Feed aggregator

The Guardian reporter Peter Walker filmed his usual cycle route to and from work in London and recorded some of the common behaviours by other road users that make cyclists feel less safe. A 2015 study found frightening traffic incidents, even if they did not actually cause harm, were a regular occurrence for cyclists in the UK. This is a particular issue for novice, many of whom have been swiftly put off their new mode of transport

Continue reading...

Australia’s opposition Labor party, favourites to win next year’s election, will reintroduce the ruling Coalition’s proposed National Energy Guarantee (NEG) if it wins office, but with a stricter emission reduction target for the electricity sector.

Extinction Rebellion group begins another day of protest by blockading Lambeth Bridge

Climate activists have blocked the southern end of Lambeth Bridge in central London as part of a series of “swarming protests” in the capital on Wednesday.

Around 35 protesters from the Extinction Rebellion group arrived at the bridge just before 8am, chanting and waving banners and placards; leaflets were handed to motorists in the queue of traffic.

Continue reading...

While responding to the California wildfires, President Trump pointed to the successful practices of Finland in forest fire prevention.

Caroline Herschel discovered eight comets - one was named after her - but her work is less known about than her brother William's.

Scientists in Finland and the UK have built a computer model that visualises groundwater levels in real time.

If you see moths and their larvae near your clothes, it's a sign that it's time to wash all your clothes and air them out in the sun. Andreas Zwick, Molecular Systematist, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

Western and Central Africa have been cultivating oil palm for millennia, though the big money is flowing into Indonesia and Malaysia, which produce more than 80% of the world’s palm oil supply. Now Indonesian and Malaysian palm oil companies are expanding into African regions, and environmentalists are worried that could accelerate deforestation.

New York plans to finalise its regulations to conform to the post-2020 RGGI Model Rule next year, an official told Carbon Pulse.

At least 50 people in the US and Canada have been infected, health officials say.

Two Washington DC legislative committees unanimously endorsed a bill Tuesday that would see the US capital source all of its energy from renewables within 15 years, moving it one step closer to a full vote.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Energy Minister Angus Taylor keep telling Australians the government will meet its emission reductions targets "at a a canter" — but the experts aren't so sure.

The official was criticised for risking the UN's reputation by extensive use of expensive travel.

Norway’s oil firm Equinor plans to buy REDD forest protection credits to offset its emissions from operations not already covered by carbon pricing, it said Tuesday, while revealing plans to ramp up its foreign exploration.

European carbon ended higher on Tuesday but off the day’s peak after EUAs saw their rally disrupted by a rout in wider energy and financial markets.

UK government called on to impose fee on new plastic packaging and offer rebate for recycled products

The government should introduce a new tax on virgin packaging to revolutionise the recycling system in the UK and tackle the plastics crisis, according to a new report.

The study, presented to MPs and industry figures at Westminster on Tuesday evening, calls on ministers to impose a fee on packaging materials and offer a rebate for those products that use more recycled material.

Continue reading...

Drinking water in Australia can be contaminated by natural and manmade processes, especially in communities. Innovation is needed to ensure water is ‘fit for purpose, place and people’. Nina Lansbury Hall, Lecturer, Environmental Health Unit, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland Susan Mott, Senior Research Officer, The University of Queensland Wendy Hoy, Professor of Medicine; Director, Centre for Chronic Disease, and Director, NHMRC CKD.CRE, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

IMO ‘susceptible to influence from private interests and certain states’ say campaigners

The UN agency responsible for cutting shipping emissions to combat climate change has been accused of operating like a secretive closed shop.

The charity Transparency International has condemned six countries, including the UK and the US, for opposing moves to open the International Maritime Organization to public scrutiny and hampering moves to combat climate change.

Continue reading...

Erik Solheim resigns after audit found travel irregularities and internal rule breaking, leading nations to drop funding

The UN’s environment chief Erik Solheim has resigned following severe criticism over his globetrotting travels and internal rule-breaking which led some nations to withhold their funding.

The Guardian understands Solheim was asked to resign by the UN secretary general António Guterres. Sources at the UN Environment Programme (Unep) said that countries unhappy with Solheim’s conduct were holding back tens of millions of dollars, threatening an imminent financial crisis at the body.

Continue reading...