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Deadly pig disease could have led to Covid spillover to humans, analysis suggests
African swine fever led to mass cull of pigs in China and may have increased human-virus contact as people turned to other meat
An outbreak of a deadly pig disease may have set the stage for Covid-19 to take hold in humans, a new analysis has suggested. African swine fever (ASF), which first swept through China in 2018, disrupted pork supplies increasing the potential for human-virus contact as people sought out alternative meats.
Pork is the main meat source in the Chinese diet, and the country produces half of the world’s pigs, which generate roughly 55m tonnes of pork annually, forming an industry worth more than $128bn (£98bn). The ASF outbreak had spread across most of China by the fourth quarter of 2019. The disease is untreatable and incurable. Once it takes hold, the only solution is to kill infected animals.
Continue reading...Hopes NSW grant of $1.2m will 'open door' to finding cause of eucalypt dieback
Researchers know insects are eating the gums but they want to discover the underlying stressor leaving the trees open to attack
Across large swathes of New South Wales the stark skeletons of once healthy eucalypt trees dot the landscape in alarming numbers.
From the manna gums of the Monaro high plains to the snow gums of the Australian alps, the scale of eucalypt dieback is confronting and it has accelerated dramatically over the past decade.
Continue reading...Tough new rules aim to make electrical goods last longer
Government to force firms to make spare parts available and create products that are cheaper to run
Tougher rules are being introduced to make appliances such as fridges, washing machines and TVs cheaper to run and last longer, the government has said.
New legislation aims to tackle “premature obsolescence” in electrical goods – short lifespans built into appliances by manufacturers so that customers have to buy new ones sooner – and make them more energy efficient.
Continue reading...Yallourn exit could be fully offset by energy efficient Victorian homes
New calculations show the 2028 exit of Yallourn from Victoria's electricity mix could be fully offset by home energy saving measures recently funded by the state government.
The post Yallourn exit could be fully offset by energy efficient Victorian homes appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Fukushima radiation did not damage health of local people, UN says
‘No adverse health effects’ detected despite three nuclear reactors being destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011
Radiation caused by the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima a decade ago has not damaged the health of local people, according to a UN report.
Gillian Hirth, chairwoman of the UN’s scientific committee on the effects of atomic radiation (Unscear), said that “no adverse health effects among Fukushima residents have been documented that could be directly attributed to radiation exposure from the accident” in March 2011.
Continue reading...No amount of government subsidies can halt decline of gas
Coal and the more expensive gas can’t compete against cheaper renewables, and the Coalition's gas-fired subsidy scheme is wasted money on a declining industry.
The post No amount of government subsidies can halt decline of gas appeared first on RenewEconomy.
China and Russia to build lunar space station
Victoria and AEMO welcome certainty of Yallourn’s early exit, as Taylor stokes fears
AEMO, the state government and industry welcome early notice of Yallourn closure, with only Angus Taylor warning of dire consequences.
The post Victoria and AEMO welcome certainty of Yallourn’s early exit, as Taylor stokes fears appeared first on RenewEconomy.
NSW ramps up energy efficiency targets in quest to save $2.4bn in energy costs
NSW government ramps up targets under its Energy Saving Scheme, that could deliver substantial energy savings for households and businesses.
The post NSW ramps up energy efficiency targets in quest to save $2.4bn in energy costs appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Epho and Solgen: Is this the solar market consolidation Australia had to have?
AGL's purchase of Epho and Solgen is a major endorsement of the booming market and the latest sign of a period of consolidation.
The post Epho and Solgen: Is this the solar market consolidation Australia had to have? appeared first on RenewEconomy.
ACT flooded by proposals as suppliers jostle for role in electric bus fleet
ACT receives more than 100 expressions of interests from a range of suppliers to help deliver its 90 electric buses.
The post ACT flooded by proposals as suppliers jostle for role in electric bus fleet appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Australia’s big fossil fuel generators are being replaced by big batteries
Australia's ageing fleet of coal and gas generators are being replaced by big batteries.
The post Australia’s big fossil fuel generators are being replaced by big batteries appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Regulator expects continued growth in Australia’s carbon offset market
JinkoSolar Recognized as a ´TOP BRAND PV Australia Seal 2021` by EuPD Research
Jinko Solar was awarded the ‘Top Brand PV Australia 2021’ by EuPD Research, a highly specialized European research firm.
The post JinkoSolar Recognized as a ´TOP BRAND PV Australia Seal 2021` by EuPD Research appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Storms, delays, constraints and low prices batter UK fund’s Australian solar portfolio
Foresight Solar fund hit by storms, delays, network constraints, falling power prices and poor sunshine at its Australian solar farms.
The post Storms, delays, constraints and low prices batter UK fund’s Australian solar portfolio appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Hungary to install solar at site of last coal plant as it fast-tracks coal exit
Hungary brings forward coal phase-out to 2025, and will replace its last coal plant with a solar farm and a gas generator.
The post Hungary to install solar at site of last coal plant as it fast-tracks coal exit appeared first on RenewEconomy.
From veggie gardening to op-shopping, migrants are the quiet environmentalists | Sukhmani Khorana
Research shows ethnic minorities are often under-represented in the urban environmental movement, yet often practice sustainability at home
The organised environmental movement is largely a white, middle-class space. But our research shows migrants care for nature in other ways – including living sustainably in their everyday lives.
This is most obvious on the domestic front. From repurposing goods to keeping vegetable gardens and being careful with electricity use, migrants are highly likely to practise sustainable living – sometimes without even realising it.
Continue reading...'Right to repair' law to come in this summer
CP Daily: Tuesday March 9, 2021
EnergyAustralia to close Yallourn coal plant in 2028, to build massive big battery
EnergyAustralia will close the Yallourn power station four years early, announcing one of Australia's dirtiest power stations will be shuttered in mid-2028.
The post EnergyAustralia to close Yallourn coal plant in 2028, to build massive big battery appeared first on RenewEconomy.
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