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Western Australia hosts the world's biggest standalone grid and features the biggest solar duck, thanks to growth of rooftop PV. Batteries to the rescue, then, as thermal plants go quack.

The post In the belly of the solar duck: First big battery responds as rooftop PV changes shape of grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Biomimicry is already used in aviation but is yet to find a place in wind turbines, until this research showed how it might work.

The post Winglets inspired by Andean condor could improve wind turbine efficiency by 10 pct appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The New Zealand government's independent review of the country's methane science and targets has been criticised by the Green Party, pointing out it is duplicating work already being carried out by the Climate Change Commission (CCC). 

Forecasters predict heavy cloud cover in some places, but better viewing conditions elsewhere.

Russia’s government has declared flooding in the Orenburg region a federal emergency, state media has reported.

The floods, caused by rising water levels in the Ural River, forced more than 4,000 people, including 885 children, to evacuate, the regional government said. The state news agency Tass said a further 2,000 homes were flooded, bringing the total to nearly 6,300 in the region

• Russia declares federal emergency over floods after dam bursts

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Andrew Forrest’s iron ore and energy giant Fortescue Metals has officially opened its 2GW hydrogen electrolyser factory in Gladstone, Queensland, using in-house technology that it says heralds a massive new manufacturing industry for Australia. Fortescue says the factory, located in the heart of Queensland coal and LNG export country, is a game-changer because it will […]

The post “Massive new industry:”Fortescue opens 2GW factory to build its own hydrogen electrolysers appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Companies should quickly establish and deploy nature positive aligned strategies, according to a global advisory firm and an NGO that on Monday released a step-by-step guide for doing so, in order to contribute to global conservation targets.

When I set up my honeybee hive, I had no idea I might be harming wild bee species. Now I’ve found better ways to encourage biodiversity

I took up urban beekeeping more than a decade ago with the best intentions. I wanted to help to save bees from the many threats they faced in the countryside – the modern farming practices that douse crops in toxic pesticides and rob bees of wildflower meadows. My small back garden filled with bee-friendly flowers seemed like a paradise in comparison.

But what I didn’t know was that by keeping bees I would only be helping one species of bee – the domesticated honeybee, which doesn’t really need saving – and possibly harming others.

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The last time Brood XIX and Brood XII emerged from underground at the same time, Thomas Jefferson was president

They look a little like cockroaches and have bulging orange eyes, and trillions of them are about to erupt from the earth in much of the midwestern and eastern United States. The emergence of two groups of cicadas will assemble a chorus of the insects not seen in several hundred years, experts say.

The simultaneous appearance of the two cicada broods – known as Brood XIX and Brood XII – is a rare event, not having occurred since 1803, a year when Thomas Jefferson was US president. “It’s really exciting. I’ve been looking forward to this for many years,” said Catherine Dana, an entomologist who specializes in cicadas at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “For the public, it’s going to be a really special experience.”

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People in the UK can also see the solar eclipse happening in the US next week

Scientist Marie Makuate wants more African countries to have their own satellites orbiting Earth.

Scientist Marie Makuate wants more African countries to have their own satellites orbiting Earth.

The blackout will give scientists a rare chance to do experiments they cannot do any other time.

Proposed amendments to EPBC Act to address biodiversity loss will require renewable developers to think differently about the way they use the environment.

The post Labor’s nature positive reforms will force renewable developers to change their thinking appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Global concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide climbed to unseen levels in 2023, underlining climate crisis

The levels of the three most important heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere reached new record highs again last year, US scientists have confirmed, underlining the escalating challenge posed by the climate crisis.

The global concentration of carbon dioxide, the most important and prevalent of the greenhouse gases emitted by human activity, rose to an average of 419 parts per million in the atmosphere in 2023 while methane, a powerful if shorter-lasting greenhouse gas, rose to an average of 1922 parts per billion. Levels of nitrous oxide, the third most significant human-caused warming emission, climbed slightly to 336 parts per billion.

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The output of solar over a whole month has beaten that of coal in Texas - the US state that burns more coal for electricity than any other.

The post Chart of the Day: Solar overtakes coal in biggest coal state in US appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Experts say ‘bare minimum’ building codes and a lack of interest from builders are making Australian bathrooms less energy-efficient

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A long shower at the end of the day might be a relaxing escape from reality, but there is a reason to stay alert. Energy efficiency experts say the way Australian bathrooms are being built will drain your wallet – and the environment.

Alan Pears, a senior industry fellow at RMIT who helped develop Australia’s appliance energy star ratings, describes showers as “almost perfectly designed to waste energy and make you feel uncomfortable”. He says bathrooms lack “basic design principles” and are often cold and poorly ventilated, which exacerbates hot water use.

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Climate activist detained after Extinction Rebellion protesters tried to block road near Dutch parliament

Greta Thunberg was detained by police at a demonstration in The Hague, in the Netherlands.

The climate activist was put in a bus by local police along with other protesters who tried to block a major highway into the city on Saturday.

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Report finds just 57 companies and nation states responsible for generating 80% of the world’s fossil and cement emissions over past seven years.

The post Just 57 producers account for 80% of all fossil fuel and cement emissions since 2016 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

For them, experiencing a total solar eclipse is an otherworldly thrill that begs to be repeated.