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Great apes predicted to lose 90% of homelands in Africa, study finds
Global heating and habitat destruction may together devastate humanity’s closest relatives
Great apes – humanity’s closest relatives, are predicted to lose a “devastating” 90% of their homelands in Africa in coming decades, according to a study.
All gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos are already endangered or critically endangered. But a combination of the climate crisis, the destruction of wild areas for minerals, timber and food, and human population growth is on track to decimate their ranges by 2050, the scientists said. Half of the projected lost territory will be in national parks and other protected areas.
Continue reading...Are Australia’s biggest states moving fast enough in transition to clean energy?
2020 was a strong year for renewables uptake in every Australian state and territory, but are some of the biggest states moving fast enough?
The post Are Australia’s biggest states moving fast enough in transition to clean energy? appeared first on RenewEconomy.
ElectraNet approves landmark “freeway” for wind, solar and storage
ElectraNet gives approval for its part of new transmission link from South Australia to NSW, expected to unlock huge wind and solar projects.
The post ElectraNet approves landmark “freeway” for wind, solar and storage appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Solar overtakes wind to be new queen of Australian renewables in 2020
Solar overtakes wind and renewables overtake gas, as new data suggests 2020 could be the turning point for Australia's clean energy transition.
The post Solar overtakes wind to be new queen of Australian renewables in 2020 appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Price explosion: Gas producers clean up as sun goes down in post Callide world
Gas and coal producers are profiting from the "scarcity" created by the Callide explosion and the early winter sunsets. Will Angus Taylor claim responsibility?
The post Price explosion: Gas producers clean up as sun goes down in post Callide world appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Nexif joins growing list of investors quitting Australian renewables
Nexif reportedly seeking buyers for its Australia assets, which includes the biggest wind project in South Australia.
The post Nexif joins growing list of investors quitting Australian renewables appeared first on RenewEconomy.
New Energy Solar sells NSW solar farms to complete exit from Australia
New Energy Solar finds buyer for two Australia solar farms and will now focus on US, where it sees more supportive policies.
The post New Energy Solar sells NSW solar farms to complete exit from Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.
The Wet Tropics' wildlife is celebrated worldwide. Its cultural heritage? Not so much
Please, don't look away. The NSW flood recovery will take years and people still need our help
Power from the ocean: can we use bio-fouling organisms to help extract energy from waves?
Tiger sharks are not scared of hurricanes, US researchers say
‘It was as if they didn’t even flinch,’ researcher says as study finds tiger sharks’ presence consistent before and during storm
Forecasters expect the Atlantic hurricane season that began this week to bring increasingly fierce storms to the US east coast. One notoriously fierce kind of shark, however, does not seem likely to be swimming for cover.
Related: Sharks use Earth’s magnetic field as ‘GPS’ guidance system, study says
Continue reading...Chasing lightning: a photographer’s pursuit of the elements – in pictures
Will Eades is an award-winning photographer based on the mid north coast of NSW. His mission is to see and capture spectacular moments in nature, and to share these rare moments with others. A self-taught Nikon shooter, Will’s main focus is on storms and other weather phenomena as he strives to be present when the elements align for a great photograph
Continue reading...Australia looks set to lose its opportunity to decouple GDP growth from carbon emissions | Greg Jericho
The sad state of affairs is that, since the end of the carbon price, much that is good for growth is bad for reducing our emissions
This week came the news that we had discovered how to reduce emissions at a rate needed to get to net-zero by 2050 without imposing an economy wide price on carbon.
All we needed was a worldwide pandemic. Simple.
Continue reading...Education for girls and vaccines can save Africa from disaster | Phillip Inman
Parts of the continent potentially face a decade of crisis. These two measures are more important than any other in avoiding it
There are so many good causes in the world it is often difficult to know where aid money should go. As leaders line up to attend the G7 summit in Cornwall, the most effective destinations for aid money have become clearer – a global vaccination programme and improving girls’ education.
This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa, where so much can go wrong over the next 10 years – a population explosion, massive biodiversity loss, desertification, famine and mass migration to mention just a few – that unless we focus our efforts on vaccines and girls’ education, whatever is done to alleviate poverty or tackle the climate emergency will be threatened or even sabotaged in almost every other region of the world.
Continue reading...'Sea snot' outbreak off Turkish coast raises environmental alarm – video
A thick, slimy layer of algae is growing at an alarming rate in the Sea of Marmara, to the south of Istanbul, posing a growing threat to marine life and the Turkish fishing industry. Experts have linked the increasing amounts of 'sea snot' to high sea temperatures stemming from the climate emergency, as well as the discharge of untreated sewage into the sea
Continue reading...If we can vaccinate the world, we can beat the climate crisis | Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo
Rich countries can’t expect to be trusted on their climate promises if they fail the poorest on vaccines
It would only cost $50bn to ensure 40% of the world’s population is vaccinated by the end of the year, and 60% by the first half of 2022. This is a recent estimate from the IMF, the latest institution to join a chorus of voices calling for a global vaccination programme to bring Covid-19 under control. The IMF has highlighted the economic benefits of global vaccines, which would be huge. But there is another powerful reason for a worldwide campaign.
Vaccinating the world will be crucial if countries are going to act together to confront the climate crisis, which will require many of the same things as delivering vaccines: resources, innovation, ingenuity and a true partnership between rich and developing countries. The Cop26 climate conference in November will be an opportune moment for building this partnership. But to do so, rich countries need to deliver on their early promises to deliver global vaccines.
Continue reading...100 richest UK families urged to commit £1bn to tackle climate crisis
As UK prepares for environment push at G7 summit, letter asks richest to make climate charitable focus
The UK’s 100 richest families are being urged to commit £1bn over the next five years to tackle the climate emergency and halt the destruction of the natural world, as the world prepares for a big push on environmental issues at the G7 summit.
Each of the 100 richest families in the UK, and the 100 biggest charitable foundations, will receive a letter on Saturday asking them to make the climate and biodiversity crises a focus of their philanthropic efforts, in order to stave off pending disasters that would imperil all their other charitable efforts.
Continue reading...Myanmar school strikes and a plane diverted to Minsk: human rights this fortnight – in pictures
A roundup of the coverage on struggles for human rights and freedoms, from Colombia to China
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