Climate change

China and India endorse Copenhagen Climate Accord

China and India joined almost all other major greenhouse gas emitters on Tuesday in signing up to the climate accord struck in Copenhagen, boosting a deal strongly favored by the US. More than 100 nations have now endorsed the Copenhagen Accord, a non-binding agreement reached after two weeks of tortuous wrangling in December.

Environmental News Network

Climate panel work faces review

The United Nations yesterday appointed international experts to review the work of its climate change panel after errors in the body´s last report were seized on by sceptics to challenge its scientific evidence for global warming.

Financial Times, p. 9

Regulation

Food industry wins battle over warning labels on ´junk´ meals

A public watchdog backed down yesterday in its long-running battle to force Britain´s £72 billion food industry to adopt colour-coded warning labels, to the disappointment of campaigners. For manufacturers, the Food Standards Agency´s decision represents a victory in a vigorous behind-the-scenes campaign to avoid warning colours on junk food, which they feared would lower sales.

The Independent, p. 21

Financial Services Authority to tighten watch on rogue products

Banks, insurers and investment companies will have new products scrutinised as they are developed, under a tough regime being formulated by the Financial Services Authority. Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, the FSA chairman, gave the first hints of the new approach yesterday as he lamented the failure of the regulator to anticipate and head off past consumer scandals.

The Times, p. 43

Academics demand independent inquiry into new nuclear reactors

Pressure on the government to organise an independent inquiry into a new generation of nuclear power stations will intensify today with a call for action from a group of 90 high-ranking academics, politicians and technical experts. The huge lobby says the ´climategate´ email scandal and other events have shaken public trust in the scientific governance of environmental risk, making a wider assessment of nuclear power more important than ever.

The Guardian, p. 27

Environment

500 species of plants and animals vanish because of humans, says study

Nearly 500 species of plants and animals have disappeared in England in the past 200 years, according to the first comprehensive audit of native wildlife. The survey, by the government advisory body Natural England, trawled records and specimens dating back 2,000 years. All but 12 of the 492 species to vanish were lost after 1800.

The Times, p. 17