Climate skeptic scientist Willie Soon failed to declare
income from fossil fuel firms in eight of 11 papers published since
2008, the New York Times reports. Soon has received more than $1.2
million in industry support over the last decade. Natureand the Guardianhave the story. Soon’s
receipt of fossil industry funds was first reported several years ago.

Former deputy prime minister John Prescott will advise Ed
Miliband on climate change and help to raise foreign governments’
ambition. Prescott was part of talks that agree the Kyoto Protocol
in 1997. Sky News, the Mirrorand the Telegraphhave the story. Prescott
also has an opinion piecein the
Mirror.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) chair
Rajendra Pachari will miss a meeting over the panel’s future this
week following allegations of sexual harassment. The planned IPCC
summit in Nairobi will be led by the panel’s vice chair. Pachauri
denies the allegations, saying his email account was hacked to send
inappropriate messages.

The incidence of diseases such as dengue and chagas fever
could accelerate as a result of climate change, according to a
World Health Organisation report covered by RTCC. Changes in global
temperature, rainfall and humidity levels are expected to increase
the distribution of at least some tropical diseases, the report
says. The Royal Society released a special journal issueon the same
topic last week.

The pre-election budget is likely to introduce new tax
breaks for the North Sea oil industry reports the Times. Trade body
Oil & Gas UK’s annual survey on Wednesday is expected to report
negative impacts of recent low oil prices for North Sea jobs.
The Financial Times’ Nick Butlersays
the North Sea should not be abandoned. The Green Alliance says the
North Sea oil industry should turn to carbon capture and storageto
secure its future.

Increased demand from China is fuelling a turnaround in
fortunes for the world’s largest manufacturers of wind turbines and
solar panels, the Financial Times reports. More than 50 gigawatts
of wind was installed globally in 2014, up 40 per cent on the
previous year. Global solar panel production rose 30 per
cent.

Five large offshore windfarms awarded early contracts worth
£12 billion last year were more expensive than necessary, argues a
Telegraph article. The results of a competitive auction due to be
announced this week will prove that the contracts could have been
cheaper, it says.

Ministers’ plans to begin negotiating with developers over a
£1 billion energy-generating tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay are poor
value for money according to consumer charity Citizens Advice. The
comments came in a response to a consultation over the idea. The
developers said the support would help tidal energy become cost
competitive with electricity nuclear and gas.

Scientists are ramping up research efforts in the Antarctic,
according to an Associated Press report in the Mail based on a
12-day trip this January. The scientists’ work includes efforts to
measure past carbon dioxide levels in ancient ice, to reveal the
past climate.

More than three quarters of Brits favour environmental
measures such as carbon taxes, according to an Ipsos MORI survey
reported by Business Green. Most respondents said it was up to
government to mitigate business impacts on the
environment.

Last year’s floods show climate change is an issue of
national, as well as global security, says Labour leader Ed
Miliband in a comment piece for the Observer. Miliband sets out his
aims for UN climate talks in Paris, including a goal of net-zero
global emissions in the second half of the century. Tackling
climate change is an “economic necessity” and the single most
important thing we can do for our children and grandchildren, he
says.

Temperatures in Yellowstone have been 10 degrees higher than
usual argues Geoffrey Lean. Despite recent snowstorms it’s been one
of the warmest winters recorded across the US, he says. Lean
criticises communities secretary Eric Pickles for planning to water
down the need for public buildings to show energy use
certificates.

The suggestion from a recent study that we could see as much
as 85 cm of sea level rise by the end of the century could be too
high, according to new research. The process of ‘expert
elicitation’ led to the estimate but this masks disagreement
between the scientists about the contribution of Greenland and
Antarctic ice sheet melt to future sea level rise. The authors say
the figure is probably more like 53 cm by 2100, and warn against
considering high-end sea-level rise estimates as being
well-determined.

Of 162 bird and 39 mammal species in northwest Alaska, 52
per cent are projected to experience an increase in habitat over
the 21st century, with 45 per cent experiencing a decline and three
per cent showing no change, according to a new modelling study. 62
per cent of mammal species will experience habitat declines
compared to 50 per cent of bird species. The scientists used the
IPCC intermediate warming scenario, adding that the outcomes become
more dire with higher levels of warming.

The Times