Around The Web

Engineers investigating the unexplained outages found they were caused by murmurations of starlings.

Walk at dusk reveals murmurations bouncing networks’ electricity cables and switching off the lights

The mystery surrounding a string of unexplained power cuts across a small town in Scotland has been solved after video footage revealed the culprits – starlings dancing on power lines.

The birds’ murmurations are thought to be behind the baffling spate of evening blackouts in Airth, their combined mass bouncing the overhead electricity lines and causing the power to trip.

Continue reading...

NSW grants priority status to transmission network upgrades, helping to fast-tracking approvals process for first Renewable Energy Zone and up to 3GW of new wind and solar.

The post NSW to fast-track network approvals for first renewable energy zone appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The British Columbia government on Wednesday announced a new interim emissions reduction target for 2025 to help the province reach its medium- and long-term climate goals, although an accompanying report shows more work to be done to hit the 2030 target.

Federal Coalition could try to regain credibility with an EV strategy, and its failure to do so is probably the single dumbest thing it has done.

The post Failure to produce an EV policy is the dumbest thing the Coalition has done appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The correlation between EU carbon and coal prices has strengthened in recent days as both have rallied on a mix of higher demand and constrained supply.

AEMO to model faster paths to net zero emissions, with new "Export Superpower" scenario to assume Australia to get there by 2040, and more rapid emission cuts in electricity grid.

The post Export superpower: AEMO to model even faster paths to net zero emissions appeared first on RenewEconomy.

An NGO proposal to replace international offsetting with climate finance in order to avoid double claiming has been met with resistance from some in the voluntary carbon market, who fear a lack of corporate interest.

US biofuel credit (RIN) values edged toward a new 2020 high on Wednesday as the EPA prepares to publish next year’s long-delayed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) quotas by the end of the month.

New research found curly leaves on the forest floor create litter beds with more air gaps. And this fuels bigger fires. Jamie Burton, PhD Candidate, University of Melbourne Alexander Filkov, Senior research fellow, University of Melbourne Jane Cawson, Research Fellow in Bushfire Behaviour and Management, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Commodity price reporting agency S&P Global Platts on Wednesday announced it will begin assessing prices for carbon credits approved for use in ICAO’s global aviation offset system CORSIA, as interest in the voluntary market grows.

EUAs extended their record high for a fourth straight day on Wednesday amid buoyant financial markets, bullish technicals, and data showing record investor interest, before profit-taking pulled prices back.

Chinese media report that the capsule carrying samples of lunar rock and dust has landed in Inner Mongolia.

Analysis: death of Ella Kissi-Debrah means MPs can no longer ignore dangers of dirty air

• Air pollution a cause in girl’s death, coroner rules in landmark case

Air pollution is the invisible killer, unseen but also unacknowledged on the death certificates of the 40,000 people it sends to an early grave in the UK every year. But on Wednesday, for the first time, the lethal impact of toxic air was given a name and a face – Ella Kissi-Debrah, a nine-year-old girl from south London.

Politicians have been told for many years that dirty air kills but have ducked the decisions needed amid the noisy honking of the motoring lobby. The coroner’s conclusion that air pollution was a cause of Ella’s death means those politicians can no longer pretend that illegal levels of pollution are a victimless crime.

Continue reading...

Washington Governor Jay Inslee (D) on Tuesday outlined his climate policy package for the 2021-23 legislative session, teaming up with Democratic lawmakers to pursue emissions trading and low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) proposals that have repeatedly fallen short in the state in recent years.

Tim Crosland faces investigation after breaking embargo on airport expansion judgment

The UK’s supreme court will refer a lawyer who broke the embargo on its ruling on Heathrow airport to the attorney general and the Bar Standards Board for investigation.

Tim Crosland, the director of environmental charity Plan B Earth, received the ruling in advance as one of the parties involved in the case, and published his reaction on Tuesday, the day before the judgment was delivered.

Continue reading...

Investigation launched into alleged donation to close ally of Japanese PM after resistance to ending use of cramped cages for egg-laying hens

Japan’s decision to resist international pressure to improve conditions for egg-laying chickens is under scrutiny after allegations of bribery involving a former agriculture minister.

Takamori Yoshikawa, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic party (LDP) who served as agriculture minister from October 2018 to September 2019, is alleged to have accepted ¥5m (£36,000) in undeclared donations from a former representative of a leading egg producer in Hiroshima prefecture, western Japan.

Continue reading...

US start-up Capella is in the vanguard of companies changing the way satellites see the Earth.

Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah was "living on a knife edge" before her fatal asthma attack, the inquest heard.

Taiwan should introduce an economy-wide carbon tax of around $10/tCO2e that could transition to an emissions trading scheme over time, according to a report commissioned by the Taiwan EPA, just before the agency is expected to publish a proposal to adjust the country's 2015 GHG Reduction Act.