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The best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including an injured pangolin, a trapped dragonfly and a sneaky pig

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The prime minister’s ideology encourages the extraction of as much income as possible from nature before abandoning it

The ecological destruction Liz Truss plans to unleash on this country is not collateral damage. It is not a byproduct of her economic programme. It’s a mark of true faith, a sign that she is following her ideology to the letter. For fundamental to this doctrine – neoliberalism – is the belief that everything on Earth can and should be turned into something else.

The founding father of neoliberalism is Friedrich Hayek. His frankly deranged tract The Constitution of Liberty enjoys almost biblical status among his disciples. Margaret Thatcher was perhaps the book’s most famous advocate, and Truss now carries the flame. It inveighs against the protection of the living world. Rather than seeking to protect the soil – the delicate ecosystem from which 99% of our calories are produced – Hayek says it makes sense to extract as much value as it can produce, exhaust it “once and for all”, then abandon the land. The role of soil is to create a “temporary contribution to our income”, which we can then invest in other moneymaking schemes. For “there is nothing in the preservation of natural resources as such which makes it a more desirable object of investment than man-made equipment”.

George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist

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The price for New Zealand carbon allowances has slipped in recent weeks, as the government continues its consultation on ETS reform, and the market has attracted criticism that it will fail to adequately cut GHG emissions in its current form.

Two gas pipelines are haemorrhaging methane – a greenhouse gas more potent than CO2 – into the atmosphere via the Baltic Sea. What are the consequences?

The post Nord Stream gas leaks: What they mean for the climate and global energy prices appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Whatever you do, do NOT corner the cassowary. It is a wild animal and it hates you

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Loy Yang A power station burns brown coal – an inefficient source of electricity that doesn’t stand a chance competing against renewables. Tim Nelson, Associate Professor of Economics, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

US oil and gas major Chevron has delivered its first “offset-paired” LNG cargo, covering the full lifecycle emissions of the shipment in a deal with Taiwan’s national oil company CPC, the company has announced.

Cairngorms national park drawing up plans as RSPB says latest survey shows population at critical level of 540

An emergency plan is being drawn up to save the capercaillie, one of the UK’s most elusive and threatened woodland birds, after its numbers plunged.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said the latest population survey found its estimated population had fallen from roughly 1,114 in 2015/16 to about 542 birds last winter, putting it at a critically low level.

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YouGov survey for major charities finds 81% believe wildlife and environment are under threat

A majority of the public believe nature is under threat and needs urgent action to protect and restore it, according to a YouGov poll.

The poll for the National Trust, RSPB and WWF comes as they and other mainstream green groups are mobilising their millions of members to counter what they say is the government’s attack on nature.

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In Surrey, the cost of living crisis could push voters away from the Conservatives and towards a progressive alliance

Deep in the rolling hills of the Surrey commuter belt lies a narrow, winding lane overhung with trees. Halfway down the bridleway that leads off it, Sarah Godwin points out the barn one of her farming neighbours has converted into a wedding venue. Brides and grooms use this unspoilt view, over grazing sheep and ancient woodland to the beauty spot of Hascombe Hill, as the backdrop for wedding photographs. But soon, that view might include an oilwell.

This summer, ministers granted permission for exploratory drilling here, overruling objections from the Conservative-controlled county council and local Conservative MP Jeremy Hunt.

Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian economist

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Australia's energy market rule maker supports doubling of administrated electricity price cap as a key consumer protection mechanism in a volatile market.

The post Electricity price rule change looms as reports detail an energy market in crisis appeared first on RenewEconomy.

High thermal coal prices are a double-edged sword for miners, signalling the perfect time to reinvest in Australia’s critical minerals opportunity.

The post Peak profits are a memo to miners to swap out coal for critical minerals appeared first on RenewEconomy.

National Parks and Wildlife Service says threat ‘should be condemned by all Australians’

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Police are investigating a letter threatening to “firebomb” a New South Wales national parks office in the Snowy Mountains region over the culling of feral horses in the Kosciuszko national park.

The state’s environment minister, James Griffin, said the “disgraceful and unacceptable” behaviour had been reported to NSW police, while the head of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Atticus Fleming, said the threat “is a criminal act, and should be condemned by all Australians”.

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Gelion launches production of its “safe and durable” Endure batteries at a newly repurposed manufacturing facility in Western Sydney.

The post Australian zinc bromide batteries start rolling off production line in Sydney appeared first on RenewEconomy.

EnergyCo releases draft declaration of key NSW REZ that attracted almost 40GW of renewable energy storage projects, including offshore wind.

The post Hunter-Central Coast renewable energy zone takes crucial shape, opens to feedback appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

Both California Carbon Allowance (CCA) and RGGI Allowance (RGA) prices fell further towards six-month lows this week as EU carbon permits and broader equity markets took a beating, though both clawed back small gains towards mid-week amid uncertain short-term outlooks for both programmes.

FRV Australia confirms $7 million in funding from the Victorian government to build the Terang big battery with grid forming inverters.

The post FRV says Victoria grid forming battery will be the first of many appeared first on RenewEconomy.

As the Carbon Credits and Removals Lead, you will develop and manage Google’s carbon credits program and emerging removals portfolio. You will lead a strategy for carbon credits and removals, playing a role in accelerating the realization of Google’s goal to reach Net Zero by 2030, steering multiple initiatives underway.

As it continues on its growth trajectory and looks to the future, Tradewater is seeking a Director of Verification and Logistics. The position links key components of Tradewater’s work – a mastery of carbon offset protocols, management of the movement and destruction of greenhouse gases globally, and project documentation and quality control to ensure that all of Tradewater’s work meets the requirements of carbon offset protocols in a manner that can be successfully verified by third-parties.  The position reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer.