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Dogs lead lives of loneliness. Grey parrots die years earlier than their natural lifespans. And it is hard to fathom the boredom of pet fish

At the end of last year, the state of New York banned pet stores from selling cats, dogs, or rabbits. The state wants to encourage pet stores to work with shelters, rather than puppy mills, to get animals adopted. With any luck, other states will follow suit.

In her story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, Ursula Le Guin described a society where the joy of its citizens depended upon the “abominable misery” of a single child immured in a dungeon. Le Guin asked the reader if even great happiness could justify suffering. Humanity’s relationship to animals is predicated on a similar utilitarian calculus. Like the town of Omelas, we have made a silent pact to dominate pets for our benefit, despite the cost to the pets themselves, to wild and farmed animals, and to our own morality.

Troy Vettese is an environmental historian at the European University Institute and co-author of Half-Earth Socialism (Verso 2020)

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We look at the best cosy and climate-friendly options that are less likely to land you with a £300 fine

As wood-burning stoves have become a talking point in England after warnings about the pollution they emit, those who installed them and feel guilt may worry about how to replace their beloved burner.

However, there are good options that are just as cosy-looking and warm but emit fewer particulates and are less likely to land you with a £300 fine.

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People urged to submit specimens to an app as private gardens may be fresh source of scientific discovery

Record the “weeds” that pop up in your garden because they could be a rare plant, the Royal Horticultural Society has said.

Private gardens in the UK may be an untapped source of scientific discovery, according to the RHS’s new ecologist, because “scientists can’t just go into people’s gardens”.

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

Analysts lowered their average California Carbon Allowance (CCA) price forecasts for 2023 on weaker industrial emissions and heavier offset usage, but retained prior RGGI price forecasts as they expect annual deficits to continue despite Virginia’s impending exit, according to a recent report.

*PREMIUM LISTING - We seek an analytical, strategic and enthusiastic policy officers to support our work on global climate policies, with a particular focus on (voluntary) carbon markets and carbon pricing.

The European Commission on Friday launched a call for applications for the renewal of the membership of an expert group tasked with helping to implement the EU's Innovation Fund.

The Sr. Financial Analyst is charged with analyzing data, both quantitative and qualitative, to help contextualize business opportunities in a fast-evolving space, and validate investment decisions for CO2 removal/reduction projects to support the Low Carbon Initiatives’ department goals

The Principal Analyst, Forestry acts as the primary internal subject matter expert applying technical knowledge to identify, evaluate, and develop forest projects that contribute to overall reduction of atmospheric CO2 and are aligned with the business objectives of the company.

Carbon standard developer and manager Verra has halted the use of a UN methodology for generating offsets from growing rice, launching a review of the protocol after integrity concerns were raised.

An Alabama-headquartered technology firm has launched a blockchain platform to sell millions of tokenised carbon credits from a patented reforestation programme, coming in at a price per tonne well below that of most nature-based removals.

The UN-backed Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) on Thursday released a technical report describing an interim pathway for aviation companies to set GHG reduction goals in line with the more ambitious temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.

A summary of legislative, regulatory, and policy action on carbon, clean fuel standard, and clean energy markets at the US federal and subnational levels this week, including bills for cap-and-trade oversight in Washington, emissions disclosure in California, and zero-carbon power in New Jersey. 

TotalEnergies, which has a self-imposed 2050 net zero emissions target, is selling a share of its renewable portfolio to insurer Credit Agricole Assurances amid booming returns from oil and gas sectors.

Activity is picking up in the general over the counter (OTC) voluntary carbon market, brokers reported on Friday, although prices for REDD+ credits have dropped again after buyers largely disappeared in the wake of reports claiming widespread over-crediting in the avoided deforestation sector.

The EU must extend its gas demand curbs for at least another six months to ensure it has enough supply next winter, according to a think-tank report, raising the prospects of further restrictions even as the bloc's energy crisis has eased.

The annual photographer of the year winners were chosen from more than 3,000 entries across nine categories. The top prize goes to images captured in the deep south of New Zealand, an area the photographer says she enjoys for its wonderful light and colour

• Wildlife photographer of the year – people’s choice award

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EUAs steadily clawed back most of previous session's losses on Friday morning, amid renewed options trading activity and a modest recovery in energy prices.

A Norwegian direct air capture (DAC) developer has appointed a former US-based soil carbon CEO to a senior position, the firm announced, targeting a launch of the first million-tonne plant in 2027.

Uncertainty plagued the carbon markets in 2022 and will continue to do so in 2023, analysts said in a report published this week that identified how macroeconomic weakness, energy crises, and regulatory changes had caused a slowdown after several years of growth.