Adam Vaughan
@adamvaughan_uk
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Environment editor, The Times. DMs are open. Email: [email protected]
Joined August 2008
I've joined Bluesky. I know, late to the party. Please do say hello over there:. I can promise you inane observations about the environment, #COP29 and running.
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Wow, that was quick. The effective ban on onshore wind farms in England has been lifted, just a few days after Labour took power. Planning barriers cut, so "onshore wind applications will be treated in the same way as other energy development proposals".
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Global CO2 emissions are set for their biggest fall since WWII because of the coronavirus pandemic. They could drop by 7.5% in 2020, finds first peer-reviewed analysis of covid-19 impact on emissions. Study by @Peters_Glen, @clequere and team:
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NEW . UK govt has rejected an application by farmers to use a bee-killing pesticide on sugar beet in England . This is a big deal . For 4 years in a row, the last govpt approved emergency use of the neonicotinoid. Will likely delight conservationists, infuriate farmers.
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Thrilled to announce I'm joining The Times as Environment Editor in September. Looking forward to reporting the reasons for hope as well as the doomsday beat stuff. Huge thanks to the brilliant New Scientist team for everything.
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Starting today at The Times as the paper’s environment editor. Contact me here via DM or via email on my profile.
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IPCC author and climate scientist Julia Steinberger arrested in Switzerland over a protest.
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.@GretaThunberg protesting outside UK dept of energy security & net zero today, urging @grantshapps to block Rosebank oil field. GT: "Given everything that we know & can now see with our own eyes, approving Rosebank would be a deliberately destructive act.”. 📷A.Christofilou
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.@GretaThunberg on her Atlantic boat journey: "By stopping flying, you don't only reduce your carbon footprint but also that sends a signal to other people around you that the climate crisis is a real thing"
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NEW. The UK govt & Environment Agency this morning lost a legal challenge overs its failure to protect a fly fishing river in North Yorks, the Upper Costa Beck. Court ruled in favour of @pickeringfish & @FishLegal_ which argued Humber river basin management plan was inadequate.
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Renewable energy capacity has overtaken fossil fuels in the UK for the first time, research by @iain_staffell reveals. Story soon.
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NEW. Antarctic sea ice just set a record low for its winter maximum, by a pretty massive margin. Only 16.96 million square kilometers in extent. An area about 7x times the size of the UK is "missing". UK scientists tell me the figures are "shocking".
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Some rare good news on climate change . Wind power was the UK’s biggest source of electricity for the last year, knocking gas off its pedestal. Feat @iain_staffell @DrSimEvans @jessralston2 & @ClaireCoutinho
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The head of the National Trust and other green leaders have said that the planned scrapping of protection for rivers would amount to the “most significant unwinding of environmental law for decades” #nutrientneutrality.
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July confirmed as hottest month on record by @CopernicusECMWF . Global average temperature was 16.95C, 0.33C hotter than 2019 record. @khaustein says the record is "staggering" and the "root cause is human-made climate change"
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Woah, big news. Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's biggest, is going to divest from oil and gas companies, Norwegian govt decides. (background: .
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Campaigners have reacted with shock at the government’s rejection of their bid to win bathing water status for a river in the constituency of environment secretary @theresecoffey .#cleanitup.
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The Times has launched #CleanItUp, a campaign to tackle water pollution in our rivers and beaches. Kicks off with news today that water companies are unlikely to face the £250 million penalties for major pollution incidents promised last year
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Coronavirus lockdown measures in European cities have cut NO2 air pollution by around half - down 45% in Madrid, Milan, Rome, 54% in Paris, between 13 March and 13 April, says @esa
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- UK climate change adviser Lord Deben says the govt is "way behind" on adapting to a warming world. - Deben says it's "remarkable" how poor Defra's plans are for net zero. - says Defra previously had climate deniers as ministers, and he found it "difficult" to work with them
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NEW. Jacob Rees-Mogg has dropped plans to appeal against a High Court ruling that found the government’s plan to reach net zero was unlawful . The business secretary’s decision means the government must now draw up a new net-zero strategy by March.
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I'm starting a @newscientist weekly email newsletter, Fix the Planet, on reasons for hope on climate change, from the worlds of science and technology. @ me with the issues & projects I should cover. And please sign up!
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Sorry to be a party pooper given the lovely sunny weather but: air pollution is high and very high in several parts of England today. A reminder that getting off fossil fuels is not just about tackling climate change
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Gloomy day for solar in UK . 1) households who fit solar in future will have to give their excess solar power away for free, under @beisgovuk decision. 2) households who already have solar will pay more for their energy as @ofgem forces them to pay more for access to grid.
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The UK gov is holding back two thirds of data on the state of biodiversity in England this year. @MarkAvery: “Defra. has decided to bury the evidence" .@ChrisGPackham: “Cherry-picking which ones is just cowardice" . (h/t @RachSalv, who first clocked this).
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Environment secretary @theresecoffey has called @GaryLineker irresponsible for sharing a Lib Dem tweet that said Tory MPs had voted in favour of allowing sewage spills for 15 more years . "To try and suggest somehow we’ve legalised sewage disposal. is complete & utter nonsense"
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Beautiful work here by Morten. I was on Times Radio with Michael Gove yesterday and he was still trying to present this as good news for the environment, i.e. up is down.
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.@JamesBevanEA, boss of the Environment Agency, said he deserved his bonus after he was asked if he would give it to staff reliant on food banks . @Feargal_Sharkey: “After seven years Sir James Bevan’s reality distortion filter seems to be fully charged.”.
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NEW. Environment groups have warned Rishi Sunak that they will mobilise members if attacks on green measures continue, saying the issue should not be treated as a “political football”. “We will not stand by", write heads of groups representing 20m people
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NEW . The Environment Agency has told officials to cut back on inspections of bathing water pollution incidents and rely instead on water company assessments. @LewisPugh says “like asking an arsonist to assess fire damage”. (h/t @UE for obtaining key doc)
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NEW. Church of England pensions board has divested from £7m in oil and gas stocks, incuding the £1.35m it holds in Shell. Effectively says engagement hasn't worked. Says none of the firms it's invested in have been closely aligned enough with Paris Agreement 1.5C climate goal.
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The absolute sorry state of the UK trying to launch something as basic as a bottle deposit return scheme. 2021 - 2023 launch plan. Later delayed to 2024. 2023 - delayed again, to 2025. Scottish one ready to launch but postponed.2024 - ministers say probably delayed again to 2027.
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In a meeting with Defra officials, one minister said they had always loved gardening, and spent half an hour talking about their favourite Beatrix Potter characters. “There was no sense that they have any understanding at all of what it is they’re messing with,” a source said.
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An Oxfordshire stream had almost four days of sewage dumped into it over a week in January, making it the worst in the Thames Water region #CleanItUp
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UK prime minister Liz Truss has been urged by cabinet minister @AlokSharma_RDG to attend next month’s crucial COP27 climate summit and to let King Charles go too . Former UN climate chief @PEspinosaC also says Truss should attend #COP27.
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NEW: IPCC climate report .🌎 Impacts already widespread, some irreversible.👩👦 3.3bn people in highly vulnerable areas.🌊Limits to adaptation increasingly clear.⚕️For 1st time in IPCC doc, mental health impacts are explicit.🌡️ 1.5°C makes big difference.
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Very happy to be joining the @newscientist team in the new year. Last decade at Guardian has been a blast with great colleagues but I'm hugely excited at new opportunity. You know where to send your science scoops ;-).
Delighted to announce @adamvaughan_uk is joining @newscientist as chief reporter. Adam is a great reporter and also a great digital-first journalist. Welcome Adam!!.
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Some good news: Dogger bank, the world's largest offshore windfarm, has been plugged into the grid. 3.6GW when finished (Can't believe it's 13MW turbines. I remember getting excited seeing the first 8MW turbines up close: .
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It's almost like the Climate Change Act was a good idea to avoid long-term carbon targets being subject to the short-term fickle winds of politics.
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Investment of £27bn in over 4000 miles of roads, says Sunak. Couple with fuel duty freeze, and contrast with £1bn for green transport solutions. Make up your own mind about how serious #budget2020 is on cutting transport CO2. Reminder: transport is biggest CO2 emitter in UK.
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Pollution warning over car tyre and brake dust, even after car fleets switch to electric. Good reminder of why need more walking & cycling too. @RHarrabin reports
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Jacob Rees-Mogg says "postpone net-zero indefinitely" (via PA). He argues one reason is US economy is growing faster than UK's. Feels like a good moment to note the US has embarked on a far more ambitious green plan than the UK, spending $370bn on clean energy.
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David Attenborough on climate change action: "We cannot be radical enough". Story on @newscientist: more soon.
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Shocking chart from @CopernicusECMWF . At the end of July, carbon emissions from Canada wildfires were ALREADY double the previous ANNUAL record total.
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Britain should follow the lead of France and Norway and bring in a weight tax for SUVs to curb carbon emissions, @GreenAllianceUK have urged. SUVs have soared in popularity in recent years, jumping from 22% of UK new car sales in 2014 to 39% in 2019.
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It makes no sense for the UK to approve new North Sea oil and gas fields, says @AdairTurnerUK, the head of a think tank funded by Shell and BP
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Household bills would have been £1,750 lower this year if the government had moved faster to reduce emissions over the past decade, says @jessralston2 of the @ECIU_UK #netzero
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Ministers held an emergency meeting yesterday after a backlash from green groups fearful that the government plans to weaken environmental protections. “It seems to be genuine chaos,” said one govt insider.
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The people in the UK advocating fracking do realise that Cuadrilla started exploring for shale gas in 2010 and after a decade were still miles from commerical operations, right? The focus on fracking seems to me utter culture wars stuff rather than serious practical proposal.
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What's going on with all the climate denial on Twitter, @elonmusk?. When I type climate, #climatescam is the 1st term that comes up. It returns a long stream of posts making nonsense claims about @IPCC_CH science. Anyone else noticed uptick in climate scepticism on the platform?
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My analysis on nutrient neutrality . - legal backing for clean rivers is being swapped for cash that can be washed away at any time.- Only 8%of new homes are blocked by the rules.- is risk of dirtier rivers a price worth paying for 16,500 extra homes a year?.
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Hats off to BBC for putting #COP24 climate change summit top of their news agenda today. Have to say the Beeb’s decision a few months ago to prioritise climate coverage is really showing, especially in projection they’re giving stories. Very welcome.
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The 1.5°C climate goal may technicallly still be possible, but realistically it looks improbable. That doesn't mean people should give up. As @KHayhoe says: “Every bit of warming matters. Every year matters, every choice matters, every action matters.”
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Britain has run for three days in a row without coal power, a new record
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Majority of UK public want to install solar panels and home batteries, poll finds Runs counter to govt energy policy which all about large scale & centralised at mo.
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World’s biggest offshore windfarm (1.2GW!) to deliver first power this week
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57% of 2019 Tory voters planning to vote Labour in the next general election think Sunak has "not gone far enough" on climate change action.
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.@CSkidmoreUK not pulling any punches — accuses Daily Telegraph of deliberately running stories undermining the energy transition. Says the newspaper uses net zero as clickbait
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Rishi Sunak spent much of his net zero speech doing down heat pumps. The following week inquiries about heat pumps went up x5 at @OctopusEnergy . @g__j says need to focus on green options simply better being than fossil, not talking transitions & bans.
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Literally the same day scientists found the constant downpours this winter were made heavier because of climate change.
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My interview with @clequere in @newscientist: "I’m going to work on climate change all my life. If we miss the 1.5°C target, then I will fight for 1.6°C or 1.8°C, and if we miss the 2°C target, I will fight for 2.4°C. So for me, the fight is permanent."
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NEW. Tories tried to hide the extent of sewage spills before election, despite warnings from top officials that it would damage the government and the Environment Agency.
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NEW. UK on verge of ending coal power. Just one coal power station will be running this winter, Uniper's Ratcliffe plant in Nottinghamshire. Drax coal units at North Yorks and EDF coal plant at West Burton A are now being decommissioned, @NationalGridESO confirms.
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Britain has hurt its international reputation on climate change and left other countries thinking it has "walked away" from the issue, says @AlokSharma_RDG ahead of #COP28
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NEW . Water bosses have been told they will no longer “mark their own homework” on whether they are illegally polluting rivers, in a big shift in how the sector is regulated. @SteveBarclay yesterday told them operator self-monitoring is ending. Story 👇.
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The RSPCA has been accused of a “failure of leadership” as @ChrisGPackham and @CarolineLucas resigned after undercover investigations revealed animal cruelty at the charity’s Assured abattoirs and farms. Story👇.
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Penny Mordaunt just claimed Labour net zero plans will push up households’ costs. It’s worth pointing out that @AuroraER_Oxford this week found Labour’s 2030 clean power plan would be cheaper than the Conservatives’ 2035 one. #electiondebate.
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King Charles is planning a new solar farm at his Sandringham Estate. It's amazing how fast solar power has spread across the UK. These maps tell the story. The one with hardly any yellow dots is January 2010. One with lots is today. (Source: REPD)
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Here’s @Feargal_Sharkey on why he’s backing the Times’ #CleanItUp campaign against water pollution
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NEW. The UK government has quietly scrapped millions in funding for tackling air pollution, a letter seen by The Times reveals. @SadiqKhan says air quality grant cut is “deeply disappointing” and will directly harm people’s health.
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Tobacco-style warning labels about fossil fuels’ climate impact should be put on flight tickets, at petrol stations and on energy bills, says opinion piece in @BMJ_latest
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Big day for climate change monitoring. First ever satellite by an environmental non-profit is scheduled to launch today, circa 10pm UK time. MethaneSAT should help hold companies and countries to account on their methane emissions
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NEW . UK now has 50,000 public electric vehicle charging points, up from just 30,000 in Feb last year. At current rates, expected to hit 100,000 in Aug 2025. Govt target is for 300,000 by 2030. Data from @zap_map
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These are the UK supermarket items with the worst environmental impact
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Renewables will become the largest source of global electricity by early 2025, overtaking coal, the @IEA projects. That includes hydropower. But big growth comes from wind & solar power. Their share to more than double by 2027, to 20% of global power.
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Sign of the times: Number of electric car charging locations has overtaken the number of petrol stations in the UK, @GoodEnergy points out, based on @zap_map data. 8,546 v 8,400. Likely still more pumps than chargers though.
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She appears to be referring to this tweet here
Why on earth would you do this?.
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So far I count the head of the National Trust, the chief of a huge energy trade body, a major BBC presenter and naturalist, and a leading climate scientist among those expressing concern about reports the UK govt is planning to water down its net zero plans….
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NEW. @ELPinchbeck has been chosen as the preferred candidate to be Britain's new top climate adviser, CEO of @theCCCuk . She is currently boss of Energy UK, has worked in past in wind power industry & WWF. Says UK is in "age of trade-offs". Story here 👇.
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Yes, EVs really are greener than ICE cars. Lifecycle GHG emissions for a battery car are already 65% lower than equivalent petrol car, even with UK's current elec mix. Expected to be 76% lower by 2030 as more renewables come online. New study by Ricardo
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2 fossil fuel projects have had their planning killed in 1 day. Following an oil well having planning permission quashed, the same thing has just happened to the proposed Whitehaven coal mine in Cumbria. Both cases a direct result of this ruling last month.
This could be start of avalanche of decisions against planning approvals for UK fossil fuel projects. In June the Supreme Court ruled approval of an oil well failed to account for the climate impact of burning the oil. The precedent has now derailed a separate oil well in Lincs.
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Worth reading this again, given Rex Tillerson appointment
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@Ed_Acteson of @SOSWhitstable: “I shouldn’t have to dedicate hours a week to trying to fight for the very fundamental right to clean water. It’s ridiculous: I’ve got a full-time job, my wife’s got a full-time job, we’ve got two young children.”
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.@CarolineLucas on aviation donations to the Conservative Party: “Government aviation policy in recent months has been nothing short of pie-in-the-sky greenwash. Now we know why."
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Two thirds of people think that Britain’s seas are too dirty to swim in, with the proportion rising to about four fifths in Blackpool and Brighton. New poll by Survation on sewage pollution. "It's absolutely appalling" says @38degrees . Story 👇.
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The aviation industry contributed more than a tenth of the Conservative Party’s donations between April and June, prompting questions from environmental campaigners over the government’s policies to decarbonise flights .
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.@ZacGoldsmith said Sunak was apathetic towards the environment. Bloomberg reports that Sunak's team is considering scrapping rules to protect rivers from nutrient pollution. Dropping water protections to appease housebuilders looks less like apathy and more like hostility.
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NEW. Climate-sceptic tweets have surged since @elonmusk's Twitter takeover. • UN's @MelissaFleming "alarmed" at "out-and-out climate change denial".• @KHayhoe: “Climate denial on Twitter was already a dumpster fire. it had a litre of gas thrown on it".
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@globalhlthtwit Dear Anthony, I'm a journalist at @newscientist. Would like to talk with you for story today about just this subject please. Grateful if you could get in touch with best way to reach you - I'm on adam.vaughan@newscientist.com or DM me.
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It may not be getting the coverage that Chelsea and the World Snooker Championship got, but it's quite striking that Just Stop Oil has been slow marching across London for eight weeks now.
🐦 The sweet sounds of the dawn chorus as Just Stop Oil supporters begin week 8 of slow marching. 💀 Birds dropped dead in 40°C heat last year. New oil and gas adds fuel to the fire. Millions of people and animals will die. 🚷 Sign up to slow march 👉
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UK's new environment secretary sets out 5 priorities:.1) river & seas cleanup.2) zero waste economy.3) support farmers for food security .4) nature recovery.5) protecting communities from flooding.
“We are facing a crisis point. but the work of change has begun”. Our Secretary of State for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs @SteveReedMP lays out his plan for change.
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There's been a lot of hoohah recently about how hard it will be for UK's car makers to hit their electric car targets. Bit of a reality check this morning. 20.1% of cars sold in August were electric. Target for 2024 is 22%. It's not that hard.
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NEW. UK off track for net zero, finds @GreenAllianceUK analysis ahead of #IPCC report. Shows only 28% of emissions cuts needed for next UK carbon target are backed with confirmed govt policies. There is a LOT riding on @grantshapps "green day" this month.
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Despite mortages, wider cost of living crisis and everything else, concern about climate change remains rock solidly high. 82% of the British public are concerned about climate change. Govt polling out this morning in DESNZ tracker
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The Ukrainian delegation reportedly called for the report to go ahead despite the war, and said it was upset the conflict “will detract from the importance” of the IPCC report, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability.
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For all those who asked a few weeks ago what effect the IPCC 1.5C report will have on governments and policy, the UK’s answer in #budget2018 was clear: jack all.
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Biomass power stations (e.g. @Draxnews) shouldn't be counted as renewable and should instead be forced to pay for CO2 emissions through EU's carbon trading scheme, say Europe's national science academies today (@EASACnews)
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The timing of this pretty extraordinary . UN secretary general @antonioguterres is holding a big “climate action summit” in New York tomorrow, where countries are meant to strengthen their climate change plans (not weaken them).
EXCL w/@ChrisMasonBBC . Rishi Sunak is considering changing some of the government's key green commitments. Could include:.- Delaying ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035.- Softening plans to phase out gas boilers. Speech in coming days.
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Hard to take a commentator arguing to weaken the UK’s net zero target seriously when their answers to energy security are tidal energy (tiny scale, costly) and nuclear fusion (not here at commercial scale til 2050s at earliest).
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