuse | Leading grain traders ‘sourcing soy beans from Brazilian farm linked to abuse’ | Two of the world’s biggest grain traders are sourcing soy from a Brazilian farm linked to abuses of indigenous rights and land, a report from the environmental group Earthsight claims Earthsight named the companies as Bunge and Cargill and said they sourced soy produced on a farm located on ancestral land of the Kaiowá indigenous group. The Kaiowá were forcibly evicted by landowners more than half a century ago but the group have continued to stake their claim to land they know as Takuara. The land was subsequently deforested to make way for cattle and soy plantations. A member of the Kaiowá, Marcos Verón, a septuagenarian chief, was beaten to death in violent clashes there in 2003 when he led a group of people seeking to take back their territory. Cargill buys soy grown on the 9,700-hectare farm, which is now known as Brasília do Sul, the Earthsight report claims. Bunge, it said, processes soy bought from the farm by intermediaries. The report said: “Our investigation demonstrates how Cargill’s irresponsible indigenous rights policy and Bunge’s questionable traceability of indirect suppliers, expose their supply chains to illegalities and violent conflict, despite their stated commitments on human rights.” Cargill confirmed it bought soy from Brasília do Sul but said in a statement to the Guardian that because the farm did not officially belong to the Kaiowá “there was no illegality”. Bunge refused to say whether it sourced soy from Brasília do Sul but said its commercial operations with suppliers were “legal” and “complied with Brazilian legislation and company procedures”. Both companies have detailed labour, indigenous rights and sustainability policies. Together the firms account for 30.8% of Brazilian soy exports to the EU and UK. The Brasília do Sul farm is in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and run by the Jacintho family, a leading landowner in Brazil’s soy and cattle belt, Earthsight said. Luana Fernandes, a lawyer for the Jacintho family, said they had no comment on the group’s report. The territory was recognised as belonging to the Guarani-Kaiowá in 2010 but successive governments have not taken the final step needed to give the Kaiowá legal ownership, according to Earthsight. Under Brazilian law, anthropologists working in conjunction with lawyers, sociologists, cartographers and other experts must study the land and its history before deciding to whom it belongs. Formal deeds are conferred by a presidential decree but that final step has been delayed for more than 10 years due to legal wrangles. Some of the soy produced at Brasília do Sul goes to Cargill and Bunge, but the complexity of supply chains makes it difficult to state whether food linked to those beans are sold by UK retailers, said the study’s author. Rubens Carvalho, Earthsight’s head of deforestation research, said: “The point is that it contaminates the supply chain. Whether this particular bit of soy that fed a chicken ends up at Tesco or McDonald’s in the end is a little irrelevant because the point is that the British market, and other European markets for that matter, are contaminated by a supply chain that is linked to a farm with a long history of indigenous rights violations. And that in itself should be a major red flag to buyers of these products.” Allegations that the soy produced there is tainted comes just six weeks after a joint investigation by Earthsight and the environmental group De Olho nos Ruralistas claimed European supermarkets and fast-food chains sold chicken and pet food produced with soy from Brasília do Sul. The claims also come at a tense moment for indigenous rights in Brazil. The far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, has made no secret of his disdain for the more than 200 indigenous groups in the country, once saying the Brazilian military erred in not decimating their native peoples like the US cavalry. The former army captain promised not to give indigenous people “one more square centimetre of land” and he has proudly kept that promise since taking power almost four years ago. In the most recent incident, the British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous activist Bruno Pereira were murdered while travelling in the Javari Valley, a remote area near Brazil’s border with Peru that is home to several remote tribes. Indigenous leaders in the region said the government had abandoned the area, allowing drug traffickers and illegal miners, ranchers and hunters to seize land and strip the region of its natural resources. | ['world/brazil', 'environment/land-rights', 'world/indigenous-peoples', 'environment/deforestation', 'business/cattles', 'world/jair-bolsonaro', 'law/human-rights', 'global-development/global-development', 'world/americas', 'environment/food', 'science/agriculture', 'environment/conservation', 'business/business', 'world/world', 'environment/amazon-rainforest', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/andrew-downie', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/amazon-rainforest | BIODIVERSITY | 2022-09-20T10:38:45Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2018/sep/16/us-coast-guard-worker-taken-off-florence-duty-over-tv-white-power-hand-signal | US Coast Guard worker taken off Florence duty over TV 'white power' hand signal | A US Coast Guard member assigned to respond to Hurricane Florence has been removed after making a gesture on television which some viewers alleged was a white power symbol. “We are aware of the offensive video on Twitter – the Coast Guard has identified the member and removed him from the response,” the US Coast Guard said on its official Twitter account. “His actions do not reflect those of the United States Coast Guard.” The organisation is one of the federal agencies responding to Hurricane Florence which has since weakened to a tropical storm and killed at least 11 people in the south-eastern United States. The incident occurred during an MSNBC interview on Live with Ali Velshi, during which Coast Guard captain John Reed discussed the natural disaster from Charleston, South Carolina. In the background sat another member, with short hair, who turned to notice the camera before turning away and moving his right hand alongside his head. His thumb and index finger approached each other while the other fingers were straight and upright. The gesture sparked an online backlash, with some Twitter users interpreting it as a racist message. “Did you all see this guy flash White Power on TV?” Jan Gobble wrote, calling for an investigation. Coast Guard Lieutenant J B Zorn said the incident was being investigated: “Whatever that symbol means, it doesn’t reflect the Coast Guard and our core values. It won’t be tolerated.” Coast Guard officials have refused to identify the man or discuss possible disciplinary action. Racial tensions have intensified in the US since President Donald Trump assumed office early last year. Agence France-Presse contributed to this report | ['world/hurricane-florence', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/natural-disasters', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-foreign'] | world/hurricane-florence | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2018-09-16T03:30:13Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2017/jun/29/the-bristol-refill-reuse-bottle-campaign-that-is-spreading-across-europe | The Bristol refill-reuse bottle campaign that is spreading across Europe | Scrambling down the muddy riverbank, Natalie Fee frowns as she looks out across the River Avon. Three weeks earlier she had spent a day with other volunteers collecting hundreds of plastic bottles that were littering the river as it made its way to the sea. Now a new tide of plastic has returned. “In a sense it is dispiriting,” says Fee as she starts to gather up the bottles strewn along the bank. “In another way, it just highlights how important it is we keep pushing ahead with the work we are doing.” Fee, 38, is the driving force behind a campaign which aims to cut the millions of plastic bottles that end up in the world’s oceans each year. The Refill campaign persuades businesses to sign up to a scheme allowing people to refill their water bottles on their premises rather than throw them away. Fee launched the project in 2015 and a couple of months later 200 businesses in Bristol had signed up. Now towns and cities across the UK and Europe are joining. “All we are doing is linking people who want water with businesses and organisations who have taps and are happy for them to be used, but it has really taken off,” Fee said. A Refill app shows which businesses nearby are happy to fill water bottles. The app offers reward points when people fill up their bottle, which can be redeemed to earn a stainless steel water bottle. The longer-term ambition is that users will be able to translate points into vouchers for ethically produced clothes and equipment – and even be informed about traders who avoid plastic waste. As well as about 200 cafes, businesses, pubs and shops in Bristol, the movement has spread to Dorset, Devon and Bath. Norwich and Brighton are close to launching, and Hull, Leeds and Manchester are among other UK cities that have expressed an interest. After Bristol was named European Green Capital in 2015, the Refill campaign was promoted as a “legacy project” and now sister schemes have launched in Hamburg, Bonn and other German cities. “Every time someone refills a bottle rather than throws a plastic one away, we are reducing the amount of plastic that reaches the ocean,” Fee said. Further afield, there is a similar acknowledgment that something has to be done to reduce the startling growth in use of plastic bottles. Almost half a trillion (500,000,000,000) will be used in 2017 alone. In Australia, the drive to stop bottles being thrown out after a single use has manifested in a growing number of water fountains in public spaces that encourage people to refill their bottles. Many councils, shopping malls, universities and other public space operators have contracted companies to install the water fountains with visible and convenient attachments made to refill bottles in areas of high pedestrian traffic, and some have produced websites and apps, showing people where they can find the fountains. The UK campaign calculates that if every Refill station in Bristol performed just one refill everyday, 73,000 fewer plastic bottles would be thrown away every year in Bristol alone. If every Bristolian refilled once a week instead of buying a single-use plastic bottle, the city would reduce its waste plastic bottle consumption by 22.3m a year. Fee, who worked in television before launching the campaign, was inspired to abandon her media career after seeing a video about the damage plastic was doing to albatross chicks. She launched the City to Sea campaign group in 2015 – which has already persuaded the major supermarkets to stop using plastic in their cotton buds – and now Fee has turned her attention to plastic bottles. In Bristol’s Canteen cafe, Gus Hoyt, the campaign’s programme manager, explains how the project now has the backing of several regional water companies and has just secured a grant from the outdoor clothing company Patagonia. “We want to see this scheme everywhere within the next three years,” Hoyt said. “It’s about local groups deciding they want to get involved and setting something up in their area on a grassroots level. We’ve got more people getting in touch every day.” Hoyt said a few residents from Hunstanton on the Norfolk coast got in touch recently after a sperm whale was stranded on a local beach. “It turned out the whale had huge amounts of plastic in its stomach and the local people wanted to do something about it so they got in touch and now there is a Refill Hunstanton project ready to launch this summer. People are doing it for themselves.” Back on the banks of the Avon, Fee has gathered a small mound of plastic bottles from the riverbank in a few minutes. “We’ve still got a long way to go to get people in the habit of refilling and refusing single-use. But it feels like things are changing, that there is an appetite to do things differently.” Michael Slezak contributed reporting to this article from Sydney | ['environment/series/bottling-it', 'world/series/half-full-solutions-innovations-answers', 'environment/plastic', 'uk/bristol', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'society/communities', 'technology/technology', 'world/europe-news', 'environment/pollution', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/matthewtaylor', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-special-projects'] | environment/plastic | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2017-06-29T06:00:15Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2019/may/20/tell-us-if-you-are-taking-part-in-fridays-school-climate-strikes | Tell us if you are taking part in Friday's school climate strikes | Young people calling for immediate action on the climate emergency are planning to join mass school strikes inspired by Greta Thunberg on Friday. Strikes are planned in more than 1,400 cities in more than 110 countries with hundreds of thousands of children and young people walking out of lessons. Organisers say the number of young people taking part is set to top the 1.4 million people who participated in March. The Extinction Rebellion movement expressed support by saying that despite these numbers “Government[s are] still failing to act now on the climate and ecological emergency”. Share your views and experiences Are you planning to take part? If so, what are your reasons for doing so and what specifically will day involve where you live? If you’re a parent or teacher, how do you feel about the strikes? Wherever in the world you are fill in the form below to get in touch – you can also upload video or photographs. We will feature some of your contributions as part of our coverage, including a report on the day via Instagram Stories on the Guardian’s account. You can also share your stories, photos and videos with the Guardian via WhatsApp by adding the contact +44(0)7867825056. If you’re under 16 you’ll need to get your parents’ permission before you send a response to us. We will get in touch to confirm this with you. If you’re having trouble using the form, click here. Read terms of service here. | ['environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'environment/greta-thunberg', 'environment/extinction-rebellion', 'type/article', 'tone/callout', 'environment/school-climate-strikes', 'profile/guardian-readers', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-communities-and-social'] | environment/extinction-rebellion | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2019-05-24T08:57:53Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
australia-news/2022/jun/02/first-nations-farmers-to-get-traditional-lessons-of-the-land-in-victorian-pilot-scheme | First Nations farmers to get traditional lessons of the land in Victorian pilot scheme | Mick Buckworth loves being on the land. The farm manager of Rumbalara Aboriginal Cooperative in Shepparton, in regional Victoria, said the skills he has developed – from knowing how to plant “kangaroo tails” to carefully putting traditional beehives together – were both valuable and satisfying. Buckworth will soon be sharing those skills with a group of First Nations trainee farmers, who will undergo training in regenerative practices as part of a new pilot scheme. Regenerative farming involves practices focused on conservation and rehabilitation of the natural environment. “A lot of young [Shepparton] people don’t go on to tertiary education so acquiring higher academic skills is not on their radar – but a lot of their ancestors worked on the land,” Buckworth said. “The beehive boxes we make are traditionally handmade, put together piece by piece.” The Victorian government will this week unveil the First Nations farming pilot program designed to improve the skills of Aboriginal agricultural workers and develop business opportunities for native products. The $980,000 program will support about 30 trainees develop skills in regenerative farming at Outback Academy Australia. The academy is an Indigenous-led not-for-profit that focuses on inclusive and traditional approaches to agriculture. Its Follow the Flowers initiative is designed to help Aboriginal-led farming businesses using regenerative practices, with business opportunities for products like honey. The business development lead at the academy, Yorta Yorta man Neville Atkinson, said the pilot would help share traditional First Nations farming techniques to tackle issues like food sustainability. “We can apply our own philosophies and understanding back to the land to be able to get a more rounded outcome socially and economically,” Atkinson said. “The value of protecting, appreciating, respecting the land and an environment – that was embedded in my cultural philosophies.” The pilot will take place at four Indigenous-run farms in regional Victoria, with a focus on culturally appropriate and traditional practices. It will also help fund about 20 short courses to provide further training and employment avenues for First Nations farmers. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning The government plans to use the pilot to help create up to 20 new short courses and support further training and employment pathways, with information provided to other First Nations farms in Victoria and across the nation. Victoria’s Aboriginal affairs minister, Gabrielle Williams, said the scheme would help continue the “proud and ancient traditions” of First Nations people. The state’s skills and training minister, Gayle Tierney, said the project would help place First Nations people “at the centre of contemporary farming practices” to help strengthen the state’s agricultural industry. Clarification: This story was amended on 2 June after an earlier version suggested Mick Buckworth is himself Indigenous. He is not. | ['australia-news/victoria', 'australia-news/indigenous-australians', 'environment/farming', 'australia-news/victorian-politics', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/adeshola-ore', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-state-news'] | environment/farming | BIODIVERSITY | 2022-06-01T17:30:17Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2009/oct/10/10-10-shami-chakrabarti | Making the cut for 10:10: Shami Chakrabarti | The director of human rights group Liberty names her son as her climate change conscience. "The request to do 10:10 came during a holiday so I happened to mention it to my family. My seven-year-old was adamant that this was something we had to do." But she admits to a bout of nerves before signing up – there is no doubt that she is aware of the impacts that a western lifestyle can have on climate, but has not yet audited her own life in that respect. She has never calculated her carbon footprint, for example, and admits to being less aware than she should be of her energy bills at home and work. She knows flying is a bad idea but is uncertain which other form of public transport is most climate-friendly. And is it better, she wonders, to get groceries delivered by a van making several house visits in one trip than going to the supermarket in your own car? As part of 10:10, she wants to take in the impact of a combination of her work and home lives. "I share my life with my family and my colleagues – there are things I can do both at home and at work." Her office at Liberty sits in the basement of a small terraced house near Borough High Street, a building of a similar age and size to her home. At the office, some of the windows are double-glazed, at home many of the sash windows rattle in their frames. She's unsure how much loft insulation there is in either place and knows that only a few of the electric lights use low-energy bulbs. Putting in at least 200mm of loft insulation where previously there was none could easily cut more than 10% of a building's CO2 emissions. Replacing all the incandescent bulbs with low-energy alternatives would also slash electricity bills by more than 10%. Chakrabarti makes both a priority for her 10:10 plan. "I know that I'm living in quite old buildings at work and home and I know there's more I could be doing to make them better." Another painless way to shave off a few kilograms of CO2 per year is to make sure appliances never stay on standby and that lights are switched off in rooms when no-one's in them. "My little boy can be the lightbulb police," she says. "He'll love that." Chakrabarti does not take many flights and, on her regular travels around the UK, she uses the train. Most of her work meetings are in central London and, for 10:10, she wants to scale back her use of taxis to get around the capital. "There's always a time pressure but maybe that pressure gives you an excuse for bad behaviour." Those small sacrifices aside, Chakrabarti is pleasantly surprised by how little her life will have to change for 10:10. And, if she wants to go beyond her 10%, there are a another bunch of easy things she could address: draught-proofing her ageing sash windows, for example, and buying more energy-efficient kitchen appliances. "I moved into my house seven years ago and a lot of the appliances came with the house and some are a bit ropey now. So, in the course of the next year, it's perfectly likely that some of those appliances will need to be replaced." First things first, though, she's off to study those energy bills. | ['environment/10-10', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'environment/carbonfootprints', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'uk/shami-chakrabarti', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'profile/alokjha', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/10-10-update', 'theguardian/10-10-update/10-10-update'] | environment/carbonfootprints | EMISSIONS | 2009-10-09T23:05:00Z | true | EMISSIONS |
business/2010/jun/10/bp-shares-pensions-cameron-criticised | BP shares plunge to 13-year low amid row over 'backing Britain' | Lord Jones, a government trade ambassador and former trade minister, has accused David Cameron of failing to stand up for Britain after the prime minister said he understood the US government's frustration over the BP Gulf of Mexico disaster. BP's shares tumbled almost 7% to a 13-year low on fears that the US department of justice could block the company's dividend due next month. Speaking to the Guardian, Jones said Cameron should have been more forthright in defending British interests, particularly pension funds, since BP's dividend traditionally makes up more than a 10th of all payouts by UK companies. "This is not about trying to come to BP's defence but for the US to understand there are more people to blame," he said. "Pension fund beneficiaries will be saying 'Are you standing up for us Mr Cameron?' It's not 'We are hoping for a favour for BP' but '[Are you] standing up for Britain?'" Jones is a business ambassador for UK Trade and Investment, the government's trade arm, and advises Prince Andrew in his role as UKTI special representative. Earlier, Cameron urged BP to do all it could to clear up the mess and he said he would discuss the matter with Barack Obama ahead of a visit to Washington next month. "We need to be clear that BP needs to do everything it can to deal with the situation and the UK government stands ready to help," he said. "I completely understand the US government's frustration because it is catastrophic for the environment and obviously everyone wants everything to be done that can be done." Later, chancellor George Osborne appeared to row back, saying it is "important to remember the economic value BP brings to people in Britain and America". BP has traditionally had a close relationship with the government. Last year it emerged that ministers had supported the release of the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, following lobbying by BP which was concerned a £500m oil deal with the Libyan government was at risk. Cameron's refusal to defend BP contrasts with calls from British business leaders and London's mayor Boris Johnson for the White House to tone down its attacks. Johnson accused President Obama's government of "anti-British rhetoric", warning that the near 50% slump in BP's share price since the spill was bad news for UK pensioners. John Napier, chairman of insurance company RSA, also said Mr Obama should act in a "more statesmanlike way". In an open letter to the US president released to Sky News, he said that Obama's comments were "coming across as somewhat prejudicial and personal". But one chief executive of a FTSE 100 company with major interests in the US criticised the comments made by Johnson. "This hysteria is all a bit ludicrous, everyone is whipping the situation up into a frenzy," he told the Guardian. He added that provided the leak is plugged, what he described as the politically motivated furore would die down and he believed that wider British business interests would not be affected. "The relationship between the US and UK is still special. Obama faces elections in November so it's understandable why it's very important for him." The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) attempted to calm fears over the effect of the BP crisis on pensions. Chief executive Joanne Segars said: "BP's difficulties should not have an immediate or serious impact on those saving into a pension, or on those who have retired." He said UK pension funds' exposure to BP is about 1.5% of total assets, which are in excess of £800bn. Yesterday, the US attorney general refused to rule out the possibility of the federal government obtaining an injunction against BP to stop it paying a share dividend. Department of justice officials also expressed concern that BP may not be able to pay for the clean-up, which has so far cost $1.43bn (£1bn), with billions of dollars more in damages likely to be awarded to fishermen and others affected. Some analysts believe BP may decide to set up an escrow account to pay for the spill costs in lieu of paying a dividend in an attempt to mollify US political pressure. But most believe that last quarter's dividend, which was promised days after the Gulf of Mexico accident took place, will be paid as scheduled on 21 June. BP issued a statement in response to the slump in shares, which at one point were down by 12%, saying it was "not aware of any reason which justifies this share price movement". BP also said it hoped to start collecting an extra 10,000 barrels of oil and gas each day from the gushing wellhead next week, in addition to the 15,000 barrels being captured daily at the moment. But it said that there were too many ships on the surface above the sunken rig to process and ship the extra 10,000 barrels to shore, which meant it would burn the oil and gas. The company said it planned to install a more permanent collection system early next month but refused to answer journalists' questions about how much more this method would collect. | ['business/bp', 'business/tony-hayward', 'politics/davidcameron', 'uk/uk', 'business/oil', 'environment/oil', 'environment/oil-spills', 'business/oilandgascompanies', 'business/marketturmoil', 'environment/environment', 'money/pensions', 'money/money', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/world', 'us-news/barack-obama', 'type/article', 'profile/graemewearden', 'profile/timwebb', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/financial3'] | environment/oil | ENERGY | 2010-06-10T19:50:48Z | true | ENERGY |
world/article/2024/may/02/the-right-to-acquit-based-on-conscience-is-rooted-in-quaker-pacifism | The right to acquit based on conscience is rooted in Quaker pacifism | Letter | The report of Trudi Warner’s trial (Judge throws out case against climate activist who held sign on jurors’ rights, 22 April) being thrown out on the basis of jurors having the right to acquit a defendant based on their conscience, relates directly back to the so-called conscience clause introduced by a number of Quakers, including my grandfather, John Henry Barlow, and his MP cousin Sir John Barlow into the 1916 Military Service Act, which would have made military service compulsory. This clause enshrined in law for the first time the right to claim exemption from military service on grounds of conscience. From 1757, Quakers had been exempted on conscientious grounds, but the wording was left undefined and it had to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. A direct result of this new clause was the founding of the Friends War Victims Relief Committee by Philip Noel-Baker, eventually becoming the Friends’ Ambulance Unit, which served bravely in two world wars. Antony Barlow Wallington, London • Do you have a photograph you’d like to share with Guardian readers? If so, please click here to upload it. A selection will be published in our Readers’ best photographs galleries and in the print edition on Saturdays. | ['world/protest', 'uk/uk', 'environment/environment', 'world/firstworldwar', 'uk/military', 'law/law', 'environment/activism', 'world/freedom-of-speech', 'world/religion', 'type/article', 'tone/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/activism | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2024-05-02T17:07:52Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
tv-and-radio/2018/sep/17/johnny-kingdom-obituary | Johnny Kingdom obituary | Once in a while, someone comes along on our television screens who breaks all the usual rules of television presenting. Like Barbara Woodhouse, Sister Wendy Beckett and Fred Dibnah before him, Johnny Kingdom was one such unlikely star. And like them, he was taken to the nation’s hearts. Johnny, who has died in an accident on his land aged 79, first came to national fame in 2006 when he presented the BBC Two series Johnny Kingdom: A Year on Exmoor. This was enjoyed by viewers and critics alike, the Daily Telegraph announcing that “Johnny Kingdom has rustic England coursing through his veins”. With his broad Devon accent, roguish smile, trademark hat and moustache, Johnny embodied the public’s view of a rural “character”. It was a role he gladly played up to, boasting of a hell-raising youth, and confessing to having done a spot of poaching in his younger days. But the image of the lovable rogue was not the whole story. He always struggled to read and write and only became a film-maker following a near-fatal accident in his job as a lumberjack. He was born in Brayford, north Devon, a few months before the outbreak of the second world war. He was the second child of six, and the only son, of Walter Kingdon, who worked in a local quarry, and his wife, Joyce (nee Moule). Johnny later changed his surname to Kingdom, as people often misheard it as such. Johnny attended the local village school, then South Molton secondary, and on leaving at 16, he became a farm labourer. In 1958-59 he was one of the last young men to do national service, serving initially with the Royal Artillery and then with the Army Regimental Police in Hong Kong. On his return, he followed his father into the explosives trade; and later took over his job as the village gravedigger, a role he performed for more than half a century. Later Johnny became a lumberjack. But his career ended abruptly when, while he was working alone, the anchor chain holding his vehicle suddenly snapped. The hydraulic arm smashed through his cab window, causing him serious facial injuries and concussion. When he came to, to find his dog licking his face, he somehow managed to drive back home, and was rushed to hospital. To combat a subsequent spell of depression, he borrowed a cine camera from his friend Roger Gregory, and began making films of the wildlife around his Exmoor home. He almost gave up when, having returned from his first day’s filming of a herd of deer, he realised that he had been pressing the off button when he meant to turn the camera on, and vice versa. His determination led him to try again, this time with much better results. Lacking any formal training was no barrier to Johnny, who learned to edit his footage and began selling VHS tapes (later DVDs) of his wildlife films at local markets and country shows. Spotted by a TV producer, James Cutler, he made his first film for Yorkshire Television, entitled Johnny Kingdom and the Secret of Happiness. This was shown in November 1993, as the last episode of the First Tuesday strand. He went on to present three series for the West Country broadcaster HTV. These were directed by a fellow wildlife cameraman, Richard Taylor-Jones, who remembers Johnny as “hugely inspirational”, not least because he lacked the university education and social background usually needed for success in this highly competitive field. Taylor-Jones also remembers entering Johnny’s “office”, where there were piles of tapes kept in old shoeboxes, with no apparent filing system – a treasure trove of remarkable footage. In 2002, Johnny published his first book: Johnny’s Kingdom: The Secret World of Exmoor. Then, at the age of 67, he finally got his big break on national TV with A Year on Exmoor, thanks to the persistence of his producer at HTV, David Parker, who had lobbied long and hard to get Johnny a slot on BBC2. During the following decade, he popped up regularly on both BBC and ITV, and authored more books, including A Wild Life on Exmoor (2006), Bambi and Me (2008) and Johnny Kingdom’s West Country Tales (2011). While these may not have had the literary qualities of some more celebrated nature writing, they were a commercial success, and very popular with his enthusiastic fan base. Johnny would regularly appear at the British Birdwatching Fair, where he attracted large crowds eager to hear his stories and watch his wildlife footage. Taylor-Jones describes him as “a wonderful, magical man, who reminded me why we all need nature in our lives, and how to enjoy it in the best possible way”. The TV presenter Nick Baker, a fellow Devon resident, said: “He really was part of Devon, and it’s going to be a much quieter and less interesting place without him”. Johnny is survived by his wife, Julie (nee Carter), his childhood sweetheart, whom he married in 1963, his sons, Stuart and Craig, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. • Johnny Kingdom, film-maker, author and TV presenter, born 23 February 1939; died 6 September 2018 | ['culture/television', 'film/documentary', 'environment/farming', 'environment/environment', 'tone/obituaries', 'media/bbc', 'uk/ruralaffairs', 'environment/wildlife', 'type/article', 'profile/stephenmoss1', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/journal', 'theguardian/journal/obituaries', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-obituaries'] | environment/farming | BIODIVERSITY | 2018-09-17T16:05:42Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
uk-news/2021/jul/24/met-police-recruit-ex-officer-spy-climate-change-activists-extinction-rebellion | Met police ‘tried to recruit ex-officer to spy on climate change activists’ | A former police officer who is now a prominent climate crisis campaigner has accused the Metropolitan police of attempting to recruit him to spy on Extinction Rebellion. Former detective sergeant Paul Stephens, who joined XR after he retired from the London force in 2018, claims he was approached by an officer he knew near Parliament Square during the group’s campaign of non-violent mass civil disobedience in London in October 2019. “He asked if I wanted to come on the books – to become a covert human intelligence source [Chis],” Stephens said. “But I turned him down straight away. I joined XR to make those in power do something about climate change, not to spy on peaceful people doing their bit for the planet.” The Met said it could “neither confirm nor deny any Chis activity in relation to Extinction Rebellion”. Stephens, who was liaising with the police on behalf of XR at the time of the approach, said it was immoral and a waste of resources to target people protesting to stop climate breakdown. “It is wrong to use these devious and intimidating tactics against peaceful protestors. XR is not an organised crime gang or terror cell,” he said. “The police are desperate to find out who the organisers of Extinction Rebellion are, but there are no organisers. It is a fluid movement – not hierarchical, which the police seem to find very hard to understand.” Stephens’s claims will raise concerns that the police, who are under intense pressure from the home secretary, Priti Patel, to crack down on the group, have been seeking to build up a network of informants inside XR, which is planning more protests in London in August. It also comes in the midst of the inquiry into undercover policing, which was set up by the government in 2015 after it had emerged that covert officers had sexual relationships with at least 30 female activists and spied on up to 1,000 groups, including justice campaigns, leftwing parties and environmental movements, over 40 years. Geraint Davies, chair of the all-party parliamentary group on democracy and the constitution, said: “Despite the public outcry around the use of covert human intelligence sources to infiltrate peaceful protest groups, it appears this practice is ongoing.” Davies said undercover agents could encourage people to break the law: “The combination of police powers to ban protests for the risk of serious annoyance and legal immunity for covert agents means they could become agent provocateurs.” The police are believed to be gathering vast amounts of information about XR activists, whom Patel has branded as criminals who threaten the “UK way of life”. Hundreds of phones and computers belonging to XR members have been seized since the group was set up in 2018. “They have arrested close to 100 people for conspiracy to cause a public nuisance, with no one charged so far, but they have seized a hell of a lot of devices and gained a huge amount of information,” said Stephens. There are at least four other ex-officers involved in XR, including an inspector and a chief superintendent. Stephens, who served in the Met for more than 30 years, said: “My job in the police used to be about preventing immediate threats to life. But the threat to life from climate change is overwhelming.” | ['uk/undercover-police-and-policing', 'world/activism', 'type/article', 'environment/environment', 'tone/news', 'uk/police', 'environment/extinction-rebellion', 'world/protest', 'uk/metropolitan-police', 'law/criminal-justice', 'uk/london', 'uk/uk', 'world/espionage', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'profile/tom-wall', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/news', 'theobserver/news/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/observer-main'] | environment/extinction-rebellion | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM | 2021-07-24T13:00:23Z | true | CLIMATE_ACTIVISM |
uk-news/2014/jan/03/weather-warnings-avoid-coast-river-paths-storms-environment-agency | Weather warnings: avoid coastal or riverside paths, say agencies | People are being strongly advised not to walk on coastal paths and promenades or near floodwater as high winds continued to batter southern and western parts of the UK. The rivers Stour in Dorset and Severn in Gloucestershire burst their banks, sandbag defences were set up near Belfast docks and Scotland is bracing itself for blasts of up to 80mph as storm surges that flooded towns and villages in England move northwards. Another bout of severe weather was expected in the south-west, already hit by floods earlier on Friday, as high spring tides combined with low pressure and strong winds returned. Rivers swollen with rain and floodwater from recent days continued to threaten properties. The Environment Agency currently has nine severe flood warnings – which indicate a threat to life – in place in Wales, the Midlands and the south-west. This is down from 13 earlier in the day as conditions eased. Another 115 flood warnings and 223 less severe flood alerts were in place. In Scotland, authorities said there were 19 flood warnings and 16 alerts. Looe in Cornwall, Ilfracombe, Barnstable, Plymouth in Devon and Caernarfon in Wales were among towns with parts under floodwater. Yalding in Kent was also hit. Train services were disrupted and there were extra delays on roads. Ferry sailings from Plymouth to Roscoff, France, and Portsmouth to Santander in Spain were cancelled. Services from Belfast and Larne to Scottish ports as well as Liverpool were cancelled for the day. The west coast of Ireland experienced winds of more than 100mph, with Galway city suffering some of the worst flooding. The promenade in the seaside resort of Salthill was submerged and a leisure centre has been forced to close due to flood damage. Around 6,000 homes were without electricity across western seaboard counties while parts of Cork had to be evacuated. As the government's emergency committee Cobra met in London, David Cameron tweeted that he was "ensuring all is being done to help with the floods" while Ed Miliband sent a message of thanks to "our brave emergency services helping those hit by flooding and bad weather" and added: "My thoughts are with everyone affected." Tom Mansell, RNLI divisional operations manager and flood rescue team leader, said: "To be honest, this morning was slightly better than expected. There has been flooding in places like Looe, Kingsbridge and Salcombe but it is not as bad as we had been expecting." "This is coastal flooding that we are expecting," he said. "Such areas are reasonably used to this but the danger is really where people are going down to have a look. They don't understand how dangerous the sea can be. We would say please, please keep away from this water." Mansell said a man in Cornwall had a "very lucky escape" when his car was swept away as he watched waves. "People think they are in a strong metal box but moving water on tarmac makes the car very buoyant," he said. Geoff Brown, the senior councillor responsible for homes and communities on Cornwall council, said: "Cornwall had not experienced the three factors that cause problems – high tides, the surge and strong winds – at the same time. "The winds came later on and that has saved a significant amount of flooding," he said. "We are now watching very carefully what happens during the day. The next high tide is between 6.30pm and 7pm and we are expecting the next depression across the Atlantic to hit on Sunday. It looks as though that could cause more problems than we've seen today," said Brown. "My advice is to not venture near the coast in the next few days." Bad weather has already caused disruption to road and rail networks across Scotland, with the A75 in Dumfriesshire closed due to an overturned lorry. Train operator Scotrail has warned of severe disruption in the regions of Strathclyde and Ayrshire. The Forth Road Bridge has been closed to high-sided vehicles and all other traffic is subject to a 40mph speed restriction due to winds of almost 60mph. Ferry operator P&O has also cancelled sailings between Scotland and Ireland until further notice, and three flights into Glasgow Airport from Islay, Campbeltown and Dublin were cancelled this morning. The Met Office has issued yellow "be aware" warnings covering much of the country, with Glasgow and the west coast set to be particularly badly affected. Forecasters expect up to 20mm (0.79in) of rainfall in some parts. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) urged the public to stay informed on weather conditions and be prepared to take action if required: "We would advise the public to be aware of the alerts and warnings for the coastal areas in particular and avoid walking on coastal paths and promenades. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will update our information and advice if there are any further developments in the weather that will affect coastal and river flooding. "We also urge people to keep themselves up-to date with the latest information and advice for their area by checking the Sepa website or calling Sepa's Floodline on 0845 988 1188." | ['uk/weather', 'uk/uk', 'environment/flooding', 'world/natural-disasters', 'environment/environment', 'uk/scotland', 'tone/news', 'environment/environment-agency', 'uk/wales', 'politics/cobra', 'type/article', 'profile/jamesmeikle', 'profile/henrymcdonald', 'profile/owen-duffy'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2014-01-03T17:01:00Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
commentisfree/2007/dec/03/indonesia.comment | Leader: Hope and fear in Bali | The science of climate change is clear. The politics of the world's response are still murky, as the Bali summit, which begins today, will show. Even the most optimistic bets as to the outcome of the two-week meeting fall short of what scientists say is needed. There will be no transforming Bali protocol at the end of it, no sudden conversion of the United States to deep cuts in its own emissions and no binding agreement to cap pollution from rapidly growing economies such as China and India. Instead, 10,000 officials and ministers from around 190 countries will battle for advantage at the start of a process that will take at least two years to complete. The aim is to come up with a successor to the 1997 Kyoto protocol. No one can be sure yet what form it will take. The glacial pace of political progress stands in contrast to the immediate and large-scale threat of irreversible climate change, which is now not contested, except by the most isolated of sceptics. The crucial fourth report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published last month, has been accepted as the basis for talks by all participants at the Bali summit. A summary of research by 2,500 scientists, the document is shocking. It not only provides convincing proof as to the scale of climate change, but underlines the immediate nature of the danger. The world does not have until 2050 or 2020 to take large-scale action (dates used by politicians even in countries, such as Britain, that accept the need to act). It has until 2015. By then global carbon emissions must peak, before beginning to fall, if the world is to mitigate the more extreme risks of climate change. As Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the IPCC, warned last month, "what we do in the next two to three years will determine our future". What the world will do more than anything else in the next two years is talk. It is true that many countries and some regions (led by Europe) are taking action. The Kyoto protocol commits 36 developed countries to cut their carbon emissions. But discussion about new political agreements, about technology and about economics is still slow and inconclusive. The Bali summit will be a frustrating time for everyone who wants immediate agreement on a successor to Kyoto, which expires in 2012. At best, the meeting will see agreement on balancing the costs and responsibilities of climate change, laying the path for a deal in Copenhagen in two years' time. At worst, it may see a standoff between China, India and the United States, which could encourage some Kyoto states, such as Russia and Japan, to bring forward their own concerns - a step backwards that might make a collective response impossible. This is depressing, but not a reason to despair of Bali. Like Kyoto before it, the process is imperfect but still the best the world has got. As Sir Nicholas Stern pointed out last week, the economics of climate change encourage action and there is reason to hope it will occur. The sticking point is that the rich world, which has created climate change, must take most of the pain in responding to it, but will not do so unless developing countries, excluded from Kyoto, also agree to act. They in turn are understandably doubtful about agreeing to limit their emissions while the United States does nothing. Sorting all this out will take time, and a new American president. But Bali must be the beginning. The signs are that it will be. Britain has set out eight areas where it wants progress, including a long-term target for emissions cuts, the expansion of a carbon market and the inclusion of transport emissions (excluded from both Kyoto and Britain's new climate change bill). Not all of these goals will be met, but the debate is no longer about whether anything should be done, as it was at Kyoto, but about who should do the most. That is progress, even if it remains dangerously slow. | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'world/indonesia', 'world/world', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/bali', 'tone/comment', 'environment/environment', 'weather/kyoto', 'commentisfree/cif-green', 'environment/global-climate-talks', 'world/asia-pacific', 'type/article', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/editorialsandreply'] | environment/global-climate-talks | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2007-12-03T00:17:48Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
global-development/2013/nov/04/cleaner-cookstoves-health-global-warming | Cleaner cookstoves can boost health and slow global warming | Cleaner cookstoves could save a million lives every year, but costs need to decrease sharply for poor households in developing countries to be able to afford them, according to a World Bank report. On thin ice: how cutting pollution can slow warming and save lives, published on Sunday evening, calls for action to reduce common pollutants such as soot, known as black carbon, to not only slow global warming, but prevent millions of deaths. It warns that climate change in the cryosphere – snow-capped mountain ranges, glaciers and vast permafrost regions – could have dire human consequences from the resulting rise in sea levels, increased water stress and more extreme weather. For example, the release of large CO2 and methane stores as a result of melting permafrost could contribute up to 30% more carbon to the atmosphere by the end of the century. "The health of people around the world will improve greatly if we reduce emissions of black carbon and methane. Limiting these emissions will be an important contributor to the fight against climate change," said Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank. "The damage from indoor cooking smoke alone is horrendous – every year, 4 million people die from exposure to the smoke. With cleaner air, cities will become more productive, food production will increase and children will be healthier." The death toll of from cookstoves using wood, charcoal, dung and crop residues exceeds the World Health Organisation's estimate of annual deaths from HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and malaria combined. Once lodged in the lungs, superfine particles, which include soot, cannot be coughed out, creating the conditions for disease. Cookstove reduction measures offer by far the greatest potential benefits to human health and in slowing cryosphere warming, said the World Bank. Improved cookstoves would have the biggest impact in the Himalayas. According to the report, more than 1 million premature deaths may be avoided annually in the region from all methane and black carbon measures combined. About 743,000 of these prevented deaths would arise from cookstoves measures. In terms of agricultural impact, less pollution could result in crop increases of staples such as rice of 15m tons annually, with almost 3m tons in additional crop yields occurring in China alone. Cleaner cookstoves include those using liquid petroleum gas, biogas, ethanol or fans. The report notes that hundreds of public and private initiatives exist to bring cleaner stoves to women in the developing world. It also suggests that as a first step the world should focus on the four clean cooking solutions. Cost and local acceptance, however, remain major barriers, although the report cites China's clean stove initiative as an example of a successful programme to promote clean cooking. Reductions in emissions from diesel transport and equipment, meanwhile, could result in more than 16m tons of additional yield in crops such as rice, soy and wheat, especially in south-east Asia; and also avert 340,000 premature deaths. However, gains would be eliminated by the end of this century if not accompanied by strong reductions in carbon dioxide, the report said. "The role of such reductions is to slow the immediate rate of change, especially in the cryosphere, but cannot replace long-term effects to reduce CO2," the World Bank said. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said in a report in September that if people continued to emit greenhouse gases at current rates, the accumulation of carbon in the atmosphere could mean that within as little as two to three decades the world would face nearly inevitable warming of more than 2C (3.6F), resulting in rising sea levels, heatwaves, droughts and more extreme weather. • This article was amended on 5 November 2013 to correct a temperature conversion. | ['global-development/environmental-sustainability', 'global-development/global-development', 'environment/sustainable-development', 'environment/food', 'food/food', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/marktran'] | environment/sustainable-development | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2013-11-04T07:01:00Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
science/audio/2012/sep/03/science-weekly-podcast-wild-hopes-conservation | Science Weekly podcast: Wild hopes for nature conservation | This week Alok Jha meets zoologist Andrew Balmford to discuss his book Wild Hope: On the Front Line of Conservation Success, which celebrates the positive stories in habitat and species conservation. Alok also chatted to Dr Lewis Dartnell about the latest news in his field of astrobiology ahead of the course he will teach at the Royal Institution, starting on 11 September, Astrobiology: the search for alien life. Finally, we hear from Kew Gardens' chief scientist and director Stephen Hopper on the need to preserve the Earth's diverse plant life. Subscribe for free via iTunes to ensure every episode gets delivered. (Here is the non-iTunes URL feed). Follow the podcast on our Science Weekly Twitter feed and receive updates on all breaking science news stories from Guardian Science. Email scienceweeklypodcast@gmail.com. Guardian Science is on Facebook. You can also join our Science Weekly Facebook group. We're always here when you need us. Listen back through our archive. | ['science/zoology', 'science/alien-life', 'science/astronomy', 'science/biology', 'science/science', 'environment/environment', 'science/series/science', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/endangered-habitats', 'environment/endangeredspecies', 'environment/biodiversity', 'books/scienceandnature', 'type/podcast', 'type/audio'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2012-09-03T11:06:31Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2018/dec/24/what-caused-the-tsunami-in-indonesia-and-why-was-there-no-warning | What caused the tsunami in Indonesia and why was there no warning? | What happened? Search-and-rescue efforts were continuing in Indonesia following a deadly tsunami in the Sunda Strait which claimed more than 280 lives. More than 1,000 people were injured and 11,600 people displaced. The district of Pandeglang, on the western tip of the island of Java was worst hit, with 207 killed and 755 injured. It was caused by an eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano. A 64-hectare (138-acre) section collapsed into the ocean and this triggered an underwater landslide, officials confirmed on Monday. Images captured by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite showed that a large portion of the southern flank of the volcano had slid off into the ocean, scientists said. Why wasn’t there a warning system? In the case of tsunamis caused by earthquakes, the shaking earth can act as a warning but it’s much trickier to anticipate tsunamis from volcanic eruptions. “There’s usually a big draw down in water below low tide levels, so you if you’re on the coast you’ve got a matter of minutes to get to high ground,” Kennedy said. Kennedy said if a buoy network had been in place around Anak Krakatau, a one-to-two minute warning of a pending wave was the most anyone could expect. “The expense of doing that everywhere is just impossible,” he said. Indonesia has 147 volcanoes and 76 are considered active. Kennedy said population growth on coastlines and popularity of beach resorts exposed more people to the risk of tsunamis. Krakatau’s history Krakatau is part of the Pacific Rim of Fire. The Australian-Indonesian plate is going back down into the earth underneath the Eurasian plate. “As the plate goes down into the mantle it actually starts melting, so what you get are volcanoes that sit on top of that,” Kennedy said adding they have a high level of silica which traps the gases as well as water. “They tend to be really viscous, really sticky volcanoes and they produce massive eruptions. That’s because it’s remixing all the old ocean floor,” he said. In 1883, eruptions at Krakatau caused tsunami waves that reached 36.6 meters and wiped out an estimated 36,000 people. The entire island of Krakatau was vaporised and volcanic gas, ash and rocks spewed 80km high. The eruptions, turbo charged by steam, were one of the loudest noises heard by human beings in modern in history, Kennedy said. “There were reports they heard the sound in Darwin and some reports said they heard it as far south as Perth,” he said. He said the ash clouds from Krakatau cooled the global temperature by over a degree for many years. Krakatau was quiet until late 1927, when a new eruption began on the seafloor. The following year a rising cone burst through the ocean. Two years later it became an island called Anak Krakatau “Child of Krakatau”. Kennedy said minor eruptions over the years had been slowly building up the edifice of Anak Krakatau. “You’ve got more magma and lava coming up underneath,” he said. | ['world/indonesia', 'world/indonesia-tsunami-december-2018', 'world/volcanoes', 'world/asia-pacific', 'world/world', 'world/natural-disasters', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/lisa-martin', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-foreign'] | world/indonesia-tsunami-december-2018 | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2018-12-24T17:36:20Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2023/nov/01/baltic-sea-faces-critical-challenges-climate-biodiversity-report | Baltic Sea faces ‘critical challenges’ on climate and biodiversity, report warns | The Baltic Sea faces “critical challenges” due to the climate crisis and degradation of biodiversity, a report has said, as Sweden’s coastguard battled to contain the impact of an oil spill off the country’s southern shore. In the most comprehensive audit of its kind to date, experts at the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (Helcom) said on Tuesday there had been “little to no improvement” in the health of the body of water between 2016 and 2021. Fish stocks were at dangerously low levels, while pollution, land use and resource extraction continued to put pressure on the sea, the report said. On Monday the Swedish coastguard extracted about 20 cubic metres of oil from the Baltic, bringing the total to about 50 cubic metres, after a ferry ran aground three times off Hörvik in southern Sweden. The coastguard said on Tuesday it hoped the Marco Polo would be salvaged on Wednesday and taken to a port in Karlshamn to prevent a risk of further oil spills. Surrounded by nine countries including Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Russia, the Baltic’s relatively shallow, low-saline, brackish enclosed water makes it a unique marine environment. These properties also mean it is especially vulnerable to pollution and changing environmental conditions. The State of the Baltic Sea 2023 report found that despite efforts to improve its environment, overall conditions had not improved while some indicators had worsened. Jannica Haldin, the deputy executive secretary of Helcom and coordinator of the report, said: “The findings serve as a sobering reminder that the Baltic Sea faces critical challenges stemming from human activities. The importance of transboundary cooperation, a shift towards genuinely environmentally sustainable practices and long-term commitment cannot be overstated.” Human activities including pollution, overfishing and habitat destruction had affected the ecosystem, leading to an overall decline in biodiversity, the report found. Eutrophication – a largely human-made phenomenon in which excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus cause algae blooms – was also a problem, it said. The Baltic’s poor environmental status was also affecting the profitability of fisheries and tourism, the report found. There were some bright spots. Reductions in nutrient inputs and hazardous substances, as well as work on biodiversity and conservation, were found to have shown signs of success in some parts of the Baltic and several former pollution hotspots were removed from the latest assessment. The share of marine protected areas in the region was found to be increasing. But the climate crisis was increasingly taking its toll, the report said, resulting in reduced ice cover, more extreme weather and rising water temperatures. A Baltic Sea action plan, devised by Helcom in 2021, calls for strengthened biodiversity, a reduction in environmental pressures and an improvement in the overall health of the Baltic’s ecosystem. “Still, the current assessment results suggest that the recovery rate for biodiversity today is too slow,” Haldin said. “The deteriorated status presented in this report is directly linked to the activities and priorities of us as a society.” She added: “Ensuring that the Baltic Sea ecosystem maintains and improves its function is entirely dependent on how well we can manage our activities to ensure that they are truly sustainable and enhance the resilience of the ecosystem, both in the near future and long term.” | ['environment/oceans', 'environment/marine-life', 'world/europe-news', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/biodiversity', 'world/sweden', 'world/finland', 'world/denmark', 'world/russia', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/oil-spills', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/miranda-bryant', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/international', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-foreign'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2023-11-01T05:00:32Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/shortcuts/2019/feb/26/why-we-cant-help-but-see-the-whale-in-the-forest-as-an-omen | Why we can’t help but see the whale in the forest as an omen | There could scarcely be a sadder image of nature in chaos. A young humpback whale lies flat out in a forest clearing made by its own bulk. If it had sunk in the sea, this whale would be food for hagfish and cookiecutter sharks. Instead its yellowed, sagging blubber has been pecked at by birds. What baffling force could have thrown this giant ocean mammal into the Amazon rainforest? It’s the kind of prodigious sight that previous ages would have interpreted as an omen – and we still can’t resist seeing it that way. The sheer out-of-placeness of this poor juvenile stranded in death without the sea in sight is even more disconcerting than a pod of whales washed up on a beach or a lone cetacean in the Thames. It shows how the medieval cosmology of the four elements lodges in our imaginations: how has a creature of the water ended up on the earth? Or to put it in the more contemporary language of conspiracy theories: this dead sea mammal is very fishy. Perhaps it was taken by aliens to be probed, then dumped here. Maybe it was airlifted by the deep state for reasons of its own. More reasonably, this image distils our knowledge that human actions have changed the climate, polluted the oceans and ransacked the rainforest. A whale in the Amazon rainforest conjoins two natural wonders that humanity threatens, two immense habitats we risk destroying. Modern whaling regulations have allowed a heartening recovery by humpback whales, but they are as vulnerable as any other species to changes in the seas. It has been suggested this youngster may have suffocated after inhaling plastic. The Amazon rainforest itself has long been in crisis. More than 3,000 sq miles were deforested between summer 2017 and spring 2018, according to the Brazilian government’s own figures – the highest rate of destruction ever recorded. We feel all of this when we look at this uncanny displacement. In reality, this mystery is not quite as profound as the headlines imply. The whale was found in a mangrove swamp on the island of Marajó in the Amazon delta. Presumably a storm hurled its carcass deep into the swamp. Yet even if this falls short of a mystery that needs UFOs or the Illuminati to explain it, this surreal and wretched sight has the kind of power that we can’t always get from reading data on sea temperature rises. The scientific evidence that we are pushing nature to its greatest crisis since the extinction of the dinosaurs is abundant. We should be grateful to this whale for giving us an image of the colossal tragedy we are making of our world. A whale in a forest is no more unnatural than plastic on a beach. | ['environment/whales', 'environment/amazon-rainforest', 'news/shortcuts', 'tone/features', 'environment/marine-life', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/cetaceans', 'environment/environment', 'environment/deforestation', 'environment/forests', 'artanddesign/photography', 'type/article', 'profile/jonathanjones', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/g2', 'theguardian/g2/features', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-g2-features'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2019-02-26T18:14:56Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2022/may/02/wetlands-protection-law-delays-new-homes-building-england | Wetlands protection law delays building of new homes in England | A legal requirement that new houses do not pollute nearby wetlands, rivers and nature reserves has halted development across a swath of England. Forty-two local authorities in England were last month told they must ensure that new homes are “nutrient neutral” and do not add damaging nitrates or phosphates to river catchments and protected areas including the Eden Valley in Cumbria, the River Camel in Cornwall and the Norfolk Broads. In these areas – close to protected sites such as special areas of conservation (SACs) – planning authorities are unable to permit new applications for any kind of home until developers prove they are not adding to nutrient pollution. Natural England, the government’s conservation watchdog, has already required developers in 32 local authorities to demonstrate they are causing no additional pollution of protected sites after a 2018 court of justice ruling to protect conservation areas designated by the EU. Nutrient pollution causes algal blooms that deplete oxygen in the water, killing fish and damaging other aquatic life. Farming is the main cause of excess nutrients washing into rivers and wetlands alongside discharges from overloaded sewage works but rainwater running off roads and new developments can also add to the pollution. The Home Builders Federation estimates that up to 120,000 new homes have been delayed because of the “nutrient neutrality” rules in 74 local authority areas, with 42,000 new homes delayed in the greater Norwich area alone. In some areas, such as the Solent, mitigation measures have been established, with developers able to purchase nitrate credits from landowners including environmental charities who use the money to rewild farms or create pollution-absorbing wetlands in the catchment. But many local councils complain they have not been given adequate notice to enable new developments to continue, so cannot meet their mandatory new housing targets. In Norfolk, there are no mitigation schemes established yet, with all development without full planning permission paused within the catchment of the Broads and the River Wensum, both of which contain damaging levels of nutrient pollution. The government’s demand for “nitrate neutrality” was welcomed by Rosie Pearson, the chair of the Community Planning Alliance, a grassroots campaign group for sustainable development. “It’s great to see and a rare example of where the public protective system is doing what it should,” she said. “But with councils bound by their five-year housing supply targets and one government department saying: ‘Build, build, build,’ and then Natural England and Defra going: ‘You can’t build, you’re harming the environment,’ it is a complete mess.” Mitigating nutrient pollution with the creation of new wetlands was “a sticking plaster” according to Pearson. “All these wetlands will be created that will be great for nature but the government constantly ignores the underlying problem, which is the sewage system.” Housebuilders are warning the measures could cost developers up to £5,000 per home and affordable homes and council houses will be delayed. A study in Somerset found that the urban environment contributes 4% of nutrient pollution, with the vast majority caused by farming and sewage discharges. James Stevens, the director for cities at the Home Builders Federation, said: “Developing a consistent and standardised mitigation approach on water neutrality is essential to removing the growing block it is causing to housing supply. “We are urging government to agree proportionate measures that reflect the contribution of housing delivery to the issue without delay. The situation has already been ongoing for some years and it is imperative that solutions are agreed and implemented urgently.” In the Solent, where nutrient neutrality rules began in 2018, it took 18 months for mitigation sites to be established but Natural England said it would be much quicker for the 42 new local authorities because there was a nutrient calculator and £100,000 funding to help councils and developers identify solutions. In South Hampshire, nutrient credits bought by developers have enabled more than 3,000 “nutrient-neutral” new homes to be built. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) has used credits to buy two farms totalling 450 acres in the Solent catchment, rewilding intensively fertilised land that was causing nutrient pollution, restoring biodiversity as well as removing 25% more nitrates than the credits instructed. “It’s working,” said Debbie Tann, the chief executive of HIWWT. “It means that development is able to mitigate its impact but it’s really important to acknowledge that pollution in the Solent is terrible and just doing this is not going to clean it up. What we really need to tackle is farming, reducing fertilisers, and the water companies need to tackle sewage discharge. “This is a good step by Natural England but we need government to step up on the other issues as well.” Melanie Hughes, the director of sustainable development at Natural England, said all of the affected protected wetland sites were in “unfavourable condition” because of nutrient pollution, such as stinking mats of algae covering salt marsh in the Solent, which prevent wading birds from feeding in the mud. “We can’t carry on polluting in these areas – that’s the line that’s been drawn,” she said. “We’re pleased that we’re using nature-based solutions to help resolve the problem, which have much wider benefits.” A government spokesperson said: “We want to protect the environment and deal with the build-up of nutrient pollution whilst building the homes this country needs. “While house building is not the primary cause of nutrient build up, we want to introduce measures quickly to allow development to move forward.” | ['environment/rivers', 'society/housing', 'business/construction', 'environment/environment', 'society/society', 'uk/uk', 'uk-news/england', 'environment/pollution', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/patrickbarkham', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2022-05-02T11:16:07Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2015/feb/12/renewable-energy-wind-changed-fortunes-lewis-islanders | Renewable energy: How wind is changing the fortunes of Lewis islanders | February is a bitter month in Lewis in the Western Isles, and nowhere more so than on the moors which cover the centre of the island. The sleet is driven horizontally by the relentless wind which sweeps in from the Atlantic and across the low-lying ground of the north-west coast at Ghabhsainn (Galson). For generations, these winter winds have been a trial for the crofting and fishing communities which are strung along the coastline. But now, the islanders increasingly recognise that the wind looks set to become their biggest asset, as a source of energy and money. Ghabhsainn’s first turbine is now operational and next month work starts on two more which will be up and running by the summer after more than eight years of planning. “Last year, we made £380,000 gross from just the one turbine,” says Carola Bell, chair of the company set up by the community-owned Galson Estate Trust, Urras Energy Society. All the profits will be recycled back into the community of 2,000, and once all three turbines are in operation, it could amount to an income of nearly a million pounds a year. More than half of the Hebrides are now owned by the communities themselves after a wave of buy outs triggered by Scotland’s 2003 land reform act. For islands which have historically been very poor with low wages, a high cost of living and the highest fuel poverty rate in the country (currently 73%) , this new income will be transformational. Over on the east coast of Lewis at the village of Point, work is about to start on the biggest community owned wind farm in the UK. The Western Isles are one of the best places in Europe for wind power with turbines producing energy well above the average of 25% of the time. Islands such as Lewis, South Uist and Barra are poised on the verge of a dramatic turn of fortune, and it’s not just wind power. The potential for offshore wind and marine power is even bigger, with major research projects underway to identify the technology which can reap the power of the fierce Atlantic seas off these island coasts. The islanders weren’t always so enthusiastic about wind power, admits Agnes Rennie, chair of the Galson Estate Trust. Ten years ago, this was the area proposed for the biggest wind farm in Europe. It would have involved 181 huge turbines each requiring concrete bases 20 ft deep, roads and cables, and would have destroyed a swathe of this rare peat moorland. It divided the island, winning the backing of the council but 11,000 registered their objections before Edinburgh refused planning permission in 2008 on environmental grounds. “It was a very difficult time in a small community like ours in which people held very strong and sometimes opposing views,” Agnes explains as we sit at her kitchen table and the wind whistles around her croft perched on the island’s north-west coast. It left a bitter aftertaste and the new project has had to work hard to rebuild people’s trust that windpower could serve the needs of the community rather than major commercial developers. The three turbines will have a capacity of 2.7 megawatts, a tiny fraction of what had been planned in the big project, but the crucial difference for the community is that they will receive all the benefits. “We didn’t want turbines between houses, or between houses and the sea or the moor. We wanted to use existing peat tracks so that we weren’t digging up virgin peat,” explained Carola. This sensitive approach has paid off, and when a community share ownership scheme was launched at the end of last year to finance the new turbines, it exceeded its target and raised over £600,000 from hundreds of investors on the island and beyond. But there are two key factors which are slowing down the crucial progress of renewable energy in the Western Isles. The first is revealed by the story Agnes and Carola tell at the kitchen table: nearly nine years of a few community volunteers doggedly making their way through the complexity of grid negotiations, planning, environmental assessments and financing deals. There was support along the way from organisations such as Community Energy Scotland but the drive had to come from volunteers prepared to devote huge amounts of time to learning about very technical issues. It seems remarkable that despite the national commitments to renewables and despite the abundance of opportunity here, it all comes down to the tenacity of such community activists. However, there is an even bigger constraint on the growth of renewables in the Western Isles. The electricity grid was built on a system of power generation near major cities which branched out to supply peripheries such as the Hebrides. That system now needs to be reversed so that the peripheries can feed renewable energy back to the urban centres, explains John Cunningham, head of renewables at the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the Western Isles council in Stornoway. The cost of the subsea interconnector cable needed from Lewis back to Inverness has been put at £7.8bn. Late last year the utility company GDF Suez pulled out in yet another blow to the long running negotiations with the local energy company SSE, Edinburgh and London. It has repeatedly been set back and now looks unlikely before 2019. Dozens of wind projects on Lewis which have received planning are now in limbo, waiting until the interconnector is confirmed, says Joe Macphee, head of economic development at the council. Other community projects in the pipeline will struggle to get wind power projects off the ground. Existing projects have to effectively take turns to export to the grid; turbines are forced to shut down to avoid overloading the system. “It’s deeply frustrating. We’re at an impasse.” | ['environment/windpower', 'environment/environment', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/energy', 'uk/scotland', 'environment/wave-tidal-hydropower', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/madeleinebunting'] | environment/windpower | ENERGY | 2015-02-12T12:13:29Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2008/jun/22/endangeredhabitats.wildlife | Bury a bucket at home to save British stag beetles | Wildlife experts have appealed for help in saving one of the country's most endangered and exotic creatures: the stag beetle. They want householders to bury buckets of woodchips in their gardens to provide them with emergency shelter and food even though the evening flights of these giant insects through English gardens and barbecues can often trigger mayhem and hysteria.The stag beetle is harmless, however, say naturalists, who also warn that it is now threatened by habitat loss, having become extinct in several parts of Europe. The larva of the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) thrives on a diet of rotting wood and decaying roots which it consumes for several years before turning into a fully fledged beetle which can grow up to four inches in length. 'A buried bucket provides an ideal breeding site,' said Jill Nelson of the People's Trust for Endangered Species which is backing the plan. 'Females can lay their eggs there and the resulting larvae can develop into adult beetles.' The stag beetle is one of the most distinctive insects in the British Isles and gets its name from the male's spectacularly oversized mandibles which are used in courtship displays and to battle with rival males. However, the stag beetle - although once common in southern England - has recently suffered from the spread of intensified farming and of housing estates. This has had a devastating effect on its habitat and its population is now seriously threatened, say wildlife experts. 'Just the fact that people tend to keep their gardens tidier than they used to, with bigger patios and well groomed beds, is having an effect,' added Nelson. 'There is not enough old wood or roots for them to eat.' Stag beetles spend nearly all their lives underground as larvae. For six or seven years, they eat rotting wood until they grow to the size of a small plum. The Romans used to eat these fattened larvae as a delicacy. Once a larva reaches an optimum size, the stag beetle then emerges from its underground lair, around May and June, and begins to look for partners, a process that lasts for five or six weeks. 'In that time, they mate and the female lays her eggs,' said Nelson. 'Then the adults die and the cycle of life repeats itself.' Males are most often seen in flight on warm summer evenings in their search for mates while females are often seen at ground level, looking for suitable places to lay eggs. And it is this last part of the insect's lifecycle that experts are asking householders to aid. By burying buckets of woodchip and soil, gardeners could provide homes for stag beetles for the next six years. How to help them · Make holes in the sides and bottom of an ordinary plastic bucket. · Fill the bucket with one quarter soil and three quarters woodchip. · Dig a hole in a quiet part of your garden and bury the bucket with the top at ground level. | ['environment/endangered-habitats', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'science/science', 'environment/insects', 'type/article', 'profile/robinmckie', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/news', 'theobserver/news/uknews'] | environment/endangered-habitats | BIODIVERSITY | 2008-06-21T23:01:00Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2010/may/21/un-biodiversity-economic-report | UN says case for saving species 'more powerful than climate change' | The economic case for global action to stop the destruction of the natural world is even more powerful than the argument for tackling climate change, a major report for the United Nations will declare this summer. The Stern report on climate change, which was prepared for the UK Treasury and published in 2007, famously claimed that the cost of limiting climate change would be around 1%-2% of annual global wealth, but the longer-term economic benefits would be 5-20 times that figure. The UN's biodiversity report – dubbed the Stern for Nature – is expected to say that the value of saving "natural goods and services", such as pollination, medicines, fertile soils, clean air and water, will be even higher – between 10 and 100 times the cost of saving the habitats and species which provide them. To mark the UN's International Day for Biological Diversity tomorrow, hundreds of British companies, charities and other organisations have backed an open letter from the Natural History Museum's director Michael Dixon warning that "the diversity of life, so crucial to our security, health, wealth and wellbeing is being eroded". The UN report's authors go further with their warning on biodiversity, by saying if the goods and services provided by the natural world are not valued and factored into the global economic system, the environment will become more fragile and less resilient to shocks, risking human lives, livelihoods and the global economy. "We need a sea-change in human thinking and attitudes towards nature: not as something to be vanquished, conquered, but rather something to be cherished and lived within," said the report's author, the economist Pavan Sukhdev. The changes will involve a wholesale revolution in the way humans do business, consume, and think about their lives, Sukhdev, told The Guardian. He referred to the damage currently being inflicted on the natural world as "a landscape of market failures". The report will advocate massive changes to the way the global economy is run so that it factors in the value of the natural world. In future, it says, communities should be paid for conserving nature rather than using it; companies given stricter limits on what they can take from the environment and fined or taxed more to limit over-exploitation; subsidies worth more than US$1tn (£696.5bn) a year for industries like agriculture, fisheries, energy and transport reformed; and businesses and national governments asked to publish accounts for their use of natural and human capital alongside their financial results. And the potential economic benefits are huge. Setting up and running a comprehensive network of protected areas would cost $45bn a year globally, according to one estimate, but the benefits of preserving the species richness within these zones would be worth $4-5tn a year. The report follows a series of recent studies showing that the world is in the grip of a mass extinction event as pollution, climate change, development and hunting destroys habitats of all types, from rainforests and wetlands to coastal mangroves and open heathland. However, only two of the world's 100 biggest companies believe reducing biodiversity is a strategic threat to their business, according to another report released tomorrow by PricewaterhouseCoopers, which is advising the team compiling the UN report. "Sometimes people describe Earth's economy as a spaceship economy because we are basically isolated, we do have limits to how much we can extract, and why and where," said Sukhdev, who visited the UK WHEN as a guest of science research and education charity, the Earthwatch Institute.. The TEEB report shows that on average one third of Earth's habitats have been damaged by humans – but the problem ranges from zero percent of ice, rock and polar lands to 85% of seas and oceans and more than 70% of Mediterranean shrubland. It also warns that in spite of growing awareness of the dangers, destruction of nature will "still continue on a large scale". The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has previously estimated that species are becoming extinct at a rate 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than it would naturally be without humans. | ['environment/biodiversity', 'tone/news', 'world/unitednations', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'environment/endangered-habitats', 'environment/endangeredspecies', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/conservation', 'type/article', 'profile/juliettejowit', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/topstories'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2010-05-21T19:00:03Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2017/feb/21/arena-to-give-energyaustralia-grant-to-investigate-pumped-hydro-storage-project | Arena to give EnergyAustralia grant to investigate pumped hydro storage project | The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) has approved a $450,000 grant to EnergyAustralia to investigate a pumped hydro energy storage project off South Australia as the state’s energy mix continues to cause a political storm. The grant will cover a feasibility study into a Spencer Gulf project that the company says has a capacity to produce about 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity with six-to-eight hours of storage. EnergyAustralia says the storage is the equivalent of installing 60,000 home battery storage systems at one third of the cost. In a statement, Turnbull described pumped hydro energy storage as a “mature and cost-effective storage technology” that could address the need for security and stability in the electricity grid. As federal cabinet met in Sydney on Tuesday, EnergyAustralia’s managing director, Catherine Tanna, briefed the cabinet’s energy committee on the project and other options to stabilise the system. The decision comes after Turnbull wrote to Arena and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to direct the two agencies to prioritise pumped hydro and storage before his first major speech this year. It follows a $54m grant from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation last week for a solar development at Genex Power’s Kidston renewable energy hub, 270km north-west of Townsville. Energy policy continues to provide the flashpoint for federal politics, as South Australia suffers from blackouts. The Coalition has used the blackouts to blame the state Labor governments renewable energy targets and the intermittent nature of wind power. On Monday, a Senate committee heard that SA Power Networks knew a software glitch caused an additional 60,000 houses in South Australia to be out of power during load shedding this month. However, the state’s network operator stayed quiet for a week and a half while the Turnbull government continued to criticise the South Australian government’s use of renewables. Labor’s shadow energy and environment spokesman, Mark Butler, said the good work being done by Arena was a result of Labor’s legacy, given the Coalition had tried and failed to abolish it and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. “Only a few months ago the government again tried to abolish Arena,” Butler said. “They have no plan. The good work being done is thanks to Labor’s legacy and is happening in spite of, not because of, the government. The industry will continue to take advantage of the latest technologies, like storage, pumped hydro and community renewables.” Pumped hydro storage works by pumping from a lower reservoir into a higher reservoir when energy is cheap and then dropping the water downhill through a turbine to create electricity when energy is expensive and in high demand. EnergyAustralia confirmed that, if the Spencer Gulf project goes ahead, a two-year construction would see the power provided to the grid by 2020/21. The project has developed from an assessment by the Melbourne Energy Institute and engineering and design firm Arup into the adoption of pumped hydro technology using seawater for Australia’s dry conditions. If it goes ahead, it would be the largest seawater pumped hydro project in the world. There is currently only one other plant using seawater for pumped hydro storage. | ['environment/energy', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'australia-news/coalition', 'australia-news/liberal-party', 'australia-news/south-australia', 'australia-news/south-australian-politics', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'australia-news/energy-australia', 'profile/gabrielle-chan', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/renewableenergy | ENERGY | 2017-02-21T03:01:09Z | true | ENERGY |
australia-news/2019/jun/08/victoria-ignored-recycling-warnings-that-left-it-vulnerable-to-china-move-report | Victoria ignored recycling warnings that left it vulnerable to China move – report | Victorian authorities failed to prevent the state sleepwalking into a recycled waste crisis, amid signs China was curbing imports six years ago, a scathing watchdog report has concluded. The auditor general report released this week noted the state’s environment department and Sustainability Victoria had ignored early warnings. “The state’s heavy reliance on exporting recyclables, particularly plastic and paper, left it vulnerable,” the report said. “Recent significant restrictions in the waste export market has brought this issue into sharp focus. This risk was not without early warning.” China sent shock waves through the global recycling market in 2013 when it announced it would no longer accept poorly sorted or dirty shipments of recyclable waste from foreign exporters. The Malaysian government has recently indicated it will follow suit and send back up to 100 tonnes of Australian plastic waste because it was too contaminated to recycle. The watchdog noted Victoria had been without a statewide waste policy since the Andrews government came to power in 2014. As a result government agencies’ responses to waste issues had been “ad hoc and reactive”, the report said. The Environment Protection Authority had not effectively regulated the waste industry. “It has been slow to act – firstly with combustible recyclable and waste materials in recovery facilities – and more recently with hazardous waste stockpiles,” the report said. “In both instances, EPA intervened only at the point of crisis.” The report pointed to a fire at the Coolaroo recycling factory in July 2017 which burned for 11 days and resulted in homes being evacuated. “EPA has not effectively monitored and addressed the growth of inappropriately managed stockpiles across the state, which pose health and fire risks to the community and the environment,” the report said. Despite a $511m sustainability fund, there had been a “lack of action to minimise waste, to invest in infrastructure, and closely regulate the sector.” The report said the unspent funding had previously been recognised as part of the state’s bottom line. Victorians generated nearly 12. m tonnes of waste in 2016-17 and 67% was recovered for recycling but it’s not clear how much ended up in landfill because the data is unreliable, the report said. The auditor general recommended authorities reduce the sector’s reliance on international markets by encouraging the establishment of local processing facilities. The environment minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, defended the government’s spending on the recycling sector and insisted some of the report’s recommendations were already being implemented. “We’ve invested a record $135m in waste and recycling initiatives and will continue to look at how we can transition to a safer, more sustainable waste industry,” she said. Last month’s state budget included a $35m package for the sector over three years, including $13.8m to encourage for new entrants in recycling processing. D’Ambrosio has announced the essential services commission will review recycling services in Victoria, to look at whether the sector should be regulated as an essential service like water and energy. The opposition environment spokesman, David Morris, said the sector had been starved of cash for too long. “Victoria is in the grip of a waste crisis and Daniel Andrews needs to stop using the proceeds of the half billion dollar bin tax to prop up his sham surplus, and start spending it to prevent a complete collapse of the recycling system,” Morris said. | ['australia-news/victoria', 'environment/recycling', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/lisa-martin', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2019-06-07T22:23:20Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
science/2020/nov/07/support-a-science-oath-for-the-climate | Support a science oath for the climate | Letter | Noting the increasing severity of the global heating crisis and the need for action that transcends election cycles spelt out in your article (This election isn’t about the next four years. It’s about the next four millennia, 3 November) we are launching a new science oath for the climate. It is a pledge of scrutiny, integrity and engagement, and we invite our fellow scientists and researchers to join us. Science has no higher purpose than to understand and help maintain the conditions for life to thrive on Earth. We may look beyond our planet with wonder and learn, but this is our only viable home. Our dwelling, though, is critically threatened by the loss of the stable climate that has allowed humanity to flourish. We pledge to act in whatever ways we are able, in our lives and work, to prevent catastrophic climate disruption. To translate this pledge into a force for real change, we will: Explain honestly, clearly and without compromise, what scientific evidence tells us about the seriousness of the climate emergency. Not second guess what might seem politically or economically pragmatic when describing the scale and timeframe of action needed to deliver the 1.5C and 2C commitments, specified in the Paris climate agreement. And to speak out about what is not compatible with the commitments, or is likely to undermine them. To the best of our abilities, and mindful of the urgent need for systemic change, seek to align our own behaviour with the climate targets, and reduce our own personal carbon emissions to demonstrate the possibilities for change. With courtesy and firmness, we will hold our professional associations, institutions and employers to these same standards, and invite our colleagues across the scientific community to sign, act on and share this pledge. Prof Chris Rapley Prof Sarah Bracking Prof Bill McGuire Prof Simon Lewis Prof Jonathan Bamber | ['science/science', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'environment/environment', 'environment/paris-climate-agreement', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'us-news/us-elections-2020', 'us-news/us-politics', 'us-news/us-news', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/carbon-emissions | EMISSIONS | 2020-11-07T10:00:08Z | true | EMISSIONS |
uk-news/2022/mar/14/wales-solar-farm-brynwhillach-powers-swansea-hospital-morriston | Welsh solar farm exceeds expectations in powering Swansea hospital | The UK’s first solar farm owned by a health board and linked directly to a hospital has exceeded expectations by, at times, providing all the electricity needed to run the site, even during the winter months. Health chiefs and Welsh government ministers had hoped the solar farm in south-west Wales would supply Morriston hospital in Swansea with a fifth of its energy consumption every year. However, they were surprised and pleased that the Brynwhilach Farm, which is linked to Morriston by a two-mile cable, provided enough energy over one 50-hour period to meet 100% of the hospital’s demands. It is estimated that the 10,000-panel farm, which was switched on in November, has already saved £120,000 in electricity bills, and the board has on occasions been able to sell power back to the energy grid. The £5.7m solar farm was built under a loan scheme set up by the Welsh government to decarbonise the public sector by 2030. The Welsh minister for climate change, Julie James, said: “We want our energy to come from community-owned and locally run renewable energy sources in Wales. “This will ensure our supply is resilient, reliable and reasonable for both our planet and our pockets. Morriston hospital, which depends not only on the powers of its staff but also the energy-hungry machines to keep their patients alive and well, has blazed the trail.” It had been thought that when it was fully operational the scheme would cut carbon emissions by 1,000 tonnes and save £500,000 in bills annually, but with world energy prices spiralling, the board now believes the savings could be almost double that figure. Swansea Bay University health board’s assistant director of operations, Des Keighan, said: “It was expected that over the winter months the solar farm would contribute electricity, but that the hospital would still need to continue to buy power from the grid every day. “What has come as a pleasant surprise is that for a total of 50 hours, the hospital has been entirely powered by the solar farm. “This is despite the fact that the solar farm hasn’t been operating continually over the winter. It has still been undergoing tests and fine-tuning, and is not due to be completely finished until the end of March. So this additional performance has been even more of a bonus.” | ['uk/wales', 'uk/uk', 'environment/solarpower', 'environment/energy', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/environment', 'society/nhs', 'society/hospitals', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/stevenmorris', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2022-03-14T06:00:03Z | true | ENERGY |
technology/2015/feb/11/samsung-admits-smart-tvs-forcing-pop-up-ads-into-video-apps | Samsung admits its smart TVs are forcing pop-up ads into video apps | Samsung has confirmed that its smart TVs are erroneously inserting pop-up video adverts into television and movies played through third-party apps. The admission comes in a week that Samsung was forced to change its smart TV privacy policy, which indicated the TV could be recording conversations and sending them to third parties, provoking “Orwellian” complaints from critics. Samsung said that it was “currently conducting a full and thorough investigation into the cause as our top priority”. Several Samsung smart TV owners took to Reddit to complain that a silent video advert for Pepsi kept appearing in Plex, an app for streaming video from a computer among other sources. “I watch most of my TV shows on a Samsung Smart TV and it has been fantastic for the past year. Recently it has been stopping half way through a show or a movie and has played a pepsi ad that is muted,” said user beans90 on Reddit explaining that the adverts do not interrupt viewing on any other platforms, including PC, PlayStation 4 and tablet computers running Plex. A Plex spokesperson told GigaOm that the company was not behind the pop up ads. Separately, users of Australia’s Foxtel streaming TV service reported a similar issue after having updated the Samsung SmartHub, which allows users to download apps. “After about 15 minutes of watching live TV, the screen goes blank, and then a 16:9 sized Pepsi advert (taking up about half the screen) pops up and stops Foxtel playing,” said a users known as darlinghurst on the Foxtel company forums. “It’s as if there is a popup ad on the TV.” Other users took to the forums to complain of the same advert interruptions using Samsung smart TVs leading a Foxtel support representative known as Beta_Boy to state: “This absolutely should not be happening and is being escalated immediately.” A Samsung spokesperson told the Guardian: “We are aware of a situation that has caused some Smart TV users in Australia to experience programme interruption in the form of an advertisement.” “This seems to be caused by an error, and we are currently conducting a full and thorough investigation into the cause as our top priority. This situation has so far been reported only in Australia. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience experienced by our customers.” In 2014 it was revealed that Samsung has partnered with Yahoo to create adverts and other “interactive experiences”. These experiences were said to be “opt-in”. It appears that an update to the Samsung software powering the smart TVs has enabled the pop-up ads by default. The Yahoo-powered service can be disabled by declining the Yahoo privacy policy within the Samsung Smart Hub terms and policy section. Samsung is not the only company looking to monetise smart TV platforms with adverts. Panasonic smart TVs display banner ads in some situations and streaming box manufacturer Roku has pursued revenue share agreements with streaming services using its platform. Advertising companies including Yahoo and appTV offer solutions for advertisers to place promotions on smart TVs, while smart TVs that log user activity offer the potential for targeted advertising similar to the services internet advertising companies such as Google offer. | ['technology/samsung', 'technology/television', 'technology/technology', 'technology/internet', 'technology/smart-homes', 'technology/gadgets', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/samuel-gibbs'] | technology/gadgets | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2015-02-11T13:26:35Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
news/2014/aug/15/weatherwatch-twilight-victor-hugo-notre-dame | Weatherwatch: The sky, the river and the darkness between | The sun is setting over medieval Paris and the Archdeacon of Notre Dame has just decided that he is almost mad. All Claude Frollo can think of are the two images in his mind, of the gallows, and of the gypsy girl la Esmeralda. One is charm, beauty and light, the other horror, and in this tormented mood, he takes a boat across the river and into twilight's strange distortion of perspective. "The sky was white, the water of the river was white. The left bank of the Seine, on which his gaze was fixed, projected its dark mass between these two whitenesses and tapered away into the distance like a black arrow, until it was lost in the mists of the horizon," writes Victor Hugo in his 1831 classic Notre-Dame of Paris, translated for Penguin by John Sturrock. "This huge black obelisk, isolated between the two white sheets of the sky and the river, which was very wide at this point, had a peculiar effect on Dom Claude." It certainly had a peculiar effect on the author, who compared it to how a man might feel "who lay flat on his back at the foot of the bell-tower of Strasbourg and looked at the enormous spire sticking up into the crepuscular gloom above his head. Only in this case it was Claude who was upright and the obelisk that was on its side; but because the river mirrored the sky, so extending the abyss underneath it, the huge promontory seemed to soar as boldly up into the void as any cathedral spire; the effect was the same." | ['news/series/weatherwatch', 'tone/features', 'type/article', 'profile/timradford', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2'] | news/series/weatherwatch | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2014-08-15T20:30:00Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2019/sep/25/1-of-english-residents-take-one-fifth-of-overseas-flights-survey-shows | 1% of English residents take one-fifth of overseas flights, survey shows | Just 1% of English residents are responsible for nearly a fifth of all flights abroad, according to previously unpublished statistics. The figures, published in a Department for Transport survey, also reveal that the 10% most frequent flyers in England took more than half of all international flights in 2018. However, 48% of the population did not take a single flight abroad in the last year. The new findings bolster calls for a frequent flyer levy, a proposal under which each citizen would be allowed one tax-free flight per year but would pay progressively higher taxes on each additional flight taken. The revelations follow a new report from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the government’s official adviser, which urged ministers to put tougher regulations on the international aviation and shipping sectors to keep the economy on track for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Environmental activists said the new figures showed the UK could cut air traffic and emissions without affecting ordinary holidaymakers. “There is this narrative that tackling the climate change problem from aviation means stopping people from taking holidays or seeing their families – and actually, when you look at this data that is wrong,” said Leo Murray, director of innovation at 10:10 Climate Action. “What we need to do is target a minority of problem flyers and stop them from taking so many flights,” he added. The findings are based on responses from more than 15,000 English residents who participated in the 2018 National Transport Survey and were revealed to the Guardian following a Freedom of Information request. The aviation sector accounted for about 7% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2017. It is projected to be the single biggest source of emissions in the UK by 2050 due to the steadily increasing demand for flights. John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace UK, also endorsed the idea of a frequent flyer levy. “It makes it easier for families to fly once a year, but the escalating tax on further flights means that the people responsible for most of the problem are the ones who end up paying most of the tax – or, ideally, flying a lot less,” he said. Siân Berry, co-leader of the Green party, said the new data showed the UK could cut its air traffic without hitting those who can least afford it. “It’s about people who fly again and again and again.” “A progressive tax on the most frequent flyers is a fair policy that most people would come behind if the government put it forward,” she added. Tuesday’s CCC report suggested a number of policy options to curb demand for flights, including a frequent flyer levy, and said technological improvements alone could not be the solution to the growing emissions problem. There is currently no country in which travellers pay an escalating levy on each flight they take in a year. “In the absence of a true zero-carbon plane, demand cannot continue to grow unfettered over the long-term,” it stated. Emissions from international aviation are not currently included in national carbon budgets such as the UK’s but instead managed by a dedicated UN agency – the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). However, some have said the body is too secretive and close to industry to take on the major polluters. The CCC said international air travel should be included in the UK’s climate strategy like any other business sector. “Not having [international aviation] in the target is a barrier to putting in place good policies to get us on the trajectory to be net-zero overall,” said Chris Stark, the CCC’s chief executive. He argued that the UK should take a leading role in cutting emissions from the sector, rather than wait for more comprehensive international agreements to be struck. “There should be no barrier to bringing aviation emissions into the carbon budgets and then putting in place a set of policies that at some stage in the future will be compatible with those international agreements,” Stark said. A DfT spokesperson said: “Tackling climate change is one of the most urgent and pressing challenges that we face. Which is why this government has set a bold 2050 net zero target for the UK and a greener aviation industry will play a key role in that. “The government is funding the future of flight and have announced £5m in funding for new technologies like electric and autonomous aircraft to help us tackle climate change. We are working with our partners to ensure the government takes a leading role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation sector.” | ['environment/carbon-emissions', 'travel/flights', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'travel/travel', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'environment/carbonfootprints', 'environment/ethical-living', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/niko-kommenda', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/carbonfootprints | EMISSIONS | 2019-09-25T06:00:20Z | true | EMISSIONS |
news/article/2024/jul/31/drill-baby-drill-inside-the-2-august-guardian-weekly | Drill, baby, drill: inside the 2 August Guardian Weekly | States with low dependence on fossil fuels, either for energy or as a domestic economic driver, are best placed to lead the green transition. Often, as US climate envoy John Kerry did at last year’s Cop28, they point the finger at classic petrostates such as Saudi Arabia or Russia for not backing faster action to phase out fossil-fuel extraction. But, as a Guardian investigation that provides this week’s cover story reveals, states such as the US, Canada, the UK and Norway could be criticised for hypocrisy. As Oliver Milman explains, for all the talking up of green credentials and touting renewable energy projects, these “other petrostates” are engaged in a frenzy of issuing new oil and gas drilling licences that will bust what’s left of the planet’s emissions budget if we want to keep global heating to the 1.5C Paris agreement level. Nowhere typifies green hero and oil villain duality as much as Norway, reports Ajit Niranjan from Oslo where citizens lead the green transition in a country economically cushioned by a massive sovereign wealth fund derived from oil and gas drilling. Get the Guardian Weekly delivered to your home address *** Five essential reads in this week’s edition 1 Spotlight | A town in mourning Thousands of people packed the narrow streets and squares of Majdal Shams for the funerals of children and young people killed in a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Ruth Michaelson, Quique Kierszenbaum and Sufian Taha report on the mourners’ shock and anger. 2 Science | Life on Mars US navy microbiologist Anca Selariu tells Richard Luscombe about her experience as part of a four-person Nasa crew who spent a year in a habitat built to replicate the red planet’s conditions. 3 Feature | Gaza voices All Palestinians in Gaza have been affected by Israel’s response to the Hamas attacks of 7 October, dealing with death, destruction and displacement. Seven of them explain the impact on their lives. 4 Opinion | Will Hutton on Murdoch’s succession drama The media mogul’s bid to extend rightwing influence beyond the grave should be resisted to the last. 5 Culture | Climate of fear Despite global heating’s existential threat to humanity, and despite Hollywood’s left-leaning tendencies, the subject rarely makes it to the big screen. David Smith asks why film-makers are so scared to tackle the climate crisis. *** What else we’ve been reading I’ve not so much been reading as looking at the pictures from the Paris Olympics. You don’t have to be any kind of sports fan (and I’ll readily say I’m not) to enjoy the fantastic work from photographers at the Games showcased daily by Guardian picture editors. Isobel Montgomery, deputy editor *** Other highlights from the Guardian website • Audio | The sisters Saudi Arabia tried to silence – podcast • Video | Thousands protest across Venezuela after Maduro declared winner of presidential election • Gallery | Up on the roof: the homespun art of rural Punjab • Interactive | South China Sea: a visual guide to the key shoals, reefs and islands *** Get in touch We’d love to hear your thoughts on the magazine: for submissions to our letters page, please email weekly.letters@theguardian.com. For anything else, it’s editorial.feedback@theguardian.com *** Follow us • X • Facebook • Instagram Get the Guardian Weekly magazine delivered to your home address | ['theguardian/series/inside-guardian-weekly', 'environment/energy', 'environment/environment', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'profile/isobelmontgomery', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-guardian-weekly-commissioning'] | environment/energy | ENERGY | 2024-07-31T17:00:21Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/blog/2013/feb/25/australia-climate-elections-new-strategy | Australian climate outlook remains bleak with Tony Abbott out for revenge | In Australia, decades of hard-fought conservation gains are at risk of being wiped out after 14 September. That's when the incumbent Labor government faces oblivion at the federal election, at the hands of the conservative Liberal Party. For environment groups and climate campaigners, things have never looked bleaker. This is despite the introduction of a carbon price, billions of dollars for clean energy projects, a landmark extension of marine national parks, and recent news that carbon emissions from the world's largest per- capita emitter have actually reduced. Unfortunately, conservation and climate change have not been a national priority since the controversial introduction of the carbon price. In Australia, the Labor minority government, supported by the Greens , passed historic carbon-pricing legislation that charged polluters for their emissions. At that time, the five or so largest environment groups, supported by the Australian Council of Trade Unions, ran a public awareness campaign – "Say Yes" – to raise support for the carbon price. Since then, the conservative opposition, led by climate change denying Tony Abbott and supported by extreme elements in the Murdoch-owned press, has waged a relentless campaign against the carbon price. The fear is that Abbott's climate denialism, coupled with a desire to get even with groups who opposed him, will see environment groups targeted. The Say Yes campaign was a $2m public awareness campaign. Born from the 2010 electoral stalemate, Say Yes sought to lock in support for the carbon price, both in parliament and in the community. According to its strategy paper, the campaign's goals were to "build and energise the necessary public support for national legislation on pollution and climate change in 2011". Even though it was supported by high-profile Australian celebrities, with Cate Blanchett and Michael Caton appearing in ads, and public rallies in major cities, community support for the carbon price actually fell, declining from 46% support to 37%. Opposition to the carbon price also rose from 44% to 56%. Most of the campaign was focused on mass-media and a few setpiece rallies. In 2012, a secret debrief report from the Say Yes campaign acknowledged that the campaign was only "speaking to ourselves" and "the politicians in Canberra". A stark contrast to Australia is the USA. After the historic election of Barack Obama, environment groups there pinned their hopes to the introduction of cap-and-trade legislation – similar to emissions trading. Hopes of seeing real action on climate change died in the congress after Obama decided to prioritise healthcare reform, and the Tea Party emboldened climate change deniers. Climate groups rebounded and found new purpose following the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and the planned construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The KXL pipe is to pump dirty crude oil from tar sands in Canada to be refined in Texas. Opponents to the pipeline argued that it amounted to a 'carbon bomb'. Tar sands is one of the most polluting, energy intensive forms of oil to extract and refine. The pipes used to transport it are prone to leaking, and are almost impossible to clean up. A spill in the Kalamazoo river in Michigan, in July 2012, destroyed 60km of river and clean-up company Enbridge was embroiled in a scandal after they covered up, rather than cleaned up the oil. The "No Keystone XL Pipeline" campaign galvansised the climate movement in the US. For months in 2011 and 2012, activists stared down Democratic pressure to shut-up, and engaged in civil disobedience in Washington and along the proposed track of the pipe. At a time when the Tea Party and climate-denialist billionaires were on the march and in the process of buying the Republican primaries, the allied climate groups in the No KXL campaign brought together faith groups, farmers, indigenous groups, unions, Texan property-owners, students, pensioners and conservation charities. Obama ended up blocking a key part of the pipeline before the election, in the face of tens of thousands of people conducting sit-ins and facing arrest. Now, with the election over, the spectre of the KXL pipeline is back. Republicans and Big Oil are pressuring Obama to overturn his ban. In response, the No KXL alliance has re-mobilised. The Sierra Club, the world's largest environment organisation, supported the first day of civil disobedience in its history; 30,000 people rallied on Valentine's Day in Washington. Following the climate-fueled disaster of hurricane Sandy, these climate groups have made climate change a national priority. They did so by deciding that their audience was not politicians and advisors in the West Wing or the Beltway, and that their message was not one of a bright, clean energy future. Instead, they took their campaign to communities around the US, to areas that were at risk of devastating oil spills. Their message was a warning against the consequences of runaway climate change and of a pipeline failure. The tactics of the No KXL Pipeline campaign were the opposite of the Say Yes campaign. Perhaps they looked at Australia and realised that preaching to the choir and to politicians could not have a long-term impact. The USA now has a revitalised climate movement. A new generation of activists, many of whom also campaigned alongside Obama 2012 organisers, continues their struggle to stop one of the most dangerous oil projects in the world. In Australia, environment groups fearing the wrath of Tony Abbott, whose position on climate change matches the likes of Sarah Palin or Rick Santorum, must mobilise rather than remaining a small target. The posture of this new breed of US climate activist is more assertive and aware of the great risks of doing nothing. And they have finally realised that to win, to have influence in the halls of power, you must have a willing, engaged constituency in the community – who are willing to take action. You can't get that with TV ads and celebrity endorsements. | ['environment/southern-crossroads', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/climate-change-scepticism', 'australia-news/tony-abbott', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'tone/blog', 'environment/series/guardian-environment-blogs', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'type/article', 'profile/alexander-white'] | environment/climate-change-scepticism | CLIMATE_DENIAL | 2013-02-25T12:51:57Z | true | CLIMATE_DENIAL |
environment/2011/apr/01/historic-move-rainforests | A historic move in the battle to save tropical rainforests | Tony Juniper | This week a further historic step is taken in the battle to hang on the world's remaining tropical rainforests. It is unlikely to make too many headlines, but on Friday two countries will take forward the kind of arrangement that many have talked about but few have had the boldness to actually do. Guyana and Norway's leadership is seen in the second stage of a ground-breaking deal through which one (Norway) makes annual payments to the other (Guyana) to keep its forests. The amount of money to change hands is calculated on the basis of how well Guyana has done in holding back deforestation, and the value of that in terms of avoided carbon dioxide emissions. A complex calculation is made to determine how well the recipient country has done but this year $40m is being transferred. Guyana spends the money paid by Norway - a total of $250m spread over a period of years - on projects that will help with environmentally sound development, for example through funding solar panels on all the houses belonging to the indigenous people. In remote rainforests these are no fashion accessories. They are the means for children to read books at night and mark the end of the kerosene lamps and candles which cause indoor air pollution and fire hazards. There is also money to connect remote settlements to the internet, again powered with solar electricity. There is money to pay for the costly job of legally demarking Amerindian lands and there are plans for health, education and business support. The overall strategy is geared to keeping the forest intact, and thus the priceless services they provide for the entire world. Any rational economic calculation must conclude the world is getting the bargain of the century. Without this kind of support from Norway, the pressures on the forests might become irresistible. Guyana is poor. The country needs jobs, foreign exchange and tax revenues. And there are plenty of takers for the natural resources that await plunder in delivering these benefits. Since Brazil has cracked down on deforestation, the loggers, ranchers and soya farmers there have been looking for other places to expand their industries. Guyana is next door, connected by a new road and a prime target. I wrote about this in 2009, but fortunately there has so far been no major incursion. Part of the reason is because Guyana's President Jagdeo has been able to hold the line politically, in part because Norway has delivered money on a different basis. But even with the best will, Guyana needs to undertake some forest clearance. There are plans for a new hydropower dam that will flood 45 square kilometres of forest. It will lead to the loss of 0.05% of the country's forest and is by any standard a major project. There has also been forest loss to gold mining. In the last year forest clearance has nearly tripled, mainly because of an expansion of this industry, from about 40 square kilometres to about 110. It is important, however, to put this change into the context of a tiny original deforestation rate – at six hundredths of 1% per annum, Guyana's present rate of forest loss is about 95% below the global average. With forest nearly the size of England and Scotland combined, the total loss from the dam and mining will lead to the equivalent of 10% of Norfolk being deforested. And the very fact that we know this is a major step forward. Both the low deforestation rate and the rapid rate of change were revealed by satellite monitoring funded from the first tranche of Norwegian money paid last year. Guyana has sent a signal – and it is being heard. One consequence is seen in the fact that land-hungry natural resource companies looking for space in which to expand agriculture and logging are heading toward neighbouring Surinam. That country has no such deal with Norway, or anyone else for that matter, and unfortunately business as usual prevails there. History is being made; and not just history in human affairs. It is about the history of life on Earth and whether we will find the means to co-operate in arresting the destruction of our planet's verdant lifebelt of tropical rainforests. • Tony Juniper is a campaigner, writer, sustainability adviser and a well-known British environmentalist | ['environment/forests', 'environment/environment', 'environment/deforestation', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/endangered-habitats', 'environment/wildlife', 'tone/comment', 'type/article', 'profile/tonyjuniper'] | environment/endangered-habitats | BIODIVERSITY | 2011-04-01T10:18:45Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2024/dec/25/stressed-out-trees-helping-charities-restore-valuable-aspen-forests | Stressed out trees helping charities restore valuable aspen forests | On a nature reserve deep in the Scottish Highlands there is a polytunnel which houses a small forest of slender grey aspen trees. It is known as the “torture chamber”. The aspen is one of the UK’s scarcest but most valuable trees. And to produce the tiny, delicate aspen seeds being harvested by the charity Trees for Life, these 104 specimens are deliberately made to suffer. They may be water-starved, have their limbs trimmed, or have their trunks sliced and ringed, the slivers of bark rotated or put back upside down. And despite the ice-cold chill and the snow falling outside the tunnel, leaf buds are beginning to form. It seems paradoxical but it works: being stressed helps these aspen flower and produce the short-lived seeds which rewilding charities and foresters need in their efforts to restore the aspen forests which once thrived across Britain’s uplands. In a little understood quirk of nature, the UK’s aspen rarely flower in the wild and very rarely cross-germinate each other. Most live isolated lives. They often cling to crags or rocky slopes to escape sheep and deer, the male trees too far apart to naturally fertilise with females. “We treat them with lots of love for most of the year, but we can see in the wild that they respond to stress by flowering,” said Heather McGowan, an assistant at Trees for Life’s rewilding centre at Dundreggan near Loch Ness. “So for example when there was a mass flowering in 2019, it followed a very hot and dry spring the previous year. We think that’s a stress response. “And you can see if a limb has been damaged then next year it’s likely it would flower. So again, the stress response. We’re trying to mimic that in the tunnel by putting them under a bit of duress.” The British aspen’s idiosyncrasies have perplexed the forestry community. Some liken it to the panda: scarce in the wild, and slow to breed. Like the black and white bear, the aspen has a very narrow window of fertility, in a few weeks each spring. In Norway, the nearest cousin to the British aspen flowers annually and procreates quite happily. In the UK, however, natural cross-fertilisation is so infrequent aspen instead normally spreads through its roots, creating large stands of trees all derived from a single parent. While individual aspen may flower more often, there have been only two mass flowerings in Scotland in the past four decades: in 1996 and 2019. Its seeds are so light and have very little longevity, they need to have immediate contact with bare, disturbed earth to take hold. Yet the aspen is known as a pioneer species of critical importance to upland biodiversity. Fast-growing, its roots and leaf litter reinvigorate nutrient-poor soil. McGowan’s supervisor Jill Hodge said: “It’s one of the trees that has the highest biodiversity benefit to other species. It is literally up at the top of the list for providing habitat for rare mosses, lichens, hoverflies, dark bordered beauty moths. It’s absolutely amazing for biodiversity and it can also be used for timber production.” Hodge believes Scotland’s aspen may be losing fertility due to their age. Kenny Hay, tree nursery and seed resource manager for the government agency Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS), believes the reason they stop flowering regularly and instead spread by cloning and self-replicating is a response to their scarcity. “Nobody knows for sure,” he said. “But we suspect their fragmentation in Scotland has basically forced them to put their energies into suckering from their roots rather than produce seeds.” The Trees for Life tree nursery is the only one in Scotland producing aspen seed – other aspens are grown from root cuttings and clones, but the effort to restore the tree is now occurring across the UK. Its saplings are being snapped up by FLS and used for private native woodland projects. Its progeny have also been sent to conservation nurseries at Thetford in Norfolk and in Surrey, where England’s warmer climate may help them rediscover regular flowering. There are recently planted aspen forests at Dundreggan and at nearby Loch Affric. And in the Cairngorms, a major new aspen recovery project was launched in early November to help map and restore it in the wild. Hay said the ultimate goal is to restore the aspen so successfully that they naturally spread across Britain’s over-grazed uplands. “What we need in the uplands of Britain is 200 years of pioneer birch, aspen and rowan just cycling the soil and leaf-dropping,” he said. “It’s a very long-term project.” | ['environment/forests', 'environment/environment', 'uk/scotland', 'uk-news/england', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/severincarrell', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2024-12-25T09:05:21Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2014/oct/29/abbot-point-study-on-dumping-of-spoil-in-wetlands-not-required-hunt-says | Abbot Point: study on dumping of spoil in wetlands not required, Hunt says | The federal government has waived the need for a full environmental impact study into the dumping of dredging spoil onto sensitive wetlands under the plan to expand the Abbot Point coal port in Queensland. The federal environment minister, Greg Hunt, has agreed to a request by Queensland’s deputy premier, Jeff Seeney, to assess the controversial project using only paperwork from a discredited original plan to dump spoil in Great Barrier Reef waters. The Australian Greens and environmental groups accused Hunt of bowing to pressure to fast-track the project while ignoring its effect on the internationally significant Caley Valley wetlands. His decision came the same day Indian coal and steel conglomerate Adani revealed it had hired US bank Morgan Stanley to examine the potential sale of part of its share in the project. The bank itself had expressed concerns about the negative impact of the port’s expansion on the World Heritage-listed reef through an increase in the number of coal ships passing through its waters. The United Nations’ World Heritage Committee, which has criticised the port expansion, will decide next year if the reef is to be deemed “in danger”. The long-term welfare of the reef is a political dilemma for governments eager to expand the port so that it can be used for exports from the Galilee basin, which stands to make Australia the world‘s biggest coal exporter. Environmental groups said Hunt’s decision meant there would be no proper canvassing of the impact of dumping 3m tonnes of acidic seabed waste onto wetlands which act as a nursery for fish and 40,000 birds, some endangered. The plan to dump spoil onshore came after the Queensland government backflipped on the original proposal, which eventually drew opposition from inside federal government ranks. The Greens’ environment spokeswoman, Larissa Waters, said the disposal of spoil in the wetlands was “the second cheapest, dirtiest option after dumping the sludge in reef waters”. “The Abbott and Newman governments realised that the community was not going to let them dump dredge spoil into the Great Barrier Reef so now they’ve moved on to the second dirtiest option and are closing their eyes to its environmental impacts,” she said. Felicity Wishart from the Australian Marine Conservation Society said Hunt had “constantly said he’s going to apply the toughest, most stringent environmental regulation”. “Normally we would expect, and I think the Australian community would expect, a full environmental impact assessment because we’re talking about wetlands of international importance,” she said. “Clearly as a consequence of pressure from the Queensland government, because they want to fast-track this development, (Hunt) has bowed to that pressure and said he won’t require the toughest environmental assessment possible.” Wishart said Adani-owned Mundra Ports has overseen the study of environmental impacts of having a port near wetlands, of dredging and dumping spoil into the sea - but none on dumping spoil into wetlands. Greenpeace reef campaigner Shani Tager said Adani had held “the Queensland and federal governments to ransom over this development, threatening to pull out unless their demands are met”. “There has been no assessment on the impacts of dumping this acid sulphate dredge spoil on vulnerable species such as the Australian painted snipe, or endangered turtle breeding habitat,’ Tager said. North Queensland conservation council co-ordinator Wendy Tubman said the decision “underscores the unprecedented level to which the governments will go to support the coal industry in general and Indian mining company Adani in particular”. “The fact that considerable work was done in assessing the previous proposal to dump the spoil offshore is irrelevant,” she said. “This is a totally different proposal with the potential to damage a whole new significant environment. “If we do not want to risk the World Heritage Area being declared as ‘in danger’, it is essential that this proposal be subject to the most rigorous assessment possible, with full and open community involvement.” Comment has been sought from Hunt’s office. | ['environment/great-barrier-reef', 'environment/environment', 'australia-news/coalition', 'australia-news/greg-hunt', 'australia-news/queensland', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/joshua-robertson'] | environment/great-barrier-reef | BIODIVERSITY | 2014-10-29T08:07:46Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2021/dec/02/it-is-phenomenal-farne-islands-seal-numbers-expected-to-reach-new-high | ‘It is phenomenal’: Farne Islands seal numbers expected to reach new high | “This is what it’s all about,” said Richard Bevan, beaming. “To see this many seals when 10 years ago there would not have been any.” Bevan is a zoologist surveying the shore of Inner Farne island off the coast of north Northumberland. As far as the eye can sea there are about 100 female grey seals and their dependant pups. In the water hopeful males splash about, none more obvious than a dominant bull with a roman nose and scar. “We’ve called him Pacino,” said a ranger. It is a joyous, gloriously noisy scene and, experts say, a vivid illustration of a British conservation success story. The Farne Islands are home to one of England’s largest grey seal colonies and have the longest history of seal pup counting. This week National Trust rangers – helped for the first time by thermal imagery technology – were completing a crucial count, which did not take place last year because of the pandemic. In 1956 there were 751 pups counted. In 2019 there were 2,823. This year, the expectation is that there will be many more, making it a record year for grey seals on the islands. “It is looking that way,” said Bevan, a senior lecturer at Newcastle University. “Some of the outer island groups look incredibly dense.” The grey seal was the first animal to be protected by modern UK legislation with the Grey Seals Protection Act of 1914. About 50% of the world population now lives in British and Irish waters. The recent Storm Arwen had a devastating effect on some UK grey seal colonies with more than 800 pups estimated to have died at St Abb’s Head in the Scottish borders. Remarkably, the Farne Islands colony appears relatively unscathed. The population density feels almost otherworldly, Bevan said. “It happens in Antarctica, it happens in the Galapagos islands.” It also happens in the UK. “This is on our doorstep and it is phenomenal.” There is a magic about the animals, said Bevan. “I love grey seals and I love the sound that they make. It’s ethereal… this low keening call. Ooooughoooough…. especially when its misty and you can’t see anything. “To see the mothers with the pups and the pups themselves going from being small white floppy sacks to these bubbles of fat in three weeks. Then they start moulting… they are gorgeous.” The population is growing because grey seals are the opposite of fussy eaters and have no predators. Until the 1980s there might be the occasional orca on the hunt but not today. That’s not to say life is anything but tough for a seal pup with 50% not making it past the first year. “It is just such a harsh environment,” said Tom Hendry, a ranger. “ It is partly down to how good and experienced the mothers are. It’s not nice coming across the dead ones but it’s just part of the job, you get used to it.” For the first time a thermal imagery camera attached to a drone is being used to, it is hoped, improve the accuracy of the count. Rangers count the pups every four days and have continued to physically spray them, a job which comes with an element of jeopardy given how protective mothers can be. “I have had some close calls in the past,” said Hendry. “Because the colony is getting denser and denser it gets a lot more difficult to get in there and spray them safely.” A seal bite is not something anyone would want. “They have got substantial teeth which can do a lot of damage,” said Bevan. Plus bacteria from the mouth of a seal can cause horrific, not for the squeamish, infections. The Farnes, a rocky outcrop of islands about two miles off the coast, have been looked after by the National Trust since 1925. Now is the time of grey seals and in April the puffins arrive for their breeding season. Precise figures from the grey seal count are expected by February next year. | ['environment/marine-life', 'uk-news/northumberland', 'environment/conservation', 'uk/uk', 'environment/wildlife', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'tone/features', 'profile/markbrown', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2021-12-02T12:26:02Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
global-development/2023/may/11/barcelonas-beaches-could-vanish-as-authorities-abandon-enhancement | Barcelona’s beaches could vanish as authorities abandon ‘enhancement’ | For the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona rediscovered the sea. It beefed up its beachfront using thousands of tons of sand, and the area is now packed with tourists and lined with beach bars. Barcelona’s beach may be partly artificial, but it’s big business. The way things are going, however, soon there won’t be any beach at all. Across Catalonia, rising sea levels and winter storms are eating away at the coastline. Up to now, what is washed away in winter has been replenished in spring with sand dredged from within the breakwaters or from estuaries and ports. However, the practice of “enhancing” beaches in this way is now widely seen as futile and environmentally damaging. Without it, little by little, the city’s beaches could revert to the gravelly strips they were only 30 years ago. The culprit is erosion. Of the 700,000 cubic metres of sand sent by the Spanish government to the coast of Barcelona province in 2010, 70% has since disappeared. Barcelona’s nine city beaches have been losing about 30,000 cubic metres of sand a year, according to the municipal water authority’s Patricia Giménez, who is responsible for beaches in the greater Barcelona area. The erosion is accelerating as a result of the climate crisis. Bogatell beach, at the north end of the city, has shrunk from 36,000 cubic metres in 2010 to 15,000 cubic metres today. Overall, Catalonia’s beaches have lost 25% of their sand since 2015. Giménez says photographic evidence suggests there were no beaches at all until the first breakwater was installed near the port in the mid-18th century, creating the beaches of Barceloneta and Sant Sebastià. Then came the 1992 Games, with the new “enhanced” beach helping transform Barcelona into a tourist capital. The city has now established a group of experts to study the future of the beaches. Giménez says: “It’s important to bear in mind that beaches not only serve to protect the coast, but have a social value for the people of Barcelona, who use them to swim, for sport, meditation or what have you. “The group concluded that, until we find an optimum solution, we need more sand to give us time to develop other solutions.” The city is still waiting for the Spanish government to agree to pay for a further tranche of sand. But with the tourist season already in full swing, it’s unlikely that there will be any change before the autumn. The Catalan government opposes dumping any more sand, which it describes as a waste of money. Mireia Boya, the regional government’s head of climate action, instead proposes measures that work with nature, such as dune recovery. “The natural dynamic will lead to the loss of sand in many places,” says Boya. “Sea levels will rise and we will have narrower beaches. Some smaller beaches will acquire more sand and others will disappear.” When Storm Gloria hit Spain’s east coast in January 2020, 157,100 cubic metres of sand was lost, of which less than half has been recovered. Since then, central government has spent €5.3m (£4.7m) shoring up Catalonia’s coastal defences, but the money was largely spent on breakwaters and sea walls, not sand. “This situation has come about because the beaches are largely artificial, through the urbanisation of the Catalan coastline, which is the most developed in Spain, rising sea levels and the destruction of sand dunes,” says Marta Martín-Borregón, a Greenpeace spokesperson on oceans. “In addition, ports and breakwaters affect the currents, which no longer bring sediments to the beaches, which is what they would do naturally.” A report by the Barcelona metropolitan area authority (AMB) says that the expansion of the marina at El Masnou on the Maresme has blocked the flow of between 50,000 and 100,000 cubic metres of sediment a year, contributing to the erosion of the beach at Montgat, eight miles north of Barcelona, which has shrunk by about 80%. Meanwhile, about 60 miles south in Altafulla, in the province of Tarragona, they have tried without success to create sand dunes as a means of conservation. “To create dunes you need more sand and there is only one part of the beach where we can do it and it hasn’t worked out,” said Marisa Méndez-Vigo, Altafulla’s deputy mayor. In the absence of government support, the council has set aside €50,000 to buy sand, but Méndez-Vigo says that, at €8 to €10 a cubic metre, this is little more than a stopgap. The AMB estimates that the beaches of greater Barcelona generate a tourist income of about €60m. The city has many other charms but for small coastal towns such as Altafulla, the beach is their main attraction and without it they will go into rapid decline. “Altafulla survives on tourism and second homes owned by people who want to be near the beach,” says Méndez-Vigo. “Without a beach, the economy will be hard hit and a lot of jobs will disappear. “We’re all aware that replenishing the beaches with sand isn’t a long-term solution, not even for tourism. We need to find ways to retain the natural increase in sand that we see in January so that it doesn’t disappear in the first storm. But until we have these lasting and environmentally sound solutions, we will need more sand.” | ['environment/series/seascape-the-state-of-our-oceans', 'world/barcelona', 'world/spain', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'world/extreme-weather', 'environment/environment', 'environment/endangered-habitats', 'environment/conservation', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/stephen-burgen', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/global-development'] | environment/endangered-habitats | BIODIVERSITY | 2023-05-11T05:00:19Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
us-news/2020/sep/25/california-fires-firefighters-sara-sweeney | 'I got the bug': a pioneering wildfire fighter on the thrills and threats of the job | Sara Sweeney never planned on becoming a firefighter. The 21-year veteran of the US Forest Service is the first woman to head her elite Arizona-based unit, and one of the few female leaders in a job that’s 96% male. Sweeney and her crew spend most of their year traveling to battle the country’s biggest blazes, most recently the Bobcat fire, which has torn through roughly 114,000 acres in southern California. But when she was growing up in Washington DC, wildland firefighting wasn’t exactly on her radar. The idea of fighting fires was first put to her by a volunteer firefighter she met while hitchhiking at 19, but she initially balked at the idea. “The way he described the work, I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, why would anyone want to do that?’” she says during a two-day reprieve from the front lines. It would only take a few more years, and a lot of intermittent outdoor labor, before she’d find her way to a signup sheet. “I picked corn. I bucked hay. I made snow. I worked roofing. I did construction,” she says – and then, she learned about smoke jumping. That’s when firefighters parachute into dangerous and rugged terrain. The idea was enticing. “I marched my little butt down to the local district office and was like: ‘I want to fight fire!’” she says with a laugh. “And they were like: ‘Oh, do we have a job for you! Here is a packboard and a jerrycan. Go hike up that hill.’” She would spend a few years on a brush disposal crew, wielding a chainsaw and helping on prescribed burns before battling her first big fire, in the Fishlake national forest in Utah. “Then I had the bug. That was it,” she says. Aside from the three seasons she spent rappelling from helicopters into wildland fires with a crew in Washington state, Sweeney has dedicated her career to serving on what are known as “hotshot crews”, like the one she now leads. Her Mormon Lake Hotshots, a crew of 21 based in Flagstaff, Arizona, is one of 110 hotshot crews across the country. Aptly named, these highly trained crews are typically deployed to the hottest parts of the biggest fires. The work is hard and dangerous. Charles Morton, a 39-year-old member of a California hotshot crew, lost his life last week while battling the El Dorado fire near Los Angeles. Weighed down by 40-50lb packs filled with life-saving essentials, food, water, and headlamps, perhaps lugging 28lb chainsaws, these men and women spend their 16-hour shifts carving out a fire line and trying to contain the flames across difficult terrain. They work through triple-digit temperatures, cold, dark nights, and for weeks at a time, sleeping on the ground when their work is done for the day. And, Sweeney says, it’s only getting harder. Fire season is stretching longer each year, and resources are wearing thin. In years past, there was a cycle to the work. Her station’s season followed predictable weather patterns across western states, beginning in the spring in Arizona and New Mexico, then moving into the north-west before ending in California for fires in the dry autumn. This reality meant hotshot crews were able to deploy in a manageable way. But now the seasons are blurring into one another, with fires erupting across the west – and all at once. “We are asking people to do more with less. That’s the hard part.” Sweeney says. “And there is no end in sight.” There’s also more pressure. Sweeney’s work was always in the wildlands. Now, she and her crews are battling to save lives and homes. “People are building more houses in weird places where they don’t belong and we are being forced to deal with the consequences,” she says. Sweeney says she’s witnessed first-hand the issues that come with increasing development in the interface between wildlands and cities, which has exacerbated the destructiveness of California’s fires. Many argue such development is a symptom of the state’s housing crisis, but firefighters like Sweeney also worry people aren’t doing enough to prepare for living in a high-risk zone. “People need to expect that we can’t be responsible for their safety,” she says. “People need to be prepared.” With the work getting harder, there’s also fewer recruits. Departments – from volunteer to federal – are seeing shortages. Fewer firefighters overall means fewer female firefighters coming onboard, and gender disparities continue to run rampant. “There are less women now in fire than there were when I started,” Sweeney says. There are also documented issues with harassment and discrimination that lead some women to cut their careers short. Some fire stations have failed to even accommodate proper sleeping, bathing, and restroom facilities for women. Sweeney has been a vocal advocate for women but is also trying to lead by example. “I have had a great career. I don’t wave the gender flag,” Sweeney says. “As far as females in fire – if they want to be here, they should be here,” she adds, saying that gender shouldn’t be a consideration, only the ability and desire to rise to the challenge of this work. “We are making life and death decisions. We are not playing patty cake.” And while the work may be getting tougher, Sweeney says she’ll be fighting fires for years to come. She copes by “feeding the machine”: running ultra-marathons, backcountry skiing, bike riding and eating good food. “I spend good quality time with my husband, I like to go eff around in the garden for a while. I get massages. I get my toenails painted – whatever,” she says with a laugh. “I want to be able to do this as long as I want to do it.” | ['us-news/california', 'world/wildfires', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/interview', 'profile/gabrielle-canon', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/west-coast-news'] | world/wildfires | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2020-09-25T10:00:03Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2009/may/13/us-senate-blocks-obama-nominee | US Senate blocks Barack Obama's nominee for top environmental post | President Barack Obama suffered a very public rebuff to his plans to green America's economy today when Republicans in the Senate blocked his choice of overseer for oil and gas exploration. David Hayes, an environmental lawyer, fell three votes short of the 60 needed for confirmation as the deputy interior secretary. Hayes had served in the same post when Bill Clinton was president. It was the first time an Obama nominee has fallen on the Senate floor, in a defeat engineered by Republicans from oil-rich states. Angry Democrats accused Republicans of using the vote as payback against efforts by the Obama administration to overturn several controversial measures brought in during the final days of Bush's presidency. The interior secretary, Ken Salazar, has revoked 77 oil-drilling permits in Utah, awarded under Bush-era regulations that made it easier for oil and gas companies to drill in wilderness areas and near national parks. "This was a tired vote of bitter obstructionism," Salazar said in a statement after today's vote. "It may be uncomfortable for some to watch us have to clean up mess after mess – from corruption to lawbreaking – that is the previous administration's legacy at [the Department of] Interior, but to cast a vote against such qualified and fine person is the height of cynicism." The Republicans, led by Utah's Bob Bennett and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, rejected the charge. "The real issue in this matter is the credibility of the Department of Interior," Bennett told the Senate. "They say these [cancelled] leases are too close to the national parks. Sixty miles away is not too close." Salazar had kept working until the final moments before the vote to try to win round the Republicans, writing personal letters to both Senators. He told Bennett he would take a second look at his decision to cancel the drilling permits, and promised Murkowski a hearing on her concerns that Obama would be too rigorous in enforcing the endangered species act. Despite losing the vote, Salazar stood by his decision to revoke the drilling permits. Hayes, as deputy to Salazar, would have had day-to-day control of the interior department, which oversees public lands in the western states, national parks and management of fish and wildlife. It was unclear whether Senate Democrats would make a second attempt to get Hayes confirmed in the job. Three Democrats did not vote today. | ['environment/environment', 'environment/oil', 'us-news/obama-administration', 'world/world', 'us-news/us-news', 'tone/news', 'us-news/us-politics', 'type/article', 'profile/suzannegoldenberg'] | environment/oil | ENERGY | 2009-05-13T18:00:13Z | true | ENERGY |
technology/2020/jul/21/apple-promises-to-become-fully-carbon-neutral-by-2030 | Apple promises to become fully carbon-neutral by 2030 | Apple has pledged to become a carbon-neutral operation by 2030, a commitment that covers its entire supply chain and the lifecycle of all its products, including the electricity consumed in their use. The company is aiming to achieve the goal by means including: Low-carbon product design, using recycled materials where possible, and developing new techniques such as a carbon-free aluminium smelting process. Use of renewable energy, including projects funded by and built for Apple directly, which in total provide 1GW of capacity to the company’s corporate operations. Carbon removal, through forest planting in Colombia, China, Kenya and the US. The chief executive, Tim Cook, said: “The innovations powering our environmental journey are not only good for the planet, they’ve helped us make our products more energy-efficient and bring new sources of clean energy online around the world. “Climate action can be the foundation for a new era of innovative potential, job creation, and durable economic growth. With our commitment to carbon neutrality, we hope to be a ripple in the pond that creates a much larger change.” The majority of the progress, Apple says in its 2020 environmental progress report, will be made by cutting its carbon emissions directly. But the last 25% will come from “carbon removal solutions” such as forest planting and mangrove swamp restoration. The company is investing some of a recently announced $100m (£78.5m) fund for a racial equity and justice initiative on minority-owned businesses that can help clean up its supply chain. “Systemic racism and climate change are not separate issues and they will not abide separate solutions,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s environmental lead. In January, Microsoft announced a plan to become carbon-negative – removing more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than it emits – by 2030, and a goal of erasing all of its historical emissions by 2050. In doing so, the company committed to deploying carbon capture and sequestration technology, a more hi-tech – but untested – approach than tree planting. | ['technology/apple', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'environment/environment', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'technology/technology', 'business/business', 'world/world', 'business/ethicalbusiness', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/alex-hern', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/financial3', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/carbon-emissions | EMISSIONS | 2020-07-21T16:23:03Z | true | EMISSIONS |
environment/2017/mar/01/british-people-unaware-pollution-levels-air-breathe-friends-earth | British people unaware of pollution levels in the air they breathe – study | People across the UK are underestimating the impact of the air pollution crisis in their local areas, according to a new survey. Almost two thirds of respondents said they were concerned about the issue of air pollution, but only one in 10 said they thought the air they breathe is bad. Last week the Guardian revealed that there are 802 educational institutions in the capital where pupils as young as three are being exposed to illegal levels of air pollution that can cause serious long term health problems. And government statistics show 38 our of 43 UK “air quality zones” breach legal limits for air pollution. Friends of the Earth, which carried out the latest survey, said that despite the growing evidence many people – particularly outside London – were still unaware of the dangers of air pollution. “With only 1 in 10 British adults rating their air quality as poor despite swaths of the country breaking legal limits for air pollution, it seems the message about the scale and danger of air pollution isn’t getting through,” said Oliver Hayes, a Friends of the Earth air pollution campaigner. “Often you can’t see it or smell it, but it’s there – and air pollution is risking the health of an entire generation of children.” To coincide with the findings, Friends of the Earth has launched what they hope will be the “biggest ever citizen science air pollution experiment”. People can apply to the charity for clean air kits, enabling them to test the air quality where they live, and FoE will provide tips on how to avoid air pollution and what people can do to help support the campaign for clean air. Hayes said: “Our clean air kits help people to find out about the air quality in the places they care about most: on the street where they live, where they work, where their children go to school and at the heart of their communities. “The results will help us build up a localised picture of the state of our nation’s air to really bring home why everyone, from individuals to businesses and politicians, must do all they can to make the air we breathe safer.” Air pollution is linked to heart disease, lung cancer, worsening asthma and poor lung development in children and leads to the premature deaths of around 40,000 people every year in the UK. The Friends of the Earth report coincided with a separate study for the Greater London Authority which found a much higher awareness of air pollution in the capital. It found that nine out of 10 people in London believe air pollution is at crisis levels and two thirds describe air quality in their local area as bad. It also found that every London borough has recorded illegally high levels of air pollution in the last two years. Hayes said: “Whilst Londoners are starting to understand the air pollution crisis, in part due to welcome attention from politicians and the media, outside of the capital it’s a very different story.” Friends of the Earth said it hoped thousands of people will join in the charity’s experiment so it can create a comprehensive national air pollution picture. It said the data generated will feed into a national map which will help create a “state of the nation” report on air pollution. This article was amended on 9 March 2016 to correct a reported statement by Friends of the Earth. It previously stated that they have launched the “biggest ever citizen science air pollution experiment”. | ['environment/pollution', 'society/asthma', 'society/health', 'environment/environment', 'society/society', 'uk/uk', 'society/children', 'environment/friends-of-the-earth', 'type/article', 'environment/air-pollution', 'profile/sandralaville', 'profile/matthewtaylor', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/air-pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2017-03-01T00:01:42Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
society/2023/mar/12/in-englands-worsening-housing-crisis-millions-are-unable-to-afford-their-own-homes | In England’s worsening housing crisis, millions are unable to afford their own homes | Letters | John Harris’s article (House prices are crumbling – and so is Britain’s faith in property ownership, 5 March) provides a timely contrast with the letter from Peggy Seeger (2 March). John describes the pitiful number of council houses being built in England, and hence the worsening housing crisis, with millions unable to afford their own home. Peggy describes a proposal by Oxford city council to build 32 houses in Iffley village, Oxford, as “ecocide” and “a crime”. I know this housing proposal is unpopular with many locally: it is one reason I lost my Labour Oxford city seat in 2021, in the adjoining council ward to Iffley. The very same opponents would often say the housing crisis is Oxford’s biggest problem. I appreciate the need for biodiversity, but the council proposes to “translocate protected species” in the proposed development. This is not ecocide. Surely people, particularly those who own their own homes outright, need to weigh in the balance the needs of those requiring housing? Satisfying Peggy’s argument that this development is an example of a “‘growth’ agenda to which we have become addicted” would mean stopping almost all housebuilding, and making it even more difficult to address the housing crisis. Richard Tarver Oxford • I found John Harris’s article on the housing crisis to be a really strong analysis. As he said, “the old Tory vision of the property-owning democracy” may be shrinking. But, with Labour promoting itself as “the party of home ownership”, we are a long way from tackling the heart of the crisis. People need safe, secure, decent and affordable places to live. Home ownership is clearly one way to achieve this. But ever since the Tory vision led to the expectation that prices will always rise, houses have become investments rather than places to live. This is the crux of the current crisis. Until it changes, and a fall in prices may help, the equally viable and workable option of lifelong secure tenancies, which John described, is unlikely to get the political momentum it needs. Steve Townsley Bridgend • Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section. | ['society/housing', 'society/communities', 'society/society', 'education/buildingandtownandcountryplanning', 'environment/biodiversity', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/environment', 'money/houseprices', 'money/money', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/letters', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/journal', 'theguardian/journal/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2023-03-12T17:00:08Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2022/aug/19/why-areas-uk-drought-visual-guide | Why are some areas of the UK in drought? A visual guide | Despite the heavy rain and thunderstorms that have hit the UK this week, several areas of the country remain in drought. Drought was officially declared across eight regions of England on Friday 12 August, with a ninth – Yorkshire – added a few days later. What is a drought? There is no single definition for a drought, but one way of describing it is a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water. In the UK, many areas had much lower than average rainfall for July. This lack of rainfall, relative to what would normally be expected in the UK at this time of year, has been combined with record high temperatures. What are the effects of drought? The combination of record temperatures and low rainfall has left the UK’s land much drier than it should be. Data from the UK Centre of Ecology and Hydrology shows that most of south and east England have very dry conditions underground. Such conditions are of particular concern to farmers, who typically drill their seeds at this time of year – a job that could prove impossible when the land is hard and dry. Across the UK, scenes of dead grass and dried-up rivers have become a familiar sight. These changes are so stark they can be seen from space. Satellite imagery shows the UK has been scorched, turning from green to brown in a matter of months, even more so than in recent years as this comparison with August 2020 illustrates. What can the UK do about drought? Water companies have a responsibility to invest in infrastructure to ensure a reliable supply of water. However, many have been criticised for failing to do this. Some companies have failed to tackle leaks and pollution, or to build more reservoirs, even as their bosses continue to be rewarded with large bonuses. While the government has emphasised that essential water supplies to households are not at risk, water companies are asking people to try to save water where possible. Hosepipe bans have been announced in several of the worst-hit areas, with Thames Water the latest to declare the restriction this week. However, with drought conditions expected to continue until October and possibly the new year, alongside fears that droughts will become a more common occurrence, longer-term solutions from water companies are increasingly urgent. | ['environment/drought', 'environment/water', 'uk/weather', 'environment/environment', 'business/utilities', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'tone/explainers', 'profile/theresamalone', 'profile/ashley-kirk', 'profile/davidblood', 'profile/antonio-voce', 'profile/lucy-swan', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-visuals'] | environment/drought | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2022-08-19T07:59:35Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2020/dec/02/wanted-uk-site-prototype-nuclear-fusion-power-plant | Wanted: UK site for prototype nuclear fusion power plant | Communities in the UK are being asked to bid to host a prototype nuclear fusion power plant, which a government-backed programme plans to build by 2040. The site does not need to be near existing nuclear power stations but will need 100 hectares of land and a plentiful water supply. Ministers say the project would bring thousands of skilled jobs and be part of its planned “green industrial revolution” to tackle the climate crisis. Nuclear fusion replicates the intense atomic reactions that power the sun and uses a hydrogen isotope found in seawater as fuel. It cannot produce a runaway chain reaction like conventional nuclear fission, which involves splitting atoms rather than fusing them together. The level of radioactive waste is also far lower. No exclusion zone will be needed around the site, officials said. However, the technical challenges are enormous and the programme’s leaders acknowledge it is “hugely ambitious”. This is because fuel heated to 10 times the temperature of the sun has to be magnetically levitated to stop it melting the reactor vessel. Scientists and engineers have pursued the dream of limitless and clean fusion energy for more than half a century, but the first power stations remain decades away. The UK programme is called Step – the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production – and has been granted £222m to date by the government. Communities have until March 2021 to submit their nominations, with the successful site chosen by the end of 2022. “We want the UK to be a trailblazer in developing fusion energy,” said Alok Sharma, the business and energy secretary. He said communities had an “incredible opportunity to secure their place in the history books” by potentially helping the UK to be the first country in the world to commercialise fusion power. The UK has the largest working fusion reactor in the world – called Jet – at the Culham Science Centre near Oxford. However, a far larger €20bn (£18bn) fusion reactor called Iter is being assembled in France, backed by the world’s biggest countries. It expects to create its first super-heated plasma by 2025 and reach full power by 2035, with the aim of demonstrating that more energy can be taken out than is put in. The goal of Step is to show that a smaller and less expensive plant can create fusion power. Key to this is the spherical shape of the chamber that contains the plasma, which is more compact than the doughnut-shaped chamber being used at Iter. However, this compactness means the Step system must have a much more efficient cooling system. Technology to achieve this is being tested in the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (Mast) experiment, also at Culham. But the Culham site is too small to host the Step project. Prof Ian Chapman, the chief executive of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, which is leading Step, said: “Step is about moving from research and development to delivery. It will prove that fusion is not a far-off dream, but a dawning reality.” Tim Luce, the chief scientist at Iter, said: “It is gratifying to see the UK make a firm commitment to continuing its historic leadership in magnetic fusion development. Step promises lower costs but faces various engineering and physics challenges, such as large stresses in the magnet structure and high heat fluxes to the wall. [But] first plasma in 2040 appears to be a realistic goal, assuming favourable and timely results in the present generation of spherical tokamaks.” The UK is a participant in Iter due to its membership of Euratom, but it will leave the group after Brexit. However, officials say they are hopeful that the UK can rejoin Iter as an associate country. The timetable for Step is to have a concept design by 2024, then a detailed engineering design allowing the start of construction in 2032 and operations to begin in 2040. | ['environment/nuclearpower', 'environment/energy', 'environment/environment', 'uk/uk', 'business/energy-industry', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/damiancarrington', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2020-12-02T07:00:22Z | true | ENERGY |
australia-news/2021/nov/17/snails-pace-forbes-residents-urged-to-stay-alert-as-floodwaters-creep-into-nsw-town | ‘Snail’s pace’: Forbes residents urged to stay alert as floodwaters creep into NSW town | Residents of low-lying parts of the New South Wales central western town of Forbes have been warned not to become complacent about the threat of flooding, despite the rising waters moving at a “snail’s pace”. The Lachlan River peaked at 10.75 metres overnight, with low-lying areas of the town expected to flood late on Wednesday. The emergency services minister, David Elliott, said 275 SES volunteers were stationed there and he was “delighted” there had been no flood rescues overnight. But he warned people to stay on high alert for rising flood waters and alert to closed roads. “It can be many many days before some of these flood waters actually make their way to their final resting place,” he said. The mayor of Forbes, Phyllis Miller, said residents have been waiting for the flood for almost a week but waters were rising at “a snail’s pace” and she was concerned that people were becoming complacent. Miller told Guardian Australia she was concerned complacency was exacerbated by the SES issuing evacuation orders based on mapping from previous floods as old as 1952, despite the uniqueness of each flood event. Miller said as locals “we know where inundation areas are and we need to make our instructions more targeted so that we can be more accurate in the way we issue our evacuation orders,” Miller said. “But our river is coming up and it will peak some time today. Every flood is different. “We’re not sure what that will do inside the town or what will happen with the lake system when that water starts to join up with the river water.” On Tuesday morning about 1,800 residents were ordered to evacuate by the State Emergency Service, which was concerned the river levels would match or exceed major floods in 2016. The SES commissioner, Carlene York, said 800 homes could be flooded as she pleaded with some reluctant locals to evacuate. “It’s not unusual for people who have lived in that area and lived through a number of floods to say, ‘It didn’t flood last time, I’ll take the risk and stay,’” she told reporters on Tuesday. “But every flooding is different and water flows in different ways.” An evacuation centre has been set up at St Andrews Presbyterian church for those unable to get to alternative accommodation with family or friends. Moderate flooding has already occurred upstream at Cowra, with major flooding at Nanami, where the river peaked at more than 12 metres. Downstream from Forbes, major flooding was also expected at Cottons Weir and Jemalong from Thursday. The Macquarie, Paroo, Macintyre, Belubula, and Snowy rivers have also flooded after parts of the state copped a month’s worth of rain in days. Jodi Bilsborough, a third-generation resident of Forbes, was choosing to stay with her family and their three horses, eight chickens, one cat, two birds and two dogs in the home on Bathurst Street where she has lived since she was three, despite the SES issuing evacuation orders for the area. Bilsborough’s home is surrounded by an earth levy and sandbags. The SES knocked on her door on Tuesday telling her to evacuate but she made the same choice as her mother had in previous years. An SES superintendent, Stewart Fisher had said it was “disappointing” not everyone had followed evacuation orders. But Miller defended her constituents’ choices, saying locals often knew better than the volunteers who have come from across the state. “They’ve got volunteers that come to town that don’t understand what the area is like so these kind of things happen,” she told Guardian Australia. “I’ve explained this to my community, it’s no one’s fault, it’s the system we have to work under. I trust that my community knows what they’re doing.” Bilsborough didn’t believe the SES volunteer she spoke to knew the situation as well as she did. “I feel locals would know a bit more about how the flood works out here,” she said. “We’ve never had a flash flood come through this place. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning “When you lived out here and done a few floods here, you know it just sort of creeps up the road and surrounds the place and that’s about it. “We were always staying, I never thought about leaving. Maybe if it was rushing I may have taken the kids out and moved the animals.” Bilsborough said the family was stocked up for the coming days. Her son Eli said: “It’s like we’re just in lockdown again.” | ['australia-news/new-south-wales', 'environment/flooding', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/natasha-may', 'profile/mike-bowers', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/flooding | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2021-11-17T01:17:40Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2019/aug/23/westminster-recycling-rates-and-reducing-waste | Westminster’s recycling rates and reducing waste | Letters | Your excellent article on recycling (Dirty little secret, Weekend, 17 August) rightly highlighted Westminster’s low recycling rates, an issue that gives my colleagues and me sleepless nights. With nearly a million people coming into our city on an average weekday, Westminster is confronted with unique challenges, but we cannot shirk our responsibility. As a city, we are addicted to plastic and, much like any addict, it can be hard to face up to the scale of a problem: 100m plastic bottles are discarded in Westminster each year, and while we sit towards the bottom of the recycling league table, our latest survey shows that 86% of our city’s residents say they recycle. That statistic is telling – revealing the gap between our perception and the reality. It is this gap that we must close if we are to significantly improve recycling rates and reduce waste. Sadly it’s true that much of our household rubbish is sent to energy from waste. However, I want to stress that all the waste collected in our green bins is sorted and recycled, and we need residents, businesses and visitors to help out by recycling. It just takes one or two of the wrong items to contaminate an entire bag of recycling – a message we desperately need to get across. We can and will do more to reduce waste – in particular providing clearer, better information – but we need everyone to do their bit, too. Cllr Tim Mitchell Westminster city council cabinet member for environment and city management • Rather than worrying about how to recycle Amazon’s new plastic envelopes (Outrage at Amazon’s unrecyclable plastic bags, 21 August), why not post them back to Amazon’s UK head office and make it their problem? Phil Gyford London • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters • Do you have a photo you’d like to share with Guardian readers? Click here to upload it and we’ll publish the best submissions in the letters spread of our print edition | ['environment/recycling', 'environment/ethical-living', 'environment/waste', 'environment/environment', 'environment/plastic', 'technology/amazon', 'environment/plastic-bags', 'uk/uk', 'tone/letters', 'uk/london', 'type/article', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/journal', 'theguardian/journal/letters', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-letters-and-leader-writers'] | environment/recycling | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2019-08-23T15:40:02Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2019/aug/30/sites-holding-skms-recycling-waste-left-in-lurch-as-victoria-denies-access-to-clean-up-loan | Sites holding SKM's recycling waste left in lurch as Victoria denies access to clean-up loan | Companies holding tens of thousands of tonnes of waste on behalf of recycling group SKM have been told they will not receive any assistance from a multimillion-dollar state government loan aimed at helping clean up SKM sites, and say the material they are holding may end up in landfill. This week, the Victorian government announced a $10m loan to receivers KordaMentha to “help clean up SKM sites and resume waste processing”. The loan is aimed at helping clear up stockpiles and to get SKM’s plants up and running. Laverton will be the first to resume processing next month, and Hallam, Geelong and Coolaroo are expected to follow. But for the estimated 60,000 tonnes of rubbish across several sites rented by SKM, the landowners have been told they will have to deal with it themselves. “The $10m in funding from the state government is to allow the resumption of processing from kerbside recycling and is not being used for the clean-up of third party sites like yours,” Nick Gill, a director at KordaMentha, told one of the landowners, Marwood Constructions. “You may be able to recover the cost of cleaning up the site under the terms of the lease; however if so, these would most likely form an unsecured claim against SKM Corporate.” Marwood Constructions alone holds about 10,000 tonnes of SKM waste, one-third of it being rubbish that will need to go to landfill. The lease had been valued at more than $1m a year, but the waste is now sitting there rent-free and has been left for the landowners to deal with. Marwood Constructions’ project co-ordinator, Carly Whitington told Guardian Australia it was “extremely surprising” to be advised that they were responsible for SKM’s waste, because they thought it was still owned by SKM. She said the company wanted the government to help find a solution, failing which the 10,000 tonnes would eventually be destined for landfill. “We hope they will be the white knight at the end of the day and do the correct thing,” she said. “We’re losing a monthly rent, and it’s really stressful when you’ve got an environmental risk, you’ve got a fire risk. It’s not a good position to be in.” A KordaMentha spokesman confirmed that the landowners would not receive funds from the loan. “The government money is to clear the backlog of waste at the SKM facilities at Coolaroo and Laverton so the company can resume kerbside collections,” he said in an email to Guardian Australia. “The clearing began this morning and will continue 24/7 for two to four weeks until the processing plants can be turned on again … SKM kerbside collection [will] resume at 50% of previous levels by the end of September and then build from there.” A Victorian government spokeswoman said: “We’ll work with KordaMentha, any prospective purchaser of the former SKM recycling business and landlords of SKM’s leased sites to facilitate the recovery or disposal of material stored in warehouses.” An interim report from a Victorian parliamentary inquiry on waste management this week found that companies such as SKM had put emergency services personnel at risk because of the over-stockpiling of waste that had caused a fire at SKM’s Coolaroo plant. The garbage company Cleanaway has been put in the box seat to take over SKM’s operations. | ['environment/recycling', 'environment/waste', 'environment/environment', 'australia-news/melbourne', 'australia-news/victoria', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/josh-taylor', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/waste | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2019-08-30T02:03:45Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
environment/2020/jul/02/pollutionwatch-june-heatwave-brings-smog-to-england | Pollutionwatch: June heatwave brings smog to England | The heatwave in June brought summertime smog to most of England. This type of air pollution was once synonymous with Los Angeles and Mexico City but is now a problem globally. Ozone is one of the main smog pollutants in summer. In the upper atmosphere it protects us from harmful solar UV, but ozone is chemically very reactive; it is used to disinfect swimming pools for example. When breathed it harms our lungs and creates difficulties for endurance athletes. It rots rubber and damages food crops too. On 24 and 25 June, ozone across most of England reached concentrations where people may have experienced stinging eyes and breathing problems. Ozone is not emitted directly into our air. It forms in strong sunlight from chemical reactions between a cocktail of pollutants. This makes it hard to control. A report from the government’s Air Quality Expert Group highlights how sources of these pollutants have changed over the last two decades. Organic pollutants in the air were dominated by the petrochemical industry, car exhaust and fuel evaporation. Now they come mainly from things used in our home including solvents, personal care products and paint. While there are regulations limiting organic pollutants from factories and vehicles, there are no regulations on their use in our homes. | ['environment/series/pollutionwatch', 'environment/pollution', 'environment/environment', 'environment/air-pollution', 'uk/uk', 'uk/weather', 'environment/ozone-layer', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/gary-fuller', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-weather'] | environment/pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2020-07-02T20:30:01Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
australia-news/2019/sep/06/peter-ridd-awarded-12m-in-unfair-dismissal-case-against-james-cook-university | Peter Ridd awarded $1.2m in unfair dismissal case against James Cook University | The climate change sceptic scientist Peter Ridd has been awarded $1.2m in compensation after winning an unfair dismissal case against his former employer, James Cook University. In April federal circuit court judge Salvatore Vasta found the actions of the university, including Ridd’s repeated censure and ultimate dismissal, were unlawful. Vasta handed down a penalty on Friday and ordered the university to pay Ridd more than $1.2m for lost income, lost future income and pecuniary penalties. Guardian Australia understands the university intends to appeal the judgment. It has three weeks to lodge any appeal. The case has been repeatedly framed in media reports as one about academic freedom, or about the validity of the minority and controversial views held by Ridd about climate change and the health of the Great Barrier Reef. Vasta made clear in his judgment in April those matters were not on trial. “Some have thought that this trial was about freedom of speech and intellectual freedom,” he said. “Media reports have considered that this trial was about silencing persons with controversial or unpopular views. “Rather, this trial was purely and simply about the proper construction of a clause in an enterprise agreement.” Vasta’s ruling on Friday determined the extent of the economic loss suffered by Ridd as a result of his censure and dismissal. The scientist, who has endeared himself to some in the Queensland agricultural sector for arguing against the consensus view that farm pollution is damaging the reef, argued in court that academic institutions would not hire him. During the hearing, it was put to Ridd that he had received widespread promotion as a result of the case, and that this had in effect helped to maintain his reputation. “No, quite the opposite,” he said. “In terms of the companies that want to hire scientists, all the fame and being on the Australian [newspaper] or on the IPA doesn’t help one iota. I think it’s bad. I mean, maybe that will produce a different career outcome but in terms of these sort of things most big institutions don’t want a bar of somebody who has been through my sort of controversy.” Vasta agreed that Ridd was “damaged goods” and had poisoned the well for Ridd’s future employment prospects. “The fact that JCU has not removed either of their press statements (despite my judgment) is almost tantamount to an attempt to ensure that Professor Ridd does not obtain employment in this field,” he said. Despite the judge’s earlier comments that it was not, Ridd said in a statement that the case “was always about academic freedom”. “If JCU appeals it casts doubt that academic freedom is part of their DNA as they often insist,” Ridd said. “An appeal will continue the huge and pointless legal costs.” Ridd has recently held a series of lectures in regional Queensland, promoted by cane growers’ groups and the climate-sceptic Australian Environment Foundation. | ['australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/great-barrier-reef', 'australia-news/queensland', 'australia-news/australian-universities', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/ben-smee', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/great-barrier-reef | BIODIVERSITY | 2019-09-06T06:46:33Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
technology/2023/jun/07/cybercrime-clop-ultimatum-british-airways-boots--bbc-mass-hack | Cybercrime gang hits BA, Boots and BBC with ultimatum after mass hack | British Airways, Boots and the BBC have been hit with an ultimatum from the Russian-speaking cybercrime group Clop to begin ransom negotiations after it stole personal details of more than 100,000 staff across the organisations. The demand, posted on Clop’s darkweb site, commands the affected companies to email the group by 14 June, or face having their stolen data posted online, which it is feared includes names, addresses, national insurance numbers and bank details. Clop exploited a piece of business infrastructure called MOVEit, software used to securely transfer files around internal networks, to attack the organisations. The same vulnerability provided an entry point into multiple victims in a single mass hack. Six organisations have confirmed to being affected, with Aer Lingus and the University of Rochester also admitting they have been hit. Many of the organisations are not direct users of the MOVEit software, but outsourced their payroll services to a third-party called Zellis, which was also hit. The hacker group claims to have information on “hundreds” of companies. In the post, they are coy about the nature of their attack, describing it merely as “penetration testing service after the fact”. “This is announcement to educate companies who use Progress MOVEit product that chance is that we download a lot of your data as part of exceptional exploit,” the demand reads. “We are the only one who perform such attack and relax because your data is safe.” The ultimatum contains no explicit sum for businesses to pay, but demands that they enter into negotiations. The group also claims that it has deleted data that it may have stolen from state actors. “Do not worry, we erased your data you do not need to contact us,” it says. “We have no interest to expose such information.” Such olive branches are common from professional hacking groups, who want to maximise their income without bringing unnecessary attention from law enforcement. The threat is an escalation of conventional ransomware attacks and is known as “doxware”. Rather than simply encrypting data and charging for a key, hackers steal the data directly and threaten to publish it unless the ransom is paid. While more technically challenging for the hackers, doxware prevents businesses from simply restoring their data from backups and ignoring ransom demands. “The attackers have chosen to ask their victims to begin negotiation tactics by reaching out initially but this approach deviates from the norm as typically ransom demands are sent to the targeted organisations with a predetermined amount chosen by the hackers,” said Jake Moore, global cyber-security adviser at Eset. “This decision is likely to stem from the overwhelming magnitude of the ongoing hack which is still affecting large numbers of systems worldwide and potentially overpowering the capabilities of Clop itself. “Although it is never advised to pay ransom demands to cybercriminals, there is an inevitable risk that some of the targeted companies will succumb to the pressure. This will only fuel the fire and continue the cycle of this devastating criminal group. “It is more important that the companies affected are open and honest with their employees and customers offering support in how to protect themselves and how to spot … attacks.” | ['technology/cybercrime', 'technology/hacking', 'technology/technology', 'media/bbc', 'business/britishairways', 'business/allianceboots', 'business/business', 'campaign/email/business-today', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/alex-hern', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/financial3', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | technology/hacking | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2023-06-07T08:58:48Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
environment/2017/aug/24/brazil-abolishes-huge-amazon-reserve-in-biggest-attack-in-50-years | Brazil abolishes huge Amazon reserve in 'biggest attack' in 50 years | The Brazilian president Michel Temer has abolished an Amazonian reserve the size of Denmark, prompting concerns of an influx of mineral companies, road-builders and workers into the species-rich forest. The dissolution of the Renca reserve – which spans 46,000 sq km on the border of the Amapa and Para states – was described by one opposition senator Randolfe Rodrigues of the Sustainability Network party, as the “biggest attack on the Amazon of the last 50 years”. Conservationists said it will open the door for mining companies to enter Renca – the Portuguese acronym for the National Reserve of Copper and Associates – which was set up in 1984 and encompasses nine protected areas. More than 20 domestic and multinational firms have expressed an interest in the region which is thought to contain deposits of gold, copper, tantalum, iron ore, nickel and manganese. The government said the reserve is being abolished to attract foreign investment, improve exports and boost an economy that has been struggling to emerge from its deepest recession in decades. It claimed the change of status would not affect conservation areas and indigenous territories in the region, but Amazon activists warned commercial exploitation by big companies in the past has been followed by illegal land grabbers, artisanal miners and road builders. Christian Poirier of Amazon Watch said Temer’s decision had to be seen in the context of wider efforts by his government to erode protected areas, weaken environmental licensing, and diminish indigenous rights in the interests of wealthy supporters in the extractive industries. “The abolition of Renca will wreak havoc on the forest and indigenous communities in the interests of the small group of economically powerful groups who are keeping Temer in power,” he said. “This is the largest assault so far in a package of threats.” “A gold rush in the region will create irreversible damage to local cultures,” warned Mauricio Voivodic, executive director of WWF-Brazil. “In addition to demographic exploitation, deforestation, loss of biodiversity and water resources, this could lead to an intensification of land conflicts and threats to indigenous peoples and traditional populations.” Since plotting the impeachment of his running mate Dilma Rousseff last year, Temer has moved rapidly to unravel environmental protections to please the powerful agricultural and mining lobbies. The only pause in this policy came earlier this year when Temer vetoed a bill that would have opened up swathes of forest to development. At the time, the president said he was responding to an appeal on Twitter by the supermodel, Gisele Bündchen. But Temer has since approved several similar measures, including the latest one this week, which prompted an angry response from Bündchen. “SHAME! We are auctioning off our Amazon! We can’t destroy our protected areas for private interests,” she tweeted. | ['environment/amazon-rainforest', 'world/brazil', 'environment/environment', 'environment/deforestation', 'environment/forests', 'environment/conservation', 'world/americas', 'world/world', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/jonathanwatts', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/amazon-rainforest | BIODIVERSITY | 2017-08-24T17:07:02Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
commentisfree/2015/may/11/universities-censor-bad-ideas-all-the-time-tim-wilson-its-called-learning | Universities 'censor' bad ideas all the time, Tim Wilson. It's called learning | Will Grant | Late last week the University of Western Australia reversed course and rejected the $4m the Abbott government had awarded it to host Bjørn Lomborg’s Australian Consensus Centre. Christopher Pyne expressed the sentiments of the government: What a sad day for academic freedom when staff at a university silence a dissenting voice rather than test their ideas in debate Now the human rights commissioner, Tim Wilson, has weighed in, condemning the university for engaging in what he called “a culture of soft censorship”. The human right of free speech requires, he argues, “more than just stopping censorious laws. It also requires a culture that tolerates dissent and allows for challenging ideas to be voice, heard and debated”. I’m 100% down with the idea that free speech requires more than stopping censorious laws, and I’m very much with Wilson on the point that it also requires a culture that tolerates dissent and allows challenging ideas to be voiced. But the idea that all challenging ideas have a right to be heard is just nonsense – and it’s a nonsense that he himself has rejected in an earlier mood: Apart from the water cannons bit I agree. A right to free speech doesn’t mean a right to a platform to be heard. We’re used to the idea that universities are rampantly radical institutions, full of unwashed students in desperate need of a water cannon and lecturers like me who only egg them on. But actually, universities are fundamentally conservative institutions. We engage in what Wilson would call “soft censorship” of bad ideas all the time. It’s called learning. In fact, the word censor comes from the Latin “to assess”. In universities – whether in the sciences, social sciences or the humanities – people voice their ideas by submitting them for peer review, and if they’re deemed good then they get a platform to be heard by a wider audience. Great idea? Hurrah, you get published in Nature. Crap idea? You’ll be rejected by the journals that have a reputation for quality. You don’t get to have your ideas heard just because you really like them, because you say them over and over again, or because you’ve got powerful friends in the government. So the academics and students at the University of Western Australia had every right to defend their reputation as a place that values actual scholarship – to defend their platform to be heard by students and the wider community – from the muckraking of the Abbott government and climate change action sceptics. Lomborg’s assessment of the potential impact of climate change isn’t just a lighthearted contrarian take. It stands at odds with what the peer-reviewed science says, and Lomborg has presented insufficient evidence to sway such thinking. Wilson argued that “the University of Western Australia essentially endorsed a culture of soft censorship by stopping these public policy questions even being asked”. Lomborg remains as welcome as he’s always been to submit his ideas to either the world of peer review or to raise his voice in other places. He just doesn’t get a free platform to be heard at taxpayer expense. | ['commentisfree/commentisfree', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'science/science', 'environment/environment', 'australia-news/coalition', 'australia-news/australian-politics', 'australia-news/tim-wilson', 'world/freedom-of-speech', 'australia-news/western-australia', 'australia-news/australian-universities', 'environment/climate-change-scepticism', 'type/article', 'tone/comment', 'profile/will-grant'] | environment/climate-change-scepticism | CLIMATE_DENIAL | 2015-05-11T03:37:25Z | true | CLIMATE_DENIAL |
business/2021/sep/08/two-uk-energy-suppliers-succumb-to-record-surge-in-prices | Two UK energy suppliers collapse amid record surge in prices | The record energy market surge has claimed its first casualties after two UK suppliers collapsed, leaving almost 100,000 customers without an energy supplier. PfP Energy and MoneyPlus Energy both ceased trading as the UK’s gas market reached a fresh record high on Tuesday while electricity market prices surged to levels not seen since 2008. A string of similarly small suppliers are expected to collapse this winter as the companies shoulder the heavy costs of higher market prices before the cap on standard energy tariffs lifts from October. On Tuesday, UK gas prices reached a record high of 136.68 pence per therm, according to commodity market experts at ICIS. Meanwhile, electricity prices climbed to £128.13 per megawatt-hour, for the first time in 13 years. The historic electricity price highs were bolstered by a strong demand for gas-fired power and a slump in wind speeds that has curtailed renewable energy generation this week. The electricity system operator was forced to ramp up coal plants to meet 5% of the power demand in England, Scotland and Wales, the biggest reliance on coal power since the unseasonably cold weather in March, despite balmy weather and relatively low electricity demand. The UK’s fast-rising energy markets mean millions of UK households will face some of the steepest energy bills in the last 10 years this winter, and smaller energy suppliers will run the risk of going bust as they struggle to control costs. PfP has left 80,000 domestic customers, and 5,000 non-domestic customers without an energy supplier, and MoneyPlus has left about 9,000 domestic customers. The industry regulator, Ofgem, will choose a new supplier for all the customers affected by the collapse in the coming days while households and businesses receive gas and electricity as normal. Tom Lyon, a director at Energyhelpline.com, said: “It is a tough market for suppliers with the wholesale cost of energy continuing to rise, forcing suppliers to operate on smaller margins and many have been affected by customers either having to delay or miss payments due to lockdown.” In addition to shouldering the rising cost of energy, UK suppliers also face an annual deadline to hand over millions in renewable energy subsidies collected from bills to pay renewable energy developers. The annual 31 August deadline has proved fatal to small suppliers in the past. Those that miss it have until the end of October to meet a late payment deadline, plus penalty charges, before the regulator begins the process of stripping them of their supply licence. Martin Young, an analyst at Investec, said about 1.75 million customers have been forced to change suppliers involuntarily following a company collapse since the beginning of 2018, due to the “tough backdrop in supply”. He expected more suppliers to crash out of the market or sell their customers to rivals to avoid going under. | ['business/energy-industry', 'business/utilities', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'money/energy', 'business/business', 'environment/environment', 'money/money', 'uk/uk', 'money/household-bills', 'money/consumer-affairs', 'environment/energy', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/jillian-ambrose', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/energy | ENERGY | 2021-09-08T11:45:10Z | true | ENERGY |
us-news/2024/oct/08/double-hurricanes-climate-crisis-florida | Double punch of hurricanes could become common due to climate crisis | Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene lashed the Florida coastline, an even more powerful hurricane is hurtling toward the state. It’s the kind of double hit becoming more common as the climate crisis persists, further complicating hurricane preparation, experts say. Hurricane Milton strengthened into a dangerous category 5 hurricane on Monday, according to the National Weather Service, and is forecast to batter Florida’s Gulf coast midweek. It’s the third most powerful hurricane in US history, federal officials told reporters on Monday. The storm could drop 15in of rain on some parts of Florida, with life-threatening storm surges of up to 12ft expected in the city of Tampa. Helene killed a dozen people in the Tampa area. Millions of Floridians are preparing to evacuate, with mandatory evacuation orders in place across several counties on Monday, including Tampa’s Hillsborough county, and voluntary evacuation orders in place elsewhere. Swaths of Florida are still lined with piles of broken appliances, smashed furniture and other detritus from Hurricane Helene. Emergency managers are scrambling to deal with the debris before Milton’s strong winds turn it into projectiles and are asking residents to help. “We’re going to do our best to pick it up. If you do feel that it is going to become a projectile, you can secure that pile. Put it up against a tree, put it behind a fence,” Tim Devin, the Clay county emergency management director, told WJXT television station in Jacksonville. Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Republican governor, has asked the state’s emergency management and transit divisions to help remove the piles, and some 4,000 national guard troops are also helping with the efforts. The state’s emergency management department is establishing a base camp at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg to support those debris operations. Back-to-back hurricanes could also strain the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), which has sent over 1,500 personnel to the south-east to help with Helene relief. In response to swirling misinformation that Fema has drained its budget, the agency has said it has enough funding to address the immediate needs of Helene’s victims, noting Congress recently replenished its disaster recovery fund. Helene could cost upwards of $34bn, according to economic analysis firm Moody’s Analytics. “We want to assure everyone we have the resources to respond to both Helene and Milton,” Keith Turi, Fema’s acting associate administrator for response and recovery, told reporters on Monday. Yet the agency’s funding for long-term disaster recovery efforts is running low, federal officials are warning, and Milton could compound that challenge. Congress is on recess until after election day to place the focus on presidential campaigns, but Joe Biden on Friday warned that he may reconvene lawmakers to approve additional funding. Storms in quick sequence can also put pressure on personnel levels, whether from local government groups or mutual aid groups, charities and other private aid organizations. “You’ve got a limited number of people in any one place who can pick up trash, who can fix utilities, who can fix roofs and plumbing,” said Sarah Labowitz, disaster expert and non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “You can deploy people from around the region to help in the recovery, especially if they are not affected as badly. But when you layer on top of that a second storm, the number of people who are out of their homes or without power or childcare goes up.” Another challenge: managing insurance costs. Estimates show Hurricane Helene caused up to $47.5bn in losses for property owners, and some Florida residents could face additional damage due to Milton. “Insurance markets already under siege from climate-related disasters are likely to buckle further under the weight of claims from these back-to-back storms,” said Rachel Cleetus, climate and energy policy director at the environmental non-profit Union of Concerned Scientists. Repeat disasters can also put huge strain on local economies, healthcare systems and social networks. Hurricanes can result in thousands of additional deaths over the coming years, an analysis published in the journal Nature on Wednesday suggests. As the planet continues to warm, primarily due to emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, back-to-back hurricanes are expected to become more common. In some areas, including the Gulf coast, such one-two punches could occur as often as once every three years, according to a 2023 article from researchers at Princeton University. Some regions have already seen multiple disasters in quick succession. In 2008, parts of Louisiana faced Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, and in 2005, many Louisianans were hit by Hurricane Rita shortly after the historically destructive Katrina. A resident of Houston, Texas, Labowitz has seen these challenges firsthand. This July, Hurricane Beryl pounded the area, just weeks after a powerful derecho. Many as a result endured two power outages in two months, and the psychological toll was also “major”, said Labowitz. “That kind of back-to-back disaster, it just compounds every aspect of recovery,” she said. “It puts a strain on local resources and equipment and technology and the power grid … and it also puts a real strain on people and communities.” In preparation for more repeat disasters in the coming years, lawmakers should increase disaster preparedness efforts and invest in improved forecasting, said Cleetus. And boosting climate resilience funding “to keep communities safe ahead of time is also paramount”, she said. Right now, the primary goal is to “minimize any potential loss of life”, Turi said on Monday’s press call. “We can rebuild, we can repair, we can deal with the aftermath,” he said. “If we can’t keep people safe in these few days, there’s nothing we can do about it after that.” | ['us-news/hurricane-helene', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/hurricanes', 'us-news/florida', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'us-news/hurricane-milton', 'profile/dharna-noor', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | us-news/hurricane-helene | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2024-10-08T18:00:52Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
business/2012/apr/30/bp-new-gulf-mexico-oil-rigs | BP to start three new Gulf of Mexico oil rigs | BP is planning to start three new oil drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico this year. The launch of the new rigs will bring the number of BP rigs in the Gulf to eight – more than the oil giant had before the devastating Deepwater Horizon disaster three years ago. Bernard Looney, BP's executive in charge of new wells, said BP is expecting to spend $4bn (£2.5bn) on new developments in the Gulf of Mexico this year and hopes to "invest at least that much every year over the next decade". "After much soul-searching in the fall of 2010, we concluded it would be wrong to walk away [from the Gulf of Mexico]," Looney said at an offshore oil conference in Houston, Texas, on Monday. "We would have been walking away not only from our past, but from a key component of our future." He said the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which killed 11 people, had "challenged us to the core", but said the company has been working hard to help prevent "such an accident from ever happening again". While conceding that BP was in "absolutely no position to preach", he called on the industry to adopt broader safety standards. Last October US regulators granted BP its first permit to drill a new well since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, that spewed 4.9m barrels of oil into the fragile Gulf of Mexico ecosystem. The permit, for drilling in BP's Kaskida field 250 miles south-west of New Orleans, was approved after BP's well design met more stringent post-spill standards. Looney did not state where the new rigs will drill, but industry figures said they expect an appraisal well in BP's "giant" Tiber field 250 miles south-west of New Orleans. BP has long wanted to explore the area it discovered in 2009, but had been banned by regulators. The company's next big project, Mad Dog phase 2, is expected to start production towards the end of the decade. Looney said the field, which was discovered in 1998 and first began producing oil in 2005, holds more than 4bn barrels of oil – enough to promote it to the "super-giant" oil field category. | ['business/bp', 'business/oil', 'business/oilandgascompanies', 'business/energy-industry', 'business/business', 'environment/bp-oil-spill', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/world', 'environment/oil-spills', 'environment/oil', 'environment/environment', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/rupertneate', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/financial3'] | environment/oil | ENERGY | 2012-04-30T18:48:39Z | true | ENERGY |
business/2023/jul/09/nuclear-option-to-the-fore-as-tories-prepare-to-unveil-roadmap-to-net-zero | Nuclear option to the fore as Tories prepare to unveil roadmap to net zero | In London’s Science Museum sit full-size turbine engines that tell the story of 300 years of steam power. This week, the museum will play host to the government’s dreams for a new industrial renaissance – this time for nuclear energy. The secretary of state for energy security and net zero, Grant Shapps, has chosen the venue to set out his ambitions for the UK’s nuclear programme. He is expected to illuminate the path towards the government’s existing commitment to build 24 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity – the equivalent of a quarter of Britain’s total generating capacity – by 2050. The event, scheduled for Thursday, will also be the official launch of the arm’s-length government body that has the task of driving the delivery of new nuclear energy projects. The first priority of Great British Nuclear (GBN) will be in streamlining the government’s ambition for small modular nuclear reactors. These mini-reactors offer rare bright points of optimism in the government’s nuclear plans. The attempts to bring forward investment in traditionally sized reactors have yielded only the much-delayed and overbudget Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Somerset so far. But mini-reactors present an opportunity to harness the benefits of modular manufacturing techniques to cut the costs of full-scale construction and speed up building times. The government considers nuclear power a crucial part of its ambition to reach its 2050 net zero emissions target and its highly ambitious 2035 target to cut carbon emissions from the electricity system. A new nuclear dawn should also create highly skilled engineering and manufacturing jobs. The hope is that GBN will be able to accelerate the rollout of the mini-reactors by operating one step removed from the political wrangling of Whitehall and Westminster. In turn, mini-reactors are expected to offer a cheaper alternative to traditional nuclear power plants and be quicker to build. It is paradoxical, then, that both plans have been heavily delayed by political upheaval in recent years. Under Boris Johnson, the government put nuclear power at the centre of its energy strategy, announced in April 2022, in response to climate concerns and a desire to ditch Russian gas. Each new government has given rise to new rows over the cost of supporting small modular reactors. The current government hopes to announce the first competition winners in the autumn. Industry sources are hopeful that Shapps may use his forthcoming speech to clarify how the competition will progress. Any clarification will be gladly received by executives at the jet-engines-to-nuclear-reactors company Rolls-Royce, which says that its small modular reactors could begin providing “stable, secure supplies of low-cost power” by the early 2030s. But Rolls-Royce is not alone. In the time that it has taken for the government to launch its competition, the marketplace for small modular reactors has become a little crowded. Hitachi has submitted a design for regulatory approval, while infrastructure group Balfour Beatty and Holtec, which manufactures components for power plants, have agreed to propose a Holtec design, with the support of Hyundai. Rolls-Royce is understood to be sanguine about the rising competition, and comfortable in the belief that it can offer a compelling and competitive nuclear option. Still, it cannot have escaped its notice that if there had been fewer delays in the first place, it might have enjoyed more of a head start. | ['business/series/observer-business-agenda', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'environment/energy', 'politics/grant-shapps', 'uk-news/hinkley-point-c', 'politics/politics', 'uk/uk', 'business/business', 'business/rollsroycegroup', 'type/article', 'tone/analysis', 'profile/jillian-ambrose', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/news', 'theobserver/news/business', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2023-07-08T23:05:28Z | true | ENERGY |
world/2012/jun/29/barack-obama-visits-colorado-springs | Barack Obama visits Colorado Springs neighbourhood destroyed by wildfires | Barack Obama toured smouldering districts of Colorado Springs on Friday, offering federal disaster funds to the "heartbroken community" as it struggles to contain wildfires that have already claimed at least two lives and destroyed hundreds of homes. As the Waldo Canyon fire continued to rage on the edge of the city, the president praised the firefighters battling to bring it under control and said Americans would come together to support the tens of thousands forced to flee. During a tour of the Mountain Shadows neighbourhood, where houses were left blackened and ruined when the blaze reached it three days ago, Obama appeared stunned by the random nature of the devastation. "You have a house that's cinders, next to it, it's untouched," he said. Later, in a brief statement outside the city's fire station number nine, he described the devastation from the fires as enormous but said officials were "starting to see progress". "When natural disasters hit, all of America comes together," he said. "We all realise: 'there but for the grace of God, go I.'" Paying tribute to the firefighters, Obama added: "We can provide all the resources … what we can't do is provide them with the courage and the determination and professionalism" to fight the fires. Mountain Shadows is one of the worst hit districts, and the scene of the first confirmed fatality. On Thursday night, human remains were discovered in one of the homes, and it was confirmed that remains of a second person had been found on Friday. The deaths cast a sombre shadow over a day in which the news was more positive on efforts to contain the wildfire. Ahead of Obama's arrival, fire officials said they were now making "great strides" in controlling the wildfire, which exploded out of the foothills earlier this week destroying nearly 350 homes and forcing more than 30,000 to flee. Evacuation orders were lifted on a number of areas, and normal operations resumed at the air force academy, a portion of which had been evacuated because of the wildfire. Fire officials said they hoped to lift more evacuation orders later on Friday though residents would not be able to return permanently to neighbourhoods until electricity and other services was restored. "We made great strides yesterday. We were able to up our containment to at least 15%, and 15% is a lot," said Jerri Marr of the US forest service. "We feel with a lot of confidence, based on the weather, that we are going to be able to up that number by the end of the day. We are going to make a lot of progress." Later on Friday, it was confirmed that firefighters had contained 25% of the fire. Some 1,100 firefighters were now working to beat back the wildfire behind containment lines. The effort got additional aerial support on Friday in the form of four more US air force C-130s. The planes have been dropping thousands of gallons of bright orange flame retardant on the containment lines. Some fire officials were so hopeful as to suggest the wildfire could be entirely contained within a few days. For others, however, the ordeal is just beginning. Hundreds of residents got their first definitive confirmation on Thursday night that they had lost their homes in the wildfire. "We had seen some pictures, but the meeting, and seeing so many others in the same situation, just made it all seem real," said Rebekah Largent. Her family was renting their apartment in the Mountain Shadows neighbourhood. But she said she lost her wedding dress and the rocking chair she used to put her baby to sleep. One reporter who accompanied the president on his visit described the scene which greeted him in Mountain Shadows. "Homes were burned to their foundation with water still spewing out of pipes, an orange Saab was half burned in one driveway and a Toyota was melted down to the frame and shelling at another house," he wrote in a pooled dispatch. The White House said Obama's visit was intended to offer some support to families in a similar predicament, as well as to thank firefighters who are struggling against record wildfires. The funds announced on Friday will be used to help the state cope with the aftermath of the fire, and also include job and psychological counselling, the White House said. But the visit to a battleground state just months before the elections was politically sensitive. Local television is already running blanket campaign ads. Colorado Springs, because of the air force base, is seen as a Republican stronghold. Local officials were insistent that the security preparations for Obama's visit, which was to include a tour of affected areas and visits with firefighters, would not distract from that progress. "Colorado Springs does not have the assets to help with the presidential visit," Steve Cox, an adviser to the city's mayor told reporters. He said there would be limited road blocks and no interruption in airborne fire operations because of the visit. | ['us-news/colorado-wildfires', 'us-news/us-news', 'us-news/colorado', 'world/wildfires', 'tone/news', 'environment/environment', 'us-news/obama-administration', 'world/natural-disasters', 'type/article', 'profile/suzannegoldenberg'] | us-news/colorado-wildfires | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2012-06-29T20:43:00Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
business/2010/nov/21/ireland-bailout-rebuild-economy | Ireland's adversity may be an opportunity to foster new technologies | How can the Irish economy re-invent itself? We asked a selection of economists for their thoughts on untapped strengths that Ireland could exploit once the present crisis is over. Fergal O'Brien Chief economist, Irish Business and Employers' Confederation The construction industry has shrunk by two thirds and it's never going back to what it was. But we're seeing real innovation coming out of that ‑ from architects, engineers and consultants. We've got so many global companies with a base here. Google employs 10% of its global workforce in Dublin. We've got eight of the world's top 10 IT companies, top pharmaceuticals companies and medical devices companies. And they're all in close proximity to each other. There's a real opportunity for convergent technologies between people coming out of those hi-tech companies and those new entrepreneurs from the construction industry in web-based technologies and in innovative design. Paul Sweeney Economic adviser, Irish Congress of Trade Unions Anything to do with cows, sheep, milk and grazing can do well in Ireland. At the moment, the farmers here are all great subsidy junkies. But once the Common Agricultural Policy is reformed, Ireland could have a very considerable advantage in agriculture over its European neighbours. A lot of other countries have to feed their animals with artificial produce in the winter. But we have a very temperate winter and the grass grows very fast. With the rise of organic food, people are really concentrating on what they eat. They're prepared to pay more for good quality food. Ireland can be a leader in food produced by grazing animals. Sinéad Pentony Head of policy at Dublin thinktank TASC Ireland has huge capacity in terms of renewable energy, particularly in wind and wave. Because of our location on the periphery of Europe, we're the first land to be hit by those winds off the Atlantic. We could be a net exporter of energy. But instead, we're one of the countries in the European Union, most reliant on non-renewable energy. There's some investment in sustainable energy. But it's nothing like sufficient. There needs to be multiples of what's happening now for us to be a significant player. Constantin Gurdgiev Economist, Trinity College Dublin We should be aiming for skills-intensive and innovative policies. We should have a flat income tax of about 20% and targeted public expenditure, with public spending similar to Switzerland at about 40% of GDP. There should be dramatic reforms of Ireland's immigration policies to attract high-quality human capital and entrepreneurs. Ireland should look aggressively at partnerships with rapidly growing economies. The Chinese are engaged in rolling out early stage tests for mass-produced electric vehicles. What Ireland should be doing is going to China and saying 'let us be your partner in Europe'. We can make their electric vehicles here and be their platform for growth into the rest of Europe. John Fitzgerald Research professor, Economic and Social Research Institute Our export model doesn't look as if it's broken. It's the domestic economy, especially construction, where the problem arises. But when this fiscal adjustment is over, the base is still there for the economy to grow. The areas in which Ireland is likely to increase its market share include pharmaceuticals, information technology and healthcare products. And in terms of international financial services, Ireland hasn't really been involved in dealing – we provide back office, IT, legal and administrative functions. One question I've asked is what role did Irish music have in the Irish success story. Our cultural exports, bands like U2, are probably not trivial. People have heard of Ireland and are more inclined to do business here because they know something about Ireland, or at least they think they do. | ['business/ireland-bailout', 'world/ireland', 'business/debt-crisis', 'business/business', 'business/energy-industry', 'environment/windpower', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/environment', 'tone/comment', 'world/europe-news', 'type/article', 'publication/theobserver', 'theobserver/news', 'theobserver/news/business'] | environment/windpower | ENERGY | 2010-11-21T00:03:05Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2021/jan/11/baby-shark-newborn-megalodons-larger-than-humans-scientists-say | Baby shark! Newborn megalodons larger than humans, scientists say | Enormous megatooth sharks, or megalodons, which patrolled the world’s oceans more than three million years ago, gave birth to babies larger than most adult humans, scientists say. Researchers made the unsettling discovery when they X-rayed the vertebra of a fossilised megalodon and found that it must have been about two metres (6.5 ft) long when it was born. Remnants of megalodons, which lived in most of the world’s oceans from 15m to 3.6m years ago, have revealed that adults grew to more than 15 metres in length, but until now their size at birth was unclear. “The new study is really the first of its kind for megalodon that has given us good insight into its size at birth, reproductive mode and growth pattern,” said Kenshu Shimada, a professor of palaeobiology who led the research at DePaul University in Chicago. Formally known as Otodus megalodon, the gigantic fish rank among the largest carnivores in the history of life on Earth. Scientists have uncovered plenty of fossils, but megalodon biology is poorly understood because the teeth are often all that remains of the cartilaginous creatures. Working with colleagues at Stockton and William Paterson universities in New Jersey, Shimada took CT scans of a rare megalodon vertebra kept in a collection at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels. The 15cm (6in) wide fossil was estimated to come from a megalodon nine metres long, based on comparisons with similar vertebrae seen in great white sharks, a distant descendant. The scans revealed 46 growth bands in the fossil which scientists believe indicate the animal’s age in years, much as tree rings reveal annual growth in trees. Working backwards, the researchers estimate that the newborn megalodon reached two metres from nose to tail. “Based on the sizes of the smallest known megalodon teeth, I had a hunch that the size at birth may be around two to 2.5 metres,” Shimada said. With the scans in hand, the researchers plotted a probable growth curve for the animal. The X-rays found no evidence of growth spurts during the fish’s younger years, but point instead to a steady growth rate of more than 16cm a year at least until the age of 46. The typical lifespan of the species was at least 88 years, they conclude. Details of the work are published in Historical Biology. The enormous size of the newborn suggests that, in line with some other shark species such as great whites, threshers and makos, baby megalodons fed on the unhatched eggs of their siblings in the womb. The practice, known as oophagy, means few offspring survive, but those that do are large and well-nourished, and stand a better chance against predators. Mature megalodons fed on marine mammals such as sea lions, dolphins and whales. Matthew Bonnan, a professor of biology on the team at Stockton University, said he and his students studied spiny dogfish shark anatomy in class. “To think that a baby megalodon was nearly twice as long as the largest adult sharks we examine is mind-boggling.” The work follows research by scientists at Bristol and Swansea universities in September, who sought to reconstruct the dimensions of megalodons in greater detail. Led by Michael Benton, a palaeontologist at Bristol, the team used mathematical models and comparisons with living relatives to paint a picture of the prehistoric beasts. They found that a 16-metre megalodon was likely to have a head about 4.6 metres long and a dorsal fin 1.6 metres tall. | ['environment/sharks', 'science/palaeontology', 'science/science', 'science/fossils', 'environment/marine-life', 'science/evolution', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/iansample', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-home-news'] | environment/marine-life | BIODIVERSITY | 2021-01-11T05:00:10Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2022/jun/09/galapagos-fantastic-giant-tortoise-species-thought-extinct-found-alive | ‘Fantastic giant tortoise’ species thought extinct for 100 years found alive | A rare Galápagos species, the “fantastic giant tortoise”, long thought extinct, has been officially identified for the first time in more than a century in what scientists called a “big deal” for the famed islands’ embattled biodiversity. The animal is the first Chelonoidis phantasticus to be seen since a male specimen was discovered by the explorer Rollo Beck during an expedition in 1906. The newcomer has been named Fernanda, after the Fernandina Island, a largely unexplored active volcano in the western Galápagos Archipelago that she calls home. “Everything that we knew about this species said it was extinct,” said Stephen Gaughran, an ecology and evolutionary biology researcher at Princeton University and one of the lead authors of the study that announced the finding, published on Thursday in the journal Communications Biology. “So it’s a big deal for a species that we thought was extinct for a hundred years to suddenly appear here.” When Fernanda was discovered in 2019, roaming inside a vegetation clump among the solidified lava of the islet, it gave hopes to researchers that the rare phantasticus species wasn’t extinct after all, but it took DNA testing to confirm their hope. Researchers at Princeton sequenced the genome of both the 1906 and the 2019 tortoise, matching them as members of the same species of fantastic giant tortoise, significantly genetically different from the other 13 species of tortoise found in the Galápagos. All giant Galápagos tortoises are all listed on the IUCN Red List from vulnerable to critically endangered, with one species already extinct. Fernanda is probably 50 or older but is smaller than the typical giant tortoise, probably due to the lack of vegetation on the arid, volcanic island. This was one of the reasons scholars initially doubted Fernanda was a native phantasticus species, as well as the lack of the species’ flared shell and saddleback shape. Zoologists also initially thought that the 1906 specimen must have been transplanted to Fernandina Island. Although tortoises don’t swim, it’s not uncommon for them to float and be carried from island to island during extreme weather events or through human intervention, Gaughran said. “It seemed like a more likely explanation that a random tortoise just ended up there from a different island,” he said. The discovery, however, suggests that however Fernanda got to the island, she might not have been alone, and that there could have been populations of the tortoise on the island at some point. “These findings are extremely exciting from both evolutionary and conservation perspectives,” said Michael Russello, a biodiversity researcher at the University of British Columbia who was not involved in the study. “Fernandina is a challenging island to traverse, but this finding does suggest a comprehensive survey may be warranted to search for other individuals”, because there’s now “a glimmer of hope that the species may yet survive”. There are deeper conservation implications to the discovery of Fernanda, according to Danielle Edwards, a Galápagos tortoise expert from University of California Merced, who was not involved in the study. There’s debate about whether these Galápagos tortoises are species or subspecies. “Biology is messy and speciation is a continuum,” said Edwards. So, finding another tortoise that is genetically similar to Fernanda, and making the most of these new analysis methods would be crucial to learn more about the mysterious history of these island inhabitants, she said. Recent expeditions found the tracks of two or three other tortoises that could be from the same species, which, if confirmed, could spur local organizations to consider a captive breeding and repatriation program. “If we only have Fernanda, it’s exciting to have found her. But if she doesn’t have another tortoise to breed with, then there’s nowhere to go,” said Gaughran. “If there are at least a few of these tortoises still living on that island, then that opens up the possibility of trying to really revive the species.” | ['environment/series/seascape-the-state-of-our-oceans', 'environment/environment', 'world/galapagos-islands', 'world/world', 'environment/biodiversity', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/wildlife', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/sofia-quaglia', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/series/seascape-the-state-of-our-oceans | BIODIVERSITY | 2022-06-09T16:37:29Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
sport/2024/oct/31/england-captains-ben-stokes-jos-buttler-sign-two-year-central-contracts-cricket | England captains Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler sign two-year central contracts | England’s two men’s captains, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, have both signed new two-year central contracts in a boost to the English game. Last year Stokes rejected a three-year deal when the England and Wales Cricket Board offered multi-year contracts for the first time, instead opting to sign for 12 months. It was believed he kept his options open ahead of a new memorandum of understanding being agreed. On Thursday it was confirmed Stokes had signed a new two-year deal that takes him through to 2026 and includes the away Ashes in Australia next winter. Central contracts allow the ECB to control which franchise leagues their players compete in, meaning they can manage their workloads across the year. Buttler has renewed the two-year contract he signed last year, in a show of fresh commitment to the white-ball team with Brendon McCullum joining as head coach in January. Announcing the contracts, Rob Key, managing director of England men’s cricket, said: “Both our captains have signed two-year central contracts that showcase the commitment of all the players to prioritise playing for their country. “I want to congratulate all the players who have signed new central contracts ahead of what is set to be an exciting period for England Men’s cricket.” Five players – Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Shoaib Bashir, Phil Salt and Olly Stone – have been given central contracts for the first time. Smith’s deal runs for two years, with the rest signing for 12 months. In all, 29 players have received contracts, up from 26 last year. Seven have two-year deals, 19 are signed for one year and there are three development contracts. “The strength and depth of talent across England men’s red and white-ball cricket is clear in the quality of players who are centrally contracted,” Key said. Breakthrough star Gus Atkinson has renewed his two-year deal, while Jack Leach and Reece Topley have signed new one-year contracts. The three development contracts have been give to Jacob Bethell, John Turner and Josh Hull. Hull made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in September, while both Bethell and Turner are current members of the white-ball squad in the Caribbean and expected to feature heavily. Jimmy Anderson, Dawid Malan and Moeen Ali no longer have central contracts following their retirements from the international game. Sussex bowler Ollie Robinson and Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes have not been given new deals. | ['sport/england-cricket-team', 'sport/ben-stokes', 'sport/jos-buttler', 'sport/ecb', 'sport/cricket', 'sport/sport', 'campaign/email/the-spin', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/cameron-ponsonby', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/sport', 'theguardian/sport/news', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-sport'] | sport/ecb | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE | 2024-10-31T15:00:20Z | true | UNRELATED_TO_CLIMATE |
environment/2016/nov/04/florida-solar-power-amendment-1-vote-al-gore-criticism | Florida measure calls itself pro-solar but critics say it's 'a wolf in sheep's clothing' | Climate change may have been largely ignored during the presidential election but it will be on the ballot on 8 November, with Florida voters deciding on a measure backed by large utilities that could effectively snuff out the solar industry in the state. The measure, known as amendment 1, has been criticized as “fundamentally dishonest” for superficially appearing to be pro-solar. However, renewable energy experts warn that it would remove the incentive for homeowners to get rooftop solar panels, devastating the solar industry in America’s sunshine state. The amendment would change Florida’s constitution to give consumers the right to have solar panels installed. But it also states that the government should “ensure that consumers who do not choose to install solar are not required to subsidize the costs of backup power and electric grid access to those who do”. A group called Consumers for Smart Solar, backed by more than $20m in campaign funding by Florida’s large energy utilities, has put forward the measure, ostensibly to protect Florida residents from rip-offs. But critics contend that the proposal would lead the way to solar panel owners facing fees or a reduced price for the excess energy they put back into the grid, known as net metering. “The utilities have been fundamentally dishonest, their behavior is incredibly cynical,” said David Pomerantz, executive director of pro-renewables group Energy and Policy Institute. “It has confused quite a few voters and that was by design. The large electric utilities in Florida feel extraordinarily threatened by customer-owned solar. Instead of trying to adapt to it, they want to kill rooftop solar in the cradle.” Pomerantz said the measure would be a major blow to a solar industry that is already “stunted” in Florida. Fewer than 20,000 Floridian homes have solar panels, despite its enormous potential for solar energy, compared with Massachusetts, a north-east state with a quarter of the population, which has 163,000 homes with solar panels. The dismantling of net metering, one of the few incentives to get solar in Florida, could have a similar outcome as that seen in Nevada, where increased charges and reduced net metering credits saw leading solar panel installer SolarCity pull out of the state. Environmentalists have rounded on the Florida measure, with former vice-president Al Gore accusing the utilities of “trying to fool you” into killing off the solar industry. A court challenge to stop the measure was defeated in the Florida supreme court but Justice Barbara Pariente, in dissent, called the amendment a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” and an attempt to “constitutionalize the status quo”. Polling has shown strong support for amendment 1, although support has recently plummeted to close to the 60% threshold needed for the proposition to pass. The drop in support followed the Miami Herald’s release in October of an audio recording by Sal Nuzzo, vice-president of free market group James Madison Institute. Nuzzo told an industry conference that amendment 1 was an “incredibly savvy maneuver” and “political jiujitsu” that would “completely negate anything (pro-solar groups) would try to do legislatively or constitutionally down the road”. Consumers for Smart Solar, the utilities-backed group, has denied any connection to the Hames Madison Institute and insisted that the amendment would protect consumers from scams and from subsidizing solar companies from outside Florida. “Amendment 1 is good for the environment, it is good for consumers and it is good for Florida,” said Dick Batchelor, co-chair of Consumers for Smart Solar. “However, in looking at ways to increase the amount of our energy that comes from the sun, it is essential that we do so in a way that safeguards consumers – particularly our seniors – with commonsense consumer protection rules that benefit every consumer, and that we have all come to expect.” The Florida solar measure isn’t the only climate-related item voters will decide on on Tuesday. Voters in Washington will decide whether the state will be the first in the US to introduce a carbon tax on emissions. The measure, called I-732, would place a $25-per-ton fee on carbon dioxide emissions from 2018, rising gradually over the course of 40 years to $100. It will aim to be revenue neutral, however, because Washington’s sales tax will be cut by 1% and further tax rebated will be given to manufacturers and low-income households. The vote has split environment groups, some of which supported an alternative that would have raised money to be funneled into clean energy projects. The Sierra Club has said it doesn’t support I-732 because it “does not include all that is needed for an equitable climate policy and just transition to a clean energy economy”, in particular by failing to support communities of color and low income. The projections put forward by Carbon Washington, the grassroots group behind the measure, have also been questioned. An analysis by the Washington Office of Financial Management found that the measure will cut the state’s revenue by $200m a year. However, the measure does retain some notable support, including former Nasa scientist James Hansen, actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Steven Chu, former secretary of energy under Barack Obama. An open letter penned by 51 climate scientists also backs I-732. “This revenue neutral measure offers the most progressive change in our tax code in decades and represents a bipartisan effort that rejects ideology,” the letter states. “While many interrelated social and environmental needs demand our attention, complex problems are best solved one step at a time. I-732 is a simple step in the right direction.” | ['environment/solarpower', 'us-news/florida', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'us-news/us-elections-2016', 'environment/energy', 'environment/environment', 'us-news/us-news', 'us-news/us-politics', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/oliver-milman', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | environment/solarpower | ENERGY | 2016-11-04T19:27:03Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/green-living-blog/2011/sep/27/energy-bills-green-taxes-renewables | Are green policies good or bad news for energy bills? | Leo Hickman | There seems to be so much confusion and controversy around at the moment about so-called green taxes. Just what is the truth? How much are they adding to our fuel bills? And what is the revenue raised being used for? Are green taxes on energy the best way to address climate change and energy insecurity in the years and decades ahead? M Hamilton, by email The rising cost of our energy bills is one of the UK's most heated political debates. Everyone has a view, it seems, but there indeed seems to be very little clarity about what constitutes the "truth" when it comes to correctly attributing the causes. On the one hand, you have politicians blaming the "Big Six" energy suppliers for, if not colluding on prices, then at least having a "stranglehold" on the market. In contrast, you have other politicians blaming most of the price increases, not on rising wholesale fuel prices across the world, as some claim, but on "green taxes". Ofgem, the UK's gas and electricity market regulator, stated in January (pdf) that "environmental costs" (described as "government programmes to save energy, reduce emissions and tackle climate change") added 4% and 10% to gas and electricity bills, respectively. But other groups have arrived at much higher percentages, attracting plenty of media coverage in doing so (even if some has since been corrected). But what about the wider question raised by green taxes: should we as a country, via green taxes and subsidies, be investing now in technologies that help to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and better protect us from future global energy price volatilities? Or should we only concentrate on keeping fuel bills as low as possible today when the financial pressures we face are considerable and immediate? And if we are to invest in renewable energy for the future, which are the best-bet technologies: wind (offshore vs onshore), tidal, wave, hydro, solar, nuclear, biomass, CCS (carbon capture and storage), or energy efficiency/saving measures? And what of supposedly reduced-carbon energy sources, such as shale gas? Are the current subsidise mechanisms and revenue-raising strategies even the best way to develop such technologies? Much to discuss, but this column is an experiment in crowd-sourcing a reader's question, so please let us know your own thoughts below (as opposed to emailing them) and, if quoting figures to support your points, please provide a link to the source. I will also be inviting various interested parties to join the debate, too. • Please send your own environment question to ask.leo.and.lucy@guardian.co.uk. Or, alternatively, message me on Twitter @LeoHickman | ['environment/series/ask-leo-lucy', 'environment/environment', 'environment/green-living-blog', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'money/energy', 'environment/energy', 'money/tax', 'politics/taxandspending', 'environment/windpower', 'environment/renewableenergy', 'tone/blog', 'type/article', 'profile/leohickman'] | environment/windpower | ENERGY | 2011-09-27T10:34:53Z | true | ENERGY |
world/2005/aug/29/usa.weather | New Orleans orders 3m to flee as hurricane nears | Authorities in New Orleans yesterday took the unprecedented step of ordering the evacuation of the city in anticipation of the arrival of the biggest storm in its history. The 3 million residents were told to flee as Hurricane Katrina, bringing winds of 175mph and threatening catastrophic flooding, blew in from the Gulf of Mexico. Roads out of the city were gridlocked and the airport swamped as families tried to reach higher ground. Emergency management officials warned that there could be "massive loss of life" if the expected 20ft storm surge breached the city's flood defences. "This is the real deal. Anyone who can get out should go now," the city's mayor, Ray Nagin, warned. Katrina, which claimed nine lives in Florida last week as a much weaker storm, gained strength significantly as it headed north across the Gulf of Mexico towards the Louisiana coastline. It was expected to make landfall early today as only the fourth hurricane of category five intensity to strike the US mainland since at least 1935. The last was Hurricane Andrew, which hit Florida in 1992. The biggest danger to life was from floodwaters; they could reach up to 20ft in the downtown area of New Orleans, which is six feet below sea level and surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Pontchartain and the Mississippi river. Flood defences built after Hurricane Betsey in 1965, a storm that killed 61 and left the city under seven feet of water for weeks, would be unable to withstand the onslaught of a direct hit from Katrina, experts warned. "Within a 10-hour period, the entire metropolitan area could be totally devastated, gone," said Walter Maestri, one of the city's emergency managers. "We are telling everyone to go," said Kathleen Blanco, the Louisiana governor. "The storm surge could bring in 15 to 20 feet of water, and they will not survive that." President George Bush yesterday declared Louisiana a state of emergency before the storm arrived, allowing more than 4,000 national guards to take up positions where they would be best placed for recovery efforts. The declaration also freed federal funds for the cleanup operation, which is expected to last weeks and will cost billions of dollars. Ed Rappaport, deputy director of the National Hurricane Centre in Miami, said that if Katrina maintained its intensity, it would be the strongest storm ever to hit New Orleans. Betsey struck with winds up to 130mph, but Katrina's winds could reach 190mph in gusts. "We're expecting extensive to potentially catastrophic damage," he said. "Perhaps a million trees will come down. "The first risk will be the storm surge of more than 20ft along the coast. People must get away from the coast now. We also expect major hurricane conditions across the New Orleans area, and to the east and west. Historically, most lives lost have been because of the storm surge. That's what we're worried about on this occasion." New Orleans was built in the 19th century on reclaimed swampland and any rain in excess of an inch frequently causes some flooding in the city. Weather experts say that Katrina could bring 20 inches of rain. Up to 3 million people live in the city's metropolitan area, many more than in the 1960s when Betsey hit. But despite the evacuation order, more than 100,000 residents are expected to remain in the city. Hotels will remain open for tourists who cannot escape, while the Louisiana Superdome has been pressed into service as a shelter of last resort, according to the mayor. "It will fill up quickly and not be comfortable," he said, urging anyone who came to bring food and supplies for five days. Diehard residents and tourists in the city's historic French Quarter were still holding out last night. "This is how you know it's a serious hurricane. You can't find a slice of white bread in the city, but you can still buy beer," said Sasha Gayer, who had stopped at a bar after failing to get a train out of town. Michael Seward said he felt safe in his second-story apartment. "The house was built for Napoleon's nephew," he said. "It's been here a while." "We're choosing the better of two evils," said a hotel guest, Bryan Steven of Minnesota, with his wife, Tina. "It's either be stuck in the hotel or stuck on the road." | ['world/world', 'us-news/us-news', 'us-news/hurricane-katrina', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'world/natural-disasters', 'world/hurricanes', 'type/article', 'profile/richardluscombe', 'profile/jamiewilson'] | world/hurricanes | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2005-08-29T14:04:29Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2019/sep/07/brexit-deadline-piles-pressure-on-uk-farmers-to-export-surplus | Brexit deadline piles pressure on UK farmers to export surplus | Farmers across the UK are scrambling to finish their harvests and ship their surpluses abroad before the Brexit deadline of 31 October, when a no-deal departure would force them to abandon European markets in favour of Africa. There has been a relatively good harvest of wheat and barley this year after the rollercoaster weather of 2018, when a freezing spring followed by a record-breaking heatwave wrought havoc. “Exports have continued at a strong pace since the first weeks of August,” said David Eudall, the head of arable market specialists at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. But he estimates that as much as half of the UK’s likely wheat surplus of 2m tonnes, and 0.5m tonnes of barley, could still be awaiting export by the end of October. A no-deal departure would drastically curtail access to EU markets, with only a limited amount allowed in at a tariff of €16 (£14) a tonne. Farmers would be left seeking markets in north Africa, where British grain would have to be discounted to compete, leaving many out of pocket. “The Brexit deadline is having a severe impact with short-term pressure to execute exports before the deadline,” said Tom Bradshaw of the National Farmers’ Union. “This is meaning barley and wheat values have come under pressure and export business beyond the end of October seems incredibly difficult to execute. Not only is freight more expensive but purchasers [in north Africa] often demand moisture content below 14% where our UK specification is 15%, and with a catchy harvest [interrupted by weather] this could prove very difficult.” While the weather in the south of the UK has been generally good for the harvest, Scotland had its second wettest summer on record and the north of England was affected too. George Dunn, of the Tenant Farmers Association, said there had been a marked north-south divide. “Most of our members in the south have reported relatively good conditions and reasonable yields and quality, whereas in the north [they] have struggled with very changeable weather and yields and quality have suffered as a result.” Oilseed rape, another key crop for many farmers, was badly affected by last year’s record-breaking heatwave. The drought meant the seeds were planted in dry soil last autumn, leaving the seedlings weak and vulnerable to attack from the cabbage stem flea beetle, a pest that used to be controlled with neonicotinoids, banned because of the damage they cause to bees. Farmers growing other crops also face an uncertain autumn. While soft fruit yields have been good in some areas – blackcurrants enjoyed a bumper year – vegetables have provided mixed results, according to Jack Ward, the chief executive of the British Growers Association. Cauliflowers have been in short supply because of poor weather in their key growing season in the UK, and the heatwave across Europe. While rainfall in May and June “saved the crop” for wheat, according to Eudall, floods in Lincolnshire in June struck at the heart of some of the UK’s most productive farmland, affecting crops from cauliflowers and cabbages to potatoes and onions. “That was an extraordinary wet spell, and Lincolnshire accounts for a lot of [vegetable] crops,” said Ward. Consumers are unlikely to face serious shortages of British-grown crops, though retailers have warned of problems with warehousing and imports in the case of a no-deal Brexit. “There are still three months left to Christmas [harvests] in which good and bad things can happen,” Ward added. Many farmers were thrown into panic by the shock announcement by Priti Patel, the home secretary, that free movement would end on 31 October, which would have left them facing hiring shortages in the key pre-Christmas season. There was a government U-turn, but in the medium term the issue remains a serious worry. The government’s estimates of the harvest will be published in early October. A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We’re committed to championing our farming sector and ensuring we seize the opportunities offered by Brexit. We have already introduced a new seasonal workers pilot to help make sure our farmers have the workforce they need and have guaranteed the same cash total for farm support until the end of the parliament.” | ['environment/farming', 'politics/eu-referendum', 'science/agriculture', 'uk/uk', 'politics/priti-patel', 'world/eu', 'politics/politics', 'environment/environment', 'business/business', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/fiona-harvey', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/farming | BIODIVERSITY | 2019-09-07T07:00:03Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
business/2007/sep/21/nuclearindustry.privateequity | BNFL gets private equity warning | BNFL is close to finalising a shortlist of bidders for its nuclear decommissioning subsidiary, Project Services, amid trade union concerns that it could include private equity firms. Prospect, which has 15,000 members in the nuclear industry, said that if Project Services was sold to a private equity buyer it feared it would pose a threat to members' job security and could create a "brain drain" to other industries. "This will send out all the wrong messages to staff, many of whom will feel compelled to leave rather than remain in a risky environment," said Prospect's national secretary, Mike Graham. BNFL said yesterday that it expected to make a decision on a preferred bidder or bidders this week. It did not respond directly to Prospect's concerns. "We expect a small number of trade buyers will go through to the next round, which will move to due diligence," a spokesman said. "We have always said that this business will be sold to a good home for the business and, more importantly, for the people." The British shipbuilding and support services company VT Group has confirmed its interest and an Italian nuclear company, Ansaldo, part of Finmeccanica, is also thought to be in the running. Project Services holds contracts on civil nuclear sites, including Sellafield and Magnox reactor sites, and is also involved in work for the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the Home Office. It is expanding in central and eastern Europe, where it already has a strategic foothold supporting the Russian regulator Rosatom develop its framework for cleaning up the Russian navy's nuclear fleet. | ['business/business', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'business/privateequity', 'uk/uk', 'type/article', 'profile/markmilner', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/financial3'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2007-09-21T15:19:24Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2014/feb/04/unesco-tasmania-forest-world-heritage-exceptional | UN body calls Tasmania forest U-turn 'exceptional' | Australia's move to strip part of Tasmania's forest of its world heritage status one year after it was added is "very exceptional", the UN has told the Guardian, adding its experts could not recall such a case in recent years. A Unesco spokeswoman said changes to world heritage sites were not uncommon. But, to the agency's knowledge, the appeal to remove an area so soon after a national government had asked for its addition was unprecedented. "It is highly unusual that a boundary change entail removing an extension requested just one year earlier," she said. "Our experts in the world heritage centre have no memory of any similar cases in recent years." Shifting political agendas within the deeply polarised community of foresters and environmentalists who live on its fringes have caused the Tasmanian world heritage area to be changed more often than any other Unesco site. "This site's boundaries have already been modified four times, mainly for extensions. It's the only site on the world heritage list to have undergone so many revisions," the spokeswoman said. The coalition government described the requested annexation of 74,000 hectares of forest as a "minor boundary modification", saying the forests were "degraded" – a claim quickly disputed by the Wilderness Society. The area is part of a 172,500-hectare addition to the world heritage area requested by Australia and approved by Unesco last year. Unesco's world heritage committee will consider the amendment in June. It will decide whether the changes are classed as minor or major according to how they affect the overall value of the site. Minor boundary changes are significantly simpler to affect. "The number of hectares is not what counts. Rather, changes are defined by their impact on what we call the "outstanding universal value" of the site; in other words, those characteristics that led to it being listed in the first place," the Unesco spokeswoman said. Peter Valentine, associate professor at James Cook University, said the committee was unlikely to consider any revocation to be minor and raised concerns about the precedent it could set. "Because Australia did make a claim that the extension was a valuable addition, supported by both IUCN and the world heritage centre, it is unlikely that the committee would agree to just excising part of the world heritage area at the wish of the new government. Such an action would be a serious problem for future world heritage protection everywhere. "It is my view that what the Australian government is asking cannot be seen as a minor boundary change. If the area is now so badly damaged perhaps the committee would seek an explanation of how this happened and what steps would be taken to ensure rehabilitation (which is an obligation under the world heritage convention)." | ['environment/forests', 'environment/environment', 'environment/conservation', 'world/unitednations', 'world/world', 'australia-news/tasmania', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'world/unesco', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/karl-mathiesen'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2014-02-04T20:00:00Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2021/jun/03/climate-tipping-points-could-topple-like-dominoes-warn-scientists | Climate tipping points could topple like dominoes, warn scientists | Ice sheets and ocean currents at risk of climate tipping points can destabilise each other as the world heats up, leading to a domino effect with severe consequences for humanity, according to a risk analysis. Tipping points occur when global heating pushes temperatures beyond a critical threshold, leading to accelerated and irreversible impacts. Some large ice sheets in Antarctica are thought to already have passed their tipping points, meaning large sea-level rises in coming centuries. The new research examined the interactions between ice sheets in West Antarctica, Greenland, the warm Atlantic Gulf Stream and the Amazon rainforest. The scientists carried out 3m computer simulations and found domino effects in a third of them, even when temperature rises were below 2C, the upper limit of the Paris agreement. The study showed that the interactions between these climate systems can lower the critical temperature thresholds at which each tipping point is passed. It found that ice sheets are potential starting points for tipping cascades, with the Atlantic currents acting as a transmitter and eventually affecting the Amazon. “We provide a risk analysis, not a prediction, but our findings still raise concern,” said Prof Ricarda Winkelmann, at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany. “[Our findings] might mean we have less time to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and still prevent tipping processes.” The level of CO2 in the atmosphere required to push temperatures beyond the thresholds could be reached in the very near future, she said. “In the next years or decades, we might be committing future generations to really severe consequences.” These could include many metres of sea-level rise from ice melting, affecting scores of coastal cities. “We’re shifting the odds, and not in our favour – the risk clearly is increasing the more we heat our planet,” said Jonathan Donges, also at PIK and part of the research team. In May, scientists reported that a significant part of the Greenland ice sheet was on the brink of a tipping point. A 2019 analysis led by Prof Tim Lenton at the University of Exeter suggested the world may already have crossed a series of climate tipping points, resulting in what the researchers called “an existential threat to civilisation”. The climate crisis may also mean much of the Amazon is close to a tipping point, at which carbon-storing forest is replaced by savannah, researchers have warned. The ocean currents of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), of which the Gulf Stream is an important part and keeps western Europe mild, are at their weakest in more than a millennium. The research, published in the journal Earth System Dynamics, used a new type of climate model because existing models are very complex and require huge computing power, making them expensive to run many times. Instead, the researchers used an approach that focused specifically on how the temperature thresholds for the tipping points changed as the systems interacted, allowing them to run the 3m simulations. An example of the complex chain of interactions the researchers tracked is the melting of the Greenland ice sheet. This releases fresh water into the ocean and slows down the AMOC, which is driven partly by dense, salty water being pulled down towards the ocean floor. A weaker AMOC means less heat is transported from the tropics towards the north pole, which in turn leads to warmer waters in the Southern Ocean. This can then destabilise ice sheets in Antarctica, which pushes up global sea level and causes more melting at the edges of the Greenland ice sheet. “The study suggests that below 2C of global warming – ie in the Paris agreement target range – there could still be a significant risk of triggering cascading climate tipping points,” said Lenton. “What the new study doesn’t do is unpack the timescale over which tipping points changes and cascades could unfold – instead it focuses on the eventual consequences. The results should be viewed as ‘commitments’ that we may be making soon to potentially irreversible changes and cascades, leaving as a grim legacy to future generations.” However, the chance of a cascade of tipping points leading to a runaway greenhouse effect, where the planet gets ever hotter even if humanity stops carbon emissions, is extremely unlikely, according to Prof Anders Levermann, also at PIK but not involved in the new work. “The Earth will get as warm as we make it, which means we’re the ones [that must] stop it,” he said. | ['environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/poles', 'environment/glaciers', 'environment/environment', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'science/science', 'world/world', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/damiancarrington', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/topstories', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-environment'] | environment/poles | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2021-06-03T16:34:11Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2009/mar/08/green-weddings | UK's first major wedding show opens as numbers of ethical weddings increase | Economic woes may be causing the appetite for expensive white weddings to crash, but at least one form of wedding is blossoming: the green variety. In tune with a thriftier climate, today sees the doors open on the UK's first major wedding show dedicated to brides and grooms wanting to minimise the environmental impact of their big day, and is just one sign of the rising trend. Billed as the Eco Chic Wedding & Home Show, the event in Birmingham follows a flurry of new books, suppliers and gift lists on the subject of green unions amid reports from churches and wedding planners of a growing interest in the concept. Though there is no hard and fast definition of a green wedding, typical conscientious celebrations include a focus on low carbon transport — horse-pulled wagons to gas-powered Bentleys — and local produce — organic beers to British cider. "A green wedding is one that truly reflects the values of the couple by being conscious of consumption — from the venue to the dress and the reception decorations — and being aware of your carbon footprint," said Rosie Ames, the founder of Green Union, a website that puts couples in contact with sustainably minded suppliers. "The British public are becoming more environmentally conscious, so it makes sense that this awareness will trickle down to all areas of their life including their wedding day," said Kate Haines, the show's organiser. Wedding venues have noticed the trend. The Church of England, which is running a two-year project to make its churches more enticing for weddings, reported that it has begun receiving requests for couples wanting a sustainable special day. One such couple was Jessica Randall and Joseph Carrick, who held their wedding in St. George's Church, London, to enable guests to travel via public transport. "We also honeymooned in the UK to reduce our carbon footprint and had a gift list with Oxfam Unwrapped," added Randall. Organisers behind the National Wedding Show, the UK's biggest wedding event, said they had seen a move towards "ethical" gift lists akin to the advent of goats for Africa and other philanthropic gifts at Christmas. Charities including Cancer Research UK, Oxfam and NSPCC all exhibited for the first time at its Olympia show last month . The past year has even seen four books published on the subject. "Almost every wedding magazine has had a green feature this season but, unlike previous years, it has lost its alternative 'druid' factor. It's now seen as very in vogue to have organic champagne," said Jen Marsden, author of the Green Guide to Weddings. Websites catering for the rising interest have also enjoyed a boost in traffic, with the Ethical Weddings site reporting a six-fold increase in traffic between January 2007 and January 2009. An online poll by You And Your Wedding magazine suggested 22.6% of 745 respondents thought about green issues when planning their wedding. With the credit crunch biting and the average cost of a wedding hovering just under £20,000, according to Confetti.co.uk, there are also signs that more newlyweds are opting for UK honeymoons. The eco travel site Responsibletravel.com said it experienced a 144% increase between 2007 and 2008 for honeymoons in the UK, a trend it attributed to cost-cutting and avoiding the carbon footprint created by traditional long-haul destinations. But not everyone is convinced couples are always putting sustainability first in their planning. "I've noticed over the past two years that clients are asking about the provenance of food, questions such as: where do you source your meat and cheese?" said Kelly Chandler, a wedding planner for the Bespoke Wedding Company. "But it seems more out of curiosity and a desire for a 'feel-good' factor, because it hasn't ever been a deal-breaker when venues aren't sourcing locally." The terms "green wedding" and "ethical wedding" appear to have originated in the UK. Data from Google's Insights for Search service shows that searches for "green wedding ideas" have mushroomed by over 5000% in the past five years, with the UK outstripping the US and Australia by a wide margin for queries on the subject. Perhaps the surest sign green weddings are going mainstream is that TV companies are sniffing around green weddings. Dragon's Den researchers are reportedly scouting the Eco Chic Wedding & Homes Show today looking for exhibitors to go head-to-head with Peter Jones and company. | ['environment/ethical-living', 'environment/carbonfootprints', 'uk/uk', 'environment/environment', 'tone/news', 'lifeandstyle/weddings', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'type/article', 'profile/adam-vaughan'] | environment/carbonfootprints | EMISSIONS | 2009-03-08T00:05:04Z | true | EMISSIONS |
business/2008/dec/30/warren-buffett-florida-hurricane-insurance | Warren Buffett wins hurricane bet with Florida | In an otherwise terrible year, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway fund can finally add $224m (£153m) to its top line tomorrowafter winning its bet with the government of Florida over whether hurricanes would ravage the state in 2008. The $224m represented an upfront payment the state agreed to pay Berkshire back in July so the fund would come to its rescue if hurricane damages topped $25bn in this year. Fortunately for the residents of Florida – and Berkshire Hathaway – the state only had one major event this year, but it still created a record. That was because tropical storm Fay crisscrossed the state and landed ashore a never-before seen four times in August. While Fay brought buckets of rain its damage was measured in millions not billions and so Berkshire Hathaway can pocket the cash at the end of the year. It was a close call as the hurricane season did $51bn in total damage in 2008 but hurricanes such as Ike and Gustav swung west across the Gulf of Mexico to strike Texas and Louisiana instead of veering east into Florida. No weather event over the next 48 hours is going to harm Florida as Miami, for instance, basks in 26C temperatures as much of the rest of the country freezes from winter storms. As with almost all businesses, Berkshire has had a terrible year with its Class A shares down almost 35% at around $92,600. Again though Buffett has beaten the market as a whole as the Standard & Poor's 500 index is down slightly more than 40% at the open on Tuesday. No-one in Florida or at Berkshire is saying whether the arrangement will be reinstated in 2009. It was criticised at the outset by Alex Sink, the state chief financial officer who called it a "steal" for Buffett as it turned out to be. | ['business/business', 'business/warrenbuffett', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/natural-disasters', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'world/hurricanes', 'type/article', 'profile/johnsterlicchi'] | world/hurricanes | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2008-12-30T15:27:12Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
business/2021/may/31/uk-investors-urge-g7-to-force-firms-to-reveal-their-climate-change-exposure | UK investors urge G7 to force firms to reveal their climate change exposure | An influential group of UK investors are urging G7 leaders to follow the UK’s lead by forcing firms to come clean about their exposure to climate risks. In a letter to ambassadors and high commissioners sent ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall, the Investment Association (IA) also called on the world’s largest developed economies to issue sector-by-sector guidance to help firms plan to meet Paris Agreement climate goals, which aim to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees celsius. G7 members – which include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US – should coordinate and standardise climate reporting standards, the IA added. The group represents asset managers including Legal & General, Schroders and Aviva, which together have a combined £8.5tn under management. The climate recommendations are part of the UK trade body’s efforts to help its members decarbonise their investment portfolios, a task which has been complicated by a lack of information on climate risks linked to the companies they invest in. With more data, investment chiefs can pressure individual companies that are failing to transition to a climate-friendly business model. They can also threaten to pull their cash altogether. IA members with more than £5tn in assets under management – including Allianz Global Investors, Jupiter Asset Management, and M&G Investments – have pledged that their portfolios’ carbon emissions will reach net zero by 2050. “The meeting of the G7 is a prime opportunity for the world’s largest economies to take a coordinated, global approach to tackling climate change,” Chris Cummings, chief executive of the Investment Association, said. “As an industry which invests in companies around the world on behalf of both UK and overseas savers and investors, investment managers have a vital role to play in the shift to a more sustainable global economy. “Ensuring high-quality and comparable data on the risks that companies face from climate change is key to achieving this and meeting the net zero targets.” Last year, the UK chancellor, Rishi Sunak, revealed the UK would make climate reporting mandatory for large companies and financial institutions by 2025, going further than recommended by the taskforce on climate-related financial disclosures, and making the UK the first G20 country to do so. The IA now wants all G7 countries to make similar commitments, and set reporting standards that will make it easier to compare the progress made by companies in different countries. Together, IA members have about £3.7tn invested in foreign assets, including stocks and bonds. The lobby group has said comparable data is “vital” for keeping tabs on international firms within their investment portfolios, and making informed decisions on behalf of pension schemes and savers. The lobby group also wants leaders to agree on common standards for green government bonds, which are meant to fund renewable or clean energy projects. It comes amid growing demand for environmentally friendly investments. A number of G7 countries, including France, Italy and Germany, have issued green sovereign bonds. The UK government is due to issue its first green bond this year. “In isolation, these measures are to be welcomed but we must not forget that both financial markets and climate-related risk are global,” the IA letter said. “It is vital, therefore, that forums such as the G7 consider how to take action which is coordinated and global in outlook.” | ['business/corporate-governance', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'business/investing', 'business/financial-sector', 'environment/environment', 'business/business', 'environment/paris-climate-agreement', 'world/g7', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'world/world', 'uk/uk', 'environment/green-economy', 'business/bonds', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/kalyeena-makortoff', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-business'] | environment/carbon-emissions | EMISSIONS | 2021-05-31T07:00:16Z | true | EMISSIONS |
us-news/2015/may/26/california-drought-immigration | Some Californians have found a new drought scapegoat: immigration | Some people blame California’s enduring drought on the nut farmers. Others vent against those in Beverly Hills, who keep their estates green while neighbours in the flatlands turn off sprinklers under threat of heavy fines. Now comes the latest, perhaps inevitable, scapegoat: immigration. A group called Californians for Population Stabilization, which has courted controversy down the years, says it’s a matter of simple mathematics. The state now has nearly 40 million residents, 10 million or so more than it did 25 years ago, and a lot of the new arrivals are from other countries. Therefore, they argue, it’s their fault. “California’s drought could have been prevented with responsible immigration policies and limited population growth,” one of the group’s recent Facebook posts reads. Another says, more ominously: “The drought has never been just about water.” No policymaker or environmental scientist is taking this line of argument terribly seriously – one climatologist told the Los Angeles Times bluntly it “didn’t fit the facts” – but it speaks to a growing anxiety among Californians of all income levels and political creeds that their way of life could be seriously threatened if it doesn’t start raining soon. Just as environmentalist campaigners are inclined to blame water-bottling giants like Nestle, and cities competing for water resources with farmers are inclined to blame agriculture, anti-immigration campaigners are happy to use the drought as grist to a well-established mill. Already last year, Californians for Population Stabilization, or Caps, ran a television advertisement to coincide with Earth Day in which a boy was depicted complaining about the lack of water and overcrowding. “Let’s slow immigration and save some California for tomorrow,” the ad concluded. Politicians and advocacy organizations hostile to immigration have struggled much harder in California than they have in, say, neighbouring Arizona, because the population is much more diverse; Latinos and other nonwhite population groups are climbing up the social and political ladders; and there is widespread recognition that without immigrant labour the state’s crops would not get picked, its children would not have nannies, and those well-watered Beverly Hills lawns would have nobody to take proper care of them. Policymakers and analysts do not always agree on how to manage the drought, but their debates tend to be about groundwater, the allocation of agricultural land and cutting urban waste. Population size has barely featured in their discussions. While protesters have risen up against Nestle and other bottled water manufacturers, the manufacturers themselves point out that their industry accounts for a tiny fraction of overall water use. Almond farmers struggling with the inconvenient fact that it takes a gallon of water to produce a single almond will sometimes point out that an ounce of beef requires 106 gallons. The media has not been immune from its own territorial impulses. In the wake of the devastating rains pounding Texas and Oklahoma, the LA Times ran a headline saying the floods “fuel hope for California drought relief”. One outraged Texan characterised the tenor of the piece as: “Lives have been lost but, hey, we can keep our almonds.” | ['us-news/california-drought', 'us-news/usimmigration', 'us-news/us-news', 'us-news/california', 'environment/water', 'environment/drought', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/andrew-gumbel'] | us-news/california-drought | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2015-05-26T22:34:02Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
australia-news/2020/dec/22/federal-resources-minister-insists-inquiry-into-banks-decision-to-abandon-thermal-coal-will-go-ahead | Federal resources minister insists inquiry into banks' decision to abandon thermal coal will go ahead | The federal resources minister, Keith Pitt, has warned parliament’s joint standing committee on trade and investment growth to “do its job” after the group deferred a decision on whether to conduct a controversial inquiry into the climate policies of banks and insurers. Pitt has asked the parliamentary committee, chaired by his Queensland Nationals colleague George Christensen, to investigate how climate change is impacting the lending decisions of banks. With Pitt’s backing, Christensen, who has denied the link between climate change and the severity of natural disasters, wants the committee he chairs to grill financial regulators the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, as well as the banks, over plans to pull back on lending or insuring mining projects because of climate change. But in a rare upset, the committee has deferred making a decision about the ministerial referral. While the inquiry may yet proceed, the obvious go-slow follows vocal criticism from some Liberals about the proposal. Pitt insists the process will go ahead. “I’ve made a referral … and the committee is yet to decide whether or not to proceed,” he said. “As a minister of the crown, I expect the committee to do its job.” All four major banks have signalled they will align their portfolios to a target of net zero emissions by 2050, with most aiming to cease lending to thermal coal companies by 2030. The decisions by the banks – which take heed of regular warnings from regulators and the central bank about climate risk – have prompted a furious backlash from Nationals MPs who want a new coal-fired power station in north Queensland, with some even calling for a boycott of banks including ANZ. The treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, has backed the inquiry. Frydenberg reportedly told the Sydney Morning Herald: “It is only appropriate that the parliament be able to examine trends in banking, insurance and superannuation investment practices and how they may affect our resources sector and the regions in which they are based.” But Liberal backbenchers who favour climate action, and support the rights of companies to pursue their commercial interests and uphold their obligations to shareholders in a free market, have declared the inquiry isn’t necessary. Tim Wilson, who chairs the lower house economics committee, told Guardian Australia his committee “explores the legitimate issues of climate and sovereign risk … frequently during our hearings with the banks and regulators”. “It might be wise to review the house economics transcripts first before starting a new inquiry, but that is a matter for the trade and investment committee,” he said. New South Wales Liberal senator Andrew Bragg said it was up to banks and financial institutions to assess risks. “The judgment banks and financial institutions make on lending is a matter for those institutions,” he said. “Environmental risk is no different from any other sort of risk – it’s an economic risk.” The trade and investment committee met last Friday. Victorian Liberal Katie Allen sits on the committee and is understood to have concerns about the inquiry but she was not present for the meeting. The committee is not expected to meet again until January. Labor has made attempts to adjust the terms of reference to keep the inquiry focused on substantive policy questions about the risk climate change poses for insurance companies and lenders. But Christensen has insisted the inquiry be run according to the precise terms of reference sent by Pitt. | ['australia-news/australian-politics', 'australia-news/george-christensen', 'australia-news/national-party', 'australia-news/banking', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'business/australia-economy', 'australia-news/coalition', 'type/article', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/coal', 'tone/news', 'profile/katharine-murphy', 'profile/paul-karp', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/australia-news'] | environment/coal | ENERGY | 2020-12-22T08:51:27Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2021/sep/24/vast-area-of-scottish-highlands-to-be-rewilded-in-ambitious-30-year-project-aoe | Vast area of Scottish Highlands to be rewilded in ambitious 30-year project | A large swathe of the Scottish Highlands stretching between the west coast and Loch Ness is to be rewilded as part of a 30-year project to restore nature. The Affric Highlands initiative aims to increase connected habitats and species diversity over an area of 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres), incorporating Kintail mountain range, and glens Cannich, Moriston and Shiel. Plans include planting trees, enhancing river corridors, restoring peat bogs and creating nature-friendly farming practices. The project has been launched after two years of conversations and meetings between local communities and conservationists from rewilding charity Trees for Life. Similar to the WildEast project in East Anglia, it is a community-led effort to restore nature over a large area, which organisers hope will be a catalyst for social and economic regeneration. “This was once a much more peopled landscape that was rich with wildlife and we think we can find new ways to establish that connection again, today,” said Alan McDonnell, a conservation manager at Trees for Life, and the project leader. “The idea of doing it at scale is that you get a much bigger natural response because you’ve got room for change and dynamism in that landscape.” The Affric Highlands initiative is located west of the Cairngorms Connect project, which is one of the UK’s largest land restoration projects at 60,000 hectares. In terms of total area, it is three times the size of Cairngorms Connect but at present only a quarter of the Affric Highlands area is managed by people who have signed up, including farmers, landowners and fishers. McDonnell hopes more will get involved once the project has launched. One of the challenges has been bringing together people reliant on traditional land management practices to work on large-scale landscape restoration. McDonnell has had meetings with around 50 local stakeholders and has been working with a psychologist to help him communicate with people who might feel sceptical, and to allay the fears of damage to livelihoods that have accompanied other rewilding projects in the UK. “Rewilding is a word that people define differently. For some people, it’s wolves and bears. For Trees for Life, it’s about the land, and what it can support,” he said. “We’re primarily motivated by the nature that will come with that, but that’s not to say that we don’t value everything that comes with it, so whether it’s opportunities for businesses and job creation, or natural capital and the ability to monetise that, there are a lot of ways we can use land better and increase what it can offer.” Native wildlife set to benefit includes a range of river species such as salmon, trout, ospreys and otters, as well as montane species such as golden eagles, red grouse, short-eared owls and mountain hares. Rewilding Europe helped fund the work with a €300,000 (£250,000) grant and it will be the organisation’s first UK project, one of nine across the continent. Other projects include Romania’s southern Carpathians, Croatia’s Velebit mountains, Italy’s central Apennines and Bulgaria’s Rhodope mountains. A £200,000 grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation will help fund a two-year development period, during which time McDonnell will be recruiting three people to work on the project full-time. Practical work on the ground is set to begin in 2023. Trees for Life has already established 2 million trees as part of the restoration of the Caledonian Forest. In 2022, the charity expects to open its rewilding centre on the 4,000-hectare (10,000-acre) Dundreggan estate. The centre will have 40-bed accommodation, events spaces, classrooms and a cafe. McDonnell said: “In 10 years’ time I would hope to see some significant changes happening … in particular I would love there to be more riverbank woodlands, which would increase insect life, help fish species and support richer river ecosystems. That might mean fencing off part of a landowner’s riverbank, planting trees, or allowing natural regeneration.” The project also aims to help individuals get funding from government and other sources for green initiatives on their land, so people who sign up to it can financially benefit. Frans Schepers, managing director of Rewilding Europe, said: “Our decision to accept the project as our ninth rewilding area reflects the hard work and achievements of Trees for Life, its volunteers and its partners. Including Affric Highlands in our portfolio of major European rewilding areas will help magnify rewilding’s impact in the Highlands, and put it firmly on the global map.” Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features • The article was corrected on 24 September 2021. We said Rewilding Europe helped fund the Affric Highland project with a £30,000 grant. The correct amount was €300,000. | ['environment/series/the-age-of-extinction', 'uk/scotland', 'environment/environment', 'uk/ruralaffairs', 'environment/farming', 'environment/forests', 'environment/conservation', 'environment/green-economy', 'environment/biodiversity', 'environment/wildlife', 'uk/uk', 'environment/rivers', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'environment/rewilding', 'profile/phoebe-weston', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/uknews', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-age-of-extinction'] | environment/biodiversity | BIODIVERSITY | 2021-09-23T23:01:02Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2008/nov/17/california-wildfires | Residents return to areas ravaged by California wildfires | Southern California started to count the cost of a series of wildfires that swept through the region over the weekend as fierce winds died down today. Thousands of people began to return home after being evacuated, and hundred of homes were destroyed as the fires raged from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and Orange County, burning a total of 35,000 acres (14,000 hectares). Just one death was reported in the fires, although rescuers continued to search through a mobile home park north of downtown Los Angeles where 500 homes were destroyed. The fires left a thick layer of ash and orange smoke over much of the region. Air quality remained poor, with several schools closed and authorities urged residents to remain indoors or avoid exertion. Whipped up by Santa Ana winds gusting up to 85mph, fires merged together yesterday as firefighters played a game of cat and mouse with the flames. The capriciousness of the fires was illustrated in residential streets in Orange county and the San Fernando valley, where lone houses stood untouched by the fire while neighbouring structures had burned to the ground. Although the causes of the fires remained unknown, investigators said that the first fire to break out, the Tea Fire in the chic Santa Barbara suburb of Montecito, was "human caused". Officials speculated that the origin of the fire could have been a local landmark popular with teenagers. While the fire in Monetcito saw celebrity residents including Oprah Winfrey and Rob Lowe forced to evacuate their homes, a fire that broke out yesterday morning in the Orange county area of Diamond Bar affected a different celebrity category. Homes in the exclusive area, whose celebrity residents include the rapper Snoop Dogg, tend to feature tennis courts and Roman columns. Firefighters working throughout yesterday, supported by helicopters and aircraft dropping fire retardant, were aided by a fall in wind speed. This morning saw winds of 20mph in the area. Temperatures also fell today from unseasonal highs of 35C (95F) over the weekend. This weekend's wildfires come just over a month after a series of fires raged through the area, and a little over a year since 30 fires burned in southern California, leading to the evacuation of half a million people and causing damage to 2,000 homes. | ['world/natural-disasters', 'environment/environment', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'world/wildfires', 'type/article', 'profile/danglaister'] | world/wildfires | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2008-11-17T18:58:46Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/2020/apr/04/crossbreeding-corals-breathing-new-life-into-the-great-barrier-reef-aoe | Crossbreeding corals: the hunt for ways to heal the Great Barrier Reef | One of the dive instructors points out two blacktip reef sharks circling a docile green turtle busy grazing on algae. Stingrays of various sizes, colours and shapes pass beneath us. Suddenly, a pod of dolphins appears, swimming over the hard corals. The dive takes place on what appears to be healthy and pristine coral reef surrounding Lady Elliot Island, at the very southern end of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef off Queensland. There are no visible signs of the bleaching that has plagued other parts of the reef for some years, but the government agency responsible for the reef, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, has confirmed that the natural landmark has suffered a third mass coral bleaching episode in five years, describing the damage as “very widespread”. Mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 hit vast areas of the reef. As the rate at which bleaching events hit the world’s biggest reef system increases, scientists, farmers and volunteers across Queensland are trying to do their bit to lessen the impact. Gary Spotswood is a third-generation farmer at Mt Alma Organics, an organic farm a couple of hours drive from Townsville, a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland. Spotswood has installed pumps to accumulate the run-off on his 430 acres, which then filters through aquatic plants growing in the adjacent wetlands. The project is partly funded by a grant from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, which was awarded a controversial A$444m (£217m) from the Australian government to sponsor projects on the reef. “I try to keep as much water on the land as possible,” says Spotswood, who leads courses in land use for other farmers and graziers. “Changes take time. But in five years people have changed their habits in how they use the land,” he says. At Townsville’s tropical marine research centre, scientists from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (Aims) are looking at how so-called super corals (corals that can resist increased water temperatures) could be used to save the reefs. About 25 strains of coral are being crossbred with the same or different species. The research is being carried out in the National Sea Simulator, the world’s most advanced research aquarium, and intends to show that young coral offspring – produced from mixing corals from various parts of the reef – can survive in warmer sea temperatures. “It’s like crossbreeding corn. We do the same thing with the corals, so they can withstand higher temperatures,” says Kate Quigley, a researcher on reef restoration at Aims. The method is called “assisted gene flow”, and although at an early stage, shows encouraging results in the sea simulator, as well as on the reef – where cross-fertilised corals have been transplanted. The hybrids have one parent from the northern parts and one parent from the central reefs, and the results show that corals with at least one parent from the more heat-resistant northern reefs survive when placed in cooler environments. The research has also confirmed that the offspring inherit heat tolerance from their northern parents, and these genes may ultimately be passed on to make reefs more heat resistant. Aims also conducts research on how to decrease the numbers of crown-of-thorns starfish (cots), which prey upon corals. There are currently more than five million cots on the reefs between Cairns and Cooktown, and the invasion spreads south as the heavily spined species (which normally range from 25–35cm across, and can have up to 23 arms) devours corals and leaves nothing but traces of fine calcium carbonate. Female cots can produce up to 50 million eggs a year and each one annually ingests 10 square metres of coral. Rising sea temperatures and increased availability of nutrients due to run-off from farming practices are said to be behind the rise in cot numbers. So far divers have culled about half a million by injecting the starfish with white vinegar. Scientists at Aims are attempting to wield another – more natural weapon – to combat the mass outbreak. They breed the rare giant triton, a large marine snail that feeds on cots. The scientists aim to reintroduce the snails on reefs – from where they have disappeared. The climate crisis and evidence of another mass bleaching, however, continue to overshadow any sign of progress. Quigley says hundreds of studies point in the same direction. “They are showing that climate change is the biggest threat against the reef,” she says. “We don’t know what the future reefs look like. But we need to mitigate the effects that climate change has on the corals.” | ['environment/series/the-age-of-extinction', 'environment/great-barrier-reef', 'environment/coral', 'environment/marine-life', 'australia-news/australia-news', 'environment/environment', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'world/series/the-upside', 'world/world', 'environment/wildlife', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-age-of-extinction'] | environment/great-barrier-reef | BIODIVERSITY | 2020-04-04T09:30:00Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
commentisfree/2022/jan/03/as-i-bum-shuffled-my-way-down-the-scree-at-avalanche-peak-i-wished-i-was-back-in-the-bush | As I bum-shuffled my way down the scree at Avalanche Peak I wished I was back in the bush | Rose Lu | Nothing beats the New Zealand bush. The writer Ashleigh Young once tweeted: “Sometimes NZ writers say ‘the forest’ instead of ‘the bush’ (and they definitely mean ‘the bush’) because they are nervous about saying ‘the bush’. Bring back the bush. If everyone does it, we will be fine.” So here I am, proclaiming, “I love the bush!” Perhaps this is my opinion as an outdoor enthusiast and bisexual, but “bush” is the more accurate descriptor for the native flora of Aotearoa. Our bush is dense and scratchy, inured to the trample of boots. Our bush is thick and lush all year round, as few native plant species are deciduous. Our bush is not some wan forest: it is wild and overgrown, it does not encourage easy passage. As my family were neither middle class nor Pākehā (white European), I didn’t venture into the bush until I was an adult. It’s now been 10 years since my first foray into the bush but I’ll never forget that first experience. A friend, who grew up with the bush, convinced me to come on a two-day tramp. I had no idea what I was getting into. Surely a tramp was just a long walk. How difficult could a walk in the bush possibly be? I lacked outdoor gear but my friend sorted me with her spares, save for tramping boots as our feet were not the same size. “Maybe I’ll get into tramping,” I decided, buying the cheapest pair of boots I could find. The route was up Avalanche Peak, the only poled summit in Arthur’s Pass, a national park famous for its bush of silver, red and mountain tawhai (beech) trees. I did not appreciate the bush on the way up. Instead, I cursed the 1,100m ascent that left my lungs burning and back saturated with sweat. I envied my friend’s fitness that allowed her to walk ahead and find features of the bush to show me: the peat floor carpeted with prickly shield fern, the sponge moss and lace lichen, and the understorey of snow totara, bearing edible cashew apple-shaped berries. I thought the uphill would be the hardest part but then I discovered what happens once you leave the bush. Past the bushline, the tall trees were replaced by stout, hardy shrubs. Some people refer to this as alpine scrub but I think you could equally call it alpine bush. This alpine bush featured plants I had never seen before, like the Mount Cook lily, with bristly white petals and leaves as tough as leather. This bush was patchy and uneven to walk on, and somehow I was as slow on the flat as I was uphill. Soon, the alpine bush too disappeared, and the only vegetation was the moss and lichen that grew on the rock and shingle we crunched underfoot. My friend pointed out a fan of broken rock, ranging from palm-sized to head-sized, that dropped down into an open plain. We had to get down that scree slope to get to our accommodation for the night. There’s an art to running down scree slopes, which my friend demonstrated, where one “surfs” along the surface of the debris. She pulled away like a motor boat from a jetty, generating a clattering wave of cascading rock, leaving me to tread cautiously in her wake. I tried to replicate her movements but I fell repeatedly until I gave up. I sat on my bum and thought back to earlier in the day. I never fell in the bush. The bush was sheltered, the bush was safe. I wished I was back in the bush. I ended up bum-shuffling my way down the slope, tearing up the seat of my cotton shorts in the process. Thankfully that first trip didn’t put me off tramping and since then I’ve visited bush all around the country. There’s the bush of Kahurangi national park, which looks blue from a distance, and the goblin forests of Taranaki, named for the gnarled trees and the mosses that hang off them. I can now enjoy the cool, crisp air of the bush around me and look forward to where it may take me. Rose Lu is a writer, software developer and cable car owner from Wellington. Her essay collection All Who Live on Islands is out now What’s your favourite wild place? If you would like to contribute to the series tell us about it in 200 words and send it to newzealand@theguardian.com | ['commentisfree/series/my-wild-place', 'world/newzealand', 'world/asia-pacific', 'commentisfree/commentisfree', 'environment/mountains', 'environment/environment', 'environment/forests', 'lifeandstyle/walking', 'environment/national-parks', 'type/article', 'tone/comment', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/new-zealand'] | environment/forests | BIODIVERSITY | 2022-01-02T19:00:25Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
world/2008/sep/01/hurricanegustav.naturaldisasters3 | Work on New Orleans levees incomplete as Hurricane Gustav strikes | A multi-billion dollar effort to reinforce New Orleans' flood defences has been fraught with challenges, controversy and logistical obstacles since Hurricane Katrina engulfed the city three years ago. Congress authorised $15bn of funding to upgrade New Orleans' entire 350-mile levee system by 2011 to make it capable of withstanding storms of a magnitude expected only once in every 100 years. But only a quarter of the work has been completed and the US Army Corps of Engineers admitted over the weekend that the city remained at risk. "It all depends on the strength of the storm in terms of wind speed, water surge and how fast the hurricane tracks," major general Don Riley, deputy chief of the corps, said. "There are still vulnerabilities. There are gaps in the system." About 150 miles of levees damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina have been repaired and a further 70 miles of the barriers have been improved, typically to a height of 17 feet rather than 14 feet, armoured with concrete at the top. But homeowners living near levees have fought efforts to remove vegetation and officials have encountered difficulties in getting hold of millions of dollars of cubic yards worth of clay to shore up the earthen mounds. Gerry Galloway, an expert in flood defences at the University of Maryland, said: "If they get through this one, they're very lucky. Work is still in progress. It's a long way from complete and it's a long way from 100-year storm protection." At gates where canals meet Lake Pontchartrain, huge pumps have been installed to handle spillages. Concrete splash areas have been installed around the outside of levees to prevent an accumulation of water which, in 2005, began to undermine the structures' foundations and contributed to their collapse. In May, officials working for Louisiana's governor, Bobby Jindal, expressed concern that the engineering corps may not finish the work on time. In some quarters, experts have argued that an even greater level of protection is needed, pointing out that the Netherlands' dykes offer protection against weather, which may only be expected once in a millennium. About 10,000 residents are thought to have ignored warnings and remained in New Orleans as Hurricane Gustav struck the coast of Louisiana. The state of Louisiana has mobilised 1,500 national guardsmen to secure the city and protect property, and requested additional battalions from nearby Kentucky and Tennessee. New Orleans' mayor, Ray Nagan, has warned that anybody caught looting will go directly to jail. Evacuated residents will be allowed to begin returning to New Orleans within 24 to 36 hours of the end of the storm, Nagan said today, which could mean people trickling back as early as Tuesday evening. Teams of electricity workers will be shuttled in to restore power. But Nagan said roads would first need to be cleared of debris and power lines. Those who left in their own cars will be permitted to drive back before buses begin to ferry as many as 18,000 assisted refugees back into the city. | ['us-news/hurricanegustav', 'world/natural-disasters', 'us-news/us-news', 'world/world', 'tone/news', 'world/hurricanes', 'cities/cities', 'type/article', 'profile/andrewclark'] | us-news/hurricanegustav | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS | 2008-09-01T17:26:12Z | true | EXTREME_CLIMATE_IMPACTS |
environment/ethicallivingblog/2009/apr/29/tesco-toilet-paper-carbon-footprint-labelling | Tesco unravels toilet paper's carbon footprint | I'm starting to have my doubts about carbon labelling. I like the idea in principle. Sure, let's give consumers as much information as they need to make an informed choice. But it can also lead to farce. Tesco has just announced the latest of its products to receive a carbon label. Its own-brand toilet paper and kitchen rolls have joined its laundry detergent, orange juice, potatoes and lightbulbs in the group of 100 or so "lines" that now declare on the packaging how much carbon dioxide is emitted during their production and distribution. Steel yourself, here's the news you've been waiting to hear: the carbon footprint of each lavatorial wipe you make. (It's certainly news that Sheryl Crow will be no doubt desperate to hear, given her previous thoughts on this issue). Drum roll, please: Tesco says that each sheet of its recycled toilet roll uses "1.1g of carbon" compared to 1.8g for its standard toilet roll. Let's give that some sort of context. Google declared earlier this year that each Google search generates 0.2g of CO2. So now we know that using one sheet of recycled toilet paper has the same carbon footprint as performing five-and-a-half Google searches. We now also know that you would have to get through 200 sheets of toilet paper before you matched the carbon footprint of one carton of orange juice. Or 773 sheets of toiler paper before you equalled the carbon footprint of just one washload's worth of biological washing powder. We know all this because the Carbon Trust, who do the sums for Tesco, tells us so. The big question, though, is will this extra information motivate you to change your habits in any way? The next time you lurch towards the toilet-roll holder, will you choose to use a few sheets fewer to reduce your carbon footprint, no matter how infinitesimally small the saving might be? What I really don't like about carbon labelling, though, is that is neatly passes the buck on to the consumer. Meanwhile, Tesco gets to look all smug by boasting that it is doing its bit by empowering the consumer with such information. I would be far more impressed if it committed itself to removing from its shelves any product that doesn't cut the mustard in terms of environmental integrity. This is known in the trade as "choice editing" – namely, only offering "best in class" products rather than offering the good, bad and ugly and leaving it up to the consumer to scratch their perplexed heads as they stand there in the aisle mulling over the carbon footprint of, say, each type of toilet paper. That's what "every little helps" should mean. | ['environment/carbonfootprints', 'environment/environment', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'tone/blog', 'environment/green-living-blog', 'type/article', 'profile/leohickman'] | environment/carbonfootprints | EMISSIONS | 2009-04-29T17:20:09Z | true | EMISSIONS |
environment/datablog/2009/dec/02/carbon-calculator-footprints | The Guardian's carbon calculator: this is how we did the maths | This spreadsheet contains the data behind our quick carbon calculator, which we launched in October . The core data (see sheet 2) come from a breakdown of UK emissions into a dozen or so end-use categories. These are from a clever "input-output" model created by Small World Consulting, based on the UK Emissions Inventory but factoring in international travel and imported and exported goods. In other words, these figures describe the total carbon footprint of all the goods and services consumed in the UK. All the numbers are in CO2 equivalent, meaning they include all greenhouse gases rather than CO2 alone. We divided these numbers by the UK population to get a per person figure for each category and then created sliders which allowed users to vary each figure to describe their lifestyle (sheet 1). As the data show, only around 44% of each person's footprint is caused by the areas typically covered by carbon calculators: flights, car fuel and home energy. The rest is caused by the provision of all the goods and services we consume. Indeed, non-food shopping alone accounts for about the same proportion of our emissions (23%) as home electricity and gas combined (24%). Next we had to match the emissions figures to metrics that people could make sense of, such as pounds spent or number of flights per year (sheet 3–5). That's relatively simple for energy and petrol, but less so for food and shopping. Spending £100 on a meal for two at a super-high-end vegan restaurant would probably cause far fewer emissions than spending the same cash on eating burgers every day for a week. Hence these figures are intended to be indicative rather than accurate. The trickiest part was working out comparable per capita emissions figures for countries other than the UK (sheet 6). This was difficult because the Small World input-output model doesn't exist for other nations. For these figures, we took reliable 2006 data for CO2 emissions and adjusted it using a comprehensive - albeit slightly out of date - snapshot of global greenhouse gas emissions, including imports and exports. This final data came from Glen Peters at Cicero. Do let us know if you have any better data sources than those used here - we'd like to continually update the calculator and improve its methodology. Download the full data DATA: Carbon calculator emissions information Can you do something with this data? Please post your visualisations and mash-ups on our Flickr group or mail us at datastore@theguardian.com • Get the A-Z of data • More environment data • More at the Datastore directory • Follow us on Twitter | ['environment/carbonfootprints', 'news/datablog', 'environment/environment', 'environment/carbon-emissions', 'tone/resource', 'type/data', 'type/article', 'profile/duncanclark'] | environment/carbonfootprints | EMISSIONS | 2009-12-02T16:45:17Z | true | EMISSIONS |
sustainable-business/pension-responsibility-collective-future | Anyone with a pension has responsibility for our collective future | In 1936, John Maynard Keynes described the behaviour of stock markets as similar to that seen in beauty pageants of that time. Citizens would vote for the most beautiful contestant, and those who voted for the most popular choice stood the chance of winning a prize. The rational thing to do was not to vote for who you thought was prettiest, but for what you thought would be the average opinion of the prettiest. In fact, to vote for what you thought the average opinion of the average opinion of the prettiest would be, and so on. This analogy is true of (almost) all the assets we invest in. So it's not surprising that many people feel we have lost control over the forces that shape our world. The increasingly complex financial system is largely disconnected from the real world impacts and value – or beauty – of the companies and other assets it funds. They are treated as black boxes. The consequences of this disconnect are reaching boiling point. The 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath left many without jobs, homes, or pensions. Company valuations based on assumptions of limitless resources and which ignore the risks of climate change have pushed our economic activity to the brink of our planetary boundaries. There is a clear line of responsibility between the financial markets and the state of the world that has largely been evaded in the past few decades. Acting on this responsibility is the challenge of our generation. But what will get us to act? It is certainty not for a lack of technical solutions. These have been well established and are being implemented by a handful of sustainability pioneers (internalising externalities, accounting for full costs, incentivising long-term decision making, and so on). What is missing is the recognition within individuals that implementing these tools makes sense. A simple exercise could help to illustrate the point. It has become an accepted truth that short-term incentives faced by some in the investment chain are responsible for the continuation of the status quo. Yet the risks of an unstable and unsustainable financial system have one thing in common: they are systemic. That is, they cannot be traded out of, and they cannot be avoided by any one asset class, sector, or country. Consider, then, how our view would change if we took off our day-job hat to reflect for a second. We all actually face multiple sets of incentives. All asset managers or executives are also asset owners via, for example, their pension funds. Most of them will be mothers, fathers, husbands, and wives. The same is true for policymakers. In short, we are all first and foremost humans who desire a safe, prosperous and sustainable world for ourselves and for our children. This is arguably the most powerful incentive of all. From here, we can work towards understanding how each of our different hats helps or hinders our response to this most important incentive. It may become clear that pursuing income growth (national or individual) while ignoring the costs of its pursuit no longer serves us. It would make sense to measure all the costs and benefits of our investments and make more efficient, informed decisions on this basis – or, put differently, to pursue an increased standard of living without the side effects that decrease our standard of living. Whether or not we are able to mould our financial system to achieve sustainable outcomes in the next few years will affect young people most. In an era of sprawling populations, increasing inequality, resource scarcity, and the threat of a changed climate, the stakes are higher than ever before. It is not only up to those at the top of finance and policy to create this change. When first-year Harvard students walked out of their introductory economics course in 2011, they were on the right track. They were discontent with being taught theories and models that perpetuate "problematic and inefficient systems". In an open letter to Professor Gregory Mankiw (who authored the most widely used introductory economic textbook – one which I studied in first year too), they argued that "if Harvard fails to equip its students with a broad and critical understanding of economics, their actions are likely to harm the global financial system. The last five years of economic turmoil have been proof enough of this." More recently, students all around the world, starting in the US, have pressured their universities to withdraw their endowment funds from fossil fuel assets. This is a youth that recognises the link between what we fund and the world we will grow old in, and it is this type of critical engagement that needs to spread like wildfire. Those working in finance can question the models and assumptions handed down to them and challenge them if they are no longer applicable. Those outside of finance and economics can educate themselves on how global capital shapes their lives. In doing this, it will become clear that most are not really outside of finance. Whoever has a pension or investment fund is part of the financial system – an asset owner who has a say in how this money is managed – and by extension, has a responsibility for our collective future. Lise Pretorius is an environmental economist who has worked on various projects and publications in the field of sustainable investment - most recently as the lead author of ShareAction's Green Light Report. She is currently a WWF International Youth Volunteer in Bhutan. 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', 'business/ethicalbusiness', 'business/business', 'environment/corporatesocialresponsibility', 'environment/environment', 'sustainable-business/series/millennials-and-sustainable-finance', 'tone/comment', 'money/pensions', 'type/article', 'sustainable-business/series/finance'] | environment/corporatesocialresponsibility | CLIMATE_POLICY | 2014-03-06T17:28:35Z | true | CLIMATE_POLICY |
money/2008/aug/16/letters | Letters: Heat or eat choice for millions | With the announcement of fuel vouchers it is now evident that there isn't a single issue that the government thinks can't be solved by means-testing (Fuel bill subsidy voucher to be targeted at poorest families, August 15). There was no mention of the 2.3m pensioner households living in fuel poverty (spending at least 10% of their income on gas and electricity). Not only should the winter fuel allowance be raised to £500, but the state pension must be used to take pensioners out of poverty as a matter of urgency. Otherwise, the choice of whether to heat or eat will become a stark reality for millions of older people this winter. Joe Harris National Pensioners Convention Despite the assertion by Malcolm Webb, chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, that a windfall tax would deter "much-needed investment in the UK's oil and gas reserves" (Letters, August 8), there is no lack of resources for investment in the UK's energy sector, only a lack of forward thinking. The government is set to heavily subsidise a new generation of nuclear power stations, despite recent reports that decommissioning the existing generation could cost £83bn of taxpayers' money. Investment in renewable and clean energy sources would be a far more productive use of public funds in the long term. If existing energy companies are not going to use their profits to sufficiently develop these more sustainable sources then a windfall tax ringfenced to develop renewable and cleaner sources and also to increase efficiency of energy use will be a step forward for the sector. Kate Hudson Chair, CND | ['money/energy', 'environment/energy', 'environment/nuclearpower', 'environment/environment', 'money/pensions', 'money/money', 'type/article', 'tone/letters', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/editorialsandreply'] | environment/nuclearpower | ENERGY | 2008-08-15T23:01:00Z | true | ENERGY |
business/2009/feb/06/windpower | B&Q pulls wind turbines from shelves | B&Q, the DIY chain, has withdrawn wind turbines from sale amid evidence they do not work as efficiently as had been thought. The £1,900 micro-turbines went on sale at the 320-store chain in October 2006. The company said they would generate up to 1kW of electricity, wired directly into a ring main to reduce the amount of power a household needed to buy. But last month a survey by energy consultants Encraft warned that home turbines generated only a fraction of the energy promised by manufacturers, and in some cases used more electricity than they made. The results of the study, which tested different types of turbines in different locations, showed the worst performing devices provided less energy than needed for a conventional lightbulb for an hour, or even to power the turbine's own electronics. On average the turbines surveyed provided enough electricity to light an energy-efficient house, but this still only represented 5%-10% of the manufacturers' claims, said Encraft. B&Q said it had decided to withdraw the turbines as a result of the study and after "many months of customer feedback". The retailer added: "The Encraft study suggests that B&Q's range of micro-turbines may not perform well enough to satisfy our customers' expectations." The store is understood to have sold hundreds of the machines since they were introduced. B&Q said the study had shown that turbines on homes in urban areas were the least likely to perform well. It added: "The vast majority of B&Q's customers live in highly urbanised areas, hence this particular finding is cause for concern for the company." | ['business/business', 'environment/environment', 'environment/windpower', 'tone/news', 'type/article', 'profile/juliafinch'] | environment/windpower | ENERGY | 2009-02-06T19:08:03Z | true | ENERGY |
environment/2018/oct/04/climate-change-deforestation-global-warming-report | Scientists say halting deforestation 'just as urgent' as reducing emissions | The role of forests in combating climate change risks being overlooked by the world’s governments, according to a group of scientists that has warned halting deforestation is “just as urgent” as eliminating the use of fossil fuels. Razing the world’s forests would release more than 3 trillion tons of carbon dioxide, more than the amount locked in identified global reserves of oil, coal and gas. By protecting and restoring forests, the world would achieve 18% of the emissions mitigation needed by 2030 to avoid runaway climate change, the group of 40 scientists, spanning five countries, said in a statement. “We must protect and maintain healthy forests to avoid dangerous climate change and to ensure the world’s forests continue to provide services critical for the well-being of the planet and ourselves,” the statement reads. The intervention comes as the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change gathers in South Korea ahead of Monday’s release of an eagerly awaited report on how the world can avoid warming of 1.5C (2.7F) beyond pre-industrial levels, an aspirational target of the landmark Paris climate deal in 2015. It is expected the report will focus on required changes to the energy system, rather than forests. “In responding to the IPCC report, our message as scientists is simple: Our planet’s future climate is inextricably tied to the future of its forests,” the scientists’ statement pointedly concludes. Trees and other vegetation currently absorb around a quarter of the CO2 humans are adding to the atmosphere, softening the potential impact of climate change. While the world won’t lose all of its trees, large tracts of tropical forests, which hold a vast amount of carbon, are still being lost in the Amazon, central Africa and Indonesia. Warming temperatures are also fueling huge fires in forests in higher latitudes, as witnessed this summer when much of northern Sweden was aflame. “The forest piece of the conversation is often lost and I don’t think the IPCC report will highlight it enough,” said Deborah Lawrence, a professor of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia and a signatory of the statement. “We almost take forests as a given but we lose forest every year, which means we are diminishing them as a carbon sink. “Deforestation has been massively reduced in the Amazon, but that hasn’t happened elsewhere. As countries get more peaceful in Africa we could lose more tropical forests, which really worries me.” The IPCC’s report is expected to mention the need for as-yet unproven technology to burn vegetation and bury the resulting emissions underground or directly suck carbon from the air as a way to meet the 1.5C target. The statement by Lawrence and other scientists warns the former strategy, known as bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (Beccs), is untested and risks wiping out huge areas of rainforest in order to make way for plantation timber for energy. “It breaks my heart to think we’d lose half our tropical forests for plantations just to save ourselves,” Lawrence said. “It’s horrifying that we’d lose our biodiversity to avert climate change. Losing tropical forests is not somehow cheaper than putting up wind farms in the US or Sahara.” Lawrence said a steep drop in emissions to zero by 2040 would negate the need for “negative emissions” technology that would damage forests’ ability to suck up carbon, maintain local water supplies and weather patterns and provide a home for a riot of birds, mammals, insects and other creatures. “We will have a hotter, drier world without these forests,” Lawrence said. “There needs to be an international price on carbon to fund the protection of forests. And countries with tropical forests should maintain large chunks of forests to stabilize rainfall for agriculture and keep a predictable regional climate.” The prospects for averting at least 1.5C of warming appear dim, however, with a co-author of the upcoming IPCC report warning last week the world is “nowhere near on track” to meet its Paris commitments. | ['environment/environment', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/deforestation', 'environment/forests', 'environment/paris-climate-agreement', 'type/article', 'tone/news', 'profile/oliver-milman', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/us-news'] | environment/deforestation | BIODIVERSITY | 2018-10-04T13:00:24Z | true | BIODIVERSITY |
environment/2019/aug/01/pollutionwatch-james-lovelock-still-right-summer-smog-uk-air-pollution | Pollutionwatch: James Lovelock still right on summer smog | July’s record-breaking temperatures brought summertime smog to most of the UK. Worst affected was eastern England, from Kent to Yorkshire, where air pollution reached seven on the government’s10-point scale. The heatwave occurred just before the 100th birthday of the scientist James Lovelock. Best known for his Gaia theory, which hypothesises that life on Earth acts as a self-regulating system, Lovelock was also an atmospheric scientist. In 1973 he was part of a team investigating summertime smog in the UK and Ireland. Up until then the idea that the UK, with its damp grey summers, could experience smog like Los Angeles was thought so improbable that no one had made measurements to check. Lovelock and team set up a line of measurement sites from a water tower in Sibton, Suffolk, to Adrigole, near Cork. Not only was there enough smog in the UK to breach US health limits but it was taking days to form in the air, sometimes from sources up to 620 miles (1,000km) away in continental Europe. They concluded that controlling our summertime air pollution needed European-wide cooperation. This is still valid today. | ['environment/air-pollution', 'environment/series/pollutionwatch', 'environment/pollution', 'environment/climate-crisis', 'environment/environment', 'science/scienceofclimatechange', 'science/science', 'type/article', 'tone/features', 'profile/gary-fuller', 'publication/theguardian', 'theguardian/mainsection', 'theguardian/mainsection/weather2', 'tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-weather'] | environment/air-pollution | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE | 2019-08-01T20:31:02Z | true | POLLUTION_AND_WASTE |
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