Blue & Green Daily: Friday 23 May headlines

Blue & Green Daily finds and summarises the top sustainability stories around the web every morning. We start with our own picks from Blue & Green Tomorrow.

Future sustainability leaders: Sam Gillick

Voting with your voice: why elections should be shaped by policies, not parties

Allianz, Aviva and Zurich make ‘moral, financial and economic’ case for responsible investment

Companies investing billions to tackle biggest social challenges – KPMG report

Iron released by melting ice sheets may slow global warming

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23 May headlines

West Antarctic ice collapse ‘could drown Middle East and Asia crops’

The ongoing collapse of a large part of the Antarctica ice sheet could devastate global food supply, drowning vast areas of crop lands across the Middle East and Asia, according to new research. The report urges the Obama Administration to step up research funding – especially in developing countries – to help make up a projected gap in future food supply. Guardian.

Carbon loss from tropical forests ‘underestimated’

The amount of carbon lost from tropical forests is being significantly underestimated, a new study reports. In addition to loss of trees, the degradation of tropical forests by selective logging and fires causes large amounts of “hidden” emissions. BBC.

Billions of shale barrels under Home Counties

The government is expected to announce that the Weald Basin in southern England contains billions of barrels of shale oil, delivering a potentially huge boost to an embryonic industry in the UK. The announcement will set the scene for a stand-off between Britain’s small band of domestic shale explorers and the well-heeled residents of one of the Tories’ traditional heartlands. Financial Times.

Australia’s pollution u-turn threatening UN climate talks

Australia’s program to rein in pollution is losing momentum, the latest in a series of setbacks for the international effort to tackle climate change. With the highest per-capita fossil fuel emissions among industrial countries, Australia’s participation in UN-led climate talks is seen as crucial to sway China and India to step up pollution controls. Bloomberg.

AstraZeneca’s biggest shareholder urges fresh Pfizer talks

AstraZeneca’s biggest shareholder has raised the prospect of resurrecting a deal with Pfizer in three months’ time. BlackRock, which holds an 8% stake in the Anglo-Swedish drug maker, has urged the board to revive talks with Pfizer when the US drug giant can return a higher price. Telegraph.

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Interesting picks

Write-down of two-thirds of US shale oil explodes fracking myth – Guardian

‘Anti-science’ climate change deniers to be targeted by US billionaire environmental activist – Huffington Post

Climate change and our cities – Daily Times

The ethical minefield of investment funds – Third Sector

Photo: Sanja gjenero via Freeimages