The Hill publishes detail of a new report suggesting that the oil and gas industry may be more polluting than we even knew …. up to 40% more. They cite the respected Nature journal detailing results of tests on ancient air taken from the ice sheets of Greenland which has prompted them to re-evaluate how they measure emissions and subsequently, humanity’s impact, concluding that we’ve been underestimating the industry’s impact all along.
Even as protestors continue to target the big oil and gas companies in efforts to get them to change their ways, one former BP (for a year) employee argues a change of tactic may be needed. In her FT Alphaville column, Izabella Kaninska argues climate activists would be better off buying BP and the like, to help forge change from within.
Pity, meanwhile, the communities around Mossmorran enduring flaring and fears for their health after years of problems, broken promises and inaction. BBC Scotland News reveals that the under-pressure watchdog SEPA, who has pledged with other stakeholders to hold the petrochemical plant owners to account, have admitted monitoring equipment installed to record air pollution are not working.
It comes just days after more than 100 workers staged an unofficial walkout over safety fears at the Exxonmobil site.
Paul Hutcheon, the Daily Record’s political editor, reports on how union leaders are taking the Scottish Government to task over what is described as a ‘pipe dream’ of renewables jobs. They argue former First Minister Alex Salmond had predicted a rush of 28,000 new posts in the sector. Unions say there are just 1700. The Scottish Government in the article offset blame onto the UK Government policy.
All of which should be put on the context over rows about jobs going abroad as reported previously by The National and the struggle of manufacturer BiFab covered by The Courier earlier this month.
Need some audio in your life, then The Guardian’s Today in Focus might be for you as it talks out the UK weather crisis in Flooded Britain: a new normal? Josh Halliday their north of England correspondent talks of the areas worst hit so far in conversation with hosts Rachel Humphreys. Available through the site, download, Apple, Google or Spotify.
The debate continues as the Daily Mirror reveals that weather forecasters expect a month’s worth of rain to strike already flood threatened communities within the next 24, amid data showing in England and Wales, nine percent of new build housing are in areas with a one in a hundred chance of being inundated this way.
The Edinburgh Reporter carries details of Edinburgh City Council’s Green Group demands for a climate led budget. The capital has already committed itself to evolving, but the Green Group have unveiled a £5m package into areas such as energy, travel and improving green space they say is necessary if it is serious about the city’s climate emergency commitments.
Journalist Simon Baker, meanwhile, writes in Times Higher Education, that climate change education has been proven to be more valuable and effective than some of our other focus on lifestyle choices. Research on those who took a course at San Jose State University were found to have undergone a profound change in thinking, which saw their own carbon emissions fall to almost three percent less than those of the average Californian.
Finally congratulations to @BellaLack who has succeeded in reaching her £4000 crowdfunding target to shoot a documentary exploring why children are more disconnected from nature than ever before .. and a theory much may have been robbed from them.
Do you think that the disconnection between young people & the natural world is a cause for concern? If so, please donate to our kickstarter to help fund our documentary to change the narrative around this issue, and hopefully catalyse some action! RT pls https://t.co/oJtgrIBn2R pic.twitter.com/QmbYjJzE9D
— Bella Lack (@BellaLack) February 18, 2020
READ MORE: Could climate bankrupt a nation, Sir Tom’s charity dinner, plus G&Ps
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