Feed aggregator

Sandy, Bedfordshire Up in the crown of the tree, a mistle thrush gave a rattling call, as if exerting its planter’s rights

Under the unkind umbrella of a spreading oak, a stunted horse chestnut tree had received a white feather. Dropped from a dove, it had landed on a big brown bud as sticky as a toffee apple. The winter elements had then set to work, soaking and battering the kiss-curl of down into limpness, laying it out in the bud’s protective goo and soiling it with dust, seeds and shards of leaves. But still the feather refused to dim its light.

This tree had caught not one falling star but two. I spotted another white feather at waist height, glued fast to another terminal bud. The chances of one feather snagging must have been small. The chances of two…

Continue reading...

Regulator finally approves demand management incentive scheme, encouraging networks to invest in battery storage and micro-grids, rather than poles and wires. Had it come a decade earlier, it might have negated the climate and energy wars.

The results of the federal government’s latest Emissions Reduction Fund auction have been released, revealing the purchase of nearly 8 million tonnes of carbon abatement for $104 million.

The last decade saw climate space occupied by activists, scientists, denialists and fossil fuel companies, but investors looking to de-risk portfolios will set stage for a very different 2018 and beyond.

Origin Energy locks in "science-based" target of 50% emissions reduction by 2032. Critics note this is also when its last, ageing coal plant is due to shut.

For those whose cars rarely leave suburbia, but who suffer from range anxiety – Nullarbor crossing in an electric vehicle can be done, has been done, and will continue to be done.

Tesla big battery discharges at full capacity - 100MW - for first time as world's largest lithium ion battery continues shake-down of capabilities.

Scientists established how much rain fell by measuring how much the Earth compressed during the storm.

Scientists stitch together decades of survey data to reveal a hidden world of mountains and canyons.

New Queensland study based on a series of home battery storage trials gives some insight into what can make batteries interesting for households, what might motivate them, and how the network might use these assets into the future.

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high-performance solar power products, today announces the output power of its 60-cell PV modules assembled by mono-Si PERC cells has exceeded 325W.

A new fossil is shedding light on the marine reptiles that swam at the time of the dinosaurs.

There is enough food for everyone, says Chrissie Hynde – if everyone takes only their fair share and stops eating animals. Others suggest improving farming production methods, tackling population growth and taxing meat

Although I strongly agree with and appreciate George Monbiot’s efforts to shed light on the destructive nature of industrialised farming and its effects on animals and environment (We can’t go on eating like this, 11 December), I do not see the wisdom of tarring the entire farming community with the same brush.

Small family farms, where the profits are just enough to sustain the running of the farm, actually replenish the environment and provide for local communities. A non-slaughter farm is humane, realistic and beneficial all around. We need farmers. There is enough food for everyone if everyone takes only their fair share and stops killing and eating the animals.

Continue reading...

We already know that climate change makes heatwaves hotter and longer. But a new series of research papers asks whether there is also a climate fingerprint on frosty spells and bouts of wet weather. Pandora Hope, Senior research scientist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Andrew King, Climate Extremes Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Eun-Pa Lim, Senior research scientist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Michael Grose, Climate Projections Scientist, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The 2016 bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef was the worst on record. Now a new analysis points the finger squarely at human-induced warming, and warns that the entire reef's future is at stake. Sophie Lewis, Research fellow, Australian National University Jennie Mallela, Research Fellow in Coral Reef Monitoring and Reef Health Appraisal, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A last-ditch effort to save the world's rarest marine mammal from extinction has been launched.

Charity accuses UK supermarkets of misleading customers with fake farm branding and claims Tesco is damaging the reputation of a real farm with the same name

Major UK supermarkets including Tesco, Aldi, Asda and Lidl are being urged to stop using controversial “fake farm” branding on own-brand meat products, with a food charity claiming they are misleading shoppers.

The Feedback charity is backing the owner of a genuine farm called Woodside Farm – a name Tesco has also used on its value pork range since 2016 – and is threatening legal proceedings if the retail giant does not drop the name Woodside Farms.

Continue reading...

Scottish Fishermen’s Federation says this year’s common fisheries policy deal reveals ‘simmering resentment’ of EU member states due to Brexit

Scottish fishermen have raised concerns that the EU is adopting a hardline stance over quotas as a prelude to Brexit negotiations.

Annual negotiations over fishing quotas – expected to be the penultimate talks the UK participates in before leaving the EU – were concluded in Brussels early on Wednesday.

Continue reading...

As America is battered by climate-intensified weather disasters, Republican politicians are trying to slash climate research funding

The United States is great in many respects. But we certainly aren’t perfect; we’ve made some pretty silly choices. One of the dumb choices politicians in the United States want to make is to defund climate science so we wont be able to prepare for increased disasters in the future. We can see how shortsighted this in when compared alongside with the costs of disasters.

Just think about the respective magnitudes. Estimates put the costs of the three big 2017 hurricanes (Harvey, Irma, and Maria) at approximately $200 billion. It is somewhat challenging to estimate the actual cost because not only is there rebuilding that must occur, but there are also lingering damages from loss of power, dislocation of people, and other long-lasting factors. Some reports estimate that the damage may end up being as high as $300 billion – a staggering amount.

Continue reading...

Neonicotinoids, banned on flowering crops, were found in nearly all rivers tested, increasing concerns over their impact on fish and birds

Rivers in England are contaminated with powerful insecticides, new testing has revealed, increasing concerns over the impact of the toxic chemicals on fish and birds.

Neonicotinoids were banned from use on flowering crops in the European Union in 2013 due to the harm they cause to bees and other vital pollinators. Following even more evidence of harm, an EU vote to extend the ban to all outdoor uses is expected soon.

Continue reading...