Food campaign Bite Back says 10 firms account for more carbon emissions globally than aviation industry
Britain’s biggest food and drink firms are doing too little to tackle the climate emergency and are producing “staggering” amounts of greenhouse gases, campaigners claim.
The 10 companies that manufacture more of the UK’s food than anyone else produce more carbon emissions between them than even the aviation industry, a report says.
Three of the firms increased their annual emissions in 2022 – Ferrero, Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo.
Seven are on course to miss meeting emissions targets they have set themselves to achieve by 2050.
Only four have a verifiable commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 – Danone, Mars, Mondelēz and Nestlé.
Continue reading...
Breaking Waves: Ocean News
09/18/2024 - 13:24
Climate change and a range of other human impacts are putting marine animals at risk of extinction -- even those living in almost pristine marine habitats and diverse coastal regions -- reports a new study.
09/18/2024 - 13:00
Scientists found 90% of young coral surveyed remained healthy compared with 25% of older corals, after mass bleaching event in the Caribbean
Young corals bred using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and planted in reefs around the US, Mexico and the Caribbean have surprised scientists, after most survived last year’s record marine heatwave, while older corals struggled.
A study has found that 90% of the young IVF-created corals surveyed remained healthy and colourful, holding on to the algae that live within them and supply them with nutrition. In contrast, only about a quarter of older non-IVF corals remained healthy.
Continue reading...
09/18/2024 - 12:00
It is hoped MV Shingle, intercepted in 2014 with 32m cigarettes onboard, will benefit marine life and tourism
The valves opened, the sea gurgled in and slowly, imperceptibly at first, the ship began its journey to the bottom of the Atlantic.
The 60-metre MV Shingle debuted in Ireland a decade ago as a smuggling vessel, but then became an unwanted hulk. On Wednesday afternoon it performed its swan song – scuttled off County Mayo to create an artificial reef.
Continue reading...
09/18/2024 - 10:00
Hosting the conference would help us overcome our colonial mentality and the fossil fuel lobby, both of which have held us back from tackling climate change
As the world grapples with the climate crisis, Australia stands at a crossroads. Our bid to co-host the UN’s climate conference, Cop31, with Pacific nations is not just a diplomatic event; it is a pivotal opportunity to redefine our nation’s role in the global fight against climate change. This could mark a shift, propelling Australia from climate laggard to leader on the world stage. With the Cop presidency, we would be at the centre of international climate negotiations, shouldering the responsibility to provide the infrastructure and visionary leadership needed to drive meaningful progress. The stakes are high, but so too are the potential rewards for our nation and the planet.
For years, Australia has been held back from meaningful climate action by the powerful influence of the fossil fuel lobby. This industry has shaped policies and public opinion, prioritising short-term profits over long-term sustainability. Their grip on our political landscape has delayed the transition to cleaner energy and put us on a dangerous path that threatens the security of our communities, our environment and our economy. Now, as the cost of living skyrockets and climate impacts escalate, we’re facing the consequences of that inaction.
Continue reading...
09/18/2024 - 10:00
Exclusive: Meteorologists say climate change and the amount of heat being added to the oceans make predictions based on the past less reliable
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
The Bureau of Meteorology is shifting the way it communicates about climate phenomena like El Niño and La Niña, because global heating is making predictions based on the past less reliable.
This week the bureau kept the country on a “La Niña watch” and said if the climate system in the Pacific does develop, it’s likely to be short-lived and weak.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...
09/18/2024 - 09:59
Cinnamon, a one-year-old female, escaped on Friday and has eluded inventive efforts to recapture her
To catch a rat, many call pest control. But how does one go about catching the world’s largest rodent, the capybara?
Zookeepers in Shropshire are wrestling with that very problem after Cinnamon, one of the furry breed native to South America, escaped.
Continue reading...
09/18/2024 - 08:59
Minister approved Thames Water project at location prioritised by Sadiq Khan for wild swimming
Labour appeared to be in disarray on Wednesday over ambitions to clean up the River Thames for swimming.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced plans to prioritise an area of the river in Teddington, south-west London, to make it safe and clean for swimming as part of a new 10-year strategy to reduce pollution in the river and encourage people to spend time in and around it.
Continue reading...
09/18/2024 - 02:40
Asset Energy has 30 days to respond to industry minister Ed Husic’s request for further information about the proposed gas project off Sydney’s coast
Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
The industry minister, Ed Husic, has issued a preliminary refusal of the contentious Pep11 offshore gas project proposed for the New South Wales coast, a month before the federal government was due to file its court defence in a legal action designed to force it to make a decision.
Husic issued a short statement on Wednesday, saying he had “carefully considered” all material that proponents Asset Energy Pty Ltd had provided and “formed a preliminary view that the applications should be refused”.
Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
Continue reading...
09/18/2024 - 00:38
In today’s newsletter: The party talked up its plans for the climate during this summer’s election – and now seems to be backing that up with real action
• Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First Edition
Good morning.
During their election campaign, Labour made it clear that the climate crisis would be a key focus should they make it into government. It looks as if they are making good on that promise. A number of senior cabinet ministers have come out this week, banging the drum for the government’s climate policies and reminding the public and the media that the climate crisis and its effects are at the top of their agenda.
Labour | Keir Starmer has declared more free tickets and gifts than other major party leaders in recent times, with his total now topping £100,000 after recent support for his lifestyle from Labour donor Waheed Alli.
Middle East | Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate against Israel after pagers used by its members exploded across Lebanon simultaneously, killing at least nine people and wounding almost 3,000. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. The apparent sabotage attack followed months of targeted assassinations by Israel against senior Hezbollah leaders.
Music | Sean “Diddy” Combs has been charged with sex trafficking and racketeering, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday. Combs had been arrested late Monday in Manhattan, roughly six months after federal authorities conducting a sex trafficking investigation raided his luxurious homes in Los Angeles and Miami.
NHS | A fifth of GPs are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT to help with tasks such as writing letters for their patients after appointments, according to a survey.
Aid | UK aid spending will fall to its lowest level since 2007 unless the government takes urgent remedial action in the autumn budget, a group of more than 100 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the aid and humanitarian sector jointly warned on Wednesday.
Continue reading...
