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☆ Japanese manicurist turns sea trash into nail art
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-20 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Before global leaders take the problem of plastic pollution into their hands this month, Japanese manicurist Naomi Arimoto is putting it into her fingernails. “I became aware of environmental issues the moment I saw with my own eyes just how much plastic waste was in the ocean,” 42-year-old Arimoto said. “I thought it was horrifying.”An estimated 22 million tons of plastic waste is dumped into the environment each year, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Arimoto opened a nail salon in her home in 2018 after a spinal condition forced her to give up her career as a social worker, and she’s been using Umigomi, or “sea trash,” to make nail art since 2021. To turn sea trash into treasure, Arimoto starts by rinsing the plastic in fresh water and then sorting it by color.

Persons: Naomi Arimoto, Arimoto, “, she’s, ”, Kyoko Kurokawa Organizations: International Union for Conservation of Nature, United Nations, Greenpeace Locations: Tokyo, cleanups, “, Busan, South Korea, United States

☆ Brazil drought: Stark pictures reveal dramatic shrinking of major Amazon rivers
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Laura Paddison | Gianluca Mezzofiore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Rio Negro in Manaus in Amazonas state Brazil on September 12, 2021. Copernicus, Sentinel-2 satellite Rio Negro on September 16 2024. Copernicus, Sentinel-2 satellite Satellite images of the Rio Negro on September 12 2021 versus September 16 2024 Copernicus, Sentinel-2 satellitePart of the Rio Negro in Manaus on June 19, 2024. So too is the Solimões River, whose muddy-colored waters converge with the Rio Negro at Manaus to form the Amazon River. Copernicus, Sentinel-2 satellite Copernicus, Sentinel-2 satellite Satellite images of Lake Tefé on August 26 2023 versus August 25 2024 Copernicus, Sentinel-2 satelliteResearcher Miriam Marmontel, from Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development, after finding a dead dolphin on Lake Tefé on September 18, 2024.

Persons: It’s, —, Copernicus, Edmar Barros, Lincoln Alves, Jorge Silva, ”, Alves, ” Miriam Marmontel, Miriam Marmontel, Leonardo Benassatto, Romulo Batista, Adriana Cuartas, André Guimarães, El, El Niño, Cemaden’s, ” Guimarães, “, ” Cuartas Organizations: CNN, Amazon, Rio, — Rio, Sentinel, Rio Negro, National Institute for Space Research, Reuters, Mamirauá Institute, Sustainable Development, Greenpeace, Amazon Environmental Research Institute Locations: Brazil, Rio, Manaus, Amazonas, Rio Negro, — Rio Negro, Tabatinga, Brazilian, Colombia, Peru, Tefé, Copernicus, Greenpeace Brazil, “

☆ Koalas are up power poles, on roads, in schools. Why the outlook for Australia’s listed icons remains ‘poor’
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

In 2022, a 10-year national recovery plan was launched to stop the decline in numbers and improve the size, quality and connectivity of koala habitat in the listed areas. “I often think, ‘Am I sitting here, seeing the last of Queensland koalas filtering through, as I work with them?’”One of three subspecies, Queensland koalas are smaller and grayer than their southern cousins, and are the kind often seen in photos with celebrities and foreign dignitaries. “Aussies would be horrified to know that we are bulldozing koala habitat at the rate that we are,” she said. Koala habitat squeezed in citiesWith a human population of 2.5 million, Brisbane is one of Australia’s fastest-growing capital cities. Declining numbersMost of the ambition for vast tracts of new koala habitat in Queensland lies outside Brisbane’s established inner-city suburbs.

Persons: Sophia Windsor, ”, ” Sophia Windsor, Sophia Windsor Koalas, they’re, Max, Sue Minter Walter, Hilary Whiteman, telltale, Kelly Batten, “, John Knights, United Kingdom who’s, CNN He’s, he’s, Knights, Murray Chambers, CNN Murray Chambers, “ You’ve, Chambers, “ We’re, Trent, Windsor, Tim Portas, ” Portas, ‘, Japan's Naomi Osaka, Patrick Hamilton, Natalie Frost, Paul Hilton, Gemma Plesman, Frost, Jo Murray, ” Murray, Residents Jo Murray, Colleen Holland, woodcutters, –, Garth Nolah, Karin Machell, Beau, Louis, can’t, Murray, they’ve, CNN’s, Bill Ellis, Adrian Schrinner, Council Ellis, we’ll, I’m, It’s, CNN Trent’s, Australia – Windsor, ” Windsor, reckons he’s, They’re Organizations: Australia CNN, Wallabies, CNN, Brisbane, Olympic Games, Windsor, Knights, Koala Rescue, RSPCA Wildlife Hospital, RSPCA Queensland National, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, Department of Environment, Science, Lone Pine, Brisbane International, Getty, Koalas Fund, Queensland Conservation, Greenpeace, Greenpeace Greenpeace, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Residents, NBA, Moreton Bay Council, Council, University of Queensland, Brisbane City Council, Brisbane Lord, Gravatt, Mount Gravatt Outlook, Reserve Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Queensland, Australia’s, Windsor, backyards, Tarragindi, Toohey Forest, United Kingdom, Koala, ”, New South Wales, South East Queensland, Lone, AFP, Wamuran, Mulga, city’s, Lawnton, Brisbane’s, Moreton, Moreton Bay, ” Moreton, Brisbane City, “ Brisbane, Trent, Australian, Whites

☆ Starbucks is giving its new CEO Brian Niccol a private jet to commute between his California home and Seattle office
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-23 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —New Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol won’t be a constant presence at its Seattle headquarters where he takes the helm next month. Starbucks is giving him a corporate jet to use to commute back and forth. Niccol is also expected to be traveling often, visiting stores and workers since he’s running a global operation of 39,000 stores and 450,000 employees. Earlier this month, Starbucks announced that Niccol would replace Laxman Narasimhan, whose stint as CEO lasted less than two years. Niccol is tasked with turning Starbucks’ fortunes around and mirroring the success he’s had at Mexican-inspired food chain Chipotle for the past six years.

Persons: Brian Niccol won’t, “ Brian Niccol, “ We’re, Niccol, Laxman Narasimhan, he’s, – CNN’s Chris Isidore Organizations: New, New York CNN, Starbucks, CNN, ”, International Energy Agency, Greenpeace, Institute for Policy Studies Locations: New York, Seattle, California, Newport Beach , California

☆ Typhoon Gaemi (Carina): Thousands stranded by floods in Philippine capital as deadly typhoon prompts calls for climate action
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Helen Regan | Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Much of the Philippine capital remained underwater Thursday after deadly Typhoon Gaemi worsened torrential monsoon rains that lashed the country, trapping thousands of people in rising flood waters and causing widespread damage. Lisa Marie David/ReutersA road is seen flooded caused by Typhoon Gaemi and monsoon rains on July 24, 2024 in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines. Ezra Acayan/Getty ImagesRescuers evacuate residents from their flooded homes on July 24, 2024 in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines. An aerial view shows Xindian river's rising water level at New Taipei City as typhoon Gaemi passes Taiwan on July 25, 2024. Residents wade a flooded road caused by Typhoon Gaemi and monsoon rains on July 24, 2024 in Marikina, Metro Manila, Philippines.

Persons: Carina –, Gaemi, Typhoon Gaemi, Lisa Marie David, Ezra Acayan, “, Hsiao Huan, Sam Yeh, Armando Balilo, Vico Sotto, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rai, Odette –, Haiyan, Marcos, ” Marcos, Khevin Yu Organizations: CNN, Metro Manila, Philippine News Agency, Rescuers, Reuters, Central Emergency Operations Center, National Fire Agency, New, Getty, Philippine Coast Guard, PCG, CNN “, Philippine, Super, Greenpeace Locations: Philippine, Philippines, Taiwan, Manila, Luzon, Metro, Marikina City, Metro Manila, Quezon city, Taiwan’s, Tanzanian, Kaohsiung, China, Fujian, New Taipei City, AFP, Bataan, Quezon City, Pasig City, Marikina, –, Pasig, Asia’s, Greenpeace Philippines

☆ China’s summer of devastating floods shows steep challenge as it grapples with extreme weather
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Joyce Jiang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Villagers clean rubbish after torrential rains caused flooding in Meizhou, Guangdong province of China on June 19. John Ricky/Anadolu/Getty ImagesA man drives through a muddy street in the aftermath of flooding from heavy storms in Meizhou, Guangdong province last month. “All my hard work for a year has come to nothing.”A road is flooded following heavy rainfall in Jiangxi province on July 4. China’s government has mounted a top-down effort to revamp how the country responds to extreme weather in recent years after 2021 floods in Henan’s Zhengzhou killed more than 300 people. But there have been past issues of misappropriation of state recovery funds, for example following the deadly 2021 floods in Zhengzhou.

Persons: John Ricky, –, Xi Jinping, it’s, “, Tingshu Wang, ”, Hongzhang Xu, Typhoon Doksuri, Li Zhao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Getty, Communist Party, AFP, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management, Agricultural Television, Retailers, Workers, CNN Weather, ” Observers, Australian National University, Reuters, Greenpeace East, “ Locations: China, Hong Kong, sweltering Henan, Nanyang, speedboats, Meizhou, Guangdong province, Guangdong, AFP, Guangzhou province, Henan, Hunan, Lake, Henan’s Nanyang, Jiangxi province, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Hunan province's Changsha, Chongqing, Hainan, Zhengzhou, breadbasket, Jiangxi, Munich, Greenpeace East Asia, Beijing, –

☆ Paul Watson: Anti-whaling activist arrested in Greenland faces extradition to Japan, CPWF says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Veteran environmentalist Paul Watson was arrested in Greenland on Sunday and faces possible extradition to Japan allegedly over anti-whaling activities in the Antarctic years ago, his organization said in a statement. The ship John Paul DeJoria and a 25-member crew were en route from Dublin, Ireland to the North Pacific to intercept Japan’s newly launched $48 million factory whaling ship the Kangei Maru, CPWF said. In a statement, Greenland police said they arrested Watson upon his arrival in Nuuk due to a Japanese arrest warrant. His foundation believes the arrest “is connected to a previous Red Notice issued for Watson’s anti-whaling activities in the Antarctic.”“This development comes as a surprise since the Foundation’s lawyers had reported that the Red Notice had been withdrawn. “Japan has never given up on its whaling ambitions,” Watson told CNN at the time.

Persons: Paul Watson, Captain Paul Watson, John Paul DeJoria, CPWF, “, cuffing Paul Watson, Locky MacLean, Watson, Captain Watson, Kaisha, Shepherd, Kyodo Senpaku, ”, ” Watson, Takaaki Sakamoto, Hideki Tokoro, ” Tokoro Organizations: CNN —, Captain Paul Watson Foundation, Greenland police, ” Ship, Police, Japan Coast Guard, CNN, Interpol, Greenpeace, Shepherd Conservation Society, Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research, Kyodo, Whaling Affairs, Japan’s Fisheries Agency, Kangei, Commission, IWC Locations: Greenland, Japan, Nuuk, Dublin, Ireland, Pacific, Shepherd, Germany, Costa Rica, Guatemala, United States, Australia, Norway, Iceland, Kangei

☆ Just Stop Oil: UK court sentences climate activists to prison for 4-5 years over highway protest
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Five activists of the Just Stop Oil environmental campaign have been handed prison sentences for their involvement in organizing protests that blocked a major London highway in 2022, PA media reported, sparking a wave of criticism from climate advocates. Hallam was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment while the remaining four defendants were each handed four years in prison each. ‘Obscene perversion of justice’The sentences have drawn criticism from environmental agencies and scientists. The judge’s characterisation of climate breakdown as a matter of opinion and belief is completely nonsensical and demonstrates extraordinary ignorance. The judge’s characterisation of climate breakdown as a matter of opinion and belief is completely nonsensical and demonstrates extraordinary ignorance.

Persons: Roger Hallam, Daniel Shaw, Louise Lancaster, Lucia Whittaker De Abreu, Cressida Gethin, Christopher Hehir, Hallam, “, ”, Jocelyn Ledward KC, Bill McGuire, Amy Cameron, Sir David King Organizations: CNN —, Prosecutors, Metropolitan Police, University College London, Greenpeace UK’s, Geophysical Locations: London

☆ Taiwan's energy crunch could 'throw a wrench' into the global semiconductor industry
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Any energy disruption will slow down chipmaking and raise global semiconductor prices, Webster said. "Taiwan's electricity crunch could throw a wrench in global semiconductor markets," he said, adding that interruptions could reverberate across the global industry. The global semiconductor manufacturing industry is estimated to double its market size in revenue by 2030, and is poised to consume 237 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity by then, a Greenpeace report said. Joseph Webster Atlantic Council's Global Energy CenterElectricity consumption from Taiwan's semiconductor manufacturing industry is set to increase 236% between 2021 and 2030, the same report found. "The global electricity industry has been surprised by the pace and scale of electricity demand from artificial intelligence's data centers," said Webster, adding that Taiwan's future electricity consumption is subject to "considerable uncertainty."

Persons: Council's Webster, Webster, Joseph Webster, Chen, Chung Organizations: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Apple, Nvidia, Greenpeace, Joseph Webster Atlantic, Global Energy Center Electricity, Hua Institution Locations: Taiwan

☆ Malaysia’s ‘orangutan diplomacy’ plan slammed as ‘obscene’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Halved oil palm kernels are seen on the trade floor of a commodities conference and exhibition in Kuala Lumpur. “Orangutan diplomacy will not solve Malaysia’s deforestation crisis,” Heng Kiah Chun, a regional campaign strategist for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, told CNN. By 2012, their numbers had dropped by almost two-thirds, to 104,700 and the decline has continued,” the WWF report said. Therefore it is crucial that all remaining orangutan habitats are conserved,” WWF Malaysia told CNN in a statement. “Orangutan conservation is best achieved by ensuring the protection and conservation of their natural habitats – and that no further forest conversion into palm oil plantations is allowed.”

Persons: ”, Johari Abdul Ghani, ” Ghani, Tengku Bahar, ” Stuart Pimm, Pimm, Ghani, ” Heng Kiah Chun Organizations: CNN, Getty, Duke University, Malaysia’s Ministry of, Commodities, Chengdu Research Base, Visual China, Malaysian, World Wildlife Fund, WWF, Rimba, Greenpeace Southeast, CNN Conservation, WWF Malaysia Locations: China, Australia, Malaysia, Asia, Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing, Malaysian, EU, India, Tengku, AFP, South Carolina, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, WWF Malaysia, Borneo, Brunei, “

Great Barrier Reef, Australia CNN —As the early-morning sun rises over the Great Barrier Reef, its light pierces the turquoise waters of a shallow lagoon, bringing more than a dozen turtles to life. CNN witnessed bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef in mid-February, on five different reefs spanning the northern and southern parts of the 2,300-kilometer (1,400-mile) ecosystem. “It’s a die-off,” said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist at the University of Queensland in Australia and chief scientist at The Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Our destination is Lady Elliot Island, a remote coral cay perched on top of the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. — Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort Guano miners once stripped Lady Elliot Island of its topsoil.

Persons: Elliot Island, ”, Kate Quigley, “ We’re, Ove Hoegh, I’m, Guldberg, ‘, Elliot, Peter Gash, “, ” Gash, Lady Elliot, ” Peter Gash, CNN Gash, Derek Manzello, Peter Harrison, “ We’ve, ” Harrison, ” David Ritter, ” Ritter, David Wachenfeld Organizations: Australia CNN —, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, CNN, Minderoo, University of Queensland, Eco, Reef Watch, Southern Cross University, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Greenpeace, Australia CNN Scientists, AIMS Locations: Australia, El, Brisbane, Queensland, Red Sea, Indonesia, Seychelles, Caribbean, Florida, “, New South Wales, Greenpeace Australia, Briggs, Elliot Island

☆ Coral bleaching: Ocean heat is driving a mass bleaching event, and it could be the worst on record
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Rebecca Wright | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Coral reefs around the world are experiencing a mass bleaching event as the climate crisis drives record-breaking ocean heat, two scientific bodies announced Monday — with some experts warning this could become the worst bleaching period in recorded history. If ocean temperatures don’t return to normal, bleaching can lead to mass coral death, threatening the species and food chains that rely on them with collapse. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist specializing in coral reefs based at the University of Queensland in Australia, predicted this mass bleaching event months ago. In February, scientists at the Coral Reef Watch program at NOAA added three new alert levels to the coral bleaching alert maps, to enable scientists to assess the new scale of underwater warming. Bex Wright/CNNIn mid-February, CNN witnessed extensive coral bleaching on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef system – on five different reefs spanning the northern and southern areas.

Persons: ” Derek Manzello, Ove Hoegh, “, Guldberg, ”, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Niña, El, Manzello, ” Manzello, Lady Elliot, Bex Wright, Selina Stead, ” Stead, David Ritter Organizations: CNN, Atlantic, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Reef, Reef Watch, Pacific, University of Queensland, NOAA, Getty, Niña, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Park Authority, AIMS, UN, Greenpeace Locations: Pacific, Florida, Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Persian Gulf, Indonesia, Africa, Seychelles, Raja Ampat, Indonesia's West Papua, AFP, El, Lady, Greenpeace Australia

☆ Giandomenico Picco, Diplomat Who Freed Hostages in Lebanon, Dies at 75
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Clay Risen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Giandomenico Picco, an Italian diplomat who as a lead negotiator for the United Nations helped resolve conflicts across the globe — most notably spending nearly a year in the early 1990s shuttling around the Middle East to secure the release of 11 hostages held by terrorist groups in Lebanon — died on Sunday in Wilton, Conn., north of Norwalk. His son Giacomo said the cause of his death, at an assisted living home, was complications of Alzheimer’s disease. Mr. Picco spent 20 years with the U.N., mostly in a series of loosely defined roles that placed him at the center of some of the world’s most dangerous hot spots. Early in his career he helped manage the conflict between Greece and Turkey over the island of Cyprus; in 1986 he mediated between New Zealand and France after French secret agents sank the Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace ship, in the Auckland harbor; and in 1988 he helped arrange the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Persons: Giandomenico Picco, Lebanon —, Giacomo, Picco Organizations: United Nations, Greenpeace Locations: Italian, Lebanon, Wilton, Conn, Norwalk, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, New Zealand, France, Auckland, Afghanistan

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's vice chancellor on Tuesday launched a program initially worth up to 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) to help heavy industry shift to more climate-friendly production over a 15-year period. Support will be capped at 1 billion euros per bidder in an effort to accommodate medium-sized companies. He said it is “super cost-efficient” because companies will be bidding to make carbon-neutral production as economically as possible. Habeck's Economy Ministry hopes that a second round of bidding for support totaling up to 19 billion euros will take place at the end of the year. But if “designed wrong, carbon contracts for difference stand completely in the way of this transition” by chaining the country to old, climate-damaging technology, he argued in a statement.

Persons: — Germany's, Robert Habeck, ”, Martin Kaiser, “, Habeck Organizations: BERLIN, European Union, ”, Ministry, of German Industries, Greenpeace, Green Locations: Germany, Greenpeace Germany

☆ Australia: Mass coral bleaching event underway at Great Barrier Reef
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

This is the seventh mass bleaching event to hit the vast, ecologically important but fragile site and the fifth in only eight years. Covering nearly 133,000 square miles (345,000 square kilometers), the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef, home to more than 1,500 species of fish and 411 species of hard corals. Severe mass bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef had previously been observed in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2022. Sunrise over the Great Barrier Reef at Lady Elliot island on October 10, 2019. Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket/Getty Images/FileBy continuing on the current pathway, “we risk losing the Great Barrier Reef and the $6 billion sustainable tourism industry,” said Schindler.

Persons: CNN —, El Niño, ”, Tanya Plibersek, Anthony Albanese, Dr, Lissa Schindler, Lady Elliot, Jonas Gratzer, Schindler, “, David Ritter, Derek Manzello Organizations: CNN, Park Authority, Australian Institute of Marine Science, El, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Australian, Australia, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Labor, Oceanic, NOAA, Reuters, Reef Watch Locations: Australia, Lady, Southern, Pacific

☆ Australia’s Great Barrier Reef suffers ‘extensive’ coral bleaching, as scientists fear seventh mass bleaching event
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The southern Great Barrier Reef is suffering from extensive coral bleaching due to heat stress, the reef’s managers said Wednesday, raising fears that a seventh mass bleaching event could be unfolding across the vast, ecologically important site. Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket/Getty ImagesThe Great Barrier Reef’s managers plan to extend aerial and in-water surveys across the entire reef over the coming weeks. Hotter ocean temperatures caused severe mass bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef in 2016, 2017 and 2020. Last year, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee decided not to add the Great Barrier Reef to its list of sites “in danger,” despite scientific evidence suggesting the risk of another mass bleaching event. Greenpeace’s Ritter said that following the decision, “the Australian government promised to do everything it can to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

Persons: Mark Read, Elliot, Jonas Gratzer, ”, Neal Cantin, Maya Srinivasan, ” Srinivasan, ” David Ritter, “, ” Ove Hoegh, Greenpeace’s Ritter Organizations: CNN, Park Authority, Australian Institute of Marine Science, El, James Cook University, Marine Park Authority, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Foundation, Oceanic, UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Labor Locations: Keppel, Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, Cairns, Florida, Caribbean

☆ Climate activist Greta Thunberg cleared of public order offense during London oil protest
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg on Friday was cleared of a public order offense over a protest at an oil and gas conference in October. Oil executives had been meeting inside the hotel on the first day of the Energy Intelligence Forum, formerly known as the Oil and Money conference. Thunberg appeared at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court this week alongside two Fossil Free London protesters and two Greenpeace protesters. All five defendants pleaded not guilty after being accused of breaching Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 by failing to move their protest to a designated area. The judge in the London court ruled she had no case to answer, and also acquitted the other defendants.

Persons: Greta Thunberg, Thunberg, John Law Organizations: LONDON, InterContinental, Lane, Fossil Free, Greenpeace . Oil, Energy Intelligence Forum, Westminster, Greenpeace, Reuters Locations: Fossil Free London, London

LONDON (AP) — Oil giant Shell saw profits tumble by nearly a third in 2023 as a result of lower oil and natural gas prices, which had surged the year before in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a statement Thursday, London-based Shell said its post-tax earnings fell 29%, to $28.3 billion from the previous year's all-time high of $40 billion. The main reason behind the decline was the fall in energy prices, with oil trading at an average of $82 a barrel against $100 the year before. Last year, Shell effectively abandoned one of its green pledges, which was to cut oil production by 1% to 2% each year until the end of the decade, saying it had already met the goal. Shell and the wider oil and gas sector also are under pressure to pay more in taxes on windfall profits as households have struggled during a cost-of-living crisis driven by higher energy costs.

Persons: Shell, Wael Sawan, “, ”, Yemen’s Houthi, Sinead Gorman Organizations: —, Shell, Greenpeace, BP Locations: Ukraine, London, U.N, Red

Kerry and Xie paved the way for progress at international summits that could have otherwise stagnated. The annual U.N. climate summit was being held in Copenhagen later that year, and Kerry was eager to talk about it with Chinese officials. Stern said the deal “ricocheted around the climate world" and convinced countries that “we can actually get this done.”The importance of the deal became evident one month later. It was the relationship with China, Kerry said afterward, that helped “change the paradigm.”——-The warm feelings were short-lived. Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, and he promptly withdrew the U.S. from the Paris agreement after taking office.

Persons: John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Kerry, Xie, Mao Zedong's, Christiana Figueres, ”, Li Shuo, ” —, George W, Bush, Barack Obama's, Obama, Todd Stern, ” Stern, “, Xi Jinping, Stern, Figueres, ” Xie, —, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Xi, hadn’t, Trump, Biden, Jonathan Pershing, Nancy Pelosi, John, John Podesta, Podesta, ___ Read, Chris Megerian, Seth Borenstein Organizations: WASHINGTON, United, Communist Party, U.S, Asia Society, Greenpeace, Senate Foreign Relations, International, Trump, William, Flora Hewlett Foundation, Associated Press Locations: United Nations, Dubai, Paris, England, Vietnam, China, Copenhagen, Lima, Glasgow, Sunnylands, Beijing, Christiana, U.S, “, Lima , Peru, South, Taiwan, COVID, Egypt, California, Arab Emirates, AP.org

BRUSSELS (AP) — Lawmakers on the European Parliament’s environment committee on Wednesday backed a proposal to relax rules on genetically modified plants produced using so-called new genomic techniques, prompting strong criticism from environmental groups. But lawmakers agreed Wednesday to create two different categories and two sets of rules for genetically modified plants produced using NGTs. Those considered equivalent to traditional crops would be exempt from GMO legislation, but other NGT plants would have to follow current requirements. The committee agreed that all NGT plants should remain prohibited in organic production. It aims to ensure that what is developed does not breach EU citizens’ rights to health and environmental protection.”

Persons: “, Jessica Polfjard, Eva Corral, ” Organizations: — Lawmakers, European Union, Environment, Public Health, Food Safety, EU, Greenpeace Locations: BRUSSELS

Auchincloss, a 53-year-old Canadian who was BP’s chief financial officer for more than three years, took on the top job in September after Looney's surprise resignation. Auchincloss joined BP when it took over oil firm Amoco in 1998. “Since September, BP’s board has undertaken a thorough and highly competitive process to identify BP’s next CEO, considering a number of high-caliber candidates in detail,” BP chairman Helge Lund said. He was denied 32.4 million-pound ($41 million) worth of salary, pension, bonus payments and shares, after BP said he had committed “serious misconduct” by misleading the board. BP has had four different bosses over the past 15 years.

Persons: Murray Auchincloss, Bernard Looney, Looney's, Auchincloss, BP’s, ”, Helge Lund, Lund, ” Auchincloss, Charlie Kronick, ” Kronick, ” Looney, Bob Dudley Organizations: BP, Amoco, RBC Capital Markets, Greenpeace Locations: “, Gulf of Mexico

☆ Climate deniers are turning to new tactics, spreading a wave of misinformation on YouTube, watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Researchers gathered transcripts from more than 12,000 videos posted between 2018 and 2023 across 96 YouTube channels that have promoted climate denial and misinformation. “The climate movement has won the argument that climate change is real, and that it is hurting our planet’s ecosystems,” he told CNN. As the impacts of the climate crisis — from scorching heat waves to fierce storms — affect a broader swath of the global population, narratives that deny the existence of climate change are becoming less effective. “There aren’t many companies that would be happy about seeing their advertising appear next to clear climate denial content,” Ahmed said. “We’re asking other platforms that claim to be green in one breath not to profit from, to revenue share, and therefore, reward or to amplify clear climate denial content that contradicts scientific consensus,” Ahmed added.

Persons: you’ve, Imran Ahmed, CCDH, it’s, ”, ” Ahmed, Charlie Cray, Michael Mann, ” Mann, “ We’re Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Pew Research Center, Greenpeace, University of Pennsylvania, Google

☆ U.S. Political Support for Deep-Sea Mining Is Growing Despite Pushback From Allies
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-13 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Photo: The Metals CompanyU.S. political support for deep-sea mining has taken on a new urgency as Norway this week became the first country to legalize extraction of minerals from the ocean bottom despite strong opposition from western allies. On Tuesday, Norway became the first country in the world to approve deep-sea mining within its waters despite pushback from environmental groups and some nations. Despite the opposition, deep-sea mining in international waters could become legal this year. The International Seabed Authority—the United Nations-backed organization that regulates all mineral activities in international waters—has been drafting a mining code to govern the practice. “Promising to protect the oceans one day and proposing deep-sea mining the next, is next-level hypocrisy [for Norway],” said Amanda Louise Helle, Greenpeace Norway activist.

Persons: Sen, Lisa Murkowski, ”, Amanda Louise Helle, “, Yusuf Khan Organizations: Metals Company, Pentagon, Department of Defense, United Nations, ISA, U.S . Senate, United Nations Convention, Clarion, Greenpeace Locations: Norway, China, United States, France, Germany, Canada, U.S, isn’t, Alaska, Hawaii, Greenpeace Norway

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway’s minority center-left government and two large opposition parties made a deal Tuesday to open the Arctic Ocean to seabed mineral exploration despite warnings by environmental groups that it would threaten the biodiversity of the vulnerable ecosystems in the area. Norway said in June it wanted to open parts of the Norwegian continental shelf for commercial deep sea mining in line with the country’s strategy to seek new economic opportunities and reduce its reliance on oil and gas. “This is a disaster for the sea,” said Frode Pleym, head of the local chapter of Greenpeace. According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, there are sulphides and manganese crusts containing metals and minerals that are crucial for making batteries, wind turbines, PCs and mobile phones. The planned area is located southwest of the Arctic island of Svalbard.

Persons: —, ”, Frode Pleym, ” Martin Sveinssønn Melvær, –, Center Party –, NTB Organizations: Greenpeace, “, Norwegian Bellona, Labor, Center Party, Progress Party, Norwegian, Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Ministry of Petroleum, Energy Locations: COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Norway, Norwegian, “ Norway, Hoeyre, Svalbard

China has decommissioned 70.45 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired plants in the last decade, and is building far more renewable energy capacity than any other country. Coal power makes up about 70% of emissions in China, which has committed to being carbon neutral by 2060. After 2025, it is unclear whether China will approve new coal plants. But like many cities in China's coal country, coal revenues and jobs are an incentive to keep building. Several workers in Yulin expressed little doubt about whether new coal plants make economic and environmental sense.

Persons: Li, Gao Yuhe, Xu Mingjun, China's, Xie Zhenhua, Yuheng, Duan, Colleen Howe, Ella Cao, David Stanway, Tony Munroe, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, Greenpeace, Shenhua Energy, Global Energy Monitor, Development and Research Center, Shaanxi Yulin Energy, Shaanxi Daily, Thomson Locations: YULIN, China, Yulin, Yangquan, Shanxi, Dubai, Ukraine, Canada, Shaanxi, China's, Beijing, Singapore

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