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Two major environment groups have called for all major parties to commit to phasing out coal, oil and protecting nature.

The post “It’s renewables, or extinction:” Major parties accused of ignoring environment, and threat to humanity appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Renewables industry says gas plants have no hope of competing with batteries in CIS, but will need its own underwriting scheme.

The post “I could never find a business case:” Renewable bosses say gas power will require its own underwriting scheme appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Some 57,000 people participated in the Aussie Bird Count, with the lorikeet joining the noisy miner and magpie in the top three spots

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The rainbow lorikeet and its colourful plumage has topped Australia’s largest citizen science event as the most numerous bird recorded across the country.

More than 4.1m birds were counted as part of BirdLife Australia’s annual Aussie Bird Count, a week-long event which involved 57,000 participants across the country last October.

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Rainbow lorikeet

Noisy miner

Australian magpie

Sulphur-crested cockatoo

Welcome swallow

Galah

Silver gull

Australian white ibis

House sparrow

Little corella

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Coalition tries on "social justice" concerns in response to Labor's home battery plan, and insists the best solution is to "flood the market with gas."

The post Dutton and Littleproud mislead in bad-faith concern-trolling of home battery rebate plan appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Calculating the dual effect of rising seas and sinking land gives coastal communities a more accurate projection of the impacts of sea-level rise. Jesse Kearse, Postdoctoral Researcher, Geophysics, Kyoto University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A string of Latin American national governments announced timelines and milestones for carbon tax and cap-and-trade measures over the past two weeks, pointing to an acceleration of compliance carbon pricing from Mexico to Chile.

Biosecurity policies may seem onerous and expensive – but they are working to prevent new species from pushing native species out in the Antarctic. Rachel Leihy, Ecologist, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Melodie McGeoch, Professor of Ecology, Monash University Steven Chown, Director, Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future and Professor of Biological Sciences, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The recent high positive correlation between EU carbon and front-month TTF natural gas prices “points to much lower EUA prices in the nearest years”, as energy use continues to fall due to energy security concerns rather than climate policies, according to an analyst.

Without the strongest conservation efforts, it can’t be long before the Maugean skate – and other marine living fossils in Australia – are wiped out

• Explore the series – Last chance: the extinction crisis being ignored this election

Australia is justly famous as a place where ancient species, long extinct elsewhere, live on. After aeons of adversity, Australia’s living fossils often survive only in protected habitats: the Wollemi, Huon and King Billy pines, the Queensland lungfish and even the Tasmanian devil (which thrived on the mainland at the same time as the Egyptians were building the pyramids) are good examples. Such species are a source of wonder for anyone interested in the living world and they should serve as a source of hope that, given half a chance, even ancient, slow-changing species can survive periods of dramatic climate change.

Australia’s largest repository of living fossils is arguably the cool, shallow marine waters off its southern coastline. Despite that fact that most of us enjoy a swim, snorkel or walk on the beach, the biological importance of our shallow temperate seas is almost entirely unrecognised.

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Eva Czislowski, a student and activist, says Carnaby’s black cockatoos used to blacken the sky. ‘I can't believe that I won't be able to experience that,' she says. The endemic WA bird is just one of 2,000 Australian species listed as under threat, in what scientists are calling an extinction crisis

• From blackening skies to barely casting a shadow – the Carnaby’s cockatoo faces a bleak future

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A new study has found that the global economic damage caused by severe climate change may be far greater than previously estimated, with losses potentially quadrupling when global weather effects are included in economic forecasts.

If a car generates more potholes, takes up more space and poses more risk, it is only fair that its owner pays more

Britain is facing an unusual crisis: carspreading. Our road vehicles are getting bigger as people buy more and more SUVs of increasing dimensions and weight. At the same time, our streets and parking places remain the same size.

The consequences of this uncontrolled vehicular expansion have become profound. Potholes are being created in greater numbers as our roads are pounded by heavier vehicles; multiple parking spaces are being taken over by single, giant cars; and road accidents are now producing more severe injuries to drivers and passengers of other vehicles. This last issue is of particular concern.

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A team of researchers has released a global open-access database containing the geospatial boundaries of 575 forest-based carbon offset projects across 55 countries, aiming to boost transparency in the voluntary carbon market.

Constitutional expert says Tory leader’s break from political consensus over target for greenhouse gasses will require monarch to choose his words carefully

King Charles will have to temper his public support for net zero after Kemi Badenoch broke the political consensus over the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Senior royal sources have conceded that the 76-year-old monarch, who has spent more than half a century highlighting environmental challenges, will have to choose his words more carefully now that the Conservatives under Badenoch have said it will be impossible for the UK to hit net zero by 2050.

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EPA bids to change chemical risk evaluations, which could expose public to higher levels of PFAS and other pollutants

The Trump administration is quietly carrying out a plan that aims to kill hundreds of bans on highly toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” and other dangerous compounds in consumer goods.

The bans, largely at the state level, touch most facets of daily life, prohibiting everything from bisphenol in children’s products to mercury in personal care products to PFAS in food packaging and clothing.

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Federal Labor unveils plan to dramatically boost home battery uptake in Australia, through a national scheme that would cut the up-front cost of installation by around $4,000.

The post “Huge win:” Federal Labor unveils $2.3bn plan to slash home battery costs by 30 pct appeared first on RenewEconomy.

‘Groundbreaking’ tool aims to help tree-planting efforts and identify areas to create nature-rich habitats

England’s non-woodland trees have been mapped for the first time, using cutting-edge methods of laser detection and satellite imagery.

Tree scientists at the UK’s Forest Research agency have built a comprehensive picture of trees in urban and rural areas in a “groundbreaking” map that goes live on Saturday.

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Government also considering blocking more profitable farmers from a revised future scheme

Farmers fear they will no longer be able to afford to restore nature in England and reduce their carbon footprint after government funding for doing this was frozen.

The environment secretary, Steve Reed, recently announced that the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), which pays farmers for making space for nature on their land, would be paused and overhauled before June’s spending review. The scope of the scheme – and its budget – are being reassessed.

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We forced the government to take some action, but still it closes it eyes to the impending climate collapse. A new method of confrontation is needed

• Indigo Rumbelow is co-founder of Just Stop Oil. She is currently on remand in HMP Styal

After three years, Just Stop Oil is ending its campaign of non-violent civil disruption: we are hanging up the high-vis. But this does not mean the resistance is over. Sitting here in a prison cell in HMP Styal, I am still demanding an end to oil and gas. Every prison key that rattles, every door that is bolted shut, every letter that is read by the prison staff – it all reminds me that 15 Just Stop Oil supporters are currently locked up for refusing to obey governments whose climate inaction is frankly murderous.

There has been some progress. The Labour government was elected last year on a manifesto including the pledge that they will “not issue new licences to explore new [oil and gas] fields”. This is a victory for civil resistance and the climate movement. To everyone who donned an orange high-vis, who leafleted on the streets, who got arrested for their actions, ran a social media page, gave a talk in a community centre, or answered a phone call from someone in custody, I say: you are part of this change.

Indigo Rumbelow is co-founder of Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain. She is currently on remand in HMP Styal having been found guilty of conspiracy to intentionally cause a public nuisance. She is due to be sentenced on 23 May at Minshull Street crown court in Manchester

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Siemens Gamesa has taken the top spot for the world’s most powerful wind turbine, after successfully installing it a test field in Denmark.

The post Siemens Gamesa claims world’s most powerful wind turbine with new offshore behemoth appeared first on RenewEconomy.