The Guardian view on the VW crisis: the planet should be afraid | Editorial
It was American, not European, regulators who caught Volkswagen out. If the mis-measurement of pollution is so easily contrived, there will be political as well as commercial imperatives to distort Like the slowly stewed frog, the world has grown steadily used to the banditry of its banks. The remorseless drip of revelations about laundering, rate-fixing […]
VW scandal caused nearly 1m tonnes of extra pollution, analysis shows
Emissions could have far greater impact in Europe, where almost half passenger cars are diesel, than the US Volkswagen’s rigging of emissions tests for 11m cars means they may be responsible for nearly a million tonnes of air pollution every year, roughly the same as the UK’s combined emissions for all power stations, vehicles, industry […]
Leonardo DiCaprio joins $2.6tn fossil fuel divestment movement
Actor joins coalition of 2,000 individuals and 400 institutions committing to phase out investments in coal, oil and gas companies to tackle climate change Leonardo DiCaprio and over 2000 individuals and 400 institutions are now committed to pulling their money from fossil fuel companies, together representing a remarkable $2.6tn of investments, it was revealed on […]
VW scandal: chief executive Martin Winterkorn refuses to quit
•11m vehicles worldwide involved•Exec says Volkswagen ‘totally screwed up’ •Angela Merkel calls for complete transparency•Company sets aside €6.5bn for costs The defiant boss of Volkswagen has refused to resign despite an escalation of the the emissions scandal following the admission by the world’s second largest car marker that 11m vehicles worldwide have been fitted with […]
UK risks missing its carbon targets, climate advisers warn
Lord Deben, chairman of the committee on climate change, tells ministers that government cuts to green measures are creating confusion for investors The UK risks missing its carbon targets and harming investment because of a string of recent cuts to green measures, ministers have been warned by the government’s statutory climate advisers. Lord Deben, the […]
Glasgow to follow Edinburgh's lead with 20mph zones
Motorists entering central Glasgow, which has repeated problems with air pollution, could soon have their top speeds limited to 20mph as Edinburgh pilots car bans at primary schools Drivers in Glasgow’s city centre could have their top speed restricted to 20mph under plans intended to cut the number of accidents on the city’s roads. The […]
Hundreds of sharks off Florida coast filmed by drone – video
A drone captured this footage of hundreds of sharks swimming together off the coast of Florida. The footage was filmed when aerial photographer Cory Peterson was out fishing when he spotted the sharks in the water and decided to launch his camera drone. Although seeing sharks near Destin, along Florida’s emerald coast is not unusual […]
The problem with sanctimonious environmentalists: their boring absolutism
Ecologically minded people like me have created a mighty pissing contest – and no one wants to admit that they might not have the greenest stream I don’t use shampoo, and haven’t in over five years. I’m not disgusting, I swear, it’s just that I quickly tired of spending an embarrassing amount of money on […]
Al Gore puzzled by UK cuts to renewable energy support
Former US vice president says he does not understand Conservative cuts to solar and wind subsidies, and wants UK to regain leadership on climate change The former vice president of the US, Al Gore, has called on the British government to resume its former leadership on climate change, in order to forge a global agreement […]
High pressure: the pipeline that could destroy New York state – video
In December 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo outlawed fracking in New York, citing the method as unsafe for both the health of his citizens and their surrounding environment. However, the ban did not take into account the transportation of fracked natural gas liquids through the state. Now, Spectra Corporation, one of North America’s leading pipeline and […]