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Enough chewing the fat, UK politicians: we must stop eating so much red meat | Marco Springmann
British diets are as bad as ever, so policymakers must find ways to reduce harm to our health and the planet
It was reported this month that meat consumption in the UK has decreased by 17% over the past decade, and even Prince Charles has urged people to stop eating meat and dairy products on certain days of the week. Although still considered a contentious subject by policymakers and the public, there is strong scientific consensus that high meat consumption is extremely harmful to us and the environment. What could be seen as welcome news should really be taken as a call to action for decisive policymaking that prioritises the health of British citizens and the planet.
Despite the headlines, British diets are as bad as ever. The new data on self-reported intake suggests that, on average, every citizen consumes one serving of meat every day of the week, including four servings of red and processed meat. Meaningful policy support is required to make healthy and sustainable diets accessible, affordable and appealing for all of the British population.
Dr Marco Springmann is a senior researcher in population health at the University of Oxford
Continue reading...Russia sets MRV rules, eyes verifier network for domestic carbon market
COP26: 'Hate tells scientists their work is important'
US and China urged to find way to work together before Cop26
Former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon appeals to Joe Biden and Xi Jinping to meet and find common ground
US president Joe Biden and the president of China, Xi Jinping, have been urged to meet before the UN Cop26 climate talks to search for common ground by the former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and other prominent global voices.
“We are appealing to the leaders of the US and China to see their common interest and find a way to work together. We need an ambitious 2030 [carbon] target from China and the US to deliver what they have pledged,” said Ban, speaking on behalf of the Elders group of former world statespeople and prominent community and business leaders.
Continue reading...EPA unveils new strategy to address US contamination of ‘forever’ chemicals
News comes day after the Guardian revealed data that lists 120,000 sites in US that may be, or may have been, handling the chemicals
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday announced a “strategic roadmap” it said would help restrict a class of toxic chemicals from being released into the environment and accelerate the cleanup of existing contamination of so-called “forever chemicals” that are associated with a range of human health dangers.
The news comes a day after the Guardian revealed an EPA data set that lists roughly 120,000 industrial sites around the country that may be, or may have been, handling PFAS chemicals. The data set includes facility locations and operation details, and was compiled by EPA researchers to help state and local officials work with the federal government in addressing contamination concerns.
“Aggressive” timelines to set enforceable drinking water limits under the Safe Drinking Water Act “to ensure water is safe to drink in every community”.
Timelines for actions involved in the establishment of “effluent guideline limitations”, for nine industrial categories.
Establishment of a hazardous substance designation under the federal Superfund law that enhances the government’s ability to hold PFAS polluters financially accountable.
A review of past actions on PFAS taken under the Toxic Substances Control Act to address those that are insufficient.
Increased monitoring, data collection and research so that the agency can identify what actions are needed and when to take them.
A final toxicity assessment for a type of PFAS called GenX used in manufacturing nonstick coatings that has been found in drinking water, rainwater and air samples.
Continued efforts to address PFAS emissions into the air.
Continue reading...ETS sectors face tough task as South Korea adopts stronger 2030 target
Norfolk white-tailed eagle reintroduction project cancelled
Cancellation follows reports local estate owners were worried about predator’s impact on other birds
A pioneering project to return white-tailed eagles to Norfolk for the first time in 200 years has been cancelled at the last minute to the dismay of conservationists.
The UK’s largest birds of prey were to be released at Wild Ken Hill, the estate that is home to the BBC’s Autumnwatch programme, from next year, with plans to set 60 birds loose over 10 years.
Continue reading...Euro Markets: Midday Update
‘It’s not as carbon-hungry’: UK’s largest sunlit vertical farm begins harvest
In a greenhouse in Worcestershire, Shockingly Fresh grows towers of leafy veg for supermarket shelves
The largest naturally lit vertical farm in Britain has begun harvesting and the creators plan to build 40 more.
It looks nothing like a traditional farm, with bright white towers of leafy green vegetables stacked as high as the eye can see. But Shockingly Fresh’s first giant greenhouse, in Offenham, Worcestershire, is harvesting thousands of bunches of pak choi and lettuce destined for supermarket shelves. The farm is suited to a variety of leafy greens, as well as strawberries and herbs.
Continue reading...France far right candidate Marine Le Pen vows to tear down country’s wind turbines
French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has vowed to end all subsidies for renewable energy and tear down all France’s wind turbines, if she is elected the country’s next President. The far-right National Front, recently renamed the National Rally, or Rassemblement National, is better known outside of France for its anti-immigration stance, and is led […]
The post France far right candidate Marine Le Pen vows to tear down country’s wind turbines appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Want to know what a just transition to a green economy looks like? Ask the workers | Anna Markova
People don’t need catchprases: they need resources and empowerment so they can secure good green jobs
- Anna Markova is the Trades Union Congress’s co-lead on climate and industrial policy
If you really want to know what a just transition looks like, don’t start with the official speeches of Cop26. Ideally, don’t even ask me. Ask those who need it most.
Ask a teenager in south Wales, where coal mining jobs have not been replaced by alternatives and unemployment levels are among the highest in the UK. Ask the oil rig worker who has been travelling to work by helicopter for 15 years but is having to pay £2,000 for yet another helicopter safety training course to be able to work on a wind turbine. Ask the Eurostar driver who does not know if the train she drives will still be running in two months’ time. Ask, if you can, one of the Uyghur people forced by Chinese authorities to work in a labour camp to make polysilicone for solar panels.
Anna Markova is the Trades Union Congress’s co-lead on climate and industrial policy
Continue reading...‘This is our last chance’: Biden urged to act as climate agenda hangs by a thread
Failure to pass legislation to cut emissions before the UN summit in Glasgow could be catastrophic for efforts to curb global heating
With furious environmental activists at the gates of the White House, and congressional Democrats fretting that a priceless opportunity to tackle catastrophic global heating may be slipping away, Joe Biden is facing mounting pressure over a climate agenda that appears to be hanging by a thread.
Biden’s allies have warned that time is running perilously short, both politically and scientifically, for the US to enact sweeping measures to slash planet-heating emissions and spur other major countries to do the same. Failure to do so will escalate what scientists have said are “irreversible” climate impacts such as disastrous heatwaves, floods, wildfires and a mass upheaval of displaced people.
Continue reading...Mitsubishi commits to halving emissions by 2030, reaching net zero by 2050
Chinese thermal power growth rebounds, but still haunted by coal shortages
INEOS plans €2 bln green hydrogen investment in Europe
Australia’s biggest online energy and climate change event, the Smart Energy Council Global Race to Zero Summit
The Smart Energy Council will be holding Australia’s biggest online energy and climate change event, the Global Race to Zero Summit on 20-21 October.
The post Australia’s biggest online energy and climate change event, the Smart Energy Council Global Race to Zero Summit appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Taylor faces re-election test in Hume, independent challenger to be revealed soon
Angus Taylor to face re-election challenge in Hume, with a community endorsed independent candidate to be revealed next month.
The post Taylor faces re-election test in Hume, independent challenger to be revealed soon appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Easiest first step to net zero is to build massive amounts of solar
Solar offers the cheapest and quickest option to cut emissions in the net 10 years. We just need to build more of it, and connect more of it.
The post Easiest first step to net zero is to build massive amounts of solar appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Norway oil giant tips millions into Australian dispatchable “solar hydro” tech
Australian concentrated solar and hydro storage technology outfit RayGen Resources claims Norwegian giant as major new investor.
The post Norway oil giant tips millions into Australian dispatchable “solar hydro” tech appeared first on RenewEconomy.