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As the world’s biggest butterfly count gets underway we’d like to see pictures of what you’ve seen where you are

Butterflies can provide a fleeting moment of beauty as they flutter by in the garden, or even as you go about life in the city, but they are also a key indicator of the way our climate is changing.

Related: Sir David Attenborough urges British public to join butterfly count

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A newly discovered bandy bandy snake species, jumping sweetfish and baby tarantulas in Derbyshire are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world

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Abnormally hot temperatures continue to wreak devastation across northern and central parts of the continent

Farmers across northern and central Europe are facing crop failure and bankruptcy as one of the most intense regional droughts in recent memory strengthens its grip.

States of emergency have been declared in Latvia and Lithuania, while the sun continues to bake Swedish fields that have received only 12% of their normal rainfall.

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Below is a table of the closing prices, ranges and volumes for China's regional pilot carbon markets this week. All prices are in RMB, and volumes in tonnes of CO2e. Data sourced from local exchanges.

It’s an improvement from 100% two years ago, but GOP climate denial is cracking too slowly

Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted on an anti-carbon tax Resolution. The Resolution was introduced by Steve Scalise (R-LA) with essentially the same language as he introduced in 2013 and 2016.

On those past versions, every Republican House member voted against carbon taxes. This time, six Republicans rejected the Resolution and one abstained, voting ‘Present.’ However, 97% of the House Republicans on the floor voted against carbon taxes.

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New Zealand emissions permits extended record high levels again on Friday, with some market participants questioning whether the rally might take prices up to the NZ$25 de-facto price ceiling or even beyond.

A subsidiary of Australian mining major BHP Billiton this week received nearly 240,000 carbon credits for capturing and combusting methane emissions from one of its coal mines in New South Wales.

Australia’s main argument to stick to a modest emissions target under the proposed National Energy Guarantee (NEG) is to avoid electricity price hikes, but wholesale power prices could be 25% cheaper by 2030 with a more ambitious goal, analysts said on Friday.

What should we call a six-wheeled robot going to the Red Planet to look for signs of life?

High-end fashion retailer Burberry has fuelled fiery social-media debate over its decision to burn left-over stock.

A growing taste for al fresco dining is driving record charcoal sales in the UK but is it also fuelling global deforestation and climate change?

Indigenous heritage leaders will become permanent members of the Heritage Chairs and Officials of Australia and New Zealand forum in the wake of a landmark meeting in Darwin. The meeting issued the Darwin Statement, aimed at advancing a shared...

Indigenous heritage leaders will become permanent members of the Heritage Chairs and Officials of Australia and New Zealand forum in the wake of a landmark meeting in Darwin. The meeting issued the Darwin Statement, aimed at advancing a shared...

Industry and consumers have more time to weigh in on how best to "integrate" rooftop solar and battery storage, after a huge response to a consultation paper by AEMO and the ENA.

Aussie taxpayers are staring down the barrel of huge financial losses as a result of climate change risks.

Veteran broadcaster encourages people to take part in Big Butterfly Count and highlights mental health benefits of wildlife

Watching nature provides “precious breathing space” from the stress of modern life, Sir David Attenborough has said, as he urges people to take part in the world’s biggest butterfly count.

While the UK’s butterflies are basking in the best summer conditions in more than a decade, if the hot weather becomes a drought it could be catastrophic for the insects as plants wither and caterpillars starve.

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A year ago, Finkel's modelling was telling us we should keep coal generators operating longer. Now, AEMO is telling us its cheaper to close them and replace with renewables and storage. That's a big step in 12 months, but AEMO could have gone further.

This weekend sees a major youth climate rally in Washington DC. But do young people really hold the key to overcoming climate inaction, or are we wrong to put our faith in their ability to drive change? Marc Hudson, PhD Candidate, Sustainable Consumption Institute, University of Manchester Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Langstone, Hampshire: Crab spiders are ambush predators rather than web-spinners, and bees can often be their unsuspecting victims

I was cutting a bunch of antirrhinums when I noticed a dark shadow inside one of the nose-like flower capsules. When I pinched open the lobed petals, I was surprised to discover an entombed common carder bee. Honeybees often struggle to enter and exit these snap-jawed blooms, as they don’t have enough heft to cause the flower lip to open, but portly bumblebees have no trouble thrusting their bodies into the gullet of the flower and wriggling out backwards, so this pollinator’s demise was something of a mystery.

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The Minerals Council report on market demand for Australian coal not only defies economic logic, it ignores climate risk and its impact on MCA’s business, and the business of its members.