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Cop26: Oceanographer Sylvia Earle calls for industrial fishing ban on high seas
Ending unsustainable commercial exploitation of the Earth’s ‘blue heart’ is as vital as curbing fossil fuel use, says pioneering biologist
World leaders gathered for Cop26 must ban industrial fishing on the high seas to have a chance of preserving the ocean, the Earth’s “largest carbon-capturing and oxygen-generating system”, the deep-sea explorer and oceanographer Sylvia Earle has said.
Earle, 86, has clocked up more than 7,000 hours underwater and holds several records, including in 1979 for the deepest untethered dive by a woman.
Continue reading...Youth activists petition UN to declare ‘systemwide climate emergency’
Exclusive: Greta Thunberg among young people filing legal suit for climate crisis to be declared a global level 3 emergency
Greta Thunberg and youth climate activists from around the world are filing a legal petition to the UN secretary-general urging him to declare a “system-wide climate emergency”.
As Cop26 enters its final days, climate campaigners were due to file a legal document on Wednesday calling on António Guterres to use emergency powers to match the level of response adopted for the coronavirus pandemic by pronouncing the climate crisis a global level 3 emergency – the UN’s highest category.
Continue reading...COP26 Roundup: Day 9 – Nov. 10
‘Killing us slowly’: dams and drought choke Syria’s water supply – in pictures
The dwindling flow of the Euphrates River combined with Turkey’s occupation of Alouk water station has disrupted access to water for 460,000 people
- Photographs by Daniela Sala
- World’s ‘calamitous’ water crisis being ignored in climate talks – WaterAid
Sex on the beach might be fun for people – but it's bad for dunes and wildlife
Weatherwatch: when the wind drops – keeping renewable energy supplies steady
Interconnectors – linking areas rich in hydro, wind or solar power – can help to even out fluctuations in weather
When the weather is calm, wind turbines stop turning. That’s obvious, but as the UK increasingly relies on wind power generation, so an energy crunch looms if the wind doesn’t blow.
One way to smooth out the vagaries of weather for renewable energy supplies is a European super powergrid. These so-called interconnectors across national borders are already here. On 1 October, a 720km (450-mile) undersea power cable went live between the UK and Norway, the world’s longest subsea interconnector. This allows Norway to export surplus hydropower to the UK, but if water levels drop in the Norwegian hydro reservoirs during dry weather, the shortfall could be supplemented by wind generation from the UK. An even longer interconnector is proposed between the UK and Iceland, tapping into Iceland’s huge supply of renewable hydro and geothermal energy. North Africa could also be plugged in – there is an ambitious proposal to link the UK to a projected giant solar scheme in Morocco.
With the climate of northern Europe rich in wind, and southern areas with plenty of sunshine, sharing a range of renewable energies across borders helps to even out fluctuations in weather, making power supplies more secure as well as clean.
China’s top Cop26 delegate says it is taking ‘real action’ on climate targets
Xie Zhenhua claims country has concrete plans rather than ‘paying lip service’ to commitments
China has detailed and concrete plans on how to meet its climate commitments, and is pushing those plans forward vigorously, unlike some countries that are “paying lip service” to their climate targets, the head of delegation for China at the Cop26 climate talks has said.
Xie Zhenhua, China’s veteran chief official, said: “President Xi [Jinping] announced recently on many multilateral occasions China’s specific targets and concrete policies, measures and actions. We have a policy framework to ensure that we can achieve our climate target.”
Continue reading...Make extreme wealth extinct: it’s the only way to avoid climate breakdown | George Monbiot
Pandering to the rich has got us into this mess. The correlation between wealth and polluting behaviour could not be clearer
Most of our dysfunctions are caused by pandering to the rich. The way governments have allowed democracy to be eroded by lobbyists (including politicians with lucrative private interests); the deregulation that lets corporations, oligarchs and landlords squeeze their workers and tenants, then dump their costs on society; the permissive environment for profiteering during the pandemic; the degradation of health, education and other public services by the constant drive towards privatisation: all these are symptoms of the same condition.
The same applies to the worst of our predicaments: the destruction of our life-support systems. The very rich arrogate to themselves the lion’s share of the planetary space on which we all depend. It is hard to understand why we tolerate this attack on our common interests.
George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...Central Melbourne could generate three-quarters of its power from solar panels, study suggests
Co-author Prof Jacek Jasieniak says city’s CBD could be a photovoltaic ‘powerhouse’
Central Melbourne has the potential to generate three-quarters of its electricity needs from solar power, according to new modelling.
By integrating more solar panels into roofs, walls and windows, the City of Melbourne could generate 2,354 gigawatt hours of energy a year – equivalent to 74% of its current electricity consumption, the Monash University research suggests.
Continue reading...COP26: Mercuria secures deal with Ghana to develop Paris Agreement carbon credits
COP26: PM calls on nations to pull out the stops as he returns to summit
NSW treasurer takes swipe at Morrison’s electric car policy as state dwarfs federal funding
Matt Kean urges the Coalition government to ‘go a lot further’ to help drive EV uptake
- Sarah Martin: In a galling pivot, Scott Morrison hopes he can peek under the bonnet of an EV and be accepted as a convert
- What is the Morrison government’s electric cars policy – and will it actually drive take-up?
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The New South Wales treasurer, Matt Kean, has taken a swipe at the Morrison government’s new electric vehicle policy, as he unveiled additional funding that sees his state’s investment dwarf the federal commitment.
On Wednesday, the day after the prime minister, Scott Morrison, unveiled $178m in new funding for a future fuels fund to build charging stations across Australia, Kean announced an additional $105m to boost uptake of EVs among fleet operators in NSW.
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Continue reading...Gelion inks MOU to roll out 100MWh of its Sydney-made batteries in PNG
Sydney of Uni spin-off signs MOU with Mayur Renewables for the provision of an initial 100 megawatt-hours of its non-flow zinc-bromide batteries.
The post Gelion inks MOU to roll out 100MWh of its Sydney-made batteries in PNG appeared first on RenewEconomy.
The Driven Podcast: Bill Shorten on his new Tesla, and what it did to his weekend
Bill Shorten may no longer be leader of the Labor Party, but he does own a Tesla, becoming the first federal MP to go electric as part of his parliamentary package. Did it ruin his weekend?
The post The Driven Podcast: Bill Shorten on his new Tesla, and what it did to his weekend appeared first on RenewEconomy.
The fate of our planet depends on the next few days of complex diplomacy in Glasgow. Here's what needs to go right
Why the Australian government must listen to Torres Strait leaders on climate change
No place for gas, as Forrest says green hydrogen orders “come from everywhere”
Andrew Forrest tells shareholders demand for green hydrogen is “coming from everywhere” since FFI has made its intentions clear.
The post No place for gas, as Forrest says green hydrogen orders “come from everywhere” appeared first on RenewEconomy.
“Outdated:” Queensland takes Palmer coal plant approval process away from council
Queensland state government proposes to take charge of development approval process for coal power station being proposed by Clive Palmer.
The post “Outdated:” Queensland takes Palmer coal plant approval process away from council appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Neoen solar projects delayed by supply chain issues, battery revenue jumps four-fold
Neoen says it will take a little longer to reach 5GW of operating capacity, mostly due to supply chain issues in solar. But battery revenue has jumped sharply.
The post Neoen solar projects delayed by supply chain issues, battery revenue jumps four-fold appeared first on RenewEconomy.
CP Daily: Tuesday November 9, 2021
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