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Battery project involving 75,000 litres of sulphuric acid will allow Scottish island to store wind power it cannot transmit

The Scottish island of Gigha is to be the focus of a £2.5m experiment aimed at solving a major technological problem: how to store energy generated by wind, tide and wave power plants. The project, which will involve building giant batteries containing 75,000 litres of sulphuric acid mixed with vanadium pentoxide, is intended to allow power generated by the island's wind turbines to be stored for later use.

At present, while Gigha's turbines are running, their power is used to run households on the island and excess is transmitted by cable to the mainland electricity grid. When winds are low, and Gigha's turbines do not turn, the grid feeds power to the island. But the cable link has an upper power limit. As a result, much of the island's excess power cannot be transmitted to the mainland and is wasted. The battery project, backed by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, is intended to get round this problem.

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Release of CSIRO report - Sampling soil organic carbon to detect change over time

The Department is currently seeking public comment on a draft assessment bilateral agreement with the State of Queensland. The draft bilateral agreement is intended to be an amendment of the existing bilateral agreement.

In this issue - Parliamentary Secretary visits Murray-Darling Basin Communities, Environmental watering to benefit native fish, Funding for new scheme in Tasmania, Nimmie-Caira Environmental Water Delivery Project update, Farm Modernisation project for Victoria

In this issue - Parliamentary Secretary visits Murray-Darling Basin Communities, Environmental watering to benefit native fish, Funding for new scheme in Tasmania, Nimmie-Caira Environmental Water Delivery Project update, Farm Modernisation project for Victoria

As winter approaches, polar bears in sub-arctic Canada begin to migrate off the tundra and head out onto the ice for the winter, where they can hunt for seals. However, climate change is delaying freeze-up, keeping the bears out on the tundra for longer – away from their main food source. US environment correspondent Suzanne Goldenberg talks to polar scientists ahead of a live Q&A from Churchill, Manitoba Continue reading...

Extremely rare sighting raises hopes that larger mammals are more able to survive in logged areas than previously thought

One of the world's most elusive wild cats has been captured on camera in a heavily logged area of Borneo rainforest together with four other endangered species, suggesting that some wildlife can survive in highly disturbed forests.

The Bornean bay cat (Pardofelis badia) has been recorded on camera traps on just a handful of occasions to date and was only photographed in the wild for the first time in southern Sarawak in 2003. The cat, extremely secretive and similar in size to a large domestic cat with a long tail and either a reddish or grey coat, had been classified as extinct until new images taken in Malaysian Borneo in 2009 and 2010 gave fresh hope for its survival.

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• Rapid expansion needed to meet Chinese demand by 2020
• Concern that new strict eco standards may be compromised

The Scottish salmon farming industry is struggling to meet a controversial target to rapidly increase production to help feed China's growing appetite for fresh and smoked salmon.

The Guardian has established that Scottish salmon producers have fallen way behind their goal of increasing production by 60,000 tonnes, or 50%, by 2020 to help meet surging demand for the fish from China's middle classes. Scottish ministers now admit that hitting the target is a "challenge".

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Following the success of our 2012 partnership with The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, the ABRS has again partnered with the Trust to offer two fellowships in 2014 to undertake overseas taxonomic research on the Australian flora and fauna. Applications close 19 February 2014.

Agency 2013 application on ecological sustainability - comments open until 4 December 2013

Agency 2013 application on ecological sustainability - comments open until 4 December 2013

SENG AGM and Climate talk

On 1 November 2013, the Government announced the re-starting of the Australian Heritage Strategy as one of Australia’s key heritage priorities. All Australians are encouraged to participate in the development of the Strategy.

The Queensland Government and the GBRMPA are currently seeking public comment on the draft strategic assessment documentation.

The Parliamentary Secretary, Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham has announced the release of the reports.

For the first time Commonwealth environmental water is being provided to the Mehi River and to Carole Creek in the Gwydir catchment to provide in-stream flows to maintain habitat for native animals, particularly native fish.

Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities Annual Report 2012-2013

The Minister has signed an agreement to progress a strategic assessment of petroleum activities in Commonwealth waters under the national environmental law. The strategic assessment is expected to deliver regulatory efficiencies whilst maintaining the highest environmental standards.

The office has published a report on Commonwealth environmental water carryover from 2012-13 into 2013-14 and related fact sheets.

The regional locations and hosting organisations for six Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Local Engagement Officers have been identified.