Around The Web

Researchers say bacteria such as E. coli stays attached to plastic longer than natural material.

Ministers from world’s biggest economies reach agreement that could shift estimated $33bn a year to clean energy sources

The world’s biggest economies are to stop funding any overseas fossil fuel development from the end of this year, in a move likely to choke off some of the investment in “carbon bombs” that are imperilling efforts to meet the world’s climate targets.

The agreement could shift about $33bn (£26bn) a year from fossil fuels to clean energy sources, according to analysts’ estimates.

Continue reading...

The New Zealand government has announced a NZ$10 million ($6.5 mln) Maori landholder development fund, but some observers have described it as a weak bid to make up for the proposal to ban exotic plantings from the country’s ETS, which would largely affect Maori landholders.

Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator has finalised a benefit sharing framework between landholders and project developers who choose to exit their contractual obligations with the government.

Tiny island nation with no navy sets out bold ambition to protect 100% of its ocean, an area the size of Vietnam, from illegal fishing

The Pacific island state of Niue has announced that it will protect 100% of the ocean in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which spans 317,500 sq km (122,000 sq miles), roughly the area of Vietnam.

The water that surrounds one of the world’s largest raised coral atolls is the only place where the katuali is found – a sea snake that lives in the island’s honeycomb of underwater caves. Humpback whales migrate to Niue from Antarctica to give birth, spinner dolphins swim near the coast and Niue boasts the world’s highest density of grey reef sharks.

Continue reading...

New video shows the first of many massive wind turbine blades arriving at the 180MW Dulacca wind farm in Queensland's south-east.

The post Video: First turbine blade arrives at Queensland’s Dulacca wind farm appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Cannon-Brookes' stunning victory over AGL is probably the biggest story yet in Australia's still fledgling green energy transition.

The post Cannon-Brookes has achieved a stunning victory at AGL: Now for the hard part appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Cannon-Brookes' investment arm, Grok Ventures, welcomes AGL's demerger backdown and will seek input into 'strategic review' and board renewal.

The post Grok welcomes AGL demerger backdown, warns against asset sale appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Labor has good intentions on climate and net-zero emissions, but not much of a plan. And it needs to get off the fence on new coal and gas extraction.

The post A first look at federal Labor’s emissions plan finds it wholly insufficient appeared first on RenewEconomy.

David Littleproud says Nationals are "moving forward" on climate after ousting Joyce, Dutton elected as Liberals leader and targets bill shock.

The post Littleproud backs net zero target after ousting Joyce, Dutton goes for bill shock appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Reputex is seeking an Energy and Carbon Analyst to expand its research team in Melbourne.

Deep peat moorlands store huge amounts of carbon and are a buffer against climate change

AGL dumps its demerger strategy and announces it CEO, chairman and other directors will leave after conceding defeat to tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes.

The post AGL dumps demerger plan, announces management and board clean out appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A new study of dairying in Canterbury shows previous estimates vastly underestimate the impact of intensive farming. A 12-fold reduction in cow numbers could be needed to meet safe water standards. Mike Joy, Senior Researcher; Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The WA government has announced former asbestos mining town of Wittenoom officially closed. But will it get cleaned up? For one man, time is running out

• Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing

Deep in the heart of Western Australia’s outback, Maitland Parker is fighting the biggest battle of his life, and it is not because he is dying of cancer.

The Banjima elder’s mob have lived around the area now known as Wittenoom for tens of thousands of years, but he can no longer go there. The eerily striking Pilbara town – at the foot of a deep gorge, 15 hours’ drive north-east of Perth – is blanketed in the deadliest type of asbestos, crocidolite. This has earned it the unwanted accolade of being the “largest contaminated site in the southern hemisphere”.

Continue reading...

Victims of intensive farming and the climate emergency, butterflies are beautiful – and vital

The British are remarkably lucky, lepidopterally speaking: some of the most common butterflies to frequent the country are staggeringly beautiful. The peacock, with its four spectacular “eyes” set on wings of velvet burgundy, is a glorious sight as it suns itself, wings held open. The modest common blue, sometimes seen in urban gardens, has a delicate upperwing the colour of an early summer sky, and an underwing speckled with dots and smudges, like characters in a yet-to-be-decoded language. Or there’s the painted lady – a large, handsome chequerboard of amber, chestnut and flecks of white. A migrant to British shores, it flies from southern Europe and north Africa each spring. These remarkable travellers are beginning to cross the English Channel now, the last leg of an epic, seemingly impossible journey. In the autumn, their progeny will fly back south.

But all is not well for British butterflies. Britain has – depending on how you count them – 58 species (compared with 2,500 or so of moths). Research conducted by the charity Butterfly Conservation has found that 24 of these are now threatened. The downward trend in numbers is long-term: a serious decline began to take hold after the second world war when intensive farming methods were adopted. Unpredictable, extreme weather patterns and the use of nitrate fertiliser (which encourages grass on farmland to grow thick and lush when butterflies often prefer it sparse and short) are also having an insidious effect.

Continue reading...

G7 commit to making their electricity systems “predominantly” carbon-free by 2035, but stopped short of setting a concrete date for exiting coal.

The post G7 decide to “predominantly” decarbonise grid by 2035, but drop 2030 coal exit date appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Pioneering Bristol study blames the solid-fuel burners in people’s homes for breaches of World Health Organisation guidelines

Like many parts of the country, Bristol has experienced a huge rise in the number of houses installing wood burners over the past decade. But as they have proliferated, mainly in the wealthier parts of the city where many Victorian and Georgian houses have been renovated, so too have fears that they cause pollution.

And now a group of citizen scientists taking part in the first community-led project targeting toxic smoke from wood burners has discovered new evidence about their dangers.

Continue reading...

Those viral moments of unusual animal behaviour provide valuable insight for researchers as well.

Anti-logging protesters reject state governments’ claims new laws are necessary to protect workers’ safety

• Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing

Governments in two Australian states have been accused of undermining democracy by introducing legislation designed to criminalise environmental protests.

In Victoria, protesters attempting to prevent native forest logging would face 12 months’ jail or more than $21,000 in fines, and bans from protest areas under laws proposed last week by the Andrews Labor government.

Continue reading...