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In the 2022 federal election, the "teals" and other independents had their finger on the voter pulse. What are they pushing for in 2025 as cost-of-living flavours energy policy?

The post As the major parties duke it out over energy, here’s what teals and key independents have to say appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Dolphin-watching tour witnesses four adult bottlenose dolphins kill a common dolphin calf in Cardigan Bay

They had been hoping for a nice day out on the bay. Instead, dolphin-watching tourists in Wales were confronted with the shocking and grisly sight of four adult bottlenose dolphins pursuing and killing a common dolphin calf.

The trip, in Cardigan Bay, was operated by Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips and the Sea Watch Foundation (SWF), a charity that monitors the dolphins in the bay to inform and advise on their conservation status and protection.

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Prof Shane Ahyong discovered ‘brutish’ mantis shrimp so unusual it needed its own new genus

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When Prof Shane Ahyong was seven, his mum came home with a bag of prawns from the fish shop – but one of those things was not like the others.

“It just looked different,” said Ahyong.

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Plans to develop a 2GW/20GWh pumped hydro project, that promises to enable nearly 6GW of new renewables capacity, win government backing.

The post Huge 2 gigawatt, 20 GWh pumped hydro proposal wins state government backing appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Weeks of fires amid warm and dry spell have decimated ecosystems and threatened endangered species, say experts

Britain’s national parks have warned of a “catastrophic” risk from wildfires this Easter after one of the driest early spring seasons on record.

Park rangers from the South Downs to the Highlands said the prolonged warm weather and breezy conditions had left large areas extremely dry despite recent rain.

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The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world

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In an exclusive extract from Friederike Otto’s new book, she says climate disasters result from inequality as well as fossil fuel

My research as a climate scientist is in attribution science. Together with my team, I analyse extreme weather events and answer the questions of whether, and to what extent, human-induced climate change has altered their frequency, intensity and duration.

When I first began my research, most scientists claimed that these questions couldn’t be answered. There were technical reasons for this: for a long time, researchers had no weather models capable of mapping all climate-related processes in sufficient detail. But there were other reasons that had less to do with the research itself.

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Thousands go to hospital with respiratory problems after massive dust cloud blows in from Saudi Arabia

Iraq was hit by its most severe sandstorm of 2025 this week, turning skies from blue to an orange haze. Visibility dropped to less than half a mile, causing travel disruptions, with two major airports halting flights, and streets in Basra, the largest city in southern Iraq, deserted. Respiratory problems sent thousands to hospital. The storm also affected Kuwait, where wind gusts exceeded 50mph, and visibility in some areas was diminished to zero.

This massive dust cloud originated in Saudi Arabia before being blown into Iraq. While dust storms are common in Iraq, the climate crisis is expected to intensify them across the region in the future, fuelled by desertification in Saudi Arabia and Syria.

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Online exhibition collects soundscapes from nature reserves and sites such as Machu Picchu and Taj Mahal

The sounds of wind turbines, rare whales and the Amazonian dawn chorus are among the noises being preserved as part of an exhibition of soundscapes found in world heritage sites.

The Sonic Heritage project is a collection of 270 sounds from 68 countries, including from famous Unesco-designated sites such as Machu Picchu and the Taj Mahal, as well as natural landscapes such as the monarch butterfly sanctuary in El Rosario, Mexico and the Colombian Amazon.

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Singaporean developer Aquila has reportedly started work on its long delayed wind project in Tasmania, after a reprieve from the state government.

The post Small Tasmania wind project finally begins construction after long delay and political reprieve appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Washington’s Department of Ecology (ECY) on Thursday detailed its initial considerations related to no-cost allowance allocations for electric utilities under the state’s cap-and-trade programme as it prepares to finalise adjustments by October this year.

The Green Party of Canada would re-establish Canada’s carbon tax, given a chance at the helm, though the group’s co-leader said she hopes to broaden support for climate action beyond its environmental benefits.

A joint statement released by California's governor and lawmakers supported California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices that were dampened after the federal government announced intent to terminate state-level ETS, but overall market sentiment remained wary in the absence of clarity surrounding the future of the scheme.

A pilot project will test whether it is a useful way of fighting climate change.

The Greens propose a suite of election policies to make greenwashing illegal and deliver a “level playing field” for businesses trying to do the right thing.

The post Fossil fuel advertising to get same treatment as tobacco and gambling in Greens policy plan appeared first on RenewEconomy.

California's power sector CO2 emissions in February once again set a record low for the month as the share of renewables increased and the state cut back on the power resources used overall, state data published Thursday showed.

A new research project will assess sugar kelp's ability to improve soil health and crop nutrient efficiency in partnership with a Scottish research institute.

Seven NGOs have lodged a formal complaint with the European watchdog for the so-called ‘omnibus’ proposal for changing sustainability disclosures in areas including biodiversity.

A US-based agtech firm has completed its fourth carbon crop, which more than doubles its post-buffer pool offset supply and brings its total volume of carbon credits issued to nearly 1 million, the company said Wednesday.

Scientists sound the alarm over substances such as arsenic and lead contaminating soils and entering food systems

About one sixth of global cropland is contaminated by toxic heavy metals, researchers have estimated, with as many as 1.4 billion people living in high-risk areas worldwide.

Approximately 14 to 17% of cropland globally – roughly 242m hectares – is contaminated by at least one toxic metal such as arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, nickel or lead, at levels that exceed agricultural and human health safety thresholds.

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