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A coalition representing the maritime sector’s entire value chain has called on Wednesday for a target of net zero emissions from shipping by 2050 and for market-based measures within five years.

An immune therapy derived from llama blood shows 'exciting potential' in early coronavirus trials.

Government wins high court ruling to deter Insulate Britain’s motorway-blocking protests

Environmental activists blocking the M25 face possible imprisonment after National Highways was granted an injunction against their protests, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has said.

The campaign group Insulate Britain has shut down parts of the M25 five times in just over a week.

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A team at the University of Oregon has begun a three-year study looking at the effects of air quality and other stress factors on dairy cattle

Juliana Ranches drove to work in eastern Oregon in early September through wildfire smoke so thick that, for a moment, she thought it was just a grey, foggy day and it would soon start to rain.

Ranches is a livestock researcher relatively new to living in the area, and the conditions were unlike anything she had experienced before, leading her to ask questions about the animals that spend their summers in the smoke. Eastern Oregon has this year experienced regular wildfires since early July.

“We know there is a negative effect,” Ranches said, referring to the cows grazing outside in some of the most polluted air in the US. The area registered 160 on the air quality index (AQI) in early September after reports of a large number of wildfires, a level that can put human health at risk.

“There is a little bit of work out of California with [dairy and beef] producers and indirect impacts, reporting lower conception rates and birthrates, but we cannot say for sure because there are no studies in a controlled environment looking into that.”

Research into the impact on livestock bred for human consumption is limited, although it is known that particulate matter from the smoke is a significant health threat, especially when exposure is long-term.

According to new preliminary research from the University of Idaho, a sample of dairy cattle exposed to poor air quality and heat stress produced less milk – about 1.3 litres less than normal (just over two UK pints) – a day than average. Some cows had not fully recovered two weeks after the air quality improved. But because this observation was based on just one herd, the data does not yet translate into solid recommendations for ranchers and farmers. The work must be scaled up to explore larger patterns.

It is why Ranches, along with her colleague Jenifer Cruickshank, who specialises in dairy management, has begun a three-year study to collect more data on cows and the effects of wildfire and smoke, as part of which they have put nearly 30 cows out to pasture.

“I call them my smoke cows,” said Cruickshank. During a wildfire event that results in an AQI measure over 50, she takes daily milk samples and blood tests, which will be analysed as stress markers. The cows’ respiratory rate and body temperatures are also documented.

“We’re getting a finer-grained picture of what these cows are experiencing, through poor air quality associated with wildfires – a better understanding of the physiological effects on them, like is it mild? Is it severe? Is there diversity among the response in the cows? With that information, we can start to look at the negative effects and minimise the damage,” she said.

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China’s Hubei province has released the 2020 allocation for its pilot emissions trading scheme, with the number of allowances to be issued falling by almost 40% after regional coal-fired power plants exited the scheme to participate in the national market.

Taxpayers will foot a bill to open up a key carbon dioxide producer amid food supply and nuclear fears.

Industrial conglomerate INEOS will invest around $1.4 billion to convert the Grangemouth petrochemicals and refining complex in Scotland to hydrogen production and use with CCS, it announced on Wednesday.

Kon Flaherty from Green Energy Technologies in Queensland shows how to find a point of difference in an increasingly crowded solar market.

The post Great Solar Business Podcast: Differentiation and how to find it appeared first on RenewEconomy.

China deals "killer" blow to Australian coal exports, Biden doubles global climate finance, while Morrison announces he has a plan for a plan.

The post China delivers “killer blow” to coal as Morrison courts Joe Biden appeared first on RenewEconomy.

England is one of the last strongholds of this beautiful insect but it is at risk due to excessive pesticide use

Organic farming is probably the best hope for the survival of one of Britain’s least known but valuable wild creatures, the necklace ground beetle, Carabus monilis.

Once widespread but now on the red list as endangered because of excessive pesticide use and changing farming practices, it needs help to survive. Since it eats many insects that feed on farm crops and the seeds of weeds that farmers want to control any help it gets to thrive will be richly rewarded.

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Rest of G20 should follow Joe Biden’s lead on funding commitments, says climate envoy

Developing countries and campaigners welcomed the offer of increased climate finance from the US president, Joe Biden, at the UN on Tuesday, but warned that rich countries needed to do more to ensure the poorest received the assistance they need.

Biden, speaking to the UN general assembly in New York, said he would ask the US Congress to double to $11bn (£8m) a year by 2024 the financial assistance the US offers to developing countries to help them cut greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the impacts of extreme weather.

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A majority of AGL shareholders support motion calling for a Paris aligned business transition, as bid by teenager for board seat falls short.

The post AGL gets climate action lesson from angry investors and inspired teenager appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The announcement is the country's latest climate pledge and a major step forward to address emissions.

Local communities near lithium deposits shouldn’t become zones of sacrifice, shouldering the socio-environmental costs of supporting a renewable energy transition. Ana Estefanía Carballo, Research Fellow in Mining and Society, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne Gillian Gregory, Research Fellow in Mining Governance, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne Tim Werner, ARC DECRA Fellow, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

More than 22 million of Australian offsets issued so far have been generated using a “deeply flawed” method, calling into question the value of the government’s entire carbon credit programme, said a report released Wednesday, though industry representatives said the report had “critical errors”.

New study says Australia is "ripe" for offshore wind, and could use its expertise to tap into floating platforms and use coal plant infrastructure.

The post Australia “ripe” for floating wind farms, as 4GW earmarked for NSW coal ports appeared first on RenewEconomy.

UK consumers are having to pay the cost of confused government policy, and this winter promises to be particularly challenging.

The post Gas price spike: How UK government failures made a global crisis worse appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

China will end funding for new coal-fired power plants abroad, President Xi Jinping announced at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, signalling a massive shift for the world's largest public financier of overseas coal.

Cities like Sydney are already experiencing extremely hot days because of climate change.