Blue & Green Daily: Friday 7 February 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.

‘It’s not my job’ to be responsible

Blowing smoke in Africa: big tobacco and child smokers

Dawlish: the Beeching axe’s disastrous economic impact on the south-west

Dry January: why I gave up petrol for new year

Cities double climate change action as Bloomberg lays out plan for UN role

——————————————————————————————————————————————

February 7 headlines

Floods reopen debate between farmers and conservationists

The floods that battered the UK have produced a deluge of government funding promises this week, from 42 new protection schemes to an extra £130 million to shore up defence before next winter. The events have also reopened the debate over whether the money and effort spent on flood defences will solve or exacerbate the problem. Financial Times.

Sea wall ‘eco-engineering’ can help boost biodiversity

Slight modifications to sea defences – at little or no extra cost – can boost the level of biodiversity found in intertidal zones, a study has shown. The researchers hope the results would encourage future designs to incorporate “ecological engineering”. BBC.

Warning over turbine industry future

A small wind turbine firm has claimed that future cuts in feed-in tariffs threaten the future of the industry in Scotland. This week the UK government announced a 20% reduction in the tariffs to come into force in April 2014. BBC.

Claims of high EU energy prices ‘overblown’

Claims that high energy prices are making European industry less competitive are overblown according to new research showing a relatively small number of companies are affected and most get special protection. Financial Times.

Small English retailers want to be part of 5p plastic bag scheme

Small shopkeepers have called on the government to include them in plans to introduce a mandatory 5p charge on plastic carrier bags next year. The plea came as influential committee of MP criticised the scheme for being “too complex” and “unnecessarily confusing for shoppers”. Guardian.

——————————————————————————————————————————————

Interesting picks

Are solar panels a good investment? – BBC

Does destroying ivory save elephants? – Guardian

Thirsty energy: the conflict between demands for power and water – Guardian