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Iceland will probably need to buy carbon credits to ensure it meets its 2020 obligations under the UN Kyoto Protocol, according to the country’s environment minister.

We need an energy storage infrastructure, says Jim Waterton, the Swansea lagoon decision should be reviewed, argues Robert Hinton, while Dr Tim Lunel wants solar subsidies restored

Intermittency – in one word, the main problem facing many (not all) forms of renewable energy; in the UK, principally wind and solar, and now tidal (Hinkley Point C got the go-ahead despite its cost. So why not Swansea Bay? 27 June). So far, electricity from these renewable sources has been in modest amounts, and intermittency has been dealt with (I simplify, but only slightly) by backing-off gas-fired combined cycle (CCGT) plant which, together with nuclear, forms the backbone of the UK electricity generating system. When the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining, CCGT plant is there to take the strain.

But this simple strategy fails if wind, solar, and now tidal presume to take over this backbone role. Smart metering (affecting consumers’ usage patterns) and international power exchanges can help, but the main action has to come from energy storage and regeneration plant, involving a new infrastructure to supplement hugely the existing pumped storage capability. This is bound to have serious cost implications, and until this is openly acknowledged, direct comparison of projected MWh costs from any intermittent renewable source with corresponding MWh costs from non-intermittent new nuclear generation is fundamentally invalid, and likely to be badly misleading.
Jim Waterton
Glasgow

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It’s time for the Treasury to allocate significant funding so the nation can reap the huge benefits of more people cycling

The government has announced £1m of funding to help police forces across the UK crack down on close passing of cyclists by drivers, and to improve driving instructor training around cycling safety.

Although the sum is small beer indeed in transport terms, split between two projects, poor driver behaviour is a key reason people are discouraged from cycling in the UK. If we can start to tackle the culture of poor driving, including at source with driving instructors, we could eliminate a major reason more people don’t cycle – but it needs more money.

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Below is a table of the closing prices, ranges and volumes for China's regional pilot carbon markets this week. All prices are in RMB, and volumes in tonnes of CO2e. Data sourced from local exchanges.

Shanghai has pushed back its compliance deadline to July 31, giving the local ETS participants one more month to fulfill their commitments, the local government said on Friday.

Flying pink flamingos, Hebridean red deer and a Sumatran tiger are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world

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Lake Palcacocha is swollen with water from melting ice caps in the Cordillera Blanca mountains. Below, 50,000 people live directly in the flood path

Nestled beneath the imposing white peaks of two glaciers in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, the aquamarine Lake Palcacocha is as calm as a millpond. But despite its placid appearance it has become a deadly threat to tens of thousands people living beneath it as a result of global warming.

A handful of residents of Huaraz, the city below the lake, can recall its destructive power. In 1941 a chunk of ice broke away from the glacier in an earthquake, tumbling into the lake. The impact caused a flood wave which sent an avalanche of mud and boulders cascading down the mountain, killing about 1,800 people when it reached the city.

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New charity warns Britain’s largest butterfly could be lost within four decades as rising seas turn its habitat into saltmarsh

Britain’s biggest butterfly, the swallowtail, could become extinct within four decades because of rising sea levels, a new charity has warned.

New inland habitat needs to be created for the swallowtail because rising seas are predicted to turn much of its current home, the Norfolk Broads, into saltmarshes later this century.

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In industry where one-third of workers are immigrants, Ice’s largest raid at an Ohio plant strikes fear in local communities

Meatpacking has never been the safest, or the most pleasant, job. Now, under the Trump administration, workers are facing another hazard – the threat of deportation.

“We were working in the plant and the agents showed up with machine guns and started taking everyone outside,” 20-year-old “Carlos”, a meatpacker at the Fresh Mark meatpacking plant in Salem, Ohio, told the Guardian.

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Northern Ireland Water to introduce hosepipe ban this weekend after rise in demand

Water companies have urged UK households to conserve supplies as the country continues to bask in a near record-breaking June heatwave.

The hot weather is likely to remain, with the sun expected to shine throughout the weekend and temperatures in the high 20s across much of Britain.

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An experiment with a "vending machine for crows" is revealing insights into how intelligence evolves, scientists say.

Money will be spent on expanding an Interpol taskforce dedicated to investigating the gangs driving illegal deforestation

The Norwegian government has announced a pledge of 145m kroner (£12m) to help fight forest crime such as illegal tree clearances.

The money will be shared by Interpol, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Rhipto Norwegian Centre for Global Analyses, which collects data on illegal logging. The funds will allow Interpol to expand its dedicated taskforce from six to 15 detectives.

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Lower Benefield, Northamptonshire: The stubby little white specimen turns out to be my first concolorous moth

National Moth Night has inspired me to dust off my moth trap and indulge in a summer pageant of colourful insects. With some disappointment I clock the dropping temperatures and cleared sky with twinkling stars. Not a positive development. Clear, cold nights deter moths from taking to the wing. I consider hanging the trap back up, but decide a small haul of moths would be suitably charming.

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Single-Column Responsive Email Template Event Reminder - War on Waste - Closing the cycle Australians currently produce about 50 million tonnes of waste per year, averaging over 2 tonnes per person and it is continually increasing. This session will look at the waste cycle, the current state of the industry and how we can all help reduce the volume of waste produced. It will also provide insight into the new waste levy in QLD and the impact China's ban on receiving recyclables is likely to have. Waste Reduction – Richard Denniss Richard will deliver an entertaining discussion on how we can reduce waste by distinguishing between consumerism, the love of buying things, which is undeniably harmful to us and the planet, and materialism, the love of things, which can in fact be beneficial. Reuse – Kali Martin Kali will discuss the waste streams that are currently being processed by NuGrow and how they are recycled into beneficial products such as compost and soil conditioners. Case studies will be presented demonstrating NuGrow’s innovative approach to closing the loop between waste and resources to achieve their vision of healthier environments supporting healthier communities. Recycling – Rick Ralph Rick will discuss the facts behind the new waste levy in Queensland and what a new waste strategy should contain and look like. He will also discuss the current state of the recycling industry after China’s ban on receiving recyclable waste and what is needed to secure a sustainable future recycling industry. Is it as bad as it sounds? Anaerobic digestion (AD) for energy recovery from organics – Dr. Gareth Forde and Max Barnes Gareth will talk about how we can generate energy from waste organics and how AD compares to other waste to energy (W2E) options. Implications of the proposed landfill levy will be considered. See the event website for more information. Moment for Action Sign the petition David's Blog Keep up to date by reading David's Blog on the SENG website. Log in using your to post comments or questions. Join the conversation on our LinkedIn group page If you have an idea to share, an issue you would like feedback on, or just want to follow the conversation, click here to join the group. If you can't view this email click here to view online Click here to unsubscribe from this newsletter

Germany company commissions three new large-scale battery storage facilities using first and second life auto battery modules.

Tesla and Panasonic take top spot in latest BNEF ranking of tier 1 li-ion battery cell makers. But China's CATL getting most attention.

Work set to begin on Solar River Project after "Australia's biggest" PV farm approved for 220MW solar, 120MWh lithium-ion battery.

Former PM says "obsession" with emissions will damage Australia's economy, for what? Just to save the planet for the grandkids.

Tesla batteries arrive on site at company's third big battery project in Australia, and at what will be the world's first grid-connected project combining large scale wind, solar and battery storage.

A new protein discovery by a team of Dutch and South African researchers could help develop new smart solar technologies.