Around The Web

China State Council on Sunday released a raft of environmental policy orders, reaffirming its plans to establish a national emissions trading scheme by 2020 despite recent doubts and giving environmental regulators more power.

South Korean CO2 allowances rose to a 3-week high on Monday as demand lingered ahead of the June 30 compliance deadline.

Koch paychecks seem to be strong motivators to lie

30 years ago, James Hansen testified to Congress about the dangers of human-caused climate change. In his testimony, Hansen showed the results of his 1988 study using a climate model to project future global warming under three possible scenarios, ranging from ‘business as usual’ heavy pollution in his Scenario A to ‘draconian emissions cuts’ in Scenario C, with a moderate Scenario B in between.

Changes in the human effects that influence Earth’s global energy imbalance (a.k.a. ‘anthropogenic radiative forcings’) have in reality been closest to Hansen’s Scenario B, but about 20–30% weaker thanks to the success of the Montreal Protocol in phasing out chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Hansen’s climate model projected that under Scenario B, global surface air temperatures would warm about 0.84°C between 1988 and 2017. But with a global energy imbalance 20–30% lower, it would have predicted a global surface warming closer to 0.6–0.7°C by this year.

Continue reading...

Transport secretary claims strong support across political spectrum for third runway

The government is “cautiously optimistic” about winning a key parliamentary vote on the expansion of Heathrow airport, the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, has said, defending the controversial idea as being good for the whole of the UK.

The Conservatives, who have a three-line whip in place for their MPs, are likely to get significant Labour support in the vote on Monday after Unite called for Labour MPs to back the third runway.

Continue reading...

Eight million metric tonnes of plastic are ending up in our oceans every year. Where does it come from? Christian Schmidt has studied the phenomenon and explains why it's happening and what has to happen next.

Annual carbon emissions, excluding unreliable data, higher than ever, report says

Australia’s emissions over the past year were again the highest on record when unreliable data from land use and forestry sectors are excluded, according to new data from NDEVR Environmental.

If the country’s greenhouse gas emissions continue on their current trajectory, Australia will miss its Paris target by a billion tonnes of CO2, which is equal to about two years of Australia’s entire national emissions.

Continue reading...

New Energy Solar to buy 46.7MW NSW solar farm, in deal that offers rare insight into economics of Australian market.

Some of the same businesses and lobby groups that supported Abbott's dumping of the carbon price and attack on the RET, flown in to make him feel good about the NEG.

25 June 1918 Without apparent effort they dash with incredible speed to one side or the other, or even backwards or forwards

Slim-bodied, brilliantly blue dragonflies dart above the waterside vegetation, then suddenly stop themselves and cling to an upright stem, wings extended wide, long legs clasping with angled “elbows.” They do not dash themselves against the plant they aim for. Poised in the air as if suspended are the buzzing hover-flies, their wings moving so rapidly that we only see a blur. Without apparent effort they dash with incredible speed to one side or the other, or even backwards or forwards; we see a line flash across our field of vision, and there the insect is, hovering again five yards away, or maybe back in the same spot from which it suddenly vanished.

Related: Photographing dragonflies is easier than you think | Mike Averill

Continue reading...

Stick insects may be using birds to disperse their eggs, just as plant do. James O'Hanlon, Postdoctoral research fellow, University of New England Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Talga Resources claims breakthrough in production of conductive concrete, which could play role in wireless charging of EVs.

Wholesale electricity prices in Queensland go negative in middle of the day, underlining the case for storage as more large-scale solar projects connect to the grid, and rooftop solar continues to grow.

Victorian energy storage business that offered "the most affordable battery in Australia" – and longest warranty – has gone into liquidation.

Initiative aims to reduce dumping of ‘waste’ and sell it at prices set by buyers

In a bright, airy Toronto market, the shelves are laden with everything from organic produce to pre-made meals and pet food. What shoppers won’t find, however, is price tags. In what is believed to be a North American first, everything in this grocery store is pay-what-you-can.

The new store aims to tackle food insecurity and wastage by pitting the two issues against each other, said Jagger Gordon, the Toronto chef who launched the venture earlier this month.

Continue reading...

What is really happening beneath the surface of Australia’s solar industry; and what supply and demand trends can we expect to see in the next decade?

Energy bills are becoming to complex to understand, but we can learn much by analysing them closely. Here's how..

If you want to prove that an electric vehicle is fast and grunty, there’s nothing like winning an uphill road race. Against petrol cars.

Volunteers make new homes for native wildlife; turn your backyard into an urban market garden; and kick up your heels at the Kooroorinya Races jive competition.

The circus has come to Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens, with the Circus Oz big top now standing among the gardens' stunning trees and historic buildings.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich is to start serious study of the sky again after a break of 60 years.