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If the first episode of Australia’s climate wars was a tragedy, the second is an expensive and dangerous farce, writes Malcolm Turnbull

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Back in the early years of the climate wars, the opponents of renewables would argue that coal-fired generation was cheaper and, in any event, global warming was a hoax. Those of us who took global warming seriously would argue that the additional cost of renewable energy was worth paying to save the planet.

Fast forward to today and we know that the cheapest form of new generation is wind and, above all, solar PV. The energy sector knows that and has zero interest in building new coal-fired power stations. And Australian families know that too, which is why we have the highest rate of rooftop solar PV in the world.

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It beggars belief that opposition leader Peter Dutton proposes nationalising a nuclear public debt bomb and detonating it at the heart of energy policy in this country. 

The post Nuclear plan is fiscal irresponsibility on an epic scale and rank political opportunism appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The gas power station is supposed to run partially on green hydrogen – if any becomes available to buy.

The post Tallawarra B gas generator finally ready for the grid, just in time for cold snap appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Issuing licences in the North Sea without accounting for environmental impact was unlawful, Oceana UK says

A marine conservation group has initiated legal action against the UK government, claiming the Conservatives’ decision to issue North Sea oil and gas licences without taking into account their impact on the environment was unlawful.

Oceana UK, part of an international conservation organisation, said that in issuing 82 licences, Claire Coutinho, the secretary of state for energy security, and the North Sea Transition Authority, ignored advice from independent government experts about the potential effects on marine protected areas (MPAs).

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The Coalition’s nuclear policy announcement leaves many burning questions. Exactly what kind of reactors will be built? Who will build them? And how much they will cost? John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Temperatures are rising much faster than anticipated. We must respond with the following rapid solutions

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The reality of climate change is well accepted. The newest problem is that it is unfolding faster than anticipated.

The Coalition’s push towards nuclear power may have long-term merit, but it does not address the urgency of the situation in which we now find ourselves.

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The government of a Chinese province has launched a carbon crediting programme for forestry-related projects, urging local emitters to use it to meet their voluntary emissions targets and as part of the province’s contributions towards realising the country’s overall climate ambitions.

The Australian opposition Coalition is proposing to have two nuclear power stations up and running in the country by 2035 and 2037, and seven in operation "before 2050" as part of its climate and energy policy that it will take to the next election.

Dutton unveils nuclear plans, with seven coal sites targeted, a 2035 start date and a whole bunch of lies about blackouts and prices.

The post Divide and squander: Dutton wants seven nuclear power plants, the first by 2035 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The second New Zealand ETS auction for 2024 has declined, due to lack of demand and allowances in the secondary market trading below the auction floor.

Coalition will push ahead with potential sites across Australia, but serious questions remain about viability and cost

Peter Dutton has announced seven potential sites for nuclear power plants including two in Queensland and two proposed small modular reactors but dodged questions about the cost of the Coalition’s nuclear power plan.

A snap Coalition party room meeting on Wednesday heard the opposition will propose that Tarong and Callide in Queensland; Mount Piper and Liddell in New South Wales; Collie in Western Australia; Loy Yang in Victoria; and the Northern power station in South Australia could host nuclear power plants.

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The contaminants have also recently been found in testes and semen amid concerns about falling male fertility

Microplastics have been discovered in penises for the first time, raising questions about a potential role in erectile dysfunction.

The revelation comes after the pollutants were recently detected in testes and semen. Male fertility has fallen in recent decades and more research on potential harm of microplastics to reproduction is imperative, say experts.

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Under a Canadian emissions cap, oil and gas producers would reduce output rather than invest in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), resulting in a C$282 billion ($205 billion) decline in GDP over the next 10 years, according to a report commissioned by the province of Alberta.

An agreement signed between a northwestern British Columbia First Nation and a Vancouver-based project developer will see the generation of voluntary carbon offsets via improvement of 1.1 million hectares (2.7 million acres) of forest, the duo announced Tuesday.

California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), followed by federal incentives for biomass-based fuels production, has spurred renewable diesel (RD) production in the US and consequently transformed the global feedstock trade landscape, according to the country’s Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Two US forest carbon firms have announced the expansion of their successful collaboration into the northeastern region of the US, targeting over 200,000 landowners with forestlands ranging from 40 to 5,000 acres.

NSW to spend $128 million to upgrade roads to support transport of massive wind turbine blades and towers and other equipment to regions.

The post NSW targets road upgrades for wind blades and towers in big $3.5 billion climate and energy spend appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A group of 39 European clean tech innovators, investors, industry associations, researchers and NGOs have joined forces to call on the European Investment Bank (EIB) to ramp up public guarantees for investments in clean technologies ahead of a key board meeting on Friday.

Global study reveals dirty air is second only to malnutrition as cause of death among under-fives

Nearly 2,000 children under five are dying every day from air pollution, which has overtaken poor sanitation and a lack of clean water to become the second biggest health risk factor for young children around the world.

More than 8 million deaths, of children and adults, were caused by air pollution in 2021, according to a new study from the Health Effects Institute (HEI), as both outdoor and indoor pollution continue to take an increasing toll on health.

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A wildlife habitat initiative from the National Audubon Society (Audubon) and a Texas-based grasslands carbon project developer announced Tuesday a partnership to establish a carbon crediting programme for landowners who implement regenerative land management practices.