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Europe's Gaia space telescope releases its first batch of data as it builds the most precise map ever made of the night sky.

Water companies warn of the likelihood of more shortages due to climate change and lack of investment in infrastructure

Londoners face a one in five probability of queuing in the street at standpipes for their water for days or weeks during a sweltering summer in the coming 25 years, owing to drought brought about by climate change and a lack of water infrastructure, new data suggests.

As the UK basked in unaccustomed September heat, with temperatures topping 30C on Tuesday, a report commissioned by water companies found that the likelihood of droughts was increasing, while investment in water supplies failed to keep up with likely demand.

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The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will suffer a A$500 million funding cut, after being saved from a far worse fate during negotiations over the government’s proposed budget savings package. So does this mean the ARENA funding glass is half full, or half empty?

The 2014 Abbott/Hockey budget aimed to destroy ARENA altogether. Thankfully it was blocked by Labor, the Greens and the crossbench in the Senate. In March this year the Turnbull government claimed to have saved ARENA but intended to divert most of its funds and prevent it from offering grants. The ALP supported that position before the election.

The government’s omnibus savings bill, which in its original form would have chopped A$1.3 billion from ARENA, would have doomed Australian renewable energy research and development (R&D) – despite our country’s recent pledge “to double government clean energy research and development investment by 2020”.

The Greens and Nick Xenophon Team opposed the cuts to ARENA. Labor compromised with the government, allowing A$500 million to be diverted elsewhere and leaving ARENA with A$800 million over the next five years.

The axe that previously hung over ARENA’s granting process has been lifted. So to answer the earlier question, our glass is now half full, because substantial funding will still flow to renewable energy R&D, this time with bipartisan political backing which hopefully confers greater funding stability. But it is also half empty, because clean energy innovation has taken another huge cut.

International support

Two weeks ago, some 200 Australian solar energy researchers signed a letter of support for ARENA, amid a groundswell of community support for the agency – not just here but from abroad too.

Australian solar energy R&D is held in very high regard within the international community. Nearly 300 overseas scientists, engineers and company executives signed a petition calling on Australia’s parliamentarians not to axe grants for renewable energy research, innovation and education. Many included complimentary comments, such as:

The Australian renewable energy program is an international treasure. It would be a disaster worldwide for the Australian government to end the program. These are world-renowned scientists.

For decades Australian scientists have been world leaders in the critical area of renewable energy research and development … the legacy of Australia’s great scientific contributions must be saved and their future excellent work supported.

The ARENA funding program has helped Australia lead the world in photovoltaics for decades, which enabled the worldwide economic boom from manufacturing and installing solar panels.

The quality of the work done by Australian researchers in this field is outstanding… to cut back on funding for ARENA is to cut back on the future of Australia’s science and Australia’s economy.

I have been involved in solar research for 35 years in the United States. Solar technology, including advances made at UNSW and ANU in Australia, have made [a] great impact on the world’s energy infrastructure.

Australia has some of the finest PV research on the planet and has been an inspiration to us all.

Where next for ARENA?

ARENA’s role is to support a rapid transition to renewable energy. So what should it do with its reduced funding of A$800 million over the coming five years?

Given that energy use accounts for three-quarters of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, with the electricity sector the biggest contributor, the fastest way to make deep cuts to emissions is to accelerate the introduction of renewable energy into the electricity system. This is the route successfully pioneered by the ACT government, which will reach 100% renewable electricity by 2020.

Other important energy goals will be to electrify road vehicles and trains, and to encourage the use of electric heat pumps in place of natural gas for building heating and hot water systems.

Reducing the emissions from other sectors such as shipping, aviation and high-temperature industries will be more difficult. But these sectors are less important in terms of overall emissions, and if we can push ahead with decarbonising electricity, transport and heating, that will give us more time to devise low-cost solutions for these remaining sectors.

It is important for ARENA to provide strong support at the grassroots level; help universities support undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral training as well as research itself. These young people are the future of research, education, engineering and start-up companies.

Consistent grant support for new companies allows entrepreneurship to flourish, encouraging bright people in universities to commercialise their ideas. With the right backing, these people can often cycle back and forth through universities, completing a virtuous circle.

Success stories

Efficient silicon cells have been by far the greatest success story of Australian renewable energy research. With silicon cells now making up 95% of the worldwide solar market and likely to dominate for at least the next decade, improving their efficiency still further should be a prime research focus.

ARENA’s new large-scale solar energy program announced last week represents an outstanding success: A$92 million of ARENA funding has leveraged A$1 billion of investment to construct 0.5 gigawatts of solar farm capacity in three states. Another A$100 million to bring the total capacity to 1GW would give this nascent industry a great start.

Solar PV and wind now constitute virtually all new generation capacity in Australia and half of new generation capacity worldwide. They are being installed at more than 100 times the rate of the other non-hydro renewables because of their lower cost, and are growing much faster.

Soon PV and wind will constitute more than half of annual generation in many states and regions, and so attention has to be paid to managing their variability. Options include detailed integration studies, demand management, mass storage (using both the 99% market leader pumped hydro and the newcomer, batteries), and high voltage powerlines to move energy between regions – all of which will benefit from ARENA support.

It is time for all politicians to recognise that the faster we move to renewable energy, the cheaper it will be to cut emissions and adapt to climate change. ARENA has an important role to play in a rapid and sustained shift to renewable energy – and we look forward to a doubling of ARENA funding before the next election.

Andrew Blakers will be online from 9.30-10am AEST on Thursday September 15. Leave him a question in the comments below.

Andrew Blakers works for the Australian National University, which receives research grants from ARENA.

Richard Corkish is the chief operating officer for the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, which is primarily funded by ARENA.

Plastic wrapping, mobile phones and disposable coffee cups top the list of items people are uncertain about, poll finds

British consumers admit that they are confused about exactly what household waste they can recycle, a new poll reveals, with plastic wrapping, mobile phones and disposable coffee cups at the top of their list.

Frustrated by what they can and can’t recycle, 63% of householders are puzzled that different councils collect waste in different ways - for example, using different colour bins - while 43% say they are not sure which days to put their bins out.

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That both sides of politics came so close to gutting ARENA is of major concern, but it's also an opportunity to reflect on our priorities.

State of Nature reveals the destructive impact of intensive farming, urbanisation and climate change on plants, animals and habitats

More than one in 10 of the UK’s wildlife species are threatened with extinction and the numbers of the nation’s most endangered creatures have plummeted by two-thirds since 1970, according to a major report.

The abundance of all wildlife has also fallen, with one in six animals, birds, fish and plants having been lost, the State of Nature report found.

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The UK is among the most nature-depleted countries in the world, according to a major report from more than 50 conservation groups. More than one in 10 species is threatened with extinction - but some are making a comeback

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Japan's Sakurajima volcano, one of the country's most active, is due for a major eruption within the next 30 years, according to researchers examining new data.

South Australia has been a leader in climate and renewables. Will it sacrifice its clean and progressive image on the altar of expediency?

Wenlock Edge What determines that moment when they can stay no longer, when, come hell or high water, it’s time to go?

Like clothes pegs on a washing line the swallows are still, perching on the electricity cables. For once, since they arrived in spring, they have to stop, even in daylight. What they are pegging on the line between them is an invisible sheet, a map of their endless journey, north and south.

They pause. Seconds ago they were skimming at breakneck speed inches above the grass, the slightest error likely to be their last. Yet the excitement seems to embolden them, to give them heart.

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New community solar investment round to be launched in NSW, with aim of installing 1MW of solar on homes and businesses in the state's north-west slopes region.

A farm near Busselton WA has installed a 100kWh vanadium redox flow battery with solar to avoid paying for a new connection to the grid.

A coalition of 25 prominent members of US national security community warn that higher temperatures and rising seas will inundate bases and fuel conflict

A coalition of 25 military and national security experts, including former advisers to Ronald Reagan and George W Bush, has warned that climate change poses a “significant risk to US national security and international security” that requires more attention from the US federal government.

The prominent members of the US national security community warned that warming temperatures and rising seas will increasingly inundate military bases and fuel international conflict and mass migration, leading to “significant and direct risks to US military readiness, operations and strategy”.

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This year a controversial motion was debated regarding incorporating the language and mechanisms of “natural capital” into IUCN policy.

1500 Vdc Central Inverter released be Ingeteam achieves UL1741 compliance.

Alice Springs is the capital of Australia’s Red Centre, and the perfect base for exploring the vast, rich expanse at the heart of this country. The town sits at the foot of a long mountain range, along the edge of the - usually dry - Todd River. Keep an eye on it if there’s rain - as the tale goes, you’re a local once you’ve seen it flow three times. Self-driving is the best way to visit this region

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Australia’s northernmost capital city is closer to Singapore than Sydney, and a visit to Darwin is a heady mix of Southeast Asia and quintessential Australia. Steamy tropical weather, fascinating military and colonial history, and the friendly, multicultural community make this a holiday far from home

9am

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Vattenfall's record breaking bid for two offshore wind farms, RWE splits in half and new milestones for solar.

Tony would be proud. To mark the anniversary of his coronation, Malcolm Turnbull has knee-capped the agency that eluded Abbott's toe-cutters. The story behind the deal to strip ARENA of $500m highlights the nasty nature of Australian climate and clean energy politics.

Insights into the data behind the football industry, both real and simulated, from the brains behind Football Manager.