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Calls for action mount as six Indian cities hit top 10 of air pollution

The Guardian - Thu, 2016-05-12 13:01

World Health Organisation report says high pollution puts millions of people in cities including Delhi at risk of early death

Environmental campaigners in India have called for the government to implement a “stringent, time-bound” plan to curb air pollution in cities, as a new World Health Organisation report suggests that six of the 10 most polluted cities in the world are in India.

The report, which contains data from 795 cities in 67 countries between 2008 and 2013, shows Indian cities have some of the highest concentrations of particulate pollution, which can cause fatal damage to the heart and lungs.

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Which are the world's two most polluted cities – and why?

The Guardian - Thu, 2016-05-12 13:01

Two cities – one in Iran and another in Nigeria – can claim title because WHO measures pollution in two different ways

The new WHO database of worldwide air pollution measures it in two different ways, and as a result two cities – one in Iran and another in Nigeria – can lay claim to the unenviable title of world’s most polluted city.

It all comes down to which minute particles, or particulate matter (PM), in the air are being measured. These particles are between 2.5 and 10 microns in diameter, roughly 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

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Eastbourne a surprise name among UK's most polluted towns and cities

The Guardian - Thu, 2016-05-12 13:01

Port Talbot seems obvious, but World Health Organisation data shows south coast town registers high levels of two tiny types of particulate pollution

It’s perhaps no surprise that Port Talbot, home to one of Europe’s biggest steelworks with thousands of tonnes of iron ore imported to its docks every year, tops the list of the UK’s most polluted towns and cities.

But Eastbourne, home to the women’s tennis tournament and located at the end of the South Downs national park, is not an obvious candidate for the top 10 of the worst UK towns and cities for two tiny types of particulate pollution.

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Air pollution rising at an 'alarming rate' in world's cities

The Guardian - Thu, 2016-05-12 13:01

Outdoor pollution has risen 8% in five years with fast-growing cities in the developing world worst affected, WHO data shows


Outdoor air pollution has grown 8% globally in the past five years, with billions of people around the world now exposed to dangerous air, according to new data from more than 3,000 cities compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

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Global map uncovers surprising riches in the deep sea

ABC Science - Thu, 2016-05-12 09:58
DEEP-SEA RICHES: A global snapshot of thousands of close relatives of the starfish has provided an unprecedented view into the richness and diversity of deep-sea life.

Oldest cosmic dust ever found contains hints of oxygen in early Earth's atmosphere

ABC Science - Thu, 2016-05-12 09:42
SPACE DUST: The oldest fossils of cosmic dust ever discovered provide a glimpse into atmospheric conditions above the Earth more than 2.7 billion years ago and could do the same on other planets.

The shepherd's life

ABC Environment - Thu, 2016-05-12 09:30
James Rebanks is a shepherd from the Lake District in Northern England. Breeding and tending sheep is a tradition that dates back some 600 years in his family and, as with all farmers, his life and work is measured according to the cycle of the seasons.
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Australia's regions already have an energy crisis – and a climate of investment is the answer

The Guardian - Thu, 2016-05-12 09:26

Community energy groups are coming up with renewable energy schemes. Shouldn’t government extend a hand to help them?

Yackandandah, like most Australian towns, has had its ups and its downs. One of its biggest ups was the north-east Victorian gold rush. By the 1890s our town was full of miners toiling to extract what was left of its alluvial gold. The only thing holding these folks back was an energy crisis. The miners were unable to source the power needed to sluice and dredge or crush the ore. The solution was a water race from high up on the West Kiewa river, which wasn’t the brainchild of government, or even the mines department – but rather a local man.

John Wallace, a Yackandandah resident, recognised a problem that needed immediate action and set about solving it.

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Greenpeace activists target destructive fishing in Indian Ocean – in pictures

The Guardian - Thu, 2016-05-12 00:25

With some Indian Ocean tuna stocks on the brink of collapse, the expedition exposes harmful methods by the world’s largest tuna company, Thai Union, owner of John West

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Heathrow to ban night flights as part of plan for third runway

The Guardian - Wed, 2016-05-11 18:54

Airport will ban arrivals and departures before 5.30am, and support the launch of an independent noise authority

Heathrow has agreed to curb night flights if permission is granted for a third runway, as it announced measures it claimed met all the conditions set by the Airports Commission for its expansion plan.

As well as banning all arrivals and departures before 5.30am, the airport said it would support the introduction of an independent noise authority, and pledged not to add new capacity unless it can do so without delaying UK compliance with EU air quality limits.

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The impact of global warming on our health

ABC Environment - Wed, 2016-05-11 18:43
Are we underestimating the biomedical implications of global warming?
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Dyson could become next Tesla with its electric car, says expert

The Guardian - Wed, 2016-05-11 16:00

Filed patents show the British engineering firm may use solid-state batteries that could stretch electric car’s range to hundreds of miles and increase safety

Dyson could become the next Tesla motors as it develops a new electric car, according to a leading industry expert. Filed patents show the Dyson vehicle may use solid-state batteries, which would see the car’s range stretch to hundreds of miles and also be safer than current batteries.

In March, a government document revealed funding to help Dyson develop “a new battery electric vehicle”. The company declined to comment but in 2015 it said it planned to invest £1bn in battery technology and in October it bought solid-state battery company, Sakti3, for $90m, which founder Sir James Dyson said had “developed a breakthrough in battery technology”.

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Bird bath bullies

ABC Environment - Wed, 2016-05-11 14:06
A national citizen science project reveals which which bird species are dominating the backyard bird bath
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World's oldest known ground-edge stone axe fragments found in WA

ABC Science - Wed, 2016-05-11 11:10
WORLD'S OLDEST AXE: A fragment of the world's oldest known ground-edge axe has been found in the remote Kimberley region of northern Australia.

Fossil fuel register shows more than a third of Australia earmarked for coal or gas

The Guardian - Wed, 2016-05-11 06:27

Interactive map commissioned by Lock the Gate shows fossil fuel claims cover 37% of Australia’s landmass

More than a third of Australia’s landmass is earmarked for coal or gas, according to a new analysis and interactive map commissioned by the community group Lock the Gate.

No single register of fossil fuel exploration and extraction licences and applications exists so, commissioned by Lock the Gate, Energy Resources Insights gathered spatial information on land earmarked for fossil fuels from state and federal regulators.

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Five Pacific islands lost to rising seas as climate change hits

The Guardian - Tue, 2016-05-10 23:02

Six more islands have large swaths of land, and villages, washed into sea as coastline of Solomon Islands eroded and overwhelmed

Five tiny Pacific islands have disappeared due to rising seas and erosion, a discovery thought to be the first scientific confirmation of the impact of climate change on coastlines in the Pacific, according to Australian researchers.

Related: Sea levels set to 'rise far more rapidly than expected'

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Labor president Butler dismisses boats disunity and Greens deal

ABC Environment - Tue, 2016-05-10 18:42
The major parties have been taking turns, accusing each other of doing deals with the Greens.
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Why Australian cities need to change as they grow

ABC Environment - Tue, 2016-05-10 14:06
As the populations of our cities swell and temperatures rise, what are the best ways to deal with traffic congestion, water shortages, crime and sanitation?
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How long would it take a vampire to drain you of blood?

ABC Science - Tue, 2016-05-10 12:08
GREAT MOMENTS IN SCIENCE: If you're a sucker for a good vampire movie, be warned ... Dr Karl takes two big bites out of the legend.

Mercury makes rare transit across Sun's face

ABC Science - Tue, 2016-05-10 12:01
TRANSIT OF MERCURY: Sky watchers have had a rare opportunity to witness Mercury fly directly across the face of the Sun, a sight that unfolds about once every 10 years, as Earth and its smaller neighbouring planet came into perfect alignment.

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