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Monday 21 January
US: The results of a study into surface air temperatures funded by the Koch brothers, industrialists with strong links to climate change sceptics, has released its findings. The analysis of existing data was commissioned in the hope of rubbishing climate science however the study found that there has been 2.5°F of man-made temperature rises since 1750. “The rate of warming we observe is broadly consistent with the IPCC estimates of 2-4.5°C warming (for land plus oceans) at doubled CO2,” the paper states. (ReNew Economy)
Global: An international treaty on mercury was agreed by 140 nations during the weekend. The Minamata Convention, named after a city in Japan where mercury caused severe health problems, places a range of controls on the heavy metal’s production, use, release, emission and disposal. (UNEP)
UK: Scientists in the UK are looking to mimic how plants turn light in to energy in the hope of developing hydrogen fuel. Researchers at the University of East Anglia hope the process could prove to be more efficient than current forms of solar energy. (Reuters)
EU: An auction of carbon credits for the EU emissions trading scheme has been cancelled after bids failed to reach the reserve price. The German sale was cancelled in a further blow to the struggling market. The price of European carbon credits hovered around the €5 during December. (Business Green)
India: A group of MPs in India have lobbied the country’s Finance Minister as well as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as they look for guarantees that funds will be available to meet the 15% renewable energy target for 2015. So far only half the necessary funds have been promised and Prime Minister Singh has advised the group to look to the private sector to fill the void. (The Hindu)
Ireland: New legislation could limit the development of wind power in Ireland to just 3% of available land. The country is already one of the renewable energy leaders in the EU and is building more grid connections to the UK to enable it to export clean power. (Irish Times)