Around The Web

Australia's largest installation of a new generation of solar panels developed by the world's first solar billionaire will be unveiled today at the National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

No excuses on climate change — that's the warning from the Pacific nation of Tuvalu after the Morrison Government promised aid money to help the region cope with climate change.

Portugal's first large scale solar auction results in a world record low price for solar tariffs.

The post Portugal lands world record-breaking solar price. How did it do it? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia needs a viable domestic recycling industry – here's the current state of play. Jeff Seadon, Senior Lecturer, Auckland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Plants live off carbon dioxide, but higher levels of the greenhouse gas in the air doesn't necessarily lead to more biomass production. Sebastian Leuzinger, Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New government analysis on electric vehicles suggests Labor’s election policy was not out of step with path country is already on

Half the new cars sold in Australia in 2035 will be electric vehicles even if there is no policy support to drive change, a new government analysis forecasts.

It will reinforce the expert view that Labor’s election pledge to set a target of 50% new car sales being electric by 2030 would not have been that significant a shift from a path the country is already on.

Continue reading...

Despite the prime minister’s pledge, there are plenty of challenges facing the country’s waste recovery efforts

Scott Morrison has vowed to take action on Australia’s recycling crisis, flagging creating a domestic industry and an end to exporting waste.

The prime minister is concerned that only 12% of the plastic that Australians put into their kerbside bins is being recycled, and is “angry” the public is being let down.

Continue reading...

Dr Phillip Williamson, Yvonne Ingham and J Peter Greaves respond to Guardian coverage of the IPCC special report on climate change and land

George Monbiot is grossly unfair to describe as “pathetic” the new IPCC special report on climate change and land (Here’s the true cost of eating meat. It’s worse than you think, 9 August). There was no fear of the farming industry, nor any other pressure to suppress the science. Furthermore, the “not mentioned” Nature paper on carbon opportunity costs is cited twice in chapter 5 of the report, and the considerable climatic advantages of reducing meat and dairy are explicitly assessed. Nevertheless, the priority must be to halt emissions from fossil fuels and deforestation, to avoid immediate carbon release. The recovery of carbon stocks through environmental restoration and dietary change are also highly desirable, yet are slower processes, with the former jeopardised by continued temperature increase.
Dr Phillip Williamson
University of East Anglia

• I’m fed up with George Monbiot and many others continually spouting about the evils of meat and dairy and the virtues of a plant-based diet. We can’t all do it, George!

Continue reading...

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday that year-over-year inflation edged higher in July, setting up a potential WCI carbon floor price of $16.60 next year.

A European-Russian effort to land on Mars has been hit by another parachute failure, during a drop test in Sweden.

Black squirrel result of interbreeding between grey and fox squirrels – and they both carry virus

In popular myth they are an aggressive new “super” species pushing out the grey squirrel just as it has displaced the red squirrel.

But the black squirrels seen scampering through southern England are a form of grey squirrel created by wild interbreeding between greys and fox squirrels in North America, according to research.

Continue reading...

EUAs hit a five-week low near €26 on Tuesday, though prices rebounded to positive territory above €27 after a strong auction.

The climate change activist will spend two weeks travelling to New York on a boat with very few home comforts.

Czechia-based utility CEZ is lagging its historical carbon hedging rates, it said in financial results on Tuesday, suggesting that its EUA demand could rise over the rest of the year as it plans for higher thermal generation.

Jakarta has been facing a lot of problems, it's sinking, over-populated and prone to earthquakes. The Indonesian President Joko Widodo says the capital will be moved to Kalimantan and that it could happen as early as 2024.

Australia this week will detail a A$500 million ($338 mln) climate aid package for the Pacific, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Tuesday, although observers were left unconvinced as long as Australia does nothing to stem its own rising GHG emissions.

It follows COAG commitments to stop sending plastic waste overseas, after countries refused to take it.

The record-breaking trend in South Korea’s emissions market continued Tuesday with KAUs hitting 30,000 won ($24.59) for the first time as the wide gap between demand and supply kept pushing prices up.

Can you throw foreign aid money at a problem like climate change, if you're not going to do everything you can to cut down on your domestic carbon emissions?

UPC-AC seek to accelerate Baroota pumped hydro project in South Australia and neighbouring 300MW solar farm after buying majority stake.

The post UPC buys into South Australia pumped hydro and solar projects appeared first on RenewEconomy.