Interviews and analysis of court documents show how the world’s most prestigious consulting firm quietly helps fuel the climate crisis
Two giant, mirrored walls are set to rise out of the sands of the Arabian desert. They will run parallel for more than 100 miles from the coast of the Red Sea through arid valleys and craggy mountains. Between them, a futuristic city which has no need for cars or roads will be powered completely by renewable energy.
This engineering marvel, its creators say, will usher in “a revolution in civilization”. It’s the jewel in the crown of a $500bn Saudi government project known as Neom, turning a vast scrubland into a techno-utopia and world-class tourist and sporting destination. Perhaps a harbinger for the end of oil, it will supposedly put the powerful petrostate at the forefront of the energy transition. For American consulting giant McKinsey & Company, its advising on this project appears to be making good on the firm’s green promises.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
11/20/2024 - 08:00
11/20/2024 - 07:30
Save Our Safer Streets crowdfunds to challenge Lutfur Rahman over scrapping three LTNs in London borough
The mayor of Tower Hamlets is facing a judicial review this week over his decision to remove three low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in the east London area of Bethnal Green.
The campaign group Save Our Safer Streets (SOSS) says the LTNs are vital to protect children in deprived areas from pollution and the risks of heavy traffic.
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11/20/2024 - 05:32
Researchers found no difference in the diversity of species in urban meadows compared with those in rural settings
Small patches of wildflowers sown in cities can be a good substitute for a natural meadow, according to a study which showed butterflies, bees and hoverflies like them just as much.
Councils are increasingly making space for wildflower meadows in cities in a bid to tackle insect decline, but their role in helping pollinating insects was unclear. Researchers working in the Polish city of Warsaw wanted to find out if these efforts were producing good results.
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11/20/2024 - 05:00
Scheme has collected a fraction of the waste it set out to handle and is struggling with broken machinery and poor finances
Five firms in plastic pollution alliance ‘made 1,000 times more waste than they saved’
The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) makes high-profile claims about the projects around the world it supports in the pursuit of clearing up plastic waste leaching into the environment.
It works with partner organisations in developing countries to support community initiatives to collect and recycle plastic waste.
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11/20/2024 - 01:43
‘Talks aren’t just about figures on paper, they’re about people’s lives’, says Climate Action International as talks reach critical final days
Earlier today I posted about an excellent piece colleagues at the Guardian have published tracking how Earth’s heating has led to rising sea levels and extreme weather – and yet there is no sign of emissions slowing.
Unfortunately I did not include a link to the piece [it was early UK time!] so here it is [and as I said original if negotiators at Cop need any motivation to reach a deal they could do worse than read this]
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11/20/2024 - 01:35
Jacinta Allan says project will be able to power more than 51,000 homes and include 119MW solar facility and 100MW two-hour battery
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The Victorian government will spend $370m to build a massive solar and battery farm able to power more than 50,000 homes, which it says will be the first state government-owned energy project since the electricity grid was privatised in the 1990s.
Jacinta Allan announced the new project in Horsham, in Victoria’s west, which is the second investment made by the government-owned State Electricity Commission.
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11/20/2024 - 00:00
Targeting of substations connected to three working nuclear plants risks nuclear catastrophe in Europe, says Greenpeace
Russia-Ukraine war live: latest news updates
Ukraine’s power network is at “heightened risk of catastrophic failure” after Russia’s missile and drone attack on Sunday, Greenpeace has warned, raising fears about the safety of the country’s three operational nuclear power stations.
The strikes by Moscow were aimed at electricity substations “critical to the operation of Ukraine’s nuclear plants” and there is a possibility that the reactors could lose power and become unsafe, according to a briefing note prepared for the Guardian.
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11/19/2024 - 22:13
Strongest atmospheric river seen by California, Washington and Oregon this season knocks out power and downs trees
California and Pacific north-west brace for an atmospheric river – but what is it?
What was expected to be one of the strongest storms in the north-west US in decades arrived on Tuesday evening, knocking out power and downing trees across the region.
The Weather Prediction Center issued excessive rainfall risks beginning on Tuesday and lasting through Friday as the strongest atmospheric river – a large plume of moisture – that California and the Pacific north-west has seen this season bears down on the region. The storm system is considered a “ bomb cyclone”, which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly.
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11/19/2024 - 21:07
From my perspective as a 12-year-old, it’s devastating that the protest is getting such a negative reaction from the NSW government
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All year, I have been looking forward to the People’s Blockade of the Newcastle coal port. I’ve been so excited to see the colourful array of kayaks and get to swim and paddle in the harbour with my friends to make our voices heard, and let the government know that we need to do everything we can right now to stop the climate crisis.
I know that Rising Tide has been working incredibly hard to make the blockade a fun and safe experience for everyone, but it feels like instead of listening to our concern about the climate crisis, the state government is doing everything they can to try to stop our “protestival” from going ahead.
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11/19/2024 - 19:50
Australia and Turkey are both lobbying to host Cop31, the world's annual United Nations climate change negotiations planned for 2026. The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, said Australia wants to co-host Cop31 'in partnership with our Pacific family'. Bowen also announced a $50m contribution to loss and damage caused by the climate crisis.
Paris agreement is working, Australian minister tells Cop29, but much deeper cuts needed by 2035
Chris Bowen makes last-minute diplomatic stop in Turkey as Australia ramps up bid to host Cop31
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