US claims success in efforts to save endangered species
Obama administration puffs its chest out over apparent victories in removing animals from endangered species list at accelerated pace The world may be hurtling to the worst extinction crisis since the dinosaurs were wiped out, but the US is claiming success in its own efforts to prevent species following the path of titanosaurs, dodos and […]
World governments vow to end fossil fuel era at UN climate signing ceremony
Representatives of more than 170 countries endorse Paris agreement to cut carbon emissions, with France’s president saying: ‘There is no turning back’ More than 170 governments declared an end to the fossil fuel era on Friday, using the signing ceremony for the landmark Paris agreement as an occasion to renew their vows to fight climate […]
Mayoral candidates call for tighter controls on London traffic pollution
Ban on diesel cars and extending ultra-low emission zone mooted after DfT study raises concerns over nitrogen oxide levels Mayoral candidates in London, the city with the worst air quality in Britain, have seized on the Department for Transport’s study of vehicle emissions to call for tighter controls on traffic pollution – including a ban […]
Huge coral reef discovered at Amazon river mouth
Scientists astonished to find 600-mile long reef under the muddy water in a site already marked for oil exploration A huge 3,600 sq mile (9,300 sq km) coral reef system has been found below the muddy waters off the mouth of the river Amazon, astonishing scientists, governments and oil companies who have started to explore […]
Warwick University calls on BP to open up archive on 'renewables'
Pressure increases to honour promise to allow access to what is believed to be decades of research into ‘green’ technologies The University of Warwick has joined calls for BP to honour a promise made by its chairman to open up a company archive containing valuable research on renewable energy. The pressure comes a week after […]
Brazil Amazon dam project suspended over concerns for indigenous people
Licensing process for São Luiz do Tapajós dam stalled after Funai report demarcated Sawré Muybu land around river, where Munduruku people live Plans to build a huge hydroelectric dam in the Amazon have been put on hold after Brazil’s environmental agency, Ibama, suspended the licensing process over concerns about its impact on the indigenous community […]
Volkswagen takes €16bn hit for diesel scandal as it makes €4bn loss
Carmaker’s executives agree to pay cuts as VW doubles its provision for the diesel emissions scandal Volkswagen has slumped to its first annual loss in more than 20 years after setting aside €16.2bn (£12.6bn) to cover the cost of its diesel emissions scandal. The German carmaker plunged to a loss of €4.1bn for 2015, worse […]
Circulate on Fridays: seaweed plastic, NASA’s circular economy tech and more
Every Friday, Circulate provides a roundup of some of the best circular economy articles, videos and podcasts that we’ve seen on the internet during the week. This Friday, we’re looking at a new form of bio plastic, the unbelievable growth of megacities, how NASA are pushing tech that could help develop a circular economy here […]
Doubling up: Office buildings as urban farms
A conference table with tomato plants growing on it and broccoli sprouts in the reception area are apparently just part of everyday life for workers in the office buildings at Pasona, based in Tokyo, Japan. Kono Designs, a New York based firm, has taken urban farming to a new level by creating a space that allows, and […]
When the city meets the circular economy
During the last 200 years, cities have been attracting a growing amount of people, financial and political power, becoming hubs of innovation and creativity. The global urban population has grown rapidly, rising from 34% of the world’s people in 1964, to 54% today and predictions expect the figure to reach 75% by 2050. Such fast growth puts enormous […]