(MOT) THE LEGUMINATI

For decades they have been working underground, establishing mycorrhizal-like networks of commerce and influence, taking root in academia and institutions, and even extending their tendrils into supranational governance.

Their goal is to transform the diets of people across the world, to spark a revolution in food production and consumption. They call themselves the leguminati.

“When you rediscover beans, it’s something we’ve all taken for granted, and then you realize—oh my God—these are really great; it’s like a secret,” says Steve Sando, the founder of the California-based bean company, Rancho Gordo, who is, for many, the godfather of this cult. “The secret’s been revealed to them and they tend not to be able to shut up about it, because they feel they’ve discovered the world.”

Beans are enjoying a culinary renaissance and, say their advocates, it is not a moment too soon. Long thought of as bland, fiddly to cook, or poverty food, in recent years there has been growing recognition that beans are not only delicious, but that eating more of them could help solve a host of planetary and human health problems.

Food production is a big cause of climate breakdown, amounting to about a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Three-fifths of those emissions come from meat production, leading many to argue for a shift towards a plant-based diet.

But that does not take plants off the hook entirely. The “green revolution” of the 20th century led to an exponential increase in agricultural output, but it was via the widespread use of nitrogen-based fertilizers, a byproduct of the petrochemical industry that emit nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas with a heating effect 300 times that of carbon dioxide.

Added to that, poorly applied fertiliser runs off into rivers and waterways leading to pollution and algal blooms that kill fish and other wildlife.

It was issues such as these that Josiah Meldrum, the cofounder with Nick Saltmarsh of the UK bean company Hodmedod’s, had in mind in the early 2000s when he was asked by climate campaigners in Norwich how a city such as theirs, with a population of about 122,000 then (144,000 now), could feed itself without exceeding planetary boundaries.

“It was that climate project that led us to realize quite how fantastic pulses are,” he says. “The impact of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers on global climate is massive, because they’re about 2.5-4.5 percent of global manmade emissions. More of this article (Mother Jones) - link - more like this (beans) - link - more like this (farming) - link - more like this (pesticides) - link

(GRE) DAIRY VERSUS PBM

Environmental footprint of dairy and plant-based milk 

Eutrophication is the process in which a water body becomes overly enriched with nutrients, leading to the plentiful growth of simple plant life. The excessive growth (or bloom) of algae and plankton in a water body are indicators of this process.

Dairy has by far a higher carbon footprint than any plant-based milk alternative. In terms of land use, cow’s milk uses 8.95 sq m of land per litre – over 11 times higher than the next on the list, oat milk. Dairy also uses 628 litres of water for one litre of milk (almond milk, at 371.5 litres, is next), and emits 3.15kg of CO2e, nearly three times as much as rice (1.18kg).

In terms of the dairy alternatives, rice milk uses the least land (0.34 sq m), but has the highest emissions. And while almond milk has the lowest emissions, it uses the most water (soy milk uses the least). More of this article (green queen) - link - more like this (EU animal husbandry) - link - more like this (plant based milk) - link

(ICN) KAZAKHSTAN - THE HOME OF US BEEF

Akmola Region, Kazakhstan—The highway running north toward the Russian border is long and straight, a black line streaking across a snowy flatness. A clutch of pine trees, a row of utility poles, a small flock of crows taking flight. These are the few dark features in a landscape with no horizon, only varying definitions of white.

In the coming months this vast steppe will explode into life with green grass and wild tulips. For now, at the end of a long winter, it is a disorienting place.

Few people live out here. Villages are just clusters of disheveled cinder-block houses that look drawn onto the white in graphite. Horses, with their bones nearly poking through shaggy winter coats, plod across the snow, unfenced. Historically Kazakhs were nomads who relied on horses for transportation, labor, milk and meat. Now the animals mainly provide the latter. Most villages have a butcher, someone who knows how to use a knife in the yard behind their house.

Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country, the ninth largest overall—and young, having only emerged from the USSR as an independent nation 33 years ago. The street signs are still mostly in Russian and a Soviet spell hovers over everything. So it’s startling when something distinctively American comes into view: Thousands of black cattle, penned into a neat grid of metal corrals, with tags on their ears—an American-style feedlot.

Twenty-five years ago the new Kazakh government decided to kick-start the country’s moribund cattle industry, spending an initial $50 million to replicate the speed and efficiency of the quick-fattening American production system. One of its first moves was getting in touch with an amiable fourth-generation North Dakota cattle rancher and investor named Bill Price to ask for his help. The climate in the northern Great Plains, the Kazakh officials figured, was similar to Kazakhstan’s. If cattle could endure North Dakota’s winters, they could survive on the Kazakh steppe.

“They came to us and said: ‘Would you give us a tour of your feed yard and beef operation?” Price recalled recently. “We said: First of all, we don’t even know where your country is.” But soon after, Price’s brother and business partner, Daniel, flew to Kazakhstan to scope out partnership possibilities, returning home with this report: “It’s just like North Dakota. It gets cold. People are friendly.”

In October of 2010, the Prices loaded the first herd of Angus and Hereford cows into crates and onto a 747 at Hector International Airport in Fargo for a 22-hour flight to Astana, the Kazakh capital. Eleven more flights followed over the next several months, each carrying about 170 cows.

Now, 15 years later the progeny of those airlifted cows number in the thousands. They jostle for grain at metal troughs in icy mud up to their knees, most of them outlasting the deep freeze of Kazakh winter, and they graze the sprawling grasslands under the unabating heat of summer. After 20 months of life, give or take, they are shipped to Kazakhstan’s first state-of-the-art abattoir, slaughtered, expertly portioned and shrink-wrapped in plastic.

They are the property of a company called KazBeef and its hopes for achieving “net zero” emissions.

The world’s livestock, mostly cows, are one of the biggest global sources of methane, an especially potent greenhouse gas. Research, including from the United Nations, has argued that slowing the world’s consumption of livestock-based foods, largely beef and dairy, is critical for meeting global greenhouse gas targets. Instead, as the planet’s population hurtles toward 10 billion, demand is expected to rise—and greenhouse gas emissions along with it. More of this article (Inside Climate News) - link - more like this (farming) - link - more like this (Kazakhstan) - link

(NSC) PIGINSTYN

The severed pig’s head had come from the local abattoir. It would have typically been discarded, but Zvonimir Vrselja, a neuroscientist at Yale School of Medicine, and his colleagues had other ideas. 

Four hours after this particular animal was decapitated, they removed its brain from its skull. They then connected the dead brain’s vasculature to tubes that would pump a special cocktail of preserving agents into its blood vessels and turned the perfusion machine on.

That was when something incredible happened. The cortex turned from grey to pink. Brain cells started producing proteins. Neurons juddered back to life, displaying signs of metabolic activity indistinguishable from that of living cells. Basic cellular functions, activities that were supposed to irreversibly cease after blood flow stopped, were restored. The pig’s brain wasn’t alive, exactly – but it certainly wasn’t dead.

Now, for the first time, the team is using the technique on human brains.

“We are trying to be transparent and very careful because there’s so much value that can come out of this,” says Vrselja. Reanimating – in a sense – a dead human brain would have tremendous medical benefits. Researchers could trial drugs on cellularly active human brains, leading to improved treatments. Similar techniques are already being used to better preserve other human organs for transplants, too. And in what is perhaps the most immediately useful application, the resuscitation technology involved raises the possibility of saving people on the cusp of death. More of this article (New Scientist) - link ‐ more like this (pigs) - link - more like this (medicine) - link

(EUN) EU FAILS TO BLOCK A SINGLE PESTICIDE

Officials have failed to block a single pesticide under EU laws that were put in place 22 years ago to protect crashing insect populations, according to an independent review.

For over two decades, officials in Brussels have sidestepped the law and authorised dozens of pesticide compounds by following guidelines written with the help of major agrochemical firms, the report by the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe found.

The guidelines give a green light to pesticides that cause staggering losses of insects, spiders, beetles, butterflies, and other arthropod bugs. In some regions of Europe, insect biomass has declined by an alarming 75 per cent over approximately 25 years, PAN Europe reports.

The guidelines are now being updated with dangerous consequences for yet more species.

Pesticides are responsible for a ‘severe decline’ of insects

Known as “the little things that run the world”, arthropods have diverse ecological roles and are essential to the food supply of almost all land animals and humans. Scientists say agricultural intensification is the single main reason for insects' “severe decline” and that pesticides are a major cause.

The EU Pesticide Regulation states that pesticide products should have no unacceptable effects on the environment and non-target species, taking into account their impact on biodiversity and ecosystems. In practice, however, pesticides that are highly toxic to insects and other bugs - and negatively impact biodiversity - continue to be systematically approved in the European Union.

This is possible due to an outdated and biased Guidance Document, which details how the impact of pesticides on 'non-target' arthropods should be assessed in the EU. It has not been revised since it was first adopted in 2002.

This guidance allows for the killing of arthropods with almost no limits, PAN Europe warns. More of this article (EuroNews) - link - more like this (pesticides) - link - more like this (EU) - link

(GRE) UNILEVER TO OFFLOAD THE VEGETARIAN BUTCHER

Unilever is in talks with investment bank Piper Sandler to host an auction of The Vegetarian Butcher, the vegan business it bought six years ago.

As it continues to shake up its global food portfolio, Unilever has reportedly put its plant-based meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher up for sale.

The consumer goods giant has hired Piper Sandler to run an auction for the sale of the Dutch vegan business, Sky News reported last night. Industry sources speaking to the outlet suggested that “a number of potential buyers” had already been approached for the deal.

It comes just six years after Unilever first bought the vegan brand, and is the latest move in Unilever’s bid to streamline its focus on its international megabrands.

The sale of The Vegetarian Butcher reflects the need for sharper focus and specialisation in this fast-evolving industry. While the space is competitive, the demand for sustainable, animal-free alternatives continues to grow, and I believe there’s still enormous potential for innovative companies to thrive.

The Vegetarian Butcher records sales growth amid industry struggles

The Vegetarian Butcher is one of the leading plant-based businesses globally. It was established in 2007 by Jaap Korteweg – a ninth-generation livestock farmer – and politician Niko Koffeman, selling meat alternatives out of a butcher shop in The Hague.

Unilever had worked with The Vegetarian Butcher in 2016 to produce a line of vegetarian meatballs under the Unox soup brand, before purchasing the business two years later in December 2019, looking to capitalise on the boom in plant-based eating and consumers’ growing intent to cut back on meat. The terms of the deal remain undisclosed.

Today, its products are available in 55 countries and over 40,000 retail locations, alongside a host of foodservice doors, most notably at Burger King in Europe and Asia. The brand has been recording strong growth in sales volume, according to insiders cited by Sky News, but its likely valuation in a sale is so far unclear. More of this article (green queen) - link - more like this (plant based foods) - link - more like this (Unilever) - link

(COL) SEAWEED, PLASTIC, ROPE AND CONCRETE

Two giant seaweed farms off a pristine stretch of Cornish coastline could see hundreds of tonnes of concrete block dumped onto the seabed and hundreds of miles of nylon ropes used, opponents to the scheme have claimed. 

Residents in Port Quin, near Port Isaac, backed by Cornwall-loving celebrities such as Doc Martin actor Martin Clunes and Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln, have been fighting against plans by Biome Algae along with Camel Fish Limited to install two seaweed farms the size of 140 football pitches in Port Quin Bay for more than a year.

The original application filed in July 2023 with the Maritime Management Organisation ( MLA/2023/00308 and 00307) did not receive any objection, which campaigners in the area said was due to no-one locally knowing about it. However, when the community was made aware they rallied around and more than 712 representations were made with 94.9 per cent in opposition to the proposal.

In view of this, the MMO told the applicants to come back with improved plans or their applications would be turned down. Now Biome Algae and Camel Fish Limited have done just that with a mammoth 624 page document. More of this article (Cornwall Live) - link - more like this (Cornwall) - link - more like this (seaweed) - link

(NAT) MAHLE SCT MOTOR

Back at the IAA Transportation 2022 exhibition, German Tier 1 automotive supplier Mahle presented the Super Continuous Torque (SCT) motor, an electric machine capable of running continuously at 90% of its peak power. 

It was an impressive little workhorse, and this year, Mahle further refined it into a full drive unit, integrating two SCT motors and a cooling system into an all-electric truck axle with claimed 92% continuous power output and near-700-hp peak rating. The working axle essentially does more with less, using small motors for demanding tasks.

When it first revealed the SCT motor two years ago, Mahle detailed how the integrated oil cooling system enabled it to continuously dissipate heat and run at a high load of 90% peak for unlimited periods of time. Typically, motors have less efficient cooling and must run at a lower continuous power to prevent overheating and damage, resulting in a larger gap between continuous and peak power ratings.

The SCT was always designed to power a range of battery- and fuel-cell-electric vehicles, from light passenger cars to heavy-duty trucks and machinery. Mahle caps its new working electric axle with an SCT motor at each end to show how effective the small, efficient unit can be. With an oil cooling system integrated neatly within the axle, the two motors combine for a peak power of 697 hp (520 kW) and a continuous power of 644 hp (480 kW), further improving upon the original 90% figure with a continuous output of 92% of peak.

It's not hard to imagine why more power for longer is desirable, and Mahle has used the example of a heavy-duty fuel-cell truck cab to emphasize its utility. The steady high output at the rear wheels could allow such a truck to efficiently climb a hill or mountain in a way that would overheat and overwhelm a lesser electric drive. In fact, Mahle estimates the dual-SCT electric axle could push a 35-tonne fuel-cell-electric truck up and over the Brenner Alpine mountain pass between Austria and Italy 10% faster than a diesel truck, shaving roughly 3.5 minutes off the commute from Innsbruck to Bolzano. More of this article (New Atlas) - link - more like this (electric motors) - link - more like this (Germany) - link

(EUN) GLOBAL PLASTICS TREATY

Global plastic production has increased over 200-fold to hit almost 460 million tonnes annually since 1950.

The Global Plastics Treaty talks kick off on Monday and will see nations gather in Busan, South Korea, for a week of discussions. The aim is to produce a legally binding treaty that will address the world’s plastic pollution problem by tackling the material throughout its full lifecycle.

Global plastic production has increased over 200-fold to almost 460 million tonnes annually since 1950, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Here’s what to expect from the fifth and final meeting of the UN’s Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution.

Why do we need a Global Plastics Treaty?

In 2022, the INC set in motion the drafting process for a Global Plastics Treaty.

Plastic production has soared in recent decades, but recycling has struggled to keep pace. As of 2015, only nine per cent of all plastic waste ever produced had been recycled.

This has resulted in around 19 million tonnes of plastic filtering into the natural environment each year, which is harmful and even fatal for wildlife. Plastic production is projected to double or even triple by 2040, a growth that would use up roughly a quarter of the remaining carbon budget for the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C.

What will be discussed at the Global Plastic Treaty talks?

During the previous four meetings, the INC discussed the details of what would be included in the treaty.

Measures under consideration were phasing out plastic production, improving waste management, design requirements for plastic products and funding the global transition away from plastic.

However, the meetings have been plagued by disagreements, resulting in an increasingly lengthy draft treaty. More of this article (Euro News Green) - link - more like this (plastics) - link - more like this (ocean plastics) - link

(F24) REAL CARBON, FALSE CREDITS

With around 40 percent of its territory covered by forests, Cambodia has become Asia's champion of carbon credits. This system is supposed to finance the protection of the country's forests, thanks to money injected by multinationals from around the world. 

For the past decade, big companies – including French and American firms – have spent millions of euros buying these credits to offset their carbon footprint. But our Cambodia correspondents' investigation reveals mass deforestation within these protected areas. In 2023, the kingdom had lost 121,000 hectares of forest – an area the size of Los Angeles.

Cambodia, a country of 17 million inhabitants, is banking on the carbon market to protect its immense forests. But on the ground, our reporters discovered that these carbon offset projects are failing to live up to their promises. Instead, the protected areas are the scene of illegal logging and mass deforestation, leaving Indigenous populations disgruntled. The NGO Human Rights Watch is denouncing these projects, along with the British newspaper The Guardian, which calls them "likely junk" projects. 

Our Asia correspondents investigate. See video on (France24) - link - picture (cambojanews) - link - more like this (deforestation) - link - more like this (Cambodia) - link

(ENM) CRITICAL MINERAL RECYCLING

Lithium evaporation pools in Argentina. Credit: Freedom_wanted/Shutterstock.

The IEA’s newly released Recycling of Critical Minerals: strategies to scale up recycling and urban mining report, has found that a surge in new policies and facilities to support the recycling of critical minerals “could significantly reduce potential strains on supply as countries pursue energy transitions.”

Of the accelerated demand for critical minerals, GlobalData’s report notes that there is a strain being put on existing mines, while new mines can take over ten years to develop and bring online. As such, it suggests there is the potential for a slowdown in the production of green technologies in the coming years, which in turn would likely delay emissions objectives. It adds: “Expanding adjacent industries, such as semiconductors, requires much of the same mineral resources, thus adding to global demands.”

As the report also outlines, many critical minerals are found in large concentrations within specific regions. “The uneven distribution of mineral resources has led to volatile market dynamics, which are vulnerable to sudden changes in export quotas and production volumes within these regions,” it says.

China, in particular, dominates the mineral processing sector, accounting for >90% of REEs, >70% of cobalt, ~65% of lithium, ~45% of copper and >25% of nickel. Such dominance becomes a geopolitical issue, with countries able to assert power over those dependent on their resources.

In relation to China specifically, the report says: “With enviable foresight, China acquired or secured long-term contracts with numerous mines worldwide. This has contributed positively to the vertical integration and development of China’s EV and energy transition industries. To curb China’s technological expansion, the US has imposed numerous well-publicised sanctions on China over the years, resulting in substantial disruption along the supply chain.” More of this article (Energy Monitor) - link - more like this (minerals) - link - more like this (China) - link

(TEL) MILIBAND - IS HE REALLY A GENIUS?

There is something grimly funny about Ed Miliband flying back and forth, with an entourage of 470 delegates, to the climate change conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, a country which relies on fossil fuels for 90 per cent of its exports. The Energy Secretary is, after all, the man who once instructed the country to buy EVs, while admitting live on television that he had not done so himself.

But Miliband’s hypocrisy is no laughing matter because his policies bring serious dangers to Britain. He aims to reach net zero by 2050 – meaning Britain’s total greenhouse gas emissions can never be greater than the emissions we remove from the atmosphere – and to decarbonise the grid by 2030. At Baku last week, he set a third ambition: to reduce carbon emissions by 81 per cent, based on 1990 levels, by 2035.

An intelligent man, Miliband must know that what he says about these objectives, and the policies he pursues to achieve them, is dishonest. He claims the energy technologies he favours will reduce consumer bills. He insists “decarbonisation does not mean deindustrialisation”. And he says renewable energy will make us less dependent on foreign dictators and autocratic governments.

Before the election, Miliband claimed that his policies would cut household energy bills by £300 per year by 2030. But since then he has avoided repeating the promise, and it is clear why. The Office for Budget Responsibility says the country will pay more than £14 billion in environmental levies by 2029 to subsidise the renewable technologies backed by the Government, an increase of £3.4 billion from its last estimate in March. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has calculated that environmental levies will rise to £120 per household per year by 2029. More of this article - (The Telegraph) - link - more like this (Labour) - link - more like this (Baku) - link

(EUN) EU FACING CEREAL PRODUCTION CRISIS

A series of factors are expected to reduce EU cereal production to its lowest level since 2007, setting off alarm bells in the sector.

Europe is grappling with a severe cereal production crisis, exacerbated by adverse weather conditions, high production costs with stable prices, low quality of the output, and stiff competition from Ukraine. These factors combined have created a perfect storm for the agricultural sector.

In a meeting with MEPs earlier this week (18 November), EU Commission official Pierre Bascou raised concerns about cereal output, which is projected to reach only 255.6 million tonnes this year—9% below the historical average.

“This season was particularly challenging due to a series of adverse weather events for harvest,” he added, highlighting how droughts in Southeastern Europe and excessive autumn rainfall have negatively impacted both quantity and quality of harvests. More of this article (EuroNews) - link - more like this (farming) - link - more like this (crops) - link

(GRI) THE FUTURE IS LFP

A significant shift is underway in the electric car segment. No, I’m not talking about the shift to EVs. That’s still progressing despite a few manufacturers getting cold feet. What I’m referring to here is a subtle change in the makeup of EV batteries that carries some significant implications.

A type of lithium-ion battery called lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, is becoming increasingly prevalent in EVs around the world. Manufacturers like Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Rivian, Tesla, and others are now offering these packs as an alternative to, or an outright replacement for, the nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) and nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) chemistries that have dominated for years. While LFP cells made up just 6 percent of the market in 2020, they’ve now jumped to roughly 30 percent.

What do all these obscure elements — and dizzying series of acronyms — really mean, and what’s the significance for the vehicles that will hit the road over the next few years? Let’s dig into the details.

First, a quick primer on how lithium-ion batteries work (for a deeper dive, check out this in-depth explainer).

Batteries have three major components: anode, cathode, and electrolyte. When there’s a draw created in an electrical circuit — for example, when you press your EV’s ​“on” button — a chemical reaction occurs within the battery. Negative ions travel between anode and cathode, across the electrolyte, to generate current. It’s the cathode that determines the battery’s behavior, including its temperature resilience, energy density, and overall lifespan. More of this article (Grist) - link - picture (Visual Capitalist) - link - more like this (batteries) - link - more like this (ev) - link

(POL) ARE THE EU'S CLIMATE GOALS TOO AMBITIOUS?

Europe may have set the bar too high on its climate goals without focusing enough on economic competitiveness, Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said after attending the COP29 global climate summit in Azerbaijan.

While EU energy transition targets should be met, the bloc has set “very high goals,” Christodoulides told an energy conference in Nicosia on Friday having just returned from the COP29 gathering in Baku, Azerbaijan, Ekathimerini reported.

The EU is looking to slash net greenhouse gas emissions in the bloc by 90 percent by 2040 and to reach zero net emissions by 2050.

“I do not consider it possible to achieve those goals within the timeframe we have set. It’s greatly challenging — without having made progress on major issues related to competitiveness,” Christodoulides said without elaborating, according to the report. More of this article (Politico) - link - more like this (Greece) - link - more like this (cutting emissions) - link

(F24) EU DUMPS ON FARMERS

French farmers have announced a new wave of protests next week against the European Union's planned free trade agreement with the Mercosur trading bloc, saying an increase in agricultural imports from South America will hurt their livelihoods.

Farmers are planning protests from Monday to oppose the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, saying increased imports from South America will hurt the European Union's agriculture, the head of France's largest farm lobby FNSEA said on Wednesday.

This comes as farmers in Belgium have called for demonstrations close to the EU headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday.

"This trade agreement, which links part of the South American states to Europe, risks having dramatic consequences for agriculture," FNSEA's Arnaud Rousseau told France Inter radio.

"So we will be in all regions from Monday, for a few days, to make the voice of France heard at the time of the G20 in Brazil, and we hope that all the European countries will join us because the subject is not a country, a French subject, it is a European subject," he added. More of this article (France24) - link - more like this (farming) - link - more like this (EU) - link

(UOR) FOSSIL FUEL CO2 EMISSIONS INCREASE

Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have reached a record high in 2024, according to new research by the Global Carbon Project science team.

The 2024 Global Carbon Budget projects fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of 37.4 billion tonnes, up 0.8% from 2023.

Despite the urgent need to cut emissions to slow climate change, the researchers, including a University of Reading climate scientist, say there is still “no sign” that the world has reached a peak in fossil CO2 emissions.

With projected emissions from land-use change (such as deforestation) of 4.2 billion tonnes, total CO2 emissions are projected to be 41.6 billion tonnes in 2024, up from 40.6 billion tonnes last year.

Over the past 10 years, fossil CO2 emissions have risen while land-use change CO2 emissions have declined on average – leaving overall emissions roughly level over that period.

This year, both fossil and land-use change CO2 emissions are set to rise, with drought conditions exacerbating emissions from deforestation and forest degradation fires during the El Niño climate event of 2023-2024.

With over 40 billion tonnes released each year at present, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere continues to rise – driving increasingly dangerous global warming.

The research team included the University of Reading, University of Exeter, the University of East Anglia (UEA), CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, Alfred-Wegener-Institut and 80 other institutions around the world. More of this article (University of Reading) - link - more like this (University of Reading) - link - more like this (CO2) - link

(NSE) OVEN MOUNTAIN PUMPED HYDRO

The Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Storage Project is an off-river development in New South Wales, Australia. The project is owned and will be developed by Alinta Energy.

With an estimated base cost of approximately A$1.97bn ($1.29bn), the construction of the project will commence at the end of 2024 creating 600 jobs during construction.

The targeted year for the commencement of commercial operations is 2029. Oven Mountain will have an operational life of over 100 years.

Once operational, the off-river development will produce up to 900MW of renewable electricity and between eight to 12 hours of dispatchable energy for storage and distribution to the National Electricity Market.

Oven Mountain Location Details

The Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Storage Project will be located approximately 60km southeast of Armidale and 70km northwest of Kempsey through the Kempsey-Armidale Road on private land.

The project will be situated at the southeastern corner of the Armidale Regional Local Government Area (LGA) close to the Kempsey Shire LGA within the New England Regional Economic Zone (REZ). The project will be developed within Australia’s Thunggutti Aboriginal Community area. The Macleay River borders the project from the west and the Carrai Tablelands surround the project from the east.

Oven Mountain Key Infrastructure

The Oven Mountain Pumped Hydro Storage Project will consist of an underground power station, dams and reservoirs, water intake structures, spillways, a Macleay River pump facility, tunnels, and a power waterway.

The project will have two concrete-faced rockfill dams with an upper and a lower reservoir. The upper dam and reservoir will be approximately 780m long and 70m high. The upper reservoir will cover approximately 20 hectares (ha) area with an inundation extent of approximately 16.7ha.

At the Full Supply Level (FSL), the upper reservoir will have a storage capacity of around 5.1 gigalitres (GL) and a height of approximately 881mAHD. More of this article (NS Energy) - link - more like this (hydro) - link - more like this (Australia) - link

(IAN) OXFORD 207

Gloucester Green Outdoor Market - link - more like this (Oxford) - link - more like this - link

(PVM) CHN CONNECTING 1 GW OF SOLAR IN CHINA

CHN Energy’s Guohua Energy Investment Co. Ltd. has connected the first batch of PV units to the grid at its 1 GW open-sea offshore solar project, 8 km off Dongying in Shandong province, China.

The project covers approximately 1,223 hectares and features 2,934 PV platforms installed using large-scale offshore steel truss platform fixed pile foundations. Each platform measures 60 meters in length and 35 meters in width.

JinkoSolar has supplied its n-Type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) Tiger Neo bifacial modules for the project. The company said it tailored its modules for harsh marine conditions, using dual-glass, semi-tempered glass, and POE encapsulation to withstand moisture, salt fog corrosion, seawater exposure, strong winds, and extreme temperatures.

Upon completion, the solar array is expected to meet the electricity needs of approximately 2.67 million urban residents in China. More of this article - link - more like this (pv) - link - more like this (China) - link

(BBC) READING WASTE INCINERATOR

MADE UP NEWS? 

Controversial new incinerator? 

Building work on a controversial new incinerator is set to go ahead despite the company behind it not yet having an environmental permit.

The facility on Berrys Lane, just north of Burghfield, near Reading, was given planning consent by West Berkshire Council in August 2022. People concerned about the planned waste-to-energy incinerator have been urging the government to intervene.

The developer, J Mould (Reading) Ltd, said the incinerator would help address waste disposal issues in the area and it was "moving forward at pace". The incinerator, which will be called the Energy Recovery Centre, is expected to operate 24 hours a day for 360 days a year, burning 150,000 tonnes of rubbish annually. It will be built alongside a new data centre at an existing waste management site in an old quarry.

In a statement, Jay Mould, director of J Mould (Reading), said: "We have major issues in the south of England, with nowhere to dispose of private sector commercial and industrial waste.

"There is also a burgeoning need for artificial intelligence-ready data infrastructure and rising demand for electrical power. The development on our site addresses all three. "We have taken our time putting the designs together and addressing the planning conditions. We are now moving forward at pace and hope to start construction towards the end of next year."

The company also said it is intending on applying for an environmental permit, which is not required to start construction. But it made clear the centre "will not be operated" until the permit is issued. More of this article (BBC) - link - more like this (waste incineration) - link - more like this (Reading) - link

(FMW) FARMING - AN OPINION WE COULD DO WITHOUT

The proposal to scale back inheritance tax (IHT) relief on farmland is mired in fresh controversy, with a former Labour special adviser insisting that farming is an industry “we could do without”.

John McTernan’s comments during a television interview have poured further fuel onto the flames of anger within the farming community that have been burning since the government’s autumn Budget.

Mr McTernan, who served as Tony Blair’s political secretary from 2005 to 2007, was interviewed on GB News on 11 November, during which he said Labour should “do to the farmers what [Margaret] Thatcher did to the miners”.

See also: BPS cuts were needed to save farming budget, says Bradshaw

In the interview, he said farming was “an industry we can do without”, adding: “If people are so upset that they want to go on the streets and spread slurry then we don’t need small farmers.” This was apparently a reference to unconfirmed reports of direct action.

Country Land and Business Association (CLA) deputy president Gavin Lane described the comments as “insulting”.

“British farmers are central to feeding the nation, looking after the environment, providing jobs and supporting the rural economy, and to claim otherwise is insulting,” he said.

Referencing Mr McTernan’s interview in a post on X, Welsh beef farmer and retired rugby union referee Nigel Owens wrote: “Wow. Just wow. Who the hell is this clown?” More of this article (Farmers Weekly) - link - John McTernan on X - link - more like this (farming) - link - more like this (protest) - link

(SIH) AIR TAXIS APPROVED BY FAA

Electric air taxis have seen rapid technological advances in recent years, but the industry has had a regulatory question mark hanging over its head. Now, the US Federal Aviation Authority has published rules governing the operation of this new class of aircraft.

Startups developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have attracted billions of dollars of investment over the past decade. But an outstanding challenge for these vehicles is they’re hard to classify, often representing a strange hybrid between a drone, light aircraft, and helicopter.

For this reason they’ve fallen into a regulatory gray area in most countries. The murkiness has led to considerable uncertainty about where and how they’ll be permitted to operate in the future, which could have serious implications for the business model of many of these firms.

But now, the FAA has provided some much-needed clarity by publishing the rules governing what the agency calls “powered-lift” aircraft. This is the first time regulators have recognized a new category of aircraft since the 1940s when helicopters first entered the market.

“This final rule provides the necessary framework to allow powered-lift aircraft to safely operate in our airspace,” FAA administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. “Powered-lift aircraft are the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years and this historic rule will pave the way for accommodating wide-scale advanced air mobility operations in the future.” More of this article (singularity hub) - link - more like this (air taxis) - link - more like this (FAA) - link

(WMO) STATE OF THE CLIMATE UPDATE

The WMO State of the Climate 2024 Update once again issues a Red Alert at the sheer pace of climate change in a single generation, turbo-charged by ever-increasing greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere. 

2015-2024 will be the warmest ten years on record; the loss of ice from glaciers, sea-level rise and ocean heating are accelerating; and extreme weather is wreaking havoc on communities and economies across the world.

The January – September 2024 global mean surface air temperature was 1.54 °C (with a margin of uncertainty of ±0.13°C) above the pre-industrial average, boosted by a warming El Niño event, according to an analysis of six international datasets used by WMO.

“Climate catastrophe is hammering health, widening inequalities, harming sustainable development, and rocking the foundations of peace. The vulnerable are hardest hit,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

The report was issued on the first day of the UN Climate Change Conference, COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan. It highlights that the ambitions of the Paris Agreement are in great peril.

“As monthly and annual warming temporarily surpass 1.5°C, it is important to emphasize that this does NOT mean that we have failed to meet Paris Agreement goal to keep the long- term global average surface temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the warming to 1.5°C,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

“Recorded global temperature anomalies at daily, monthly and annual timescales are prone to large variations, partly because of natural phenomenon such as El Niño and La Niña. They should not be equated to the long-term temperature goal set in the Paris Agreement, which refers to global temperature levels sustained as an average over decades,” she said.

“However, it is essential to recognize that every fraction of a degree of warming matters. Whether it is at a level below or above 1.5°C of warming, every additional increment of global warming increases climate extremes, impacts and risks,” said Celeste Saulo. More of this article (WMO) - link - more like this (weather) - link - more like this (climate change) - link

(GRE) REDUCING MEAT CONSUMPTION

Reducing portion sizes has been the most effective strategy to reduce meat intake in the UK, a new study has found.

Meat consumption fell to its lowest levels in the UK last year, driven by the cost-of-living crisis and a growing awareness about the health and environmental detriments animal proteins bring.

Experts and advocacy groups have been figuring out ways to help Brits cut back on meat even further, promoting dietary changes, meat-free days, or eating meat more occasionally. But none of these have proven to be as effective as portion control, according to a new study by the University of Edinburgh’s Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems.

Published in the Nature Food journal, the researchers found that meat consumption dropped by 15% from 2008-19, and 52% of this reduction was attributed to smaller meal portions. It joins previous research showcasing the potential of portion control to reduce food waste and improve public health.

In comparison, fewer meat-eating days contributed to 24% of the share and fewer daily meat-eating occasions were responsible for 7%, while the reduction in the proportion of meat-eaters lowered consumption by 17%.

“By reducing portion sizes, we see a sustainable and achievable approach to cutting down meat consumption, especially for those less inclined to adopt meat-free days,” said Prof Lindsay Jaacks, one of the study’s authors. “This strategy presents a practical path forward for both improving health outcomes and addressing environmental concerns.” More of this article (green queen) - link - more like this (food) - link - more like this (diet) - link

(CLE) MG4 OUTSELLS TESLA IN BRITAIN

Remember when the Tesla Model Y outsold every other electric car, anywhere in the world, all the time? That was then; this is now. 

According to Yahoo Finance, registration data from Germany’s Motor Transport Authority (KBA) shows the Volkswagen brand has delivered 49,200 electric cars in that country through the end of October. BMW has delivered 33,167. Tesla is in third place with 31,461 delivered. A skip and a hop away, Cars Guide says MG has taken the EV sales lead in the UK.

While Volkswagen may be leading the EV pack in Germany, its sales of its battery-electric cars have declined since a year ago at this time, when it delivered 9,400 more EVs than it did in the same period of this year. Tesla sales are down by 23,300 cars compared to their performance in 2023. BMW, on the other hand, is seeing a solid increase in sales of its electric cars. It sales are up by 6,600 cars compared to a year ago at this time.

Sales, of course, are a moving target. Germany cancelled or significantly reduced its EV purchase incentives at the end of last year, which hurt Volkswagen and Tesla. Why BMW is bucking that trend is a matter of conjecture. It may be that its electric car offerings are more appealing to its customers or that BMW owners are wealthier as a group and are willing to pay more in order to have that iconic BMW roundel on the hood. 

Volkswagen’s electric cars are finding tough sledding in the new car market, largely because of software issues that the company seems unable to address successfully. The Volkswagen brand is experiencing a reduction in sales of its conventional cars as well, which has led to tensions with its union members as it contemplates closing two or more factories in Germany — something that has never happened before in the company’s history.

Across the Channel in the UK, the MG4 battery electric hatchback is outselling the Tesla Model Y, the Tesla Model 3, and the Toyota Camry. In fact, it is close to catching the Toyota Corolla, one of the best selling cars in the UK. According to Cars Guide, the secret to the success of the MG4 is simple. The MG 4 Excite out-the-door price is just $32,990 with a 52 kWh battery and 350 kilometers of range (WLTP). Not only is that cheaper than the GWM Ora at $35,990 drive-away price and the BYD Dolphin at $38,990 before on-road costs, it is also about $3,000 less than a Toyota Corolla Ascent Sport hybrid. 

The MG4 Essence with a 64 kWh battery and 450 kilometers of range is priced at $46,990 drive-away, which seems like a pretty hefty increase for an extra 12 kWh in the battery pack and a few more doodads on the dashboard. More of this article (Clean Technica) - link - more like this (Tesla) - link - more like this (Tesla cars) - link - more like this (MG) - link

(ENM) DECARBONISING FORMULA ONE

The sports industry generally lags behind other sectors when it comes to action on sustainability initiatives such as achieving net zero carbon emissions, however, companies in the motorsport space have the most ambitious decarbonisation targets of all those in the wider sports industry and are proactively tackling the issue to work towards net zero.

Here are a few of the ways they are doing this.

Logistics in Formula 1 is the main contributor to carbon emissions during a season

The very nature of motorsport means it is essential that federations, companies, and teams lead the way in decarbonisation of their operations. For obvious reasons, a sport in which dozens of petroleum-fuelled vehicles race around a circuit is going to attract plenty of sustainability-related attention.

However, emissions don’t always come from the expected sources. Using Formula 1 as an example, its 2019 sustainability report showed that only 0.7% of the 256,000 tons of CO₂ emissions produced during a season come from power units during races. In fact, F1 cars have been powered by hybrid engines since 2013, helping to reduce on-track emissions.

The bulk of the carbon footprint from an F1 season comes from emissions from air, sea, and road transportation, with logistics accounting for 45% of CO₂ produced each year. The ten teams in F1 have a huge amount of personnel and equipment, as well as the cars themselves, to ship around the world to each race, causing travel emissions to stack up significantly.

The production of the cars at team factories and facilities is also somewhat carbon-intensive, accounting for 19.3% of the total carbon footprint.

F1 and its teams are attempting decarbonisation of logistics using alternative fuels

Formula 1 used DHL’s fleet of biofuel-powered trucks to reduce carbon emissions by an average of 83% during the European leg of the 2023 season. Biofuels are made from biomass such as sugar cane, waste vegetable oils, and animal fats. They are considered to have a lower carbon footprint because they emit CO₂ that was recently in the atmosphere. Across the nine European rounds, 18 trucks were powered by HVO100, a second-generation biofuel, and travelled more than 10,000 km, transporting an average of 300 tons of freight per race.

Mercedes became the first of F1’s member teams to implement a similar strategy during the same segment of the 2024 season. For the nine European races held between May and August, the team’s fleet of freight trucks was powered by HVO100. The 9,000-10,000 km covered by each truck contributed to an 89% emissions reduction overall.

Aside from the new regulation dictating that all cars on track will be powered by 100% sustainable fuels from 2026, F1 is also investing in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to move further towards decarbonisation in its logistics.

SAF is an alternative fuel made from renewable biomass and waste resources, with a considerably smaller carbon footprint than petroleum-based jet fuel and similar performance levels. CO₂ emissions are reduced by up to 80% because the CO₂ absorbed by the biomass is recycled, rather than emitting carbon that had previously been locked away, as petroleum-based fuels do. More of this article (Energy Monitor) - link - more like this (F1) - link - more like this (decarbonisation) - link

(EUN) THE EARTHSHOT PRIZE

Keep IT Cool are helping fisherfolk on Lake VictoriaThe Earthshot Prize/Peter Ndungu

The winners of The Earthshot Prize 2024 were unveiled at a prestigious ceremony celebrating finalists in South Africa.

From a project restoring Kazakhstan’s Golden Steppe to a sustainable refrigeration solution for fishers and farmers in East Africa, the winners of The Earthshot Prize have been revealed.

The global environmental awards were described as a “beacon of hope” to the planet by Australian conservationist Robert Irwin ahead of the announcement on Wednesday evening.

“You look at the Earthshot finalists and they are from every corner of the globe, from different backgrounds and cultures and they are all coming together for one common goal. What an awesome thing to get behind.”

South Africa hosted this year’s Earthshot Week and introduced the fourth edition of the star-studded awards ceremony, which took place in a purpose-built venue beside Cape Town Stadiums. The show opened with an exclusive pre-recorded performance of Lebo M singing ‘Circle of Life’ from ‘The Lion King’ atop Table Mountain and was hosted by the multi-awarded actor and singer Billy Porter and award-winning television presenter Bonang Matheba.

Among the A-list attendees included the Prince and Princess of Wales, and announcing the winners on stage were supermodel and television host Heidi Klum, actor and activist Nina Dobrev, artist and actor Tobe Nwigwe, and supermodel and beauty entrepreneur Winnie Harlow.

The 2024 winners of The Earthshot Prize are revealed

The Earthshot Prize was first launched in 2020 by Prince William, who wanted to recognise environmental solutions to “repair” the Earth. Out of the 15 finalists, only five category winners were selected to each win a £1 million (€1.2 million) prize fund to scale up their plans.

Protect and Restore Nature Winner: Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative

Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative in Kazakhstan is on a mission to protect and restore the country’s Golden Steppe, which is one of the world’s largest conservation projects (good for beef cattle).

The organisation has already achieved the indomitable task of saving the critically endangered Saiga Antelope from extinction.

Clean Our Air Winner: GAYO, Green Africa Youth Organization

GAYO is focused on delivering circular economy waste management in Ghana and Uganda. Young people are driving behavioural change in communities, helping them to clean up waste, create jobs and build infrastructure.

Revive Our Oceans Winner: High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (HAC)

The High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People wants action, not promises, and so engages and works closely with global governments to protect 30 per cent of our land and oceans by 2023.

Build a Waste-free World Winner: Keep IT Cool (KIC)

How can small farmers and fishers extend the shelf life of their catch and reduce spoilage? KIC has developed a sustainable refrigeration and smart distribution solution across Kenya and Uganda, which not only reduces food waste but also improves profits and supports stable incomes.

Fix Our Climate Winner: Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems (ATS)

A simple idea with potentially a great impact: American-based ATS has developed a safe and reliable looped solution that transforms industrial waste heat into electricity for use in hard-to-abate industries, saving gigatonnes of CO2 in the process.

Why was Africa chosen to host The Earthshot Prize?

Africa is deemed the most vulnerable continent to the impacts of climate change, even though its countries boast the lowest carbon emissions.

“Africa has always held a special place in my heart - as somewhere I found comfort as a teenager, where I proposed to my wife and most recently as the founding inspiration behind The Earthshot Prize,” says Prince William, founder and president of The Earthshot Prize and second in line to the British throne.

“It was in Namibia in 2018 that I realised the power of how innovative, positive solutions to environmental problems could drive transformative change for humans and nature.”

In advance of the ceremony, The Earthshot Prize built up a regional network to help identify more nominations from Africa. As a result, the number of African-based nominees in 2024 doubled since last year. More of this article (EuroNews) - link - more like this (royalty) - link - more like this (innovation) - link