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There is a real risk a national inquiry could get bogged down in politics, or not lead to real change. But we need more federal action on bushfires. Our old approaches are broken. David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Ross Bradstock, Professor, Centre for Environmental Risk Management of Bushfires, University of Wollongong Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned on Wednesday that the EU will press ahead border carbon adjustment plans to protect its industry and workers, but the EU chief praised California and China’s carbon pricing efforts that could mean the plans are never needed.

Highest levels of PFAS in Miami, Philadelphia and New Orleans, report by environmental watchdog finds

The contamination of US drinking water with manmade “forever chemicals” is far worse than previously estimated with some of the highest levels found in Miami, Philadelphia and New Orleans, said a report on Wednesday by an environmental watchdog group.

The chemicals, resistant to breaking down in the environment, are known as perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. Some have been linked to cancers, liver damage, low birth weight and other health problems.

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Margaret Dickinson on the polluted Wharfe, London’s oversubscribed swimming ponds and the urgent need to demand action as we leave the EU

Your timely article (Spa town wants bathing water status to force river clean-up, 20 January) indicates the need for a concerted campaign to clean up the UK’s rivers. Swimmers and fishermen are most directly affected and have a common interest that should override occasional conflicts. But clean, well-managed rivers play a part in improving the health and wellbeing of everyone.

Now is a moment of urgency, when organisations concerned with the environment and recreation should join forces with fishermen and swimmers to demand action. As we leave the EU we will lose even the inadequate protection of EU regulation. Unless new and stronger measures are introduced soon, the situation could get much worse. And ironically the threat is looming during a great revival in open-water activity.

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New York will release a draft RGGI regulation shortly to implement the Northeast US carbon market's post-2020 programme changes, but there is no timeline for the completion of that process, state and regulatory sources told Carbon Pulse.

The heir to the throne calls for a "paradigm shift" in the way the world deals with climate change.

Brandon Lewis clarifies government stance after XR listed in counter-terrorism documents

The government does not consider Extinction Rebellion to be an extremist organisation, the security minister has said, after counter-terrorism documents featuring the climate emergency activists were revealed in the Guardian.

Brandon Lewis was forced to clarify the government’s stance on Extinction Rebellion and a wide range of non-violent protest groups in response to an urgent question tabled in the House of Commons.

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EUA prices lifted back above €25 early on Wednesday, clawing back the previous session's losses in an auction-free session.

Unsustainable use of resources is wrecking the planet but recycling is falling, report finds

The amount of material consumed by humanity has passed 100bn tonnes every year, a report has revealed, but the proportion being recycled is falling.

The climate and wildlife emergencies are driven by the unsustainable extraction of fossil fuels, metals, building materials and trees. The report’s authors warn that treating the world’s resources as limitless is leading towards global disaster.

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China’s coal-fired power generation rose 1.7% in 2019 and is set to grow further this year, according to the main power sector industry lobby group, paving the way for CO2 allocation in the national emissions trading scheme to be nearly triple that of the EU market.

The outlook for Australia to step up efforts on climate change in the wake of the massive forest fires is dimming as the government has shifted focus to hazard prevention and is blaming state government agencies for failing in their responsibilities.

Australia has implemented a new offset method that broadens the scope for pig and dairy farmers to earn carbon credits, the Clean Energy Regulator said Wednesday.

Country’s lack of meat processing facilities means livestock must be shipped to international markets – at a high cost to both shepherds and welfare

Gheorghe Dănulețiu, also known as Ghiță Ciobanul (Ghiță the shepherd), has more than 500,000 followers on Facebook after he featured in an advertising campaign that went viral, but he leads the modest life of a traditional shepherd.

Looking after 1,500 sheep in western Romania, Dănulețiu’s life changes with the seasons. During lambing in spring, he barely sleeps four hours a night while in winter he leads his sheep in a three- to four-week journey from the mountains down to graze in the valleys.

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Randomly selected 110-strong panel will try to come up with a plan to tackle global heating

Ordinary people from across the UK – potentially including climate deniers – will take part in the first ever citizens’ climate assembly this weekend.

Mirroring the model adopted in France by Emmanuel Macron, 110 people from all walks of life will begin deliberations on Saturday to come up with a plan to tackle global heating and meet the government’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

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South Australia's state energy minister says Infigen Energy has secrued contract to supply Tesla's national electric vehicle supercharger network.

The post Infigen tapped as retailer for Tesla Australia EV supercharger network appeared first on RenewEconomy.

2019 was a tough year for large-scale solar, but still managed to deliver a range of ground-breaking projects. Meanwhile, rooftop solar is "as cheap as it has ever been."

The post 23 solar farms added to grid in 2019 as PV costs fall to record lows appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Conservation group say the Norwegian energy giant refused to formally consult with affected groups

The Wilderness Society has launched legal action challenging the environmental approval granted to Norwegian energy giant Equinor to explore for oil in the Great Australian Bight.

The conservation group had flagged a possible court case after the proposal to deepwater drill in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park was approved by the federal offshore petroleum regulator in December. It was the second, and most significant, of four regulatory hurdles Equinor needs to clear before it can drill.

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The 2.2 billion-year-old asteroid impact may explain the end of an ice age, scientists say.

Canberra’s growing renewable sector will receive a boost with the second round of Renewable Energy Innovation Fund (REIF) Direct Grants and a new REIF co-funding scheme for clean tech, announced by the Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury.

The post Boost for Canberra’s growing renewable sector appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A UK-led satellite aims to get an absolute measurement of the light reflected off Earth's surface.