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Some drivers are so enraged they’ve resorted to violence in my home town of Oxford. What has brought on this new barbarism?

It reminds me of the school board controversies in the United States. A small group of furious men, whipped up by the media and opportunist politicians, are seeking to turn quiet, practical attempts to protect local people into full-blown culture wars. The further from reality their beliefs diverge, the readier they are to resort to vandalism and violence.

But this isn’t the US, and it’s not about textbooks. It’s playing out in the streets of Oxford. The angry men have resorted so far to arson, angle grinders and physical attacks on local people. What is the frightful cause of these reactions? The council’s efforts to ensure that through-traffic stays on main roads.

George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist

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For centuries, Pacific Islands have been raided by mining interests with little to show for it. Harnessing their enormous green mineral wealth must be done justly. Nick Bainton, Associate Professor, The University of Queensland Emilka Skrzypek, Senior Policy Fellow, University of St Andrews Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt has announced his party will guarantee safe passage of the Labor government’s climate bill through the Senate, including the target to reduce emissions by 43% from 2005 levels by 2030, but has also vowed that the party’s fight to stop new coal and gas projects will go on.

Greens leader Adam Bandt says his party will do its bit to "end the climate wars" by supporting Labor's 2022 Bill. But really, this is just a cease fire.

The post Greens move to “end climate wars,” and mount new battle against fossil fuels appeared first on RenewEconomy.

At this time of year, numbers peak for this amazing insect, which can leap to 20 times its height

One of the delights of a dry summer is the proliferation of grasshoppers – or perhaps we are just more likely to see them. There are 11 native UK species, and about another 20 that have been introduced. One of the most common native species is the meadow grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus, which has the rare distinction that it cannot fly, relying on its amazing springing power to escape predators. Its back legs can fire it off at three metres a second and 20 times its height. This is the equivalent of a human jumping over a five-storey building.

The name, meadow grasshopper, also describes its chosen home, but they appear in gardens and any suitable habitat. They are generally green with a stripe, but sometimes brown and even purple. Numbers peak at this time of year. The slightly smaller males can be seen rubbing their legs against their useless wings to create a “song” to attract the females, which are up to an inch long. It is a regular, if feeble, whirring sound. After mating, the eggs are laid in the soil in a pod ready to hatch the following spring.

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Greens leader Adam Bandt has revealed his party will support Labor's climate bill but signalled a further fight for a climate trigger to block new fossil fuel projects. 'The fight begins now to get Labor to stop opening coal and gas mines,' Bandt said while addressing the National Press Club. Prime minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the move, saying it was 'a good day for Australia'. Climate change minister Chris Bowen said the climate wars may not be over, 'but they are suddenly in retreat, under this government'

• Greens give crucial support to Labor's climate bill for 43% emissions reduction by 2030
• Australian politics updates

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Bill Gates' clean energy fund leads fund raising for technology that automates and accelerates development, construction, and operation of large scale solar plants. 

The post Bill Gates leads $US44m funding round to automate and accelerate solar PV construction appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Transmission and balance of plant works finally begin on delayed wind project near Port Fairy in Victoria.

The post Construction and transmission work begin on delayed wind farm in Victoria appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Wind output records tumble on Wednesday as a series of storms sweep across southern Australia, taking prices down with them.

The post Wind energy records tumble as storms sweep across southern Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

An Australian upstream oil and gas company has secured the right to develop and generate carbon credits from three REDD+ projects in Zimbabwe spanning over 300,000 hectares.

As Germany turns to coal to get through the gas supply crisis, estimates suggest emissions may have increased by 10m tonnes in the first half of the year.

The post Rebooted coal power could deliver major emissions blow-out in Germany appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Illuminating new research suggests we can rethink the type of silicon needed to make high-efficiency solar cells.

The post Solar is the cheapest power – a lightbulb moment showed we can cut costs even further appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Solar installers are now required to take selfies during installations, and we speak to the CEO of Hysata, an Australian start-up claiming the world’s lowest cost green hydrogen electrolyser technology.

The post Solar Insiders Podcast: Solar selfies, and the world’s cheapest green hydrogen appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

*PREMIUM LISTING - Volkswagen ClimatePartner GmbH is looking for a Freelancer (m/f/d) or a Company to support in screening, planning, developing, and managing GHG emission reduction projects mainly in Africa.

*PREMIUM LISTING - Volkswagen ClimatePartner GmbH is looking for a Freelancer (m/f/d) or a Company to support in screening, planning, developing, and managing GHG emission reduction projects mainly in Brazil.

*PREMIUM LISTING - Volkswagen ClimatePartner GmbH is looking for a Freelancer (m/f/d) or a Company to support in screening, planning, developing, and managing GHG emission reduction projects mainly in China.

Emissions recorded under Massachusetts’ Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) cap-and-trade system increased in Q2 of this year compared to 2021, according to data updated Monday.

US biofuel credit (RIN) values on Tuesday rose to highs not seen since early June, which market participants attributed to demand from Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) importers and declining ethanol producer margins.

New York-headquartered hedge fund Kepos Capital has raised over $76 million for a new carbon-focused investment vehicle, as financial interest in the space steadies into the late summer.