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Wind turbines: How UK wants to become 'Saudi Arabia of wind'
Climate change: Set target to cut car use, minister told
Makeup fails to solve mystery of why jumping spiders have back stripes
Scientists were surprised by results of painting eyeliner on shells of jumping spiders to change their appearance
Researchers have come up with an ingenious way to test the theory that male jumping spiders have evolved colourful stripes to ward off predators – they have put makeup on them.
Unlike the females of the species, the male Habronattus pyrrithrix come in vivid hues to attract mates. But scientists writing in the journal Royal Society Open Science wanted to establish whether their bright, striped backs help protect them from predators.
Continue reading...Net zero by 2050? Even if Scott Morrison gets the Nationals on board, hold the applause
Australian government was 'blindsided' by UN recommendation to list Great Barrier Reef as in-danger. But it's no great surprise
Pennsylvania Republican claims RGGI violates US Constitution, state lacks authority to join carbon scheme
Euro Markets: EUAs nudge higher above €53 amid supportive energy complex
UN official rejects Australia’s claim it was told Great Barrier Reef wouldn’t be listed as ‘in danger’
Exclusive: Unesco’s Fanny Douvere denies any political interference, noting the reef’s outlook has gone from ‘poor to very poor’
A senior Unesco official has rejected the Australian government’s claims it bowed to political pressure when deciding to recommend the Great Barrier Reef be placed on the world heritage “in danger” list.
Dr Fanny Douvere, of Unesco’s World Heritage Centre in Paris, also rejected a suggestion from the Australian environment minister, Sussan Ley, that the UN body had told the government a week ago it would not be recommending the listing.
Continue reading...Ecocide must be listed alongside genocide as an international crime | Alexandre Antonelli and Pella Thiel
Large-scale environmental destruction affects the future of all life on our planet. Criminalising it would finally hold decision-makers to account
An international team of lawyers co-chaired by Philippe Sands QC and Dior Fall Sow has presented the outcome of its work announced in November last year to develop a legal definition of ecocide. This is a crucial step towards adding ecocide to the list of other major offences recognised by the international criminal court (ICC), including crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.
Making large-scale destruction of nature and its associated loss of biodiversity an international crime means that individuals, not legal entities, can be personally held accountable and prosecuted if found guilty. This implies that responsibility for damage cannot be dealt with by budgeting for potential fines. Corporations very rarely intend to cause mass damage and destruction; rather, it is a consequence of their activities. The proposed definition of ecocide describes the crime as one of recklessness; the perpetrator acted in the knowledge that there was “substantial likelihood” of serious harm arising from their conduct, but they acted anyway.
Continue reading...Leaked EU forest strategy’s “anti-science error” to put carbon sink at risk, say campaigners
RFS Market: RIN prices bounce back on opened gasoline arbitrage
Finnish coal station to shut early due to rising EU carbon costs
Legal experts worldwide draw up ‘historic’ definition of ecocide
Draft law is intended to prosecute offences against the environment
Legal experts from across the globe have drawn up a “historic” definition of ecocide, intended to be adopted by the international criminal court to prosecute the most egregious offences against the environment.
The draft law, unveiled on Tuesday, defines ecocide as “unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts”.
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