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The great whales are returning to the island that hosted the industry that nearly destroyed them.

After single sighting in 20 years of surveys, new expedition and analysis bring 58

When the Antarctic blue whale – the largest and loudest animal on the planet – was all but wiped out by whaling 50 years ago, the waters around South Georgia fell silent.

Twenty years of dedicated whale surveys from ships off the sub-Antarctic island between 1998 and 2018 resulted in only a single blue whale sighting. But a whale expedition this year and analysis by an international research team resulted in 58 blue whale sightings and numerous acoustic detections, raising hopes that the critically endangered mammal is finally recovering five decades after whaling was banned.

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Lord Goldsmith says Britain, the second biggest per capita producer of plastic waste, could play leading role in tackling crisis

Britain has thrown its weight behind a new global agreement to tackle the plastic pollution crisis, which Lord Goldsmith said would go “far beyond” existing international agreements.

This week, the Guardian revealed there is growing support for such a treaty internationally, but that neither the UK nor the US, the world’s biggest per capita producers of plastic waste, had yet pledged their support.

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UK officials are reportedly considering asking us to stop sending "thanks" emails - but why?

We have an exciting portfolio of projects, ranging from supporting the design and implement climate policies across the world, helping financial institutions set and meet climate commitments and providing corporates with leading strategic advice on carbon markets and climate issues. To continue this growth, we are currently recruiting for a Senior Economist with expertise and a track record in climate strategy and sustainable finance.

We have an exciting portfolio of projects, ranging from supporting the design and implement climate policies across the world, helping financial institutions set and meet climate commitments and providing corporates with leading strategic advice on carbon markets and climate issues. To continue this growth, we are currently recruiting for an Engagement Manager with strong expertise and a significant track record in climate strategy and sustainable finance.

The party talks loudly about the need for a green economic recovery with workers at its heart, but its policies fall short

This week, the government announced a so-called “green industrial revolution”, with the slogan and some watered-down policies lifted straight out of Labour’s 2019 manifesto. With a £12bn investment pledge that Labour believes includes just £4bn of new money, it was rightly characterised by Ed Miliband as a “disappointment”. But the same could be said of the latest iteration of Labour’s own environmental plans.

At last year’s Labour conference in September, at the climax of a long summer of climate action, members voted in favour of a motion to set ambitious target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030; public ownership of key industries and utilities to deliver a war-like mobilisation to respond to the crisis; and the repeal of anti-trade-union laws to ensure a just transition with workers at its heart.

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Expecting the free market to fix global warming is like trying to pound nails with a saw

The massive wildfires that have been rampaging across the American west this year are not purely natural disasters. They are partly products of the unnatural disaster of climate change – “unnatural”, in that the ultimate responsibility for global warming belongs not to physics but to our economic system. Nicholas Stern, the former chief economist of the World Bank, calls climate change the “greatest and widest-ranging market failure ever seen”. Sadly, climate change is only one – albeit a whopper – of the countless market failures that degrade our lives.

Related: Hurricane Iota: at least six killed and 60,000 evacuated in Nicaragua

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Climate advocates urge Louisiana congressman Cedric Richmond to leverage his new position to help bring attention to their plight

As Louisiana congressman Cedric Richmond takes a senior role in the incoming Biden administration, climate advocates and leaders in the fight against toxic air pollution in his district have warned of his history of poor engagement with vulnerable communities and his ties to the oil and gas industry.

But they also have urged him to leverage his new position to help direct attention to their plight.

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The European Commission plans to launch a second call for projects under the Innovation Fund on Dec. 1, with just a tenth of the cash that was made available during the first.

Vietnam’s National Assembly this week passed a revised environmental law, which included provisions to set up a domestic emissions trading market.

Tesla shares surge on Monday after a stunning upgrade by Morgan Stanley, which valued Tesla as a subscription or "internet-of-cars" model for the first time.

The post “Profound shift”: Tesla shares surge on stunning “internet-of-cars” valuation appeared first on RenewEconomy.

New draft rules could prevent wind and solar projects from reducing output, as the AEMC seeks to see renewables act more like coal and gas in the market.

The post AEMC advances new rule to stop wind and solar farms cutting output without notice appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A praying mantis, a huddle of butterflies, Galician horses and an alpine sunset are the winners of this year’s European Environment Agency’s ‘Rediscover Nature’ photo competition

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AGL trial, backed by ARENA, will be first to use privately owned electric vehicles to power homes and put energy back into the grid.

The post AGL and ARENA to conduct first trial using EVs to power homes appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The “Customer Value Focused, Advanced PV Technology for Better LCOE-182mm Module and System Technology” Conference, co-sponsored by JinkoSolar, JA Solar and Longi Green Energy, was successfully held in Shanghai.

The post JinkoSolar, JA Solar and Longi expect production capacity of 182mm modules to reach 54GW in 2021 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Q CELLS can today confirm that China’s Re-examination and Invalidation Department of the Patent Office, CNIPA, has upheld the validity of the Company’s patents on PERC (‘971 patent) and Passivation (‘407 patent) following a challenge from LONGi Solar (“LONGi”).

The post Chinese Patent Office joins German courts in making ruling that has implications for global solar industry appeared first on RenewEconomy.

TPG telecom launches a new low-cost, carbon neutral and 100% renewably powered mobile brand, called felix.

The post TPG launches carbon neutral mobile brand, powered by renewables appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Origin Energy has submitted plans to build a two-stage, 300MW solar and battery storage project near Morgan in the Riverland Region of South Australia. In an application to the State Commission Assessment Panel last week, Origin said it was seeking consent for Stage 1 of the project, which would install up to 150MW (120MWac) of...

The post Origin moves forward on 300MW solar and battery project in South Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

China's signature foreign policy is controversial for lots of reasons. But the environmental damage potentially wrought by the project has received scant attention. Mischa Turschwell, Research Fellow, Griffith University Christopher Brown, Senior Lecturer, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Ryan M. Pearson, Research Fellow, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.