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How will we solve the world’s water wars? An ancient Spanish court offers one answer | Roman Krznaric

The Guardian - Fri, 2024-07-26 16:00

From Los Angeles to Cairo, the global water crisis is escalating – but Valencia’s Tribunal de les Aigües could inspire a solution

Every Thursday at noon, outside the west door of Valencia’s cathedral, nine black-cloaked figures – one wearing a banded cap and with a ceremonial harpoon by their side – gather for their weekly meeting, as they have done for hundreds of years. This is the Tribunal de les Aigües (Tribunal of Waters) – a water court that may be the oldest institution of justice in Europe.

It may seem like a relic of the past, but in fact, in the midst of a global water crisis, the tribunal is more relevant than ever. We are a civilisation at risk of committing aquacide. Due to droughts caused by climate change, expanding industrial agriculture and growing urbanisation, one in every four people will be affected by water scarcity over coming decades, with cities from Los Angeles and Cairo to Melbourne and São Paulo facing acute shortages. Water conflicts are on the rise, both within and between nations – we are increasingly fighting over water rather than oil and land. Moreover, in countries such as the UK, private water companies are jacking up prices and siphoning off super-profits while dumping sewage in the rivers.

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Roots and refuge: the year’s best mangrove images – in pictures

The Guardian - Fri, 2024-07-26 16:00

From an unexpected glimpse of a silky anteater to a tagged terrapin, here is a selection of this year’s winning, runner-up and commended images from the 2024 Mangrove photography awards, run by the Mangrove Action Project

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Childhood air pollution directly linked to adult lung health, study says

The Guardian - Fri, 2024-07-26 15:00

Connection found between early exposure and bronchitic symptoms in adults without previous lung problems

Air pollution breathed in during childhood is one of the factors in adult lung health, according to a new study.

The origins of the study date back to 1992 when researchers began investigating the effects of air pollution on groups of children in California. Some of these children are now in their 40s.

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Washington state reports funding cuts if cap-and-trade scrapped, think-tank claims shortcomings in govt analysis

Carbon Pulse - Fri, 2024-07-26 11:49
The Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) has published its assessment of scrapping the state’s cap-and-trade programme should ballot initiative 2117 (I-2117) succeed, but failed to discuss several negative impacts it might have on the economy, according to a think-tank.
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WCI Markets: CCAs contained below WCAs all week

Carbon Pulse - Fri, 2024-07-26 10:35
California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices stabilised on lower volumes this week in the absence of a market catalyst, holding below Washington Carbon Allowances (WCA) that registered a slight uptick in activity in an otherwise subdued market.
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Interest in CCS piqued by EPA power plant rule, but legal questions stymie development -panellists

Carbon Pulse - Fri, 2024-07-26 10:22
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards finalised this spring that envision a prominent role for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in reducing power plant emissions have piqued interest in the emerging technology, but hesitancy remains around legal challenges, a conference heard Thursday.
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Mexican ETS framework one step away from publication as private sector interest grows

Carbon Pulse - Fri, 2024-07-26 10:18
The regulatory framework for Mexico’s long-delayed emissions trading system (ETS) is in the final stages of review, and the private sector is increasingly interested in offsetting strategies, according to a Mexican industry representative speaking on a webinar Thursday.
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US federal CCS support unlikely to be deterred by potential Trump presidency, experts say

Carbon Pulse - Fri, 2024-07-26 10:14
Tax credits and other incentives towards carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the US are likely to continue under a potential second Trump administration, experts told conference attendees, also providing recommendations for project developers in a post-election landscape. 
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Olympic demand for ‘unproven’ ice therapy is unsustainable, scientists say

The Guardian - Fri, 2024-07-26 08:30

Researchers say 650 tonnes on order for Paris Games is a potential stress on local and regional resources

From cold-water swimming to ice baths, deliberately freezing yourself has been hailed as a panacea for everything from menopause symptoms to arthritis, headaches and immunity conditions.

And for sportspeople, ice is widely used to aid recovery after exercise. But now researchers have said the clinical benefits of ice therapy are not evidence-based and its popularity is bad for the environment.

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Denmark ‘very concerned’ about draft EU aviation climate reporting rules

Carbon Pulse - Fri, 2024-07-26 06:31
Denmark has written to the European Commission to express concerns about draft EU aviation emissions reporting rules, saying the text fails to properly take non-CO2 emissions into account, as requested under the EU ETS.
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How old, inefficient housing and time-of-use electricity rates are leaving some households worse off

The Conversation - Fri, 2024-07-26 06:23
In theory, time-of-use pricing should nudge households to use electricity when it’s cheaper and more plentiful, saving on bills and grid costs. In practice, it isn’t working well for many households. Lee White, Senior Lecturer and Horizon Fellow, School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Landmark new research shows how global warming is messing with our rainfall

The Conversation - Fri, 2024-07-26 06:20
Mounting evidence shows rainfall is becoming increasingly variable, making the dry times drier and the wet much wetter. New findings confirm research into rainfall variability in Australia. Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Anna Ukkola, ARC DECRA Fellow, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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