1 ‘Global greening’ slows CO2 rise (Damian
Carrington in The Guardian) A global “greening” of the planet has significantly
slowed the rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since the start of the
century, according to new research.
More plants have been growing due to higher CO2
levels in the air and warming temperatures that cut the CO2 emitted by plants
via respiration. The effects led the proportion of annual carbon emissions
remaining in the air to fall from about 50% to 40% in the last decade.
However, this greening is only offsetting a small
amount of the billions of tonnes of CO2 emitted from fossil fuel burning and
other human activities and will not halt dangerous global warming.
“Unfortunately, this increase is nowhere near enough to stop climate change,”
said Dr Trevor Keenan, at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US,
who led the new work.
The absolute level of CO2 in the atmosphere is
continuing to rise, breaking the milestone of 400 parts per million (ppm) in
2015, and rising temperatures continue to surpass records.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned
that 2011-15 was the hottest five-year period ever recorded and that climate
change had increased the risk of half of extreme weather events, with some
heatwaves made 10 times more likely by global warming.
2 India scraps high currency notes (San Francisco
Chronicle) India's highest-denomination currency notes are being withdrawn
immediately from circulation, the country's prime minister said, a surprise
announcement designed to fight corruption and target people who have stashed
away immense amounts of cash.
As of midnight Tuesday, 500- and 1,000-rupee notes,
worth about $7.50 and $15, will have no cash value, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi said in a televised address. "A few people are spreading corruption
for their own benefit," he said in the speech. "There is a time when
you realize that you have to bring some change in society, and this is our
time."
People holding the discontinued notes will be able
to deposit them in bank and post office savings accounts before the end of the
year - but anyone making large deposits will find themselves the target of
Indian tax authorities. The government will shortly be issuing new 500- and
2,000-rupee notes, the prime minister said.
India's economy - and its tax base - has long been
hobbled by a culture of what is known here as "black money," with
business people using cash to avoid paying taxes. Raids on corrupt politicians
and businesses regularly turn up people holding millions of dollars' worth of
rupees, with cash sometimes filling dozens of boxes.
3 When Toblerone trims (Lucy Hooker on BBC) Your
shopping bag may well be considerably lighter because manufacturers are shaving
costs by giving us slightly less chocolate, or fish or ice cream, in what looks
like the usual packet.
It's known as "shrinkflation". If the
portion size is getting stingier - shrinking - but the price stays the same,
then you're effectively paying more - inflation. For instance, the Toblerone is
being redesigned for the UK market; its Alpine peaks are being eroded to
compensate for the rising cost of ingredients, and a lighter bar is being sold
for the same price.
According to the consumer organisation Which?
several brands were guilty of this "sneaky way of increasing prices"
last year. Tropicana reduced the size of its Orange and Raspberry juice by 15%,
packets of McVitie's Digestive dark chocolate biscuits lost around 10% in
weight, and Princes is putting less mackerel in each of its tins.
Toblerone's owner Mondelez says it is cost pressures
that are behind the change. Cocoa in particular has risen sharply in price over
the last decade. The cost of palm oil - also found in many chocolate bars,
cakes and biscuits, though not in Toblerones - has also risen.
There is of course an alternative to shrinking pack
sizes. Walkers and Birds Eye have both announced they'll be raising prices
thanks to the weaker pound. But higher price tags usually go down even less
well with shoppers.
But shoppers will get over it. Over time we do tend
to get used to the new sizes and move on says Oliver Nieburg, editor of
Confectionery News. However angry consumers seem now, he thinks it's unlikely
to do lasting damage.
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