It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Thursday, September 28, 2023
UK
Sunak fails to say how much unused Bibby Stockholm barge is costing taxpayers
Martina Bet, PA Political Staff Thu, 28 September 2023 Rishi Sunak has failed to say how much the unused Bibby Stockholm barge is costing the taxpayer.
The Prime Minister said the giant vessel, docked in Portland Port, Dorset, is “viable” and currently going through “all the checks”.
But he did not disclose how much the barge, which has been unused since August, is draining from public coffers.
With a capacity of more than 500, the Government was hoping that use of the Bibby Stockholm, together with former military bases, would help reduce the amount it is spending on hotel bills for asylum seekers waiting for claims to be processed.
However, the discovery of Legionella bacteria in the water supply in August, only days after 39 asylum seekers had moved in, threw a spanner in the Government’s works.
Speaking to ITV News, the PM said: “We have got to find alternatives of which the barge is one of the options. But, more fundamentally, we have got to stop people coming here in the first place, because my view is that it should be this Government and our country who decides who comes here, not criminal gangs.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to ITV News (Pete Cziborra/PA)
On how much the barge is costing, Mr Sunak failed to answer, replying instead: “Well, we are going through all the checks to make sure that it passes all the vetting and inspection.”
Asked if it is viable, he said: “Yes, it is. It is viable.”
Responding to the PM’s comments, shadow immigration minister Stephen Kinnock said: “The barge is a symbol of Rishi Sunak’s total failure to clear the asylum backlog and tackle the criminal gangs that have taken hold on Britain’s borders.
“The taxpayer is already on the hook for £8 million per day for asylum hotels, and now the Prime Minister is refusing to say how much his latest failed gimmick is costing.
“Labour will end the Tories’ asylum farce – with a plan to tackle small boat crossings, including fast-tracking decisions and returns for safe countries, to clear the backlog and end hotel use.
“We’ll introduce a new cross-border police unit to target people-smuggling gangs and get a grip on this crisis.”
Chris Packham joins London protest following devastating UK wildlife report
Bill McLoughlin Thu, 28 September 2023
British wildlife campaigner Chris Packham joined protesters outside the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) on Thursday following the release of a devastating report on the state of UK wildlife.
On Wednesday, the National Trust released its State of Nature report which found that one in six of the 10,000-plus species across the UK risk going extinct.
The report also found the number of species in the UK has fallen by 19 per cent on average since 1970.
“We don’t have time to wait any longer. We need everyone to be involved in nature restoration as it won’t happen overnight,” Packham told Sky News during the protest in Westminster.
“What we’re saying to all the political parties is to take this seriously. We need a healthy environment, it supports us.”
Unless Government support materialised to support the environment, the Springwatch presenter threatened to take to the streets “on several more occasions” before the next election.
The release of the report comes after regulators approved the Rosebank oil field on Tuesday. The Rosebank field, which lies north-west of Shetland and contains up to 350 million barrels of oil, is currently one of the largest untapped discoveries in UK waters.
Ithaca Energy, which has a 20 per cent stake in the project said it would bring in £8.1billion of direct investment, support 1,600 jobs during construction and 450 during its lifetime.
The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) agreed to the new project despite heavy criticism from environmental campaigners.
Commenting on the approval, Packham called the decision “catastrophic” and “abject madness”.
“They keep on about jobs in the oil industry. That’s bad, old business,” he said. “We need bright, new business, which is in renewables. That’s where we need our investment, and we have that capability to do that in the UK.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s PM programme, Tory peer Lord Zac Goldsmith also criticised the decision, saying: “It just trashes the UK’s reputation as a reliable, grown-up member of the global community, it’s done us immeasurable harm.”
He also attacked the delay to net zero policies such as a ban on new petrol and diesel cars announced last week by the Prime Minister, saying the Conservative Party seems to be in “disarray” and that he may not be able to vote for it.
Dan Sherrard-Smith, founder of MyMotherTree.com told the Standard: “UK wildlife is in a dire state. Many of our favourite British species are at risk of extinction including the turtle dove and puffin.
“On current trends, we look at a bleak future with, potentially, only household pets and domestic animals sharing our island. Yet we can halt this decline.
“One action all of us can take is to make sure our money - where we bank and our pension - is invested in areas that promote and restore the biodiversity of the UK. This was once a green and pleasant isle. It can be again.”
Daniel Kaul, from Natucate added: “The UK's wildlife has experienced significant declines due to factors like habitat loss, climate change, and pollution, with many species facing potential extinction.
“If no action is taken, the future will see massive species loss, ecosystem destruction, and economic impacts due to reduced biodiversity. To halt this decline, it's crucial to focus on habitat restoration, conscious conservation, public education, robust environmental policies, and addressing needed changes.”
Dr Nicky Dee, founder of Carbon 13 also said: “It would be a sad 12 days of Christmas without the two turtle doves yet this is one of the birds at risk. While alarming, it is an alert to the greater challenges triggered by climate change. The canary in the coalmine is a good analogy, as nature tells us about the state of the planet and our ability to adapt and cope with climate change.
“Biodiversity is our most effective defence against climate change. And that’s why we have invested in startups such as NatureBound and Kita so we are better able to evaluate this link and ensure money goes into the right places.”
Braverman’s claim about ethnicity of grooming gangs was false, regulator rules
Jim Waterson Media editor Thu, 28 September 2023 Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Suella Braverman falsely claimed child grooming gangs in the UK were “almost all British-Pakistani”, according to a ruling by the press regulator, Ipso.
The home secretary made the claim in a Mail on Sunday article published in April, where she singled out British-Pakistani men as being involved in child sexual abuse due to “cultural attitudes completely incompatible with British values” that “have been left mostly unchallenged both within their communities and by wider society”.
Ipso has forced the Mail on Sunday to issue an apology and correction to Braverman’s piece after concluding the statement was false. The regulator said Braverman’s decision to link “the identified ethnic group and a particular form of offending was significantly misleading” because the Home Office’s own research had concluded offenders were mainly from white backgrounds.
In its defence, the Mail on Sunday argued that prior to publication it had double-checked Braverman’s decision to single out British-Pakistanis with advisers to the home secretary and the prime minister, Rishi Sunak. Both teams at the top level of government confirmed they had “no concern over this particular line” and were happy for it to be published.
The newspaper also unsuccessfully argued it was entitled to rely on factual information provided by the home secretary about the ethnicities of grooming gangs because the Home Office was the department responsible for dealing with the issue – and Braverman was the most senior member of that department.
The regulator concluded that, regardless of the discussions that had gone on behind the scenes, the Mail on Sunday had published an inaccurate statement as fact. This has led to the highly unusual situation of a newspaper printing a factual correction to a comment article authored by a leading cabinet minister.
Although there have been several high-profile examples of British-Pakistanis involved in grooming gangs, research published by the Home Office in 2020 showed that offenders are “most commonly white” and come from diverse backgrounds.
The Mail on Sunday argued it was unfair to rely on this report because the research was published when a different home secretary, Priti Patel, was in charge of the department. It also said the 2020 report concluded it was “difficult to draw conclusions about the ethnicity of offenders as existing research is limited and data collection is poor”.
Braverman’s advisers later said they singled-out British-Pakistanis in the article because of high-profile grooming gang cases in Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford, where there was clear evidence of the ethnicity of the perpetrators, rather than looking at offenders as a whole.
Boy, 16, arrested over felling of iconic ‘Robin Hood tree’ next to Hadrian’s Wall
Bill McLoughlin Thu, 28 September 2023
Police at the scene of the felled tree at Sycamore Gap, next to Hadrian’s Wall, in Northumberland (PA)
One of the UK’s most photographed trees is believed to have been “deliberately felled” overnight, the Northumberland National Park Authority has said.
The tree at Sycamore Gap, next to Hadrian’s Wall, was famous thanks in part to the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, where it featured prominently.
It was considered a landmark of the north east and the news on Thursday has caused mass anger and even, for some, grief.
Northumbria Police said a 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage in connection with the felling.
The boy remains in custody and is assisting officers with their inquires, the force said.
Northumbria Police said they believe the damage caused to the tree was a deliberate act of vandalism.
Superintendent Kevin Waring, of Northumbria Police, said: “This is a world-renowned landmark and the events of today have caused significant shock, sadness and anger throughout the local community and beyond.
“An investigation was immediately launched following this vandalism, and this afternoon we have arrested one suspect in connection with our enquiries.
“Given our investigation remains at a very early stage, we are keeping an open mind.
The tree features in the 1991 Kevin Costner blockbuster Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (Handout)
“I am appealing to the public for information to assist us - if you have seen or heard anything suspicious that may be of interest to us, please let us know.
“Any information - no matter how small or insignificant you think it may be - could prove absolutely crucial to our enquiries.”
On Thursday morning the national park authority said: “(We) can confirm that sadly, the famous tree at Sycamore Gap has come down over night. We have reason to believe it has been deliberately felled.
“We are working with the relevant agencies and partners with an interest in this iconic North East landmark and will issue more details once they are known.”
(Handout)
The authority is asking the public not to visit the site, near Crag Lough, “whilst we work with our partners to identify what has happened and to make the site safe”.
A spokesperson added: “Sycamore Gap was voted English Tree of the Year in 2016 in the Woodland Trust’s awards and is much-loved by people from across the world.”
The Sycamore Gap tree is probably the most photographed in the country and stands in a dramatic dip in Hadrian’s Wall.
The Northumberland National Park Authority’s website says the Roman Milecastle 39 is just to its left.
Sycamore Gap is looked after by both Northumberland National Park and the National Trust.
The news was met with dismay and outrage by walkers’ groups on social media.
Kim McGuinness, PCC for Northumbria said on X: “I’m devastated that the famous Sycamore is gone.
“I am incandescent that this looks like a deliberate act of vandalism. That tree was ours. An iconic North East landmark.”
Former Tory MP, Rory Stewart said: “The sycamore tree on Hadrian’s Wall is as close as our culture got to a sacred tree - venerated, visited, endlessly represented - anachronistic in age weaving Robin Hood and St Oswald and the frontier forts and tribes of the Roman wall - and now felled like the druids’ groves.”
One woman, who visited the site on Thursday, posted a picture on Facebook of the felled tree with the caption: “An awful moment for all walking Hadrians wall the Sycamore Gap tree has gone! Not the storm an absolute f****** felled it!!”
Another user replied: “I am absolutely heartbroken as someone that is there often taking photos.”
UK police are investigating the 'deliberate felling' of a famous tree at Hadrian's Wall
Associated Press Thu, September 28, 2023
One of the UK’s most photographed trees has been “deliberately felled” in an apparent act of vandalism, authorities have said Thursday Sept. 28, 2023.
(AP Photo/Scott Heppell, File)
LONDON (AP) — A famous tree that had stood for nearly 200 years next to Hadrian's Wall, a Roman landmark in northern England, was “deliberately felled” in an apparent act of vandalism, authorities said Thursday.
Thousands of visitors each year walk along Hadrian's Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that guarded the Roman Empire's northwestern frontier. Many have paused to admire and photograph the tree at Sycamore Gap, a beloved icon of the landscape that was made famous when it appeared in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.”
Photographs from the scene on early Thursday showed that the tree was cut down near the base of its trunk, with the rest of it lying on its side.
Northumbria Police said a full investigation is underway.
“The tree is a world-renowned landmark and the vandalism has caused understandable shock and anger throughout the local community and beyond,” they said in a statement.
“This is an incredibly sad day," said superintendent Kevin Waring. “The tree was iconic to the North East and enjoyed by so many who live in or who have visited this region.”
The Northumberland National Park authority asked the public not to visit the felled tree, which was voted English Tree of the Year in 2016.
Alison Hawkins, who was walking on the Hadrian's Wall path, was one of the first people who saw the damage early Thursday.
“It was a proper shock. It’s basically the iconic picture that everyone wants to see," she said. “You can forgive nature doing it but you can’t forgive that."
Police said officers were looking into whether criminal offenses had been committed, and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Two 'catastrophic' years melt away 10% of Swiss glacier volume: study
Nina Larson with Alexandre Grosbois Thu, September 28, 2023 The study showed a dramatic retreat of Swiss glaciers and warned the situation would only get worse (Fabrice COFFRINI)
Two consecutive years of extreme warming in the Alps have obliterated 10 percent of Swiss glacier volume -- the same amount lost in the three decades prior to 1990, a report revealed Thursday.
Amid growing concerns over the dire toll of climate change, the study by the Cryospheric Commission (CC) of the Swiss Academy of Sciences showed a dramatic glacial retreat, and warned the situation would only get worse.
"Swiss glaciers are melting at a rapidly increasing rate," it said in a statement.
2022 marked the worst year on record for glacier melt in the Swiss Alps, with six percent of the total ice volume lost.
The glaciers have not fared much better this year, the CC report showed, with another four percent of ice volume destroyed, "representing the second largest decline since measurements began".
"The acceleration is dramatic, with as much ice being lost in only two years as was the case between 1960 and 1990," it said.
The result of two consecutive extreme years had been collapsing glacier tongues and some smaller glaciers vanishing all together.
"All glaciers melted a lot," Matthias Huss, head of Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLAMOS), told AFP.
"But for the small glaciers, (the) melting is especially dramatic because these small glaciers are really disappearing right now." - 'Dead ice' -
GLAMOS, which monitors 176 of Switzerland's some 1,400 glaciers, recently halted measurements at the St. Annafirn glacier in the central Swiss canton of Uri since it had all but disappeared.
"We just had some dead ice left," Huss lamented.
The massive glacier loss seen in Switzerland was linked in large part to a winter with very low snow volumes, as well as soaring summer temperatures.
"It's a combination of climate change that makes such extreme events more likely, and the very bad combination of meteorological extremes," Huss explained.
"If we continue at this rate... we will see every year such bad years."
Scientists have already warned that the Swiss glaciers could all but disappear by the end of the century without more action to rein in global warming.
"We have seen such strong climate changes in the last years that it's really possible to imagine this country without any glaciers," Huss said.
- 'Stabilise the climate' -
He stressed the need to "stabilise the climate by bringing the CO2 emissions to zero as soon as possible".
But Huss acknowledged that even if the world managed to meet the Paris targets of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, only around a third of glacier volume in Switzerland would be saved.
That means that "all the small glaciers will be gone anyway, and the big glaciers will be much smaller", he said, but stressed that at least "there will be some ice in the highest regions of the Alps and some glaciers that we can show to our grandchildren."
This year's melt impacted glaciers across Switzerland, with those in the south and the east of the country particularly hard-hit.
The average ice thickness loss there was up to three metres (9.8 feet) and was "considerably higher than the values recorded in the hot summer of 2003", the researchers said.
The study showed that even some glaciers above 3,200 metres (10,500 feet), which until recently had "preserved their equilibrium", had seen several metres of ice melt away.
The year was marked by barely any precipitation at all over the 2022-23 winter months, meaning far less snow cover than usual, followed by the third-warmest summer in the Alps since measurements began.
It got so warm that at one stage, the freezing point above the mountain range rose to 5,298 metres (17,381 feet) -- way above the highest peaks and beating by far the zero-degree line record. As thaw accelerates, Swiss glaciers have lost 10% of their volume in the past 2 years, experts say
JAMEY KEATEN Updated Thu, September 28, 2023 - Team members of ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) glaciologist and head of the Swiss measurement network Glamos, Matthias Huss, arrive at the Rhone Glacier that is partially covered near Goms, Switzerland, June 16, 2023.
(AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss Academy of Sciences panel is reporting a dramatic acceleration of glacier melt in the Alpine country, which has lost 10% of its ice volume in just two years after high summer heat and low snow volumes in winter.
Switzerland — home to the most glaciers of any country in Europe — has seen 4% of its total glacier volume disappear in 2023, the second-biggest decline in a single year on top of a 6% drop in 2022, the biggest thaw since measurements began, the academy’s commission for cryosphere observation said.
Experts at the GLAMOS glacier monitoring center have been on the lookout for a possible extreme melt this year amid early warning signs about the country's estimated 1,400 glaciers, a number that is now dwindling.
“The acceleration is dramatic, with as much ice being lost in only two years as was the case between 1960 and 1990,” the academy said. “The two extreme consecutive years have led to glacier tongues collapsing and the disappearance of many smaller glaciers.”
Matthias Huss, head of GLAMOS, which participated in the research, said in an interview that Switzerland has already lost up to 1,000 small glaciers, and that “now we are starting to lose also bigger and more important glaciers.”
“Glaciers are the ambassadors of climate change. They make it very clear what is happening out there because they respond in a very sensitive way to warming temperatures,” he said. “The study underlines once again that there is big urgency to act now if you want to stabilize (the) climate, and if you want to save at least some of the glaciers.”
The team said the “massive ice loss" stemmed from a winter with very low volumes of snow — which falls on top of glaciers and protects them from exposure to direct sunlight — and high summer temperatures.
All of Switzerland — where the Alps cut a swath through most of the southern and central parts of the country — was affected, and glaciers in the southern and eastern regions melted almost as fast as in 2022's record thaw.
“Melting of several meters was measured in southern Valais (region) and the Engadin valley at a level above 3,200 meters (10,500 feet), an altitude at which glaciers had until recently preserved their equilibrium,” the team said.
The average loss of ice thickness was up to 3 meters (10 feet) in places such as the Gries Glacier in Valais, the Basòdino Glacier in the southern canton, or region, of Ticino, and the Vadret Pers glacier system in eastern Graubuenden.
The situation in some parts of the central Bernese Oberland and the Valais was less dramatic — such as for the Aletsch Glacier in Valais and Plaine Morte Glacier in the canton of Bern, because they enjoyed more winter snowfall. But even in such areas, “a loss of over 2 meters of the average ice thickness is extremely high,” the team said.
Snow depths measured in the first half of February were generally higher than in the winters of 1964, 1990 or 2007, which were also characterized by low snowfalls, the team said. But snow levels sank to a new record low in the second half of the month of February, reaching only about 30% of the long-term average.
Over half of automated monitoring stations above 2,000 meters that have been in place for at least a quarter-century tallied record-low levels of snow at the time.
After that, an extremely warm June caused snow to melt two to four weeks earlier than usual, and mid-summer snowfalls melted very quickly, the team said.
Swiss meteorologists reported in August that the zero-degree Celsius level — the altitude where water freezes — had risen to its highest level ever recorded, at nearly 5,300 meters (17,400 feet), which means that all the Swiss Alpine peaks faced temperatures above freezing. Swiss glaciers get 10% smaller in two years
Imogen Foulkes - BBC News, Geneva Thu, September 28, 2023 The radiantly blue glacial lakes on the Findel Glacier were covered by dozens of metres of ice a decade ago
Switzerland's glaciers have lost a further 4% of their volume this year - the second biggest loss ever - after last year's record melt of 6%.
The statistics come in the annual report of the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (Glamos), whose team of researchers have been monitoring 176 of Switzerland's 1,400 glaciers for years.
They warn it may now be too late to save many of the alpine ice fields, even if climate targets are met.
"It's terrible," said the Glamos chief.
In just two years, Switzerland's glaciers have lost 10% of their total volume - as much as they lost in the three decades between 1960 and 1990.
Glaciologists measuring the ice take no comfort in the fact that this year's melt is slightly smaller than last year's record.
"It was still the second most negative year since measurements started," Matthias Huss, the head of Glamos, told the BBC. "It's terrible to see that this extreme of last year is just repeating."
The researchers say the loss is due to consecutive very warm summers, and last winter's very low snowfall. If these weather patterns continue, they say, the thaw will only accelerate.
Some of Switzerland's smaller glaciers have already disappeared.
This year the researchers stopped monitoring the St Annafirn glacier because there was no ice left worth measuring.
Others are shrinking so fast it is unlikely they can be saved, even if global temperatures are kept within the Paris target of a 1.5C rise.
Without a dramatic reduction in greenhouse gases linked to global warming, glacier experts warn that even the bigger glaciers like the Aletsch, whose ice now is 800m (2,624 ft) thick in parts, could disappear within a generation.
"Every time I come back to these sites that I have monitored for many years, it's different,' said Mr Huss. "The ice is smaller, thinner, more grey. It's very sad."
But losing the glaciers is about more than losing a stunning view.
The ice, which traditionally builds up in winter and melts slowly in summer, provides fresh water vital to Europe's rivers, to irrigate Europe's crops or to cool its nuclear power stations.
Last year and again this year, shipping on the river Rhine, a key waterway for Europe's freight, had to be restricted because the water had become too shallow.
During the record heat of 2022, fish were removed from Swiss rivers and stored in tanks, because the river water itself had become too warm and too scarce for the fish to survive.
"Glaciers are very important for communicating climate change, because they are so visible," said Mr Huss.
"If there is no climate mitigation, we are going to lose all the glaciers in the alps by 2100." Switzerland’s glaciers lose ‘mind-blowing’ volume of ice in just two years
Laura Paddison, CNN Thu, September 28, 2023
Glaciers in Switzerland are shrinking at a “mind-blowing” rate. A total of 10% of their ice volume has disappeared over a period of just two years as a combination of low snowfall and soaring temperatures cause unprecedented melting, according to figures released Thursday.
In 2023, the country’s glaciers lost 4% of their total volume, according to data from the Swiss Commission for Cryosphere Observation of the Swiss Academy of Sciences. This level melting is second only to the record set in 2022, when 6% of glaciers were destroyed.
To put this into perspective, Swiss glaciers have lost as much ice over this two-year period as was lost over the three decades between 1960 and 1990.
“The losses we’ve seen in 2022 and 2023 are simply mind-blowing and beyond everything we have experienced so far,” said Matthias Huss, head of the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network (GLAMOS), an organization that collects and evaluates glacier data and works with the Swiss Academy of Sciences.
“Even though glaciers have constantly and quickly been losing mass for many decades, this is a tremendous acceleration,” he told CNN, adding these extremes “would have been impossible without climate change.” Ice on the Vadret dal Murtèl glacier melted rapidly even in mid-September at an altitude of 3,100 meters (10,170 feet). - Matthias Huss/GLAMOS
The two extreme years have led to glacier tongues collapsing and many small glaciers in the country disappearing altogether. The St. Annafirn glacier, for example, in the Uri canton in central Switzerland, has shrunk so much that GLAMOS has stopped monitoring it.
Ice loss was even recorded at high altitudes, which usually don’t see such declines. Several meters of ice disappeared in southern Valais and the Engadin valley at altitudes of more than 3,200 meters (10,500 feet), according to GLAMOS.
The losses, which affect glaciers across the country, have come after a winter with very low snow. Snow levels in the second half of February reached a record low, at around 30% of the long-term average.
This was followed by a summer of high temperatures. A very hot and dry June meant snow melted two to four weeks earlier than usual, according to GLAMOS.
High temperatures, which continued into September, meant that summer snowfalls melted quickly.
The disappearance of the ice ridge at the Piz Murtèl in Grisons, Switzerland. - Matthias Huss/GLAMOS
The huge glacier melt of the last two years has stark implications. It “means a significant re-shaping of the high-alpine landscape,” Huss said.
It is creating dangerous conditions with unstable rock threatening dangerous rockslides.
Receding glaciers are also leading to grim discoveries. In July, the remains of a German mountain climber who went missing 37 years ago while hiking along a glacier near Switzerland’s famous Matterhorn were recovered.
There are temporary advantages as the water runoff from the glaciers has helped relieve the severity of the drought the country has experienced and fill hydropower reservoirs, said Huss.
“However, this benefit is transient and short-lived,” he added. As they shrink, glaciers are rapidly losing their important role to contribute water when people need it. “This will aggravate water scarcity during heat waves in the near future,” Huss said.
The long-term picture for Switzerland’s glaciers is alarming. “Glaciers in the Alps will continue to massively shrink and retreat to the highest mountain peaks,” said Huss.
In June, Swiss voters agreed a new law to significantly reduce levels of planet-heating pollution, the impetus for which came from climate groups demanding an end to fossil fuels in order to save the glaciers.
But time is running out as climate change accelerates. Recent research found that even if ambitious climate targets are met, up to half of the world’s glaciers could disappear by the end of the century.
Swiss glaciers lose 10% of volume in worst two years on record
Thu, September 28, 2023 Visitors walk in a fleece covered ice cave inside the Rhone glacier in Obergoms
By Cecile Mantovani and Denis Balibouse
ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland's glaciers suffered their second worst melt rate this year after record 2022 losses, shrinking their overall volume by 10% in the last two years, monitoring body GLAMOS said on Thursday.
The one-two punch for Swiss glaciers during the country's third hottest summer on record means they lost as much ice in two years as in the three decades before 1990, it said, describing the losses as "catastrophic".
"This year was very problematic for glaciers because there was really little snow in winter, and the summer was very warm," Matthias Huss, who leads Glacier Monitoring Switzerland (GLAMOS), told Reuters.
"The combination of these two factors is the worst that can happen to glaciers."
More than half of the glaciers in the Alps are in Switzerland where temperatures are rising by around twice the global average due to climate change.
This year, low winter snowfall combined with an early start and a late end to the summer melt season dealt the heavy losses, GLAMOS said.
In the peak melt month of August, the Swiss weather service said the elevation at which precipitation freezes hit a new record overnight high, measured at 5,289 meters (17,350 ft), an altitude higher than Mont Blanc's summit. This exceeded last year's record of 5,184 meters.
Pictures posted by Huss on social media during data collection trips in recent weeks showed for the first time on record new lakes forming next to glacier tongues, streams of melt water running through ice caves, and bare rock poking out from thinning ice. In some places, bodies lost long ago have been recovered as ice sheets have shrunk.
"We are really losing the small glaciers," Huss said. "The remnant ice is becoming covered by rocks and debris, regions that have been snow and ice covered over the last decades and centuries are becoming just black slopes that are dangerous because of rockfall."
In some places, GLAMOS had to cease monitoring due to the melt.
"We have closed down one of our monitoring programs on a small glacier in central Switzerland because it just became too dangerous to measure," Huss said. "It became very small and therefore unrepresentative."
Swiss records go back to at least 1960 and as far back as 1914 for some glaciers.
(Writing by Emma Farge; editing by Timothy Gardner)
NASA scientist issues grim warning 35 years after his original prediction: ‘[W]e knew it was coming’
Stephen Proctor Wed, September 27, 2023
James Hansen, who was a NASA climate scientist when he first warned the world that the planet was heating in 1988, is back with another stark warning — this time hoping for different results.
When Hansen appeared before the United States Senate in June of 1988, the world had just experienced the warmest first five months of any year in recorded history, The New York Times reported at the time.
Up until that time, scientists had been cautious about blaming the warming of the planet on pollutants put into the air by human activity. But Hansen told the committee that NASA was 99% certain that the warming trend was caused by the buildup of carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere.
Sadly, the problem has continuously gotten worse worldwide in the decades since. And Hansen has continued his fight to bring attention to the issue. In 2011, he was one of 140 people to be arrested while protesting the construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.
In a recent statement released by Hansen alongside two other scientists, Hansen predicted the warming of the planet to accelerate in the coming years, musing about a “new climate frontier.”
“There’s a lot more in the pipeline, unless we reduce the greenhouse gas amounts,” Hansen told the Guardian. “These superstorms are a taste of the storms of my grandchildren. We are headed wittingly into the new reality — we knew it was coming.”
Speaking of the heat waves that have ravaged much of the Northern Hemisphere recently, Hansen told the Guardian he cannot help but feel “a sense of disappointment that we scientists did not communicate more clearly and that we did not elect leaders capable of a more intelligent response.”
Of the lack of response by humanity as a whole, Hansen added, “It means we are damned fools. We have to taste it to believe it.”
Though it’s been 35 years since Hansen first warned the world in Senate testimony about what we’re now seeing with our own eyes, there is reason for optimism.
The move away from dirty energy is kicking into high gear. Sales of electric cars continue to rise, with an expected growth of 35% from 2022 to 2023, electric boats with solar-powered charging stations are now available, and grassroots efforts to make renewable energy more widely available are underway.
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Trump’s Michigan rally for union auto workers may have drawn the wrong crowd
Martha McHardy Thu, 28 September 2023 Former US President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump gestures while speaking at Drake Enterprises, an automotive parts manufacturer and supplier, in Clinton, Michigan (AFP via Getty Images)
Donald Trump skipped the second GOP debate to hold a rally for auto workers on strike in Michigan - but the crowd has come under suspicion after some attendees reportedly revealed they don’t fit in that category.
Mr Trump visited Drake Enterprises, a non-unionized auto parts factory, on Wednesday night while seven of his rivals in the 2024 election faced off in California.
In a speech during his visit, Mr Trump claimed “thousands of people” had gathered to meet him in Michigan.
But the composition of the audience is now under scrutiny after a report by The Detroit News claimed one attendee holding a “union members for Trump” sign admitted that she is not in a union, while another holding an “auto workers for Trump” sign said he was not an auto worker.
The event drew a crowd of about 400-500 Trump supporters, according to The Detroit News, while Drake Enterprises only has around 150 employees.
Auto workers are currently on strike in Detroit over pay and working conditions.
President Joe Biden made history on Tuesday as the first US president to join a picket line when he visited members of the United Auto Workers union.
Mr Biden was invited to visit the UAW members by the group’s president, Shawn Fain, who has sometimes been critical of Mr Trump.
Mr Fain refused to meet with Mr Trump during his Michigan visit, criticizing the GOP candidate as someone who “serves the billionaire class” and calling his appearance at the non-unionized facility a “pathetic irony.”
During his visit, the former president went on an incoherent and inaccurate rant about electric cars, telling Drake Enterprises workers electric vehicles would be the death of the American car industry.
He falsely claimed that EVs are actually bad for the environment.
“People have no idea how bad this is going to be for the environment, you know those batteries when they get rid of them, and lots of bad things happen, and when they dig it out of the ground to make them, is going to very bad for the environment,” he claimed.
Mr Biden and Mr Trump’s visits to Michigan come as Republicans and Democrats alike focus on the electorally important Midwestern “Rust Belt’’, where blue-collar workers such as UAW members form a vital voting bloc.
Mr Trump poked fun at his GOP rivals during his speech, calling them “job candidates” in the presidential race.
“We are competing with the job candidates, they are all running for a job. They are all job candidates. They will do anything, Secretary of something, they even say VP. Has anyone seen a VP in that group? I don’t think so,” Mr Trump told the crowd.
Mr Trump has refused to take part in any of the Republican presidential primary debates so far.
The former president currently has a 42.2-point lead in the polls over Florida governor Ron DeSantis, according to Real Clear Politics.
RIP
Michael Gambon has died at the age of 82.
Sir Michael Gambon has been remembered as one of the greats after his death at the age of 82.
The actor – who was best known for The Singing Detective and for playing Professor Albus Dumbledore in several Harry Potter films – passed away after suffering from pneumonia, with his family by his side.
Former Top Gear and The Grand Tour host Jeremy Clarkson was among the first to pay tribute following the sad news.
"One of the funniest men on the planet and a great actor."
"I'll miss him," he added.
Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (PA Images/Alamy)
Piers Morgan's son Spencer shared a clip from Harry Potter and a quote from Dumbledore.
The moving quote read: "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light."
David Baddiel tweeted: "First time I ever went to see any Theatre with a capital T it was Michael Gambon in Brecht’s Life Of Galileo at The National in 1980.
"It’s still the best stage acting I’ve ever seen."
"RIP," he added.
Actor Richard E Grant shared a snap of the late star, and wrote: "Sir Michael Gambon - THE GREAT GAMBON."
Swimming star Sharron Davies shared a photo of the actor and one of him in Harry Potter, tweeting: "Rest in peace Professor."
Fans also shared their sadness, with one posting: "Oh no, not Michael Gambon.
"A mesmerising actor, truly electrifying on stage."
Shell staff say they are ‘deeply concerned’ by shift from green energy in open letter to chief
James Warrington Wed, 27 September 2023 a shell energy transition
Shell employees have said they are “deeply concerned” by the oil giant’s shift away from green energy in a blistering open letter to the chief executive.
The strategy could involve the FTSE 100 company selling a stake in or even spinning off its global renewable power business entirely. It recently scrapped the role of global head of renewables.
The open letter, which was posted on Shell’s internal website and seen by Reuters, read: “For a long time, it has been Shell’s ambition to be a leader in the energy transition. It is the reason we work here.
“The recent announcements at and after the capital markets day deeply concern us ... We can only hope the optics of the CMD [Capital Markets Day] announcements are deceiving us and that Shell continues its path as a leader in the energy transition.”
The letter, which was addressed to Mr Sawan and Shell’s executive committee, was signed by Lisette de Heiden and Wouter Drinkwaard, two employees in the company’s low-carbon division.
The public rebuke was viewed more than 80,000 times on Shell’s internal website and prompted a string of responses from other employees.
Responding to the letter, Mr Sawan said: “For an organisation at the crux of the energy transition, there are no easy answers and no shortage of dilemmas or challenges. We might not always agree on the way forward, but I feel good about the role Shell is, and will continue, to play.
“I am proud of how we provide affordable and secure energy to people every day, while we work hard to provide lower-carbon solutions to our customers, as we transition over time to a net-zero emissions business.”
Public rebuke of chief executive Wael Sawan's plans was viewed more than 80,000 times on Shell's internal website - REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare
The internal backlash highlights the dilemma facing Shell as it tries to navigate the shift to renewable energy sources while managing investor demands.
Shares in rival BP, whose chief executive announced his shock resignation earlier this month, have underperformed in recent years as it pumps money into renewables amid surging energy prices in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Separately on Wednesday, French energy group Total said it will boost fossil fuel production over the next five years in a sharp reversal of its previous policy.
A Shell spokesman denied that the company had changed its strategy, insisting it was still committed to its aim of becoming a net zero emissions business by 2050.
The spokesman added: “We appreciate that our staff are engaged in and have passion for both the energy transition and Shell. That is important and we welcome an open dialogue.
“Shell is playing a meaningful role in addressing the energy transition, and at our recent Capital Markets Day we set out those areas of the energy system of today and tomorrow where we are best placed to invest, compete and win.
“In particular, we have competitive advantages in producing lower-carbon oil, selling LNG [liquified natural gas] that replaces coal, and offering customers low-carbon solutions through EV charging, biofuels and renewable power.”
Only 7% of coffee sold in the UK meets Fairtrade standards, research shows Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent Thu, 28 September 2023
Only 7% of coffee sold in the UK meets Fairtrade standards even though a “staggering” 98 million cups are consumed every day, according to new research.
The Fairtrade Foundation said the standards are a “critical lifeline” for coffee farmers, enabling them to cover their costs and build resilience against the threat of climate change.
Ahead of International Coffee Day on October 1, the Foundation is launching a campaign aimed at informing coffee lovers about the importance of fair prices for coffee.
The foundation said the average non-Fairtrade coffee farmer lives on as little as £1.37 a day, has little negotiating power in coffee supply chains and yet bears most of the risk.
The price farmers are paid fluctuates dramatically and has dipped this summer to below the cost of production.
Meanwhile, the climate crisis is disrupting coffee production, reducing quality and yield, and increasing farming costs.
More than 90% of Fairtrade Kenyan coffee farmers have already experienced the effects of climate change, citing erratic rainfall and an increase in pests and diseases, said the foundation.
Michael Gidney, chief executive of the Fairtrade Foundation, said: “It’s time to wake up and smell the coffee. Too many farmers still reeling from the pandemic and the climate crisis now have to contend with market prices that have dropped below the cost of production.
“This is forcing farmers to make difficult choices. I’d encourage everyone to choose Fairtrade coffee, which offers farmers the safety net of the Fairtrade Minimum Price and Premium – and so much more.”
Fairtrade Coffee farmer Gerardo Carvajal from Cooperative Manizales in Colombia said: “It’s very difficult to grow coffee now because rainfall patterns have changed and my farming costs have gone up. When production reduces, you lose income.
“Fairtrade gives me a safety net through the Minimum Price and Premium and the specialist training I receive from the Fairtrade producer network in Colombia.”
Longstanding Fairtrade ambassador Melissa Hemsley, a cookery writer, chef and sustainability expert who has visited coffee farmers in Kenya, commented: “Too many farmers struggle to put food on their tables while growing treats for us such as coffee. But we can change that through choices we make when we shop.”
