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US-based researchers are calling on conservationists and policy makers to broaden their approach when acting to protect endangered species and limit global biodiversity loss.

Brazilian COP30 President-Designate Andre Correa do Lago on Monday published his first open letter, emphasising forest conservation, pledging to create an advisory body of past COP presidencies, and highlighting the importance of international climate finance reform.

Basalt demonstrated little to no measurable CO2 removal (CDR) in a large-scale greenhouse experiment on enhanced rock weathering (ERW), which tracked the chemical interactions of 17 soils and 14 rock amendments over four years.

Regional voters are often stereotyped so I propose a new demographic category ahead of the election: conservative, uncommitted rural voters with environmental sympathies

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Recently, an arborist operating in my town in remote north-western Australia put out a public statement. He found it necessary, given the number of queries he had received, to explain his reasons for cutting down native vegetation.

It sounds like the start of a joke, but what this contractor’s earnest explanation illustrates is how in tune regional voters can be with their environs.

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They prefer to carry branches in their teeth, like dogs. And when they swim, they hold their front paws to their chests, like a severe governess in a Victorian novel

The heads of beavers, large rodents known for building dams, are their own kind of highly complex dam structure, with various retractable walls that let water in or keep it out. They can close valves in their nostrils and ears and a special membrane over their eyes; their epiglottis, the flap that stops water entering the lungs, is inside their nose instead of their throat; they use their tongue to shield their throats from water; and their lips to shield their mouths – their lips can close behind their front teeth. Their teeth are rust-orange, because they are strengthened with iron.

Their back feet are webbed like a duck’s; on land, their front feet act like hands, digging, grasping and carrying things from the riverbed to the surface – rocks, for example, tucked under their chins and cradled by their arms. When they swim, they do so while holding their front paws to their chests, like a severe governess in a Victorian novel, or a child pretending to be a rabbit. They prefer to carry branches in their teeth, like dogs. The biggest beavers weigh 50kg.

As boats will sometimes lie along the shore,
with part of them on land and part in water,
and just as there [...]

the beaver sets himself when he means war,
so did that squalid beast lie on the margin
of stone that serves as border for the sand.

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Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy, mangrove afforestation, and carbon capture potential, if fully exploited, could address major companies’ long-term mitigation goals in a low-demand scenario under strong assumptions, according to a report published Sunday.

Uzbekistan has released a strategy to attract finance for nature protection and restoration, including plans to establish national frameworks for biodiversity credit and offset markets.

Integrating waste biomass into the fermentation process can make it carbon negative, according to a Belgium-based startup that's developing protein-based biocontrols to protect crops against pests and diseases.

The government says it could help reduce opposition to new projects needed to deliver more clean energy.

An Irish government-backed non-profit has launched a voluntary standard for generating ecosystem certificates from peatland with biodiversity, carbon, and wildfire reduction benefits.

European carbon prices advanced strongly with natural gas on Monday morning after a weekend attack on Ukraine by Russian forces using a gas pipeline indicate that shipments from Russia would not resume in the near term, while the European Commission president reiterated the bloc's pivot away from Russian gas.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed her commitment to the EU’s climate goals for 2030 and 2050 during a press conference on Sunday marking the first 100 days of her new mandate.

Biodiversity is great in theory, but there are reasons to fend off invasive alien species and the knock-on effect of their presence

Britain would be a wasteland if it weren’t for immigration. Fifteen thousand years ago, most of the country was buried a kilometre deep in ice – not ideal conditions for life. That all changed as we moved out of the last ice age into the current, milder climate phase. The ice sheets retreated, leaving an empty landscape for anything with the wherewithal to seize the opportunity and move in. Tens of thousands of species did, mainly heading north from the European continent to which Britain was then joined. The result was a native biota where almost every species is an immigrant. Our ancestors were among them.

Immigration is a natural process, but it’s one that has been fundamentally changed thanks to humanity’s wanderlust. As we’ve moved around the world we have taken many other species along with us – some deliberately, some accidentally – to areas they couldn’t have reached without our assistance. These include many of the most familiar denizens of the British countryside. Grey squirrel, ring-necked parakeet, horse chestnut, rhododendron – none of these would be in Britain if they hadn’t been brought by people. They are what ecologists call aliens. Anywhere people live you’ll also find aliens.

Tim Blackburn is professor of invasion biology at University College London and author of The Jewel Box: How Moths Illuminate Nature’s Hidden Rules

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Pfas are poisoning our soil and polluting our lungs. The EPA is finally sounding the alarm – but that’s not enough

Several years ago, I made a movie called Dark Waters, which told the real-life story of a community in West Virginia poisoned by Pfas “forever chemicals”. DuPont – a chemical manufacturing plant – contaminated the local water supply, killing cows and wildlife, making its workers sick and exposing local residents to toxic chemicals. It was an environmental horror story.

It’s still happening across the country.

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Campaigners say funding halt is a ‘staggering blow’ to vulnerable nations and to efforts to keep heating below 1.5C

Donald Trump’s withdrawal of US overseas aid will almost decimate global climate finance from the developed world, data shows, with potentially devastating impacts on vulnerable nations.

The US was responsible last year for about $8 in every $100 that flowed from the rich world to developing countries, to help them cut greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the impacts of extreme weather, according to data from the analyst organisation Carbon Brief.

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A Brazilian forestry project registered under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) has been upgraded to ‘A’ rating by BeZero Carbon, after the ratings firm reassessed it following new information from the developer.

The damage from ex-Cyclone Alfred could have been so much worse – and we may not be so lucky next time. As the clean up begins, let’s build back better. Cheryl Desha, Visiting Professor, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Sciences Group, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The toxic Tasmanian salmon industry has gone too far this time

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There are a lot of wind and solar projects in the pipeline. Will they be built quickly enough to meet the targets?

The post A break down of new wind and solar projects: When will they blow, and when will they shine? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Coalition senator has long called for Australia to build new coal power plants -- except now he's supposed to be supporting nuclear.

The post Coalition’s Canavan forgets he’s backing nuclear, calls for new coal power as election looms appeared first on RenewEconomy.