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China is in the midst of a devastating heatwave and drought. This has thrown the nation into an electricity crisis. And China has doubled down on coal investments to meet demand. Guangyi Pan, PhD candidate, UNSW Sydney Hao Yang, Sessional lecturer, University of Newcastle Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Trends are so last season. As the resale clothes market booms, traditional styling is now leading the way over the quick fix

I suppose, in theory, sustainable fashion shouldn’t have any one look. After all, surely the whole point of prioritising ethics over aesthetics is that clothes design should not be all about what they look like, but about how they are made: the raw materials used, the industrial processes undergone, the people employed, the carbon footprint of transportation. But in reality, it does have a look. You can’t take aesthetics out of fashion. Sustainable fashion has style rules, too. Just different ones.

Some of this is simple practicalities. Sequins, being mostly made from non-biodegradable fabrics, are a no-no on environmental grounds. If you jazz up a T-shirt with decorative zips or emblazon it with beading or glued-on trims, you make it much more difficult for the fabric to be usefully recycled or reused. Therefore, streamlined design is favoured. Textile dyeing is one of the most water-intensive elements of the clothes production cycle, so bright colours can be a red flag.

Jess Cartner-Morley is the Guardian’s fashion associate editor

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New Zealand carbon allowances have risen to fresh record highs amid expectations that the government will accept recommendations from the independent Climate Change Commission (CCC) to significantly increase the cost containment reserve (CCR) trigger price level at future auctions.

EA ‘shutting down’ calls from public about rivers, says former worker Helen Nightingale, leading waterways to deteriorate

England’s rivers will continue to deteriorate unless the Environment Agency stops “shutting down” the public’s calls about pollution, according to an ex-employee who worked at the agency for three decades.

Officers are told to ignore calls from the public and told not to look at possible incidents if the caller thinks they are lower impact, meaning they fall into so-called category 3 or 4. This has left staff “demoralised” says Helen Nightingale, a catchment planner in north-west Lancashire who left the Environment Agency in April.

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Works begin on 35MW grid-forming battery that will bolster the Northern Territory's main grid as it shifts from gas to solar.

The post Works begin on Darwin big battery, in first step to rid gas from NT grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Synthetic milk offers dairy milk without the concerns such as methane emissions or animal welfare. But is it the whey forward? Milena Bojovic, PhD Candidate, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Europe is facing a day of reckoning as the energy crisis deepens, and French nuclear failures push electricity prices to unprecedented levels.

The post The six reckonings of Europe’s energy crisis: Gas, nuclear, war and inflation appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Nasdaq-listed hydrogen tech outfit linked to Andrew Forrest's huge Australian renewables ambitions, has inked a supply deal with online retail giant Amazon.

The post Amazon inks multi-billion green hydrogen supply deal with Forrest’s electrolyser partner appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Andrew Forrest says world is "smoking fossil fuels" and is sticking with his plans to make 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen a year with wind and solar.

The post “We literally smoke fossil fuels:” Forrest on why FFI might already be worth $US20 billion appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Wilderness gives our mental health a real boost. But growing private interests in national parks are stopping those less well off from free nature therapy. Ralf Buckley, International Chair in Ecotourism Research, Griffith University Alienor Chauvenet, Senior Lecturer, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New Zealand has no mandatory measures to prevent the bycatch of turtles. This is in stark contrast to Hawai'i, which has reduced its turtle bycatch by 90% using various mitigation measures. Matthew Hall, Senior Researcher, Environmental Law Initiative and Visiting Scholar, Faculty of Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Ingrid O'Sullivan, Senior Adviser, Environmental Law Initiative and Visiting Scholar, Victoria University of Wellington, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australian governments agree to boost energy efficiency standards for new-build homes, in long overdue move to improve basic living standards, slash energy bills and emissions.

The post Home energy efficiency standards to be raised as Australia plays catch-up appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Corporate Carbon is seeking a Carbon Project Analyst for a paid 3-month internship role as part of its graduate internship programme.

Offshore wind projects projects dominate proposals for new Illawarra renewable energy zone, as green steel load proposals also emerge.

The post NSW swamped by offshore wind proposals in new Illawarra renewable zone appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The clock is counting down to the debut flight of the rocket that will send people back to the Moon.

The most controversial feature of the New Zealand flora is the plethora of small-leaved trees and shrubs with wiry interlaced branches. Can a synthesis of competing explanations solve this mystery? Chris Lusk, Associate Professor of Ecology, University of Waikato Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The photographs show how climate change is disrupting our marine ecosystems – sometimes in ways previously unknown to marine scientists. Gretta Pecl, Professor, ARC Future Fellow & Director of the Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania Barrett Wolfe, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Tasmania Curtis Champion, Research Scientist, Southern Cross University Jan Strugnell, Associate Professor Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University Sue-Ann Watson, Senior Research Fellow, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Drinking reprocessed water is "perfectly safe and healthy", the Environment Agency chief tells public.

The release of vast new areas along the Australian coast for oil and gas exploration is undermining proclamations about creating a cleaner economy

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The Albanese government has a decision to make: does it want people to think it takes the climate crisis seriously? Because at the moment it’s sending mixed messages.

On one hand, it is telling a story of progress. Its ascent to power has, along with the rise of the teals and the Greens, reset the way the country thinks about dealing with the problem.

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Across Britain we are witnessing processes that look familiar but are too early and not what they seem. We must use them as a warning to act

Across Britain, the woods are turning orange. Drifts of dry leaves are growing on forest floors and eddying into street corners. Hawthorn and rowan, elder and holly berries are all ripening, and the ferns are fringes of gold. From a distance, it is beautiful. But the air is still warm and summery.

And all of it is two or three months early. Holly berries usually ripen in November or December. Blackberries, traditionally a late August treat, began ripening at the end of June. This turning and leaf fall is not the usual gradual preparation for winter in temperate zones but a stress response by trees trying to conserve water. We are now in a false autumn, caused by heat and drought. And it feels wrong.

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