French MPs passed a hotly-debated new climate law on Tuesday that President Emmanuel Macron hopes will burnish his green credentials a year before his likely re-election bid. The draft legislation was approved in a first reading by the National Assembly, where Mr Macron has a working majority. The so-called climate and resilience bill, presented as a "glimmer of hope amid a grueling pandemic", is meant to reflect proposals made by a “climate convention” of 150 randomly chosen citizens and guided by experts. The convention was a response to the "yellow vest" protest movement, which called for more direct democracy. The bill, which incorporates many of their recommendations, aims to cut French carbon emissions by 40 per cent in 2030 from 1990 levels. The Macron administration hopes it will convince voters that the French president’s pledge to “make our planet great again” was more than mere greenwashing. Measures include bans on domestic flights under two and half hours …
Environment
Voters favor Bernie Sanders over Democratic rivals on health care, environment and economy, new poll shows
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont edges out his Democratic opponents on health care, immigration, the environment and the economy, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. The presidential race has become more policy-centered than elections of years past. About 42 percent of Democrats surveyed in Sunday's poll said their choice for president comes down to their "ideas or policies" more than whether the candidate would make a good president (20 percent) or can win the general election (9.1 percent). Separate polling by Kaiser Family Foundation indicates some of these issues––namely health care and the economy––are the most important for voters in battleground states heading in the 2020 presidential election. In the Reuters/Ipsos poll, more than 1,000 mostly registered voters were asked which candidate is the best on several policy areas, Sanders garnered more support on immigration than former Vice President Joe Biden (by 0.6 percent) and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren (by 7.3 …
Quake research mission to ‘ring of fire’
By David Shukman Published 23 April 2011 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing An expedition is getting under way in the South Pacific to investigate one of the most seismically-active fault lines in the world. Researchers are planning to study the Tonga Trench - a deep feature where the Pacific tectonic plate is being forced under the Indo-Australian plate. The island nation of Tonga is regularly hit by tremors - most recently a 6.4 magnitude quake offshore last month. The research expedition will last about one month. The focus of the study will be an unusual zone on the seabed where undersea volcanoes are being dragged into the fault. Scientists want a better understanding of how the submarine mountains affect the likelihood of earthquakes. The volcanoes lie on the 4,000km-long Louisville Ridge and either act as a brake on the Pacific plate - or intensify the …
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London horror flood warning as capital could be completely underwater within YEARS
Boris Johnson: COP26 a ‘decisive shift’ in climate change battle Sign up to receive our rundown of the day's top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Mark Jankovich resigned from his banking job in 2007, after realising that the environment was under serious threat and that individuals needed to make a positive impact. He then made it his mission to start a business that would have a net-positive impact thus Delphis Eco, the UK’s number one manufacturer of eco-friendly cleaning products was born. Delphis Eco was the first company to create 100 per cent single-use plastic and Mr Jankovich said of his business: “We're pretty OCD when it comes to being eco and green. “Both from a pride perspective and from …
Can Germany’s Greens and Free Democrats work together on climate?
In the election campaign, Germany's potential kingmaker parties had staked out clear positions. For the neoliberal Free Democrats, or FDP, the Greens were an "anti-innovation party that wanted to ban things." FDP Party leader Christian Lindner campaigned with phrases like "Green debt (...) will not happen with the FDP!" For the Green Party, the FDP's Party program lacked concrete plans for climate protection and many members must have been against the thought of a "citrus alliance" – referring to their colors of lime for the Greens, and lemon-yellow for the FDP. Watch video 01:12 Germany's Greens, FDP hold exploratory coalition talks The 'kingmakers' hold exploratory talks But ever since it's become clear that the Greens and the FDP will in all likelihood be part of the new government, the rhetoric has been toned down. Green Party leaders, Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck met with FDP leader, Christian Lindner and Secretary-General Volker …
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Soil — dull and dirty? Think again…
"A nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself." Such were the words of Franklin D. Roosevelt back in 1937 when the United States was in the midst of its dust bowl years. Over-ploughing and the displacement of prairie grasslands that anchored the topsoil had reduced once-fertile plains to a parched, barren wasteland swept by dust storms. We still use the word "dirt" to mean soil. But there is a world of difference between the rich, fertile earth that nourishes ecosystems, and the desiccated ground that gave the US depression — compounded by crop failures — the nickname the "dirty thirties." A teeming microcosm of biodiversity Soils are the living, breathing surface of our planet. A mix of mineral and organic matter, they are among the most species-rich habitats in the world, teeming with worms, insects, bacteria and fungi. A square meter of soil can contain up to 10,000 different species, and a single gram can be home to a billion bacteria. The humble earthworm: making …
What chance of a ‘big one’ in Tokyo?
By Richard Black and Jonathan Amos Published 21 March 2011 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Scientists are trying to establish if the Magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake has altered the chances of a major tremor under Tokyo - or increased the risk of another tremor powerful enough to generate a tsunami. The massive Sumatra quake in 2004 was followed by many others above Magnitude 7.0, including two above Magnitude 8.0 in 2005 and 2007. Some generated tsunamis that claimed more than 100 lives; and it is thought they occurred because the original earthquake, on 26 December, increased stresses along the tectonic plate boundary that lies to the west of Sumatra and Java. So what is the outlook for Japan now, especially for the great city of Tokyo and the Kanto plain on which it sits? This is home to one-quarter of Japan's population, as well as being the country's …
Britain needs new ‘non-woke’ universities
Several universities in the UK now have what amount to mandatory ‘wokeness’ tests, in which new students must give the ‘correct’ answers to questions on progressive topics such as equality, diversity and sustainability. The University of Kent puts its first-years through a ‘white privilege’ quiz, while at St Andrews, students must take a bias admitting their ‘personal guilt’ before they can begin their studies. Wolfson College, Cambridge freshers have been told to attend anti-racism seminars covering everything from “microaggressions” to how “whiteness is centric” in society. At these and many other universities, students attempting to hold debates on supposedly contentious topics such as feminism, abortion or Israel, may find their speakers intimidated away. On some courses it is so widely believed that expressing non-woke opinions would mean poor grades (if not dismissal) that it seems likely that students who don’t agree either suppress their true opinions (presumably …
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Professor ‘vilified’ over accusations of transphobic views quits Open University
A respected professor of criminology has quit the Open University , accusing it of failing to protect her right to free speech in the face of attacks by transgender activists and their supporters. Prof Jo Phoenix claimed that she was being “harassed and vilified” by her own colleagues at the university for her views on sex and gender, including being compared to a “racist uncle at Christmas” . She launched an employment tribunal case against the university, alleging that it had failed to protect her from a campaign of “vicious bullying” by those who opposed her views, including her position that male-bodied prisoners should not be in female prison and her criticism of Stonewall’s influence in universities. Resigning from the university, Prof Phoenix stated: “The University has allowed things to escalate to a point beyond repair. My trust and heart have been broken.” She will be moving to the University of Reading to teach law and criminology, saying that it had …
UK forecast: Blustering 60mph winds to bring bitter -6C blast with ‘unsettling’ week ahead
BBC Weather forecasts ‘heavy rain’ across parts of UK Sign up to receive our rundown of the day's top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Light snow showers are expected on Sunday and Monday mainly above 200-300 metres, however, Tuesday is expected to have the coldest morning, weather experts said. Scottish Highlands may witness a minimum temperature of -6C on Tuesday with a possibility of heavy rains and strong winds. Trending Related articles Yob abducted disabled child to get into Euro 2020 final Cat owners must microchip their pets or pay eye-watering £500 fine Steven Keates, Media Advisor and Marine Meteorologist, Met office told Express.co.uk : “It is …