Feed aggregator

The researchers found tooth shape varied, depending on the types of food a carnivore regularly bites into – in much the same way we choose a kitchen knife depending on what we’re cutting up. Tahlia Pollock, PhD candidate, Monash University Alistair Evans, Associate Professor, Monash University David Hocking, Adjunct Research Associate, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Litter hotspots were associated with socioeconomic factors such as a concentration of built infrastructure, less national wealth and the level of lighting at night. Lauren Roman, Postdoctoral Researcher, Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO Britta Denise Hardesty, Senior Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO Chris Wilcox, Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) voted Wednesday to create a subcommittee group to explore carbon market design, with the scope to provide input on frameworks for compliance and voluntary programmes. 

California Carbon Allowances (CCAs) soared to a new record high on Wednesday morning after Governor Gavin Newsom (D) survived a recall election, with traders adding that aggressive buying had caused prices to pop more than $1 on the day. 

The small furry Eastern Barred Bandicoot is bumped off an Australian "extinct in the wild" list.

Our response to a mass cetacean hunt reveals man’s duplicitous attitudes to animals

Witnessing the mass movement of wild animals can seem to be a rebuttal of the disastrous news we hear, daily, of our natural environment. We know they are threatened, in their very choreography, but in the sight of them, the eternal optimism of the human spirit is encouraged to think that all is not lost.

In the past few days we’ve seen moving stories of massed southern right whales feeding off New South Wales. Only then, bitterly, to have the Dantean alternative presented to us, in the piles of bloody dolphin carcases on a quay in the Faroe Islands.

Continue reading...

The century plant outside my flat grew a monstrous stalk this summer. I have since learned this means its days are numbered – which has painted it in a whole new light

There is a great big plant outside the flats where I live that looks bewildered to find itself there. In Mexico, yes; west London, not so much. Its leaves look like the tongues of giant lizards, with prickly edges and nasty spikes at the tips. This summer, out of their ferocious midst, a thick stalk emerged suddenly and grew, almost overnight, to an astonishing height. There was a certain exhibitionist arrogance about this new weapon in its armoury. I admired it, but feared it a little, too.

Enquiries revealed the plant to be Agave americana. This species is commonly known as the century plant, although typically it lives for between 10 and 30 years. I read with great sadness that it sends up the magnificent, branched stalk only the once, as it comes to the end of its life.

Continue reading...

New research suggests emissions from 'Black Summer' bushfires were double previous estimates, and triggered a plankton bloom bigger than Australia.

The post ‘Black Summer’ bushfires released more than a year’s worth of Australian emissions appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Oil and gas companies should minimise the use of offsets in their strategies to align with a net zero emissions pathway, a report from leading global investors stated on Wednesday.

EUA prices fluctuated around the €60 mark on Wednesday morning before dropping sharply towards technical support levels, as the market eyed extreme volatility in natural gas prices and speculated whether the TTF market is poised for a reversal.

Gentailer EnergyAustralia retired 36% more offsets under its carbon neutral product after expanding its scope, but documents released this week showed only 2% of the credits used were domestic ACCUs.

A start-up company has been given £380,000 to develop the hydrogen-powered concept.

Police arrest activists as Insulate Britain activists target London traffic during morning rush-hour

Dozens of environmental protesters have blocked traffic on Britain’s busiest motorway for the second time in three days.

Activists from Insulate Britain staged the demonstration at several sections of the M25 in London during the morning rush-hour on Wednesday, causing long delays.

Continue reading...

China should raise its near-term emissions pledge while others need to flesh out how their goals will be met, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, proposing an increase in the EU’s climate finance to poorer nations.

*PREMIUM LISTING – We seek a Climate Finance Manager to help lead the financing of new projects and the marketing of our growing VER and ITMO portfolio. The Climate Finance Manager will manage the initiation of new investor relationships, advise on downstream activities related to our carbon generating activities across multiple markets and products, and be an integral part of negotiations of voluntary and compliance off-take agreements with customers around the globe.

China’s thermal power generation growth dropped to the lowest since last October, according to official data, echoing with earlier expectations that energy consumption growth for the second half of 2021 will slow as the economic output cools down.

Queensland's Stanwell Corporation to lead Australia-Japan consortium investigating massive new hydrogen export terminal.

The post Australia-Japan consortium explores Queensland renewable hydrogen export hub appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Strike Energy reveals plans to add a 10MW renewable hydrogen electrolyser to a urea fertiliser production facility it is developing in WA’s Mid West Region.

The post Geothermal powered green hydrogen proposed for WA fertiliser plant appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Research disproves perception young people want to save planet while older people do not care

A fake generational war over the climate crisis has distorted public thinking and political strategy, when in fact older generations are just as worried about the issue as younger people, according to new research.

The idea that young people are ecowarriors, battling against selfish older generations is a common trope in representations of the environment movement. It has been stoked by instances including Time magazine naming Greta Thunberg their person of the year in 2019, for being a “standard bearer in a generational battle”.

Continue reading...

Exclusive: study also shows ‘banana bread’ heard more in 2020 than ‘wind power’ and ‘solar power’ combined

“Cake” was mentioned 10 times more often on UK television shows than “climate change” in 2020, data has revealed. The research showed “banana bread” was a more frequently heard term than “wind power” and “solar power” combined.

The report, from albert, a Bafta-backed sustainability project, also found that individual action, such as recycling, was far more frequently featured than issues that are much bigger drivers of the climate crisis such as energy and transport.

Continue reading...