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Report says climate change made rainfall heavier but human factors turned extreme weather into humanitarian disaster

Carbon pollution led to heavier rains and stronger floods in Greece and Libya this month but other human factors were responsible for “turning the extreme weather into a humanitarian disaster”, scientists have said.

Global heating made the levels of rainfall that devastated the Mediterranean in early September up to 50 times more likely in Libya and up to 10 times more likely in Greece, according to a study from World Weather Attribution that used established methods but had not yet been peer-reviewed.

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New solar farm in the Riverina joins the grid and will help power the operations of the NBN as it moves towards its goal of 100% renewable purchases.

The post Another big solar farm plugs into the grid, this one to help power the NBN appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Melting ice caps and rising sea levels are urgent but people care more about the floods, wildfires and droughts that are here now, New York summit hears

Floods, wildfires, drought and the onslaught of extreme weather are driving a global health crisis that must be put at the centre of climate action, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.

“The climate crisis is a health crisis; it drives extreme weather and is taking lives around the world,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, said. “Melting ice caps and rising sea levels are, of course, crucial issues, but for most people they are distant threats in both time and place. The threats of our changing climate are right here and right now.”

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The Australian Energy Market Operator is teaming up with CSIRO and two universities to lead a new push to fast-track the shift to 100% renewables.

The post AEMO and CSIRO to lead new study into 100 pct renewable grids appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The federal Coalition's now ideological push for nuclear power – a technology it refused to countenance in 10 years of government – is taking a truly bizarre turn.

The post The stunning stupidity of the Coalition nuclear push is now in plain view appeared first on RenewEconomy.

WA government awards contracts worth more than $1 billion with China 's CATL to supply batteries for two of the country's biggest battery projects.

The post China’s CATL lands billion dollar contracts for two massive battery projects in WA appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The deal with some of the Sunshine State's biggest new wind projects will power 50% of BHP's central Queensland metallurgical coal operations.

The post BHP signs up wind and hydro in new power purchase deal for coal mines appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The conference and education program for the nation's largest and most highly anticipated clean energy event All-Energy Australia 2023, has been announced.

The post All-Energy Australia 2023 – Shaping the future of clean energy appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Vena is proposing to develop a stand-alone big battery with 408MW of capacity and two hours of storage after dropping plans for solar at Bellambi in NSW.

The post Singapore’s Vena ditches huge big solar plans, opts for big battery only in central NSW appeared first on RenewEconomy.

We’ve become so good at using the Earth’s resources we’re endangering the systems we rely on. Katherine Richardson, Professor in Biological Oceanography, University of Copenhagen Xuemei Bai, Distinguished Professor, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Forecasting our fiery future

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The Royal Society's scheme comes after black scientists tell the BBC they feel unsupported and overlooked.

New analysis predicts perovskite solar will become a serious player in global PV markets by the end of the decade and account for 85% of industry output by 2040.

The post From solar outlier to 1TW a year: New report tips stunning perovskite progress appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A former Nasa scientist decodes the significance of the discoveries made by the lunar lander and rover.

Action came as world leaders begin arriving in New York for the UN general assembly and after Sunday’s march to end fossil fuels

One day after the largest climate march since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, hundreds of climate activists blockaded the Federal Reserve Bank in New York to call for an end to funding for coal, oil and gas, with police making scores of arrests.

“Fossil fuel companies … wouldn’t be able to operate without money, and that money is coming primarily from Wall Street,” Alicé Nascimento, environmental campaigns director at New York Communities for Change, said hours before she was arrested.

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Study in US shows one day a week of remote working cuts emissions by just 2% but two or four days lowers them by up to 29%

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People who work remotely all the time produce less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of office workers, according to a new study.

Employees in the US who worked from home all the time were predicted to reduce their emissions by 54%, compared with workers in an office, the study found. But hybrid workers did not reduce their emissions so dramatically, according to the research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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An Edinburgh food research team produces a lower-fat alternative aimed at cutting palm oil dependence.

Our research shows the world is not on track to achieve any of the Sustainable Development Goals. But with decisive action, we can still achieve a fairer, more sustainable and prosperous future. Cameron Allen, Research Fellow, Monash University Shirin Malekpour, Senior Lecturer and Research Lead, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

It’s not like energy comes free from the sky – ahaha imagine that

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The spider in my office is constantly web-building, fly-wrapping, fly-eating and darting around. Her industry is highly motivating

Before I left X (Twitter’s branding change achieved what years of time-wasting couldn’t), there was a phase when people posted their most cancellable opinions. As September cools, I am realising that mine might be that I love spider season. Social media is full of hysterical teens with great makeup threatening to set fire to stuff, leave the country or never sleep again as their homes become “the spider-verse”, but that first faceful of web in the garden in autumn is my pumpkin spice latte moment. Webs glistening with dew in the dawn sun, industrious architects crouched at their heart, are as Instagrammable for me as russet and golden leaves. Mmm #autumnvibes.

It is not just webs; I think spiders are really great guys. I love that moment, as we are watching TV in the early autumn, when the first gerbil-sized specimen scuttles across the rug in front of me, chunky and heavy enough to startle the dog. I love the way there is always one squatting in the shower in the mornings, delivering a wake-up more effective than a ristretto. I love how they are suddenly absolutely everywhere: my son found one in his noodle salad this week. I hurt my neck recently, so have spent lots of time lying on the floor watching scuttlefest 2023, and the spectacle is even more majestic down at pedipalp (that’s the feely bit on the front of the spider) level.

Emma Beddington is a Guardian columnist

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