The first paper to directly measure methane plumes above shale gasdrilling sites in Pennsylvania has recorded methane leaks far morepowerful than government estimates. Methane is especially importantbecause its global warming effects are at their strongest duringthe first 20 years after it enters the atmosphere – in other words,during the small window of time available for reducing emissions,desmogblog reports.

U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3.4 percent in 2012,according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Emissions areat their lowest levels since 1994. Most of the decline came fromreductions in energy consumption, increased fuel efficiency intransport, and a shift to coal to gas, the EPAsaid.

Over half of the growth in global carbon pollution in the pastdecade has come just from China’s increase in coal, ClimateProgress reports. But severe pollution is threatening lifeexpectancy in parts of China, and in response the government isrequiring coal burning be cut in some provinces, according to a newGreenpeace report.

A report published last December shows a Scottish governmentcommitted to no nuclear new build would actually see reductions inconsumer electricity bills compared to the rest of the UnitedKingdom, according to one of its co-authors.

Climate change is affecting the livelihoods of small-scale coffeefarmers, leading to losses to their crops from either too much rainor due to droughts. Over the past decade, there has been along-term impact on coffee yields. the Conversationreports.

An A-level biology teacher responds to a recent report from theclimate skeptic Global Warming Policy Foundation, which claimedchildren are being “brainwashed” on climate change in schools. Inthis article, the teacher says the GWPF report “selectively” usesevidence and makes misleading claims.

A Brighton court will deliver a verdict this week in theprosecution of green MP Caroline Lucas for obstructing the highwayat an anti-fracking protest. “The possibility that one of the mostsensible politicians in parliament could receive a criminal record,rather than the medal she deserves, for standing up against greedyenergy bosses tells us everything we need to know about thetopsy-turvy state of British politics on the environment,” writesKen Livingstone.

Australian researchers have found that global warming couldsignificantly increase the price of a pint of beer, because “if theplanet gets hotter there will be more frequent droughts to regionsthat grow grains such as barley, which is a key ingredient inbeer,” reports the Mail. In another article, it reports climatechange is

EU climate policies are threatening to push waste-to-fuelcompanies away from the continent, the Financial Times reports -because policy makers in Brussels are now sidelining rules ontransport fuels and may “dramatically dilute” 2009 regulationsaimed at increasing the amount of biofuels in transportfuel.

The government is planning to install between 11GW to 13GW ofonshore wind by 2020 on top of the 12.2GW planned or built already,and David Cameron’s recent announcement on limiting onshore windwill make no difference to that. Journalist Louise Gray argues itwould “be better to make sure they are built in the right placerather than introduce an arbitrary and meaningless cap”.

The BBC investigates a new energy source, currently locked deepbeneath the ocean floor and the Arctic permafrost. Differentcountries are trying to access methane hydrate, which contains moreenergy than in all the world’s oil, coal and gas put together. It’salso a fossil fuel, and could will add carbon emissions to theatmosphere if burnt.

A new paper examines Twitter activity surrounding the launch inSeptember of the IPCC’s report on the physical science of climatechange. The most used hashtags related to themes of science,geographical location and social issues connected to climatechange. Particularly noteworthy were tweets connected to Australianpolitics, US politics, geoengineering and fracking, the authorsreport.