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Nature showing early signs of spring despite cold snap

The Guardian - Thu, 2018-03-01 16:01

Woodland Trust records show more evidence that spring is arriving earlier in the UK

Winter in the UK has become a landscape of yellow hawthorn, the orange flash of red admiral butterflies, blackbirds nesting, and bumblebees feeding on mauve chives, pink valerian and lavender.

Before the white-out of snow which covered much of the country on Wednesday, reports by the Woodland Trust charity showed yet more evidence that spring is arriving earlier and earlier.

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New solar focused energy retailer calls for “prosumer” investors

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2018-03-01 14:52
New, solar-focused energy retailer DC Power Co is set to disrupt the market, and it hopes to be majority owned by Australia's rooftop solar households.
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Africa 'set to miss UN development goal on malnutrition'

BBC - Thu, 2018-03-01 13:47
At current rates of progress no African country will meet the UN goal set for 2030, a study reveals.
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'Oldest tattoo' found on 5,000-year-old Egyptian mummies

BBC - Thu, 2018-03-01 13:46
Researchers discover the oldest figurative tattoos in the world on two mummies from Egypt.
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AEMO points to rooftop solar’s critical role in “remarkable” heat event

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2018-03-01 13:36
AEMO highlights critical role played by rooftop solar in meeting a week of demand in "remarkable" heatwave in Queensland in February.
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Australia’s EV options vs the world’s – why are we waiting?

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2018-03-01 12:40
Overseas, new EV sales make up from 5% in California to more than 25% in Norway. In Australia, it’s less than 0.1% (and falling). Why?
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Robo-taxis are coming: Why nearly 100% of Australian car travel could be electric by 2030

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2018-03-01 12:32
Shared electric vehicles, or "robo-taxis" could become the dominant form of car transport in Australia within 10 years – taking the share of EVs to 95 per cent and accelerating the push to a 100 per cent renewable grid.
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Graph of the Day: And Australia’s top 10 corporate emitters are…

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2018-03-01 11:57
Clean Energy Regulator's latest list of Australia's top 10 corporate emitters shows the biggest emitter has twice the emissions of the next biggest.
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Cheap wind and solar allows Powershop to cut tariffs to customers

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2018-03-01 11:55
Powershop announces 5% price drop for Victorian customers, one month after huge deal to buy three hydro plants, output of solar and wind farms.
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Road of Dreams: Why 18km stretch became testing ground for clean technologies

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2018-03-01 10:47
This rural Georgia highway has become a proving ground for cutting-edge clean energy technologies.
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Blizzard survival skills: Building a snow hole

BBC - Thu, 2018-03-01 10:42
In the Cairngorms National Park Jo Whalley learns what to do if you become lost in a blizzard.
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Microsoft and Sunseap sign agreement on largest-ever solar project in Singapore

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2018-03-01 10:35
Microsoft purchases 100 percent of the renewable output from new 60MW solar project, supports development of new solar projects and greening of Singapore’s grid.
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Scarcer snow?

BBC - Thu, 2018-03-01 10:34
In the UK, there is evidence to suggest that snowfall has decreased over the past few decades. Worldwide, it's a more complicated picture.
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Agave trial powers up Far North bio revolution

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2018-03-01 10:26
Renewable electricity and biofuels made from agave are now one step closer, following kick-off of a groundbreaking trial by MSF Sugar, with support from the Queensland Government.
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Signal detected from 'cosmic dawn'

BBC - Thu, 2018-03-01 08:23
Scientists observe a signature on the sky from the very first stars to shine in the Universe.
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Pesticides put bees at risk, European watchdog confirms

BBC - Thu, 2018-03-01 07:28
Most uses of insecticides known as neonicotinoids represent a risk to wild bees and honeybees, say European experts.
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How warm arctic weather caused the 'Beast from the East'

ABC Environment - Thu, 2018-03-01 05:17
Record temperatures in the Arctic have pushed cold air further south.
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Grey squirrels are unfairly maligned | Letters

The Guardian - Thu, 2018-03-01 03:08
Red squirrels, for whose troubles the greys are blamed, became virtually extinct in the UK before greys were even introduced, writes Natalia Doran

Your article (The faddy eater: Could I stomach southern-fried squirrel?, 22 February) should be admired for its honesty in showing appropriate discomfort with the idea of eating a creature that should have been living, breathing, playing, instead of suffering an early violent death. However, it also propagates a couple of myths regarding the highly intelligent and successful grey squirrel. The thing is, red squirrels, for whose troubles the greys are blamed, became virtually extinct in this country before greys were even introduced. That happened because of habitat loss. The reds were then also reintroduced from continental Europe, so the “nativeness” narrative is flawed. The tree damage is hugely exaggerated as well – the Forestry Commission puts the damage at 5%. More is lost due to poor growing practices. Furthermore, that figure relates to commercial forestry: in natural woodland grey squirrels are uniformly good for the ecosystem.
Natalia Doran
Urban Squirrels, London

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

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Adani asked Coalition to help secure funding from China, FOI shows

The Guardian - Thu, 2018-03-01 03:00

Exclusive: Despite official denials, emails reveal discussions about the Indian company’s requests before ministers wrote to a Chinese agency vouching for the $16bn project

Adani asked the Australian government to help secure funding for its controversial Carmichael coalmine, documents obtained under Freedom of information reveal. Two government ministers subsequently wrote to a Chinese government agency vouching for the proposed coalmine.

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Peru moves to create huge new indigenous reserves in Amazon

The Guardian - Thu, 2018-03-01 02:52

Major step taken by government Multi-Sector Commission following 15 year process

Two “naked” people spotted hunting armadillo. One “naked” family on a river-bank. About five other “naked” people - plus houses, settlements and crops - seen from small planes. Fresh footprints on a path, on a tree trunk, and along a Canadian oil company’s seismic lines. Noises in the night. Whistling and birdsong imitation. A loosed arrow. Fishing utensils, abandoned fires, and food stolen from inhabitants in the surrounding areas. . .

This is just some of the vital evidence currently being used to promote the establishment of two new reserves for indigenous peoples living in “isolation” that together could extend for more than 2.5 million hectares across one of the remotest parts of Peru’s Amazon, along the border with Brazil. If created, they could become the biggest indigenous reserves in the country.

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