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PREVIEW: Climate and the carbon market in Australia’s topsy-turvy election
Green hydrogen body launches global standard to boost industry credentials
Extinction obituary: the sudden, sad disappearance of the Christmas Island forest skink
Gump was the last lizard of her kind when she died in 2014, and her demise should be ‘a scar on our conscience’
The last Christmas Island forest skink was named Gump. She lived in a spacious cage filled with rocks, soil, logs and a ready supply of fresh invertebrate food in the island’s national park. She wasn’t particularly active, but then again it’s impossible to know what goes on in the mind of a skink. Her namesake was Forrest Gump – they were both solitary individuals who, despite being mild and unassuming, experienced momentous events while remaining quite unaware of the exceptional courses their lives had taken.
The Christmas island forest skink (or whiptail skink) used to thrive on its island home, an Australian territory off the coast of Indonesia. In 1979, researchers documented that they were its most abundant skink. These lizards were, visually, fairly nondescript. Not too small, but by no means large, they averaged about 20cm (8in) in length, with a slim body covered in brown-yellow scales. They were practically the default image that comes to mind when you think “lizard”.
Continue reading...‘World is at boiling point’: humanity must redefine relationship with nature, says report
Stockholm institute calls for ‘bold science-based decision-making’ to tackle climate, social and economic crises
The world is at “boiling point” and humanity needs to redefine its relationship with nature if it is to address a web of crises, from rising prices to extreme heat and floods, according to a report released ahead of a landmark UN conference.
The research from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Council on Energy Environment and Water says the solutions to the interlinked planetary and inequality crisis exist, but calls for “bold science-based decision-making” to “completely rethink our way of living,”.
Replacing GDP as the single metric to measure progress and instead focus on indicators that take “inclusive wealth” and the caring economy into account.
Establishing a regular UN forum on sustainable lifestyles.
A global campaign on nature-based education for children.
Transforming people’s everyday relationship with nature by integrating it in cities; protecting animal welfare and shifting to more plant-based diets. It also says policymakers should draw on indigenous local knowledge.
Continue reading...Critical climate indicators broke records in 2021, says UN
World Meteorological Organization says extreme weather wreaked heavy toll on human lives
Critical global indicators of the climate crisis broke records in 2021, according to a UN report, from rising oceans to the levels of heat-trapping emissions in the atmosphere.
The UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said these were clear signs of humanity’s impact on the planet, which was bringing long-lasting effects. Extreme weather, which the WMO called the day-to-day face of the climate emergency, wreaked a heavy toll on human lives and led to hundreds of billions of dollars in damages, the agency said.
Continue reading...“Skin in the game:” Cannon-Brookes spends $600 million cash on AGL
Cannon-Brookes reveals he has spent $600m cash on his AGL blocking stake, meaning he has "skin in the game", unlike the coal generator's board.
The post “Skin in the game:” Cannon-Brookes spends $600 million cash on AGL appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Lismore faced monster floods all but alone. We must get better at climate adaptation, and fast
Malaysia’s Sarawak state introduces new bill to govern forest carbon activity
Two more NSW solar farms start sending power to the grid – and Amazon
Two solar farms contracted to help decarbonise the Australian power supply of global online retail giant Amazon have begun delivering energy to the grid.
The post Two more NSW solar farms start sending power to the grid – and Amazon appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Accidental discovery that scallops love ‘disco’ lights leads to new fishing technique
Scientists hail breakthrough that could maximise catches while reducing damage caused by fishing
An unusual technique for catching scallops that was stumbled upon accidentally by scientists could potentially reduce some of the damage caused to our seabeds by fishing.
The marine scientist Dr Rob Enever and his team at Fishtek Marine, a fisheries consultancy based in Devon, designed small underwater “potlights” to help protect fish stocks by replacing the need to use fish to bait crab and lobster pots.
Continue reading...Albanese pledges to get Australia out of climate ‘naughty corner’
Making his last major speech before the election, Anthony Albanese says stronger climate action could help repair Australia's diplomatic relationships.
The post Albanese pledges to get Australia out of climate ‘naughty corner’ appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Australian researchers harvest “night-time solar” to provide power in the dark
Researchers reveal a major breakthrough in renewable energy technology by using Earth’s radiant infrared heat to generate solar electricity in the dark.
The post Australian researchers harvest “night-time solar” to provide power in the dark appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Principal Carbon Offsets, BHP – Perth
A vote for a few “moderate Liberals” is a vote for more climate obstruction
After bushfires, floods and numerous IPCC reports, the Morrison-Joyce government still has a 2030 emissions reduction target set by Tony Abbott.
The post A vote for a few “moderate Liberals” is a vote for more climate obstruction appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Fossil fuel industry says it understands climate risks. But just doesn’t care
"Decarbonisation, not defossilisation" is the new catchcry of a fossil fuel industry as new climate research points to tipping points.
The post Fossil fuel industry says it understands climate risks. But just doesn’t care appeared first on RenewEconomy.