Time-travelling Higgs sabotages the LHC. No, really

The Higgs boson might be somehow travelling back in time from the future to prevent its own discovery, or so say two physicists anyway

UN rights chief speaks out against use of death penalty in Iran

The United Nations human rights chief today called for changes to Iranian laws to end the death penalty for juvenile offenders, and also voiced serious concern about the death sentences handed down to three people for their involvement in the recent post-election protests.

Humanitarian situation continues to crumble in northern Yemen - UN refugee agency

With fighting between Government forces and rebels showing no signs of letting up and stores having run out of basic supplies in northern Yemen, the United Nations refugee agency said today that the humanitarian situation in the area continues to deteriorate.

Billionaire pledges $1 billion to develop green technologies

George Soros has announced that he will invest $1 billion in clean energy technology to combat climate change, says Shanta Barley

Parliament rooftop protesters arrested in London

British police arrested 20 environmental protesters who climbed onto the roof of the Houses of Parliament, the latest in a series of security breaches at the London landmark.

The demonstrators from Greenpeace, demanding more government action on climate change, were held on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site after they climbed down, the Metropolitan Police said Monday.

They had used ladders to scale to the roof of the sprawling Parliament complex beside the river Thames and unfurled bright yellow banners saying “Change the politics - Save the climate.”

Greenpeace said 55 of its volunteers took part to call for a “new style of politics in Britain” when MPs return from their summer break Monday. About 20 protesters remain on the roof.

In February 2008, protesters opposed to the expansion of Heathrow Airport scaled the roof of parliament and fathers’ rights campaigners pelted then-Prime Minister Tony Blair with purple powder inside the House of Commons in 2004.

Greenpeace said the remaining protesters plan to stay until MPs return to work later Monday. They said they told police who they were and what they planned to do before scaling the building.

Source:
Reuters, “Parliament rooftop protesters arrested in London” accessed October 12, 2009

Kashmir’s main glacier “melting at alarming speed”

Indian Kashmir’s biggest glacier, which feeds the region’s main river, is melting faster than other Himalayas glaciers, threatening the water supply of tens of thousands of people, a new report warned on Monday.

Experts say rising temperatures are rapidly shrinking Himalayan glaciers, underscoring the effects of climate change that has caused temperatures in the mountainous region to rise by about 1.1 degrees Celsius in the past 100 years.

The biggest glacier in Indian Kashmir, the Kolahoi glacier spread over just a little above 11 sq km (4.25 sq mile), has shrunk 2.63 sq km in the past three decades, a new study said.

“Kolahoi glacier (right) is shrinking 0.08 square kilometers a year, which is an alarming speed,” said the study, presented at a workshop on “Climate Change, Glacial Retreat and Livelihoods,” in Srinagar, Indian Kashmir’s summer capital.

The three year-long study was led by glaciologist Shakil Ramsoo, assistant professor in the department of geology at the University of Kashmir.

The Kolahoi glacier is the main source of water for Kashmir’s biggest river, the Jhelum (left), and its many streams and lakes.

According to a United Nations Environment Programme and World Glacier Monitoring Service study, the average melting rate of mountain glaciers has doubled since the turn of the millennium, with record losses seen in 2006 at several sites.

But India’s Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said in August there was a need for more scientific studies to conclusively establish the link between climate change and shrinking glaciers.

He said while “a couple of” Himalayan glaciers were receding, some others such as the Siachen glacier (right) were advancing, while others like the Gangotri glacier were receding at a decreasing rate compared with the last two decades.

But Ramsoo said: “Other small Kashmir glaciers are also shrinking and the main reason is that the winter temperature in Kashmir is rising.”

Experts say the melting of Kashmir glaciers could have serious fallout as most Kashmiris rely on glaciers for water.

Source:
Reuters, “Kashmir’s main glacier “melting at alarming speed“, accessed October 12, 2009

Aristocracy’s top climate change sceptic shows concern for the environment

Christopher Monckton joins RSPB and Woodland Trust in objections to a development near his Perthshire estate
Today we return once more to the world of one of our favourite climate change sceptics, the 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley. And we bear some joyous news: evidence has emerged proving that Lord Monckton is – steady yourself – an environmentalist!
Notification has reached us that his lordship, who resides on a Perthshire estate in a manner befitting his title, recently submitted a planning objection (pdf) to his local authority against the building of a luxury golfing resort adjacent to his property. Citing concerns about the environmental impact on birds and other flora and fauna, he joins the RSPB, the John Muir Trust and Woodland Trust in objecting to the development being proposed by the Dall Estate on the south shore of Loch Rannoch in Scotland.
We thought he would never be able to better the 428-word sentence he gifted to the US House of Representatives Ways and Means subcommittee this year. But we have now learned never to underestimate how much this man loves to waltz with the English language. Full stops need to know right now they should never dare to interrupt his graceful course.
Here, displaying his splendidly idiosyncratic style in all its glory, is a taster – remember to breathe, mind – of the missive he fired off to his local planning officer:
I object to the proposed development … in that it would represent a major and disfiguring intrusion upon the nationally important and heavily protected natural environment along the littoral of and within Loch Rannoch, would impose far too large a scale and too heavy a built footprint of urban development on what is and should remain a rural region of the Highlands, would destroy for ever some two miles of the uniquely well-wooded southern shore of the loch, would eliminate almost 1,000 acres of deservedly protected and publicly owned forestry, would have a grievously and everlastingly detrimental environmental effect on both flora and fauna, would in particular scare away the protected Carie ospreys that now breed annually in the tranquillity of one of the last unspoiled lochs in the Highlands, would also drive away the nesting golden eagles, peregrine falcons, merlins, hen harriers, herons, black-throated divers, Temminck’s stints, capercailzie, and black grouse here that are also species well known to be highly sensitive to disturbance, would interfere with the protected lampreys and otters in the Carie and Dall Burns, would pollute Loch Rannoch and menace not only the ferox trout but also the three rare morphs of Arctic charr that thrive here only because the water of this oligotrophic loch is exceptionally pure and undisturbed, would damage the 60 species of lichen in the woodlands with their countless species of fungi and of rare insects, would in particular put at risk the rare species of giant dragonfly in the woods, would destroy many of the ancient stands of Caledonian pine and upland birch in the Black Wood of Rannoch, would close or divert ancient footpaths, bridleways, core paths and other rights of way, would have an intrusive and unsightly visual impact for miles around, particularly at night, would spoil the undisturbed shoreline with large, ugly, and altogether unsuitable buildings directly on the shore, would intrude upon the loch itself with what looks like a crude power-station cooling tower some 80 yards out from the shore and joined to the land by a steel and concrete causeway of calculatedly repellent design …
I am truly loth to interrupt a statement that is as rousing as anything Henry V ever mustered at Agincourt, but we fear for your bandwidth (there’s plenty more in his objection). Lord Monckton’s previously hidden passion for the environment and birds – why so shy? – is both highly commendable and moving. It’s enough to melt any planning officer’s heart. And we wish him every success in seeing off what, indeed, sounds like a hideously inappropriate development.
It’s just a shame, though, that he couldn’t have packed such sentiments and taken them with him last month when he jetted off to West Virginia to speak in support of coal mining at a pro-coal industry rally called “Friends of America”. The rally was held at a mountaintop mine to show solidarity to the region’s coal miners and to stress the importance of coal to the US economy.
But now Monckton’s passion for conserving endangered habitats and their wildlife has been made public, he might instead want to lend his support in future to the environmental groups who believe mountain mining in the Appalachia to be akin to environmental “genocide”. Conveniently, there just happens to be an article in the current issue of Bird Watcher’s Digest detailing the disastrous impact of mountaintop removal on the cerulean warbler. He might like to bring this subject up the next time he is interviewed fawningly by those other delightful fans of the environmental cause, Glenn Beck and Michael Savage.
But there’s some other recommended reading we’ve dug out for our new friend which suggests that climate change – something he still refuses to accept is being driven, in large part, by the burning of coal – might, just might, have a more lasting impact on the Highland species he so wishes to protect than the building of a golfing resort.
I recommend he try the RSPB’s Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds from 2008, which doesn’t offer too much in the way of promise for the aforementioned black-throated diver and capercaillie. And he might also want a salutary read about the likely fate of the Arctic charr in the face of climate change.
If there’s anything else instructive you think Lord Monckton – who is now warmly welcomed to the environmental fold – should read, please do share below.

Home of the future will have own biosphere

The home of the future could feature thermo-reflective wallpaper, an indoor biosphere to grow fish and fresh produce, and waterless ultrasonic washing machines.

Published: 2:46AM BST 12 Oct 2009
Plastic recyclers will turn waste into designer dining plates and showers will use filtered rainwater, it is predicted.
Eco-conscious home designers will be driven by climate change and the rising price of energy to design a range of eco-friendly products.

The Future Laboratory, who wrote the Conscious Home report for John Lewis, say the changes will mark “one of the most seismic cultural shifts since mass electrification in the 1920s and 30s”.
In 2030 people will be living in the same homes but the buildings will be radically changed by devices such as “frugal fridges” that will compact food waste and suggest new recipes.
Kitchens will also have a self-contained biosphere, created by Philips, which will produce fish and fresh produce all year round. Running on household waste, it will deliver fresh hydrogen, used to power a car, while the plants will produce oxygen for the fish.
Appliances will create a “linked energy chain”, feeding off each other so that, for example, a dishwasher can use the power generated by the washing machine’s spin cycle.
Houses will be decked out with feedback systems to tell occupants exactly how much energy they are using, according to the report which was produced for John Lewis buying teams to help them visualise customers’ future needs.
Sean Allam, head of product sourcing, said: ”With the onset of an era of acute energy consciousness, we want to assist our buyers in anticipating the products of the future that can help our customers move towards sustainable living.
”Our buyers and customers take their responsibility for the environment increasingly seriously and we are constantly on the lookout for new, innovative products.”
Home energy use accounts for 23 per cent of a person’s C02 emissions, according to The Energy Saving Trust.

Britain has the world’s best climate policy: that’s good news, and bad news

Even if every other nation followed suit we’d still be likely to hit catastrophic climate change with a global 4C temperature rise

First the good news: the UK has the world’s strongest policies for tackling climate change. Now the bad news: the UK has the world’s strongest policies for tackling climate change. Although this is the first nation on earth to set legally binding emissions targets, and although the targets here are as tough as anywhere else, if every other nation followed the UK’s example, we’d still be likely to hit a catastrophic 4C of global warming.
In its new progress report, the Committee on Climate Change shows that carbon emissions in the UK fell between 2003-2007 by only 0.6% a year. They should soon be falling, the committee says, by 2.6%. Even this annual target, which would require a very sharp shift in government policy, bears no relation to the ultimate aim: preventing more than 2C of warming.
As work by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research shows, global cuts of 3% a year, starting in 2020, are unlikely to avert even 4C by the end of the century. As the UK has higher emissions than most nations, it has to cut carbon by more than the global average. If we really want to avoid more than 2C of warming, we need to start with a 10% cut next year, as the 10:10 campaign demands.
But as David MacKay, chief scientist at the Department of Energy and Climate Change has pointed out, even the cuts the UK has made so far are illusory. If you count the emissions outsourced to countries like China, as industry has moved abroad while continuing to supply our markets, you find that our greenhouse gases have been rising, not falling.
The committee points out that the recession has helped to put us on track, but that emissions are likely to bounce back up as soon as growth resumes. The government, it says, should avoid the temptation to let the recession do the work, then bank the cuts it causes as if they were the result of policy.
The downturn also has the unfortunate effect of reducing the carbon price, and therefore the incentive to make cuts. The carbon cap under the European emissions trading scheme was already set too high. Now, the committeee says, the recession ensures that the carbon price is likely to be closer to €20 in 2020 than the €50 it predicted before.
The progress report makes the obvious point that the market alone won’t deliver the necessary cuts: either the EU must lower the carbon cap, or the government must impose new taxes or new obligations on electricity providers. The low carbon price and the risks of an uncertain market mean that electricity companies would rather to splash out on expensive new gas plants than build renewables. This would cancel out a big chunk of the UK’s cuts.
So what will the government do: abandon its commitment to free-market mayhem, or break its own legally binding commitments? It won’t find either option attractive.
monbiot.com

Britain has great low-pollution technology but it needs to be supported

Most people will not pay more for renewable energy than for fossil fuels. That is the reality that Lord Turner’s Committee on Climate Change skirted around and the challenge that businesses trying to developing green technologies face every day.

By Richard TylerPublished: 5:57PM BST 12 Oct 2009
For low-carbon alternatives to compete with the mainstream, the companies that are pioneering them need the support of a stable regulatory framework and a package of pricing and tax-relief incentives to give them confidence to invest.
Take biofuels. Kevin Thomas, managing director of Regenatec, warns that he may have to take his company’s diesel-engine conversion technology and develop it in India because the UK is such an uncertain market in which to invest. The conversion kits allow diesel engines in commercial vehicles, boats and generators to run on pure plant oil (which Regenatec also produces), and one of its main shareholders, Berkshire-based Courtney Coaches, is among those companies running their fleet off its supplies (other pioneers include the food service logistics group 3663, Stagecoach and even McDonalds).

However, Regenatec’s original “angel investor” who had backed the company’s development pulled out in March (as he did in several similar low-carbon technology investments). The reason? “He said he just didn’t believe the Government walks the walk” on its pledges to reduce pollution, Mr Thomas tells me.
One threat looming over the biodiesel industry is the impending withdrawal next April of a 20p per litre tax relief. It is due to be replaced by certificates that can be traded between those that produce biodiesel and those that don’t have enough to meet new renewable obligations (largely those selling at the forecourt pumps).
The only problem is that this new system has undermined investment and innovation in the UK, even as it has helped the Government to hit its target that a minimum of 2.5pc of all the fuel sold contains a mix of biofuels.
The multinationals have managed this feat in part through pumping their own low-grade biofuel from plants on the Continent – which doesn’t sound very sustainable. The knock-on effect is that domestic producers have had a hell of a time. The certificates had a maximum face value of 15p a litre but no minimum, and between April and September this year they were worthless.
The problem has in part been caused by poor drafting of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations regulations, which created the certificate system and derive from an EU directive. Three consultations along and still more changes are expected.
Some small biofuels producers under the banner of the UK Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance have begun lobbying the Department for Transport and HM Treasury to maintain the 20p relief. They argue that small producers simply can’t cope with certificates that can be worth a lot one month but nothing the next.
Convert2Green, another producer of high-grade biodiesel, was receiving £30,000 a month in certificate revenue, only to lose it all when they lost value. If the small producers have wobbly finances, then the large corporates that rely on them will become nervous, slowing down the adoption of renewables.
The uncertainty is also pushing companies overseas. Regenatec is considering a move because it has a more promising market overseas. India is trying to tackle unreliable power and fuel supplies in remote areas and Regenatec’s technology would let farmers grow crops such as jatropha that can be turned into fuel to power the existing small diesel generators that sit beneath mobile-phone masts. The company already has a commercial partner in the country but both are looking for a local financial sponsor and Mr Thomas says they know they need to be on the ground to start with to ensure the fuel produced is of a high quality.
One of Lord Turner’s many suggestions was that the Government had to reduce investors’ risk so that they provide the capital that companies like Regenatec require. It’s a start. While other countries such as Brazil are well advanced in use of renewables, Britain is floundering despite all the talk of targets.
Brighton-based Elektromotive talks of how it took Brighton and Hove City Council more than two years before it agreed to trial the company’s award-winning roadside charging posts for electric vehicles – even though the devices are made by manufacturers all within a 30-mile radius of the south coast city.
There’s nimbyism and then there’s sticking your fingers in your ears, jumping up and down and shouting as loud as you can until the chance goes away. . .in Regenatec’s case to India.