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A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

American Progress has an immediate opening for a Director of International Climate Policy. The Director of International Climate Policy will lead the Energy and Environment team’s work to develop and execute a program to support the framework of the Paris climate agreement and engage state and local governments, tribes, universities, and other subnational actors in climate diplomacy.

New research disputes a theory that early humans helped wipe out many large mammals that once roamed Africa.

Federal Labor has promised to give rebates of up to $2,000 to 100,000 households to install batteries to store power from solar panels. Is this good energy policy, or just middle-class welfare? Guy Dundas, Energy Fellow, Grattan Institute Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

High court orders government to get prior community consent before granting mining rights in Pondoland

Environmental activists in South Africa have won a landmark legal victory after the high court ordered the government to get prior community consent before granting mining rights.

The judgment represents a major victory for campaigners in Xolobeni, a community in Pondoland, who have been involved in a protracted and sometimes violent struggle against a proposed titanium mine.

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The German government will seek to postpone publication of the final report of its coal exit commission until January amid opposition, according to media reports.

Western Australian Browse project could emit more than 200m tonnes of CO2

Oil and gas giant Woodside Petroleum has applied for environmental approval to build one of Australia’s biggest emitting industrial developments – a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant 425km north of Broome – without a plan to reduce or offset its greenhouse gas pollution.

Documents submitted to the federal government for the long-mooted $28bn Browse LNG project show the offshore part of the development alone is expected to emit up to 200m tonnes of carbon dioxide over 50 years, peaking at 7m tonnes a year.

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Marine biologist who pioneered research into the conservation of coral reefs

Ruth Gates, who has died aged 56 of complications following an operation, pioneered research into the breeding of “super corals” that are able to withstand rising sea temperatures resulting from global warming. Her work examined the traits that make some corals better survivors than others – with the aim of reinforcing those traits through selective breeding and then transplanting the more resilient corals on to damaged reefs. “I have watched some reefs disintegrate before my eyes,” she said in 2016. “I just can’t bear the idea that future generations may not experience a coral reef. The mission is to start solving the problem, not just to study it.”

Much of Ruth’s work was based at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, where she had been director since 2015. Conducted with Madeleine van Oppen of the Australian Institute of Marine Science, her experiments were intricate and time-consuming, involving the collection of temperature-tolerant coral colonies from the field. Those individuals that did not bleach during natural bleaching events – when sea temperatures were high – then had their reproductive products collected in the laboratory after spawning. The offspring were raised and tested for improved temperature tolerance.

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Self-styled 'Resource Goddess' Cat Fletcher is paid to comb abandoned office buildings for items that can be re-used rather than discarded.

European carbon prices rose to a six-week high on Thursday, ahead of a reduction in new supply and the first auction-free day in over two months.

The ritual burial could be linked to a huge previously undiscovered Iron Age settlement.

Photographer Ami Vitale’s images of six nature art installations around the world aim to spread good news about efforts to protect the environment. The project was carried out in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme

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Renewable power “pod” combining solar, battery storage and a generator to be trialled on a north-west Queensland farm, in bid to offer rural customers more reliable, affordable electricity.

The post Queensland trial to power a remote farm with solar and battery “pod” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Nissan Leaf wins 'Green Innovation' award – a milestone for Nissan in gaining recognition for its popular EV in Australia.

The post Nissan Leaf wins top Australian award for added range, vehicle-to-grid technology appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Recent announcements herald the end of the AC plug war in Australia, as well as potentially signalling the ending of the DC one too.

The post Tesla picks a side in the Australian electric vehicle plug war appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The gases that are driving up temperatures reached a new high in 2017 with no sign of a reversal in the trend.

Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are far above pre-industrial levels

The main greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change have all reached record levels, the UN’s meteorology experts have reported.

Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are now far above pre-industrial levels, with no sign of a reversal of the upward trend, a World Meteorological Organization report says.

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Katherine Murphy from Guardian Australia discusses stripping terrorists of their citizenship, and the ALP backing batteries and renewables.

The Grattan Institute's Tony Wood and Sarah McNamara from the Australian Energy Council discuss Labor's proposed energy policy and the Coalition's attempts to pass energy company divestiture laws.

Trade deal would open door to meat containing banned growth promoters, from pigs kept in conditions banned in UK, industry leaders warn

The US meat lobby is “salivating” at the prospect of flooding the UK with bacon and pork produced using practices that would currently be illegal in the UK, a top food expert has warned.

Gestation crates and the chemical growth hormone ractopamine – both banned in the UK – are regularly used in the US pig industry, which achieves the lowest costs of production in the world. Any future trade deal which includes accepting US pork could potentially have a disastrous impact on the UK’s pig industry as well as diluting our welfare standards, say both industry and campaigners.

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