By John Parnell
– The day’s top climate change stories as chosen by RTCC
– Tweet @RTCCnewswire and use #RTCCLive hashtag
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– Updated from 0900-1700 BST (GMT+1)
Latest news – Thursday 2 August
1635 A criminal investigation into the Fukushima nuclear accident after 1300 resident’s complained about the plant’s operator, Tepco.
1418 350 veterans of the American armed forces have issued a letter to the Department of Defense urging it to continue its investment in alternative fuels. There have been attempts in Washington to prevent the Pentagon from continuing its research and trials of alternatives to fossil fuels.
1235 The first meeting of the Green Climate Fund, which will aim to raise $100bn a year to limit and respond to the effects of climate change has been set for August 23-25. The date was pushed back due to squabbling between countries over representation on its board.
1000 Scientists have said that the planet’s ecosystems are coping with the volume of CO2 we are emitting but they expect the situation to change. A new study believes forests and oceans will max out on CO2 eventually.
0915 The UK’s top green Universities have been revealed. The Going Greener campaign seeks to connect students and staff to make their colleges cleaner, greener and with lower carbon footprints.
0855 Texas has become the latest state to feel pressure on its power grid. Soaring temperatures led the Lone Star state to a record power demand in July. California was warned earlier this week that its supply was under threat.
0845 Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced he is to establish a new policy think tank in the US. Rajendra Pachauri, the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which provides scientific input to the UN, has been named on the board of advisors.
0835 Palm trees in Antarctica? Climate scientists have found evidence of palm trees in Antarctica 55 million years ago and believe the time period, the Eocene, could provide clues as to how earth will respond to rising CO2 levels.
Picture of the day
Great shot of St Paul’s Cathedral in London from the Picture of Sustainability photo exhibition. (Source: Melissa Augustine/Picture of Sustainability Photo Exhibition)
Top tweets
IEA Deputy Executive Director says there is no single magic bullet that will address all of today’s energy challenges: iea.org/newsroomandeve…
— IEA (@IEA) August 2, 2012
Reading list
Good read from the LA Times, on the importance of sticking to the facts when discussing climate change to keep arguments rigorous, or risk opening the door to climate sceptics.
“Women are the foot soldiers of climate change.” AlertNet looks at women’s unique role for climate action.