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Comprehensive study: carbon taxes won't hamper the economy | Dana Nuccitelli

The Guardian - Mon, 2018-07-16 20:00

But global warming will.

Eleven teams participated in a recent Stanford Energy Modeling Forum (EMF) project, examining the economic and environmental impacts of a carbon tax. The studies included “revenue recycling,” in which the funds generated from a carbon tax are returned to taxpayers either through regular household rebate checks (similar to the Citizens’ Climate Lobby [CCL] and Climate Leadership Council [CLC] proposals) or by offsetting income taxes (similar to the approach in British Columbia).

Among the eleven modeling teams the key findings were consistent. First, a carbon tax is effective at reducing carbon pollution, although the structure of the tax (the price and the rate at which it rises) are important. Second, this type of revenue-neutral carbon tax would have a very modest impact on the economy in terms of gross domestic product (GDP). In all likelihood it would slightly slow economic growth, but by an amount that would be more than offset by the benefits of cutting pollution and slowing global warming.

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Two tarantulas may be on loose after babies found in Derbyshire car park

The Guardian - Mon, 2018-07-16 18:40

Baby spiders were abandoned in pots and RSPCA says witness saw parents scuttling away

Two tarantulas may be on the loose in a village after three of their babies were found abandoned in a car park.

The RSPCA said it had rescued the baby Brazilian bird-eating spiders after they were found discarded in pots in Derbyshire.

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Arundel road scheme 'could harm ancient woodland'

BBC - Mon, 2018-07-16 15:48
Road builders planning a bypass in Sussex have been urged to find a way that doesn't cause damage to ancient woodland.
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Clean energy award finalists shine brightly during unprecedented year for industry

RenewEconomy - Mon, 2018-07-16 15:35
The world's biggest battery, a ground-breaking greenhouse project to grow tomatoes in the desert and a solar schools challenge in Western Australia are among the finalists announced in the 2018 Clean Energy Council Awards.
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FREE Webinar: Urgent update on NEG and small-scale solar

RenewEconomy - Mon, 2018-07-16 15:33
FREE webinar Tuesday 17 July 2018, at 10:30am (AEST). Find out the latest on the National Energy Guarantee and small-scale solar.
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Zinfra wins construction contract for Stockyard Hill Windfarm

RenewEconomy - Mon, 2018-07-16 15:29
Zinfra has been awarded the construction contract to build the connection assets on behalf of AusNet Services as part of the construction of the Stockyard Hill Wind Farm.
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Know your NEM: New capacity casts a long shadow

RenewEconomy - Mon, 2018-07-16 15:14
The pipeline of wind and solar shows 3.3GW of wind and 3.4GW of solar PV either commissioning, under construction or certain to proceed. Add to that another 3GW of rooftop solar.
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Renault makes Zoe electric car available to Australian consumers

RenewEconomy - Mon, 2018-07-16 15:10
Renault makes electric Zoe available to individual consumers in Australia after modest sales to fleet owners.
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Waste incineration set to overtake recycling in England, Greens warn

The Guardian - Mon, 2018-07-16 15:01

Amount of rubbish burned by local authorities triples while household recycling rates stall

England is on the brink of burning more of its rubbish in incinerators than it recycles for the first time, according to a new analysis.

The amount of waste managed by local authorities and sent to incinerators, or energy-from-waste plants, tripled between 2010-11 and 2016-17. By contrast, household recycling rates have stalled since 2013.

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Wonderful cell-building habits of the leafcutter bee: Country diary archive, 19 July 1918

The Guardian - Mon, 2018-07-16 15:00

19 July 1918 Clean-edged oblongs and circles cut from leaves are used to build the cells of their nests

On two or three occasions I have referred to the wonderfully neat work of the leaf-cutter bee, and I have just received some Marechal Niel rose leaves from Rock Ferry from which clean-edged oblongs and circles have been nibbled out. The leaf-cutter bees are not unlike our honey bees to look at, but their habits are very different. The pieces cut from the leaves are used to build the cells of their nests, and very wonderful cells they are. The cells lie end to end, and are packed into a tunnel or burrow, in some species in the ground, in others in woodwork or timber, or in a hole in a wall. The long fragments are folded one upon the other to form a thimble-shaped tube with a convex base; the round bits form the door, which is concave. The end of one cell fits into the door of the next. Each cell is half filled with pollen as food for the future grubs, an egg is laid upon this, and then the door is sealed up; the grub hatches and lives upon the food until it pupates and emerges as a perfect bee.

Related: The leafcutter bee: Country diary 100 years ago

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Country diary: I looked into the eyes of Britain's most savage killer

The Guardian - Mon, 2018-07-16 14:30

Aigas, Highlands: The weasel may be tiny, but this fierce predator can dispatch and drag off a full-grown rabbit 25 times its size – and has a stare that even humans can find unnerving

If I asked you to name Britain’s most savage wildlife killer, you might say fox or peregrine or goshawk, or perhaps even the golden eagle or the Scottish wildcat if you knew about such exciting rarities. But I think you would be wrong. Savage and killers they all are, no question, but in my book none comes close to the smallest UK mustelid, the weasel, Mustela nivalis, so tiny that its skull can pass through a wedding ring.

A few days ago I watched one hunting. It vanished into a rockery and emerged a few seconds later with a vole dangling from its jaws. Voles, rats and mice, as well as small birds, are a weasel’s staple, but a male will take much larger prey such as a full-grown rabbit, up to 25 times its own weight, kill it, and, incredibly, drag it away into cover. No other British predator does that.

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You've heard of a carbon footprint – now it's time to take steps to cut your nitrogen footprint

The Conversation - Mon, 2018-07-16 14:19
The University of Melbourne is the first institution in Australia to have its nitrogen footprint calculated – it's 139 tonnes per year, mainly because of food production, energy use and transport. Ee Ling Ng, Research fellow, University of Melbourne Deli Chen, Professor, University of Melbourne Xia Liang, PhD candidate, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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A gas cartel run amuck

RenewEconomy - Mon, 2018-07-16 13:43
Producers continued to starve the domestic market while making super profits off consumers.
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Australia has 35GW of solar farms in development pipeline

RenewEconomy - Mon, 2018-07-16 13:42
After a record 2017, there is now more than 1900MW of solar PV farms under construction across Australia, and 35GW in various stages of development.
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Power prices won’t drop till energy industry removes smoke and mirrors

RenewEconomy - Mon, 2018-07-16 13:39
ACCC report identifies too little competition in market, but chooses to leave status quo in place. That won't help energy prices.
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Singing in the caves and a career change to 'Fork it Farm'

ABC Environment - Mon, 2018-07-16 11:30
We go underground to sing in the caves; Woodstock farewells its butcher; we take a walk through the 'lungs' of Pt Macquarie; and visit Daniel and Kim Croker on 'Fork it Farm'
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Development approval for 300MW solar farm near Gladstone

RenewEconomy - Mon, 2018-07-16 09:11
Development approval given for 300MW solar farm near Gladstone, yet another sign of transformation of the state's coal industry centre.
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Lift-off for Scotland: Sutherland to host first UK spaceport

BBC - Mon, 2018-07-16 07:43
The UK Space Agency backs Scotland's north coast as the place to launch satellites to orbit.
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The science and art of reef restoration

The Conversation - Mon, 2018-07-16 04:46
Not everything humans put in the ocean is garbage. From walls of tyres to sunken sculptures, reef restoration is both a science and an art. Adam Smith, Adjunct Associate Professor, James Cook University Ian McLeod, Senior Research Scientist - Coastal Restoration, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Curious Kids: Why do birds sing?

The Conversation - Mon, 2018-07-16 04:46
Both male and female birds sing to impress other birds, but as well as that, they do it for pleasure! Michelle Hall, Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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