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Griffith University researcher captures video of five whales doing ‘bizarre rolls’ on the sea floor as they exfoliate and socialise

Whales have been caught on camera enjoying a marine version of a day spa, returning to their favourite spot off the Gold Coast to scratch off itchy skin and parasites, and catch up with their cetacean buddies.

Griffith University whale researcher Dr Olaf Meynecke and his colleagues were trying to shed light on the behaviour of competing pods of humpbacks that use Gold Coast waters to rest, breed and socialise.

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The carbon bill alone may kill at least gas project that is still in the planning stages.

The post Woodside’s carbon bill from new gas fields could hit $63bn by 2050, report says appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

After more than 15 years and several court challenges, the first stage of the massive 1300MW Golden Plains wind farm is underway in Victoria.

The post First sod turned at Australia’s biggest wind and battery project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Ambitious targets to halt the decline in nature may already be slipping out of reach, research suggests.

Australia’s first large-scale sodium-sulfur (NaS) battery has been deployed at a nickel-copper-cobalt mine in Western Australia.

The post Australia-first long duration sodium-sulfur battery deployed at nickel-cobalt mine appeared first on RenewEconomy.

More than half of global GDP depends on nature and is therefore exposed to risk posed by the degrading state of nature and ecosystems, one of the largest financial auditors worldwide, PwC, published in its latest research on Wednesday.

Portugal's economy and environment ministers have announced that Repsol's 'Green Engine' reforestation project will contribute to the establishment of a voluntary carbon market in the country.

US stock car racing circuit NASCAR has announced plans to achieve net zero operating emissions by 2035 as part of a broader impact-driven platform

A California legislator made wholesale changes to a bill on Monday that will require state regulator ARB to evaluate the effectiveness of the WCI-linked carbon market mechanism and set a Jan. 1, 2025 deadline for implementing any resulting alterations, aborting the bill's prior focus on strengthening the state’s 2030 abatement target.

'Mermaid Merle' swam 30 miles all while collecting 35lbs of trash in Biscayne Bay.

We cannot afford to ignore kelp – these vibrant underwater forests have sustained people and ecosystems for centuries, and continue to do so today. Aaron Eger, Postdoctoral research fellow, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A commerce platform heavily involved in engineered carbon dioxide removal (CDR) agreements said few new corporate buyers have emerged to provide the necessary financing to help scale up nascent technologies, according to a recent report.

The granting of Unesco world heritage site status would give these habitats the recognition they deserve

In the 17th century, when the first large-scale attempts were being made to drain the Fens, an anonymous protest ballad imagined the creaturely resentment coursing through the waters of the wetlands. “For they do mean all Fens to drain, and waters overmaster,” laments a sea lamprey in Powte’s Complaint. “All will be dry, and we must die, ’cause Essex calves want pasture”.

The local protests were in vain. Since 1700, according to research published this year, the UK has lost more than 75% of its wetlands as land has been drained for development and farming. The Industrial Revolution inevitably accelerated the destruction of terrain that was viewed simply as wasteland. But the tide may finally be turning for habitats that should be valued as 21st century environmental assets, crucial both to preserving biodiversity and protecting Britain’s coastline.

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No single alternative fuel is emerging as the frontrunner for the shipping sector’s decarbonisation, a number of key figures of the Belgian shipping industry agreed at an event dedicated to decarbonising the industry on Tuesday.

Scientists operating a submersible have discovered deep-sea coral reefs in pristine condition in a previously unexplored part of the Galapagos marine reserve. Diving to depths of 600 metres (1,970ft), to the summit of a previously unmapped seamount in the central part of the archipelago, the scientists witnessed a breathtaking mix of deep marine life. This has raised hopes that healthy reefs can still thrive at a time when coral is in crisis due to record sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification

• Scientists discover pristine deep-sea Galápagos reef ‘teeming with life’

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The "spectacular" skeleton, sold to a private buyer, is nearly 12m long and 4m tall.

Reusables have 25% less global heating potential, finds UK government report, but overall picture is mixed

Environmental campaigners are calling on the UK government to take action after new analysis found a significant difference between the carbon footprints of washable and disposable nappies.

Reusable nappies have 25% less global heating potential compared with single-use nappies, according to a report commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

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A record number of companies adopted net zero targets in the first quarter of this year while and retirement levels of offsets held steady to dispel concerns of a long term crisis in the voluntary carbon market, a webinar heard Tuesday.

An initiative led by European investors released on Tuesday a net zero standard for the big-emitting oil and gas sector, looking to navigate the murky waters of net zero pledges and drive climate change progress through capital allocation.