UK Goes Record-Breaking 1,838 Hours Coal-Free Already This Year

23.06.2019

miner-1903636_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The UK has gone a record-breaking 1,838 hours without using coal to generate electricity already this year.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has highlighted that 2018’s record of 1837.5 coal-free hours has been broken only slightly more than six months of the way through 2019.

It says using less of the fossil fuel has cut around five million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent a car would produce while driving a distance of more than 12 billion miles.

The time adds up to a total of 77 days without using coal – earlier this month the nation lasted nineteen consecutive days and six hours without using the polluting fuel source to create electricity, the first time this has been done in the UK since the Industrial Revolution.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Chris Skidmore said: “Coal is fast becoming the fossil of our energy system and it will soon be consigned to the history books.

“To ensure this happens as soon as possible, we have committed to phasing out coal entirely by 2025 and we’re supporting our world leading renewables sector to thrive through record levels of investment.”

Source: Energy Live News

Easter Island Threatened by Bad Tourist Behavior

22.06.2019

thomas-griggs-641511-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Thomas Griggs)

Easter Island has long been a bucket list destination for travelers from around the world.

But the very thing that keeps the island’s economy going strong may be the thing that ultimately causes its ruin: mass tourism.

Recently, a spate of bad behavior by travelers on Easter Island, which is famed for its enormous statues known as moai, has spurred new conversations about how visitors to the island should behave.

Specifically, a new trend of photos where people make it look like they’re “picking the noses” of the moai.

Jo Anne Van Tilburg is an archaeologist, director of the Rock Art Archive at the University of California – Los Angeles and the Director of the Easter Island Statue Project.

Although her life’s work has been to protect and study the moai, these days she’s focusing more on educating the hundreds of thousands of people who visit Easter Island on how to behave properly — on a personal level as well as an environmental one.

“Because of the ubiquitous nature of photography in our community, people take the same picture repeatedly. Once one person picks a nose of the moai, you can be sure there will be multiple thousands [of photos], because people are lemmings,” Van Tilburg tells CNN Travel.

Two other examples of these “overdone” photos are people who make it look like they’re holding the Great Pyramid of Giza in the palm of their hand and travelers making it look as if they’re pushing the Leaning Tower of Pisa up to keep it from falling.

“There’s nothing creative or interesting or humorous about it. The herd instinct is real.”

Van Tilburg first visited Easter Island, which is part of Polynesia but a territory of Chile, in 1981 as a doctoral student. The island did not get added to the UNESCO World Heritage list until 1995.

Since then, she has returned regularly and noticed a shift in the kinds of people who choose to visit Rapa Nui National Park.

In the 1980s, between 2,000 and 5,000 travelers per year came to Rapa Nui National Park. These days, it’s north of 100,000 annually. Instead of two flights a week from Santiago, there are three a day.

That’s a huge burden on an island with only about 6,000 full-time residents, not to mention one where water and other natural resources are in limited supply and must be used carefully.

Although visitors in the past were able to roam the national park freely and get close to all the moai, the crush of overtourism has come with restrictions and now travelers must stick to a prescribed path and only view a few of the statues.

And bad behavior is sadly not a new invention. In 2008, a Finnish man who climbed one of the moai and chipped a piece of ear off was arrested, fined $17,000 and ordered to leave the island and never return.

Van Tilburg also feels that there has been a shift between people who were longtime fans of archeology and history who saved up to afford a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Easter Island, to people who are simply “collectors of places.”

In 2018, some controls were put into place to protect Easter Island. Now, foreigners and Chileans who are not Rapa Nui can only get 30-day travel visas instead of the previous 90-day ones.

So, if you still want to visit Easter Island and want to show respect for the people and the land there, what can you do? Van Tilburg has a few suggestions.

“Read and prepare,” she says simply. “Once you show your guide you have a serious interest, they will take you seriously. Make your questions deserving of answers.”

And studying up on Easter Island also means recognizing that it’s a living site, not a museum.

“There are 1,000 statues and there are 5,000 people,” Van Tilburg says. “Their faces are just as important.”

Author: Lilit Marcus

Source: CNN

EU Aims to Tackle Climate Change With Newly Adopted ‘Green Finance’ Guidelines

21.06.2019

brussels-4056171_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Newly adopted guidelines set forth by the European Commission Tuesday aim to tackle climate change by way of the financial sector. The move comes to bolster the success of the Sustainable Action Plan published last year to reorient capital flows toward sustainable investment and manage financial risks from climate change, environmental degradation and social issues.

In short, the guidelines help define an environmentally friendly investment by providing companies with recommendations on how to report the impact of their activities on the climate, as well as how climate change impacts their business.

“The climate emergency leaves us with no choice but transit to a climate-neutral economy model,” said Valdis Dombrovskis, vice-president responsible for financial stability, financial services and capital markets union. “Today’s new guidelines will help companies to disclose the impact of the climate change on their business as well as the impact of their activities on climate and therefore enable investors make more informed investment decisions.”

Efforts will ensure that 6,000 European Union (EU) companies, banks and insurance agencies transition to a climate-neutral economy, furthering 2030 climate and energy framework seeking to cut carbon emissions by 2030. The European Commission takes that goal one step further by seeking to reduce emissions to zero by 2050, which will require many sectors to find an additional annual investment of between 175 and 290 billion euros.

Public and private investments are needed to transform the continent’s ability to deliver on climate-focused goals, according to the EU. To do this, financial planners have defined sustainable finance as a viable method of achieving climate change-related objectives, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources, the transition to a circular economy, waste prevention and recycling, pollution prevention and promoting healthy ecosystems.

Among other things, the new guidelines classify sustainable activities to create a “common language,” establish EU labels for green financial products and strengthen the transparency of companies’ impacts on the environment. The report sets parameters on how businesses can qualify as “green” based on their contributions to the EU’s six environmental objectives without negatively affecting other businesses, reports Reuters.

The guidelines do not include coal and nuclear power and instead support 2030 goals that agree to establish at least one-third share of renewables in final energy consumption, a one-third energy savings when compared to business-as-usual scenarios, and establish a minimum cut of 40 percent in greenhouse gas emissions when compared to 1990 levels.

“The aim of these guidelines is to help companies disclose high quality, relevant, useful, consistent and more comparable non-financial (environmental, social and governance-related) information in a way that fosters resilient and sustainable growth and employment, and provides transparency to stakeholders,” reads the report text, adding that the “non-binding guidelines could represent best practice for all companies that disclose non-financial information.”

Author: Madison Dapcevich

Source: Eco Watch

There Will Be 9.7 Billion on Earth by 2050, but the Growth Rate Is Slowing

21.06.2019

train-station-691176_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

“The World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights”, estimates that the next 30 years will see the global population add an extra 2 billion people to today’s figure of 7.7 billion, and, by the end of the century, the planet will have to sustain around 11 billion.

India will overtake China, sub-Saharan Africa population to double

India is expected to show the highest population increase between now and 2050, overtaking China as the world’s most populous country, by around 2027. India, along with eight other countries, will make up over half of the estimated population growth between now and 2050.

The nine countries expected to show the biggest increase are India, Nigeria and Pakistan, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Egypt and the United States of America. In all, the population of sub-Saharan Africa is expected to practically double by 2050.

However, growth in these countries comes against the backdrop of a slowing global fertility rate. In 1990, the average number of births per woman was 3.2. By 2019 this had fallen to 2.5 births per woman and, by 2050, this is projected to decline further to 2.2 births: a fertility level of 2.1 births per woman is necessary to avoid national population decline over the long run (in the absence of immigration).

The population size of more and more countries is actually falling. Since 2010, 27 countries or areas have seen a drop of at least one per cent, because of persistently low fertility rates. Between now and 2050, that is expected to expand to 55 countries which will see a population decrease of one per cent or more, and almost half of these will experience a drop of at least 10 per cent.

In some cases, the falling population size is reinforced by high rates of emigration, and migration flows have become a major reason for population change in certain regions. Bangladesh, Nepal and the Philippines are seeing the largest migratory outflows resulting from the demand for migrant workers; and Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela are the countries where the largest numbers are leaving because of violence, insecurity or armed conflict. For those countries where population is falling, immigration is expected to plug the gaps, particularly in Belarus, Estonia and Germany.

Population report a ‘roadmap to action and intervention’

“Many of the fastest growing populations are in the poorest countries, where population growth brings additional challenges”, said Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). These challenges include the fight to eradicate poverty, and combat hunger and malnutrition; greater equality; and improved healthcare and education. The report, he said, offers a “roadmap” indicating where to target action and interventions.

At the same time, growth is providing opportunities in many developing economies: recent reductions in fertility mean that the working-age population (25 to 64) is growing faster than other age ranges, which could improve the possibilities for faster economic growth. The report recommends that governments make use of this “demographic dividend” to invest in education in health.

Proportion of older people increasing, life expectancy still lower in poorer countries

There will be one in six people over 65 by 2050, up from the current figure of one in 11. Some regions will see the share of older people double in the next 30 years, including Northern Africa, Asia and Latin America.

By 2050, a quarter of the population in European and Northern America could be 65 or over. The higher proportion and number of older people is expected to put increased financial pressure on countries in the coming decades, with the higher cost of public health, pensions and social protections systems.

Although overall life expectancy will increase (from 64.2 years in 1990 to 77.1 years in 2050), life expectancy in poorer countries will continue to lag behind. Today, the average lifespan of a baby born in one of the least developed countries will be some 7 years shorter than one born in a developed country. The main reasons are high child and maternal mortality rates, violence, and the continuing impact of the HIV epidemic.

“The World Population Prospects 2019: Highlights”, is published by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and provides a comprehensive overview of global demographic patterns and prospects. The report is based on population estimates from 1950 to the present for 235 countries or areas, underpinned by analyses of historical demographic trends. The 2019 revision also includes population projections to the year 2100, that reflect a range of plausible outcomes at the global, regional and country levels.

Source: World Economic Forum

Palm Oil Importers Won’t Meet Zero Deforestation Goals by 2020

20.06.2019

palm-oil-1022012_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

European palm oil importers are unlikely to be able to ensure that the products they sell are “deforestation-free” by the self-imposed goal of 2020, according to analysis by the Palm Oil Transparency Coalition.

While about 98% of the palm oil imported into Europe by the survey respondents can be traced to the mill it came from, thanks to efforts by producers, only about a third can be traced to the plantation it came from, the report said. That makes it hard to determine if third-party suppliers had destroyed forests to grow palm trees or if they used child or forced labor at some point in the supply chain.

Few companies that participated in the study said that audits or reviews were taking place in their supply chains beyond those carried out by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, an industry group that includes producers and buyers and oversees the sustainability of the product. Only about 19% of global palm oil is certified sustainable by these standards.

Another field for improvement is exploitation. While ethical supply chain plans are increasing, few companies have launched programs outside of small-scale pilots, the study found.

“Multiple importers noted that their experiences with personal care and household product manufacturers were different to those in the food industry, where sustainable palm oil is a higher priority,” the report said.

The Palm Oil Transparency Coalition members include retailers such as Monprix owner Casino Guichard Perrachon SA, Marks & Spencer Group Plc, J Sainsbury Plc and Tesco Plc. The results derive from a survey of the top ten importers that supply palm oil to the members of this industry group.

Author: Irene Garcia Perez

Source: Bloomberg

HP Aims to Power Global Operations with 100% Renewables by 2035

20.06.2019

chris-alupului-495187-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unspalsh (Chris Alupului)

HP has set a target to ensure its global operations are powered with 100% renewable electricity by 2035.

It is part of the printing and personal systems manufacturer’s latest commitments to drive a circular and low carbon economy.

HP had already aimed to go 100% renewables previously when it joined the RE100 campaign, convened by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP, however it hadn’t set a timeframe.

The company is already powering its operations in the US with 100% renewable electricity.

Its new goals also aim to increase the use of recycled plastic in its personal systems and print hardware and supplies to 30% by 2025.

Last year, HP used 21,250 tonnes of recycled plastic in its products, a 3.5% increase from 2017, more than 4,700 tonnes in its printing products, a 28% rise, as well as more than 8,000 tonnes in Original HP ink and toner cartridges.

George Brasher, MD for HP UK and Ireland said: “We have invested in our portfolio so that recycled plastic becomes a part of our durable, premium products.

“Our business priority is to drive a more efficient, circular and low carbon economy and our advancements such as 3D printing are further helping to drive down emissions in the manufacturing supply chain – making life better for everyone, everywhere.”

HP adds its Sustainable Impact programme has helped drive more than $900 million (£713m) of new revenue – a 35% increase year-on-year.

Source: Energy Live News

Heatwave in 2018 ‘Could Not Have Occurred Without Human-Caused Climate Change’

19.06.2019

heatwave-1558152_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The heatwave that swept the Northern Hemisphere for three months during the summer of 2018 could not have occurred without human-caused climate change.

That’s the verdict from new scientific research published in the Earth’s Future journal, which suggests the three-month period that broke temperature records simultaneously across North America, Europe and Asia could occur every year if global temperatures reach 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

It notes even if global warming is limited to 1.5°C, which is the limit outlined in international climate targets, such heatwaves could occur in two of every three years.

Researchers say heatwaves on the same scale as that seen in 2018 currently have around a 16.6% chance of occurring in today’s climate, compared to “no chance” of happening between 1955 and 1988 and that “events of this type were unprecedented prior to 2010”.

They claim if temperatures reach 2°C, the probability of such a heatwave occurring each year rises to 97%.

The study reads: “Based on Earth System Model simulations we show that it is virtually certain, using IPCC calibrated uncertainty language, that the 2018 North‐Hemispheric concurrent heat events would not have occurred without human‐induced climate change.

“A strong reduction in fossil fuel emissions is paramount to reduce the risks of unprecedented global‐scale heatwave impacts.”

Source: Energy Live News

Wasting Food ‘Is Top Cause of Environmental Guilt Among Brits’, What Is Yours?

19.06.2019

megan-hodges-96122-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Megan Hodges)

Wasting food is the top cause of environmental guilt among Brits.

That’s according to a new survey of 2,001 people, conducted by Opinium research and commissioned by renewable energy supplier Pure Planet, which shows 35% of UK adults feel bad about the environmental impact of binning food.

Throwing away food was followed by buying plastic-wrapped groceries, which around a third of people said makes them feel guilty, while 27% and 23% said using plastic bottles and plastic shopping bags respectively made them feel bad.

Only a tenth admitted to feeling guilty about flying to go on holiday, which is a significant part of the average person’s environmental footprint and 9% said they feel bad about powering electricity use in their home with fossil fuels.

Around a quarter of people said they don’t feel guilty about the impact they have on the environment at all.

Steven Day, Co-Founder of Pure Planet, said: “It’s great that the majority of people are thinking more about their impact on our environment but it looks like they are feeling guilty about the smaller things – not the biggest-impact activities causing the greatest harm, such as flying or driving fossil-powered cars, especially when they could easily walk or cycle instead.

“A greater understanding of people’s impacts is needed. And the only way we can all feel less guilty is to act more positively and conscientiously.”

Source: Energy Live News

Greenland Lost 2 Billion Tons of Ice This Week, Which Is Very Unusual

18.06.2019

panorama-greenland — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Over 40% of Greenland experienced melting Thursday, with total ice loss estimated to be more than 2 gigatons (equal to 2 billion tons) on just that day alone.

While Greenland is a big island filled with lots of ice, it is highly unusual for that much ice to be lost in the middle of June. The average “melt season” for Greenland runs from June to August, with the bulk of the melting occurring in July.

To visualize how much ice that is, imagine filling the National Mall in Washington with enough ice to reach a point in the sky eight times higher than the Washington Monument (to borrow an analogy Meredith Nettles from Columbia University gave to The Washington Post).

The sudden spike in melting “is unusual, but not unprecedented,” according to Thomas Mote, a research scientist at the University of Georgia who studies Greenland’s climate.

“It is comparable to some spikes we saw in June of 2012,” Mote told CNN, referring to the record-setting melt year of 2012 that saw almost the entire ice sheet experience melting for the first time in recorded history.

This much melting this early in the summer could be a bad sign, indicating 2019 could once again set records for the amount of Greenland ice loss.

Mote explained how snow and ice melt off the Greenland ice sheet, especially early in the season, makes it easier to for additional melt to occur later in the summer.

White snow and ice, which is bright and reflects the sun’s rays back into space, reduces the amount of heat that is absorbed and helps to keep the ice sheet cold, a process known as “albedo.”

“These melt events result in a changed surface albedo,” according to Mote, which will allow more of the mid-summer sun’s heat to be absorbed into the ice and melt it.

Predictions for a record melt season

Mote says “all signs seem to be pointing to a large melt season,” and he is far from the only scientist to think so.

Jason Box, an ice climatologist at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, predicted in late May that “2019 will be a big melt year for Greenland.”

Box pointed out that this year had unusually early-season melt days in April, and the melt season was “happening about three weeks earlier than average, and earlier than the record-setting melt year of 2012.”

In addition to the early-season melt, the snow cover is already lower than average in Western Greenland, and combining these factors means “2019 is likely going to be a very big melt year, and even the potential to exceed the record melt year of 2012.”

What is causing the sudden melt?

A persistent weather pattern has been setting the stage for the current spike in melting, according to Mote.

“We’ve had a blocking ridge that has been anchored over East Greenland throughout much of the spring, which led to some melting activity in April — and that pattern has persisted.”

That high pressure ridge pulls up warm, humid air from the Central Atlantic into portions of Greenland, which leads to warmer temperatures over the ice. The high pressure also prevents precipitation from forming and leads to clear, sunny skies.

Over the past week or two, that high pressure ridge got even stronger as another high pressure front moved in from the eastern United States — the one that caused the prolonged hot and dry period in the Southeast earlier this month.

Melt periods such as the current one are not unprecedented; Mote noted previous periods in 2012, 2010 and 2007, all major melt years. But he pointed out that until recently, they were unheard of.

“We’ve seen a sequence of these large melt seasons, starting in 2007, that would have been unprecedented earlier in the record,” he said. “We didn’t see anything like this prior to the late 1990s.

If these extreme melt seasons are becoming the new normal, it could have significant ramifications around the globe, especially for sea level rise.

“Greenland has been an increasing contributor to global sea level rise over the past two decades,” Mote said, “and surface melting and runoff is a large portion of that.”

Source: CNN

Renewable Jobs Around the World Topped 11 Million in 2018

17.06.2019

pinwheel-1649779_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Renewable jobs around the world topped 11 million in 2018.

That’s according to the latest analysis by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) – this figure compares with 10.3 million clean energy jobs in 2017, the increase being driven by renewable energy industries increasingly spreading around the globe.

The report notes more countries are manufacturing, trading and installing clean energy infrastructure each year, with growth no longer being limited to China, the US and the EU.

The solar industry retains the top spot for jobs, making up a third of the renewable energy workforce as the amount of work developing and installing panels soared in India, Southeast Asia and Brazil – Asia maintained a 60% share of renewable energy jobs worldwide and at three million positions, nearly 90% of all solar work.

China, the US, Japan and the EU lost jobs in the solar sector through 2018 but this was offset by growth elsewhere.

There were 1.2 million wind workers in 2018, with the bulk working onshore – China accounted for 44% of these roles, followed by Germany and the US.

Rising output pushed biofuel jobs up 6% to 2.1 million, driven by Brazil, Colombia, and Southeast Asia – in the US and Europe, a much higher proportion of the work is carried out by machines.

The hydropower sector employs 2.1 million people directly, of which around 75% work in operations and maintenance.

Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA, said: “Beyond climate goals, governments are prioritising renewables as a driver of low carbon economic growth in recognition of the numerous employment opportunities created by the transition to renewables.

“Renewables deliver on all main pillars of sustainable development – environmental, economic and social. As the global energy transformation gains momentum, this employment dimension reinforces the social aspect of sustainable development and provides yet another reason for countries to commit to renewables.”

Source: Energy Live News

US Defense Operations ‘Create More Emissions Than Sweden’

17.06.2019

pentagon-80394_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The defense operations of the US create more greenhouse gas emissions than Sweden and Portugal.

That’s the conclusion reached in a new study published by Brown University in Rhode Island, which states the Pentagon, which oversees the US military, was responsible for producing approximately 59 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, in 2017.

The report notes if the Pentagon were a country, its emissions would put it in 55th place on the Global Carbon Atlas’s global emissions ranking.

In contrast, Portugal ranked 57th and Sweden ranked 65th, while China was judged to be the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, followed by the US.

The study claims using and moving military equipment generated around 70% of the Pentagon’s energy consumption – this is largely as a result of burning jet fuel and diesel.

The report conceded the Pentagon has cut its emissions since 2009 by using more renewable energy and more efficient vehicles.

The report reads: “In its quest for security, the US spends more on the military than any other country in the world, certainly much more than the combined military spending of its major rivals, Russia and China.

“War and preparation for it are fossil fuel intensive activities. The US military’s energy consumption drives total US Government energy consumption.”

Source: Energy Live News

Nearly 600 Plant Species ‘Have Gone Extinct in the last 250 Years’

16.06.2019

water-lily-1857350_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

As many as 571 plant species have gone extinct in the last 250 years.

That’s according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, which suggests this is more than twice the number of birds, mammals and amphibians that have died out over the same time period.

Scientists say the rate of extinctions they have observed is happening up to 500 times faster than what would be expected without human-caused problems and interference.

They note that as plant species go extinct, other organisms and ecosystems reliant upon them are threatened, inlcuding human civilisation.

The study shows plants that have disappeared as a result of being over-exploited or having their habitats destroyed include the Chile sandalwood and the St Helena olive tree.

It shows biodiverse islands and tropics have suffered the greatest losses, largely due to large swathes of forest being cut down to access valuable timber.

The death of plant species is likely to worsen the impacts of climate change, as trees, vines and flowers absorb large amounts of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the air.

Co-Researcher and Conservation Scientist Dr Eimear Nic Lughadha, said: “Millions of other species depend on plants for their survival, humans included, so knowing which plants we are losing and from where, will feed back into conservation programmes targeting other organisms as well.”

The average size of animals will fall by a quarter over the next century as larger creatures are increasingly driven to extinction by human actions.

Source: Energy Live News

Forest Area Twice the Size of UK ‘Cut Down to Grow Food Since 2010’

15.06.2019

axe-984008_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

An area of forest twice the size of the UK has been cut down since 2010 to set up food plantations.

That’s the verdict from Greenpeace International, which claims unsustainable farms supply many of the world’s leading food companies.

It says despite a promise made in 2010 by the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) members such as Nestlé, Mondelez and Unilever to end deforestation by 2020 through sourcing products such as cattle, palm oil and soya more sustainably, production of commodities linked to deforestation has continued to rise.

The organisation notes 80% of global deforestation is a direct result of agricultural production, releasing climate emissions equivalent to Japan, Germany and the UK combined.

Greenpeace says earlier this year it wrote to more than 50 companies asking them to disclose their commodity suppliers – it argues no company was able to demonstrate meaningful effort to end links to deforestation and notes none of the companies included animal feed in their deforestation reporting, even though around 90% of soya is used to feed animals to produce meat and dairy products.

It also highlights how despite palm oil giant Wilmar International committed to map and satellite monitor all of its suppliers, competitors such as Cargill, GAR and Musim Mas have not matched the promise.

Anna Jones, Global Project Lead for Forests at Greenpeace UK, said: “These companies are destroying our children’s future by driving us towards climate and ecological collapse.

“They’ve wasted a decade on half-measures and in that time vast areas of the natural world have been destroyed. They should be in crisis talks right now but they’re still trying to grow demand for products that will drive forest destruction even further.”

A spokesperson from the CGF said: “The CGF is aware of a recent report sent to media by Greenpeace.

“The report’s conclusion incorrectly notes that companies are unwilling to do what is needed; although the global consumer industry purchases only a small fraction of the commodities that are grown in tropical forests, our members are playing an important role in addressing these issues.”

Source: Energy Live News

Cup Reuse Trial to Take Off at Gatwick Airport

14.06.2019

glass-1058878_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Gatwick Airport, Starbucks and plastic waste charity Hubbub have launched a cup reuse trial across the international airport’s South Terminal.

The organisations hope to tackle single-use plastic pollution with the one-month testing period, which will see Starbucks customers given the option to borrow a free reusable cup for their drink, that they can then drop off at a ‘Cup Check-In’ point before they board their flight.

Cups will be collected from these five points before being washed and returned to the cafe to be reused again.

This would remove the need for people having to use paper and plastic disposable versions – currently Gatwick Airport throws away seven million paper cups each year, around 1.7 million of which end up in landfill.

The campaign is funded by the voluntarily 5p charge that Starbucks has added to the cost of disposable cups.

Around 2,000 reusable cups will be put into circulation around the airport to help reduce the number of paper cups thrown away.

Hubbub and Starbucks say they will openly share the results from the trial once it has been completed.

Source: Energy Live News

Scotland Smashes Tree Planting Targets

13.06.2019

john-mark-smith-397655-unsplash — Photo-illustration: Unsplash (John Mark Smith)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (John Mark Smith)

Scotland’s national tree planting targets have been “smashed”.

The nation’s Rural Economy Secretary, Fergus Ewing, said new planting was undertaken across 11,200 hectares in 2018, significantly surpassing the 10,000 hectare annual target.

The previous year, just 7,100 hectares of new trees were planted.

In his announcement, he stressed that tree planting makes a “critical contribution” to tackling the global climate emergency and noted 84% of all new planting across the UK last year took place in Scotland.

Around 3,900 hectares of new native broadleaf trees were planted, making up around 40% of all new planting in Scotland and meeting commitments for new native woodland creation.

The Scottish Government planted around 1,000 hectares, with the remaining 10,200 hectares being planted by a range of private forestry interests.

It says the increase in planting will help fight climate change as the trees absorb “substantial amounts” of carbon dioxide during photosynthesis.

Mr Ewing said: “This is fantastic news that we’ve smashed the targets. It is testament to the Scottish Government making forestry a priority and investing and helping growing the industry.

“In Scotland alone, around 9.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year are removed from the atmosphere by our forests – this is a clear example of why an increase in tree planting is so important in the fight against climate change.”

Source: Energy Live News

‘Most Meat Won’t Come from Animals’ by 2040

13.06.2019

grill-1710915_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

By 2040, most of the meat on our tables won’t come from animals.

That’s the prediction from researchers at global consultancy AT Kearney, who predict by this time, 60% of ‘meat products’ will be either artificially grown in giant laboratories or be replaced by plant-based proteins such as seitan, tofu and mycoprotein.

Many scientists suggest the conventional meat industry plays a significant role in contributing to climate change, due to the amount of energy and water required to raise, house, transport and kill animals, as well as the amount of methane created by industrial farming.

Currently, nearly half the world’s crops are grown to feed livestock but only 15% of the calories they contain end up being converted into meat and then eaten by humans – this contrasts with cultured meat and meat replacements, which are thought to retain around 75% of the calories inputted.

The report estimates in approximately 20 years, 35% of all meat will be cultured and 25% will take the form of vegan replacement options.

The firm estimates around $1 billion (£790m) has already been invested in meat-replacement products and says it believes the cultured meat market will dominate in the long term because they will more closely reproduce the taste and texture of traditional animal-sourced meat.

Carsten Gerhardt, Partner at AT Kearney, said: “The shift towards flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan lifestyles is undeniable, with many consumers cutting down on their meat consumption as a result of becoming more conscious towards the environment and animal welfare.

“For passionate meat-eaters, the predicted rise of cultured meat products means that they still get to enjoy the same diet they always have but without the same environmental and animal cost attached.”

Source: Energy Live News

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India will overtake China, sub-Saharan Africa population to double

Population report a ‘roadmap to action and intervention’

Proportion of older people increasing, life expectancy still lower in poorer countries

Predictions for a record melt season

What is causing the sudden melt?

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