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Blazes are destroying whole communities. The Canadian government must act now to tackle this existential threat

Small fires crackle into life on the hills around us at the slightest provocation. Creeks swell with flash floods, as upland snow melts at record speed. Our town’s beloved colony of great blue herons fall stunned out of the trees in their dozens. Animals, from cougars to rattlesnakes, leave their hidden places to seek water. The temperature has risen, and stalled, at a nearly unbearable 45C.

This is what a heat dome feels like in Vernon, a community in the British Columbian interior in Canada.

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The owner of a cabin which became surrounded by flames near Kyburz, California, managed to escape the Caldor fire after shooting the first part of this footage. The fire has burned more than 40,500 hectares (100,000 acres) in the north of the state since it started on 14 August, and more than 12,000 in just two days.

More than 500 structures were destroyed over the weekend by wildfire fuelled by warm winds and drought-stricken vegetation

• California’s Caldor fire burns 100,000 acres as it rips through small towns
• The climate science behind wildfires: why are they getting worse? – video explainer

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Insects are eating crops of apples, grapes and hops, and destroying native trees such as maple, walnut and willow in Pennsylvania

The official public guidance is simple and to the point: “Kill it! Squash it, smash it… just get rid of it!”

Such is the threat posed by a summer invasion of troublesome spotted lanternfly insects in the north-east that Pennsylvania’s department of agriculture has resorted to the unorthodox language in its advice on dealing with the pest.

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The spot price for New Zealand carbon allowances has risen above NZ$50 ($34.54) after the government announced changes to the ETS settings from next year, firming expectations that next week's NZU auction will tap into the 7-million cost containment reserve.

Woodland Trust and National Trust trial sustainable alternatives to plastic protection for millions of saplings

Planting trees without plastic tree guards should be standard practice, a UK study has found, as leading conservation charities and landowners seek sustainable alternatives to reduce plastic waste.

The Woodland Trust has announced it is aiming to stop using plastic tree guards by the end of the year. It is trialling plastic-free options at its Avoncliff site in Wiltshire, including cardboard and British wool. The charity plans to plant 10 million trees each year until 2025.

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From an unknown product in the mid-90s Fronius inverters now have 40% of Australia's inverter market. CEO of Fronius Australia, Hans Enwagner, discusses what the future holds for inverter technology and how it will impact solar businesses.

The post Great Solar Business Podcast: The future of inverters appeared first on RenewEconomy.

After two-and-a-half years of work, the much needed post-2025 redesign of Australia's main electricity market could still be 18 months away.

The post Controversial capacity market details still 18 months away, ESB tells ministers appeared first on RenewEconomy.

In the absence of national leadership, local communities are forging new responses to the climate crisis in places where they live, work and play. These three examples show how. Wendy Steele, Associate Professor, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University Diana MacCallum, Adjunct research academic, Curtin University Donna Houston, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University Jason Byrne, Professor of Human Geography and Planning, University of Tasmania Jean Hillier, Professor Emerita, RMIT University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Spark says it plans to be significant player in renewables, along with its network plays, but will new owners have the same vision?

The post Renewables to deliver bigger returns as Spark seeks to “reinvent green grid” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Turning point: Volvo receives delivery of fossil-free steel, marking a significant milestone both for green metals production and auto-industry emissions.

The post Volvo receives “world first” delivery of fossil-free steel for car making appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Both species nest in large hollows that are only found in old trees. As this prime accommodation disappears, competition is cut-throat

• Australian bird of the year 2021: nominate your favourite for the shortlist

The housing market in most parts of Australia is notoriously competitive. You might be surprised to learn we humans are not the only ones facing such difficulties.

With spring rapidly approaching, and perhaps a little earlier due to climate change, many birds are currently on the hunt for the best nesting sites.

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The Victorian Supreme Court rules in favour of wind farm developer, dismissing a community group's legal challenge to planning permits.

The post Supreme Court dismisses “David and Goliath” challenge to wind farm permit appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Bomen solar farm collects $1 million in liquidated damages after fault that took the facility off line for three weeks in January.

The post Bomen solar farm collects damages payment after three week outage appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

Positioned as a highly respected organisation that will continue to have real impact and influence on climate change mitigation in Australia, the Carbon Market Institute (CMI) is now at an exciting time in its evolution. CMI is looking for a Manager, Policy and Advocacy to join a passionate and dedicated team.

The purpose of this role is to manage and support sourcing efforts in North America, with a primary focus on sourcing emission reductions projects in the region. The Sourcing Manager will originate and develop business with implementation partners locally and globally with a focus on North America.

GreenCollar are continuing the journey to build out their international presence and offset projects with this newly created opportunity. You will be the driving force in the technical development of the end-to-end projects under environmental market standards for carbon, biodiversity, water and plastics.

How people around the world are recycling plastic waste themselves and turning it into cool stuff.

WA government chips in funds to help establish coast off Albany as the southern hemisphere's first testing site for wave energy generation technology.

The post Albany bids to become global wave power hub with state funding boost appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Heavy rainfall that led to deadly floods in Germany and Belgium was influenced by human induced warming.