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As our climate warms, urban trees will be needed more than ever. A study looks at how they can be protected

El Niño is officially under way and Australians are preparing for a hot spring and summer. Urban trees play a vital role in keeping cities cool, evaporating water to provide a natural form of air-conditioning, cooling air temperatures and reducing heat-related deaths by more than a third. But trees struggle with extreme heat. A study shows that simply planting trees isn’t enough; urban trees need continuing care.

Researchers investigated the impact of extreme heat on trees during Australia’s last major heatwave, in 2019 and 2020. They found species with large thin leaves, such as red maple, were particularly vulnerable to extreme heat, whereas trees with thicker leaves, such as ash and Chinese elm, were better able to regulate their temperature. The results, published in Global Change Biology, show that access to water is also crucial, with well-watered trees able to open their pores and evaporate water, preventing scorching of leaves.

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"Considerable maintenance expenditure” will be needed to keep old coal plants running, the regulator says, as it contemplates what price to put on emissions.

The post Cost of keeping coal alive “considerable,” says AER, as market factors in emissions appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Queensland's Stanwell signs deal for long duration "iron flow batteries" as it seeks different storage solutions for the switch from coal to green energy.

The post Stanwell signs major deal for Australian-made long duration iron flow batteries appeared first on RenewEconomy.

CEFC-backed fund provides $8 million for perth-based start-up to scale its unique battery recycling technology.

The post Australian battery recycling start-up given $8 million to scale tech appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia has signed back up to a global climate change fund for developing countries after an almost five-year absence, reversing a Morrison-era snub to international community.

The post Australia rejoins global climate fund initiative, reversing Morrison snub appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Queensland coal utility makes first major wind investment, in a deal to own half the 372MW Boulder Creek wind farm – and buy all of its energy once complete.

The post CS Energy takes 50% stake in its first wind farm, in big step away from coal appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Suicide rates jumped in the Murray Darling Basin following extreme drought and hotter temperatures, a new study shows. The findings highlight the need for action to manage climate change impacts. Sarah Ann Wheeler, Professor in Water Economics, University of Adelaide Alec Zuo, Associate Professor, School of Economics and Public Policy, University of Adelaide Ying Xu, Research Fellow, School of Economics and Public Policy, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A group of pension funds announced Thursday an acquisition of a 170,000-hectare plantation forestry estate in Tasmania, Australia from a global forestry group.

The carbon emissions driving the climate crisis and rapid arrival of an El Niño event are to blame, researchers say

Global temperatures soared to a new record in September by a huge margin, stunning scientists and leading one to describe it as “absolutely gobsmackingly bananas”.

The hottest September on record follows the hottest August and hottest July, with the latter being the hottest month ever recorded. The high temperatures have driven heatwaves and wildfires across the world.

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Renewable energy's long supply chains are being linked to modern slavery – it is an issue that the industry must take seriously.

The post Green energy: Addressing modern slavery and respecting human rights appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

Global emissions from energy generation stalled in the first half, and 2023 could be the first year of a structural decline in pollution.

The post Australia leads pack as wind and solar drive structural shift in power sector emissions appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Australian government has decided to rejoin the Green Climate Fund and will make a “modest” contribution toward it, which will be announced at the end of the year, an official told Carbon Pulse.

A selection of finalists in this year's Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023.

Thinktank says rapid growth of wind and solar is near rate required if world is to hit 2030 target as part of 1.5C pathway

Carbon emissions from the global electricity sector may peak this year, after plateauing in the first half of 2023, because of a surge in wind and solar power, according to a climate thinktank.

A new report on global electricity generation found that the growth of renewables was so rapid that it was close to the incredibly fast rate required if the world is to hit the tripling of capacity by the end of the decade that experts believe is necessary to stay on the 1.5C pathway.

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His bodyweight has risen nearly 7,000%, but does "806 Jr" have what it takes to win Fat Bear Week?

A Brazil Senate committee on Wednesday by a unanimous vote approved cap-and-trade legislation supported by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and in the process incorporated a number of amendments to secure agricultural sector support and enshrine a timeline for compliance obligations to begin.

Social media posts are full of hot air in claiming wind turbines take years of operation to make up for the energy needed to manufacture them. This is false.

The post Fact Check: Wind turbine energy claim is all spin and no power appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Five arrested after group members storm production, unveiling banners and locking themselves to stage

Five people have been arrested after Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted a performance of Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre in London’s West End.

During a performance of the song Do You Hear the People Sing? members of the Just Stop Oil group stormed the stage with banners. In a video of the protest posted online, the performance came to a halt as one member shouted “just stop oil”, to boos from the audience.

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The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat on Wednesday published a new synthesis report as stakeholders called to accelerate climate action through submissions that spanned almost 800 pages ahead of the conclusion of the first-ever global stocktake at COP28.