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The Chief Scientist argues that Australia should kick-start hydrogen industry with fossil fuels despite predictions using wind and solar will soon be cheaper

The post Finkel renews call for Australia to embrace hydrogen from coal and gas appeared first on RenewEconomy.

In the wake of devastation caused by wildfires, most recently in Australia, experts are seeking ways of limiting their impact by managing forests better

Vast waves of fire have torn through Australia in recent months, leaving forests of skinned trees in their wake. The wildfires have been one of the most damaging in the country’s history – more than 11m hectares (27m acres) have burned, killing 33 people and decimating wildlife populations.

But they are just the latest in a succession of destructive blazes that have been flaring across the planet – even in the Arctic circle – in the past five years. The response from authorities, in Australia, the Americas and the Mediterranean often seems scrambled and ineffective.

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Power baron questions whether there is sound business case for project, saying government would need to indemnify it

Politically connected power baron Trevor St Baker says there is no way a new coal-fired power plant will proceed at Collinsville unless the Morrison government agrees to shield the project from a change of climate policy.

A day after Scott Morrison left open the option of his government indemnifying a new coal plant in Collinsville from future carbon risk, St Baker told Guardian Australia no project at that scale could proceed without an indemnity from the commonwealth.

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No long summer break for rooftop solar, with another 206MW of residential and commercial systems registered in January – usually a quiet month on the solar calendar.

The post Rooftop solar makes flying start to 2020 with 33 per cent boost in January appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The combination of extreme weather events will have cascading impacts on fish, platypus and invertebrates, threatening some with extinction

Australia’s rivers are being hit by a “triple whammy” of impacts that will have serious and long-term effects on species and could push some to extinction, according to experts.

Drought, bushfires in river catchments and now widespread heavy rain in the east of the country have created a cascade of impacts on fish, invertebrates and platypus.

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Burning gas, coal and oil costs global economy $8bn a day and particularly harms children

Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is responsible for more than 4m premature deaths around the world each year and costs the global economy about $8bn a day, according to a study.

The report, from Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, found that burning gas, coal and oil causes three times the number of deaths as road traffic accidents globally.

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Carbon emissions from facilities regulated by Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism have increased 60% above 2005 levels and are set to balloon further over the next decade as major emitters are not required to reduce output under the policy, analysts Reputex said Wednesday.

Grid scale batteries enjoy record revenues in fourth quarter, but pumped hydro storage struggles to deliver profits.

The post Big batteries enjoy record revenues, but pumped hydro struggles appeared first on RenewEconomy.

An image of two mice fighting on the underground over a crumb of food tops a popular wildlife photo poll.

New data shows rooftop solar displacing coal power in NSW, but the big utilities have used their market power to also push more gas into the market and boost prices and profits.

The post Energy oligopoly using market power to profit under cover of rooftop solar appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Steggall's new bill outlines how to bring Australia's carbon emissions down to zero by 2050. Kate Crowley, Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Victoria's brown-coal generators account for most outages, but the main grid's newest coal generator proves to be the least reliable with the most breakdowns.

The post Australia’s least reliable coal generators are the oldest, and the youngest appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A new report by energy and carbon market analysts, RepuTex, indicates that emissions from Australia’s largest industrial facilities have surged to 60 per cent above 2005 levels.

The post Industry emissions surge to record high as “safeguard mechanism” fails appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Out of ruins of wrecked Model X has sprung forth an electric Cortina, resurrected to bring a classic car into modern age of electric mobility.

The post Wrecked Tesla Model X helps resurrect classic Cortina with electric makeover appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Downer, one of the biggest contractors in the sector, dramatically quits solar construction business saying it is too hard and the risks too great.

The post “We’re out”: Big contractor dramatically quits Australian solar sector appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Refugees in Jordan and scientists from the UK are creating a way to grow fresh food from old mattresses.

Sam Rowley’s Station Squabble, featuring a pair of mice fighting over a scrap of food at a London tube station, has been crowned winner of the wildlife photographer of the year: Lumix people’s choice award. The image, among 25 shortlisted for the competition, will be displayed in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum until 31 May

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

• Officials say dolphins had what looked like bullet wounds
• Dead mammals found in waters off Naples and Pensacola

US federal authorities have offered a reward of up to $20,000 after two dolphins were found with gruesome and life-ending injuries along Florida’s Gulf coast in recent weeks.

Related: DDT and other banned chemicals pose threat to vulnerable dolphins on Great Barrier Reef

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Voluntary offset projects on US forested and agricultural lands require greater amounts of private and public support and investment to stimulate emissions abatement and economic growth because a national carbon pricing system has failed to materialise, experts said Tuesday.