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$27m program says it will use virus-carrying insects to engineer crops, but some worry it’s a way to develop biological agents

Government-backed researchers in America are aiming to use virus-carrying insects to genetically engineer crops – raising fears the technology could be used for biological weapons.

A new article in the journal Science explores the shadowy program funded by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa).

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EU carbon nudged higher for a second day on Thursday in another calmer session that contrasts with the recent wild volatility.

Children's drawings of nightmarish scenarios illustrate climate change's impact in the Mekong Delta.

Protecting and restoring forests would reduce 18% of emissions by 2030 and help to avoid global temperature rise beyond 1.5C

The role of forests in combating climate change risks being overlooked by the world’s governments, according to a group of scientists that has warned halting deforestation is “just as urgent” as eliminating the use of fossil fuels.

Razing the world’s forests would release more than 3 trillion tons of carbon dioxide, more than the amount locked in identified global reserves of oil, coal and gas. By protecting and restoring forests, the world would achieve 18% of the emissions mitigation needed by 2030 to avoid runaway climate change, the group of 40 scientists, spanning five countries, said in a statement.

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Conservationists say the soaring popularity of Canada’s national parks is becoming an overwhelming burden



As an increasing number of people descend on Canada’s national parks each year, conservationists are warning that the love of majestic scenery – and the foot traffic that follows – is overwhelming delicate ecosystems and ruining the experience of visiting.

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New data shows emissions have reached their highest level since 2011, and have been rising steadily since 2013.

New Zealand carbon allowances remain near record highs, but continue to sit in a tight range while traders await news on the fate of the NZ$25 fixed price option.

National Political Editor at The Sunday Telegraph, Annika Smethurst, discusses the biggest news from the world of federal politics with RN Drive.

As many as 91% of more than 15,000 respondents to New Zealand’s zero carbon bill wanted the target it sets to cover all greenhouse gases, the government said Thursday.

Some towns receive more rain in 24 hours than in the whole year combined

Some parched New South Wales towns have received more rain in 24 hours than they have all year but it’s not enough to break the drought that’s gripped the state for months.

Western regions received significant falls on Wednesday night generated by a trough that was set to cross central NSW before moving into the Hunter Valley, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

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The Fund seeks to recruit a Forest and Climate Operations Analyst Consultant to join its team at its headquarters in Songdo, Republic of Korea. The assignment is for one year-period.

Germany’s GIZ is looking for a junior advisor to help promote carbon markets in Uganda and the East Africa region.

The Climate Change research group at IIED is looking for a highly skilled individual to contribute to IIED’s work in managing and taking forward the existing programme of work on devolved climate finance (DCF) and community-driven adaptation, while contributing to the wider portfolio of policy-oriented action-research on adaptation and climate finance work in Africa and possibly Asia.

National and conservation leaders say the annihilation of nature is a dangerous ‘blight on humanity’, ahead of major summit

Humanity is waging a war of terror on wildlife across the globe, according to the head of a world-leading research institute who was previously a counter-terrorism expert for the UK government.

Dominic Jermey, director general of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), also spent years in Afghanistan supporting the fight against terror, until leaving his post of UK ambassador in 2017. “Coming to ZSL, I am in a front row seat on a different kind of war, this time on wildlife,” he said in an article for the Guardian. “[It is] a war with catastrophic impacts on people and animals.”

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ACCC chairman Rod Sims says energy policy can still be made without political agreement on emissions

The chairman of Australia’s competition watchdog, Rod Sims, has warned it is foolish to wait for political agreement on emissions reduction before formulating an energy policy, because Australia’s political parties have now demonstrated they have irreconcilable differences.

In remarks referencing the tortuous debate over the national energy guarantee and the preceding decade, the ACCC chairman told a conference on Thursday the only way to get progress was to separate the objectives of emissions reduction, reliability and affordability.

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Regulator dramatically increases estimates of "firmly announced" large scale wind and solar projects, saying they now exceed 10GW - well above the needs for the RET.

The post Regulator says announced wind and solar projects now topping 10GW appeared first on RenewEconomy.

I went to China to check out the trackless tram. I came back convinced it’s a transformative transit technology.

The post Why trackless trams are ready to replace light rail appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Tasmania energy minister Guy Barnett speaks at All-Energy wearing a tie decorated with wind turbines. The contrast with federal counterpart Angus Taylor could not be greater.

The post It’s a tie! Tasmania defies federal Coalition on bipartisan approach to energy appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A Wodonga installer has won the country’s most prestigious clean energy award, taking home the 2018 Solar Design and Installation Award from the Clean Energy Council.

The post Wodonga solar installer wins national award appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Sir David Attenborough on Love Island, Global Warming, population growth and meat eating.