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Gusts of up to 62mph made waters around islands unsafe; and Hurricane Ernesto passed over Bermuda

Hundreds of people were evacuated as flash flooding struck homes and holiday lets in the Balearic Islands last week, with many parts receiving about 100mm of rain within 24 hours.

Heavy downpours and severe thunderstorms hit the islands on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing hail and strong winds. The local authorities told people not to leave their homes on Wednesday, when the weather was at its worst. The town of Sóller, on Mallorca, received the highest 24-hour total of 114mm, but 68mm of this fell within just one hour, with 19mm falling in 10 minutes.

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Lightsource BP secures finance for its 168MW Kōwhai Park solar project planned for construction at the Christchurch Airport.

The post New Zealand’s biggest solar farm secures finance to go ahead at Christchurch Airport appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Windlab CEO says fossil fuel driven wedge politics is one of biggest issues holding back Australia's shift to renewables.

The post “Gas Trojan horse:” Coalition nuclear push slammed as fossil wedge aimed at renewables appeared first on RenewEconomy.

While tourists flock to the Italian island in greater numbers, a water crisis is intensifying for its rural population

For the first time in four generations of his family’s farming history, Vito Amantia’s threshers have lain silent this year. The 650,000kg of wheat that his farm would usually produce in a year has been lost, parched and withered under the scorching sun and relentless drought.

“A seasoned farmer doesn’t need to check the weather forecast to understand what the weather will be like,” says Amantia, 68, who farms on the Catania plain in eastern Sicily. “Already last January, I knew it would be a disastrous year. The wheat seedlings that normally reached 80cm stopped at 5cm. Then they dried up.”

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BNEF says Australia needs to spend $2.4 trillion out to 2050 to achieve net zero. But the spending is not that much different from business as usual.

The post BNEF says $2.4 trillion needed for Australia’s net zero target, but window to safe climate closing fast appeared first on RenewEconomy.

CEFC provides another $160m to help customers get lower cost loans to install rooftop PV, home batteries and do efficiency upgrades.

The post CEFC provides another $160m to support lower cost loans for rooftop PV, batteries and efficiency appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Ecuador’s subcommittee in charge of advising on environmental reforms for the national legislature voted Saturday to explicitly permit carbon trading, bringing the country one crucial step closer to endorsement after over 15 years of repudiation.

Smoke from wildfires in north America has brought a "vivid" hue to skies above Britain ahead of a rare lunar phenomenon.

Smoke from wildfires in north America has brought a "vivid" hue to skies above Britain ahead of a rare lunar phenomenon.

Musician Brian May has led a 10-year study to combat bovine TB spread and help end badger culling.

Brisbane is aiming to be the first Olympic Games host to make carbon savings greater than the emissions the event produces. That’s easier said than done, so what’s the plan to achieve this goal? Ali Cheshmehzangi, Head of School, School of Architecture, Design and Planning, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Spotlight on Australia’s ‘nature positive’ environmental reforms: last chance for this parliament to get serious about halting the decline of nature. Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University Brendan Wintle, Professor in Conservation Science, School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, The University of Melbourne Jaana Dielenberg, University Fellow in Biodiversity, Charles Darwin University Martine Maron, Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Huge solar and battery project near Dunedoo clears another planning hurdle, but must still wait for federal government approval.

The post Huge solar farm and battery project gets tick from planning commission despite objections appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Rooftop solar has achieved a record share of generation and sent operational demand down to new low in the country's most coal dependent state.

The post Rooftop solar hits record 52 pct share in Australia’s most coal dependent state appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Queensland police say the man remained in his tinny after the whale hit him in waters near Coolangatta

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A man has suffered serious injuries after being struck by a whale while in a tinny in waters near the border of Queensland and New South Wales.

Jetski riders off the coast of Coolangatta called emergency services just before 9am on Sunday when a whale reportedly collided with the man in his boat.

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Experts worry hydrogen cars will delay electrification of transport – but only five were sold in Australia in the last quarter, while EVs sell steadily

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Is Australia’s love affair with the hydrogen car over before it began? New data shows just five vehicles running on hydrogen fuel-cells were sold across the country last quarter.

Battery-powered electric vehicles, on the other hand, sold steadily. Australians bought 25,353 EVs in the three months to 30 June – 8% of the total. Hybrid cars were even more popular, with 46,727 sold.

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‘Freshie’ spotted in Hughenden’s human-made lake after unexpectedly escaping death in cold snap

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The residents of Hughenden in Queensland’s outback have two questions.

How did a freshwater crocodile come to be living in their local swimming spot – and when is it going to move on?

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Convicted of non-violent offences in Insulate Britain action, Dr Diana Warner is second GP to have licence suspended, which a medical tribunal ruled could damage patient trust

A retired GP has become the second doctor to have their medical licence suspended after being convicted of non-violent offences during peaceful climate protests.

Dr Diana Warner, who worked as a GP for 35 years in surgeries around Bristol, was imprisoned for a total of six weeks for twice breaching private anti-protest injunctions banning people from blocking traffic on the M25 in 2021 and 2022. She was also jailed for six weeks for gluing her hand to the dock during her plea hearing at a magistrates court in east London in 2022.

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Financial entities further built their net long V25 California Carbon Allowance (CCAs) holdings, while compliance demand for RGGI Allowance (RGA) holdings extended for another week as prices surged to new record highs, according to weekly data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

A group of US oil companies with global operations jointly filed a brief last week asking a court to dismiss a Pennsylvania county’s claims that their industry had exacerbated climate change.