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Red squirrels boosted by pine martens

BBC - Thu, 2018-03-08 02:15
Red squirrel numbers in Scotland are being boosted by the activity of pine martens.
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Ocean mappers line up for XPRIZE final

BBC - Thu, 2018-03-08 00:55
Nine teams, including one from the UK, will demonstrate new technology to map the sea floor.
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'History in the making': California aims for world's highest farm animal welfare law

The Guardian - Wed, 2018-03-07 22:48

New law would ban the sale of all eggs, pork or veal from a caged animal, putting the state ahead of the EU – if campaigners can get enough signatures

They call Chris Winn the signatures guy. A delivery driver by day, he spends his free time drumming up support for animal rights. “When I did the shark fin ban I got 4,000 signatures,” says Winn, 53. “Usually I’m the top guy in California.”

Now he’s on a new mission. It’s a cold Saturday afternoon in San Francisco and Winn is jubilant, bundled in a hat and sweatshirt, scouting for signatories for a proposed law that would ban the sale of any eggs, pork or veal that comes from an animal that spent its life in a cage. If passed it would be the most progressive farm animal welfare law in the world.

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Iowa stores may be forced to sell eggs from battery hens

The Guardian - Wed, 2018-03-07 22:47

A bill that would require some stores selling only cage-free eggs to offer lower-welfare eggs as an affordable option risks a ‘major set-back’ for animal welfare, say critics

Iowa grocery stores selling cage-free eggs may soon be required to stock eggs from battery hens as well.

The bill would affect two of Iowa’s largest supermarkets, HyVee and Fareway Stores, and national chains such as Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and Target, as well as smaller independent grocers. That’s because the bill is pegged to a government food-assistance program for low-income pregnant women, mothers and children, known as WIC. Stores that accept WIC vouchers would have to offer caged eggs alongside eggs that come from cage-free, free range or enriched colony cage environments.

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Optimism that dialogue between North and South Korea will lead to nuclear disarmament talks

ABC Environment - Wed, 2018-03-07 17:43
It's hoped talks between North and South Korea will lead to a de-escalation of tension on the Korean peninsula.
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Norway boosts whaling quota despite international opposition

The Guardian - Wed, 2018-03-07 16:10

Fisheries minister announces 28% increase, but environmentalists say steep drop in number of minkes killed is sign of a dying industry

Norway has announced a 28% increase of its annual whaling quota to 1,278 whales in a bid to revive the declining hunt amid international controversy.

Whalers have for several years failed to meet the quotas set by Oslo and the number of whaling boats has plunged.

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Return of pine martens could save Britain's red squirrels, say scientists

The Guardian - Wed, 2018-03-07 16:01

Areas with growing pine marten populations have seen grey squirrel numbers fall as they provide easy prey for the predators – unlike native reds, a new study shows

The invasion of grey squirrels that has decimated native reds across the UK is reversed when pine martens prowl the woods, new research has shown. Unlike reds, grey squirrels appear to be easy meat for the predator.

Pine marten populations have also been drastically reduced in the past. But where they are recovering, they send grey squirrel numbers plummeting while reds thrive, according to scientists.

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Country diary: the dance of the snow devils

The Guardian - Wed, 2018-03-07 15:30

Wenlock Edge, Shropshire: Some were like wisps of bonfire smoke, others formed rolling circles of spindrift or reel-shaped vortices that blew themselves apart after a couple of seconds

Watching snow devils rise, dance and vanish in the field, as if they were beings composed of moonlight, was strangely compelling.

It was really parky. For the past few days there had been intermittent snow showers, slow-motion flakes drifting without direction that settled into a sugaring. These were separated, like the flick of a switch, by moments of dazzling sunshine and blue skies but bone cold, nothing thawed. There was a storm coming and sheep folded themselves into the lee of tall trees as the wind picked up; redwings left the fields and leaves blew about like lost birds. At first the air was quiet except for the growl of a chainsaw and disconsolate tutting from 30 jackdaws in the high branches facing into the breeze. They were watching, too.

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Red squirrel numbers boosted by predator

BBC - Wed, 2018-03-07 15:08
Why red squirrel numbers are boosted by the activity of their natural predator, the pine marten.
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Virtual power plants are in vogue, but they can be like taking a sledgehammer to a nut

The Conversation - Wed, 2018-03-07 13:51
'Virtual power plants' offer extra power to the grid by tweaking the operation of batteries and appliances right across the network. But even this might be too blunt a tool for our future energy needs. Evan Franklin, Senior Lecturer - School of Engineering, Co-Director Future Energy, University of Tasmania Frank Jotzo, Director, Centre for Climate Economics and Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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CEFC tips in $6.5 million loan for Newcastle solar farm

RenewEconomy - Wed, 2018-03-07 13:23
CEFC provides loan to finance most of 5MW solar farm to be built on former colliery site near Newcastle, paving the way for batteries and electric trucks.
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Solar farm forums shine a light on new planning guidelines

RenewEconomy - Wed, 2018-03-07 13:09
New planning and community engagement guidelines are in development to guide Queensland’s solar farm boom.
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Corbell slams NEG as “neither ambitious, nor transparent”

RenewEconomy - Wed, 2018-03-07 13:06
Architect of Australia’s most successful renewables policies says proposed National Energy Guarantee lacks ambition, transparency, and won't hit climate targets.
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Victoria sees huge interest, low prices in renewable auction

RenewEconomy - Wed, 2018-03-07 13:02
Victoria says response to Australia's largest renewable energy auction has been extremely strong and expects prices to be "very competitive".
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Cars buck falling CO2 emissions trend

BBC - Wed, 2018-03-07 11:28
Britain's carbon emissions have sunk to the level last seen in 1890, helped by reduced coal use.
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Solar Communities Program round 2 announced

Department of the Environment - Wed, 2018-03-07 10:48
Guidelines for round 2 of the Solar Communities Program are now available. Round 2 of the Program will be open to applications from 13 March 2018 to 31 May 2018.
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Solar Communities Program round 2 announced

Department of the Environment - Wed, 2018-03-07 10:48
Guidelines for round 2 of the Solar Communities Program are now available. Round 2 of the Program will be open to applications from 13 March 2018 to 31 May 2018.
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Seventh Emissions Reduction Fund auction announced

RenewEconomy - Wed, 2018-03-07 10:41
From this auction, the agency will be able to purchase between 25 and 100 per cent below the benchmark price.
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Adelaide Uni to add 2MWh vanadium battery system, 1.2MW solar

RenewEconomy - Wed, 2018-03-07 09:55
University to install 1.2MW of solar and a 0.5MW/2MWh vanadium flow redox battery system, cut its grid electricity consumption by 40%.
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Neoen plans world’s biggest solar + wind powered hydrogen hub in S.A.

RenewEconomy - Wed, 2018-03-07 09:54
EXCLUSIVE: Neoen, operator of the Tesla big battery, now plan a "hydrogen superb" in South Australia with 150MW of solar, 150MW of wind, a 50MW hydrogen electrolyser and up to 400MWh of battery storage.
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