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Wildlife boosted by England’s nature-friendly farming schemes, study finds
Areas where farmers provide good habitats show notable increase in butterflies, bees, bats and breeding birds
Butterflies, bees and bats are among the wildlife being boosted by England’s nature-friendly farming schemes, new government research has found.
Birds were among the chief beneficiaries of the strategy, particularly ones that largely feed on invertebrates. An average of 25% more breeding birds were found in areas with more eco-friendly schemes.
Continue reading...Beijing air pollution study could unlock solution to persistent smog
Particle pollution in China’s capital has fallen by 60% in 10 years, but it remains six times higher than WHO guidelines
Photographs of smog enveloping Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium became one of the defining images of the first decade of this century. China’s annual air pollution deaths reached 2.6 million people a year in 2005. At the time, Beijing was crowned smog capital of the world and concerns for the health of athletes overshadowed preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games.
But rapid improvements followed, with clean-up technologies fitted to coal-burning power stations and industrial plants, followed by their conversion to fossil gas. New vehicles were fitted with tighter emissions controls and fuels were improved.
Continue reading...Biomass power station produced four times emissions of UK coal plant, says report
Drax received £22bn in subsidies despite being UK’s largest emitter in 2023, though company rejects ‘flawed’ research
The Drax power station was responsible for four times more carbon emissions than the UK’s last remaining coal-fired plant last year, despite taking more than £0.5bn in clean-energy subsidies in 2023, according to a report.
The North Yorkshire power plant, which burns wood pellets imported from North America to generate electricity, was revealed as Britain’s single largest carbon emitter in 2023 by a report from the climate thinktank Ember.
Continue reading...“Power on:” Queensland flicks the switch on its first publicly owned big battery
The post “Power on:” Queensland flicks the switch on its first publicly owned big battery appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Victorian government outlines coal to offshore wind pathways for Gippsland
The post Victorian government outlines coal to offshore wind pathways for Gippsland appeared first on RenewEconomy.
California CDR bill faces long road to resolving outstanding question marks
Batteries step in as coal plant trips amid heatwave and near record demand in Texas
The post Batteries step in as coal plant trips amid heatwave and near record demand in Texas appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Canadian partnership to test robotic tree planting for carbon offsets
Canadian offset project financier rakes in $11.2 mln from Rwandan, Vietnamese projects
US DOE gives out $44 mln towards geologic CO2 storage
WCI Markets: CCAs rebound from YTD lows, but continue to trail WCA prices
Liked to death? The social media race for nature photos can trash ecosystems – or trigger rapid extinction
Energy network monopolies are a cost of living nightmare for Bowen
The post Energy network monopolies are a cost of living nightmare for Bowen appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Drax is the UK’s biggest source of carbon despite receiving half a billion in green subsidies -report
Germany may take another 50 years to find final repository for waste from shuttered nuclear power
The post Germany may take another 50 years to find final repository for waste from shuttered nuclear power appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Akaysha breaks ground on new Queensland battery project
The post Akaysha breaks ground on new Queensland battery project appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Clive Hamilton says dreams of a safe climate are ‘wishful thinking’ – but the young and the vulnerable will keep fighting
Peel those apples: washing produce doesn’t remove pesticides, study finds
Another report found pesticide levels posing ‘significant risks’ in 20% of tested fruits and vegetables
A new scientific report lends weight to consumer concerns about pesticide residues on food, presenting fresh evidence that washing fruit before eating does not remove various toxic chemicals commonly used in agriculture.
The paper, published on Wednesday in the American Chemical Society’s journal Nano Letters, comes amid ongoing debate over the extent of pesticide contamination of food, and the potential health risks associated with a steady diet that includes pesticide residues.
Continue reading...July ends 13-month streak of global heat records, but experts warn against relief
Climate scientists say that the world is continuing to warm, despite brief respite in record breaking temperatures
Earth’s string of 13 straight months with a new average heat record came to an end this past July as the natural El Niño climate pattern ebbed, the European climate agency Copernicus announced on Wednesday.
But July 2024’s average heat just missed surpassing last year’s July, and scientists said the end of the record-breaking streak changes nothing about the threat posed by the climate crisis.
Continue reading...The Guardian view on wind energy and the UK: Labour plays catch-up | Editorial
The new government has made a fast start in mobilising Britain’s most obvious natural asset, but big challenges remain
In its pomp during the 1970s, Ardersier port near Inverness was a behemoth of Scottish industry. During the North Sea oil and gas boom, thousands worked on one of the largest rig construction sites in the world. Disused since 2001, the port is making a triumphant comeback, to be reconfigured as a giant hub for the turbines that will harness wind power off the Scottish coast. If Sir Keir Starmer’s government is to achieve its goal of fully decarbonising electricity by 2030, this huge investment project in the Highlands will need to be matched by similar ambition elsewhere.
Wind energy is fundamental to meeting Britain’s net zero commitments, generating growth and reducing energy costs. But under Rishi Sunak, the sector suffered a lost year in 2023, when the government failed to award a single offshore wind contract. In July, the Climate Change Committee estimated that by 2030, the number of annual offshore and onshore wind installations needed to at least triple and double, respectively.
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