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Young people face a long term ‘health crisis’ unless the government acts to clean up pollution, says children’s charity

Children in the UK are being denied their basic human right to breathe clean air and facing a long term “health crisis” because of the toxic fumes they breathe on their way to and from school, according to leading children’s charity Unicef.

The organisation, which campaigns on children’s rights and wellbeing around the world, described the situation in the UK as “horrific” and has announced it is to make protecting youngsters from air pollution its priority across the country in the months ahead.

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The thrill of a once-in-a-lifetime sighting mingles with a fear that this story may not end well

Grant Hazlehurst, a civil servant from Bromley, Kent has seen many whales. “Fin, sperm, Cuvier’s beaked, True’s beaked, sei, long-fin pilot …” most of them from his regular jaunts on a car ferry in the Bay of Biscay. “But I never thought I would see a beluga, not in the Thames,” he said. “So, I’m hoping.”

So were the two dozen or so others who, on Friday morning, gathered on a windy shore near Gravesend, scanning foam-flecked waves in anticipation that, for a fourth day, the beluga whale that has somehow got lost in the Thames, would show itself.

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The week’s top environment news stories and green events. If you are not already receiving this roundup, sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox

Orca ‘apocalypse’: half of killer whales doomed to die from pollution

Jailed anti-fracking activists release defiant video message

World ‘nowhere near on track’ to avoid warming beyond 1.5C target

UK government urged not to bury nuclear waste under national parks

Monsanto’s global weedkiller harms honeybees, research finds

Under-fire UN environment chief forced back to HQ

Seattle sea cucumber poachers reeled in $1.5m

Corbyn vows to end ‘greed-is-good’ capitalism in UK

Great Barrier Reef scientists told to focus on projects to make government look good

Fears grow for small tortoiseshell butterfly as decline continues

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Germany should impose market mechanisms such as more stringent carbon pricing to drive its clean energy transition, instead of its current complex support mechanisms, the country's federal audit office said Friday.

A flock of house martins, red foxes and a Bengal tigress are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world

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Single-Column Responsive Email Template Vic-Tas Chapter AGM 2018 REMINDER, 2018 AGM. A reminder for our AGM this coming Tuesday, 2nd October at Engineers Australia Bourke Street offices, commencing at 5.30 pm. Following the AGM, we will have a presentation from Dr John Iser, Chair, Doctors for the Environment, Victoria. Further information on CPD events in 2019 and other plans for SENG will be provided at the meeting. SENG members are invited to consider nominating for a role on the SENG committee. Those who form the new committee will take over from January 1, 2019. You may nominate at the meeting on October 2. Proxy nominations are acceptable. Looking forward to seeing you. Keith Altmann Chair SENG (Vic-Tas) Past SENG Events Want to look back at past SENG events? Presentations from most of our events are available on our website LinkedIn SENG is on LinkedIn. Visit the group here Other useful links Alternative Technology Association Environment Victoria The Conversation Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute. Melbourne Energy Institute Climate Council Beyond Zero Emissions Future Melbourne Network If you can't view this email click here to view online Click here to unsubscribe from this newsletter S

Four companies have picked up 50% of the 128.6 million German carbon allowances auctioned in the first eight months of 2018, a new report shows.

Conservation groups speak out as fears grow of Lake District being eyed as possible site

The National Trust and 18 other conservation groups have urged ministers to rule out burying nuclear waste below national parks as fears grow that the Lake District is being eyed as a potential site.

In January, the government restarted its attempt to find a community willing to host such a facility after a previous search collapsed five years ago. Ministers have refused to exclude national parks from the process.

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Closing prices, ranges and volumes for China's regional pilot carbon markets this week.

Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions rose 1.3% in the year to Mar. 31, largely due to a massive increase in export-focused LNG production and despite a reduction in emissions from the power sector.

Climate Analytics says that on current trends, emissions will race way past the Paris agreement target

Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, fuelled by the expansion in gas exports and production, according to new figures published by the Department of Environment and Energy.

The government quietly published its quarterly emissions figures on Friday afternoon, a public holiday in Victoria and the day of the release of the interim royal commission report into the banking sector.

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Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator issued 49,903 carbon credits this week, around half the recent average, while one more project finalised its delivery obligations with the Emissions Reduction Fund.

Meet the man who inspired Robert Downey Jr's take on Iron Man.

Depending on the species, touching a stinging tree can be like 30 wasp stings at once or being burnt with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time. Marina Hurley, Visiting Fellow, Lecturer & Consultant (Writing Clear Science), UNSW Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Genex Power’s Kidston Renewable Energy Hub in Far North Queensland has been fast tracked with the $330 million Kidston Pumped Hydro Storage project (K2H) today declared a coordinated project.

The post Kidston renewable energy hub one step closer appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Elon Musk charged with "fraud" by the SEC, which is seeking his removal as a director and executive from public companies.

The post Tesla shares slump after regulator charges Musk, seeks removal appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Two years on from the South Australia blackout, things are not working out quite as the renewable antis might have hoped. It has actually highlighted the grim reality about Australia's ageing and vulnerable grid. If anything, the energy transition has been accelerated rather than stalled.

The post South Australia blackout didn’t stop energy transition, it accelerated it appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Acciona develops blockchain system that guarantees electricity stored in batteries, and then exported to the grid, does in fact come from wind and solar plants.

The post Acciona uses blockchain to show stored electricity comes from wind and solar appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

California regulator ARB approved a set of regulatory amendments to the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) late Thursday, strengthening the programme’s GHG targets through 2030 amid a plethora of other changes.