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Britain has been invaded by parakeets – and it’s got nothing to do with Jimi Hendrix | Tim Blackburn

The Guardian - Wed, 2024-07-10 16:00

These exotic birds are common in the UK now. That raises many questions, some fears, and a fair few myths

  • Tim Blackburn is professor of invasion biology at UCL

What links a film starring Katharine Hepburn, Jimi Hendrix, bits of a plane falling on to Syon Park in London and the great storm of 1987? The answer is that they’ve all been proposed as the origin of one of Britain’s loudest, most colourful and recognisable birds: the ring-necked parakeet.

Parakeets are unusual among British birds in that they actually need an origin story. A century ago, there were none flying free in Britain and, as recently as the early 1990s, parakeets were relatively hard to find in the country. There were only a couple of reliable sites – the leafy Berkshire village of Wraysbury, or the trees around Esher rugby club in Surrey – where they would roost on winter evenings. Since then, their population has exploded into the tens of thousands. They’ve spread across the country from Plymouth to Aberdeen, and even over the water to Northern Ireland. London is their stronghold, though, and it’s increasingly rare to venture outside without hearing their raucous cries or seeing their long-tailed silhouettes skimming the rooftops.

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Australia CCS will struggle to scale without bipartisan political support, conference hears

Carbon Pulse - Wed, 2024-07-10 15:19
Australia’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry will struggle to scale and be part of achieving the country’s climate goals without further political support, an expert told a conference Wednesday.
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ETS, nature-based solutions key pillars in new NZ climate strategy

Carbon Pulse - Wed, 2024-07-10 13:42
The New Zealand government on Wednesday announced the main pillars of a new climate strategy that will rely on the emissions trading scheme and nature-based solutions as two of five major focus areas.
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Power of good: how solar sponge tariffs can be a win for your pocket and the planet | Peter Mares

The Guardian - Wed, 2024-07-10 11:06

These cheap daytime tariffs match the time when solar panels pump out the most energy and households use the least electricity

When our ageing immersion hot water system needed replacing, I wanted to install an energy saving heat pump.

They cost more but consume far less power, and I calculated we would get the money back by trimming $270 off our annual bills. Plus we’d be doing our bit to cut greenhouse gases and reduce demand on a stressed electricity grid.

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Categories: Around The Web

British Columbia, Quebec lead energy transition efforts in Canada, Saskatchewan falling behind -panel

Carbon Pulse - Wed, 2024-07-10 10:45
British Columbia and Quebec have emerged as leaders in Canada’s “fragmented” energy transition that is driven by provincial actions, while Saskatchewan largely remains behind other jurisdictions in advancing climate goals, webinar participants heard Tuesday.
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South Dakota carbon pipeline law faces possible repeal in November

Carbon Pulse - Wed, 2024-07-10 10:19
A South Dakota carbon pipeline law faces a petition with tens of thousands of signatures that could send the measure to a vote in November, as a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry-backed campaign has emerged to defend the regulation.
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Can we change how our brains age? These scientists think it’s possible

BBC - Wed, 2024-07-10 10:16
Lara Lewington searches for the tech secrets that researchers hope will unlock eternal youth.
Categories: Around The Web

Can we change how our brains age? These scientists think it’s possible

BBC - Wed, 2024-07-10 10:16
Lara Lewington searchs for the tech secrets that researchers hope will unlock eternal youth.
Categories: Around The Web

Europe's Ariane-6 rocket blasts off on maiden flight

BBC - Wed, 2024-07-10 09:56
After a successful launch, the upper-stage of the rocket goes on to experience an anomaly.
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Environmental non-profits urge RGGI states to provide Third Program Review update -media

Carbon Pulse - Wed, 2024-07-10 09:41
A coalition of green groups have signed letters to the 10 RGGI states, urging their environmental authorities to clarify the schedule of anticipated changes to the power sector carbon market, now six months overdue its targeted conclusion date.
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Shackleton's Endurance ship gets extra protection

BBC - Wed, 2024-07-10 09:31
Antarctic Treaty nations agree to a plan to preserve one of the world's greatest shipwrecks.
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Alberta signs province’s first carbon sequestration agreement with oil major, energy firm

Carbon Pulse - Wed, 2024-07-10 08:14
The government of Alberta signed Monday a carbon sequestration agreement with the Canadian subsidiary of oil major Shell and a global energy firm, as the province continues its efforts to expand carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS).
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US appeals court rejects opposition’s attempts to block EPA methane rules

Carbon Pulse - Wed, 2024-07-10 08:12
A federal appeals court on Tuesday denied an attempt from several US states and industry groups to block recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules to limit methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.
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