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Daily Briefing |

TODAY'S CLIMATE AND ENERGY HEADLINES

Briefing date 10.04.2017
Great Barrier Reef: Two-thirds damaged in ‘unprecedented’ bleaching, Nation proves economy can expand while emissions fall, & more

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News.

Great Barrier Reef: Two-thirds damaged in 'unprecedented' bleaching
BBC News Read Article

A severe bleaching event for the second consecutive year has damaged two-thirds of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, new aerial surveys show. The pictures show the bleaching affecting a 1,500km stretch in the middle third of the reef, with the northern third still recovering from last year’s event. The findings have caused alarm among scientists, reports The Guardian, with water quality expert, Jon Brodie, warning that the reef was now in a “terminal stage”. In a series of articles labelled “Great Barrier Reef in Crisis”, The Guardian has a video explainer about the effects of the back to back bleaching, and a video commentary by Prof Terry Hughes, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, who undertook aerial surveys. The latest damage happened without the assistance of El Niño, notes The Washington Post, a weather event that has previously been associated with bleaching events. To add to the reef’s woes, Reuters says Cyclone Debbie damaged one of the few healthy sections of the Great Barrier Reef to have escaped large-scale bleaching. New Scientist also covers the story.

Nation proves economy can expand while emissions fall
The Times Read Article

The UK has cut its per capita CO2 emissions by a greater percentage than any other member of the G7 at the same time as doubling its economic output per person, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit says this means Briton’s carbon footprint is now 33% less than in 1992 and people are more than 130% richer. The report runs through the reasons for the shift, including the 1990s “dash for gas”, the switch to a more services based economy, policies since the Climate Change Act in 2008, energy efficiency schemes and cutting methane from landfill sites. Richard Black, director of the ECIU, said that the new data was further evidence that economic growth and carbon emissions were not inextricably linked: “If you have consistent policymaking and cross-party consensus, it’s perfectly possible to get richer and cleaner at the same time”. Michael Howard, former leader of the Conservative party and environment secretary from 1992 to 1993 writes in The Guardian, that climate change action is good for the economy “and Britain is the proof”. The piece nods to the new initiative launched by Christiana Figueres this week, which aims to show how economies can thrive while emissions fall. Howard says, “Now let us put our collective weight behind the Figueres initiative, and finish the job.”

California lifts drought emergency
The Hill Read Article

One of the worst droughts in California history has officially ended, the state’s Governor Jerry Brown declared on Friday. Storms between October and March dumped an average of more than 30 inches of rain, the second highest average rainfall on record, helping to alleviate the exceptional conditions caused by five years of drought. The drought cost the economy billions, notes Reuters, with half-million acres of farmland fallowed and communities deprived of drinking water. The Guardian picks up on Brown’s comments in a statement, warning that as climate change makes weather patterns more severe, conservation must remain a way of life: “This drought emergency is over, but the next drought could be around the corner.”

Ex-UN climate chief Figueres eyes more climate ambition pre-2020 in new venture
Carbon Pulse Read Article

Former UN climate chief, Christiana Figueres, is launching a new global initiative to drive businesses, financiers and governments to ramp up climate action by 2020 to prevent dangerous climate change. The report establishes a timeline for how to ensure a safe and stable climate, explains Prof Michael Mann, a professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State University. His TIME article argues that while we’re already moving in the right direction, the pace isn’t fast enough: “Science has no political affiliation and shouldn’t be a political issue. Chemistry and physics don’t care who is president or which party runs a parliament. No politician should ignore the warnings of scientists, economists and military leaders, and argue against health, increased stability and economic prosperity — all of which depend on how the world responds to climate change.”

Comment.

North Sea oil is in its death throes. But the industry has one last grand act left
Ian Jack, The Guardian Read Article

To witness the beginning or end of a great industry or a way of living isn’t unusual but for a single generation to witness both is exceptional – and North Sea oil is coming close to that distinction, writes Ian Jack. The piece references Carbon Brief’s analysis last week – covered by The Guardian – which found tax relief exceeded the Treasury’s oil revenues for the first time in 2016. The political consequences, especially for the Scottish National party, are well known, he says: “The oil price has risen since and North Sea oil’s net loss to the government may not be repeated in the near future, but the Treasury still faces a likely total bill of £24bn by the time the last North Sea well is plugged, which is more than the construction costs of Hinkley Point nuclear power station (estimated at £18bn) and around the same as building four new Trident submarines.”

Green Growth
Editorial, The Times Read Article

As the most successful G7 economy in terms of boosting its economy while reducing emissions, Britain is a richer and a cleaner country than it was 25 years ago, says a Times editorial. It reads, “In the 25 years since the UN climate convention was signed, Britain’s output per person has more than doubled while its per-capita carbon dioxide emissions have declined by a third. The outcome demonstrates that environmental policies and economic enrichment are compatible. Some corporate lobbyists have in the past doubted this and should not have done.” The piece concludes that with many strands to the challenge of mitigating climate change while improving the environment, the answer lies in greater integration into the global market, not less.

Science.

Modelling the regional impact of climate change on the suitability of the establishment of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) in Serbia
Climatic Change Read Article

Rising temperatures will make most of Serbia significantly more suitable for the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, during this century, a new study suggests. A. albopictus originated in Asia but has recently spread into temperate regions of Europe and North America. It is one of the world’s most dangerous invasive species, the researchers say, as it can spread numerous diseases, including chikungunya, dengue, Zika and Rift Valley fever.

The Impact of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on Winter and Early Spring U.S. Tornado Outbreaks
Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology Read Article

A new study assesses how cycles of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affect outbreaks of tornadoes in the US during winter and spring. The researchers analyse data for counts of tornadoes in “outbreaks” (six or more tornadoes in a 24-hour period), their destructive potential, and sea surface temperature. The results suggest that La Niña conditions consistently bring more frequent and intense tornado activity compared with El Niño, particularly at higher latitudes.

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