Warmer Climate Threatens Africa’s Vital Cassava Crop
A plant which is a staple food crop for millions of people across Africa is at risk from disease as regional temperatures rise, scientists say. The plant, cassava, is a significant source of food and income, and is an important industrial crop, and there is concern that serious food shortages may result and poverty worsen. Experts say the spread of… Read More
Shale Mining in Great Barrier Reef ‘Likely to be Banned’
Mining shale oil under the Great Barrier Reef is likely to be banned by Australia's federal Labor government as tensions rise over the environmental impact of the booming oil and gas industry on the coastline beside the reef. In February, the conservative Queensland state government lifted a moratorium on the shale oil industry in most places alon… Read More
Carbon Bubble May Plunge the World into Financial Crisis
The world could be heading for a major economic crisis as stock markets inflate an investment bubble in fossil fuels to the tune of trillions of dollars, according to leading economists. "The financial crisis has shown what happens when risks accumulate unnoticed," said Lord (Nicholas) Stern, a professor at the London School of Economics. He said … Read More
Overseas Demand Breathes New Life into U.S. Coal
The good news is that U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are continuing to decline. “Over the last four years, our emissions of the dangerous carbon pollution that threatens our planet have actually fallen,” said President Obama in his State of the Union address last month. The bad news is the U.S. is exporting its polluting gases, particularly i… Read More
Countries in Asia Cutting Carbon Faster than Europe
When it comes to prowess in moving towards a low-carbon economy, some countries in Asia are increasingly outpacing Europe and the United States, a new report shows. Three of the top G20 countries best placed to compete in the global low-carbon economy are now from East Asia, having overtaken their European and American competitors, according to an… Read More
Shell Barred From Arctic Drilling Without Overhaul
Shell "screwed up" drilling for oil in Arctic waters and will not be allowed back without a comprehensive overhaul of its plans, the Obama administration said on Thursday. A government review found the oil company was not prepared for the extreme conditions in the Arctic, which resulted in a series of blunders and accidents culminating in the New … Read More
Shell to Suspend Arctic Offshore Drilling Program
Shell shut down its 2013 drilling season in the Arctic waters off Alaska on Wednesday, after a series of mishaps and mechanical failures. The oil company said in a statement it was putting its operations off the coast of Alaska on pause for 2013, but remained committed to drilling at a later stage. The decision raises further doubts about the futu… Read More
Nuclear Power Cannot Compete with Cheap Shale Gas
Nuclear power stations in Canada and the United States are closing because they cannot compete with cheap power being produced from shale gas. This revolution in the way North America produces its electricity is sending shock waves through the nuclear industry in Europe too. New nuclear build will be spectacularly uneconomic if a fracking industry… Read More
