Around The Web

Australia’s new prime minister will defy calls from his party’s right-wing faction to leave the Paris Agreement, partly over concerns that leaving would jeopardise ongoing talks with the EU over a free trade agreement, local media reported Tuesday.

They're the most littered item in the world and now the campaign has begun to ban the filtered cigaratte butt.

Air pollution leaves many Londoners like Catherine Bazell housebound, and as the severe impacts on health become clearer the call for greater action is rising

Catherine Bazell looks out from her first floor flat towards the familiar landmarks of central London as a steady stream of cars and vans trundle by on the road below.

“Me and my mum and dad used to love taking bus trips for the day when I was a girl,” says the 73-year-old. “We would get a bus and just go off exploring different bits of the city.”

Continue reading...

Queensland’s largest wind farm — located in Far North Queensland — is now exporting its first electricity into the grid, with its new substation and switchyard now energised and ready to roll.

The post Substation powers up for Mt Emerald Wind Farm project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

RCR takes huge write downs on one of its flagship solar contracts, while another major contractor laments that "every man and his dog" is in the market.

The post RCR takes huge write-down on Queensland solar projects appeared first on RenewEconomy.

German automaker offers sneak peak of all-electric SUV – the EQ C – ahead of its September 4 world debut.

The post Mercedes offers glimpse of all-electric SUV ahead of September reveal appeared first on RenewEconomy.

New policies should rule out financial support to a third of coal-fired power stations currently under consideration by Japan’s three major commercial banks.

The post New Japanese bank policies rule out one third of overseas coal plant finance appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Report says La Trobe University “autonobus” trial demonstrated "safely and without incident" that autonomous vehicles could be deployed now, across Australia.

The post Victoria “autonobus” trial finds AVs ready for commercial rollout appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Angus Taylor might be viewed as the federal government's most "anti-renewables" energy minister yet. But can he really stop the energy revolution as his supporters wish?

The post Can Angus Taylor stop the renewables and storage revolution? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

So what does the new energy minister think about renewables and fossil fuels? Our readers, and his fellow MPs, provide some clues.

The post A conversation about wind and coal with Australia’s new energy minister appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Its second investment in Mexican solar – remaining 10% interest in portfolio to be held by Eosol Invest Mexico, an experienced local renewables developer and operator.

The post Macquarie buys 90% stake In 322MW Mexican solar portfolio appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Statewide assessment, which comes amid summer of extreme wildfires, warns of deadly cost if climate change is not stopped

California’s summer of deadly wildfires and dangerous heatwaves will soon be the new normal if nothing is done to stop climate change, a report released on Monday warns.

City heatwaves could lead to two to three times as many deaths by 2050, the report says. By 2100, without a reduction in emissions, the state could see a 77% increase in the average area burned by wildfires. The report also warns of erosion of up to 67% of its famous coastline, up to an 8.8F rise in average maximum temperatures, and billions of dollars in damages.

Continue reading...

Mainstream media reporting about risks of blackouts is misleading and irresponsible, and could lead to costly "gold plating" of the generation sector.

The post Amid blackout scare stories, remember that a grid without power cuts is impossible… and expensive appeared first on RenewEconomy.

South Africa turns to wind, solar and gas to replace coal, dumping plans for an expensive foray into nuclear.

The post South Africa drops nuclear push in favour of renewables appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

Climate Bonds Initiative launches the Green Infrastructure Investment Opportunities Australia & New Zealand (GIIO) report in Sydney today outlining a pipeline of infrastructure investments that can be funded via green finance.

The post New report identifies large scale green finance opportunities – potential for green growth appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) should alter its planned treatment of external transactions under the entity’s proposed CO2 price to avoid higher emitting resources coming into the state’s grid as well as possible legal issues, stakeholders said during a workshop on Monday.

Cases are slashed thanks to a new system that predicts where outbreaks will occur.

Impact of high levels of toxic air ‘is equivalent to having lost a year of education’

Air pollution causes a “huge” reduction in intelligence, according to new research, indicating that the damage to society of toxic air is far deeper than the well-known impacts on physical health.

The research was conducted in China but is relevant across the world, with 95% of the global population breathing unsafe air. It found that high pollution levels led to significant drops in test scores in language and arithmetic, with the average impact equivalent to having lost a year of the person’s education.

Continue reading...

Ex-president of the National Farmers’ Federation says politicians have failed ‘to do grunt work’ needed by members

The former president of the National Farmers’ Federation, Brent Finlay, has accused politicians of “jumping in front of the cameras” while shirking effective policy work on drought and climate change.

As Scott Morrison and his special drought envoy, Barnaby Joyce, toured south-west Queensland on Tuesday, Finlay described the former deputy prime minister and agriculture minister as the last in a long line of ministers who had “no real appetite” for national drought policy in a changing climate.

Continue reading...