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Articles from conservative groups argue plastic bags are safer for coronavirus than reusable bags, misrepresenting recent studies

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The fight to ban plastic bags, many of which end up polluting oceans and rivers, has taken a step backward as conservative US think-tanks exploit the fear of Covid-19, campaigners have said.

Articles warning that reusable cloth bags are worse than plastic ones for spreading coronavirus have been linked to major rightwing nonprofits such as the Manhattan Institute, and contain misinformation aimed at defeating or repealing plastic bag bans, said Greenpeace USA.

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Independent MP calls for approvals pause as Natural Resources Commission report shows more than 37,000ha approved last year

Land-clearing approvals in New South Wales have increased nearly 13-fold since the Coalition government relaxed laws in 2016, according to a secret report to the state cabinet by its Natural Resources Commission.

The report, marked “Cabinet in Confidence”, was commissioned by the government in January 2019 under an agreement between the Liberals and Nationals to review land clearing if applications exceeded 20,000ha a year. The commission handed it to the government in July, but released it only after the Independent MP Justin Field threatened legal action.

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Adelaide Airport bus will become the first airport in Australia to switch entire bus fleet to electric, in new deal with airport transfer service SkyBus.

The post Adelaide Airport first to switch bus fleet to 100% electric appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Bacterium is able to break down polyurethane, which is widely used but rarely recycled

A bacterium that feeds on toxic plastic has been discovered by scientists. The bug not only breaks the plastic down but uses it as food to power the process.

The bacterium, which was found at a waste site where plastic had been dumped, is the first that is known to attack polyurethane. Millions of tonnes of the plastic is produced every year to use in items such as sports shoes, nappies, kitchen sponges and as foam insulation, but it is mostly sent to landfill because it it too tough to recycle.

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The crash in oil prices exacerbates the uncertain future of gas as Origin Energy hits pause on fracking plans in the NT.

The post Origin pulls plug on gas exploration in Northern Territory. Who’s next? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia's biggest wind farm is also likely to have set a new benchmark on price as well, the first public tender to set a contract below $50/MWh.

The post Australia’s newest and biggest wind farm sets benchmark for lowest price appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australian emissions data goes missing as historical data and projections scrubbed from the environment department's website.

The post Environment department begins purging website of historical emissions data, projections appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Ratch follows up Infigen PPA with deal to sell 19.4% of power generated by 227MW Collector project in NSW Southern Tablelands to retail supermarket giant Aldi.

The post Ratch Australia signs up Aldi Foods in second PPA for Collector wind farm appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The AEMC's convoluted Cogati process is likely to prove a distraction to the real job, which is designing a transmission and control system for a largely decarbonised grid.

The post Nothing can stop Cogati as energy regulators fight for supremacy appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Volumes are soft in Australia but it’s a seasonally weak time of year anyway. Any decline in volumes is mostly commercial while household volumes will likely pick up.

The post Know your NEM: Electricity volumes and prices down, but not out appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Woodside Energy will defer until next year investment decisions on three major LNG projects in Western Australia, for which the company has said it expects to have to buy tens of millions of carbon offsets over the next few decades.

From a scientific perspective, the results are fascinating and world-first. From a personal perspective, what I saw will stay with me for a long time. Jodie L. Rummer, Associate Professor & Principal Research Fellow, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The Australian Government is investing $149 million in climate and environmental science targeting plastic waste, threatened species, climate systems and a range of key environmental issues. Interested organisations are welcome to submit...

AEMC signs off on new mandatory requirements for all NEM participants to provide frequency response services, despite concerns that it will disproportionately burden wind and solar projects.

The post AEMC makes frequency response mandatory for all generators, renewables to be hit with costs appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The newest branch of the US military, established by President Trump, goes into orbit for the first time.

If coronavirus can be transferred on to surfaces, safe food shopping presents challenges.

The green sea turtle is vulnerable to extinction as the climate warms, Australian scientists say.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

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UN aviation body ICAO will look to endorse a second round of programme applications for its global offset system CORSIA by the end of the year, with that decision potentially occurring after countries attempt to forge the rulebook of international emissions trading under the Paris Agreement at COP26, according to an updated timeline.