Feed aggregator

South Australia ran on more than 90 per cent wind and solar over the past week. Not a record, but an illustration of where the grid is heading.

The post South Australia: This is what a 90 per cent wind and solar grid looks like appeared first on RenewEconomy.

For anyone who cares about decarbonising electricity in NSW and Australia, a four to five year delay in building this line would be quite unreasonable.

The post Findings from NSW inquiry into HumeLink – and why we should listen to them appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Solar pioneer says "ambition and co-ordination" needed to continue Australia's strong PV history, and to open up new opportunities in local manufacturing.

The post Australia’s solar leadership at risk, says PV pioneer, as large-scale market slumps appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Monash researchers say they have solved a problem in the development of lithium sulphur batteries, which are touted to be half the cost of rival lithium chemistries.

The post New design could make lower cost, more efficient lithium-sulphur batteries a reality appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Scalloped hammerheads pose no risk to us – but we pose enormous risk to them. Our discovery of a large new aggregation gives us an opportunity to protect these animals. Naima Andrea López, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Western Australia Jessica Meeuwig, Wen Family Chair in Conservation, The University of Western Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New Zealand’s National party received just under 39% of the preliminary results at Saturday’s election meaning it will be able to form the next government, however it will be some time before there is clarity on key ETS and climate policies.

Analysts have downgraded their outlook for EU carbon prices for the remainder of Phase 4 (2021-30) due a number of shorter-term bearish factors including stagnant industrial productivity, sliding demand from the power sector, and an increase in EUA auction supply.

Slime gets a bad name in popular culture, but it’s food for invertebrates who become food for many other creatures. Paul McInerney, Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

There are now 555 air quality monitors across the country, but some say they aren't good enough.

Exclusive: expert panel will tell government there is no other way to manage higher demand as stress on supplies intensifies

Water metering should be made compulsory for all households in England, the government is likely to be told this week, as water supplies come under pressure from increased demand and more frequent droughts and floods.

Strain on the UK’s water networks is increasing under the more extreme weather conditions generated by the climate crisis and, under increasing demand, investment by water companies has not kept up.

Continue reading...

The transition to net zero emissions is under grave threat if governments do not do more to address the potential unfairness of some climate policies. Tracey Dodd, Director, Research Development, Adelaide Business School, University of Adelaide Will Harvey, Professor of Leadership and Inaugural Director of the Social Purpose Centre, Melbourne Business School Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Ecological calamity on the Caribbean island demonstrates how quickly wildlife can be destroyed, scientists say

They were once so numerous they were cooked as the national dish of Dominica. Every year, thousands of mountain chicken frogs, roasted with garlic and pepper, were eaten by islanders and tourists.

Two decades later, the animal – one of the world’s largest species of frog – has in effect disappeared from the Caribbean island. A series of ecological disasters has reduced its former healthy, stable population of hundreds of thousands of animals to a total of 21 frogs, according to scientists’ most recent survey.

Continue reading...

As a new series promises breathtaking footage obtained by groundbreaking technology, children are the new target audience

A detachable “whalecam”, remote underwater cameras operated from a director’s bedroom and a “drone ballet” are among the innovations that will be featured for the first time on David Attenborough’s Planet Earth III.

Following the global success of 2016’s BBC’s Planet Earth II and its famous “snakes v iguanas” scene, the corporation’s natural history unit has spent five years pushing the boundaries of technology to deliver an equally jaw-dropping series.

Continue reading...

We blew it. It’s now incumbent on all in the clean energy sector to find meaningful ways to give voice and genuine partnership to First Nations communities in the clean energy revolution.

The post It’s time for reconciliation to be led by the clean energy opportunity appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Engie and Posco team up again to study major green hydrogen project in Pilbara to supply a green iron facility and potentially green steel.

The post Engie and Posco pursue huge green hydrogen project in Pilbara to feed green steel appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The biggest battery project in Australia - just 25 kms from the Melbourne CBD - has gained federal environmental approval.

The post Australia’s biggest battery – 2.4GWh – wins federal environmental approval appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Voracious, furry-clawed crustaceans are being controlled ‘to protect the environment’

It is classified by conservationists as one of the 100 worst invasive alien species in the world. Now, a group of scientists are hoping they have found a way to deplete the UK’s rapidly growing Chinese mitten crab population and prevent the crustaceans, which can grow bigger than a 10-inch dinner plate and have distinctive furry claws, from “eating us out of house and home”.

The group has constructed and installed the UK’s first Chinese mitten crab trap at Pode Hole in Lincolnshire, to catch the voracious predators as they migrate downstream to mate.

Continue reading...

Ethical concerns over sustainability and welfare have seen venues offering new choices to ubiquitous ‘chicken of the sea’

Salmon has undergone a rapid transformation in recent decades. Once a special treat, it is now ubiquitous. From drinks reception canapés to wedding functions, Christmas smoked salmon or simply wrapped in foil and baked on a week night, salmon is everywhere.

Scotland is world renowned for salmon production, and the fish makes up 40% of its total food exports; it is also Britain’s most valuable food export. Healthy, low in saturated fats and high in omega-3, salmon is a success story.

Continue reading...

Workers can often be first to spot harms, from rule breaches and pollution to false sustainability claims

Concerns about being fired or victimised at work are preventing people from calling out their employers on the climate crisis and the wider environment, according to a charity.

A survey commissioned by Protect, a charity that defends whistleblowers, found fear of reprisals and uncertainty about how to provide proof were the main barriers to reporting on poor and misleading behaviour about the environment. Employees were also sceptical that their concerns would be properly dealt with.

Continue reading...

Simon Armitage says poets can convey climate change in a way that scientists and journalists can't.