Opposition disputes costings in study and accuses authors of cherrypicking ‘worst-case scenario projects’ from around the world
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The Coalition’s plan for seven nuclear power plants would lift power bills for average households by $665 a year based on estimated costs of six overseas nuclear projects, according to an Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis report.
The Ieefa findings built on the CSIRO’s GenCost studies that have shown nuclear energy to be the most expensive form of new power generation. It assessed recent construction costs at plants in the US, UK, Finland and France, and two proposed plants – one in the Czech Republic and an abandoned small modular reactor in the US.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
09/19/2024 - 10:00
09/19/2024 - 08:30
Campaigners criticise decision to scrap tax introduced in 2018 amid rise of ‘flight shame’ movement
Campaigners have accused the Swedish government of doing “everything in its power to stop climate action” after it cut a tax on flying, despite admitting that it would increase emissions.
The flight tax, aimed at cutting pollution from aviation, was introduced in 2018, amid the rise of the “flight shame” (flygskam) movement popularised by Greta Thunberg.
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09/19/2024 - 07:48
Automotive lobby group warns ‘multibillion-euro fines’ will punish manufacturers without relaxation of rules
Europe’s car industry has called for the relaxation of EU emissions targets after sales of electric cars stalled further in August, adding to growing political pressure that threatens to slow the transition away from fossil fuels.
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), a lobby group, said that its members could face “multibillion-euro fines” because the shift to electric production has not been quick enough to meet the EU targets.
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09/19/2024 - 07:10
Measure one of a number that Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says will help curb air pollution
Wood burners in urban family homes should be phased out to protect children’s health, leading paediatricians have said.
A new position statement from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) calls for tougher government action to curb air pollution.
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09/19/2024 - 06:24
Meloni government accused of lacking will to confront climate crisis as floods cause havoc in Emilia-Romagna
Two people are missing and about 1,000 people have been evacuated from their homes after devastating floods and landslides hit the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, prompting accusations that Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government lacks the will to confront the climate crisis.
The flooding was brought on by Storm Boris, which had earlier wreaked havoc in central and eastern Europe, killing at least 24 people. Several major cities in central Europe were bracing for swollen rivers to peak on Thursday but defences generally appeared to be holding.
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09/19/2024 - 06:00
‘Risk’ analyses largely ignore the dangers of the climate crisis. Unless we wake up to them, they will soon outweigh all others
The Irish sea captain who in 1751 discovered the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc) – closely connected with, though not identical to, the Gulf Stream – found a practical use for it: he used the frigid deeper water to cool his wine.
That may seem a rather frivolous response, but of course, Capt Henry Ellis had no idea that the oceanic pattern he had stumbled upon had been critical to the climate, the agriculture and indeed the entire development of western Europe. The same excuse can hardly be made for British and European governments today.
Anatol Lieven is director of the Eurasia programme at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and author of Climate Change and the Nation State: The Realist Case
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09/19/2024 - 00:00
Research says flat-fee train travel would bring economic and health benefits as well as simplifying ticket fares
Renationalising the railways does not go far enough – Labour should spur a rail renaissance by allowing people around the UK unlimited train travel for a flat fee, campaigners have said.
Under a “climate card” system, passengers could pay a simple subscription to gain access to train travel across all services. This could be effective if set at £49 a month, according to research published on Thursday, though travellers on fast long-distance trains and those on routes in and through London would need to pay a top-up to reflect the greater demand on those services.
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09/19/2024 - 00:00
Landmark research finds 244m tonnes of organic carbon is stored in top 10cm of marine sediment in British waters
Seabed habitats could capture almost three times more carbon than forests in the UK every year if left undisturbed, according to a report published on Thursday.
Researchers at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (Sams) have calculated that 244m tonnes of organic carbon is stored in the top 10cm of UK seabed habitats. That includes seagrass meadows, salt marshes, kelp and mussel beds but most (98%) is stored in seabed sediments such as mud and silt.
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09/18/2024 - 14:20
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.
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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.
