Doug Parr
@dougparr.bsky.social
Trump vows to ‘drill, baby, drill’ despite rally attendees hospitalised in extreme heat, where temperatures have broken records
The perfect vignette of human approach to climate change
See also Australia, now the EU etc.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/arti...
Trump vows to ‘drill, baby, drill’ despite rally attendees wilting in extreme heat
Supporters hospitalized following rallies in Las Vegas and Phoenix, where temperatures have broken records
www.theguardian.com
Over 400 UK scientists write to party leaders in election calling for credible plans on hitting 2050
"It seems the main political parties have failed to grasp just how much British voters are going to be affected by [climate change] over the next 5 years"
www.theguardian.com/politics/art...
‘Disappointing and surprising’: Why isn’t this a climate election in the UK?
More than 400 scientists write to political parties urging ambitious action or risk making Britain and the world ‘more dangerous and insecure’
www.theguardian.com
Head of Intl Energy Agency says oil & gas companies are “claiming to be part of the solution” but are continuing to spend on average just 4% of their investment budgets on clean energy projects, while national oil companies spend even less
www.theguardian.com/business/art...
Investment in clean energy likely to be double figure for fossil fuels in 2024, IEA says
Low-carbon electricity investment driven by solar projects but oil and gas spending still too high to meet climate goals
www.theguardian.com
Secret courts have awarded fossil fuel companies well over $100bn of taxpayers money in compensation
ISDS courts give foreign investors the right to sue states for when their anticipated profits are affected by public measures such as green regulations
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Investors awarded billions of dollars for losses related to climate laws, analysis finds
Fossil fuel firms are biggest beneficiaries of investor-state dispute settlement courts which have awarded $114bn of public money
www.theguardian.com
Clean energy investment is now seriously outpacing fossil fuels say International Energy Agency
But likely too little, too late to stop dangerous climate change - fossil fuel investment is still edging up
iea.li/3Vt8CSL
The Reform UK manifesto section on energy & climate change manages on average a false or misleading statement every 17 words
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reality check: the Reform UK party’s claims on the climate crisis examined
Richard Tice made some eye-opening statements on the climate, and the manifesto is packed with even more falsehoods
www.theguardian.com
European Central Bank is preparing to fine a number of banks after they failed to make adequate progress in addressing risks posed to their business by climate change
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Banks Told to Brace for ECB Fines After Mismanaging Climate Risk
The European Central Bank confirmed that it’s preparing to fine a number of lenders after they failed to make adequate progress in addressing risks posed to their business by climate change.
www.bloomberg.com
Why a wealth tax to fund climate action:
"The richest global 1% produce more greenhouse gases than 66% at the other end of the scale, yet experience little vulnerability to climate shocks that are causing suffering and death, mainly among poorer people"
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Global rich must pay more to tackle climate crisis, says architect of Paris deal
Laurence Tubiana, one of experts behind 2015 agreement, calls for taxes or charges on consumption
www.theguardian.com
Intl Energy Agency says world off track to meet goal of tripling renewable electricity by 2030
A promise made by all nations at COP28
Unlike lots of other promises at climate talks, someone's actually watching whether it's happening or not 👍
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
World will miss target of tripling renewable electricity generation by 2030 – IEA
Analysis of policies of nearly 150 countries shows shortfall to hit target viewed as vital for transition from fossil fuels
www.theguardian.com
Rural voters are seeing more evidence of climate change impacts and are - slightly - more supportive of action on emissions than UK population
Support especially strong with swing voters
And extends to support for wind & solar farms in their area
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
Rural voters back wind and solar energy farms as Labour leads in countryside
Survey of most rural constituencies suggests majority support local renewable energy sources
www.independent.co.uk
UK Labour announces Great British Energy to roll out clean energy
1. V good to see innovative ideas to accelerate roll out
2. Creates more investment so should create more jobs
3. MUST focus on 100% renewables, not have ££ sucked into nuclear black hole
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Clean power 'built within months', pledges Labour
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged that green energy projects would be kickstarted across the country within months.
He plans to create a publicly-owned company, Great British Energy, should L...
For those thinking climate change is 'manageable'
Summer temperatures now regularly far above the norm & a heatwave has enveloped north India
"We need more water but supply is decreasing. We are suffering badly and heat is making it impossible to live”
www.theguardian.com/world/articl...
‘Unliveable’: Delhi’s residents struggle to cope in record-breaking heat
Temperatures of more than 45C have left population of 29 million exhausted – but the poorest suffer most
www.theguardian.com
Intl Energy Agency analysis:
"meeting net zero emissions by 2050 requires additional investment but also reduces energy system operating costs by more than half compared with today’s policy. The net result is a more affordable & fairer energy system for consumers"
www.iea.org/news/rapid-r...
Rapid rollout of clean technologies makes energy cheaper, not more costly - News - IEA
Rapid rollout of clean technologies makes energy cheaper, not more costly - News from the International Energy Agency
www.iea.org
The richest 0.1% in Britain emit 22 times more from transport than low earners, 12 times more than average
Wealthy white men are UK’s biggest emitters of climate-heating gases from transport
Is this a surprise to anyone?
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/arti...
Wealthy white men are UK’s biggest transport polluters, study finds
IPPR research examines transport emissions by income, gender, location, ethnicity and age
www.theguardian.com
After performing abysmally water companies will get lower targets for
* sewage clean up
* leakage reduction
* regulatory fines
And apparently “It’s just unrealistic” to stop the flow of dividends to shareholders
Selling water - where failure is your friend
www.ft.com/content/7dcb...
Regulator plans to cut fines to help stressed UK water companies
Ofwat draws up proposal for ‘recovery regime’ to avoid nationalisation of Thames Water and other groups
www.ft.com
Toyota bet against electric vehicles with new investment in internal combustion engines
Presumably, therefore, will be an opponent of climate mandates on new cars & vans
In fight to decarbonise transport, they could be turning themselves into the enemy
www.ft.com/content/b54d...
Toyota bets on new line of combustion engines in challenge to Tesla
Japanese carmaker unveils latest fuel-based technology to be used alongside batteries in hybrid vehicles
www.ft.com
Former UK Chief Scientist warning that we're on track for civilisation to disappear because of climate change
I'm pretty confident that despite this, the threat from the climate crisis will feature at best as second order issue in UK, USA, India elections
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Humanity’s survival is still within our grasp – just. But only if we take these radical steps | David King
Reduce emissions, build resilience, repair ecosystems, remove greenhouse gases: these are the four Rs that can save us, says David King, chair of the global Climate Crisis Advisory Group
www.theguardian.com“The prime minister decided to weaponise the climate crisis by rowing back on net zero commitments, all to try and save his own skin. It won’t work. People up and down this country are crying out for more climate action, not less.”
"UK govt has vowed to “max out” North Sea oil & gas reserves, a stance that has all but destroyed UK’s intl reputation as a climate leader. A new coal mine was given go-ahead, sealing impression of a nation that talks big on climate but delivers little"
www.theguardian.com/politics/art...
Sunak backtracked on climate policies – and voters may punish him
Many hoped he would show global leadership – instead he pitched himself as ‘pragmatic’ and slowed the journey to net zero
www.theguardian.com
Sunak criticises ‘environmental dogma’ as he is drenched by rain whilst calling the General Election
Rain that scientists today confirmed today was much heavier and more prolonged in UK over the last 18 months because of climate change
Who’s the one who is really being dogmatic, Rishi?
Winter downpours are 20% wetter, will occur every 3 years without urgent carbon cuts
“Climate change is now making life shittier. Wetter winters are flooding farms, cancelling football matches, overflowing sewage systems & making groceries more expensive"
www.theguardian.com/world/articl...
‘Never-ending’ UK rain made 10 times more likely by climate crisis, study says
Winter downpours also made 20% wetter and will occur every three years without urgent carbon cuts, experts warn
www.theguardian.com
Because meanwhile mass fish deaths in England, many linked with sewage pollution incidents, are going through the roof, rising 10-fold in 4 years
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Fish deaths in England’s rivers rise tenfold in four years
More than 216,000 fish died in 2022-2023, when England recorded a 54% increase in sewage spills
www.theguardian.com
"Minimising human faecal organisms in fresh water is a public health priority as well as an environmental one" says UK Chief Medical Officer
Report he commissioned says water companies should build more sewage storage tanks & separate sewers for storm overflow
www.theguardian.com/society/arti...
Reducing sewage in rivers and seas is public health priority, says Chris Whitty
England’s chief medical officer says 19th-century wastewater system ended cholera outbreaks and calls for similar focus now
www.theguardian.com
"For UK, the only way to limit medium-term gas imports is to reduce consumption, yet effective policy is not being pursued
"Failure to accelerate renewables, heat pumps & insulation, & cross-economy efficiency would leave UK gas demand stubbornly high"
eciu.net/analysis/rep...
Getting off Gas
Why UK energy independence is a pipedream unless we reduce our gas consumption.
eciu.net
Scotland's government accused of failing to protect marine protected areas with conservation groups citing damage from trawlers such as scallop dredgers fishing
Only 46 of 233 designated sites are in favourable or recovering condition
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/arti...
More than 55% of sperm samples from a French infertility clinic contained high levels of glyphosate, the world’s most common weedkiller
It comes as researchers look for why global fertility rates are dropping. Many suspect toxic chemicals like glyphosate
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
High levels of weedkiller found in more than half of sperm samples, study finds
Glyphosate found in samples from French infertility clinic raising questions about controversial chemical’s impact on fertility
www.theguardian.com
Ships calling at Southampton produced four times more NOx than cars in the city
And cruise ships were responsible for more than half the PM2.5 pollution
Milford Haven and Immingham also badly affected by ship pollution
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Ships in some UK port cities create more air pollution than cars
Milford Haven, Southampton and Immingham top the list for emissions of gases and particulates
www.theguardian.com
Newly elected Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan speaks:
"My opponents clearly thought that by attacking the climate agenda they could advance a political one. But it didn’t work.... We proudly put the green agenda on the ballot paper and Londoners made their choice."
www.standard.co.uk/comment/sadi...
Sadiq Khan: Why I told the Pope's climate summit we must double down, not back down
It’s an honour to have been invited by the Pope to speak at an important climate summit at the Vatican. Following my recent re-election in London, I go with a clear message for other city leaders — th...
www.standard.co.ukNational infrastructure Commission recommendations as reported here seem pretty much on the money
UK very slow on heat pump roll out and will be well short of govt target for 2028 say National infrastructure commission
Even this target - 600,000 installations per year - is well short of the 900,000 per year Climate Change Committee recommended
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
United Utilities failed to stop the illegal pollution of Windermere, in the Lake District, for 10 hours in February
An almost identical incident occurred at the same location in 2022 when a fault occurred at a pumping station in Bowness-on-Windermere
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Untreated sewage pumped into Windermere after fault
Millions of litres of raw sewage were pumped into one of England's most famous lakes after a fault.
www.bbc.co.uk
UK Firms are well placed to manufacture many crucial green products – from electric trains to heat pump components – despite 40 years of decline that have left the UK industrial base smaller than many of its competitors, says IPPR
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
UK has competitive edge on a third of green products, thinktank finds
With companies well placed to build the most crucial goods, such as electric trains, the UK has a head start in achieving net zero
www.theguardian.com
all of which implies that voluntary action by the finance community will not drive the changes needed to keep us within temperature limits for a liveable planet
Regulators in finance centres (like London) will need to make investors align with 1.5C target
On the banks that joined the "Net Zero Banking Alliance"
“no evidence that signatory banks have stopped lending to un-green borrowers.... they neither reduce credit supply to sectors they target for decarbonisation nor increase financing for renewables”
www.ft.com/content/af60...
Can banks really fix the climate crisis?
New research suggests that their green commitments are not paying off yet
www.ft.com
"There is currently no realistic or scalable alternative to standard kerosene jet fuels, and touted “sustainable aviation fuels” are well off track to replace them"
So - there's a need for back-up demand restraint measures for aviation emissions control
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Magical thinking’: hopes for sustainable jet fuel not realistic, report finds
IPS report says replacement fuels well off track to replace kerosene within timeframe needed to avert climate disaster
www.theguardian.com
Cross party group of 50 politicians, incl Conservatives, call on UK govt to end oil & gas licencing, join Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, support new global goal for climate finance at COP29
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
MPs and peers urge Sunak to U-turn on oil and gas extraction plans
Cross-party group of 50 calls on prime minister to appoint climate envoy and back Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance
www.theguardian.com
"There has been a concerted misinformation campaign, funded by oil & gas interests, to mislead voters. “Big oil is benefiting from all of this fear mongering, President Trump wasn’t speaking to average New Jerseyeans here. He was speaking to big oil” "
www.theguardian.com/us-news/arti...
Trump pledges to scrap offshore wind projects on ‘day one’ of presidency
The Republican frontrunner has vowed to put an end to ‘horrible’ wind turbines, pledging to undo yet another key US green policy
www.theguardian.com
32 Conservative MPs & peers have raised concerns about more subsidy going to wood burning at Drax power station
They say there are “serious questions” about whether generating electricity by burning wood is sustainable
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tory....
Tory row to ignite over subsidies to wood-burning power stations
No more funding should be handed to biomass electricity until it can prove it does not worsen climate change, MPs say
www.thetimes.co.uk
Emissions from waste in UK have barely budges since 2014 with incineration emissions growing
“We need to focus on the prevention of fossil carbon emissions by removing plastics from the waste stream input” say Veolia
www.ft.com/content/34cc...
"In one of the UK’s largest independent home heating surveys about two-thirds (67%) of households with a heat pump said they were satisfied with their running costs compared with 59% of gas boiler owners"
www.theguardian.com/business/art...
Are heat pumps more expensive to run than gas boilers?
The first in a series exploring the myths and realities surrounding heat pumps
www.theguardian.com
UK govt carrying over the ‘hot air’ credits from previous years carbon budgets to make the next budget period easier to meet would be short-termism & failure on an epic scale
Main impact is to make compliance with long term targets harder and more costly
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Ministers consider making UK’s carbon targets easier to meet
Fears Climate Change Committee’s advice not to allow carryover from last carbon budget will be ignored
www.theguardian.com
England’s rivers are likely to remain in a poor state for years as govt is failing to put in place EU clean water laws post-Brexit, the Office for Environmental Protection has found
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
England’s rivers to remain in poor state as EU laws ignored post-Brexit, says watchdog
Government’s failure to match EU measures to improve condition of rivers, lakes and oceans called ‘deeply concerning’
www.theguardian.com
“Measures on sand-eels should be getting more praise than they are. Partly as they’re good in themselves, but mainly illustrating how UK govt accrued power to go further & faster than EU on environmental protections, instead of actually going nowhere slowly on most”
www.politico.eu/article/brex...
Brexit eel wars: Brussels accuses Britain of being too green
Snakey fish fight is center stage as U.K.’s new environmental measures rub the EU the wrong way.
www.politico.eu
Millions of $$ the oil and gas industry contributes to Republicans and Democrats during each electoral cycle
www.ft.com/content/d64b...
Wind and solar push renewable energy to 30% of power generation
“The decline of power sector emissions is now inevitable” say Ember
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Renewable energy passes 30% of world’s electricity supply
Report says humans may be on brink of cutting fossil fuel generation, even as demand for electricity rises
www.theguardian.com
The revolution eats itself
Hurrah that the crafter of ridiculous gerrymandering of the voting system has to deal with the idiocy themselves
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...
Boris Johnson turned away from polling station after forgetting voter ID
Ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson fell foul of the voter ID rules introduced when he was in Downing Street when he tried to cast his ballot in the local elections in South Oxfordshire
www.mirror.co.uk
A former Tory MP says of this:
“this is a deeply irresponsible and divisive move that goes against all advice from the International Energy Agency or the UN, and further sets back UK’s climate reputation.
“A political and cynical stunt that will only backfire"
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Sunak to allow oil and gas exploration at sites intended for offshore wind
Exclusive: decision to grant licences condemned by critics as a stunt that shows Tories are ‘playing politics with climate’
www.theguardian.com