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Rare leopards released into Russian reserve threatened by a ski resort

Three endangered Persian leopard cubs are intended to reintroduce the species to the Sochi area but new plans for a ski trail put the future of the reserve and the animals at risk

Three Persian leopard cubs have been released into the Sochi area of Russia’s western Caucasus, a day after Unesco threatened to deem the area a “world heritage site in danger” because of a planned ski resort expansion.

Persian leopards once prowled across the Caucasus mountains in great numbers but poaching, poisoning and human encroachment wiped out the species in Russia, in the early 20th century.

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Source: Guardian Environment

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Brexit won't free UK from paying for botched EU farming subsidies, warn audit office

New environment minister, Andrea Leadsom, faces problem of paying the retrospective fines on top of dealing with the end of EU farming subsidies

British taxpayers will still be paying fines to the EU over the mishandling of farming subsidies after the country has left the bloc, the National Audit Office warned on Friday.

At least £660m has already been paid in fines, owing to delays in implementing the rules of the common agricultural policy in the six years to 2013. More fines will follow for the intervening years, as they are levied retrospectively, and leaving the EU does not absolve the UK from responsibility.

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Source: Guardian Environment

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Circulate on Fridays: Access over ownership, half of all U.S. food wasted and more…

Every Friday, Circulate rounds up a collection of interesting circular economy related stories and articles. Today, we’re reflecting on the rising numbers of jobs in the solar energy industry, an article that argues that in the future we will own nothing, but have access to everything and the potential for driverless cars to be a better fuel efficient and emissions options.

A future where we own nothing but have access to everything

BoingBoing has published a fascinating excerpt from Kevin Kelly’s latest book, The Inevitable, where he imagines a future where people own nothing, but have access to everything. In the extract, Kelly writes about a hypothetical future, it’s an intriguing read, here’s a quick taster here:

“I subscribe to several food lines. I get fresh produce directly from a farmer nearby, and a line of hot ready-to-eat meals at the door. The Node knows my schedule, my location on my commute, my preferences, so it’s really accurate in timing the delivery. When I want to cook myself, I can get any ingredient or special dish I need. My complex has an arrangement so all the ongoing food and cleaning replenishables appear a day before they are needed in the refrig or cupboard.”

Half of all food wasted in the U.S.

There are many well-known statistics about the quantity of food that is wasted annually. New research, covered in the Guardian, argues that the most common figure, one third of all food, undersells the problem after interviewers with farmers, packers, wholesalers, food academics and others revealed that, “waste that occurs “upstream”: scarred vegetables regularly abandoned in the field to save the expense and labour involved in harvest. Or left to rot in a warehouse because of minor blemishes that do not necessarily affect freshness or quality.” When added to existing waste, it takes the total food wasted up to nearly 50% of all food produced in the U.S.

Job growth in solar industry

Renewable energy continues to go from strength-to-strength in terms of increasing energy share and technological advancement. That is also being reflected in the jobs market, where in the U.S. alone, a further 30,000 jobs are expected to be added in the solar industry in 2016. The job increase comes as labour is being reduced in the coal sector with some reports suggesting that many workers are making a direct transition.

Electric, driverless cars make sense economically and environmentally

Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, California, argue that in a scenario where a fleet of autonomous electric taxis replaced everyone’s personal gas-powered vehicles, greenhouse gas emissions could be decreased by over 90%, as well as saving households significant money. An article covering the findings of the research in Popular Science, describes how researchers were also surprised by just how efficient the system actually was, with a fleet only 15% the size of all private cars potentially serving the same size population. The business model works as well, where even estimating an electric, driverless cars costing more than $100,000, a car that drives 24/7, requiring no fuel and no salary could pay for itself within five years.

The post Circulate on Fridays: Access over ownership, half of all U.S. food wasted and more… appeared first on Circulate.

Source: Circulate News RSS

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The fate of Britain's environment rests on a cabinet tug of war

Free-market red tape slashers are pitched against ministers backing a clean, green economy as the UK’s best long term bet. But who will win out?

The cast has changed following Theresa May’s reshuffle, but the play remains the same. It’s a struggle pitching free-market red tape slashers against those backing a clean, green economy as the UK’s best long term bet. The big question is whether this performance will have a different ending.

The performance directed by David Cameron was full of good lines – “the greenest government ever” – but the reviews, even by him, were poor: “cut the green crap”.

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Source: Guardian Environment

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Clean energy won’t save us – only a new economic system can do that

It’s time to pour our creative energies into imagining a new global economy. Infinite growth is a dangerous illusion

Earlier this year media outlets around the world announced that February had broken global temperature records by a shocking amount. March broke all the records, too. In June our screens were covered with surreal images of Paris flooding, the Seine bursting its banks and flowing into the streets. In London, the floods sent water pouring into the tube system right in the heart of Covent Garden. Roads in south-east London became rivers two metres deep.

With such extreme events becoming more commonplace, few deny climate change any longer. Finally, a consensus is crystallising around one all-important fact: fossil fuels are killing us. We need to switch to clean energy, and fast.

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Source: Guardian Environment

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Air pollution causes wrinkles and premature ageing, new research shows

Toxic fumes may be the primary cause of skin ageing in polluted cities such as London, New York and Beijing, scientists say

Air pollution is prematurely ageing the faces of city dwellers by accelerating wrinkles and age spots, according to emerging scientific research.

The effects of toxic fumes on skin are being seen in both western cities, such as London and New York, as well as in more visibly polluted Asian cities and in some cases may be the primary cause of ageing. The pollution is also being linked to worsening skin conditions such as eczema and hives.

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Source: Guardian Environment

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Humans are greening the planet, but the implications are complicated | John Abraham

New study shows humans are influence the growth patterns of plants, but it’s not as simple as ‘greener is better’

The Earth’s climate is changing – in fact, it always changes. But in the current context of human influence, scientists try to decipher how much of the change is natural compared to human-induced.

One clear way humans influence the Earth is through the biosystem. For instance, farming changes the biosystem. By removing natural growth and planting annual crops that are harvested, we change the system in a way that could in turn affect other parts of the Earth system. In addition, the use of nitrogen based fertilizers can increase growth rate and lead to a greening of areas that are subject to fertilization.

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Source: Guardian Environment

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London mayor Sadiq Khan joins Gatwick bosses in call for new runway

Key political figure shares stage with airport executives and calls for Theresa May to rule out controversial Heathrow expansion

Gatwick’s campaign to win approval for a second runway has been boosted as London mayor Sadiq Khan joined executives at the airport calling on the new prime minister to back expansion at Heathrow’s rival.

The event came as Gatwick announced a further £200m to improve its terminal facilities, and a day after Theresa May’s new cabinet promoted several figures who oppose Heathrow’s third runway.

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Source: Guardian Environment

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Abolition of Decc 'major setback for UK's climate change efforts'

Ex-ministers and environmental groups condemn decision to axe ministry as downgrading action to tackle climate change

The abolition of the Department of Energy and Climate Change has been condemned by former ministers as a major setback to British efforts to combat global warming.

Decc was closed in a series of sweeping changes to the government unveiled by the new prime minister, Theresa May, on Thursday. Its functions, which include representing the UK at international climate talks, responsibility for meeting carbon targets and levying subsidies for green energy, have been transferred to a beefed-up business department led by Greg Clark.

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Source: Guardian Environment

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Food waste: harvesting Spain's unwanted crops to feed the hungry

Spain’s gleaning movement has grown rapidly in response to austerity, harvesting imperfect fruit and veg – that would otherwise be wasted – for food banks. Now its own line of jams, soups and sauces is taking off too

Under a blazing Catalan sun, Abdelouahid wipes the sweat from his brow in a cabbage patch full with clouds of white butterflies. “It’s really not warm today,” he says. “It’s only hot if you stop working.”

Around him, unemployed workers and environmentalists squat in green bibs, black gloves and hats, plucking cabbages that would otherwise be threshed, to distribute at food banks around Barcelona.

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Source: Guardian Environment

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