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Concern over mating as malformed beaks and nostrils lead to ‘subpar songs’ - study

Tree finches made famous by Charles Darwin’s visit to the Galapagos islands in the 19th century have gone out of tune because of parasitic infections that damage the birds’ beaks and nostrils.

Researchers found that male finches that picked up the fly parasite had malformed beaks and enlarged nostrils that led to “subpar songs”, making it harder for the birds to find mates and reproduce.

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The UK will on Wednesday propose to enshrine in law a 2050 net zero greenhouse gas emissions target, Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement late Tuesday in a bill set to go against the government’s in-house experts by leaving open the door to using international credits.

America's heartland has faced months of record-breaking floods. Why is it so bad now and what's the impact?

The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has hired a new manager on its North American environmental desk, according to an email sent to market participants Tuesday.

California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credits have risen past the $190 mark in recent days on the heels of increased purchasing, reversing some of this spring’s losses.

EU carbon prices dipped back below €25 on Tuesday as a weaker energy complex deterred buyers, despite continued robust auction demand.

UK to put down legislation but Greenpeace warns of impact on developing nations

Theresa May has sought to cement some legacy in the weeks before she steps down as prime minister by enshrining in law a commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, making Britain the first major economy to do so.

The commitment, to be made in an amendment to the Climate Change Act laid in parliament on Wednesday, would make the UK the first member of the G7 group of industrialised nations to legislate for net zero emissions, Downing Street said.

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In the end, climate policy didn't swing the federal election, and for those on the losing side it can be tempting to play the blame game. But listening and respect are much better ways to move forward. Chloe Lucas, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Tasmania Adam Corner, Research Director, Climate Outreach & Honorary Research Fellow, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff University Aidan Davison, Associate Professor, University of Tasmania Peat Leith, Research Fellow, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Exelon was the only company to purchase Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) allowances last year to comply with Massachusetts’ in-state cap-and-trade programme, as the power utility's emissions outstripped its annual allocation from the scheme, according to a new report.

The Manitoba government announced its 2018-2022 GHG reduction target on Tuesday for its provincially-administered carbon reduction policies, coming as a separate measurement from the projected climate impacts of the Canadian federal government’s ‘backstop’ CO2 pricing plan on the jurisdiction.

Tired of people failing to bring in their own carrier bags, a Canadian store brought in a set with ‘embarrassing’ logos. There was just one problem

Name: Plastic shaming.

Age: Brand new in its current form.

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Jonathan Wallace blames grouse moor managers, but Andrew Gilruth disagrees

The “brood management” scheme that is to be trialled on hen harriers nesting on grouse moors is not a serious conservation action but a measure to appease the people responsible for the hen harriers’ plight (Trial to take hen harrier chicks from nests splits bird experts, 7 June). The parlous state of the hen harrier population in England is entirely due to illegal persecution by grouse moor managers, and changing the species’ fortunes simply requires this persecution to stop.

I would take serious issue with the suggestion that what is being proposed is in any way equivalent to the captive rearing of curlew chicks from nests established next to runways on Ministry of Defence airfields. While the curlew chicks are at risk from lawful activities of the MoD, the only threat the hen harrier chicks are being protected from is criminal acts by gamekeepers.
Jonathan Wallace
Newcastle upon Tyne

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Each year of high emissions adds to the stock of carbon in the air, bringing us closer to catastrophe

One of the many ironies of the climate crisis is that as temperatures change and extreme weather becomes more common, we need more energy to maintain comfort. Hotter summers have driven an increase in power-hungry air conditioning and cooler temperatures in some places – which may be driven by the melting Arctic – raise demand for heating.

BP’s report that carbon emissions from energy use have risen at the fastest rate in nearly a decade reflects those forces, as well as continuing demand from a rising global population and expanding industries.

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The survival of a calf which had a "lethal" virus will help the global fight against it, a zoo says.

The new cars being tried out in Porto Santo can sell solar power electricity back to the island grid.

The Guangdong department of ecology and environment has published a preliminary list of 90 power companies that qualify to participate in China’s nationwide cap-and-trade programme.

Land Speed Record holder Andy Green explains why the design of a superfast car can't just be done in a computer.

Undercover footage shows workers among hundreds of pigs, clubbing animals before slitting their throats

Campaigners are calling for animal welfare reform in Cambodia after exclusive footage of an open-air slaughterhouse revealed the brutal treatment of pigs.

In the undercover video, taken by British animal rights campaigners Moving Animals, hundreds of the animals can be seen huddling together watching others being killed in close proximity.

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Oil firm accused of hypocrisy by claiming it accepts Paris agreement while still drilling

Two more Greenpeace climate protesters have climbed onboard a North Sea oil rig the environmental campaign group has occupied since Sunday in a protest against increased drilling by BP.

The two activists climbed on to the rig in the Cromarty Firth, north of Inverness, at about 9pm on Monday, replacing the two campaigners who first boarded the rig on Sunday night.

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Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator on Tuesday issued almost 222,000 carbon credits, while two previously registered projects were revoked as they had failed to generate any offsets.