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Solar's increasing affordability is making it a popular energy source in many parts of Africa, finds IRENA.

Software update 8.0 kicks off a significant over-the-air overhaul of the Tesla touchscreen and introduces the biggest UI revamp since the launch of Model S.

Getting around on a bike, a (mostly) fun way to travel green Bike riding image from www.shutterstock.com

When you’re on holiday, relaxing on a beach or soaking up a vibrant city’s culture, the last thing you want to think about is your responsibility to the planet. But carefree holidays are a luxury that is costing more than our bank balances. The food and services sectors are major contributors to greenhouse gases. Tourism, often an expression of our modern hedonic desires, is particularly high in resource use.

But it can be hard to change people’s behaviours. For instance, would you choose a holiday marketed for its low energy and material needs? What about if you could have a 5-star holiday without costing the Earth?

Our research on tourist behaviour shows that people are happy to curb their material consumption on holiday, as long their holiday is rich in other experiences.

This is the challenge that the services sector faces in the drive to decouple happiness, consumption and resource depletion or pollution.

The consumption issue in the services sector

While many of us advocate for the tourism sector to reduce its carbon footprint, efficiency in energy use is not going to be enough to make tourism sustainable.

The call to switch to sustainable consumption is growing, often through combining a degrowth economic model with the decoupling of material consumption from well-being and happiness.

But these ethical and moral considerations around sustainable consumption appear to have relatively little substantial effect in the long term. For the services sector, particularly, the predicament to become more sustainable directly involves the customer.

Asking customers to consume more critically might be a confronting prospect for an industry worried about maintaining customer satisfaction in a consumerist society. But not always.

Showing strength of character

Our solution lies in applying positive psychology. People get fulfilment from using their own character strengths. It builds on the evidence that focusing on character strength-building and human happiness works better than any other approach when it comes to sustainable change.

So, can this be applied to tourism, a sector driven by its promise of carefree behaviour? What would a luxury tourism experience, designed around less material consumption and the application of character strengths look like? And what impact would it have on guests’ experience and sustainable tourism practices?

Our research suggests there are many ways that guests can become involved in making tourism green, using their innate character strengths. We applied these principles to six real-world examples from Christopher’s ecotourism venture.

Guests save their food scraps and feed them to the chickens. They get to meet their feathered friends and collect eggs (often for the first time). Result: together with recycling bins has halved landfill waste and sustains egg production.

Guests apply strength of self-regulation as they have to regulate behaviour by separating food waste the chickens can eat from other waste, placing it into a container and then visiting and feeding the chickens. There are no financial incentives; the motivation is to reduce harmful landfill waste.

Plant a native tree. The host provides interpretation and materials; guests pay $5 for materials, plant trees and take photographs. Guests receive a certificate and sign a register. Result: bird species increased from 20 to 50 on site and guests physically connect to the soil.

Guests apply strength of hope as they feel a healthy environment is something that can be achieved by their contribution. Hope increases when planting their tree after seeing trees maturing about them, the result of previous guests’ plantings.

Choosing a siesta and staying up later. Host provides ceiling fans, cool drinks in fridge (made from the property’s own limes) and attractive al fresco barbecue setting. This encourages guests to rest in the hottest part of the day, then enjoy cooler extended evenings outside connecting with nature. Result: contributes to 30% electricity saving.

Guests apply strength of citizenship as they acknowledge their social responsibility to consume less, change their behaviour to do their bit to minimise resource use, and share the experience as a group.

Sleeping is good for you, and the environment. Hammock image from www.shutterstock.com

Selecting natural ventilation at night instead of air conditioning. Host explains how to use the natural ventilation in the accommodation, as cooler night air in summer means cottages are 4℃ cooler in the morning. Result: contributes to 30% electricity saving and guests hear charming frogs at night.

Guests apply strength of social intelligence as often they are fearful for their security at night and prefer to have windows locked. They acknowledge this conflicts with the need to consume less and not rely on the air conditioning. Accepting their concerns, they adapt and use natural ventilation in an uncommon location.

Host explains rainwater harvesting resource limitations and benefits of homemade aromatherapy bath treats. Guests choose to share baths or rotate bath use. Result: contributes to 25% gas and water saving while the aromatherapy recipes use natural essential oils and offer guests long-lasting scents.

Guest applies strength of leadership as they try to apply pro-environmental action and encourage other members of their party to change their bathing routines.

Choosing greener travel. Guests can choose not to drive but use the complimentary bicycles and buy a picnic of locally sourced treats. Guests relax and reconnect. Result: memorable experiences (including proposals of marriage!) and less carbon dioxide car pollution.

Guests draw on strength of zest to choose to ride a bicycle (which they may not have done for some time) and joyfully discover the peaceful lanes and the invigorating ride.

In sum, targeting character strengths such as self-regulation, citizenship, hope, perspective and social intelligence may be an effective way to drive change towards more sustainability-oriented behaviours.

Happy, frugal tourism

Today people want personalised travel experiences. Here lies the opportunity for business people seeking to build their brand in the most sustainable way possible.

Involving people in creating a sustainable tourism experience can lead them to behaviour in new, fun ways. Examples like Coral Cay Conservation, Echidna Walkabout and Chepue Ecolodge all directly involve the customers to help conserve resources.

This year commemorates 20 years of the Responsible Tourism movement. Tourism is slowly evolving and with it opportunities for individuals to apply new knowledge and skills which can become transformational experiences. These small actions (known as the “Copenhagen effect”) can make a significant difference.

By introducing positive psychology into the design of tourism experiences, guests willingly and happily trade in their material consumption for forms of non-material consumption that benefit them, their health and the environment, allowing the services sector to ask customers to tread more gently and happily.

Christopher Warren is a partner in Crystal Creek Meadows, and consults in sustainable & responsible tourism accommodation. He is affiliated with International Centre for Responsible Tourism and a member of the Griffith Institute For Tourism Advisory Board.

Alexandra Coghlan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.

Four rare white lion cubs have been born in a zoo in Poland.

Soil’s potential to soak up planet-warning carbon dioxide has been overestimated by as much as 40%, say scientists

Hopes that large amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide could be buried in soils appear to be grossly misplaced, with new research finding that the ground will soak up far less carbon over the coming century than previously thought.

Radiocarbon dating of soils, when combined with previous models of carbon uptake, has shown the widely assumed potential for carbon sequestration to combat climate change has been overestimated by as much as 40%.

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Scientists bring singing fish into their lab to work out the biological secret of an aquatic creature that hums at night.

The official first day of autumn occurs when the sun aligns directly with the Earth’s equator, creating a day and night of equal length

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Scientists solve the bizarre mystery of the fish that hums at night.

Marine experts say jellyfish-like creatures that have washed up in Cornwall and the Scilly Islands can inflict a very painful and potentially fatal sting

Marine experts have warned beachgoers to avoid jellyfish-like portuguese man o’war that have washed up in south-west England, as they can inflict a very painful and potentially fatal sting.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) said it had verified half a dozen photos submitted by members of the public from beaches in Cornwall and the Scilly Islands, but the oceanic creatures could soon appear across a much wider area based on previous strandings.

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Hydrofluorocarbons, commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioning systems, could add 0.5C to global temperatures by the end of the century

A loose coalition of more than 100 countries, including the US and European nations, is pushing for an early phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a powerful greenhouse gas that if left unchecked is set to add a potentially disastrous 0.5C to global temperatures by the end of the century.

Related: Global coral bleaching event might become new normal, expert warns

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Duke of Cambridge tells audience at a conservation charity event in London that he is not prepared to be part of a generation that lets the species disappear from the wild

Prince William says he fears the African elephant will have disappeared from the wild due to poaching by the time Princess Charlotte turns 25.

The prince told the audience of campaigners and policymakers at Time For Change – an event organised by the conservation charity Tusk, of which he is a patron – that he was “not prepared to be part of a generation that lets these iconic species disappear from the wild”.

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The Duke of Cambridge has called on world leaders to do more to combat the illegal wildlife trade.

Top scientists meeting in Oxford this week say they see few scenarios that would meet the Paris target to limit temperature rise to 1.5C

The global target to prevent climate catastrophe, crafted at a landmark summit last year in Paris, will be very difficult if not impossible to hit, said some of world’s top scientists meeting this week in Oxford.

The first-ever climate pact to enjoin all nations vows to cap global warming at “well below” 2C compared to pre-Industrial Revolution levels – and under 1.5 C if possible.

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Group including William Hague, Jane Goodall and Stephen Hawking write to prime minister Theresa May saying recent crackdown on sales of ivory less than 70 years old does not go far enough

The government must implement a total ban on ivory sales in the UK, according to scores of politicians, conservationists, scientists and entertainment stars including William Hague, Jane Goodall, Stephen Hawking and Ricky Gervais.

Ministers this week announced a ban on ivory younger than 70 years old, but stopped short of a total ban.

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A button battery can cause devastating harm to a child if it gets lodged in their throat.

From advances in the storage of electricity to creative techniques to distribute energy, in this animated video series we’ll explore some of the most inventive ways energy is being collected and used by humans

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Bayer and Syngenta criticised for secrecy after unpublished research obtained under freedom of information law linked high doses of their products to damage to the health of bee colonies

Unpublished field trials by pesticide manufacturers show their products cause serious harm to honeybees at high levels, leading to calls from senior scientists for the companies to end the secrecy which cloaks much of their research.

The research, conducted by Syngenta and Bayer on their neonicotinoid insecticides, were submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency and obtained by Greenpeace after a freedom of information request.

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Oil Change International argues there is a compelling case for six proposed Queensland projects to be axed in ‘managed decline’ of fossil fuel

Miners seeking the green light to dig up Queensland’s Galilee basin should be stopped as a priority, according to a new report showing existing fossil fuels projects worldwide are enough to push global warming beyond 2C.

The report by the research and advocacy group Oil Change International argues there is a compelling case for the six Galilee coalmining proposals in the hands of Australian regulators to be axed in line with a “managed decline” of global coal, oil and gas supplies already on tap.

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Exclusive: Bleaching may be standard by 2020s says leading reef researcher as new images show the damage to areas around Japanese islands of Okinawa

Coral bleaching in Okinawa gallery

The worst global bleaching event on record could simply be the new normal, according to one of the foremost experts on coral reefs and their response to warming oceans.

Mark Eakin, head of the Coral Reef Watch program at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has told the Guardian he was hopeful the current global bleaching event would end in 2017, but said it was possible it would just roll on, alternating between the northern and southern hemispheres as the seasons changed.

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Images of this year’s coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef shocked the world. Some tour operators expressed concern that the extensive and sometimes simplistic media coverage would hurt their businesses.

The reef was a hot-button issue during the federal election, with both major parties pledging funding for programs to enhance water quality. Some politicians and tour operators expressed optimism about the reef’s ability to recover.

It was the culmination of the longest, most extensive and most severe mass coral bleaching event ever recorded – an event that began in the North Pacific in mid-2014. The Great Barrier Reef was not spared, this year experiencing its hottest sea surface temperatures since records began – 29.1℃ in February (1.1℃ above the 1961-90 average), 29.1℃ (1.3℃ above average) in March and 27.8℃ (1.0℃ above average) in April.

Evidence of bleaching was found on 93% of the more than 900 individual reefs surveyed that month, with the most severe impacts on the most pristine and isolated reefs of the far north. A preliminary estimate is that 22% of coral has now died, with 85% of these deaths occurring between Cape York and just north of Lizard Island.

Map of the extent of coral bleaching observed on the Great Barrier Reef. GBRMPA/AIMS/Commonwealth Government/Queensland Government

At the height of the bleaching, the Climate Council’s chief executive, Amanda McKenzie, and councillor Tim Flannery visited a reef off Port Douglas that local tour operators have long regarded as one of the best – the quintessential underwater wonderland.

Amanda and Tim reported their shock and anger at what they saw – extensive areas of corals bleached brilliant white (see the Climate Council’s May 2016 report for a summary of the bleaching).

Several months later, the public’s shock and outrage has largely dissipated, but the question remains: are there signs that the reef’s hoped-for recovery is actually happening?

Reef revisited

This week, I joined Tim and Amanda in revisiting the site that had so dismayed them back in April. We were guided by the passionate conservationist John Rumney, who has been diving here for more than 40 years. John’s son-in-law Dean Miller was our videographer, above and below the water.

It was a beautiful day on the reef – calm and sunny. We noted that it was three years to the day since the incoming Abbott government sacked the Climate Commission – which in turn led to the establishment of the ongoing Climate Council.

Wet-suited, we slipped into the water and paddled towards the coral, our progress monitored by a drone buzzing overhead like some giant, demented mosquito.

So what did we find? Structurally, the reef appears intact, but the whole landscape is, well, subdued. While pockets of brilliant blue staghorn remain, much of the coral that bleached earlier this year is dead, the white skeletons filmed over by greenish-brown filamentous algae.

The fish community has also changed. Algae-eating species such as surgeon fish are doing well, but coral-feeders are hardly to be seen – I spotted only a single parrot fish in an hour of snorkelling. Meanwhile, the corals themselves seem to be showing symptoms of white spot and white band diseases, conditions associated with their diminished immune systems after the stress of bleaching.

The mood on the boat after the snorkelling was also subdued. The locals had not visited this particular reef since the height of the bleaching. Having now seen the extent of the coral death that has resulted, they fear this will eventually weaken the structural integrity of the reef, making it susceptible to future damage from storms.

This November’s spawning will hopefully reseed the reef, but our companions on the trip acknowledged that any repeated bleaching within the next few years will greatly reduce the chances of recovery.

As our boat pulled away from the reef, another took its place, full of tourists donning their snorkelling gear. I found myself hoping that most of them were first-timers – unencumbered by memories of the reef’s former glory.

Back in the real world, Australia’s greenhouse emissions continue to rise (by 1.1% in 2014-15) and the government’s current target of reducing emissions 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2030 is manifestly inadequate, even if achieved.

The continued burning of coal, oil and gas is estimated to have made the bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef this year at least 175 times more likely. At present rates of climate change, this level of bleaching could occur every two years by the 2030s. That would make recovery between events virtually impossible.

The forlorn, diminished state of Australia’s greatest natural treasure must continue to serve as a visible warning of what we stand to lose. The new normal is a very sad place to be.

Lesley Hughes is affiliated with WWF-Australia (Board member and member of Eminent Scientist Advisory Group), Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, Climate Council of Australia