The Guardian
Melting glaciers reveal five new islands in the Arctic
Russian navy discovers yet-to-be-named islands previously hidden under glaciers
The Russian navy says it has discovered five new islands revealed by melting glaciers in the remote Arctic.
An expedition in August and September charted the islands, which have yet to be named and were previously hidden under glaciers, said the head of the northern fleet, Vice-Admiral Alexander Moiseyev.
Continue reading...UK to use £1bn meant for green energy to support fracking in Argentina
Documents show government’s plans to prioritise loans in support of major oil companies
The UK is planning to invest in Argentina’s controversial oil shale industry using a £1bn export finance deal intended to support green energy, according to government documents seen by the Guardian.
UK Export Finance, the government’s foreign credit agency, promised in 2017 to offer loans totalling £1bn to help UK companies export their expertise in “infrastructure, green energy and healthcare” to invest in Argentina’s economy.
Continue reading...Have you spotted any new buds or flowers in October?
If you have seen any plants flowering unusually this month, we would like to see your photos
According to former Guardian environment correspondent Paul Brown, “new research published in Geophysical Research letters show that so-called “cold” days in European winters are on average 3C warmer than 70 years ago”.
Some people have reported seeing new flower buds in the unseasonal temperatures, leading to worries the flowers will be killed by the winter weather and may not bloom again in spring.
Continue reading...NSW to try to stop mine projects being blocked because of their overseas emissions
State government wants to prevent the regulation of scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions in mining approvals
The New South Wales government has announced it will introduce legislation to try to stop planning authorities from blocking mine developments based on emissions from coal once it is burned.
The push is a response to the historic Rocky Hill verdict delivered by the NSW Land and Environment court earlier this year and comes just days after the government launched a review of the state’s Independent Planning Commission (IPC).
Continue reading...Australia is the only country using carryover climate credits, officials admit
More than half of Australia’s Paris emissions commitment will come from controversial credits from previous targets
The federal environment department says it is not aware of any countries other than Australia planning to use controversial “carryover credits” to meet international climate commitments.
The comment, at a Senate estimates hearing on Monday, comes as the Morrison government rebuffs calls from international leaders, analysts and activists for it to abandon the use the credits to meet its 2030 Paris emissions goal.
Continue reading...Electric cars to get green number plates under government plan
Plates will mean perks such as free parking as part of scheme to push zero-emission vehicles
Green coloured number plates will be issued for electric cars under government plans to encourage drivers to buy zero-emission vehicles.
The government said the new licence plates would make the least polluting cars easily identifiable and help their drivers benefit from incentives such as free parking or access to clean air zones.
Continue reading...Ocean acidification can cause mass extinctions, fossils reveal
Carbon emissions make sea more acidic, which wiped out 75% of marine species 66m years ago
Ocean acidification can cause the mass extinction of marine life, fossil evidence from 66m years ago has revealed.
A key impact of today’s climate crisis is that seas are again getting more acidic, as they absorb carbon emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas. Scientists said the latest research is a warning that humanity is risking potential “ecological collapse” in the oceans, which produce half the oxygen we breathe.
Continue reading...'Really refreshing, really crisp': finding Australia's best tap water
Beating finalists from five other states, Queensland’s Mackay is judged to have the nation’s most delicious water on tap
Australia’s best-tasting tap water has had a long journey: from rainforest ponds where “platypuses are playing”, down “cascading waterfalls”, “rocky rivers”, “into the Pioneer River”, through Marion Water Treatment Plant and then into the pipes of Queensland’s Mackay.
Related: How to save water in Australia's drought: reuse, buy a front-loader – and wash less
Continue reading...UK firm announces plans for first 'liquid to gas' cryogenic battery
Highview Power claims device will be Europe’s largest energy storage project
British battery pioneers plan to build Europe’s largest energy storage project using a cryogenic battery that can store renewable energy for weeks rather than hours.
The device will be built on the site of an old fossil fuel plant in the north of England to power up to 50,000 homes for up to five hours.
Continue reading...Tory boasts on climate action are full of hot air | Letters
The letter from Conservative MPs listing their climate achievements makes rather sad reading (Letters, 17 October). Yes, they have done some positive things but the letter glosses over many problems.
The record investment in renewables and phase-out of coal power stations is largely a result of market forces because green measures have become much cheaper, and it was the Labour government that introduced the feed-in tariff leading to the huge growth in solar power. Setting a net-zero target is meaningless unless supported by action, and hosting the 2020 UN climate talks will probably simply produce more hot air than reduce CO2 .
Continue reading...White bellbird: listen to the world's loudest bird call – video
A bird found in the Amazon has shattered the record for the loudest call, reaching the same volume as a pneumatic drill. The white bellbird, which lives in the mountains of the north-eastern Amazon, was recorded at 125 decibels (dB), three times louder than the next bird in the pecking order, the screaming piha
Continue reading...Fowl language: Amazonian bird's mating call noisiest in world
White bellbird’s call reaches same volume as pneumatic drill during courtship ritual
A bird in the Amazon has shattered the record for the loudest call to be recorded, reaching the same volume as a pneumatic drill.
The white bellbird, which lives in the mountains of the north-eastern Amazon, was recorded at 125 decibels (dB), three times louder than the next bird in the pecking order, the screaming piha.
Continue reading...Farming could be absorber of carbon by 2050, says report
Veganism and trees could help stop agriculture contributing to global heating, study says
If one in five people in richer countries went near-vegan, and threw away a third less food than they currently do, while poor countries were assisted to preserve their forests and restore degraded land, the world’s agricultural systems could be absorbing carbon dioxide by 2050 instead of adding massively to global heating as they do at present.
Tree-planting and improving the fertility of soil through better farming practices would also be needed, according to a study of global forests, farming and food systems published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Continue reading...About Our Unequal Earth
This new series from the Guardian, will investigate environmental inequalities in the US and beyond
This content is supported in part through a grant to theguardian.org by The 11th Hour Project, established within The Schmidt Family Foundation to uplift bold, community-centered solutions to a more regenerative, just, and healthy future for people and planet. All content is editorially independent and overseen by Guardian editors.
All our journalism follows GNM’s published editorial code. The Guardian is committed to open journalism, recognising that the best understanding of the world is achieved when we collaborate, share knowledge, encourage debate, welcome challenge, and harness the expertise of specialists and their communities. You can read more about content funding at the Guardian here.
Unless otherwise stated, all statements and materials reflect the views of the individual contributors and not those of The 11th Hour Project, theguardian.org or the Guardian.
Continue reading...Renewable energy to expand by 50% in next five years - report
Energy agency says solar power will drive faster than forecast growth in renewables
Global supplies of renewable electricity are growing faster than expected and could expand by 50% in the next five years, powered by a resurgence in solar energy.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) found that solar, wind and hydropower projects are rolling out at their fastest rate in four years.
Continue reading...Waitrose to stop selling plastic toys in Christmas crackers from 2020
John Lewis Partnership also plans to reduce amount of glitter in products sold
John Lewis and Waitrose are to stop selling Christmas crackers containing plastic toys and puzzles as part of a drive to reduce single-use plastics – but not until 2020.
The retailers will announce on Monday that they would switch next year to crackers filled with toys and other items made from recyclable materials such as metal and paper, with the cardboard wrappers embossed rather than decorated with plastic glitter.
Continue reading...How UK's disused mine shafts plan to store renewable energy
Gravitricity develops winch and hoist system to store energy at half the cost of lithium-ion batteries
Britain’s cheapest “virtual battery” could be created by hoisting and dropping 12,000-tonne weights – half the weight of the Statue of Liberty – down disused mine shafts, according to Imperial College London.
The surprising new source of “gravity energy” is being developed by Gravitricity, an Edinburgh-based startup, which hopes to use Britain’s old mines to make better use of clean electricity at half the cost of lithium-ion batteries.
Continue reading...Victorians could get six bins to help solve recycling crisis
Infrastructure Victoria suggests households given bins for general waste, organics, plastics, glass, metals, paper and card
Residents in Victoria could soon have as many as six bins for waste and recycling, under a proposal by Infrastructure Victoria to deal with the state’s recycling crisis.
Around 35% of all waste produced by households in Victoria in 2017-2018 ended up in landfill, according to evidence from Sustainability Victoria, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office.
Continue reading...Leading Australian engineers turn their backs on new fossil fuel projects
The Engineers Declare movement pledges to put climate considerations first in evaluating plans
Engineering firms are under increased pressure from their own employees to abandon controversial fossil fuel projects, as the sector turns its attention to the climate crisis.
About 1,000 Australian engineers and 90 organisations – including large firms and respected industry figures who have worked with fossil fuel companies – have signed a declaration to “evaluate all new projects against the environmental necessity to mitigate climate change”.
Continue reading...Scores more heart attacks and strokes on high pollution days, figures show
Data reveals acute impact on people’s health and the strain it puts on emergency services
Scores of children and adults are being rushed to hospital for emergency treatment on days of high pollution in cities across England, figures show.
Each year emergency services see more than 120 additional cardiac arrests, more than 230 additional strokes and nearly 200 more people with asthma requiring hospital treatment on days of high pollution compared with the average on days of lower pollution.
Continue reading...