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Non-partisan analysis reveals the cost of energy secretary Rick Perry’s proposal to give handouts to some of the country’s oldest and dirtiest power plants

A Trump administration plan to subsidize coal and nuclear energy would cost US taxpayers about $10.6bn a year and prop up some of the oldest and dirtiest power plants in the country, a new analysis has found.

The Department of Energy has proposed that coal and nuclear plants be compensated not only for the electricity they produce but also for the reliability they provide to the grid. The new rule would provide payments to facilities that store fuel on-site for 90 days or more because they are “indispensable for our economic and national security”.

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Some of the 500 species of spiders that live in Wales are found almost nowhere else in the world.

The public consultation period will be open until Wednesday 13 December 2017 however we would also appreciate earlier responses.

Woodwalton Fen, Cambridgeshire One magnificent specimen is a metre-wide rosette of oar-shaped leaves

Storm Brian has eased, but the gusts still rustle the sallow, alder and willow leaves and sway the reeds. The firmament transforms rapidly from broken ashen blankets to a solid leaden layer and then a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. We strike south through a wooded area of the fen, towards the low sun glittering through the trees.

A fallen birch trunk hosts many Fomes fomentarius, a heavy-duty bracket fungus known as the hoof fungus. On the tree’s now vertical root-plate wild lettuce plants grow.

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High Court decision removes Australia's deputy PM, and leaves Turnbull government with a minority government. But what does it mean for clean energy and climate policy?

South Australia electricity prices plunge into negative territory.

Builder of world's first wind, solar and battery storage project in Queensland says renewables will beat even existing coal within a few years, and relying on a coal and gas fired grid in 2030 will make the Australian economy uncompetitive.

Pressure could mount to set a significantly tighter emissions target for the electricity sector – which does not bode well for a climate truce.

A 120MW solar project is being proposed for Glenrowan by ESCO Pacific, and planning approval secured for 30MW project in the Gannawarra Shire.

Kerry Schott says the states and territories will have a degree of flexibility in how they legislate on emissions reduction targets. Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A world-first "solar train", including Kokam batteries and flexible panels supplied by solar pioneer Zhengrong Shi, is about to make its debut in Byron Bay.

Far from being a “solution” to Australia's power sector ills, the NEG, in its current state, raises as many questions as it purports to answer.

Australian vehicles have been accused of creating more emissions than their manufacturers advertise. But are Australian testing standards up to scratch? Zoran Ristovski, Professor, Queensland University of Technology Nic Surawski, Lecturer – Air Quality/Vehicle Emissions, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A dinosaur from China had a "bandit mask" pattern in the feather on its faces, fossil analysis has shown.

The 'world's fastest car' goes through its first public tests ahead of a land speed record attempt.

University of Melbourne paper combines latest understanding on Antarctica and current emissions projection scenarios

Coastal cities around the world could be devastated by 1.3m of sea level rise this century unless coal-generated electricity is virtually eliminated by 2050, according to a new paper that combines the latest understanding of Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise and the latest emissions projection scenarios.

It confirms again that significant sea level rise is inevitable and requires rapid adaptation. But, on a more positive note, the work reveals the majority of that rise – driven by newly recognised processes on Antarctica – could be avoided if the world fulfils its commitment made in Paris to keep global warming to “well below 2C”.

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The winner of the 10th annual environmental photographer of the year competition is Quoc Nguyen Linh Vinh, from Vietnam, for his poignant image of a young girl and her mother, surrounded by filth, danger and pollution, making their living by collecting waste

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Data shows companies made much higher payments to developing countries in 2016 than to Canadian, provincial governments

Canada taxes its oil and gas companies at a fraction of the rate they are taxed abroad, including by countries ranked among the world’s most corrupt, according to an analysis of public data by the Guardian.

The low rate that oil companies pay in Canada represents billions of dollars in potential revenue lost, which an industry expert who looked at the data says is a worrying sign that the country may be “a kind of tax haven for our own companies.”

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The EU currently sets fishing catch limits in order to maintain fish stocks. The WWF is concerned that poor management post-Brexit could result in over-fishing

All of the UK’s fishing fleet should be fitted with electronic monitoring technology after Brexit in order to protect fish stocks from poor management and potentially illegal landings of fish, campaigners have urged.

Remote monitoring technology, including closed circuit television, is now widely available for fishing vessels, but is often not deployed. A study by WWF, the environmental group, has found numerous examples of fishermen obstructing physical monitoring by independent observers.

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Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary says Adani may have requested letter to help secure Chinese funding

Senior Turnbull government ministers have written a formal letter to China’s government to confirm that the controversial Adani Carmichael coal project in Queensland has passed all necessary environmental approvals.

Frances Adamson, the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, told senators on Thursday that Adani may have requested the letter to help it secure funding from the Chinese.

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