Blue & Green Daily: Tuesday 2 September round up

Today on Blue & Green Tomorrow we reported on the rejection of ‘Boris Island’, the controversial plans put forward by London mayor Boris Johnson for a new hub airport in the Thames Estuary. 

We also covered the reprieve given to the threatened Great Barrier Reef, after controversial plans to dump dredged spoil on the precious ecosystem were scrapped.

Meanwhile, renowned fund manager Neil Woodford explained why he has divested from HSBC, and leading economist Joseph Stiglitz called for a reformed political system.

Liberal democrats set out ‘green laws’

Ahead of next year’s general election, the Liberal Democrats have set out five new ‘green laws’ that focus on making the environment a priority, including creating a sustainable transport and energy system. 

Fracking: 38% of shale gas resources at risk from water shortages

Development of the shale gas sector could be compromised by critical water shortages in key areas, according to new a report by the World Resource Institute (WRI) that warns almost 40% of shale gas sites are in arid or water-stressed regions. 

UNEP highlights ‘blue and green’ economic opportunities for small island states

Amid the third conference on small island developing states (SIDS) in Samoa, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released key suggestions for countries to build a resilient blue and green economy and reconnect with their traditions and nature.

Boris Johnson: rejecting Thames estuary airport plans ‘myopic’

London mayor Boris Johnson has labelled the Airports Commission as “myopic” and “irrelevant” after the organisation announced its decision not to add the inner Thames estuary airport, nicknamed ‘Boris Island’, to its shortlist options for increasing airport capacity.

Abbot Point port developers to shelve Great Barrier Reef dredging plan

Controversial plans to dump millions of cubic metres of dredged waste onto the Great Barrier Reef have been scrapped, according to Australian media reports.

Stronger sustainable productivity needed to boost African agriculture, leaders say

Governments, businesses, NGOs and investors have met in Addis Abeba during the African Green Revolution Forum to discuss economic opportunities for the continent’s agricultural sector, as well as poverty and issues related to climate change. 

China to pursue national carbon market to cut record emissions

China, the world’s largest polluter, has confirmed plans to set regional caps and launch pilot programs that will establish trading rights linked to carbon emissions, to balance pollution with economic growth. 

UN warns frequency of extreme weather will grow with climate change

The UN is set to release a series of imagined, but probable weather forecasts to highlight how extreme weather events will increase in frequency and intensity over the next three decades.

Japanese annual Taiji cove dolphin slaughter begins

Japan’s highly controversial annual dolphin slaughter, held in the waters by the town of Taiji, has officially begun. It is expected to last six months and will result in hundreds of dolphins being herded into a cove and butchered.

Electricity Demand Reduction pilot launched in the UK to help save energy

The government has launched a £20 million Electricity Demand Reduction (EDR) pilot, offering financial incentives to encourage businesses to install measures to reduce energy consumption.

Blue & Green holiday cottages: Swallow Barn, Staffordshire

Swallow Barn enjoys views over the beautiful White Peak countryside and is available to book now through cottages4you.

HSBC could be exposed to ‘fine inflation’, warns Neil Woodford

Renowned fund manager Neil Woodford, who left Invesco Perpetual to start Woodford Investment Management earlier this year, has revealed he has sold all of his stock in HSBC due to the bank’s exposure to increasing fines for past wrongdoings. 

How scientists feel about climate change: Prof Brendan Mackey

As part of a unique new project, academics from around Australia have handwritten letters describing how they feel about climate change. In this letter, Prof Brendan Mackey, director of the Griffith Climate Change Response Program, describes how climate scientists have been ignored, and apologises to the planet for the damage humanity has wrought upon it. 

Joseph Stiglitz: capitalism needs reformed political system to thrive again

Nobel winner and leading economist Joseph E. Stiglitz has argued that modern democracies have failed to ensure markets’ competitiveness, thereby causing inequality and wealth gaps, and called for simple measures that could boost new growth and stability.

Photo: Sanja Gjenero via Free Images