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Largest study of ocean DNA reveals abundance of fungi thriving in extreme environment of the deep sea

Large numbers of fungi have been found living in the twilight zone of the ocean, and could unlock the door to new drugs that may match the power of penicillin.

The largest ever study of ocean DNA, published by the journal Frontiers in Science, has revealed intriguing secrets about the abundance of fungi in the part of the ocean that is just beyond the reach of sunlight. At between 200 metres and 1,000 metres below the surface, the twilight zone is home to a variety of organisms and animals, including specially adapted fish such as lantern sharks and kitefin sharks, which have huge eyes and glowing, bioluminescent skin.

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An initiative announced by two carbon fintecth firms at the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos aims to attract $100 billion in capital market investments into 'high-integrity' carbon credits to help address the multi-trillion dollar annual climate financing gap.

The UK's deer population is at its highest level for 1,000 years, and is growing exponentially. Now at roughly 2 million animals, the UK’s deer stalkers need to cull at least 750,000 animals a year just for the population to stand still. There are also more food banks in the UK than ever. As the need for food grows, donations, especially those containing protein, become harder to find. 
To combat these two problems, the Wild Venison Project has created a supply chain from deer stalkers all over the country to food banks that need protein-rich donations. The Guardian environment correspondent Damien Gayle follows the process from forest to food bank, to see if venison could provide an answer to Britain’s food shortage.

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The world needs better economic incentives and clear policy direction to ramp up biodiversity finance and deploy nature measurement technology at a scale not seen before, a major investment bank has said.

A coalition led by the digital arm of a major real estate developer in China has released the country's first emission reduction standard for public buildings.

An Indian carbon offset project developer has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a state autonomous industrial body to develop mitigation projects across the South Asian country under domestic as well as international voluntary and compliance carbon markets.

An auditing body within Australia’s government has found more work needs to be done to quantify the government's work in reducing its emissions per the commitments it made in 2022.

A state-owned agricultural company in Taiwan has decided to tap into the carbon farming sector, as the government seeks to assess the potential of soil carbon across the island as part of a national climate strategy.

Australian gas company Santos’ Barossa project is expected to have a significant impact on medium- term Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCU) supply and demand dynamics, given that it will be unlikely to get its CCS element up and running until the late 2020s or the 2030s, according to analysts.

Installation of solar panels and heat pumps in UK homes soared in 2023, driving the country to its highest-ever level of domestic low-carbon technology upgrades.

The post Surge in heat pumps and rooftop solar drives record uptake for UK homes appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A farmer on the Gold Coast has captured video of fire ants forming floating rafts to survive flood waters in south-east Queensland. The footage was sent to Reece Pianta of the Invasive Species Council, who says the red imported fire ants (Rifa) only make rafts when they reach a certain density. The footage indicates there's been a surge in the population of the ants, which have infested about 700,000 hectares in Brisbane. "The concern we have is that if Rifa are floating on flood waters to lower-lying areas. They don't just inundate farmlands but wetlands and coastal habitats." Pianta says the rafting behaviour underlines the importance of properly funding the ant's eradication

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• Fire ants form rafts to survive Queensland flood waters as experts warn of surge

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As the Coalition goes nuclear in its opposition to solar and wind, data modelling 100% renewables on Australia's NEM reminds us why SMRs are not part of the picture.

The post Fossil lobby claims voters want nuclear. Grid simulation shows it’s the last thing Australia needs appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Invasive Species Council says rare rafting behaviour seen on cane farms south of Brisbane

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Fire ants are forming rafts to survive and travel on flood waters in south-east Queensland, with experts warning the wild weather may accelerate the spread of one of the world’s most invasive species.

After storms ravaged the region over Christmas and new year, Reece Pianta of the Invasive Species Council urged the community to be extra vigilant since red imported fire ants (Rifa) were filmed rafting on flood waters.

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The stockpile of privately held NZUs has fallen by some 900,000 units as speculators decrease their holdings of units, according to government figures.

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The world's biggest iceberg, A23a, is experiencing rapid decay as it moves through the Southern Ocean.

Wind turbines from two of Western Australia's first commercial wind farms are being repurposed at new sites or donated for research.

The post Decommissioned wind farm sends old turbines to school, others back to work appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Quebec’s initial free allowance distribution for 2024 regressed slightly from the previous year, even as the number of industrial cap-and-trade emitters receiving allocation increased, according to data published Monday by the province's environmental ministry.

EV market analyst says Australia’s charging network is now growing at a faster rate than the EV fleet

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Electric vehicle charging sites will double in Australia again over the coming year, according to a new report, on top of record-breaking growth over the past 12 months.

The analysis, released by consulting firm Next System, found the number of car-charging sites surged by 90% in Australia during 2023.

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Sometimes when taking these actions, however, carbon storage is prioritised at the expense of biodiversity. But that need not be the case. Patrick O'Connor, Associate Professor, University of Adelaide Anthelia Bond, Research Fellow, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.