"What fungi tell us about climate change"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment

"Fungi are one of the most little known life forms on the planet. Now studies carried out by Kathleen Treseder, an ecologist at the University of California, Irvine, show how they can affect climate change and how they are affected by any change in weather patterns. Ms Treseder spoke to BBC Newsday."

"Change climate policy now to avert oil market crisis, warns thinktank
Governments risk derailing global fossil fuel demand with ‘handbrake turns’ in future"

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/31/change-climate-policy-now-to-avert-oil-market-crisis-warns-thinktank

"The oil industry is at risk of a global market shock that could halve the value of fossil fuel investments if governments delay setting policies to tackle the climate crisis, according to new analysis.

A report by Carbon Tracker, a financial thinktank, warned that a “handbrake turn” in climate policy could have a “forceful, abrupt, and disorderly” impact on the global oil industry by derailing fossil fuel demand.

The report warned that the longer governments wait to set new regulations to drive climate action the tougher they will need to be to avert the risk of runaway greenhouse gas emissions and dangerous global heating."

...The thinktank urged policymakers to act soon to limit new investment in fossil fuel projects which risk being stranded, and warned oil companies to anticipate a step change in climate action.

Under existing forecasts oil demand is expected to grow by 0.6% a year over the next five years, but the report found that a crackdown on greenhouse gas emissions could cause demand to shrink by 2.6% a year between 2025 to 2040.

“The loss of value is driven not by the oil industry throwing money away but simply by investing based on signals sent by the oil price,” the report said.

Many oil companies may have been “lulled into a false sense of security by industry scenarios” which continue to forecast steadily rising demand, according to Carbon Tracker.

The thinktank also warned investors against oil market scenarios published by the International Energy Agency which predict a steady decline in demand rather than a sudden collapse."

A financial thinktank, eh? Perhaps one with a specific agenda, though?

https://www.carbontracker.org/about/#mission

"Our mission
We recognize that there is a limited global ‘carbon budget’ of cumulative emissions that must be respected to avoid overshooting 2˚C and destabilizing the global climate. Our view is that capital markets are failing to align the capital allocation process, exposing the owners of fossil fuel companies – their shareholders – to potential lost value, as has already been witnessed in the EU utilities and US coal mining sectors. We further believe that companies have not sufficiently factored in the possibility that future demand could be significantly reduced by technological advances and changing policy.

Our role is to help markets understand and quantify these implied risks."

Then look at their list of funders:

https://www.carbontracker.org/about/#mission

Come on, Guardian. A bit of honesty about the source of your article would be welcome.

AK, the debate about District Heating networks arose out of a BBC on-line article that was childish in its simplicity and superficiality - vacuity, even. The bit about District heating networks was highlighted because the article was about how we could achieve net zero CO2 emissions, and suggested one way things might have to change to achieve this was by moving to District heating networks fuelled by burning wood chip. How does that reduce CO2 emissions?

What's wrong with District heating networks? I experienced a very effective one in the Urals that provided heating for mineworker flats. Also most large hospitals worldwide(?) are heated by such systems.

The Great Escape

ianl

like 'energy from batteries' .... ?

Renewables fanboys always seem to trot that one out and I always want to slap them.

golf charlie

>"District heating networks could be an option"

That is exactly the type of utterly pointless illiteracy that brings me to utter despair. You too are in despair, of course. It uses techno-babble, magic phrases that most of the population are convinced is true by with their own technical illiteracy.

Thank you for posting it - you've added to my knowledge of the depth of the pit we are in. Banging your head against a brick wall has some merit when compared to this damaging drivel, as at least it will feel better when you stop.

Jan 30, 2020 at 8:44 PM M Courtney
+1!

A pair of Eurasian beavers have been released on Exmoor in a National Trust effort to curb flooding and improve biodiversity."

Perhaps I'm just ignorant, but I'd like a fuller explanation of this. My gut feeling is that it is likely to make flooding worse, not curb it.
Jan 30, 2020 at 7:32 PM Mark Hodgson

The explanation in the article :

" Mr Eardley added: "Their presence in our river catchments is a sustainable way to help make our landscape more resilient to climate change and the extremes of weather it will bring."

"The dams the beavers create will slow the flow, holding water in dry periods which will reduce the impact of drought.

"They will help to lessen flash-flooding downstream."

The logic being that a stream with multiple dams does reduce flow during drought conditions, and the valley stays wet. Increased rainfall will lead to river flows increasing, but they will be averaged out - a bit.

Unfortunately......
Beavers don't t need plans to build a dam, but they won't accept instructions on where to build a dam.

Beaver dams block the movement of fish. This may have Ecology issues, it can ruin trout fishing, it will restrict salmon from returning to the head waters they seek. This may have issues for the local economy.

Beaver dams WILL fail under flood conditions, releasing water with a deluge of failed dam construction materials. This is not good for human life and constructions downstream, other animals and plants don't fare well either.