BBC News article – Finland Carbon Neutral by 2035
Great BBC article, initially focusing on dual benefits of stopping reliance on peat as energy source, but opening up to discuss Finland’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2035. Impact on stakeholders illustrated
Guardian article outlining Trumps decision to dilute federal legislative environmental control over upcoming projects.This is as a result of lobbying from BP
UN Live video with statement from Chad resident talking about the very present impact of climate change. People are fighting and killing for access to resources
CNN article outlining effects of climate change on Australia, indicating that in 2018 just 17% of Australian business saw climate change as a risk. The impact of the recent fires is now thought to be in the region of 70 billion AUS dollars
Guardian article CCC (Committee on Climate Change) outlining plans to enforce big polluters to fund the planting of 100 million trees. Also banning of grouse moor burning and the sale of peat.
Nature.com article on importance of land use policy in regards to maintaining land based carbon stores versus food growth. This is a relatively old article now and I suspect that post-coronavirus the view may have changed from the mainly-scientific based one to one more in keeping with balancing the natural environment more
Guardian article. CofE considers being carbon neutral by 2045 – example of all areas realising the impact of climate change, or a PR exercise?
WWF article outlining importance of stewardship from dairy farmers in balancing rising population and demand with need to produce less carbon
World In Data Outlines that what we choose to eat rather than just eating locally produced food is more important. Meat etc has a higher impact than eating plant based foods that are imported. So why not eat locally produced low-carbon foods (plants)?
The Guardian Keele University to power homes and campus buildings via hydrogen technology. Looking at alternatives to usual power sources
Technology Review Good article advising caution against the premise that simply planting trees will solve the climate crisis. We need to focus on the root of the problem (reducing carbon emissions). Also the sheer scale of tree planting needed to offset emissions is not feasible
The Guardian Damning George Monbiot article criticising the Committee for Climate Change (CCC) for introducing targets for climate change. He argues that maximisation as opposed to targets is the correct pathway. Also accuses some of the CCC board members of having bias due to being on the board of Drax
Rewilding Britain Article from Rewilding Britain on how the required agricultural policy change following Brexit is an opportunity to radically change the way we manage farmland and reduce the decline in biodiversity
The Guardian Topical article on the pollution caused in the manufacture of vinyl records, which are enjoying a renaissance. Frames this against steaming of music, which also carries an impact due to data centres
Recharge News Article outlining plans to build a green H2 plant in Belgium, to store excess energy produced from renewable sources. Does not provide any info on the stakeholders so difficult to validate
You Gov article stating support from 82% of people for rewilding the UK. Very tenuous claim, in particular no clarification on background to the study sample
The Guardian US Tech giants purchase huge amounts of renewable energy, essentially in response to demands from investors. However, what else are these companies doing to reduce carbon emissions – article does not clarify
Greenpeace article criticising BP’s continual investment in fossil fuels. However, the market still demands cheap energy so with no viable current alternative what is he solution?
Daily Mail article criticising recent announcement by UK Government to stop sale of petrol & diesel cars after 2035 in order to reduce CO2 emissions. Argues that it would be better to make current technology more efficient and long-lasting. Short signed in he extreme
BBC news referencing UK Government, decision make all cars electric and hydrogen by 2035. Also references upcoming Glasgow COP26 climate summit and ‘importance of 2020 being a defining year of climate action’
Supporting article to the above announcement showing the private sectors attempts t stay ahead of the rule change…… National Express will no longer buy diesel buses and will trabsition to zero energy buses and coaches from 2021
The Guardian Boris Johnson responding to criticism of his attempts to tackle climate change by outlining the UK’s plans prior to the COP26 summit. This comes after the President of the talks, Claire O’Neill, was sacked – shortly after criticising Boris’s ineptitude when dealing with climate issues
Open Democracy Article related to the COP26 summit warning that decisions have to be made quickly and clearly. After COP21 in Copenhagen much momentum was lost
The Guardian Bristol council declaring an ecological emergency due to loss of wildlife such as birds, bees and small mammals. There are plenty of other articles criticising this……..
Bristol 24/7 Such as this report which outlines plans to expand Bristol Airport, in direct contradiction to the council’s declaration of a biological emergency
The Guardian article comparing the original HS2 statement from 2010 that it would result in a ‘net gain of biodiversity’ to what looks like the actual truth; that HS2 will impact 5 internationally protected wildlife sites, 33 SSSI’s, 108 ancient woodlands and 693 local wildlife sites covering 9696 hectares
The Conversation article by Dr Tom in The Conversation outlining how to help combat climate change we all need to effect change in our everyday lives to make a difference
Shell.com Shell promotional report outlining their commitment to ‘new energies’ – no mention of how much they intend to continue to invest in fossil fuels
The Guardian Good contrasting article outlining the top 20 firms behind a total of a third of all carbon emissions, of which one is Shell
Shell ‘New Energies’ article which outlines ways they are supporting alternative forms of energy as ‘the global energy system is changing’. No detail is provided as to whether they will reduce production of energy from fossil fuels, so whilst the policy is appreciated this is a good example of greenwashing in my opinion
News Trust Article on climate change in Kenya, written from the perspective of a young climate change activist. Argues that cultural views on education and activism make it more difficult to campaign in Africa, despite the developing world being at more immediate risk from climate change
Farmers Weekly article in response to statement from one of the Chancellors ‘advisers’ that as farming only contributes 1% to the UK’s economy all food should be imported instead. Farmers Weekly understandably supports the view that farming is important ‘environmentally, socially, culturally and for food security
Guardian Article about the same topic but from a more political angle. Concern is discussed for the farming industry post-Brexit and during trade negotiations with the US.
Businessgreen article with good news for once, outlining that the UK’s carbon emissions have decreased by 29% in the past decade, due primarily to an increase in renewable energy sources and reduction in reliance in fossil fuels. Also mentions the recent announcement to allow offshore wind farms and solar power to compete for Government-backed clean power auctions. However, there are no actual statistics quoted within the article so would need to question the validity of the claims.
Businessgreen article regarding the Government’s decision to allow renewable energies to compete in power auctions (as outlined in the above article) but providing more information on the politics behind the initial decision in 2014 to implement the ban
BBC News article regarding the recent floods and this February being the wettest on record. They link this to climate change and suggest that climate change is of increased concern within the UK public
New Scientist piece also discussing the increased concern within the UK that climate change is a serious issue, but with different statistics to the BBC article. The New Scientist focuses more on the effects of increased heatwaves changing public opinion as opposed to the BBC’s emphasis on flooding
World Economic Forum article with great detail on negative effects of big business on the environment and overall biodiversity. Provides in-depth statistics for all areas and provides guidance and insight (with examples) on how business can help reverse this decline.
Conservative Activists – Short (and concerning!) piece stating that the majority of people (66% of those surveyed) think that climate change is not real. This is a view I would expect from a right-wing journal however perhaps one from the US and not the UK. Their sample group is only from party members so this isn’t representative
I’ve referenced this Guardian article in response to the above Conservative activists one. The Antarctic temperature has peaked at 20 degrees, far above normal temperatures and surely cause for major concern. I doubt that the Conservative activists read the Guardian…….
Guardian article detailing recent UN-led discussions proposing that richer nations pay more biodiverse poorer countries to halt and reverse biodiversity decline. There was outlined disappointment of the lack of agreement and hope that further discussions can be more fruitful at the next summit in October. There was no detail provided as to how the plan would work and what levels of finance would be required to effect change.
Guardian article outlining the effects of climate change on Australian winegrowers and their attempts to adapt to keep in business. No indication is given to increasing biodiversity or combating climate change to help the overall problem
RSPB blog. I follow RSPB as I’m trying to increase the biodiversity in my garden. This article focuses on the importance of wetland bogs as carbon sinks and for supporting a wide range of birdlife. It is written from a scientific viewpoint and outlines the work the RSPB is trying to do in protecting peat land. Would be interesting to compare other agencies approach to this though and see whether all parties work together well
Good contrasting Guardian article to the above RSPB one regarding the importance of peat land. This was topical as followed the recent floods in which burning of peat land was criticised as exacerbating flooding. This article shows the political difficulties that will be encountered in trying to help the environment when there are multiple stakeholders involved
Supporting Guardian article by George Monbiot which argues in favour of the importance of retaining peat land to help assist flood prevention. George is considered too radical by many but gives good insight and example to the politics affecting decisions and also details the importance of a total system change; such as reintroducing beavers
I found this Countrywide Alliance article on peat land and grouse moors very interesting when viewed alongside the above articles, and it shows the difference of opinion in stakeholders at many levels. It’s a very condescending article which supports grouse shooting and the burning of the moors, and is written as if threatened. Perhaps this is indicative of the problems faced with effecting change
Topical Guardian article in regards to our Greenwashing lecture on 3rd March. Ryan Air accused of greenwashing by promoting itself as ‘Europe’s lowest emission airline’. The adverts were banned by the ASA as being misleading. Having seen the advert at the time (it is no longer available to quote) I agree with the Guardian’s claims.
Comparable links to greenwashing within the aviation industry are to be found here, which shows the CEO of Easyjet claiming they will be carbon zero immediately by offsetting all carbon. This Youtube link pre-dates the Ryan Air announcement so perhaps gives an indication of the reaactive way the aviation industry is responding the climate crisis
Further evidence of Greenwashing can be found in this Guardian article which lists 5 companies (BMW, Shell, Ryanair, Fischer Future Heat and Ancol Pet Products. I don’t think the Guardian can be accused of bias here as all adverts were banned by the ASA, however it is interesting that I couldn’t find any substantive evidence from more right wing media, perhaps indicating the politics behind greenwashing
Perhaps not greenwashing as such but a more ‘honest’ account of the issues of climate change in this BBC article . I’m assuming impartiality due to the BBC source but it references the new CEO of BP stating that there is an urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and look towards more renewable energy sources. No mention of how this will be done or whether there will be a move away from fossil fuels in general
A contrasting Greenpeace article to the above from BP (although admittedly printed earlier), referencing attempts by Greenpeace to stop North Sea oil drilling and being taken to court by BP in the process. Also references BP’s intention to spend $71 billion in the next 10 years in fossil fuel extraction. Very contradictory to the above BBC article.
Announcement by Jeff Bezos in the Financial Times that he will donate $10 billion to help fight climate change. Could this be greenwashing on a grand scale; Amazon isn’t exactly known for its green credentials.
Another article from a large corporation; this time in the Daily Mail (who I am surprised are reporting on this in such an apparently unbiased way) stating that the head of JP Morgan Bank has indicated that climate change ‘could spell the end of life as we know it’. As JP Morgam are a huge investor in fossil fuels it will be interesting to see whether this stance changes
Bank of England report supporting JP Morgans claims above, that an overall economic change is needed quickly to move investment away from fossil fuels
I found this BBC article very interesting as I have recently returned to using twitter in order to assist with the course. I stopped being a user due to the amount of misinformation and pointless arguments. If 1/4 of all climate change tweets are from bots then we have to wonder who is in charge of the overall narrative
Further opinions on the aviation industry from the Guardian outlining the UK air industries plan to be carbon zero by 2050 despite panning for 70% more flights by then. This perhaps gives an indication as to why the industry has started with greenwashing rather than doing anything more practical; in my opinion the industry cannot operate in a carbon zero environment
A more overall sensationalist (or maybe just damning?) article from the Guardian outlining the total cost of fossil fuel pollution worldwide as being $8 million dollars a day and causing 4 million deaths per annum. The report cites Greenpeace and the Centre for Research on Clean Air for its claims and extols the economic and health benefits of reducing use of fossil fuels. Would be interesting to see if these claims could be substantiated with actual official statistics
Back to biodiversity in general, and a Guardian article linking the decline in biodiversity to the significantly reduced amount of insects in the UK and the resultant effect on the environment. I’m not 100% sure of the science behind the study though; they measured insect cover by assessing how many insects were ‘splatted’ onto a car
More biodiversity but this time on a global scale; Guardian article referencing the UN Convention on Biodiversity in China. Argues that we have a chance to stop the decline in biodiversity and mentions some positive ideas, however does not reference support at main stakeholder level so I’m unsure as to the effectiveness of the claims
Greenpeace article referencing the recent death of 2 billion bees in Brazil due to the overuse of pesticides. It explains the politics and big business behind this, while most countries are limiting pesticide use in Brazil it is increasing. This will have a huge impact on Biodiversity in Brazil and is at odds with the above article
Contrasting article to the above in the New Yorker and one of personal interest to me, rather than using huge amounts of chemicals to farm in a monocultured environment there are suggested ways of farming working alongside plans to increase biodiversity by working with, rather than against nature
Short film I found on Kickstarter talking about the current generation being too distant from nature, which could be driving the current disconnect with the environment. I can relate the this as I grew up on a farm and spent most of my time outdoors!. Good to see some efforts from the younger generation to reverse this by using a medium they understand
US article in CBS News with more information on decreasing biodiversity – states that 1/3 of all species will be lost in 50 years. Perhaps an example of common points of view in different countries?
News on a more local scale, the Independent stating that the recent UK storms are ‘100%’ down to the effects of climate change. Interestingly then gives statements on reactive ways to lessen the damage from floods and offers nothing in the way of the bigger picture; i.e combating climate change
Positive news story from the WMCA (West Midlands Combined Authority) regarding repositioning the area as a leader in low-carbon energy and transportation. While it is encouraging to see stakeholders taking the lead in this, there could be bias in the article as it is not from a media source
Another story from the WMCA and again with an initial positive angle. Volunteers are requested to give up their cars in return for up to £3000 in credits to use on public transport. Commendable maybe, but I know from personal experience how poor public transport is the the West Midlands.
News from Australia in the Guardian again from a positive viewpoint, following the recent wildfires the issues caused by climate change and the associated mitigation required have been given top priority by Infrastructure Australia. However, the article does not give any indication in a change of overall policy change away from fossil fuel reliance, which is contributing to the problems
Another positive news story from the BBC about the number of Blue Whales increasing. Perhaps an indication that when left well alone from human interference that nature can recover?
I’m interested in the concept of rewilding and this article again gives some positivity that we can make a difference with a change in process. The Danube Delta is extensively rewilded and hosts a huge amount of biodiversity
On a much smaller scale this blog reports on attempts to save a small 0.65 hectare piece of grassland and shows the difficulties with a lack of joined up thinking to increasing biodiversity. Trees were planted, however the original meadow had more overall biodiversity
Interesting Youtube video from the Wallace Center on increasing biodiversity in farmland, presumably helping keep farming involved with required changes due to climate change. However, I’ve researched them and they are funded by Wal-Mart – so I question the validity of the video
This is a blog I found which is very tongue in cheek, it was posted in response to many peoples concern over rewilding and the reintroduction of apex predators to areas of the UK. the blog suggests reintroducing Hyenas to Hampshire…… and stirred up a lot of ill feeling on twitter.
UN Environment and IPCC 52nd session on climate change, giving factual detail on the current levels of climate crisis and stating that not enough is being done. I couldn’t find any reference in the mainstream media which reported on this, which is perhaps worrying
It was only a matter of time…. Guardian article on the right wing answer to Greta Thunberg. Naomi Seibt is a climate change denier and is being used by the US right to discredit the science behind climate change. Further research indicates the politics behind this, she is actually part funded by the US fossil fuel and tobacco industries
Major recent news story in the Guardian regarding the legal blocking of runway 3 at Heathrow due to climate change concerns and the UK’s agreement to be carbon zero. This decision was commended by many environmental groups and may represent a turning point in our growth strategy. The Guardian focuses on this as a victory for the environment……….whereas the Daily Mail uses a more political and economic angle to report on the story and suggests the UK is at a disadvantage without the expansion
I found this Guardian article interesting and an example of someone perhaps trying to greenwash the public and improve his overall public image. The key point of the article focusses on Amazon’s anouncemwnt that they will donate $10 billion to fight climate changem which perhaos wouldn’t be needed if they paid full and correct taxes. The report focusses at a local (Californian) level but could easily apply to any nation worldwide regarding any social issue or concern.
Another Guardian article that I have included as I found it interesting. It focusses on the lost ‘sea meadows’ around Britain, which are a major carbon sink. It shows that not all impacts of climate change can be initially seen, there are many hidden affected areas that are just as important as, for example, the rainforest
This article, again from the Guardian, is a clever article which re-prints a 1970 peice about the influx of plastics to the environment. It then references other ‘future’ predictions such as artificial meat and re-wilding. Assuming that it is 100% genuine, that is……….
Good topical article/blog on the Gov.UK site following the recent floods and the benefits of restoring nature to minimise the risk of future flooding. I’ve included it for 1 other main reason though, which is at the bottom of the article is a link to HS2, which as we know isn’t exactly going to help restore nature nor minimise flooding!
Good news for consumers and good news for the environment in this BBC article about proposed new EU rules to ban disposal of electronic items, do away with built in obsolescence and make items easier to repair. Assuming this EU bill survives Brexit I would (a) bet it doesn’t get passed and (b) also bet that if it did Amazon would wothdraw their $10 billion offer of climate change assistance
Daily Mail with their usual sensationalist style of reporting this time on the severity of climate change. However they do seem to have changed their position on this recently and are no longer denying it. Which I hope brings the potential impacts to a new audience. However, by the state of some of the reader comments I’m not sure……
A presumably neutral article from Reuters reflecting the assumed sway in public opinion to the seriousness of climate change. It would however be interesting to see the sample group used for the survey in order to check the validity of this
Greenpeace hard hitting article on the immediate effects of climate change, showing the effects of rising sea level and new weather extremes. It’s concise and to the point
I’ve included this just to show how perception and acceptance of re-wilding seems to be increasing, you can now contribute to a crowdfunder to reintroduce beavers to the Derbyshire area
Another example of big business making steps to be more ‘environmentally friendly’, and again is reported in the Daily Mail, which again does appear to be reporting on such issues more frequently. However, the question is again one of validity and greenwashing, McDonalds could do so much more than just stop producing plastic happy meal toys, so is this just a PR exercise?
Another Daily Mail article to further reinforce my point – they are now leading stories with the premise that electric cars are better for the environment, which contradicts their earlier editorials somewhat
A very topical article based on the current situation we find oursleves in…. NY Times article from 2012 outlining potential effects to human health caused by our continued destruction of the environment
This was one of the first new articles I saw on the Coronavirus outbreak in the mainstream media, and it aligns the outbreak with our destruction of the natural environemt, as I would expect the Guardian to do
Canberra Times article early in the Coronavirus outbreak aligning the need to be more sustainable in the future and more aware of the climate emergency. I’m assuming that the recent wildfires have changed public perception somewhat recently
Very similar article to the above, as expected from a left-wing media source the Guardian framing the Coronavirus outbreak as a ‘wake up call’ to civilisation. I happen to agree with this viewpoint but it is interetsing how this view takes prescidence over articles about the human loss
The Daily Mail writing from the same perspective as the Guardian article above, outlining that we need a healthier, cleaner planet after the Coronavirus outbreak has diminished. This seems at odds with their usual right wing approach, but I have noticed that the journalist, Geoffrey Lean, does write from a more sustainable angle so this may go some way to enplaining the Mail’s apparent change of stance recently
Guardian article outlining how past skills could help us work alongside nature, again reinforcing their narrative that the system needs to change
I’ve included this article as it was published just after our 7004EXQ lecture on child labour, and it shows the difficulty in validating the whole supply chain. However, it would be interesting to establish whether Nespresso did in fact know about using child labour, my suspicions are that they did
One of many similar articles showing the positive effects on the environment caused by the lockdown, this time in the Daily Mail
The Guardian aligning the Coronavirus outbreak with factory farming
An article from someone I follow on twitter, @herdyshepherd1. As a sheep farmer he contributes greatly to improving biodiversity, while also outliningthe importance of good agricultural systems as oppsed to factory farming. As the son of a farmer myself, I recognise his claims that the industry has been driven to create ever-cheaper food at the expense of the environment and that (especially with the advent of Coronavirus) this cannot continue. Maybe things will start to change.
George Monbiot YouTube video outlining the view that the worst possible people are in charge at the worst possible time, again setting the agenda for serious change in our political and economic systems, as per the Guardian
A ‘positive‘ effect of Coronavirus, the largest ever fall in CO2 emissions recorded
Just to show how at odds the Trump Administration is with common-sense thinking (or in fact bankrolled by the fossil fuel industry), this Guardian article outlines his plan to roll back all emission regulations for vehicles, and is damning about it too
I have included this BBC report as we have spoken about it during 7000EXQ lectures, it focusses on the VW dieselgate scandal, it looks like VW will not escape without having to pay massive fines and compensation
As above, I have included this as it relates to the 7004EXQ coursework. Based on my research into the Carnival Corporation I am not questioning anything claimed in this article
Finally, another Guardian article which sets the future agenda by advising that high carbon industries are denied Coronavirus bail outs in order to speed up the response to the climate crisis. Personally I think the process needs to be more managed than this
Jon's Masters 