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Attorney general’s attempt to end climate protesters’ use of consent defence is slippery slope, says KC

A government attempt to remove one of the last remaining defences for climate protesters would be a slippery slope to the erosion of the constitutional right to trial by jury, the court of appeal was told on Wednesday.

The attorney general, Victoria Prentis KC, is arguing that one of the last available defences being used by environmental protesters should be removed. Prentis is making the appeal in the case of a defendant known as C, after a string of acquittals by juries of defendants for acts of criminal damage involving daubing paint on buildings.

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We are seeing cowardice on a huge scale, so we will ratchet up pressure on MPs. We’ll also seek our own voice in parliament

After two years of civil resistance, Just Stop Oil has made the issue of new oil and gas licences part of the political debate. These consents, which had previously passed almost unnoticed, have now become a major event. The government has responded to the movement by issuing three sets of repressive legislation. That is a response – even if not the one required or demanded. Yet people are still on the streets in defiance.

The Conservative party has spent months raising the profile of Just Stop Oil, and painting the Labour party as its political wing. If only this were true. Still, this means that, ahead of and after the general election, Just Stop Oil is now part of the national political debate.

Sarah Lunnon is a co-founder of Just Stop Oil

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The next European Commission term should unleash “a Juncker plan on steroids” to spur on climate investment, the Commission's top climate official said in Brussels on Wednesday.

Pollution controls have seen mercury emissions plummet - but levels in tuna have remained stable.

Pollution controls have seen mercury emissions plummet - but levels in tuna have remained stable.

Cantor's giant softshell turtle is native to the rivers of south Asia and is critically endangered.

Researchers at RMIT University find a way to replace the electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries with water, an innovation that could remove the fire risk entirely.

The post Australian researchers make water battery breakthrough appeared first on RenewEconomy.

RePlanet is partnering with other companies on five biodiversity credit initiatives around the world that could each generate “$10 million or more", via an impending blockchain process, an executive has estimated.

Three groups familiar with draft conservation laws say they do not go far enough and may allow political influence on development decisions

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New national environment laws being developed by the Albanese government fail to address systemic flaws in the existing system and would continue to allow widespread deforestation, according to three organisations familiar with the plans.

Officials representing the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, have been sharing sections of draft conservation laws to be introduced this year in consultation meetings with conservation, business and other groups.

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Shadow farming minister commits to forging closer relationship with EU as polling shows farmers favour Labour over Tories

Labour has laid out its plans for farming at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) conference, promising to end imports that undercut British farmers and forge a closer trading relationship with the EU.

Making a number of pledges that appearedto commit to properly functioning government rather than radical reform, the shadow farming minister, Daniel Zeichner, promised Labour would make the environmental land management scheme, which pays farmers to green their farms, work properly and take action on flooding.

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Microsoft has signed an offtake agreement for 350,000 tonnes of voluntary Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) credits over six years from an agroforestry project in Kenya - the company's second deal this month.

EU carbon prices stabilised at slightly lower levels on Wednesday morning as the market digested weekly Commitment of Traders data that showed a small change in speculative traders' positions, leaving bulls and bears lacking strong support for their preferred price direction.

The Bezos Earth Fund will pledge $5 million to the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to support its conservation efforts in the Congo Basin, the US-based organisation has announced.

hree major companies have signed a collaboration agreement to build a complete vanadium flow battery manufacturing supply chain in Townsville.

The post Townsville to be home of vanadium flow battery manufacturing appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Rules hailed as once-in-a-generation chance to improve air quality but loopholes will let member states delay by up to a decade

The European Union has agreed to set stricter limits on the toxic particles and dangerous gas that dirty its air, but will not aim for the levels that doctors and economists recommend.

The new rules slash the yearly limits for fine particulates known as PM2.5 – which wreak havoc on the whole body because they are small enough to slip into the bloodstream – from 25 µg/m³ to 10 µg/m³, and for nitrogen dioxide, a gas that hurts the lungs, from 40 µg/m³ to 20 µg/m³.

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Gold Standard has epanded activities under its soil carbon methodology, announcing a new module for zero tillage alongside consultations for cover crops and managed pastures, in what will see the scope of projects eligible for crediting increase.

Taiwanese emitters are likely to enjoy special discounts if they propose Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-aligned emissions reduction plans under the upcoming carbon levy scheme, which could see more clarity by the end of this quarter.

Analysis gives clues as to why butterflies and moths have been resilient through dramatic changes on Earth – and could help with future conservation

The genomes of butterflies and moths have remained largely unchanged for more than 250m years despite their enormous species diversity, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

In the face of rapid environmental changes in the 21st century, the researchers said the analysis gives clues as to how Lepidoptera – the order of winged insects that contains butterflies and moths – have been so resilient throughout dramatic changes on Earth.

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Some of the EU’s biggest polluting sectors say they are on board with cutting the bloc’s emissions by 90% by 2040 but warn it will not happen without the policy and financial incentives to maintain their global competitiveness. 

Australia’s two largest iron ore miners have disparate views on the green transition of the steel industry their commodity supplies, reports released this week showed.