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Migratory birds, rutting stags and leaping salmon are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world

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Roads minister Jesse Norman says government could push councils to do more to fight pollution and inactive living

The UK government could potentially consider providing subsidies for electric bicycles and electric cars as part of a concerted policy effort to get more people cycling, the roads minister, Jesse Norman, has said.

With the UK facing health crises from pollution and inactive living, other plans could include using electric cargo bikes to deliver packages from internet retailers rather than vans, Norman told the Guardian.

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Researchers investigate how dogs change their expressions in response to their owners.

Vets in Colombia are nursing a tiny spider monkey back to health.

The National Energy Guarantee proposal seems geared towards locking in the status quo rather than driving the much-needed energy transition. Frank Jotzo, Director, Centre for Climate Economics and Policy, Australian National University Salim Mazouz, Research Associate, Centre for Climate Economics and Policy, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Mr Clarke will replace Dr Anthony (Tony) Marxsen, who is retiring from the Board following the 2017 Annual General Meeting in November.

Big Moor, Derbyshire The stag ignores the passing lorries but isn’t ready for a photographic closeup

Running south from the old Barbrook reservoir, I found myself struggling against the strong south-westerly that had kept temperatures unusually high for several days and delayed wintering thrushes returning to the moors. The arrival of fieldfares and redwings is always sparkling compensation for the gloomy approach of winter but I would have to wait a little longer. At least the sun was out, turning the sprung shoulders of a kestrel to a vibrant caramel as it quartered the brook below me.

Almost as I reached the Baslow road the sunlight picked out a red deer stag standing tall some distance away, antlers raised, breath steaming from its flared nostrils. At the same time I caught sight of another beast advancing towards the stag with an enormous-lensed camera held to his eye.

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A hydro-electric power station on the state’s largest dam – Burdekin Falls Dam – to secure energy and support jobs for North Queensland moved a step closer today.

Anger deepens over politicisation of Energy Security Board and design of National Energy Guarantee that could reinforce dominance of incumbent utilities, stop large scale renewables, maintain status quo and fail emissions targets. But some say it does have potential.

Genex Power's Kidston solar and pumped hydro plant could provide 2000MWh of storage, and 8 hours of continuous generation, rather than six.

If you ask mainstream media, renewables are the key driver of Australia's rising power prices; a scourge that's at its worst in South Australia. Yeah, nah.

BNEF say new Coalition plan could see 42% renewables by 2030, the same as Finkel. But rooftop solar will account for most new installations, and large scale wind and solar could be sidelined by coal extensions. Still, BNEF describe it as innovative and elegant.

IEA says coal will be used to provide access to electricity to just 16% of those without electricity now, while renewables will account for at least 60%.

Amazon Wind Farm Texas is the company's biggest yet. To celebrate, CEO Jeff Bezos videoed himself christening it, atop one of its 100 turbines.

National Geographic’s #TellYourPollutionStory asks readers to share their images to shed light on new evidence that pollution – air, water, soil and workplace – is the leading cause of death in the world

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Landmark study finds toxic air, water, soils and workplaces kill at least 9m people and cost trillions of dollars every year

Pollution kills at least nine million people and costs trillions of dollars every year, according to the most comprehensive global analysis to date, which warns the crisis “threatens the continuing survival of human societies”.

Toxic air, water, soils and workplaces are responsible for the diseases that kill one in every six people around the world, the landmark report found, and the true total could be millions higher because the impact of many pollutants are poorly understood. The deaths attributed to pollution are triple those from Aids, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

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Researchers say UK’s enthusiasm for bird feeders compared with mainland Europe responsible for increase in beak length

The reason some birds in Britain have evolved bigger beaks over the past 40 years may be down to the country’s enthusiasm for feeding them in their gardens, researchers have said.

The report published on Thursday in the US journal Science compared beak length among great tits in Britain and the Netherlands, where bird feeders are less common.

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Tasmania's swift parrots are in trouble. Scientists are aiming to help them by keeping them safe from predators, but without better habitat protection, the species may go extinct. Dejan Stojanovic, Postdoctoral Fellow, Australian National University Matthew Webb, Australian National University Rob Heinsohn, Professor of Evolutionary and Conservation Biology, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Townsville and Rockhampton councils may pay millions more if company’s bid to sew up deal with traditional owners fails

Two local councils are paying $31m to build an airstrip for Adani’s Queensland coalmine – and could fork out millions more if the energy giant’s bid to sew up a deal with traditional owners hits a stumbling block.

Townsville and Rockhampton councils last week announced they would spend $15.5m each on the airport – hundreds of kilometres away – in a deal to secure Adani’s guarantee of 2,200 construction jobs for their residents.

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After a new study showed an alarming decline in insect populations we asked you to share your pictures of the creatures, in celebration of all they do for global ecosystems. Here are some of our favourites

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