Citizens around the world are taking climate action to the courtroom by suing their own governments and some of the world's biggest oil and energy companies over failing to protect against the risks and consequences of climate change. According to a survey by the United Nations Environment Program and Columbia Law School, climate change lawsuits are on the increase — with nearly 900 cases in 24 countries as of March last year — and courts will play a greater role to in the fight against global warming over the year to come. Here are four high-profile climate lawsuits to watch in 2018 — each is likely to make waves by setting a possible legal precedent in pressuring governments and companies to take responsibility over climate change. Citizens vs. the government of the Netherlands It started with a precedent-setting climate lawsuit in the summer of 2015, when 900 Dutch citizens, represented by the Urgenda Foundation, took … [Read more...] about Four climate change lawsuits to watch in 2018
Climate change
Climate change means most green sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef are female
Climate change means more than 99% of green sea turtles in some areas of the Great Barrier Reef are now female, researchers have said. With such a profound lack of males for around 200,000 nesting females to reproduce with, the population of the creatures off Australia's Queensland coast could crash, a study has found.The sex of green turtles is influenced by temperatures during their incubation period and a difference of just a few degrees in the temperature of nests - which are dug into beaches - can result in a population that is 100% male or female.Researchers collected 411 turtles from the southern barrier reef, where waters are cooler, as well as from the warmer northern reef to determine how the population was affected by temperature changes.While in the southern waters, they found a moderate bias towards females of 65%-69%.But where temperatures were higher, females made up 99.1% of the juvenile population and 99.8% of the population between juveniles and adults.Among adult … [Read more...] about Climate change means most green sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef are female
Climate change is turning green sea turtles in the Great Barrier Reef female
Climate change is turning sea turtles in a Great Barrier Reef population female, potentially threatening the future of the species, according to a new study published in the journal Current Biology. A sea turtle's sex is determined by temperature. The warmer the eggs remain, the more are the chances of female hatchlings. However, over the last few years, the drastic increase in temperatures due to global warming, has led to a major imbalance in the sex ratio of sea turtles. According to a study of two green sea turtle populations in and around the Great Barrier Reef, a majority of these creatures has already turned female. Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), California State University and Worldwide Fund for Nature Australia collected over 400 turtles and examined their genetics, only to find that more than 99% of the creatures coming from northern GBR or the warmer areas were female. Specifically, 99.1% of juveniles, 99.8% of subadults, and … [Read more...] about Climate change is turning green sea turtles in the Great Barrier Reef female
‘Brexit is chance to protect nature and tackle climate change’ says new farming group
BREXIT presents a "once in a generation" opportunity to help UK farmers restore wildlife, boost soil quality and tackle climate change, a group of farmers has said. The Nature Friendly Farming Network, launched at the Oxford Real Farming Conference, is a group of more than 100 farmers which aims to give a political voice to landowners who are committed to managing the countryside to support wildlife. They have welcomed moves announced by Environment Secretary Michael Gove to shift the subsidies system away from payments for the amount of land owned to funding the delivery of public goods such as environmental protection after Brexit. The network said post-Brexit agricultural policy should help all farmers produce safe, healthy food at the same time as helping soils, landscapes, rivers and wildlife recover and flourish. Farming payments should be redirected to put nature friendly farming into the mainstream across the UK, and recognise the shift is not just good for wildlife but is key … [Read more...] about ‘Brexit is chance to protect nature and tackle climate change’ says new farming group
Macron appeals to China for partnership in tackling climate change
Emmanuel Macron has met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, as he starts a three day state visit to the country. Macron’s agenda during this visit includes combating climate change, the North Korean crisis and combating terrorism – particularly in Africa, where Paris hopes to obtain Beijing’s support for the G5 Sahel military force. During their meeting, Macron welcomed the commitment of the world's leading polluter to the fight against global warming. Macron then visited Xi'an, an eastern departure point of the ancient Silk Road, hoping to relaunch EU-China relations often strained by Beijing's restrictions on foreign investment and trade. Upon his arrival in Xi'an, Macron met with Hu Heping, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shaanxi Provincial Committee, where the French president vowed to deepen pragmatic cooperation with China and the province in areas of commerce and trade, industry, science and technology, medical care and … [Read more...] about Macron appeals to China for partnership in tackling climate change