Buying blow Adelboden

__________________________

📍 Verified store!

📍 Guarantees! Quality! Reviews!

__________________________

▼▼ ▼▼ ▼▼ ▼▼ ▼▼ ▼▼ ▼▼

▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲ ▲▲

Buying blow Adelboden

Every year, the official UN climate summits are getting bigger. But this year blew all previous records out of the water. More than 97, participants had badges to attend COP28 in Dubai in person. This raises questions about who is attending COPs and what they are doing there, who gets their voices heard and, on a more practical note, how this affects the negotiations. These take place in pavilion exhibition spaces and are open to anyone attending, in contrast to the negotiations which are often closed to the media and sometimes closed to observers. There is a stark difference between these worlds, with pavilion spaces featuring elaborate and inviting settings, particularly if they are well funded, while negotiations often happen in windowless rooms. That makes up just under 55, or half of the attendees. The rest are intergovernmental organisations 2, , UN Global Climate Action award winners , host country guests 5, , temporary passes — many issued to big private companies , NGOs 14, — including one of us, as part of a university delegation , and media 4, The number of delegates connected to the oil and gas industries has quadrupled from last year to around 2,, many of whom were invited as part of country delegations. In the official programme, the Energy and Industry, Just Transition, and Indigenous Peoples Day featured more events by industrial giant Siemens than by indigenous people. Practically speaking, huge numbers cause problems — this year for example there were delayed meetings , long queues, and several negotiation rooms were beyond capacity with observers and even party delegates asked to limit their numbers and leave. Even with access to an observer badge, there is little one can contribute to negotiations. The negotiating positions are decided long before the COPs begin, and observers are rarely permitted to speak in negotiations. The negotiations you can silently observe are usually a series of prepared statements, rather than a discussion. One alternative is being a virtual delegate, which one of us tried. The option is a long overdue, but welcome addition. It reduces travel emissions and makes it more accessible, for instance for people with caring responsibilities and others who are unable to travel or perhaps who refuse to fly. Some technical teething problems are to be expected. Our employer, the University of Bristol, had advised us not to download the app because of security concerns , which again raises serious issues around transparency and accountability in UNFCCC spaces, as well as freedom of speech and assembly in COP host countries. Not being there in person also has downsides. The virtual alternative is a good option to observe negotiations, but it means missing out on some of the civil society lifeblood of COP. Another option is to limit access to COPs — for example, limiting the in-person negotiations only to the most vital participants. Party tickets could be limited, with lobbyists from fossil fuel industries tightly controlled and priority given to climate victims, indigenous communities and underrepresented countries. Side events and pavilions could take place a few months before the COPs, increasing the chances of influencing negotiations, since positions are cemented early. There is no reason these only need to happen in one place once a year, there could be regional meetups in between, allowing for formal contact more often. These issues of access, transparency and influence have serious implications on negotiation outcomes and climate action. This watered-down agreement reflects the inability of indigenous peoples and the most climate vulnerable countries to meaningfully participate in the negotiations — future COPs must trim down to make their voices heard. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. If you need an expert for an interview, here is a list of our experts you can approach. Email victoria. Dr Eunice Lo — expert in changes in extreme weather events such as heatwaves and cold spells , and how these changes translate to negative health outcomes including illnesses and deaths. Professor Daniela Schmidt — expert in the causes and effects of climate change on marine systems. Dr Katerina Michalides — expert in drylands, drought and desertification and helping East African rural communities to adapt to droughts and future climate change. Professor Dann Mitchell — expert in how climate change alters the atmospheric circulation, extreme events , and impacts on human health. Dann is also a Met Office Chair. Professor Dan Lunt — expert on past climate change , with a focus on understanding how and why climate has changed in the past and what we can learn about the future from the past. Professor Jonathan Bamber — expert on the impact of melting land ice on sea level rise SLR and the response of the ocean to changes in freshwater forcing. Professor Paul Bates CBE — expert in the science of flooding, risk and reducing threats to life and economic losses worldwide. Professor Guy Howard — expertise in building resilience and supporting adaptation in water systems, sanitation, health care facilities, and housing. Expert in wider infrastructure resilience assessment. Dr Caitlin Robinson — expert on energy poverty and energy justice and also in mapping ambient vulnerabilities in UK cities. Caitlin will be virtually attending COP Professor Philip Taylor — Expert in net zero, energy systems, energy storage, utilities, electric power distribution. Dr Colin Nolden — expert in sustainable energy policy , regulation and business models and interactions with secondary markets such as carbon markets and other sectors such as mobility. Professor Charl Faul — expert in novel functional materials for sustainable energy applications e. Dr Rachel James — Expert in climate finance, damage, loss and decision making. Also has expertise in African climate systems and contemporary and future climate change. Dr Katharina Richter — expert in decolonial environmental politics and equitable development in times of climate crises. Also an expert on degrowth and Buen Vivir , two alternatives to growth-based development from the Global North and South. Katarina will be virtually attending COP Dr Alix Dietzel — climate justice and climate policy expert. Focusing on the global and local scale and interested in how just the response to climate change is and how we can ensure a just transition. Dr Ed Atkins — expert on environmental and energy policy, politics and governance and how they must be equitable and inclusive. Also interested in local politics of climate change policies and energy generation and consumption. Dr Karen Tucker — expert on colonial politics of knowledge that shape encounters with indigenous knowledges , bodies and natures, and the decolonial practices that can reveal and remake them. Professor Guy Howard — expert in influence of climate change on infectious water-related disease, including waterborne disease and vector-borne disease. Professor Rachael Gooberman-Hill — expert in health research, including long-term health conditions and design of ways to support and improve health. EBIBristol this account is only monitored in office hours. Dr Camilla Morelli — expert in how children and young people imagine the future , asking what are the key challenges they face towards the adulthoods they desire and implementing impact strategies to make these desires attainable. Dr Helen Thomas-Hughes — expert in engaging, empowering, and inspiring diverse student bodies as collaborative environmental change makers. Dr Oscar Berglund — expert on climate change activism and particularly Extinction Rebellion XR and the use of civil disobedience. Dr Jo House — expert on land and climate interactions, including emissions of carbon dioxide from land use change e. Follow on Twitter Drjohouse. Professor Steve Simpson — expert marine biology and fish ecology, with particular interests in the behaviour of coral reef fishes, bioacoustics, effects of climate change on marine ecosystems , conservation and management. Dr Taro Takahashi — expert on farming , livestock production systems as well as programme evaluation and general equilibrium modelling of pasture and livestock-based economies. Dr Maria Paula Escobar-Tello — expert on tensions and intersections between livestock farming and the environment. Dr Aoife Grant — expert in greenhouse gases and methane. Set up a monitoring station at Glasgow for COP26 to record emissions. Professor Matt Rigby — expert on sources and sinks of greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances. Professor Guy Howard — expert in contribution of waste and wastewater systems to methane emissions in low- and middle-income countries. Dr Charlotte Lloyd — expert on the fate of chemicals in the terrestrial environment, including plastics , bioplastics and agricultural wastes. Follow on Twitter DrCharlLloyd. Watch our Cabot Conversations — 10 conversations between 2 experts on a climate change issue, all whilst an artist listens in the background and interprets the conversation into a beautiful piece of art in real time. Find out more at bristol. As our planet continues to warm, the need for renewable energy is becoming increasingly urgent. And solar accounts for one-fifth of the energy capacity installed since Solar farms are now a striking feature of the British landscape. This was the focus of a recent study that I co-authored alongside colleagues from the University of Bristol. We found that bat activity is reduced at solar farms compared to neighbouring sites without solar panels. This discovery is concerning. Bats are top predators of nighttime insects and are sensitive to changes in their habitats, so they are important indicators of ecosystem health. Bats also provide valuable services such as suppressing populations of insect pests. Nonetheless, our results should not hinder the transition to renewable energy. Instead, they should help to craft strategies that not only encourage bat activity but also support the necessary expansion of clean energy sources. We measured bat activity by recording their ultrasonic echolocation calls on bat detectors. Many bat species have distinctive echolocation calls, so we could identify call sequences for each species in many cases. Some species show similar calls, so we lumped them together in species groups. We placed bat detectors in a solar farm field and a similar neighbouring field without solar panels called the control site. The fields were matched in size, land use and boundary features such as having similar hedges as far as possible. The only major difference was whether they contained solar panels. Field boundaries are used by bats for navigation and feeding. Six of the eight bat species or groups studied were less active in the fields with solar panels compared to the fields without them. Other bat species or groups like soprano pipistrelles , noctules , serotines , myotis bats and long-eared bats also saw their activity drop. Total bat activity was almost halved at the boundaries of solar panel fields compared to that of control sites. And at the centre of solar panel fields, bat activity dropped by two-thirds. Large numbers of bats are killed by colliding with the blades of wind turbines. In , for example, one academic estimated that around , bats may have been killed at wind energy facilities in the United States. The way solar farms affect bats is probably more indirect than this. Solar panels could, in theory, inadvertently reduce the abundance of insects by lowering the availability of the plants they feed on. Reduced feeding success around the panels may result in fewer bats using the surrounding hedgerows for commuting, potentially explaining our findings. However, bats are also known to collide with smooth vertical flat surfaces because they reflect echolocation calls away from bats and hence appear as empty space. Research has also found that bats sometimes attempt to drink from horizontal smooth surfaces because they interpret the perpendicular echoes as coming from still water. But, given the sloped orientation of solar panels, these potential direct effects may not be of primary concern. An important lesson from the development of wind energy is that win-win solutions exist. Research suggests that increasing turbine cut-in speeds by 1. A slightly different approach could be applied to solar farms. Improving habitats by planting native trees along the boundaries of solar farm fields could potentially increase the availability of insects for bats to feed on. Research that I have co-authored in recent years supports this theory. We found that the presence of landscape features such as tall hedgerows and even isolated trees on farmland has a positive effect on bat activity. Carefully selecting solar sites is also important. Prior to construction, conducting environmental impact assessments could indicate the value of proposed sites to bat populations. More radically, rethinking the siting of these sites so that most are placed on buildings or in areas that are rarely visited by bats, could limit their impact on bat populations. Solar power is the fastest-growing source of renewable energy worldwide. Its capacity is projected to overtake natural gas by and coal by Ensuring that its ecological footprint remains minimal is now particularly important. The Paris Climate agreement represented a historic step towards a safer future for humanity on Earth when it was adopted in It was signed by parties around the world, representing the overwhelming majority of humanity. But in the intervening eight years, the Arctic region has experienced record-breaking temperatures , heatwaves have gripped many parts of Asia and Australia has faced unprecedented floods and wildfires. These events remind us of the dangers associated with climate breakdown. While one extreme event cannot be solely attributed to global heating, scientific studies have shown that such events are much more likely in a warmer world. Since the Paris agreement, our understanding of the impacts of global heating have also improved. Rising sea levels are an inevitable consequence of global warming. This is due to the combination of increased land ice melting and warmer oceans, which cause the volume of ocean water to increase. Recent research shows that in order to eliminate the human-induced component of sea-level rise, we need to return to temperatures last seen in the pre-industrial era usually taken to be around Perhaps more worrying are tipping points in the climate system that are effectively irreversible on human timescales if passed. Two of these tipping points relate to the melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets. Together, these sheets contain enough ice to raise the global sea level by more than ten metres. The temperature threshold for these ice sheets is uncertain, but we know that it lies close to 1. A temperature change of 1. Our food production, global infrastructure and ecosystem services the goods and services provided by ecosystems to humans are all intimately tied to that stable climate. For example, historical evidence shows that a period called the little ice age , when glaciers grew extensively in the northern hemisphere and frost fairs were held annually on the River Thames, was caused by a much smaller temperature change of only about 0. This potentially includes sea level rise of multiple metres, more intense hurricanes and more frequent weather extremes. Although we are already at 1. Renewable energy sources have become increasingly affordable over time. The cost disparity between renewable energy and alternative sources like nuclear and fossil fuels is now huge — there is a three to four-fold difference. Massive capacity expansions are also currently underway across the globe, which will only further bolster the renewable energy sector. Global solar energy manufacturing capacity, for example, is expected to double in and Low-cost renewable energy will enable our energy systems to transition away from fossil fuels. This represents a realistic and attainable policy option. These include nature-based solutions like reforestation, as well as direct air carbon capture and storage. Direct air capture technology was originally developed in the s for air purification on submarines and spacecrafts. But it has since been further adapted for use on land. What appears to be lacking is the societal will and, as a consequence, the political conviction and commitment to achieve it. Long-running BBC radio soap opera The Archers might conjure images of an idyllic country life, but its storylines frequently highlight real tensions in British society. The series, set in the fictional village of Ambridge, has been criticised in recent years for storylines which supposedly pander to younger listeners or fail to represent rural life accurately. But the Archers has never shied away from environmental issues , from the escapades of eco-warrior Tom Archer in the late s to more recent episodes about soil health. Lately, Ambridge has been gripped by a campaign to halt the construction of a new electric vehicle charging station, proposed on a parcel of land being sold by David and Ruth Archer — long-running characters at the centre of the series. This has provoked protests, debates about civic duty and police involvement in the rural idyll. The placards and slogans of local opponents have fused topics of net zero and the energy transition with anxieties about the future of the countryside. What does this storyline tell us about real rural opposition to such changes? The UK government has pledged to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by If electric vehicles EVs are to replace them, charging infrastructure must be expanded to help people switch. By some estimates there are over 35, active EV charging ports across the UK. The Department for Transport has pledged , public chargers by to stop a patchy network of charging points putting some drivers off buying EVs and allay concerns about their potentially shorter driving range. Infrastructure built to fulfil national commitments to cut emissions will have important local consequences. The concerns voiced in Ambridge might resonate in rural communities playing host to new construction projects which can bring with them increased traffic, noise and damage to the landscape. When researching opposition to energy infrastructure for a new book , we learned about Littlehampton in Sussex, a seaside town where residents successfully opposed an on-street EV charging scheme. Residents complained about not being consulted beforehand and argued that charging points, built without off-street parking, would draw drivers from elsewhere who would take spaces from them. Rural communities have also opposed new renewable energy projects , such as solar farms , for their potential disruption or effect on property values. Many who moved to a rural area to enjoy its natural beauty argue that new infrastructure industrialises the countryside. In The Archers — like in Littlehampton, Sussex — local opposition to new EV charging stations derives from a feeling that something is happening to residents, rather than with or for them. Some Ambridge residents are suspicious of the shell corporation behind the scheme. Rural opposition is not inevitable, however. With amenities and services often clustered in bigger towns, rural households must travel further to access them, making them particularly vulnerable to rises in the price of petrol or diesel. This vulnerability has been exacerbated by dramatic cuts to rural bus routes. An analysis by the Guardian found that one in ten routes were axed in , with 42 routes lost from the west of England alone. Withdrawing public transport funding cuts off rural communities from essential services and friends and family elsewhere. These same communities could benefit the most from an expanded EV charging network. For example, new EV clubs are being formed in Wales to give people easier access to shared transport. These schemes ask people to pay an annual membership fee in return for being able to book a car 48 hours in advance. This is helping people get to GP appointments or job interviews. But while those living in Greater London might access a charging point every mile on average , this number jumps to one every 16 miles in rural areas. One reason why rural areas are underserved by EV chargers concerns their cost-effectiveness. In areas where there might be less immediate demand, the upfront investment needed to install a charging point will take longer to pay off. New subsidies and grants could help install more chargers in more places. But it will be necessary to work with communities to prevent conflict. Despite the uproar in Ambridge, rural areas have a lot to gain from charging infrastructure. Residents will have differing views which planners must address. New daily temperature records for the month of January were set in at least eight countries : Belarus, Czechia, Denmark, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Netherlands and Poland. In many cases the temperatures were not just breaking the old highs, but smashing them by massive margins. New January records were set at thousands of individual stations in many other countries such as When Europe experienced extreme heat in July of last year, more than 20, died. Fortunately winter heatwaves are much less deadly, but they can still affect both human society and natural ecosystems in many ways. In Europe deaths due to cold weather vastly outweigh those caused by extreme high temperatures — in the UK there are ten times more. Warmer winters will reduce this excess mortality and, with the current cost-of-living crisis , many will have been relieved that a heatwave meant less energy was needed to heat their homes. Electricity demand is influenced by things like the time of day, the day of the week and socio-economic factors like the COVID pandemic or the war in Ukraine. The weather also makes a difference. For example, in Poland and the Netherlands demand was noticeably lower than average, especially since January 1 was a Sunday. The extent of the heatwave also meant countries could refill some of their winter gas reserves, or large batteries. For instance a lack of snow in the mountains affects agriculture and can reduce crop yield, since snow creates an insulating blanket that prevents frost from penetrating into the soil. This means snow can actually increase soil moisture more than rainfall, thus improving growing conditions later in the season. The big snow melt in spring time replenishes reservoirs and allows hydroelectricity generation , but unexpected snow melt can lead to flooding. Changes to the timings of these events will require preparation and adaptation to enable a steady supply of water to where we need it. Warmer temperatures will create longer growing seasons in many regions. This is not always the case though. A recent study showed that for alpine grasslands an earlier growing season the point when snow has melted entirely leads to ageing and browning of the grasses in the later part of the summer. The heatwave caused ski resorts across the Alps to close in what should be their busiest time of year. In January the slopes would be expected to have a good covering of snow — but instead we saw green grassy fields. This hits the local economy where many people rely on winter sports tourism. Events such as the Adelboden alpine ski World Cup are relying on artificial snow , which comes with a further environmental cost increasing the carbon footprint of ski resorts and requiring a large water supply. Indeed, the Beijing winter Olympics used the equivalent of daily drinking water for million people to generate the artificial snow it required. We humans are perhaps fortunate, as we are able to adapt. Some ski resorts have already opened mountain bike trails in winter to offer alternative tourism, but wildlife and ecosystems cannot adjust so rapidly. In the mountains many species, such as ptarmigan and mountain hares , change their colouring for winter to camouflage in the white snow. The timing of this change is determined by length of day — not the temperature or amount of snow. These creatures are at greater risk of being preyed on when it is warmer. Over the past century heat extremes in Europe have increased in intensity and frequency. Both the general warming and heatwave events have been firmly attributed to humans. Future projections suggest these trends will continue and heatwaves in both summer and winter will get hotter, last longer, and occur more often. We need to learn to adapt for these changes in all seasons and think about the impacts on everyone — and everything — on our planet. If you need an expert for an interview, here is a list of Caboteers you can approach. Dr Vikki Thompson — expert on climate extremes , particularly heat extremes. Follow on Twitter ClimateVikki. Follow on Twitter ClimateDann. Follow on Twitter ClimateSamwell. Follow on Twitter jlbamber. Professor Tony Payne — expert in the effects of climate change on earth systems and glaciers. Follow on Twitter mpclimate. Professor Valeska Ting — Engineer and expert in net zero, low carbon technologies, low carbon energy and flying. Follow on Twitter ProfValeskaTing. Follow on Twitter rolyatlihp. Colin will be at COP Alix will be at COP Follow on Twitter alixdietzel. Dr Maria Pregnolato — expert on effects of climate change and flooding on infrastructure. Follow on Twitter MariaPregnolat1. Though it has since rallied thanks to major intervention from the Bank of England , the currency remains volatile and far below its value earlier this year. But the loss in investor confidence threatens to derail these investments, because firms may be unwilling to commit the substantial budgets required in an uncertain economic environment. The cost of these investments may also rise as a result of the falling pound because many of the materials and inputs needed for these technologies, such as batteries, are imported and a falling pound increases their prices. To support the pound and to control inflation, interest rates are expected to rise further. While the anticipated increase in interest rates might ease the cost of living crisis, it also increases the cost of government borrowing at a time when we rapidly need to increase low-carbon investment for net zero by Some of this money should be raised through carbon taxes. But in reality, at least for as long as the cost of living crisis is ongoing, if the government is serious about green investment it will have to borrow. Rising interest rates will push up the cost of borrowing relentlessly and present a tough political choice that seemingly pits the environment against economic recovery. As any future incoming government will inherit these same rates, a falling pound threatens to make it much harder to take large-scale, rapid environmental action. In addition to increased supply prices for firms and rising borrowing costs, it will lead to a significant rise in import prices for consumers. At the consumer level, this will immediately impact marginal spending as necessary expenditures housing, energy, basic food and so on lower the budget available for products such as eco-friendly cleaning products, organic foods or ethically made clothes. Instead, people may have to rely on cheaper goods that also come with larger greenhouse gas footprints and wider impacts on the environment through pollution and increased waste. See this calculator for direct comparisons. Of course, some spending changes will be positive for the environment, for example if people use their cars less or take fewer holidays abroad. However, high-income individuals who will benefit the most from the mini-budget tax cuts will be less affected by the falling pound and they tend to fly more , buy more things, and have multiple cars and bigger homes to heat. This raises profound questions about inequality and injustice in UK society. Alongside increased fuel poverty and foodbank use, we will see an uptick in the purchasing power of the wealthiest. Interest rate rises increase the cost of servicing government debt as well as the cost of new borrowing. This substantial loss in government income reduces the budget available for climate change mitigation and improvements to infrastructure. Therefore, rather than increasing the energy and materials going into the economy for the sake of GDP growth, we would argue the UK needs an economic reorientation that questions the need of growth for its own sake and orients it instead towards social equality and ecological sustainability. The company would effectively be a start-up to grow British renewables. So while Great British Energy is not nationalisation of the electricity sector or of any one energy company , it would represent a new and different sort of organisation positioned to fund new projects while working to remove the hurdles faced by new wind and solar projects. This follows calls from various organisations for a new way of generating and providing electricity. For many, the scale of action needed to both reach net zero and address energy poverty is incompatible with the current model of doing things, which focuses on paying shareholders and avoiding riskier investments. But it would be independent, making its own investment decisions and working closely with private energy companies. Being backed by the government, the new company can take on riskier investments. This might be in bigger projects or in new, innovative technologies such as tidal energy. Rather than paying shareholders, the profit that this company makes can then be reinvested in new projects, or for cutting bills or insulating homes. Despite some concerns about how these policies might be sold on the doorstep , there is public support. Popular campaigns have called for nationalising the sector. Others have highlighted how the current system prioritises shareholders over addressing energy poverty. When Labour raised a similar policy in the election, it was treated as foolish by much of the media. Those calling for the expansion of renewable energy used to highlight how they were greener and cheaper than fossil fuels. Events in have now made renewables the basis for energy security too. Addressing these issues requires a reflection on who is making decisions. The proposed national wealth fund would include co-investments with private companies. But who would be involved in directing these investments and who might benefit from them? However, recent work has shown that any move to use hydrogen for home heating is likely unviable. Elsewhere at the conference, climate campaigners accusing Drax, the biggest emitter in the UK , of environmental racism were reportedly removed from a meeting on net zero and green jobs. A national energy company must also wrestle with where new renewable energy projects, which tend to demand large tracts of land, will be built and who might suffer from the impacts. Compensation payments in the UK have rewarded unfair patterns of land ownership and the monopolisation of land by the rich and the powerful. In the UK, a small number of landowners stand to gain financially from the expansion of onshore wind, while offshore wind power is permitted by the crown estate which owns the seabed. Those living nearby often receive limited compensation. In Scotland, communities living near onshore wind turbines get 0. This does very little to address regional issues of inequality or exclusion. Community-owned projects have a better track record, providing up to 34 times the financial benefits of those built by private energy companies. Great British Energy is a policy that many voters will support. While there remain questions about the forms it might take and how it might change the energy sector, it represents an opportunity to generate and use energy differently — as long as it is part of a broader, just energy transition. These policies are coming at a time of spirallling energy costs and energy poverty for millions , and any national energy company must make addressing this a priority. It is also politically savvy: some of the areas worst affected by energy prices are in marginal seats. A national energy company playing a central role in funding and directing renewable schemes would allow them to be better targeted, would allow funding for unprofitable projects, and any financial returns could be used to further support families and communities. But there is still room for Labour to be more ambitious. Great British Energy could be the first step towards an inclusive energy transition, but we must think about what comes next. People in the UK might be tempted to keep their heating turned off to offset the large increases in energy bills this winter. Could the health of these people be endangered? Before COVID, an average of 25, extra deaths occurred between December and March compared with any other four-month period of the year. Even if COVID did not exist, the cost of living crisis could result in the toll from the coming winter being worse than usual. The Marmot review a report investigating the effects of cold homes and fuel poverty estimated that This would suggest that 5, extra deaths occur in winter because people live in cold homes. But this does not mean the cold homes cause the deaths. People who live in cold homes may have other disadvantages, making them less able to survive winter. Would it make any difference whether they leave their heating on or off? But it would be unethical to conduct a trial where some people were told to leave their heating off and others were told to keep it on to see if it had any effect on mortality. In one such study in the s, the British Regional Heart Study recruited thousands of men, then in middle age, from across Great Britain. In , around 1, of these men, then aged years, answered a questionnaire that included questions on home heating. These men seemed no more likely to die in the following two years than men who had replied no. A larger study would have given a more robust answer. And in the absence of other direct evidence, we have to draw conclusions from indirect evidence, such as this. They systematically reviewed all the relevant studies on the topic. One of their findings showed consistently across four studies the link between fuel poverty and premature death. The British Regional Heart Study showed that fuel poverty was more likely to be found among people who were single, poor and working class. This suggests that people who are the most financially vulnerable will be those most likely to leave the heating off. As with climate change, the poorest are hit hardest. So far I have only discussed effects on health in terms of death, which in the UK concerns mainly older people. The winter deaths that occur are usually the result of heart disease, stroke and respiratory disease. Yet increasing attention has also been paid to the strong effects of the cold on mental health. The Marmot review quoted studies that drew attention to the depressive effect of living in a cold home. Children in adolescent years may seek respite and privacy away from home, with consequent exposure to mental health risks. The misery caused by financial pressures only add to this burden. Because the most financially vulnerable people are also the most vulnerable in their health, it should follow that interventions at government level are urgently needed to offset the likely health crisis looming from increased energy costs. The most vulnerable will need the most help. Yet a common paradox seen in public health is that interventions applying to the whole population will lead to more lives saved than those targeted only to those at greatest risk. This is because there are far more people in the population at moderate risk than at high risk. Only a modest proportion of people at moderate risk will benefit. Yet because this group is so much larger than the high-risk group, more lives may be saved among those at moderate risk. Buildings in the UK clearly need to be better insulated, but these sorts of interventions will come too late for this winter. Mitigating the rising costs of energy must be the only way forward to allow homes to be heated to a comfortable level and prevent a tidal wave of excess winter deaths. So if COPs are too big and bloated, what is the alternative? Smaller and more online One alternative is being a virtual delegate, which one of us tried. Climate justice Dr Alix Dietzel — climate justice and climate policy expert. Professor Guy Howard — expert in contribution of waste and wastewater systems to methane emissions in low- and middle-income countries Plastic and the environment Dr Charlotte Lloyd — expert on the fate of chemicals in the terrestrial environment, including plastics , bioplastics and agricultural wastes. The common pipistrelle. Why are bats avoiding solar farms? Improving habitats An important lesson from the development of wind energy is that win-win solutions exist. Jonathan Bamber , Author provided Rising sea levels are an inevitable consequence of global warming. Critical boundaries A temperature change of 1. Jasper National Park, Canada. Glaciers used to grow extensively in the Northern Hemisphere. More affordable renewable energy Although we are already at 1. A photovoltaic power plant in Yunnan, China. Removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere Low-cost renewable energy will enable our energy systems to transition away from fossil fuels. Jonathan Bamber. Charging into trouble The UK government has pledged to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by A public charging point in Shetland, Scotland. Finding community support In The Archers — like in Littlehampton, Sussex — local opposition to new EV charging stations derives from a feeling that something is happening to residents, rather than with or for them. Cuts to public transport funding have hit rural communities particularly hard. Plugging the gaps One reason why rural areas are underserved by EV chargers concerns their cost-effectiveness. Temperature anomaly in Europe, Jan 1. Less energy is needed In Europe deaths due to cold weather vastly outweigh those caused by extreme high temperatures — in the UK there are ten times more. Energy consumption in Poland December 28 to January 5. The red line shows the heatwave period, and the grey lines show available data from The snow economy is in trouble The heatwave caused ski resorts across the Alps to close in what should be their busiest time of year. Animals out of sync with the climate We humans are perhaps fortunate, as we are able to adapt. Mountain hares are dressed for a climate that has changed. Follow on Twitter EuniceLoClimate. Viola Heinrich — expert in emissions and climate mitiagion potential within the land use sector in the tropics, especially the Brazilian Amazon. IPCC author. Dr Taro Takahashi — expert on farming , livestock production systems as well as progamme evaluation and general equilibrium modelling of pasture and livestock-based economies. Follow on Twitter edpsydan. All are media-trained and feature in the list above. UK wind power relies on lots of imported parts. High interest rates may rule out large investment To support the pound and to control inflation, interest rates are expected to rise further. Imports will become pricier In addition to increased supply prices for firms and rising borrowing costs, it will lead to a significant rise in import prices for consumers. The public supports public energy Despite some concerns about how these policies might be sold on the doorstep , there is public support. Renewable energy has become a national security issue for the UK. Who makes decisions, and who benefits from them? Wind and solar farms can use lots of land. Ed Atkins. Older posts.

Alexis Pinturault doubles up with back-to-back Adelboden giant slalom wins

Buying blow Adelboden

Part of this story. Marco Odermatt remains top of the overall GS standings. Skip to Content. Alpine Skiing. The French skier bags his third and fourth GS wins of season during the weekend's ski racing in Switzerland to remain top of both the overall World Cup and giant slalom standings. Written by Benjamin Saldias. Alexis Pinturault Alexis Pinturault has become the dominant figure in alpine combined and is the most successful French skier in World Cup history. Marco Odermatt A world champion skier who races in all disciplines, Switzerland's Marco Odermatt is now a major contender wherever he competes. Henrik Kristoffersen Henrik Kristoffersen is the most successful slalom skier Norway has ever produced, and his impressive record makes that clear. Frenchman Pinturault came into the season with four World Cup alpine combined titles to his name, while he finished second overall the last two seasons. After winning the Lech parallel giant slalom and Alta Badia giant slalom already this season, Pinturault topped the overall World cup standings again and headed to Switzerland with home hero Odermatt tipped to excel. Do the slalom shake: Marco Odermatt just smashed the … 2 min read. Pinturault was out the gate first in the first run and posted a superb 1m 9. The second run saw World Cup overall champion Kilde carve his way down to an excellent time, with Zubcic then edging out Odermatt for the lead. Pinturault, though, held his nerve under the sunny, blue Alpine skies to post the best second-run time and win by 1. Pinturault extended his overall World Cup lead to 60 points from Kilde, with Odermatt third and Kristoffersen fifth, as Odermatt retained his GS lead by 10 points over Pinturault. On Saturday morning, Meillard posted the best first run straight out the gate, with Odermatt 0. Pinturault then went 0. Pinturault was on another level in the second run however, as he stormed down in 1m 8. Odermatt finished fourth and Kilde fifth. Pinturault now holds a point lead over Kilde in the overall World cup rankings, with Odermatt third, points behind. Meillard moved up to sixth. Odermatt is now 40 points behind Pinturault in the GS standings, with Meillard fourth ahead of Sunday's slalom.

Buying blow Adelboden