MENU

Social Channels

SEARCH ARCHIVE

亚慱彩票|

TODAY'S CLIMATE AND ENERGY HEADLINES

Briefing date 15.07.2022
NHS braced as minister says temperatures could hit 40C

Expert analysis direct to your inbox.

Every weekday morning, in time for your morning coffee, Carbon Brief sends out a free email known as the “Daily Briefing” to thousands of subscribers around the world. The email is a digest of the past 24 hours of media coverage related to climate change and energy, as well as our pick of the key studies published in peer-reviewed journals.

Sign up here

News.

UK: NHS braced as minister says temperatures could hit 40C
The GuardianRead Article

The NHS and other “essential services” are preparing for a surge in demand due to the upcoming heatwave, the Guardian reports. The paper says that after chairing an emergency Cobra meeting, cabinet office minister Kit Malthouse told BBC Radio 4: “The key thing we can do is prepare the government services for what may be a surge in demand – not least the health service and elsewhere – but also, critically, communicate that the first line of defence is actually individual behavioural change.” The paper adds that, according to the government, there are “tried and tested” plans in place in the NHS for increasing staffing.BBC Newssays that “pressures are already high on NHS services” and that “people are being urged to stay hydrated, look out for vulnerable people, keep curtains closed and stay out of the sun in the middle of the day”. TheTimesquotes Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Tony Wardle, who says that some models are predicting maximum temperatures above 40C in parts of the UK over the days, but mid-to-high 30s are more likely.

Meanwhile, theGuardianwarns that rail services in Britain may be “severely disrupted” next week, as blanket speed restrictions to reduce the risk of track and equipment failures are expected. TheIndependentsays that train tracks could reach temperatures up to 50C next week. Elsewhere, thepaperreports that “residents on the Isle of Sheppey can expect their water supply to return on Thursday after burst pipes left thousands without water during the hottest week of the year”. TheNew York Timesalso discusses the possibility of the UK seeing 40C temperatures. TheIndependentexplains what the Met Office amber weather warning means, givesadvicefor keeping your house cool in a heatwave andasks: “How hot does it have to be to shut schools?” Thenewspaperalso highlights areas of the UK most at risk from dangerous temperatures as the climate continues to warm.

Separately, theIndependentreports that wildfires are blazing across Europe. In France, 1000 firefighters are working to control two wildfires that have already burned 4,000 hectares, it says.Reutersreports that “nations across southern Europe – experiencing the second heatwave in as many months – have been hit by a series of wildfires over the last few weeks”. A forest fire in southwest Turkey was brought under control yesterday, thenewswirereports separately. Meanwhile,Associated Pressreports that “more than 3,000 firefighters battled Thursday alongside ordinary Portuguese citizens desperate to save their homes from several wildfires”. And Italy is facing its worst drought in 70 years, theIndependentsays. Meanwhile,Bloomberghas published a piece entitled: “Europe is frying in devastating heat, yet is burning more coal.”

Elsewhere, theGuardianreports that Shanghai has issued its a red alert, as temperatures are expected to reach at least 40C today (see below). Meanwhile, theWashington Postreports that “the temperatures in Texas and the Southern Plains are about to be turned up during an already historically hot summer”. TheGuardianhas published images and pictures of the impacts of extreme heat events seen around the world this month – including the glacier collapse in Italy, roofs melting in China and wildfires across Spain, France and Portugal.Deutsche Wellein Germany says the extreme heat worldwide shows that “we need to adapt to the climate crisis now”. And theWashington Postreports that June 2022 was “among Earth’s warmest Junes ever recorded”, according to recently released data.

UK: Tory leadership race: Where do candidates stand on net zero goal?
BBC NewsRead Article

Following “hustings” on Wednesday, BBC News discusses the green credentials of the Conservative hopefuls in the race to become party leader. It says: “According to a source in the room, foreign secretary Liz Truss, former chancellor Rishi Sunak and trade minister Penny Mordaunt said they would honour the 2050 [net-zero] commitment, which is written into the Climate Change Act (2019). Chair of the foreign affairs select committee Tom Tugendhat, former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch (and the now eliminated attorney general Suella Braverman) all said they would potentially seek to change the date. The next day Mr Tugendhat told journalists he’d been misunderstood and that he did remain committed to 2050 adding ‘but nobody yet has set out a path to achieving it’… Penny Mordaunt has in public been the most enthusiastic about the potential gains from pursuing net-zero saying it ‘represents a huge opportunity for jobs and growth’ that will provide millions of new jobs… Liz Truss has, like Rishi Sunak, skirted the issue. As environment secretary she cut subsidies for solar farms calling them ‘a blight on the landscape’”. The outlet adds that Mordaunt and Truss told fellow MPs they plan to suspend the “green levy”, while Sunak said he would keep it. Meanwhile, theFinancial Timescarries a warning from Lord Zac Goldsmith – a “prominent voice on environmental issues” in Boris Johnson’s cabinet, that a leader who wants to abandon the UK’s net-zero target would lose the Conservative party support from “a broad coalition of voters.” TheIndependentreports that “a man who went on hunger strike to call for MPs to receive a briefing on the climate crisis has been left disappointed after no Tory leadership candidates turned up to watch”. And in a briefing to MPs, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said that climate change could cause worse disruption than the Covid-19 pandemic,MailOnlinereports.

In other UK news, outlets includingBBC News,Financial Times,Independentand thei newspaperreport that the Environmental Agency said chief executives and board members of England’s water companies who are responsible for serious sewage pollution should be jailed and fined.

US: Manchin pulls plug on climate and tax talks, shrinking domestic plan
The New York TimesRead Article

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin has told his party’s leaders that he will not support funding for climate or energy programs or raising taxes on wealthy Americans and corporations, the New York Times reports. The paper says this decision has “dealt a devastating blow to his party’s efforts to enact a broad social safety net, climate and tax package”. It continues: “In recent months, Democrats had slashed their ambitions for such a plan to win over Mr Manchin, hoping that he would agree to support even a fraction of the sweeping initiative they once envisioned. His abrupt shift appeared to dash those aspirations…In rejecting any climate and energy provisions, Mr Manchin appeared to have single-handedly shattered Mr Biden’s ambitious climate agenda and what would have been the largest single federal investment in American history toward addressing the toll of climate change…Without action by Congress, it will be impossible to meet Mr Biden’s goal of cutting US emissions roughly in half by the end of this decade.” This comes only seven months after Manchin “scuttled the original, roughly $2tn Build Back Better Act, which President Biden had endorsed”, theWashington Postreports. The paper continues: “On climate, Democrats once thought they had a historic opportunity to radically transform the country, reduce pollution, incentivise cleaner, greener energy and put more electric vehicles on the road. They had hoped to seize on their rare majorities to deliver the investments necessary toward fulfilling Biden’s goal, reducing carbon emissions to half of their 2005 levels come 2030. Their push had taken on added urgency when gas prices spiked after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But Manchin, who represents coal-heavy West Virginia, initially opposed their most audacious ideas, including efforts to punish the worst polluters.” Manchin has told Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer that “he would only support a bill that includes provisions aimed at lowering the price of prescription drugs and a two-year extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies”, theWall Street Journalsays. “Sam Runyon, a spokesperson for Manchin, indicated the West Virginian has little concern for how his rejection might affect his party’s overall political prospects, should Democrats ultimately fail to accept the narrow terms he’s outlined,”Politicoadds.

Meanwhile, theGuardiancovers the results of a nationwide survey of more than 10,000 adults, which finds that more than 80% of Democrats think the government is not doing enough to tackle the climate crisis. The paper finds that “younger voters across both parties are most frustrated with the pace of political action on green issues”. It continues: “Just 15% of Republicans think the president’s climate policies are taking the country in the right direction compared with 79% of Democrats.”Inside Climate News也涵盖了调查结果,并补充说:“民主党人don’t seem sympathetic to arguments that Biden’s hands are tied, for example, by an uncooperative Congress or the conservative courts; only 37% of Democrats who favour strong action to counter climate change said they think the administration is doing about as much as can be expected.” Elsewhere, theHillcover new analysis which finds that “the US is currently not on track to meet President Biden’s climate goals unless it takes additional policy actions to mitigate global warming”. Meanwhile, theIndependentreports that ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Hilcorp and Occidental each released the equivalent of over 2.9m metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2020 – topping the list of highest emitting oil and gas producers in the US.

In other US news, theIndependentreports on flash flooding in rural Virginia, askingseparatelywhy US floods are getting “flashier”. Elsewhere,Reutersreports that Utah’s Great Salt Lake is drying out.

Australia: Chris Bowen shares draft climate bill as independents and Greens turn up heat for more ambitious action
The GuardianRead Article

Australia’s minister for climate change, Chris Bowen, met on Thursday with independent MPs and representatives from the Greens to share a draft of the bill he will introduce during the first sitting week of the new parliament, the Guardian reports. The paper says the “political temperature around Labor’s initial climate commitments has ramped up significantly in recent days”. It adds: “While in Fiji for the Pacific Islands Forum, prime minister Anthony Albanese declared the government intended to introduce the 2030 emissions reduction target of 43% that Labor put to voters at the May election, saying ‘every member of the House and every member of the Senate should vote for it.’” The paper continues: “Labor has the numbers to pass the legislation in the House of Representatives. The Greens could sink the bill in the Senate because Peter Dutton has signalled the Liberal party will oppose Labor’s legislation. After Thursday’s meeting the Greens leader, Adam Bandt, said Labor’s draft legislation was problematic because it ‘makes 43% effectively a legislated ceiling’ and that would mean a future government could not automatically ‘lift the legally enshrined targets without coming back to parliament’…As well as calling on Labor to adopt a ratchet mechanism, the Greens also want to accompany a more ambitious emissions reduction target with a moratorium on new oil and gas developments.” Thepaperreports separately that “moderate Liberal MP Bridget Archer remains open to crossing the floor to support Labor’s 43% emissions reduction target, but says Anthony Albanese needs to tone down his ‘inflammatory’ rhetoric if he wants to end the climate wars.” Meanwhile, theGuardianreports that Pacific leaders “have welcomed Australia’s ‘renewed commitment’ on climate change and interest in co-hosting a United Nations climate summit with Pacific nations”.

Elsewhere, theGuardianreports that the government “will make substantial changes to a committee responsible for ensuring the integrity of the national carbon credit system after overseeing the departure of three members appointed by the Coalition, including the chair”. TheSydney Morning Heraldcarries warnings from experts that the $4.5bn Emissions Reduction Fund “has been selling credits for worthless carbon reduction projects”.

Shell chief warns Europe may have to ration energy during winter
Financial TimesRead Article

The chief executive of oil company Shell – Ben van Beurden – has warned that Russian president Vladimir Putin is “able and willing to weaponise energy supplies”, and so a complete suspension of Russian gas exports to Europe cannot not be ruled out, the Financial Times reports. He warned that Europe may need to ration access to energy this winter, the paper says. It adds that the comments were made at an energy conference in Oxford on Thursday. “President Putin had shown that ‘he better be taken seriously when he makes threats’ and called on European leaders to put ‘very significant contingency plans’ in place, theTimesadds. The newspaper also quotes the director of National Grid ESO, who said that while the UK is less dependent on flows of Russian gas than its European neighbours, “you can’t get past the fact that if there is a shut-off of Russian gas into Europe, then the implications of that will still ripple through into the UK”. TheWall Street JournalandBBC Newshave also published van Beurden’s comments. At the same event, Octopus Energy founder, Greg Jackson, told theGuardianthat “whoever wins the Conservative leadership race may have to immediately bring in more government help on bills”. At the same event, Ben van Beurden warned that the windfall tax on profits from North Sea oil and gas would deter investment, theTimesreports.

Meanwhile, French president Emmanuel Macron has warned the country to “prepare for a total cutoff of Russian natural gas by supporting alternatives, having public lights switched off at night and engaging in a period of nationwide energy ‘sobriety’”, the Independent reports viaAssociated Press.TheFinancial Timesalso quotes Macron: “We must prepare for a scenario where we have to manage completely without Russian gas…it is probable. We need a general mobilisation.” TheEconomistsays “an EU-wide plan is needed to cope” with the potential Russian gas shutoff. Meanwhile, theFinancial Timesreports that the EU has “drastically scaled back its imports of Russian thermal coal ahead of a full ban next month”. It notes that 1.7m tonnes of Russian coal were shipped by sea to the EU in June – a decline of 48% compared with May. And theFinancial Timesreports that the UK “has been riding to the rescue of mainland Europe in recent months, becoming a net exporter of electricity for the first time since 2017 to make up for record shutdowns of French nuclear reactors”.

Germany: Gas prices quintuple? Politicians are increasing the pressure on citizens to save energy
Die WeltRead Article

Die Welt reports about growing warnings of rising gas prices in Germany. The article says that a month ago economy minister Robert Habeck recommended “taking shorter showers”, but recently he questioned whether “private households are actually protected in the event of a gas freeze or whether they, like industry, have to limit their consumption”. President of the Federal network agency, Klaus Müller, is quoted warning that “for those who are now getting their heating bills, the deductions are already doubling – and the consequences of the Ukraine war are not even taken into account”. Those who pay €1,500 a year for gas will have to reckon with €4,500 and more in the future, explains the outlet.

Der Spiegelcarries a story where the Free Democratic Party’s representative Bijan Djir-Sarai criticises Habeck for “shower tips”, arguing that “the task of the economy minister is to ensure secure supply”. Due to the issue of rising prices, Greece’s tourism minister Vasilis Kikilias has invited German pensioners wanting to escape “astronomical heating bills” and other high living costs this coming winter, urging them to see his country as an attractive alternative, reports theGuardian

Meanwhile, German tabloid《图片报》reports that the filling level of German gas storage fell by 0.06% on Wednesday. The aim is for the storage tanks to be 80% full by 1 October and 90% by 1 November, notes the newspaper. However, it adds that German gas storage tanks are just 64.5% full. Nonetheless, the Netherlands expects to sustain its natural gas supply to Germany in the coming winter, even if Russia cuts off all its supply to Europe, gas transport company GTS said on Thursday,Reutersreports.

In other German news,Der Spiegel报道称,欧盟委员会已经批准了一项regulation allowing Germany to support energy-intensive companies with state aid of up to €5bn. “This means that the energy cost containment program for energy-intensive industries can start tomorrow”, announced economics and finance ministers, adds the newspaper. TheFinancial Timescarries the opinion piece saying that to save the German energy company Uniper from bankruptcy, Habeck has hinted that Finnish energy company Fortum, which owns 78% of Uniper and is part-owned by the Finnish government, should “cough up” in lieu of the German taxpayer.

Elsewhere,Die Zeitreports that the German political party CDU is calling for a fundamental change of course in domestic gas production policy, including a reassessment of the controversial production method – fracking. Wolfgang Steiger, CDU’s representative, is quoted in the news saying that “we want to import liquefied gas from Qatar or Canada, which is correct…but we are not putting all options on the table in the current situation”. However, Claudia Kemfert, head of the energy department at the German institute for economic research, says that, “in Germany, fracking is banned for a good reason…fracking is expensive, risky, poses enormous environmental risks and damages the climate”.

Finally,Politicoquotes EU’s green deal chief Frans Timmermans saying that Europe should create a day of memorial for the victims of climate change, marking the anniversary of floods that killed more than 220 people, mainly in Germany and Belgium.

China heatwave prompts energy curbs for manufacturing hub, but repeat of power crisis unlikely
South China Morning PostRead Article

Zhengjiang province, one of China’s “major manufacturing hubs”, has “restricted power usage for some factories amid a stifling heatwave and rising coal prices”, reports the South China Morning Post. The outlet says the move raises “concerns over a potential large-scale power outage that could further debilitate the struggling sector”. It adds that polyester and textile factories, as well as printing and dyeing mills, across eastern China’s Zhejiang province “received power rationing notices this week”, according to textile industry news service CCF. Qin Yan, a carbon analyst with financial services company Refinitiv, is quoted as saying: “A lot of measures have been taken to strengthen power supply security since the autumn of 2021, including boosting domestic coal production and coal plants’ stockpiles.” Additionally,Bloombergalso reports on the “industrial power cuts” amidst China’s heatwave.

与此同时,在一个国家发展的会议t and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country’s top economic planner, on Thursday, Li Yunqing, director of NCRC’s operation bureau, stressed that “ensuring a safe and stable supply of energy is essential for stable growth, employment, and prices”, reportsChina Energy News.Li said: “…affected by the growth of electricity consumption in key industries, rising temperatures and other factors, the national daily power generation has climbed rapidly since the beginning of summer, and the national dispatched power generation reached 27,854GWh (gigawatts-hours) on Wednesday, with the highest dispatched load reaching 1,222GWh, all hitting a record high”. He added that:“ The demand for energy has rebounded significantly”. The state-run industry newspaper notes that the NDRC will do its “utmost to ensure the energy supply during the peak of the summer” by “accelerating the development of renewable energy” and “accelerating energy reserve capacity building”, among other measures. Separately, another report byChina Energy Newssays that on Thursday, the State Council, China’s state administrative agency, issued a plan which proposes to “strengthen ecological environmental protection” and submits to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the national legislature, to “consider” the draft version of energy law and the draft revision of the mineral resources law.

Elsewhere, the state news agencyXinhua报告评论of Huang Runqiu, the Chinese minister of ecology and environment, made on Wednesday at the opening of the ministerial segment of the High-level Political Forum on sustainable development, convened under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council. Huang said: “China has made significant progress in meeting SDGs, including eliminating poverty, protecting the marine environment, effectively utilising energy, tackling climate change, and conserving land ecosystems”. Finally, according toReuters, China’s commerce ministry said on Thursday that setting a cap on the Russian oil price is a “very complicated issue” and the “precondition to solve the Ukraine crisis is to promote peace talks among relevant parties”.

Comment.

The British still think heatwaves are fun — not for much longer
John Burn-Murdoch, Financial TimesRead Article

“It is high time we started distinguishing between beach weather and wildfire weather, and began taking the risks of extreme heat much more seriously”, says John Burn-Murdoch – chief data reporter at theFinancial Times.Burn-Murdoch说“最理性的人now greet the prospect of extreme heat with concern”, but adds: “Britain is different.” He continues: “Britons’ longstanding love affair with warm weather is understandable. Our climate is notoriously grey and damp, and heatwaves of the past rarely exceeded 30C. But while our excitement about hot spells has not changed, the conditions have. Too few of us realise where we are now, or where we’re heading… Relative to most countries the UK is unprepared for the pace of the climate transition, with far lower rates of air conditioning installation, unsuitable housing design, and transit systems that become almost unusable during high temperatures. One in four dwellings in England already experiences overheating.”

Meanwhile, climate scientist Vikki Thompson has penned a piece in theGuardianentitled: “Extreme heatwaves are here to stay in the UK. It’s time for us to adapt.” She says: “The inescapable truth is that heatwaves are happening more often and becoming hotter, and this is due to human-induced climate change. Here in the UK, 40C summers are becoming more and more likely… As temperatures get hotter, and more dangerous, quick adaptation will be key to reducing the impacts of heatwaves on society.” Meanwhile, theDaily Mirrorhas published a short editorial entitled, “People can shelter from the sun but cannot hide from reality of climate change”, which argues: “We are witnessing the climate crisis in action. Britain needs to be much better prepared for long, hot summers to keep people safe and ensure workers do not have to toil in unbearable conditions.”

And theIndependent‘s chief business commentator, James Moore, argues that disabled children should be able to stay home from school during the heat. He says “disability and heat just don’t mix”, adding that “heat sends my type one autoimmune diabetes up the wall”. However, Moore says that while he can work from home, children don’t have this option. He continues: “We should give parents the option to keep their kids at home on the hottest days of the year if that’s where they will be better off. This would then free up staff – who have to perform heroics in these conditions – to focus on looking after those kids whose parents are working and have to be in school. It’s a win, win situation. While we’re talking common sense, let’s extend this to all of our children, disabled or not. These are not conditions in which any learning is going to get done.”

Finally,New York Timeswriter David Wallace-Wells has published a piece entitled: “The mysteriously low death toll of the heat waves in India and Pakistan.” He notes that the heat in South Asia has breached several “limits of human survivability”, but that they “do not yet appear to have caused mass death”. He lists possible reasons for this – including that the official death count is an underestimate, that cultural practices and adaptation are playing a role and that “heat beyond the limit of human survivability may be farther off than headlines have suggested”.

Europe’s winter of discontent
Editorial, The EconomistRead Article

The Economist has published an editorial under the subheading: “Even as temperatures soar Europe faces a bitter energy crisis later this year.” The piece says that winter “promises to be brutal and divisive because of an energy crisis that is rapidly worsening as Vladimir Putin strangles supplies of Russian gas”, adding that “most Europeans cannot yet see or smell the gastastrophe, but in the markets the warning signs are already flashing red”. It goes on to outline why Russia “holds the whip hand” in the gas market. The piece says that European governments need to transcend national divisions to face the energy crisis – by maximising supplies and implementing a “common hierarchy governing rationing” across Europe. It concludes: “The prize for Europe is not just getting through the coming months. Europe will forever free itself from Russian energy intimidation.” Meanwhile, theFinancial Times‘ European economics commentator, Martin Sandbu, argues that a price cap on Russian oil is “a bad idea”, saying that it “would expose the world’s dependence and enhance Putin’s ability to threaten the west”.

Elsewhere, theWashington Post的全球观点特约专栏作家,哈米德·Mir, has penned an opinion piece entitled: “Climate change is a bigger threat to Pakistan than terrorism.” And Matt Ridley, the Conservative climate-sceptic who oversaw the financial collapse of Northern Rock bank a decade ago and who owns land that has been mined for coal, has penned an opinion piece in theDaily Telegraphentitled: “Eco-extremism has brought Sri Lanka to its knees.”

Science.

Increasing climatic decoupling of bird abundances and distributions
Nature Ecology & EvolutionRead Article

North American bird species abundances and distributions are becoming more detached from climate patterns as the world warms, according to new research. The authors use a 30-year timeseries to assess “climate matching” in North American bird species. The study finds that “species differences in climate matching trends were related to their ecological traits, particularly habitat specialisation, but not to average rates of climate and land-use change within the species’ ranges”. It adds that climatic decoupling was particularly notable for birds with a declining abundance and occupancy, including threatened species.

Expert analysis direct to your inbox.

Get a round-up of all the important articles and papers selected by Carbon Brief by email. Find out more about our newslettershere