Build Walls on Seafloor to Stop Glaciers Melting, Scientists Say

23.09.2018

life-863034_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Barriers could halt slide of undersea glaciers and hold back sea level rises predicted to result from global warming.

Building walls on the seafloor may become the next frontier of climate science, as engineers seek novel ways to hold back the sea level rises predicted to result from global warming.

By erecting barriers of rock and sand, researchers believe they could halt the slide of undersea glaciers as they disintegrate into the deep. It would be a drastic endeavour but could buy some time if climate change takes hold, according to a new paper published on Thursday in the Cryosphere journal, from the European Geosciences Union.

Though the notion may sound far-fetched, the design would be relatively straightforward. “We are imagining very simple structures, simply piles of gravel or sand on the ocean floor,” said Michael Wolovick, a researcher at the department of geosciences at Princeton University in the US who described the plans as “within the order of magnitude of plausible human achievements”.

The structures would not just be aimed at holding back the melting glaciers, but at preventing warmer water from reaching the bases of the glaciers under the sea. New research is now being undertaken by scientists showing how the effects of the warmer water around the world, as the oceans warm, may be the leading cause of underwater melting of the glaciers.

Wolovick and his fellow researchers ran computer models to check on the likely impacts of the structures they believe would be needed, taking as their starting point the Thwaites glacier in Antarctica, which at 80-100km is one of the widest glaciers in the world.

They found that creating a structure of isolated columns or mounds on the sea floor, each about 300 metres high, would require between 0.1 and 1.5 cubic km of aggregate material. This would make such a project similar to the amount of material excavated to form Dubai’s Palm Islands, which took 0.3 cubic km of sand and rock, or the Suez canal, which required the excavation of roughly one cubic km.

Building a structure of this kind would have about a 30% probability of preventing a runaway collapse of the west Antarctic ice sheet, according to the models.

Using more complex designs that would be harder to accomplish in the harsh conditions on the sea bottom in the south polar regions, a small underwater wall could be built, which they calculate would have a 70% chance of succeeding in blocking half the warm water from reaching the ice shelf.

Glaciers melting under rising temperatures at the poles have the potential to discharge vast amounts of fresh water into the oceans, sending sea levels rising faster than they have for millennia. The Thwaites glacier alone, an ice stream the size of Britain and likely to be the biggest single source of future sea level rises, could trigger the melting of enough water to raise global sea levels by three metres.

Many of these glaciers extend far under the sea, and scientists have begun to explore their subsea melting as well as the easier-to-measure reductions in the or visible parts. The undersea research vessel now known as Boaty McBoatface after its much larger relative was named the Sir David Attenborough is to be deployed at the Thwaites glacier for just this purpose.

Building undersea walls could be accomplished by similar vessels but would have to be precisely positioned and strong enough to withstand the immense pressure of the ice.

The authors hope that by creating their experimental models they can foster future research into the engineering needed to bring about such projects, which would take many years or decades to be worked out and implemented.

Geo-engineering solutions such as this one should not deter the world from reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Wolovick said. “The more carbon we emit, the less likely it becomes that the ice sheets will survive in the long term at anything close to their present volume,” he said.

The forthcoming report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is expected to warn afresh of the potential for sea level rises to inundate low-lying areas if warming is not held to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Source: Guardian

A Wind Farm to Be Built in South Dakota Will Provide Renewable Energy Starting in 2020

22.09.2018

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Boston University (BU) has announced plans to buy wind energy to meet 100% of its electricity consumption.

It has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy company ENGIE North America, which will provide renewable electricity from a wind farm in South Dakota starting in 2020.

The university will buy 201,000MWh of electricity every year and earn credits in the form of renewable energy certificates (RECs) to compensate for its own carbon emissions in Boston.

As part of the contract, BU will also receive educational and research opportunities for faculty and students, including tow summer internships for academically high-performing students who want to learn about wind power or energy efficiency or how to put business plans together.

The project will support the university’s commitment to bring its net emissions to zero by 2040.

Since 2006, BU has reduced its carbon emissions by around 25% through energy efficiency and replacing oil usage with natural gas.

Following the 15-year contract, the university said it will either negotiate a new contract or consider alternatives.

Source: Energy Live News

EU Investigates BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen over Emissions Collusion Allegations

22.09.2018

The carmakers allegedly held meetings where they discussed clean technologies to limit harmful car exhaust emissions.

The technologies aim to make passenger cars less damaging to the environment
The Commission will assess if the companies colluded to limit the development and rollout of certain emissions control systems
It aims to establish if their conduct may have violated rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices

The European Commission has launched an investigation into alleged collusion between BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen (VW) on the development of emissions control systems for cars.

It will focus on information it received indicating the car manufacturers, including VW’s Audi and Porsche units, also called the “circle of five”, participated in meetings where they allegedly discussed, among other things, the development and deployment of technologies to limit harmful car exhaust emissions.

In particular, the Commission is assessing whether the companies colluded to limit the development and rollout of certain emissions control systems for cars sold in the European Economic Area.

The in-depth investigation will aim to establish if the conduct of BMW, Daimler and VW may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices.

It follows the Commission’s inspections at the premises of BMW, Daimler, Volkswagen and Audi in Germany last October as part of its initial inquiries.

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy said: “The Commission is investigating whether BMW, Daimler and VW agreed not to compete against each other on the development and rollout of important systems to reduce harmful emissions from petrol and diesel passenger cars.

“These technologies aim at making passenger cars less damaging to the environment. If proven, this collusion may have denied consumers the opportunity to buy less polluting cars, despite the technology being available to the manufacturers.”

Responses

The Volkswagen Group and its brands said they have been fully co-operating with the investigation.

A spokesperson added: “The formal initiation of proceedings is standard and is a purely procedural step in the process, which was fully expected by Volkswagen. The presumption of innocence continues to apply until the investigations have been fully completed.

“This is not affected by the formal initiation of proceedings. The fact that the European Commission has initiated (formal) proceedings does not mean that it has made any final finding whatsoever on any alleged legal infringements. This procedural step merely means that the Commission will now treat this case as having priority.”

A BMW spokesperson said: “This is a formal step which does not prejudge the outcome in regard to a possible violation of antitrust rules. From the start of the investigation, the BMW Group has supported the EU Commission in its work and will continue to do so. Due to the ongoing investigation, the BMW Group will not comment on the case.

“For the BMW Group, it is important to make a clear distinction between possible violations of antitrust law and a targeted manipulation of exhaust gas treatment, as the latter allegation does not relate to the BMW Group. As for possible infringements against antitrust law, the BMW Group is examining the allegations very closely. The company is wholeheartedly committed to the principles of market economics and fair competition.”

Daimler said no allegations have been raised about price fixing and the company is “co-operating fully” with the authorities and has filed a leniency application.

Source: Energy Live News

World’s Largest River Floods Five Times More Often Than It Used to

21.09.2018

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Extreme floods have become more frequent in the Amazon Basin in just the last two to three decades, according to a new study.

After analyzing 113 years of Amazon River levels in Port of Manaus, Brazil, researchers found that severe floods happened roughly every 20 years in the first part of the 20th century. Now, extreme flooding of the world’s largest river occurs every four years on average—or about five times more frequently than it used to.

“With a few minor exceptions, there have been extreme floods in the Amazon basin every year from 2009 to 2015,” study lead author, Jonathan Barichivich, environmental scientist at the Universidad Austral de Chile, said in a press release.

This increase in flooding could be disastrous for communities in Brazil, Peru and other Amazonian nations, the researchers pointed out.

“There are catastrophic effects on the lives of the people as the drinking water gets flooded, and the houses get completely destroyed,” Barichivich told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, also determined that droughts in the Amazon Basin have increased in frequency.

“Our findings unravel the ultimate causes of the recent intensification—wet season getting wetter, and dry season getting drier—of the water cycle of the largest hydrological basin of the planet,” Barichivich told Retuers.

The researchers linked the increase in flooding to a strengthening of the Walker circulation, which is induced by the contrast of warm Atlantic waters and the cooler waters of the Pacific.

This ocean-powered air circulation system, which influences weather patterns and rainfall in the tropics and elsewhere, can partly be attributed to shifts in wind belts caused by climate change, as Reuters noted about the study.

“This dramatic increase in floods is caused by changes in the surrounding seas, particularly the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and how they interact. Due to a strong warming of the Atlantic Ocean and cooling of the Pacific over the same period, we see changes in the so-called Walker circulation, which affects Amazon precipitation,” study co-author Manuel Gloor, from Britain’s University of Leeds, said in the press release. “The effect is more or less the opposite of what happens during an El Niño event. Instead of causing drought, it results in more convection and heavy rainfall in the central and northern parts of the Amazon basin.”

With temperatures in the Atlantic expected to continue warming, the scientists expect to see more of these high water levels in the Amazon River.

“We think that it’s going to continue for at least a decade,” Barichivich told Reuters.

Source: Eco Watch

Greenpeace Report: Europe Has 10 Years Left to Ditch Fossil Fuel Cars

21.09.2018

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Europe must phase out the sales of new gasoline- and diesel-fueled cars by 2028 if it wants to live up to its Paris climate agreement emissions-reduction pledges, according to new research by Germany’s Aerospace Center.

Even conventional hybrid cars, which feature gasoline-powered engines, would have to disappear by the mid-2030s if Europe intends to fulfill its part of the Paris deal to limit global warming to 1.5°C, according to the Greenpeace-commissioned study.

The researchers only analyzed the share of auto emissions in Europe. More research is needed for regions such as Asia or the Americas, as it is “entirely possible that some countries would need to phase out fossil fuel cars even quicker,” Richard Casson, of Greenpeace’s air pollution campaign, noted in a blog post about the new study.

For the study, the German researchers compared the European Union’s current passenger car carbon emissions with the so-called “carbon budget” available to keep global warming under 1.5°C, with a likelihood of 50 percent and 66 percent respectively.

They found that if the current annual CO2 emissions from Europe’s passenger cars continue unchecked, the carbon budget would be completely depleted within 10 years under the 50 percent scenario, and within 5 years in the 66 percent scenario.

The researchers warned that “quick and stringent” CO2 emission reductions are necessary from passenger cars.

“Auto CO2-emissions need to peak as soon as possible,” German Aerospace Center Director Horst Friedrich told the Guardian. “Looking at the dwindling carbon budget it is crucial to push low-emitting cars into the market, the earlier the better, to renew the fleet.”

“The phasing-out of the internal combustion engine in passenger cars will not only benefit the climate, it will also help solve the air pollution crisis and improve quality of life for everyone,” said Barbara Stoll, Greenpeace Clean Air campaigner, in a press release.

Greenpeace, however, is not asking every driver to make the switch to electric vehicles.

“Cutting pollution from transport doesn’t only have to be a choice between fossil fuel power cars and electric ones,” Casson wrote. “A truly sustainable plan for transport should be about constructing more bike lanes, building cycling infrastructure that would make it easier for people to get around without cars. It should be about making public transport more affordable, leading to more people using trains or buses to get around. And it should be about investing in car sharing schemes, and reducing the amount of vehicles on the road.”

Source: Еco Watch

Mosquitoes Could Spread Microplastics, Study Suggests

20.09.2018

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Microplastics, which get gobbled up by whales, deep-sea fish and plankton, have also turned up in the bodies of mosquitoes, scientists have revealed.

The research, published Wednesday in the journal Biology Letters, is the first to show that bits of plastic can be transferred between a mosquito’s life stages that use different habitats.

For the study, the scientists fed the larvae of Culex pipiens—the common house mosquito—different-sized fluorescent polystyrene beads. The researchers found that the tiny fragments stayed in the larvae’s bodies as they matured into flying adults.

Beads that were smaller than 2 micrometers in size transferred “readily” into pupae and adult stages, while larger beads that were 15 micrometers in size transferred at a “significantly reduced” rate, the paper states.

“Larvae are filter feeders that waft little combs towards their mouths, so they can’t actually distinguish between a bit of plastic and a bit of food,” lead researcher Amanda Callaghan of the University of Reading told The Guardian. “They eat algae, which are more or less the same size as these microplastics.”

The study suggests that plastics could enter the larger food chain if birds, bats or other creatures eat the mosquitoes.

“The implication is that you can have plastics at the bottom of the pond that are now going up into the air and being eaten by spiders and bats and animals that normally wouldn’t have access to that plastic,” Callaghan told The Independent.

“You could have a dragonfly, for example, eating mosquitoes as they are emerging—so it could be eating lots of mosquitoes with plastic in them, and then a bird could be eating that and getting an even bigger dose.”

The researchers are now studying if consuming plastics harms the mosquitoes, The Guardian reported.

“It is a shocking reality that plastic is contaminating almost every corner of the environment and its ecosystems,” Callaghan added. “Much recent attention has been given to the plastics polluting our oceans, but this research reveals it is also in our skies.”

Source: Eco Watch

Cities Around the World Lay the Groundwork for a Zero-Waste Future

20.09.2018

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Cities around the world are pledging to reduce waste over the next 12 years in an effort to curb global warming and eventually become zero-waste cities. During the Global Climate Action Summit, the C40 announced a new initiative that encourages cities to eliminate waste production and end the practice of waste burning. So far, 23 cities have agreed to become zero-waste and will work toward that goal by “reducing the amount of municipal solid waste disposed to landfill and incineration by at least 50 percent … and increase the diversion rate away from landfill and incineration to at least 70 percent by 2030,” according to C40.

Each city has agreed to cut down on waste that ends up in landfills by at least half over the next decade. The cities — which include San Francisco, Catalonia, Auckland, Dubai, Copenhagen, London, Montreal, New York City, Milan, Rotterdam, Sydney, Paris, Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Washington D.C. and Vancouver — also pledged to reduce waste generation by 15 percent and encourage alternative waste management practices by 2030.

Reducing the amount of waste disposal and incineration is an important step in fighting global warming. Scientists believe that the new initiative could cut global carbon emissions by around 20 percent as cities begin to recycle and compost waste instead of dumping it into landfills or burning it.

The 23 cities who signed the zero-waste declarations hope that they will lead by example and encourage other municipalities to do the same.

The EPA says that incinerators and landfills significantly increase the amount of greenhouse gases around the globe. These practices also encourage companies to acquire new resources and materials, leading to an endless cycle of waste disposal.

In addition to cutting down on waste, increasing recycling and reusing materials also contributes to a better economy. Instead of wasting old materials, recycling and reusing keeps the items in the system for longer periods. This reduces the need to purchase new materials and manage waste.

Source: Inhabitat

Sustainability of Western Balkans Rising Public Debt Becomes Questionable

20.09.2018

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Yesterday, the regional study Public Debt on western Balkans was released in the framework of “Balkan Monitoring Public Finance” project. At the same time that was an occasion to discuss with the representatives of World Bank, Parliament of Montenegro, Western Balkan civil society organizations and prominent media from the region how to jointly tackle the unsustainable levels of public debt in Western Balkans.

The presented study shows that the rising trend of public debt triggered alarm bells concerning the long term sustainability of public finances, especially given that the debt tolerance level is lower for lower income economies. The average debt in the analyzed countries went up from 25% of GDP in 2007 to 51% in 2016. Unsustainable public finances and rising public debts are a threat to some of these countries. Thus, closely monitoring the debt movements is necessary and a timely response to unsustainable developments is of crucial importance for maintaining macroeconomic stability.

One of the authors of the study, Andreja Zivkovic from Wings of Hope, BiH, highlights that ‘The debt management activities should be audited annually by external auditors and audits of government financial statements should be conducted regularly and publicly disclosed. The State Audit Office should have a legal obligation to inform and educate citizens in finance issues, of the fiscal performance of governments and state institutions and of the work of the Audit Office itself”.

Often debt does not serve the needs of the citizens and puts limitations on democracy in a sense that does not imply involvement of citizens and NGOs in the process of decision making in the area of public finances and at the same time is characterized by a low level of transparency. Ajda Pistotnik from EnaBanda, Slovenia who is one of the authors of the study stated that “Greater participation by citizens in affairs that directly concern them is in itself a public good and is a stimulus to greater transparency and accountability in public finance”.

Number of Dirty Diesels on Road Still Growing, Report Shows

19.09.2018

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The number of dirty diesel vehicles pumping out toxic emissions on Europe’s streets is still rising three years after the Dieselgate scandal began, according to a new report. More than 7m such cars and vans remain on UK roads alone.

There were 29m diesel vehicles whose emissions on the road were significantly higher than official laboratory-based EU limits when the diesel scandal erupted in September 2015. But that has now risen by to 43m, according to analysis by the group Transport & Environment (T&E). France has the most dirty diesels on the road, with 8.7m, followed by Germany’s 8.2m and the UK’s 7.3m.

Experts say the number of polluting diesel cars will continue rising until September 2019, when new EU regulations force older models out of showrooms. The slow pace of change has been allowed to enable the manufacturers with most polluting fleets to catch up, the experts argue.

“After three years, it is shocking that the number of dirty diesel cars and vans on the road today is still rising,” said Florent Grelier, at T&E. “The EU needs to take action to clean up these grossly polluting vehicles and prevent their sale or use until they are properly fixed. If not, they will continue damaging citizens’ health for decades to come.”

In the UK, illegal levels of the nitrogen oxides produced by diesel engines are estimated to cause 23,500 early deaths every year. Car manufacturers were fined billions in the US and Germany, but have yet to pay any significant financial penalty in the UK for selling polluting vehicles. “Impossible-to-cheat” emissions tests show almost all new diesels on sale are still dirty.

T&E calculated the number of dirty diesels on the road using data on emissions from the government investigations in the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain that followed Dieselgate, plus data from independent testers such as Emissions Analytics. Vehicles emitting more than double the official lab limit in real driving were considered dirty. T&E then used sales data to calculate the totals.

“They are absolutely right about the number of dirty diesels on the road increasing and this number will go up further,” said Nick Molden, CEO of Emissions Analytics. He said the vast majority of the diesels currently on the market are four to five times above the legal limit when on the road. This would not change until August 2019 when models approved under old, flawed rules are withdrawn from sale, he said.

Sales of diesel cars have plunged in the UK and Grelier said: “The only way to ensure cars are truly clean is to accelerate the shift to zero-emission technology.” However, Molden warned that dumping diesel entirely could increase the carbon emissions that drive climate change. “There were a lot of very bad diesels, but there are now some very good ones,” he said

The newest diesels emit about the same NOx as petrol cars, but 18% less CO2, Molden said. Electric cars remain expensive to buy (although cheaper to run), meaning most purchasers are choosing petrol models. However, carmakers have a big challenge in rebuilding confidence in diesels, he said: “It is an uphill struggle and they have left it late in the day.”

A spokeswoman for the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said: “The automobile industry has invested heavily to achieve significant improvements in emissions [in new models]. Research by also shows that the latest generation of diesel vehicles will continue to play a major role in helping reach future CO2 targets. Likewise, these vehicles will also have a positive impact on improving air quality, along with other local measures.”

Source: Guardian

IKEA Commits to Zero Emission Deliveries in Five Cities by 2020

19.09.2018

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IKEA has committed to using zero emission vehicles for home delivery in five major cities by 2020.

The firm aims to be using only electric vehicles (EVs) for its last-mile courier services in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, New York, Paris and Shanghai by this time.

It suggests this will be an important step towards achieving its science-based targets, contributing to the Paris Agreement and becoming climate positive by 2030.

The homeware and furniture retailer aims for 100% of its home deliveries around the world to be made by EVs or other zero-emission solutions by 2025, with it to provide access to charging stations at stores, offices and distribution centers by 2020.

Jesper Brodin, CEO of IKEA, said: “We challenge ourselves and inspire others as we can only achieve the change that’s needed together.

“For us it’s crucial to grow our business in a sustainable way– that’s why we’re speeding up the transition to EVs in five inner city areas.”

Source: Energy Live News

Prickly But Unprotected: 18 Percent of Cactus Species at Risk

18.09.2018

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Nearly a fifth of the world’s cactus species are unprotected by the world’s national parks and other conservation areas, making them one of the most at-risk groups of species on the planet, a new study finds.

The study, published in the journal Conservation Biology, maps out where each cactus species grows and how those ranges compare to protected areas. The results were not good: 261 cactus species, or 18 percent, only grow outside of protected areas.

Many other species have only a portion of their ranges protected. All told the study calculates that 80 percent of cactus species are either completely unprotected or only partially sheltered by the world’s network of protected areas.

This is the first time an entire plant group has been assessed with a “gap analysis”—in conservation science, a measure of how much of the range of a particular species, taxonomic group or other form of biodiversity is formally protected by the nation or government that controls it.

“We should care about cacti,” says the study’s lead author, Bárbara Goettsch of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, “because they’re very important species in arid environments, providing, food, water and shelter for many species. This is also a plant group that’s heavily utilized by people for food, medicine, construction or ornamental purposes.”

The IUCN previously assessed 1,400-plus cactus species and found that 31 percent were threatened with extinction due to illegal trade and agriculture. Even with that knowledge, Goettsch said the results of the new study surprised her. “We found that more threatened cactus species lack protection by the current network of protected areas than amphibians, birds or mammals,” she says. Similar analyses have found that 9.7 percent of all mammal species and 5.6 percent of birds exist completely outside of protected areas. Of species already assessed as being endangered, 32 percent of cacti have ranges outside of protected areas, compared to 26.5 percent of amphibians, 19.9 percent of birds and 16 percent of mammals.

As an example of where cacti are at risk, Goettsch points to Mexico, a country where a lot of cacti species have very limited ranges. “The level of microendemism of cacti there is very high and therefore there are many gap species,” she says, although she points out that Mexico “is also the region with some of the highest proportions of species appropriately covered by protected areas.”

Conservation biologist Stuart Pimm, president of SavingSpecies, who was not affiliated with the research, says the study provides a significant contribution to conservation. Pimm was the lead author of a paper, published last month in Science Advances, which found that the world’s largest protected areas are located in arid or places, where they safeguard a relatively low number of mammal, bird or amphibian species.

“The topic is vitally important,” Pimm said, adding that he’s especially enthused to see the threats facing an entire group of plants tackled in this manner. He points to a 2013 paper he coauthored about the challenges of conserving plant species. “Most data on plant species are too coarse,” he said, meaning does not provide enough guidance for protective efforts.

Despite this latest bad news for cacti, the study also presents opportunities for hope and a strategy for action. The paper’s supplemental data provide information on each cactus species, its range and what percentage of that range is protected—information that can help countries improve their conservation efforts. Some priority areas identified by the study include the Sonoran Desert, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Andes and the Atlantic Forest region of Brazil.

“The next steps would be to look at these results at the regional level in order to develop conservation action plans,” Goettsch said. Plans would need to involve national or regional stakeholders who could establish their efforts based on what each species needs and the threats it faces.

These actions should come quickly, said Michiel Pillet, a conservation ecologist with the University of Arizona who studies endangered cacti. “While research of this type highlights where efforts should be concentrated, it is clear that for successful conservation of this many species—especially given additional threats of climate change—only immediate international efforts will suffice,” he said.

Source: Eco Watch

France Moves to Reshape Infrastructure and Promote Bicycle Transportation

18.09.2018

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France plans to launch a major endeavor to triple the amount of cyclists on its streets within the next seven years. The action will include building better bike lanes, providing financial incentives for commuters to switch to bicycle transportation and cracking down on bike theft. The plan was announced by the French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe at a speech in Nantes, where he revealed that cycling accounts for only 3 percent of transportation in the country.

Despite hosting the acclaimed Tour de France competition, France has fallen far behind other EU nations in bicycle transportation. In the Netherlands, cycling accounts for almost a third of all transportation, backed by a strong cycling culture as well as organized routes and laws that make Dutch riders feel safe on the roads. “Fifty million euros per year will not turn France into the Netherlands, but it is a start,” said Olivier Schneider, head of the French Bike Users Federation (FUB).

France’s total fund for cycling infrastructure over the next seven years amounts to 350 million euros ($410 million). “We plan to triple the share of cycling to 9 percent by 2024, when we host the Olympics,” Philippe said. “The discontinuity on the bike lane maps creates insecurity and discourages people from cycling.” Currently, bike lanes in French cities only run short distances and are not safely connected to one another at major intersections or heavy traffic zones.

In addition to addressing these incomplete routes, the government will restructure one-way streets to include two-way bike routes, saving commuters inconvenience and time. Converters to cycling will be rewarded yearly with 200 euro ($233) tax-free stipends from the French government, and many private companies are looking to double that amount, providing their own 400 ($467) euro tax-free rewards each year for commuters. Companies are also being mandated by the government to allocate proper bicycle parking facilities for their employees, a feature that train hubs around the country will also boast. To deter bike thieves from suspending the country’s progress, new bikes will be subject to a mandatory identification engraving system, which will make it easier for burglars to be apprehended and fined.

The French government will also introduce cycling lessons in all secondary schools by 2022 to ensure that future generations embrace the cycling culture and respect for a clean environment.

Source: Inhabitat

UK Wind Capacity Smashes 20GW Milestone

18.09.2018

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The UK’s wind power capacity has passed the 20GW milestone.

The clean energy technology now generates enough electricity across the country to power more than 14 million homes and cut carbon emissions by 25 million tonnes a year.

The project that broke the boundary was the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Ørsted’s 659MW Walney Extension, which has recently been installed off the coast of Cumbria.

The UK’s first onshore commercial farm went into operation in 1991 , followed by the first offshore project in 2000.

Wind power now makes up 15% of the UK’s entire electricity mix.

A proposed Sector Deal for offshore wind hopes to see at least 30GW of new capacity deployed by 2030, generating a third of the UK’s total energy production.

Source: Energy Live News

Air Pollution Particles Found in Mothers’ Placentas

17.09.2018

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Scientists have found the first evidence that particles of air pollution travel through pregnant women’s lungs and lodge in their placentas.

Toxic air is already strongly linked to harm in foetuses but how the damage is done is unknown. The new study, involving mothers living in London, UK, revealed sooty particles in the placentas of each of their babies and researchers say it is quite possible the particles entered the foetuses too.

“It is a worrying problem – there is a massive association between air pollution a mother breathes in and the effect it has on the foetus,” said Dr Lisa Miyashita, at Queen Mary University of London, one of the research team. “It is always good if possible to take less polluted routes if you are pregnant – or indeed if you are not pregnant. I avoid busy roads when I walk to the station.”

A series of previous studies have shown that air pollution significantly increases the risk of premature birth and of low birth weight, leading to lifelong damage to health. A large study of more than 500,000 births in London, published in December, confirmed the link and led doctors to say that the implications for many millions of women in polluted cities around the world are “something approaching a public health catastrophe”.

Scientists are increasingly finding that air pollution results in health problems far beyond the lungs. In August, research revealed that air pollution causes a “huge” reduction in intelligence, while in 2016 toxic nanoparticles from air pollution were discovered in human brains.

The new research examined the placentas of five non-smoking women who all delivered healthy babies. The researchers isolated macrophage cells, which are part of the body’s immune system and engulf harmful particles such as bacteria and air pollution.

Using an optical microscope, they found 72 dark particles among 3,500 cells and then used a powerful electron microscope to examine the shape of some of the particles. They looked very like the sooty particles found in macrophages in the lung, which catch many – but not all – of the particles.

While further analysis is needed for final confirmation, Dr Miyashita said: “We can’t think of anything else they could be. It is very evident to us they are black sooty particles.” Earlier experiments have shown that particles breathed in by pregnant animals go through the bloodstream into placentas.

“We do not know whether the particles we found could also move across into the foetus, but our evidence suggests this is indeed possible,” said Dr Norrice Liu, also at Queen Mary University of London and part of the team. “We also know that the particles do not need to get into the baby’s body to have an adverse effect, because if they have an effect on the placenta, this will have a direct impact on the foetus.”

The research is being presented Sunday at the European Respiratory Society’s (ERS) international congress in Paris. “This research suggests a possible mechanism of how babies are affected by pollution while being theoretically protected in the womb,” said Prof Mina Gaga, who is ERS president and at the Athens Chest Hospital in Greece.

“This should raise awareness amongst doctors and the public regarding the harmful effects of air pollution in pregnant women,” she said, noting that harm to foetuses can occur even below current European Union pollution limits. “We need stricter policies for cleaner air to reduce the impact of pollution on health worldwide because we are already seeing a new population of young adults with health issues.”

Unicef executive director Anthony Lake recently warned of the danger of air pollution to babies: “Not only do pollutants harm babies’ developing lungs, they can permanently damage their developing brains – and, thus, their futures.”

Separate research, also presented at the ERS congress, found that children with early onset and persistent asthma fared far less well in education than those without the condition. Asthma in children has long been linked to air pollution.

The study, conducted over 20 years in Sweden, showed that children with asthma were three and half times more likely to leave school at the age of 16 with only basic education and were also twice as likely to drop out of university courses.

Dr Christian Schyllert, at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, said: “This study suggests [these] children have worse life chances when it comes to their education and their future jobs.” He said one possible reason could be that children with asthma are known to have lower school attendance.

Source: Guardian

Half Marathon in London Bans Plastic Bottles

17.09.2018

london-marathon-2294023_960_720 — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The Harrow Half Marathon is to become the first major running event in London to ban single-use plastic bottles.

Runners at the marathon on Sunday, 16th September, were not be able to refill their plastic bottles on the 13-mile course but were given biodegradable water sachets – called Ooho – made from seaweed-based membrane instead.

Participants were able to either swallow the entire capsule or bite the corner of the sachet, drink the water and throw the sachet, which would be swept up by volunteers or degrade within four to six weeks.

It has been developed by London start-up Skipping Rocks Lab, which says the flexible packaging is cheaper than plastic and can also be used for other liquids like soft drinks, spirits and cosmetics.

A statement from Harrow Half Marathon says: “Removing single use plastic bottles and cups from the course is a big step towards achieving our goal of becoming a more sustainable half marathon.”

Source: Energy Live News

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