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Crow vending machine skills 'redefine intelligence'

BBC - Fri, 2018-06-29 16:17
An experiment with a "vending machine for crows" is revealing insights into how intelligence evolves, scientists say.
Categories: Around The Web

Norway pledges £12m to global fight against forest crime

The Guardian - Fri, 2018-06-29 16:00

Money will be spent on expanding an Interpol taskforce dedicated to investigating the gangs driving illegal deforestation

The Norwegian government has announced a pledge of 145m kroner (£12m) to help fight forest crime such as illegal tree clearances.

The money will be shared by Interpol, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the Rhipto Norwegian Centre for Global Analyses, which collects data on illegal logging. The funds will allow Interpol to expand its dedicated taskforce from six to 15 detectives.

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Categories: Around The Web

Country diary: my moth trap nets the usual suspects and a rare newcomer

The Guardian - Fri, 2018-06-29 14:30

Lower Benefield, Northamptonshire: The stubby little white specimen turns out to be my first concolorous moth

National Moth Night has inspired me to dust off my moth trap and indulge in a summer pageant of colourful insects. With some disappointment I clock the dropping temperatures and cleared sky with twinkling stars. Not a positive development. Clear, cold nights deter moths from taking to the wing. I consider hanging the trap back up, but decide a small haul of moths would be suitably charming.

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Categories: Around The Web

Reminder - War on Waste 3rd July - QLD's new waste levy & recycling future

Newsletters QLD - Fri, 2018-06-29 14:15
Single-Column Responsive Email Template Event Reminder - War on Waste - Closing the cycle Australians currently produce about 50 million tonnes of waste per year, averaging over 2 tonnes per person and it is continually increasing. This session will look at the waste cycle, the current state of the industry and how we can all help reduce the volume of waste produced. It will also provide insight into the new waste levy in QLD and the impact China's ban on receiving recyclables is likely to have. Waste Reduction – Richard Denniss Richard will deliver an entertaining discussion on how we can reduce waste by distinguishing between consumerism, the love of buying things, which is undeniably harmful to us and the planet, and materialism, the love of things, which can in fact be beneficial. Reuse – Kali Martin Kali will discuss the waste streams that are currently being processed by NuGrow and how they are recycled into beneficial products such as compost and soil conditioners. Case studies will be presented demonstrating NuGrow’s innovative approach to closing the loop between waste and resources to achieve their vision of healthier environments supporting healthier communities. Recycling – Rick Ralph Rick will discuss the facts behind the new waste levy in Queensland and what a new waste strategy should contain and look like. He will also discuss the current state of the recycling industry after China’s ban on receiving recyclable waste and what is needed to secure a sustainable future recycling industry. Is it as bad as it sounds? Anaerobic digestion (AD) for energy recovery from organics – Dr. Gareth Forde and Max Barnes Gareth will talk about how we can generate energy from waste organics and how AD compares to other waste to energy (W2E) options. Implications of the proposed landfill levy will be considered. See the event website for more information. Moment for Action Sign the petition David's Blog Keep up to date by reading David's Blog on the SENG website. Log in using your to post comments or questions. Join the conversation on our LinkedIn group page If you have an idea to share, an issue you would like feedback on, or just want to follow the conversation, click here to join the group. If you can't view this email click here to view online Click here to unsubscribe from this newsletter
Categories: Newsletters QLD

Belectric launches 40MW of battery storage projects in UK, Germany

RenewEconomy - Fri, 2018-06-29 13:34
Germany company commissions three new large-scale battery storage facilities using first and second life auto battery modules.
Categories: Around The Web

Who are the world’s biggest makers of EV batteries?

RenewEconomy - Fri, 2018-06-29 13:30
Tesla and Panasonic take top spot in latest BNEF ranking of tier 1 li-ion battery cell makers. But China's CATL getting most attention.
Categories: Around The Web

Major 200MW + battery solar farm approved in outback South Australia

RenewEconomy - Fri, 2018-06-29 13:21
Work set to begin on Solar River Project after "Australia's biggest" PV farm approved for 220MW solar, 120MWh lithium-ion battery.
Categories: Around The Web

Abbott: Renewables killing coal, just to “make world a bit colder”

RenewEconomy - Fri, 2018-06-29 13:07
Former PM says "obsession" with emissions will damage Australia's economy, for what? Just to save the planet for the grandkids.
Categories: Around The Web

Tesla batteries arrive for world’s first wind-solar-battery project

RenewEconomy - Fri, 2018-06-29 12:31
Tesla batteries arrive on site at company's third big battery project in Australia, and at what will be the world's first grid-connected project combining large scale wind, solar and battery storage.
Categories: Around The Web

How a protein’s secret function could boost solar tech

RenewEconomy - Fri, 2018-06-29 11:47
A new protein discovery by a team of Dutch and South African researchers could help develop new smart solar technologies.
Categories: Around The Web

Birdbrainy: New Caledonian crows make tools using mental images

The Guardian - Fri, 2018-06-29 10:38

Study finds birds have design templates in their minds and may pass them on to future generations

New Caledonian crows use mental pictures to twist twigs into hooks and make other tools, according to a provocative study that suggests the notoriously clever birds pass on successful designs to future generations, a hallmark of culture.

“We find evidence for a specific type of emulation we call mental template matching,” co-author Alex Taylor, director of the Language, Cognition and Culture Lab at the University of Auckland, told AFP.

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Categories: Around The Web

Renewables replaced more than half Hazelwood capacity

RenewEconomy - Fri, 2018-06-29 10:19
AEMO data shows some surprising results on the replacement of Hazelwood, and what happened to wholesale electricity prices.
Categories: Around The Web

Jaguar sets new electric speed record – on water!

RenewEconomy - Fri, 2018-06-29 10:12
Jaguar's pursuit of changing the image of "the old man's car" cars to a leading edge innovator in electric vehicles leads to a new speed record, on water.
Categories: Around The Web

Why scientists are counting seal pups in the Thames Estuary

BBC - Fri, 2018-06-29 10:01
From biologically dead to a haven for wildlife. How the Thames Estuary has become a sanctuary for seals.
Categories: Around The Web

Thames seals being surveyed

BBC - Fri, 2018-06-29 09:39
The Thames was once heavily polluted but seals are back and population surveys are helping guard against threats from disease and dredging.
Categories: Around The Web

CP Daily: Thursday June 28, 2018

Carbon Pulse - Fri, 2018-06-29 09:21
A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.
Categories: Around The Web

NA Markets: California prices nudge higher as RGGI calms following bumper Friday

Carbon Pulse - Fri, 2018-06-29 07:47
US markets were mostly quiet this week as traders looked ahead to the July 4 holiday next Wednesday, though RGGI allowances saw their highest volumes of the year transacted at the end of last week.
Categories: Around The Web

Washington state coalition wins right to put CO2 tax up for public vote

Carbon Pulse - Fri, 2018-06-29 06:36
Washington state campaigners will submit enough signatures to the Secretary of State’s office on Monday to put a CO2 tax on the state’s November ballot, raising hope that voters can overcome years of unsuccessful attempts to put a price on carbon in the US state.
Categories: Around The Web

There are some single-use plastics we truly need. The rest we can live without

The Conversation - Fri, 2018-06-29 05:56
We can safely say goodbye to most single-use plastics. But they do have essential uses in some areas, such as for medical or scientific samples, or storing food for humanitarian aid. Paul Harvey, Researcher of Environmental Science, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

How crows can use a vending machine

BBC - Fri, 2018-06-29 04:29
Watch how Emma the crow creates the currency required to operate a vending machine.
Categories: Around The Web

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