Drax accepts court ruling on biomass subsidy
News
ruled against power generator Drax
Climate and energy news
Science shut down at crippled UK Antarctic
base
The electrical and heating systems failed at the UK’s Halley
Research Station in Antarctica last week, meaning all science
“ground to a halt” at the base. One of the electrical engineers at
the base has been
National Trust chief attacks ‘green blob’ over
subsidies for rich
The chairman of the National Trust, Simon Jenkins, has come out in
support of former environment secretary Owen Paterson’s comments
that a “green blob” is unduly influencing government policy. He
says a number of supposedly charitable organisations are little
more than fronts for rich landowners to chase” the smartest money
around, wind turbine subsidy”, which he says have “undetectable
effects on carbon-dioxide emissions.”
Edelman formally declares it will not accept
climate denial campaigns
The US’s biggest public relations firm has formally declared it
won’t take on campaigns that question the scientific basis of
climate change. Responding to an earlier Guardian investigation, a
statement on Edelman’s website says: “Edelman fully recognises the
reality of, and science behind, climate change, and believes it
represents one of the most important global challenges facing
society, business and government today. To be clear, we do not
accept client assignments that aim to deny climate change.”
Satellite image of Earth reveals four storms
acrossthe Pacific Ocean at the SAME time
A spectacular satellite image this morning revealed an unsettled
Earth with Typhoon Halong, Hurricane Genevieve, Hurricane Iselle,
and Hurricane Julion simultaneously churning up the Pacific ocean.
Above-normal sea surface temperatures in the far eastern tropical
Pacific have persisted this year – characteristic of an El Niño
event – and could be contributing to the exceptional weather, a
tropical scientist tells the Mail.
Can we stop climate change? Infographic claims to
reveal the four scenarios awaiting humanity – and NONE of them are
great
The World Resources Institute has released an infographic outlining
the climate impacts associated with four potential emissions
reduction pathways. In the worst case scenario, the world’s carbon
budget is exhausted by 2045, a range of species are threatened by
extinction, crop yields are hit, and serious flooding becomes more
likely. The infographic is based on research in the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recent
report.
Tidal power generator unveiling hailed as
landmark
A 400 kilowatt tidal generator has been unveiled at Ramsey Sound in
Permbrokeshire. The generator will run for a trial period of 12
months, powering homes in nearby St Davids. The managing director
of Tidal Energy, the generator’s owner, said the trial marks the
“birth of the tidal industry in Wales”. TheDaily Mailalso has the
story.
India Invites Bids for $8 Billion Renewable Grid
Upgrade
India intends to start construction this year on grid upgrades
worth $8 billion as part of prime minister Modi’s pledge to deliver
electricity to ever home. The upgrades are needed if the grid is to
cope with a more than doubling of renewable power capacity by 2022.
India has about 32 gigawatts of renewable capacity, which is
expected to climb to 72 gigawatts by 2022, according to the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Climate and energy comment
Facts can convince conservatives about global
warming – sometimes
A new paper published in the European Journal of Social
Psychology suggests people with conservative political views are
more likely to consider climate change to be a serious problem when
they are more informed about the issue. That means educating the
public could potentially lead to more people caring about climate
change, Dana Nuccitelli concludes.
Beijing’s coal ban may herald the end of the
fuel
Is China turning its back on coal? More a gentle palm away.
Beijing has banned the burning of coal in six of its central
districts due to air quality concerns. Smaller coal-burning
factories and heating plants will also have to shut or move out by
2020. While coal demand in China remains high, Fred Pearce argues
that the policy move could be enough to panic markets which would
collapse if China pulled out.
New climate science
Arctic science: A glide-path to
knowledge
The Arctic has a habit of revealing climatic trends that are
otherwise unclear. As such, studying it is essential to getting a
better understanding of climate change. But the environment is so
inhospitable, getting data is not always easy. The Economist looks
at how a US Navy-backed project gets around the conditions using a
range of impressive technology – from “seagliders” to acoustic
navigation beacons.