Feed aggregator

The humble creatures – which break down organic matter and aerate soils – contribute to as much as 6.5% of the world’s grain harvests

Earthworms’ contribution to the world’s grain harvest matches that of Russia, according to a study documenting their enormous role in food production.

This amounts to 140 millions of tonnes of food a year, researchers said, which would make earthworms the fourth largest global producer if they were a country. Russia produced 150m tonnes in 2022 and expects to produce 120m tonnes this year.

Continue reading...

An anti-plastics waste group has poured cold water on a consortium of Japanese heavyweights’ plans to skim microplastic from the surface of a harbour and turn it into oil, suggesting it is nothing more than a “distraction” in the climate debate.

The former premier who resigned on Tuesday introduced comprehensive climate legislation but his obstruction of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan deprived native fish and birds of clean rivers

• Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

When historians look back at the legacy of Daniel Andrews, one thing he will be remembered for is climate leadership. In nine years, his government took one of the dirtiest energy systems in the world, responsible for the vast bulk of Victoria’s greenhouse pollution, and put it on a fast track to zero emissions.

Those same students of political history may also notice an absence, even a neglect, of the extraordinary natural environment that makes Victoria the place we all love. As premier, Andrews was always keen for big ticket projects involving concrete and steel, but fell short when it came to protecting wildlife and habitats of plants and animals, including in the Murray-Darling Basin.

Continue reading...

Group behind Victoria's first inner-urban community battery turns to public transport to raise awareness of vital role of shared energy storage in shift to renewables.

The post Community battery message plugs solar powered tram into energy debate appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia’s metallurgical coal may lose market share in coming decades as China’s steel industry recedes and its domestic production of coking coal rises while India’s plans to transition to using hydrogen in the steel making process could put a further dent on exports, according to a think tank.

A group of agricultural and soil scientists has serious concerns about the way credits are awarded for soil carbon sequestration in Australia. Aaron Simmons, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, University of New England Annette Cowie, Adjunct Professor, University of New England Beverley Henry, Adjunct Associate Professor, Queensland University of Technology Brian Wilson, Professor, University of New England David Pannell, Director, Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy, The University of Western Australia David Rowlings, Professor, Queensland University of Technology Elaine Mitchell, Research Fellow, Queensland University of Technology Matthew Tom Harrison, Associate Professor of Sustainable Agriculture, University of Tasmania Peter Grace, Professor of Global Change, Queensland University of Technology Raphael Viscarra Rossel, Professor of Soil & Landscape Science, Curtin University Richard Eckard, Professor & Director, Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre, The University of Melbourne Warwick Badgery, Research Leader Pastures an Rangelands, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Wildfire response across the UK is an under-resourced "postcode lottery", claims a new union report.

New analysis concludes that Australia must expand its export terminal capacity tenfold to have any hope of fulfilling its renewable hydrogen ambitions.

The post Australian hydrogen terminal capacity will need to increase tenfold to meet ambition appeared first on RenewEconomy.

La Trobe University has announced plans to install what it claims to be the largest "urban solar farm" in Victoria, a 2.9MW PV ground-mounted array and 2.5MW battery

The post “Largest” urban solar farm and battery planned to power university campus appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australian landfill gas project operators have expressed concern about the lack of a clear framework for redesigning the baselines of landfill gas projects, according to an expert.

A group of NGOs have written to the government of Papua New Guinea expressing their “grave concerns” about the lack of stakeholder input in the development of the country’s carbon credit regulations.

Competition for new transmission would ensure investment is necessary and not padding out profits of regulated monopolies, or compensating for their shortcomings.

The post Australia’s transmission task needs a new approach – let’s open it up to competition appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Bouldercombe battery has been re-energised and charged and discharged into the grid just 48 hours after a fire destroyed one of its Tesla Megapack modules.

The post Bouldercombe battery back on line just 48 hours after fire destroyed Tesla Megapack appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Two new big battery projects in South Australia have obtained transmission connection agreements, including the first big battery for Zen Energy.

The post Two new big batteries in South Australia sign connection deals, including first for Zen Energy appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

Plastic cutlery is banned under new rules but plastic containers for takeaway and shop bought meals are not.

Biomass-based diesel (D4) RIN prices under the US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) may experience countervailing influences in the next couple years, while the market for the D3 category largely filled by renewable natural gas should remain tight, analysts said Thursday.

Infrastructure Victoria CEO says there's an enormous opportunity for private households and businesses in the shift towards greater energy efficiency.

The post Enormous opportunity for consumers in shift to electric, efficient homes appeared first on RenewEconomy.

California Carbon Allowances (CCAs) waned for the second week in a row in both price and volume as wider macroeconomic issues and market dynamics clouded trading, while Washington Carbon Allowances (WCAs) also continued their drop over the same period with a sense of distrust in the young cap-and-trade system persisting.

A recent deluge of biomass-based diesel supply that is hammering RIN prices does not currently present a lot of concern to the US EPA, as the agency decided on its Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes through an assessment of feedstock availability, a government official said Thursday.