A summary of today’s top climate and clean energy stories. Email the team on [email protected] or get in touch via Twitter.
Global warming could be reversed using a combination of burning trees and crops for energy. (Source: Bunk S)
Research: Global warming could be reversed using a combination of burning trees and crops for energy, and capturing and storing carbon dioxide underground, according to an analysis by scientists. But experts cautioned that trying such an approach after temperatures had passed dangerous levels could be problematic, as climate change reduced the number of trees available for “bioenergy”. (Guardian)
UK: Scientists at the University of Oxford found that for small, short-lived birds like the great tit, evolution can work fast enough for genetic adaptation to keep pace with a changing environment. However, even for such fast-evolving species, evolution on its own is not enough, warns the report. (Science Daily)
US: The nation’s entire energy system is vulnerable to increasingly severe and costly weather events driven by climate change, according to a report from the Department of Energy. Every corner of the country’s energy infrastructure — oil wells, hydroelectric dams, nuclear power plants — will be stressed in coming years by more intense storms, rising seas, higher temperatures and more frequent droughts. (New York Times)
UK: The government has urged that the price of water should be increased in parts of the country where it is scarce to counter the harsh impact of climate change which could leave farmers with only half as much water as they require to produce crops in the future. Higher temperatures, drier soils and more demand for food from a growing population will increase demand for irrigation of crops, which are largely produced in drier areas of the UK. (The Express)
US: The United States has become the fourth country in the world to break through the 10GW barrier for solar photovoltaic capacity, after installing more than 1.8GW in the first half of the year. (Business Green)
Sea levels: Greenland’s contribution to sea-level rise between now and 2200 is likely to be relatively modest, scientists say. But they couple this with a warning against complacency over the possible consequences of even a fairly small rise. (RTCC)
US: Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have created the world’s ‘thinnest solar cell’. The solar cells are one nanometer thick and can deliver 1,000 times more energy per pound than conventional solar cells. However, the efficiency is drastically lower than conventional cells. (RTCC)
UK: Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls has accused the UK government of ‘actively undermining’ low carbon growth in the country and failing to show global leadership on climate change. (RTCC)
UK: Six Greenpeace activists attempted to climb Europe’s tallest building, the Shard, in a protest against oil and gas drilling in the Arctic. The six climbers began their ascent in the early hours of this morning. (Guardian)