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I am filled with grief at losing my friend at a time when we need his calm, direct voice more than ever

This week science lost one of its greatest Earth system experts, Australia lost a skilled, passionate communicator of climate science and the world lost a humble soul of the highest humanity, kindness and integrity. As did scores of others, I lost a colleague and friend when Will Steffen left us on Sunday after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

It is impossible to overstate Will’s impact on science. The many tributes to his work can only scratch the surface of his legacy. He led the effort to map the Great Acceleration of human impact on the physical and biological systems of our planet, culminating in consideration of the geological age of humans – the Anthropocene, first proposed by Nobel prize winner Paul Crutzen.

As the climate system continues to spiral towards a potentially uncontrollable state, I am struck with an increasing sense of both anger and apprehension. I’m angry because the lack of effective action on climate change, despite the wealth not of only scientific information but also of solutions to reduce emissions, has now created a climate emergency. The students are right. Their future is now being threatened by the greed of the wealthy fossil fuel elite, the lies of the Murdoch press, and the weakness of our political leaders. These people have no right to destroy my daughter’s future and that of her generation.

I’m apprehensive because the more we learn about climate change, the riskier it looks. Even at a 1 degree C rise in global temperature, extreme weather events are becoming more violent and dangerous than models have predicted. Over the last 5 years, our knowledge of tipping points in the Earth System has advanced rapidly, with many already showing signs of instability. Worse yet, they can interact like a row of dominoes to set off a tipping cascade, driving the Earth to hotter and more unstable conditions. That is my worst fear – that we may reach a ‘point of no return’ where we commit our children to a future of hell on Earth.

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In the final part of our Energy Transformed podcast series we look at Victoria’s ground-breaking path from brown coal to green energy, and the role that the new public utility will play in the transition.

The post Energy Transformed Podcast: Amping up – Victoria’s energy transition appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The forestry arm of a Japanese global trading company on Tuesday announced the launch of a US-based investment firm focused on nature-based carbon credits, with an eye to potential expansion outside of North America.

A report on Australia released by the International Monetary Fund Thursday has suggested the compliance cap on facilities covered by the Safeguard Mechanism is too generous to meet their proportional share of emissions cuts, and highlighted broader gaps in the government’s climate polices.

The pop-psychologist has turned his hand to exposing new audiences to old arguments from climate change deniers

Canadian psychologist and darling of conservatives and the alt-right, Jordan Peterson, has been on an all-out attack on the science of climate change and the risks of global heating.

Peterson has 6.3 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, and his videos also run as audio podcasts on platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s (D) budget presented Wednesday included a rebate fund for the state’s forthcoming economy-wide cap-and-invest programme, as the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently provided a timeline for when the administration could present draft regulations and begin holding auctions.

Power sector emissions in 2022 under the Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) cap-and-trade programme were above the adjusted cap for the third consecutive year as CO2 output in the fourth quarter increased year-on-year.

Ikea buys into $3 billion wind and battery project in Victoria as part of multi-billion dollar renewable spend.

The post Victoria’s biggest wind farm lures major new investor, with billions earmarked for renewables appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Concerns over the quality of carbon credits from Verra’s forestry projects are making headlines again, calling into question the validity of REDD+. This is a shame since ending deforestation is key to achieving a 1.5C world. But there is a solution, the UNFCCC REDD+ mechanism, write Kevin Conrad and Federica Bietta of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN).

California files competing proposal on cutting water use of the river as hopes of western states reaching consensus fade

California filed a competing conservation plan for the Colorado River on Tuesday, just one day after opting out of a proposal put forward by six other western states, signaling a breakdown in negotiations over how to drastically cut water use from the imperiled waterway.

Officials with the Bureau of Reclamation had called on the states to come to a consensus on how to curb between 2 and 4m acre-feet or roughly enough water to supply 8m households for a full year.

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A Vancouver-headquartered carbon credit developer on Wednesday announced it plans on generating almost 30 million VERs from four rewilding and mangrove forest preservation projects.

The largest California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) players saw their market concentration shrink over the past six months even though their total holdings increased, as all-time high credit generation was more spread out among registered entities, government data suggested this week.

A Viking leader probably chose his favourite animals to board a longboat to England, scientists say.

Government accepts Liberal Democrat amendment to UK infrastructure bank bill

Taxpayer money may no longer be invested in water companies that fail to produce adequate plans to stop sewage discharges, after the government accepted a Liberal Democrat amendment.

The change to the UK infrastructure bank bill means that once it becomes law, tax receipts will only be able to fund water companies if they produce a costed and timed plan for ending sewage spills into waterways.

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The tightening of regulations may lead to criminal records for those flouting them, a new policy says.

Researchers find long-term exposure to even relatively low levels raises risk of depression and anxiety

Long-term exposure to even comparatively low levels of air pollution could cause depression and anxiety, according to a study exploring the links between air quality and mental ill-health.

Tracking the incidence of depression and anxiety in almost 500,000 UK adults over 11 years, researchers found that those living in areas with higher pollution were more likely to suffer episodes, even when air quality was within official limits.

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Cookstoves were the most common new project in the voluntary carbon market last year, although REDD+ avoided deforestation projects still issued the most credits, according to a database compiling registry data.

Kita is seeking a motivated, dynamic Head of Carbon to lead our business development and partnerships within the carbon markets. This is a fantastic opportunity to take real ownership of a core business function, with significant autonomy and impact on Kita’s strategic direction. You will be foundational to the success of a high potential business.

A US-based voluntary carbon offset project developer on Tuesday announced it has gained federal funding to scale up sustainable agricultural practices for fruit and nut growers.

Increased EU state aid will be used as a “bridge” to help fund the bloc's decarbonisation efforts up to 2025 until a sovereignty fund is established, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday, setting out a plan to compete with the US and China in clean manufacturing.