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The company says Donald Trump is exceeding the powers of his office by enacting the largest removal of protection from federal lands in history

A trail run that began years ago in the desert of Utah has brought outdoor retailer Patagonia to an unexpected – and considerably less scenic – crossroads, at a federal courthouse in Washington DC.

Related: Trump slashes size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments in Utah

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Brush turkeys are often the last holdouts against gentrification. But they still face peril in urban environments and researchers are enlisting citizen scientists to understand how they can better survive

It’s hard not to look at the brush turkey as the avian archetype of the Aussie battler – persisting and thriving, even though the odds are stacked against it. These birds’ work ethic in the face of almost impossible living conditions, environmental hardship and sometimes outright hostility is truly something to behold.

And without diminishing the likely (and deserved) victory of the majestic white ibis in this year’s Bird of the Year poll, it must be said that this year there has also been a lot of talk about – and love and loathing aimed at – the Australian brush turkey.

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UK government study finds electricity would be nearly a third pricier than it would from plants such as Hinkley Point C

Electricity from the first mini nuclear power stations in Britain would be likely to be more expensive than from large atomic plants such as Hinkley Point C, according to a government study.

Power from small modular reactors (SMRs) would cost nearly one-third more than conventional large ones in 2031, the report found, because of reduced economies of scale and the costs of deploying first-of-a-kind technology.

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The remains of the extinct sea creature include an early form of the eye seen in many of today's animals.

Dr Julian Hume draws extinct animals with scientific accuracy

There was not a lot of love for the ibis on the red carpet for the 2017 Aacta awards in Sydney on Wednesday. Nominees were asked to cast their votes in the Australian bird of the year poll – and passions ran high.
• Lion blitzes Aacta awards as Russell Crowe comments cut from broadcast

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Chinese restrictions from January will hit UK recycling efforts and risk plastic waste being stockpiled or ending up in landfill, warn industry leaders

A ban on imports of millions of tonnes of plastic waste by the Chinese government from January could see an end to collection of some plastic in the UK and increase the risk of environmental pollution, according to key figures in the industry.

Recycling companies say the imminent restrictions by China – the world’s biggest market for household waste – will pose big challenges to the UK’s efforts to recycle more plastic.

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Bishop Auckland, Durham Gnarled, leafless branches reach out like those menacing trees in Arthur Rackham’s fairytale illustrations

The flow of Coundon burn is constricted by farmland and by a tunnel under a road and disused railway embankment for much of its course, but once inside Auckland park it remains free to meander for the final half-mile before joining the river Gaunless, close to its confluence with the Wear.

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ANU's Andrew Blakers says switching Australia to 100% solar, wind, pumped hydro energy storage would cut water use by a factor of four.

AusNet and Deakin Uni to build solar and storage micro-grid on Geelong campus, to act as R&D for similar projects.

Mornington Peninsula Shire were joined by representatives from electricity network provider United Energy and technology company GreenSync to officially launch the Community Grid Project at the Eco Living Display Centre, at the Briars in Mount Martha.

Following recent enforcement action against one of Australia’s largest solar retailers, the Clean Energy Regulator has taken enforcement action against one of the largest registered agents, Emerging Energy Solutions Group Pty Ltd.

West Australia's regional utility Horizon Power has become the first major Australian utility to embrace the concept of "base-cost renewables", recognising that the plunging cost of solar and wind is set to turn traditional theories of energy supply on their head.

Acciona Energy is about to take delivery of critical components for its 132 MW under-construction wind farm at Mt Gellibrand in Victoria.

Over its first year, the Trump administration has taken extreme steps to unravel progress on U.S. climate action domestically.

The popular NEM-Watch facility now includes the Tesla big battery, state demand levels and "hidden demand" from rooftop solar PV.

The Trump tax bill will devastate the renewable industry and jobs, while incentivising automation, and the manufacture of polluting, unprofitable robots.

A new report from the Rocky Mountain Institute lists 22 policies that could help get the job done.

The annual calendar features stunning shots of the red-tailed black cockatoo and the red-capped robin, as well as the shy and unobtrusive painted button-quail, and the crested shrike-tit, which is heard more often than it’s seen

• Vote for Australia bird of the year 2017

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Low flows in the Murray River in recent years have harmed tiny marine plants called phytoplankton, with consequences for local marine species and management. Hannah Auricht, PhD candidate, University of Adelaide Kenneth Clarke, Researcher, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.