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Australia will join other countries at Cop29 to discuss the escalating climate crisis, but some political and scientific leaders have been talking about it for decades

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Half a century ago, Richard Gun stood on the floor of parliament and became the first known Australian political figure to warn about the “sinister” threat posed by climate change. Todayhis maiden speech is a distant memory.

“I never thought of myself as the first politician to issue a warning about climate change,” he says. “At the time it seemed to me an existential threat to our civilisation and it seemed like a sufficiently important issue to mention.

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The lesson of his first term is that he does what he says he is going to do: the UK must prepare

Wednesday 9 November 2016: a misty, drizzly day in Washington DC, an overwhelmingly Democrat city in trauma after the shock victory of Donald Trump in the election the previous day. A Washington rarity, a declared Trump supporter, was among a group of guests for lunch in the residence that day. I took him aside and asked whether Trump would be as radical and disruptive as the giants of American political journalism were predicting. “Not at all,” he said: “I know the guy. All that red meat was just for the campaign. I expect him to govern as a mainstream Republican.”

Fast forward to London, Wednesday 6 November 2024. I’m speaking at a business dinner about the election outcome and what will come next. I mention Trump’s commitment to levy 20% tariffs on all imports into America. One participant says he has just spoken to a friend in Arizona who knows Trump personally. This friend has said: “It’s not about instant action. Trump will use the tariffs as a threat, to persuade countries to act to get trade flows into balance.” Another participant says: “Trump has won his second term now. So he doesn’t need to fight any more. Surely he’ll calm down and focus on his legacy?”

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After Donald Trump’s victory, brute force will prevail over geopolitics as authoritarians are appeased from Russia to Israel to China

Feelings are not the usual focus of a world dominated by macho strongmen, complex geopolitical challenges, wars and disasters. Yet every rule has exceptions. Following Donald Trump’s unexpectedly decisive US election victory, dark storm clouds seeded with powerful emotions overshadow the international landscape.

Feelings of shock and anger that this lying conman again seduced enough voters to win the presidency roil America’s friends and allies. There is incredulity that so very many people collaborated in their own seduction. And there is puzzlement at exit polls that show 45% of female voters backed a serial sexual predator while Latino and black men helped a shameless racist to prevail.

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Landscape and architecture photographer Vincenzo Pagliuca was always fascinated by the empty, isolated houses scattered around the Campania region of southern Italy where he grew up. Since 2016 he has travelled along the Apennine mountain range that runs almost the length of the country, photographing uninhabited rural houses and abandoned holiday homes linked to ski tourism – now unused due to lack of snow. These images, collected in the book Mónos, were shot during the winter months to capture the particular quality of the light. “A house immersed in a winter landscape, even more so in its isolated state, evokes an ancestral sense of shelter and protection,” says Pagliuca. “It becomes an archetypal image of intimacy, inviting us to reflect on the psychological significance of home for human beings.”

• Vincenzo Pagliuca’s Mónos is published by Hartmann Books (£28). To order a copy for £25.20 go to guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

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The Northern Taurids are at their peak on 11-12 November - but will the clouds part to let us see them?

German technology firm Pyreg, which specialises in carbonising organic waste into biochar and renewable energy, is set to make its debut in Australia through a collaboration with the North West Hub Alliance, an infrastructure group involving John Holland, KBR, and Stantec.

Gabriel Kay hopes his design can help tackle the problems caused by discarded electrical goods

Gabriel Kay really understands his target audience. As a student of industrial and product design at De Montfort University, he focused on the kettle.

“Everyone can relate to a kettle, right?” says the 22-year-old graduate. “It’s easy to understand and associated with comfort. It’s a friendly introduction to design.”

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Members of California’s ARB approved the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) programme changes on Friday after hearing hours of public testimony, followed by several hours of debate, and a failed motion that sought to tighten provisions for avoided methane crediting.

Britain's oldest satellite is in the wrong part of the sky, but no-one's really sure who moved it.

Traders continue to build V25 California Carbon Allowance (CCA) open interest (OI), reducing V24 exposure over the last week, while also trimming Washington Carbon Allowance (WCA) net length ahead of a key programme repeal vote, according to data released Friday from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

Wind and solar set a new instantaneous record share of 93.7 per cent of the state grid with the biggest coal fleet.

The post Wind and solar take record 93.7 per cent share of Australia’s biggest coal grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The next climate finance commitment needs to address structural problems with the global borrowing framework in order to reduce the cost of capital for developing nations looking to attract investment for clean energy and climate adaptation projects, experts said Friday.

The European Parliament is sending a delegation of 15 lawmakers to the COP29 UN climate summit in Azerbaijan, with the intention to act as a "watchdog" in the negotiations involving EU member states and the European Commission, MEPs said.

The new president’s disruptive policies will challenge Sir Keir Starmer’s green goals. But with strong leadership he could enhance Britain’s global influence

Donald Trump’s electoral earthquake in America will complicate Sir Keir Starmer’s plans. Nowhere will the shock of Mr Trump’s win be more intensely felt than in environmental policy. His stance on climate – advocating a US exit from the Paris climate agreement and rallying behind “drill baby drill” – is more disruptive than constructive. This should concentrate Sir Keir’s mind as he heads to Cop29, the UN’s annual climate summit, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

At last year’s conference, world leaders agreed to “transition away” from fossil fuels in a just and orderly manner for the first time. Mr Trump, however, dismisses the climate crisis as a hoax. With this year likely to be the hottest on record, the devastating effects of global heating are undeniable, as extreme weather batters the planet. Mr Trump may ignore the facts, but the trail of climate-related chaos and destruction speaks for itself.

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Most recent fatality marks 17th beluga to die at Niagara Falls, Ontario, aquarium since 2019

A fifth beluga has died at Canada’s Marineland, as questions mount over the future of both the controversial theme park and one of the world’s largest populations of captive whales.

The most recent fatality marks the 17th beluga to die at the Niagara Falls aquarium since 2019.

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Soaring coal capacity in Indonesia is threatening the country’s efforts to drive down emissions, a report published on Friday has found.

India’s current climate policies are already helping bend its long-term emissions curve and will contribute to the world’s third-biggest emitter reducing its GHG output by almost 4 billion tonnes of CO2e by the end of this decade, research published this week has found.

A Canadian materials producer this month announced nearly $23.8 million in investments to test a novel carbon capture technology at one of its paper mills.

Investment in cutting emissions from the US land sector, specifically targeting both forestry and agriculture, could see significant annual results based on a carbon price range of $30-60/tonne, a new study has estimated, while calling for a balanced focus and warning of diminishing returns.

For a building’s environmental footprint to be properly factored into its value, the industry needs to galvanise around a single data point, with carbon use intensity a likely forerunner, according to industry experts.