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A new paper explores how a carefully controlled fuel reduction burn killed 17 critically endangered western ringtail possums. Philip Zylstra, Adjunct Associate Professor at Curtin University, Research Associate at University of New South Wales, Curtin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Researchers say previous studies mistook the organs on female snakes as scent glands or under-developed versions of penises

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Female snakes have clitorises, scientists have detailed for the first time in a study of the animal’s sex organs.

The scientists say previous research had mistaken the organs as scent glands or underdeveloped versions of penises, in a study that criticised the comparatively limited research into female sex organs.

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

Carmichael coal was supposed to alleviate energy poverty in south Asia, but instead Bangladesh will be paying twice as much as forecast.

The post Adani’s Carmichael coal mine is not alleviating energy poverty in Asia, it’s making it worse appeared first on RenewEconomy.

As an associate, you will advise clients on the development of agricultural land carbon offset projects around the world. You will report to TerraCarbon’s Senior Manager of Agricultural Land Management. Your work will help drive funding to small and large agricultural producers to adopt agricultural practices that improve soil health, increase carbon storage, and build resilience to climate change.

The contract for the giant Waratah super battery, described as the biggest in the world of its type, will remain secret for now, and the regulator is not happy.

The post Contract for “world’s most powerful battery” blacked out, and the regulator is not happy appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Will a plan to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030 be agreed and how will it work?

Cutlery, plates and polystyrene cups reportedly set to be banned in England after a consultation

Single-use plastic items including cutlery, plates and polystyrene cups are reportedly to be banned in England by the UK government after a consultation.

Thérèse Coffey, the environment secretary, is poised to unveil plans to phase out the items and replace them with biodegradable alternatives in the coming weeks, the Financial Times reported.

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Ministers and other top delegates have started to arrive at the UN’s COP15 negotiations ahead of the Dec. 15-17 high-level segment that is meant to polish off a new global agreement on biodiversity.

The Quebec environment ministry (MELCC) on Tuesday said the government now recognises carbon offsets from privately-owned afforestation and reforestation projects under the state’s cap-and-trade programme, with the province’s approach having several differences from WCI partner California’s forestry protocol.

The Washington State Department of Ecology (ECY) plans on issuing a guidance document concerning double compliance obligations for cap-and-trade regulated power exporters to California before the end of the year, the department told Carbon Pulse.

*PREMIUM LISTING - As an Operations Manager you will lead efforts to ensure the rapidly growing US team gets work done effectively and is able to grow rapidly and smoothly. This is a key early hire and first Ops role for the US team and will be a jack of all trades/many hats role, will be a sounding board in decisions big and small that shape the US business and whole company, will work across the Atlantic with EU colleagues regularly, and work daily with the (tall but friendly) Head of US Business, Matt.

NSW network draft plans for solar export tariffs could become models for other NEM jurisdictions if they're approved. Here's what they want to do.

The post Here comes the sun tax: The export tariffs proposed for households with rooftop PV appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Power generators in Virginia still face legal ramifications to meet their RGGI obligations for all of 2023 and potentially later years as well, despite the state's plan to sever the carbon market regulation before the programme’s three-year true-up deadline, experts told Carbon Pulse. 

Scientists raise concerns after annual fishing talks for key EU waters ended in quotas above those recommended

Eels are facing population collapse, conservation groups have warned, after annual fishing negotiations for key EU waters ended in the setting of quotas above those scientists have recommended.

Eels are critically endangered, and conservation groups and scientists have argued that all EU eel fisheries should be closed, to allow populations space to recover.

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Negotiators say divisions mean risk is growing of a weak final agreement similar to Denmark summit in 2009

Talks to halt the destruction of nature “very much hang in the balance”, sources have said, as environment ministers from around the world begin to arrive in Montreal amid concerns about a lack of Chinese leadership of the Cop15 talks.

At the halfway stage of the summit in Canada, negotiators at the UN biodiversity summit have said divisions are contributing to the growing risk of a “Copenhagen moment”, referring to the 2009 UN climate summit when talks ended with a weak final agreement in the Danish capital, not the “Paris moment for nature” leading environmental figures had been calling for.

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Almost 200 countries are reckoning with the world’s extraordinary loss of the variety of life at the COP15 nature summit in Canada. Here’s why Indigenous involvement is crucial. Zsofia Korosy, Postdoctoral Fellow in Law, UNSW Sydney Anthony Burke, Professor of Environmental Politics & International Relations, UNSW Sydney Daniel Robinson, Associate Professor, UNSW Sydney Katie Moon, Lecturer, UNSW Sydney Margaret Raven, Senior Scientia Lecturer (Research), UNSW Sydney Michelle Lim, Associate Professor, Singapore Management University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We’ll need to almost double our electricity sector workforce to build renewables as quickly as we need to. Where will the workers come from amid a skills shortage and infrastructure boom? Jay Rutovitz, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Chris Briggs, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Rusty Langdon, Research Consultant, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A forestry project in the Republic of Congo co-developed by oil major TotalEnergies has been criticised by investigative journalists and campaigners for its treatment of local people.

Reaching consensus on which metrics can most accurately quantify biodiversity impact is considered crucial to support streamlined government and corporate reporting, and could underpin the emergence of a voluntary biodiversity credit market, but it could also come at a great cost for some.