Around The Web

Australia's biggest grid is transforming to a cleaner, better, upgraded version even as it continues to reliably operate in extreme condtions.

The post Australia’s grid is reshaping itself around the surge in clean energy appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Senator says government still hasn’t addressed concerns crossbenchers raised last year, while conservationists call for action on review’s recommendations

A key independent senator says he will not support a government plan to shift environmental approval powers to the states before the Coalition responds to a “scathing” review of conservation laws.

Rex Patrick said the final report of the review into the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act was damning about the state of systems meant to protect Australia’s wildlife.

Continue reading...

Australia’s spike in shark deaths bears no correlation to how they are doing globally due to overfishing, scientists say

About four years ago, Colin Simpfendorfer was diving on reefs in Indonesia’s picture-perfect Raja Ampat region when he noticed the distinct absence of something.

“It’s a beautiful place to dive. We would have expected to see grey reef sharks and white tips,” says the veteran scientist. “But you don’t see sharks for days on end.”

Continue reading...

Committee on Climate Change says new mine in Cumbria gives ‘negative impression of UK’s climate priorities’

Approved plans for a new coalmine in Cumbria will produce more emissions than any of the others open in the UK, a climate group has warned.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) made the claim in a letter to communities secretary Robert Jenrick after he decided not to call in the plans for an inquiry earlier this month.

Continue reading...

The government's climate change advisors say it will compromise the UK’s legally binding carbon budgets.

The BBC series Stormborn, which is narrated by Ewan McGregor and begins tonight, charts the breeding seasons of reindeer, seals, otters and foxes across Scotland, Norway and Iceland

Continue reading...

Permission for 110,000-chicken farm in ‘poultry capital of Wales’ withdrawn after legal challenge brought by local pressure group

A local authority has admitted it should not have granted planning permission for a vast broiler unit in the “poultry capital of Wales” after campaigners crowdfunded a judicial review.

Powys county council opposed the legal challenge, brought by activists from Sustainable Food Knighton (SFK). Knighton is a small market town near the border with England.

Continue reading...

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

Covid-19 has intensified the debate among environmental groups about the benefits of the project.

A California compliance offset protocol committee will release a revised draft report for public comment as early as next week before finalising the document by March, regulatory sources confirmed to Carbon Pulse.

One of the EU carbon market's most bullish analysts has reiterated his prediction that allowance prices will triple in the near term and could even soar into triple digits later this year.

Speculators boosted their California Carbon Allowance (CCA) holdings as regulated parties once again trimmed their position this week, according to US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data published Friday.

Entities regulated by California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) recorded a credit surplus of 115,600 tonnes during the third quarter of 2020, with a surge in CO2-negative renewable natural gas (RNG) helping to counter analysts’ expectations of a draw on the bank.

EUAs fell by a euro on Friday to notch a 3.8% weekly loss, as the energy complex continued to weigh and the first auction of the year cleared at a sizeable discount.

A summary of legislative and regulatory action on carbon pricing, clean fuel standards, and clean energy at the US subnational and federal level this week, including developments in Massachusetts, California, and Oregon.

Switzerland has set the dates for its final auction of Phase 2 (2013-20) carbon allowances.

Inquiry hears from business, conservationists, scientists and health professionals who urge the government to legislate a net zero target

The Morrison government was urged by major industry groups and investors to give popular draft climate change legislation from the independent MP Zali Steggall a chance at becoming law during a parliamentary inquiry.

Major business representatives gave evidence alongside conservationists, scientists and health professionals that broadly backed the proposed laws, which would legislate a 2050 net zero emissions target for Australia.

Continue reading...

As the US president vows to push the rest of the world to do more on climate change, the prime minister will face increasing pressure to measure up

When John Kerry, the United States’ new special presidential envoy for climate, stepped up to speak to the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday he had Australia on his mind.

The former secretary of state had been struck by an article in the New York Times by the author Michael Benson that described satellite images of the “flame vortexes” that spiralled into the atmosphere as the continent’s wildlife burned a year ago, sending a plume across New Zealand and into the Pacific.

Continue reading...

The best of the week’s wildlife pictures from around the world, including a Eurasian lynx and rescued caymans

Continue reading...

European Parliament negotiators are not giving up on their demands to set a post-2050 negative emissions goal and to create an EU carbon budget as part of Climate Law talks set to resume next week.