Around The Web
Storm Dennis: cars swept away by flooding in Wales – video
Cars were swept away by flooding in the town of Hay-on-Wye as Storm Dennis brought heavy rain and winds to the UK on Sunday. Footage posted on social media showed vehicles half-submerged and floating away after a nearby river burst its banks
Continue reading...Ranulph Fiennes labels trophy hunters 'bullying bastards' and calls for UK import ban
Explorer says halting imports would recognise the devastating impact of colonialism on wildlife
Banning the import and export of big game hunting trophies would recognise the destructive impact European powers have had on wildlife in former African and Asian colonies, Sir Ranulph Fiennes has said.
Speaking to the Guardian, the veteran British explorer said hunting endangered species such as rhinos, elephants and lions to keep their body parts as trophies should be viewed with the same scepticism as Chinese traditional medicine in terms of the damage it does to biodiversity.
Continue reading...Beavers cut flooding and pollution and boost wildlife populations
Five-year study of animals in Devon finds measurable benefits to wildlife and people
Beavers have alleviated flooding, reduced pollution and boosted populations of fish, amphibians and other wildlife, according to a five-year study of wild-living animals in Devon.
The report, which will help the government decide whether to allow wild beavers to return to England after being hunted to extinction more than 400 years ago, concludes that the species has brought measurable benefits to wildlife and people.
Continue reading...Shipping pollution regulations 'could harm food chain'
Use of ‘scrubbers’ to cut air pollution increases pollutants pumped into sea, UN report says
New shipping pollution regulations introduced earlier this year could harm humans by contaminating fish and crustaceans with toxins, according to an internal report compiled by the International Maritime Organization and obtained by the Guardian.
In the report the IMO, the United Nations agency responsible for regulating shipping, says that there is insufficient “toxicity data” to be able to assess the risk to humans caused by the increased use of exhaust gas cleaning systems, which are also known as “scrubbers”.
Continue reading...Erdoğan’s ‘crazy project': new Istanbul canal to link Black and Marmara Seas
Proposed route slices through a major drinking water source and an important stop for migratory birds
To the west of Istanbul, between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, lie diverse landscapes of forest, farms, marshes and ancient settlements. Following a curving line from north to south would connect you through the Terkos Lake, Sazlıdere stream and reservoir and Küçükçekmece lagoon, important water sources for migratory birds – not to mention the city’s residents.
This line, however, is also the path of Kanal İstanbul, a $12.6bn(£9.7bn) mega-infrastructure plan described by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as his “crazy project” when he first mentioned the idea in 2011.
Continue reading...Why Canavan will be a more dangerous pro-coal advocate outside of Morrison ministry
Former resources minister Matt Canavan says he is ready to cross the floor and do everything he can to support coal industry.
The post Why Canavan will be a more dangerous pro-coal advocate outside of Morrison ministry appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Rain has eased the dry, but more is needed to break the drought
Small is beautiful as solar farms look for ways around grid chaos
Developers and off-takers are working with smaller-scale solar farms in a bid to avoid the pitfalls of Australia’s current grid connection and congestion crisis.
The post Small is beautiful as solar farms look for ways around grid chaos appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Coal miners given free ride under Morrison government emissions “caps”
A growing number of industrial emitters avoiding limits by using soft rules to secure higher emissions allowances under the Safeguard Mechanism.
The post Coal miners given free ride under Morrison government emissions “caps” appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Rio Tinto joins iron ore mining giants making big switch to solar and batteries
Rio Tinto latest iron ore giant to turn to solar and batteries, saying solar will provide all the daytime power needs of new $2.6 billion mining project.
The post Rio Tinto joins iron ore mining giants making big switch to solar and batteries appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Met Office forecasters set for 'billion pound' supercomputer
Human compost funerals 'better for environment'
A climate emergency: what happens when the taps run dry?
In the second episode of The Frontline, a major series on how Australians are already experiencing the climate crisis, we show what daily life looks like in one of dozens of Australian towns that have run out of drinking water
Continue reading...Major airlines say they're acting on climate change. Our research reveals how little they've achieved
The unequal cost of the drought
2019 was the driest year in Australia’s recorded history. In places like Euchareena in the central west of NSW, water has become so scarce the only option has been to truck it in. But this comes with a serious cost that many can’t afford to pay. In this episode of Full Story we hear from one family about how the cost is not just financial, but cultural and spiritual too
You can read more about Fleur and Lockie Magick Dennis and see them interviewed in this interactive feature.
This story is part of Guardian Australia’s The frontline: inside Australia’s climate emergency series.
Continue reading...Storm Dennis: huge waves and flooded roads in England and Wales – video
Storm Dennis has hit England and Wales creating severe flooding, especially in south Wales where officials have warned conditions are ‘life-threatening’.
Streets have been evacuated by lifeboat in some of the worst-hit areas and people moved to emergency rescue centres after their properties and businesses were devastated by water from overflowing rivers
Continue reading...FRV secures finance for new 85MW solar farm in Victoria
Not all bad news in Victoria for large scale solar projects, with FRV securing finance for a new 85MW solar farm near Benalla.
The post FRV secures finance for new 85MW solar farm in Victoria appeared first on RenewEconomy.
The five: things you need to know about locusts
The insects have been swarming across East Africa in numbers not seen for decades – and the phenomenon may be more common in the future
Last week, the UN issued a warning about the numbers of desert locusts currently swarming through much of East Africa; they have now reached Uganda and Tanzania. The outbreak is the largest for decades and has already devastated crops in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, countries with fragile food security. The problem is not confined to Africa, with swarms also occurring in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Continue reading...There is always hypocrisy in politics – but it can be good for the nation | Greg Jericho
From climate change to the budget, we see politicians pretend they think something then do the opposite
You don’t need to observe politics for too long before realising that hypocrisy is the natural scent of the politics.
It is a stench that pervades much of what is said and policy that is enacted. There are two particular types – the hypocrisy where politicians pretend they care about something and then do nothing, and the one where they pretend to think something and do the opposite.
Continue reading...Christiana Figueres on the climate emergency: ‘This is the decade and we are the generation’
The leader of the 2015 Paris accord talks about her new book, The Future We Choose, and why it’s crunch time for humanity
• ‘The only uncertainty is how long we’ll last’: the worst case scenario for 2050
• ‘Air is cleaner than before the Industrial Revolution’: the best case scenario for 2050
Christiana Figueres is a founder of the Global Optimism group and was head of the UN climate change convention when the Paris agreement was achieved in 2015.
Your new book is called The Future We Choose. But isn’t it too late to stop the climate crisis?
We are definitely running late. We have delayed appallingly for decades. But science tells us we are still in the nick of time.
Pages
