A University has been forced to reveal how much it paid the Outside Organisation in wake of hacked emails furore.

Public relations is an uncertain science. There are some widely agreed ground rules – be on top of the facts, be proactive, etc – but each event or crisis also demands a uniquely tailored response.

The University of East Anglia (UEA) found itself in just such a PR "hole" in November 2009 when thousands of private emails exchanged between climate scientists were dumped online in an incident that became known as "Climategate". In the following months, the university and its scientists became the focus of an international maelstrom with all sorts of wild accusations and claims were being made against them, particularly online. It was exactly the sort of situation that required expert and sustained handling by PR professionals.

A committee of EU politicians is attempting to argue that climate change is a feminist issue.

Members of the European Parliament will vote today on a report by a French Green party MEP who claims global warming “is not gender neutral”.  

Nicole Kiil-Nielsen said women “consume more sustainably than men and show greater willingness to act to preserve the environment” as they tend to organise household consumption and childcare.  

She argued climate change policies needed to take gender discrimination into account, especially in the developing world.  

Yesterday Marina Yannakoudakis, a Conservative MEP for London, referred to Miss Kiil-Nielsen’s motion “bonkers, baseless and bad for women”.  

She told the Daily Mail: “This is the kind of thing that gets the EU in general - and its Women’s Rights Committee in particular - a bad name.

Europe is likely to be hit by more violent winter storms in the future. Now a new study into the effects of climate change has found out why.

A weakening of the warm North Atlantic ocean current, the Meridional Overturning Circulation, during the next century has already been predicted by climate scientists, with suggestions it could lead to colder sea temperatures and reduced warming in Britain.

But new research by scientists at the University of Reading’s Walker Institute and the University of Cologne suggests that the weakening of the warm current could also partially shut down Europe’s protection against violent storms blowing in from the ocean.

The research, published on April 1 in the journal Nature Geoscience, suggests that without such strong warm ocean currents, the regional temperature variations in the North Atlantic will increase.

Fish, birds, water voles and newts could all face damaging drought impacts – says Environment Agency.

The traditional summer scene of dragonflies skimming over a glistening stream could be a rare sight in parts of England this year as the widespread drought begins to take its toll on the nation’s wildlife. Dragonflies, warns the Environment Agency, are just one of the species that will be severely affected if the drought continues - along with water voles, great crested newts, and wading birds such as curlews and lapwings.

The Environment Agency will this week announce new measures to help protect nationally important wildlife sites. They will help wetland managers to maintain water levels in nationally important wetland sites during drought while protecting other licence holders. They include provisions to extend the licence season, make use of unused licensed water, or allowing higher pumping rates to capture water during any rainfall periods that occur.

Driest 18 months since records began

Some parts of the country have seen the driest 18 months since records began, and in drought affected areas it is likely that some streams, ponds and shallow lakes will be completely dry before aquatic insects like dragonflies are fully formed, and the insects will consequently perish. Newly hatched tadpoles from toads and frogs, as well as from protected great crested newts, face a similar fate.

Research by Michael E. Mann confirmed the reality of global warming. Little did he know that it would also expose him to a vicious hate campaign

The scientist who has borne the full brunt of attacks by climate change deniers, including death threats and accusations of misappropriating funds, is set to hit back.

MSPs have held what was said to be the world's first parliamentary debate on climate justice.

The concept of climate justice highlights the unequal impact that rising carbon emissions and associated climate change has on poorer countries.

During the debate, Environment and Climate Change Minister Stewart Stevenson announced the launch of a "climate justice fund" this spring in response to the impact of climate change on the world's poorest communities.

Analysts say there could be a protracted legal dispute, with the EU unlikely to give way.
China has "banned" all airlines in the country from joining the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) aimed at cutting carbon emissions.

The authorities have also barred the airlines from increasing their fares or adding new charges for the scheme.

The ban comes just weeks after the China Air Transport Association said its members did not support the ETS.

Wales must prioritise low-carbon technology development and green investment even in tough economic times, a wide-ranging environmental report has warned.

The first annual Climate Change Commission for Wales report published today said Wales was “well placed to play a leading role” in the development of a global low-carbon economy but that the Welsh Government faced a number of key challenges that required “urgent and collective action”.