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India: IPCC chief Rajendra Pachauri has warned the survival of Kolkata, Dhaka, Shanghai and other megacities built largely on deltas is under threat. “They are very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to sea level rise and coastal flooding. Both people and property would be affected in such a scenario,” he said speaking at the Indian Institute of Management on Saturday night. (Economic Times)
Rajendra Pachauri warned that cities built on deltas face an existential threat (Source: Flickr/KrisKrug)
Military: The US Army has revealed new energy saving tents that could reduce energy consumption camps’ resource use by 75%. The box shaped shelters have a solar power canopy, LED lighting and a number of water saving gadgets. (EarthTechling)
UK: Thousands of restaurants in London will start sending their waste cooking oil to a power plant in East London rather than pouring it down the drain. The £70m power station will use the waste to provide electricity for 40,000 homes. The current clean-up bill for fat that clogs up the city’s sewers is £1m a month. (The Guardian)
Australia: A national carbon budget for 2050 is required to ensure Australia hits its climate change emission reduction targets a new report has said. “Like any budget, the more you spend early on, the less you have for later,” said Erwin Jackson, deputy head of the Climate Institute that released the study. (The Australian)
UK: The price of potatoes has risen by half in the UK after a wet winter and cold spring destroyed crops. Wheat crops were also hit in the UK with the country set to become a net importer for the first time in ten years. (The Telegraph/BBC)
Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland will today start charging a five pence carrier bag tax. The country’s environment minister Alex Attwood said he hoped it would cut the country’s annual total bag use of 250m. (Irish Times)