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TODAY'S CLIMATE AND ENERGY HEADLINES

Briefing date 25.04.2019
Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protesters glue themselves to London Stock Exchange

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News.

Extinction Rebellion: Climate change protesters glue themselves to London Stock Exchange
The Independent Read Article

Many publications report that protesters from Extinction Rebellion have today glued themselves to the London Stock Exchange as part of a series of new demonstrations targeted at the capital’s financial district. The Independent reports that five men and woman wearing black suits and red ties glued themselves together in a line, blocking the entrance to the building. The group said the area is being targeted because “the financial industry is responsible for funding climate and ecological destruction and we are calling on them, the companies and the institutions that allow this to happen, to tell the truth”, the Independent reports. The Guardian reports that this “rush-hour disruption” is the last action before the group brings an end to its current actions in London. However, the group said that the world should “expect more actions very soon”, BusinessGreen reports. The group will hold a “closing ceremony” today at 5pm in Hyde Park and will also withdraw from Marble Arch and Parliament Square, Business Green adds. The Daily Telegraph and Climate Home News also cover the group’s latest moves. The Guardian also reports that public support for the group has “soared” following its easter protests.

Separately, the Guardian reports that up to 10,000 anti-fracking protesters plan to line the route of the Tour de Yorkshire, which starts in Doncaster next Thursday. Protesters will wear masks depicting Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the devil, the Guardian says. The chemical company Ineos “has been announced as the new sponsor of what was Team Sky – home to Tour de France winners Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas”, it adds.

Deforestation: Tropical tree losses persist at high levels
BBC News Read Article

Several publications report on new data from the Global Forest Watch showing that around 12m hectares of forest in the world’s tropical regions were lost in 2018. This is the “equivalent to 30 football fields per minute”, BBC News reports. The data shows that deforestation is “still on an upward trend”, the Guardian reports. “Although 2018 losses were lower than in 2016 and 2017, when dry conditions led to large fires, last year was the next worst since 2002, when such records began,” the Guardian says. InsideClimate News says the rate of forest loss “threatens a crucial climate solution”.

Carbon capture crucial to hit green targets, say MPs
Financial Times Read Article

The Financial Times covers a new report from MPs finding that the UK cannot “credibly” reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero without the widespread use of carbon capture technology, but government support for the fledgling industry has been “turbulent”. A business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) select committee said current policies on carbon capture are “so broad as to be meaningless”, the FT adds. Reuters also has the story.

Climate change and sexual harassment top list of girls' concerns
The Guardian Read Article

Climate change and tackling sexual harassment are the main concerns for girls and young women in the UK, according to research covered by the Guardian. The results come from a consultation with 76,000 girls and young women aged from four to 25 in the UK by the Girl Guiding organisation.

Comment.

Greta Thunberg is right – only a general strike will force action on climate change
McEver Dugan and Evan Cholerton, The Guardian Read Article

Comment and opinion surrounding 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg continues in the UK media. The Guardian carries an opinion article from McEver Dugan and Evan Cholerton from the grassroots movement Earth Strike that argues that Thunberg “is right” to call for a general strike to force action on climate change. “For whatever comes, we will fight, and strike, together,” the article reads. An editorial in the Sun says Thunberg is “admirable”, but “what troubles us are the credulous adults fawning over her”. “The general strike Greta demands – or the end of air travel – would bring only chaos and hardship,” it adds. The Daily Mail carries a comment piece from Stephen Glover which also “admires” Thunberg, but asks “why DO our fawning politicians lose all reason over climate change?” An opinion by Rod Liddle in the Sun carries comments from climate sceptic Piers Corbyn attacking politicians that pay attention to Thunberg. Meanwhile, writer Deborah Orr says in the i newspaper that “the lineup of those attacking Greta Thunberg will only make you like her more”. The Daily Telegraph carries an in-depth profile of Thunberg. The New Yorker also carries a comment piece surrounding Thunberg’s activism. Edie explores how “key MPs” have responded to Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion.

Climate change: animation shows US leading the world in carbon emissions
Umair Irfan, Vox Read Article

Several publications carry a Carbon Brief animation of showing cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by country since 1750. Vox says the “stunning animation” makes it “abundantly clear is that the United States of America is the all-time biggest, baddest greenhouse gas emitter on the planet”. Grist says the animation “captures just how gigantic the US carbon footprint is”. Mashable also carries the animation.

How Big Oil tried (but failed) to capture the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Mat Hope, DeSmog UK Read Article

DeSmog UK carries a new series exploring how “a secretive fossil fuel lobby group undertook a decades-long campaign to undermine mainstream climate science while spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to try and influence major scientific reports”. Newly released documents show that the Global Climate Coalition (GCC), a fossil-fuel backed lobby group active in the mid-90s and early 2000s, “tried to manipulate the UN’s official scientific advisory body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),” DeSmog UK reports. A second article released today shows how the GCC “manipulated climate programs”.

Science.

Clean air for some: Unintended spillover effects of regional air pollution policies
Science Advances Read Article

Efforts to reduce air pollution in China’s cities could increase pollution, CO2 emissions and water consumption in neighbouring regions, a new study suggests. Using atmospheric chemical transport modelling, the researchers simulate clean air policy scenarios and evaluate their environmental impacts on PM2.5 emissions, CO2 emissions and water consumption in the cities of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei and the spillover effects to other regions. The findings suggest that the benefits of the policies come at the cost of pushing polluting industries to other nearby areas that have less efficient technologies and often lower environmental standards, the researchers conclude.

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