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Boris Johnson’s advisers may push for a virtual Cop26. He should ignore them | Fiona Harvey
The UK must risk an in-person meeting in Glasgow if this crucial climate conference is to be a success
Walkouts, standoffs, shouting, tears, bloodletting – the UN climate Cops have seen it all. The annual meetings, in which all countries bar a few failed states take part, under the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), are the only global forum for discussing the future of the planet. They have veered between triumph and disaster, marked by dramatic and sometimes traumatic moments. At their best they can be momentous events, shifting the world’s response to the climate crisis into a higher gear, as at the landmark Paris Cop in 2015.
This year’s 26th conference of the parties, postponed from last year because of Covid-19 and shaded by the pandemic, will be different. Scheduled to take place in Glasgow in November, these will be the most important talks since 2015. At Cop26, countries will lay out their plans for curbing greenhouse gas emissions this decade – probably the last decade in which we still have a chance of limiting global heating to 1.5C, beyond which corals bleach, low-lying islands face inundation and extreme weather will take hold.
Continue reading...California’s carbon floor price set to exceed $19 in 2022 as inflation jumps in April
EU Midday Market Brief
Chemical giants hid dangers of ‘forever chemicals’ in food packaging
DuPont and Daikin, manufacturers of ‘short chain’ PFAS, did not inform regulator the FDA negative results of tests on animals
Chemical giants DuPont and Daikin knew the dangers of a PFAS compound widely used in food packaging since 2010, but hid them from the public and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), company studies obtained by the Guardian reveal.
The chemicals, called 6:2 FTOH, are now linked to a range of serious health issues, and Americans are still being exposed to them in greaseproof pizza boxes, carryout containers, fast-food wrappers, and paperboard packaging.
Continue reading...Joe Biden’s 50% emissions goal is ambitious. But it’s still not enough | William J Ripple
Addressing the climate crisis will be the greatest undertaking in the history of humankind. We have to give it all we have
Joe Biden wants to cut US emissions in half from their 2005 levels. However, since emissions have been slowly declining since then, this amounts to only a 37% drop from 2020 levels.
That, in a nutshell, is the issue. Our leaders are adhering to a template that doesn’t meet the urgency of the moment. The US is not even the world’s largest emitter any more, and China – the biggest polluter – seeks to build more coal-fired power plants, failing to reach carbon neutrality until 2060. Unfortunately, that is a perfect illustration of just how disconnected we are from the gravity of the situation.
Continue reading...Idaho is going to kill 90% of the state’s wolves. That’s a tragedy – and bad policy | Kim Heacox
Fed by myths, fairytales and Disney, America’s demonization of wolves has been going on for centuries, and continues full throttle
Nothing embodies wildness like wolves, our four-legged shadow, the dogs that long ago refused our campfire and today prefer freedom and risk over the soft sofa and short leash. The dogs that howl more than bark, add music to the land, and – if left alone to work their magic – make entire ecosystems healthy and whole.
Related: Idaho bill seeks to kill more than 1,000 wolves
Continue reading...Pay dirt: $200 million plan for Australia's degraded soil is a crucial turning point
Growatt’s ARK battery wins ‘All Quality Matters’ award
Growatt has won an 'All Quality Matters' award for the outstanding performance of its ARK battery in the organisation's PVE Test Program.
The post Growatt’s ARK battery wins ‘All Quality Matters’ award appeared first on RenewEconomy.
UK’s deep-sea mining permits could be unlawful – Greenpeace
Licences given to arms firm Lockheed Martin said to go against government’s stance on exploiting seabed
Deep-sea mining exploration licences granted by the British government are “riddled with inaccuracies”, and could even be unlawful, according to Greenpeace and Blue Marine Foundation, a conservation charity.
The licences, granted a decade ago to UK Seabed Resources, a subsidiary of the US arms multinational Lockheed Martin, have only recently been disclosed by the company.
Continue reading...One in four cities cannot afford climate crisis protection measures – study
Survey of 800 cities around world finds almost 43% do not even have plan to adapt to impacts of global heating
One in four cities around the world lack the money to protect themselves against the ravages of climate breakdown, even though more than 90% are facing serious risks, according to research.
Cities are facing problems with flooding, overheating, water shortages, and damage to their infrastructure from extreme weather, which is growing more frequent as the climate changes. A survey of 800 cities, carried out by the Carbon Disclosure Project, found that last year about 43% of them, representing a combined population of 400 million people, did not have a plan to adapt to the climate crisis.
Continue reading...“They’re going broke”, ESB chair says coal plant closures now unavoidable
ESB chair says not to worry about when coal plants might close, because they're already going broke.
The post “They’re going broke”, ESB chair says coal plant closures now unavoidable appeared first on RenewEconomy.
More solar price falls will lead to “insanely cheap” electricity by 2023
Solar photovoltaic pioneer Professor Martin Green says solar module prices will continue to plummet, reaching 10 US cents per watt by 2023.
The post More solar price falls will lead to “insanely cheap” electricity by 2023 appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Australia officially met renewable target in January, despite big project delays
Clean Energy Regulator officially declares that the RET is met, as new wind and solar delivered more than 33,000GWh in the 12 months to late January.
The post Australia officially met renewable target in January, despite big project delays appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Australia commits A$280 mln to buy offsets from large industrial facilities
Animal welfare plan unveiled by government
Neoen unable to repeat Hornsdale battery bonanza in first quarter revenue
The "exceptional" January 2020 performance of Australia’s original Tesla big battery continues to set an unattainable benchmark for French renewables giant Neoen.
The post Neoen unable to repeat Hornsdale battery bonanza in first quarter revenue appeared first on RenewEconomy.
NSW green hydrogen industry could surpass value of coal industry, Kean says
NSW energy minister Matt Kean says the state has no option but to produce green hydrogen, but it will lead to a more prosperous economy.
The post NSW green hydrogen industry could surpass value of coal industry, Kean says appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Biodiversity: Throwing money at schemes ineffective - charity
Turnbull dismisses fossil hydrogen as “delay tactic” by coal and gas industry
Turnbull dismisses fossil fuel hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, and laments lack of any new major clean energy projects in Morrison budget.
The post Turnbull dismisses fossil hydrogen as “delay tactic” by coal and gas industry appeared first on RenewEconomy.