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Seattle residents had hoped to use ‘necessity defense’ in Minnesota court, arguing threat to planet was so great they had no choice

A Minnesota judge abruptly dismissed charges against three climate change activists during their trial on Tuesday, saying prosecutors had failed to prove that the protesters’ attempt to shut down two Enbridge Energy oil pipelines caused any damage.

The Clearwater county district judge Robert Tiffany threw the case out after prosecutors rested their case and before the protesters could use their defense: that the threat of climate change from using crude oil drilled from Canadian tar sands was so imminent that the activists’ actions were not only morally right, but necessary.

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Could targeting profits linked to the illegal wildlife trade help protect threatened species?

Tesla's "mass market" EV given top billing by US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for lowest and second lowest probability of injury rating of all cars tested.

The post Tesla’s Model 3 billed as safest car ever tested appeared first on RenewEconomy.

How do scientists in the Antarctic minimise the waste generated by their research stations?

Research in Taiwan has show a link between very high levels of air pollution and oral cancer

High levels of air pollution are linked to an increased risk of mouth cancer, new research has revealed.

Scientists have previously linked high air pollution to a host of health problems, from an increased risk of dementia to asthma and even changes in the structure of the heart, with recent research suggesting there is no “safe level” of air pollution.

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New rules will increase cost of installing car chargers, and could cause major headaches for strata managers unless combined with ‘demand management’ software.

The post New rules to increase cost of EV charger installs in Australia/NZ appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

California Carbon Offsets (CCOs) were held in Ontario-registered accounts when the government opted to cancel the province's carbon market and freeze all trading, an Ontario government official confirmed on Tuesday.

Study of consumers who intend to purchase a new car in next three years found two out of three considering going electric.

The post One-third of Australian drivers looking to buy EV: Nissan appeared first on RenewEconomy.

EU carbon prices fell by more than a euro amid declining energy prices and technical selling on Tuesday, continuing the previous session’s slide back from a two-week high.

After the warmest month on record, it looks like Australia will have an El Niño event – which means the drought is likely to continue. Skie Tobin, Climatologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Catherine Ganter, Senior Climatologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Robyn Duell, Senior Climatologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Climate policy featured as one of the contentious topics during California’s lone gubernatorial debate on Monday as the leading candidate suggested he would use increased measures to curb fossil fuel use in the state if elected next month.

It look two hours to free the new-born humpback whale, off Australia's Gold Coast.

The US Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to grant a request to reconsider an Obama-era ban on potent heat-trapping gases, aligning with the Trump administration’s position on throwing out the appeal.

Matt Wheeler, Chris Osman, Pam Laurance and Bill White on the changes that need to be made to road regulations and driver habits in order to avoid climate catastrophe

Following the UN’s report concluding carbon emissions need to be reduced massively and rapidly to prevent an average increase in global temperatures of more than 1.5C (Global warming must not exceed 1.5C, landmark UN report warns, 8 October), one quick and simple way in which the UK could make a start is by cutting the top speed vehicles can travel on motorways from 70 to 60mph. All cars operate most efficiently at a speed between 50 and 60mph. At the stroke of a pen we could ensure all vehicles on motorways are running far closer to their most efficient levels. It won’t save the world on its own, but it’s a cost-free and easy step to take that gets us moving in the right direction.
Matt Wheeler
Bushey, Hertforshire

• It is increasingly evident how difficult it will be to stop global warming; the need is pressing, obvious and requires strong leadership from governments. But, incredibly, our government is planning to build a major road (the so-called expressway) between Oxford and Cambridge. Painful as it might appear, the time has come when we have to stop building new major roads altogether, anywhere. We have to slash use of roads and fossil fuels, not encourage them.

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We are calling for the adoption of a third pact, enshrining a new generation of fundamental commitments, write Yann Aguila, Antonio Herman Benjamin, Laurent Fabius and 128 others

On 10 April 2018, the United Nations general assembly adopted a resolution that paved the way for negotiations on a global pact for the environment. This international treaty would combine the guiding legal principles for environmental action into one single and far-reaching text. In 2015, the adoption of the sustainable development goals and the Paris climate agreement represented major progress. However, environmental damage persists and is more serious than ever before. The years 2017 and 2018 have seen record-breaking temperatures. Biodiversity continues to decline at a rapid pace.

With the global pact for the environment, the international community would be equipped for the first time with a treaty of a general nature that covers all environmental areas. It would be the cornerstone of international environmental law, therefore overseeing the different existing sectoral agreements (climate, biodiversity, waste, pollution, etc), filling the gaps and facilitating their implementation.

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EU environment ministers on Tuesday were unable to agree on raising the bloc’s 2030 emission reduction goal this year, though 15 of the 28 called for an increase before the end of the decade.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) will auction off 13.4 million allowances at the Dec. 5 auction, regulators announced Tuesday.

Robots with novel seafloor mapping capabilities will demonstrate their skill in a Greek showdown.

The Australian government has backed coal-fired power despite the recommendations of a major report on climate change.