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Geelong-based collective puts out feelers to contract 68 gigawatt-hours a year of wind power, preferably from a wind farm in the south-west of Victoria.

The post New Victorian buying group seeks 68GWh of wind power in virtual PPA appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Researchers found 20 areas where the mammal would survive even if grey squirrels colonised all of Britain

Twenty forest strongholds in Scotland would save the red squirrel from extinction even if grey squirrels were to colonise the whole of Britain, according to research.

Since their introduction from North America by Victorian enthusiasts, grey squirrels have pushed red squirrels out of much of the country, with reds outcompeted by the bigger greys and also succumbing to the squirrelpox virus carried by the non-native squirrel.

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Beyond the Burn is a photographic essay to capture the solar farms powering Australia’s clean energy future, and the people behind them.

The post Beyond the Burn: A photographic essay of Australian solar farms appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Masdar is to build a 145MW floating solar plant in Indonesia, which is expected to begin commercial operation by the end of 2022.

The post Masdar to build 145MW floating solar plant in Indonesian reservoir appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Green Alliance thinktank found more than 450,000 jobs could be created by minimising waste

Reusing and repairing household goods, from washing machines to phones, and recycling throwaway consumer items such as plastic bottles, could create hundreds of thousands of green jobs across the UK, a thinktank has found.

The UK creates thousands of tonnes of unnecessary waste each year, some of which is still exported, because of a failure to value resources and invest in the infrastructure needed to re-purpose manufactured goods.

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NSW solar farm with large contract with Amazon obtains registration and will be in full operation by the end of the year.

The post Amazon contracted solar farm gets registration from AEMO in western NSW appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Long-term targets are an excuse for "procrastination", and even targeting net zero by 2050 will only lock in fossil fuel use, Australian think tank says.

The post Why a net zero target for 2050 is too slow, and a strategy for climate failure appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Prices are rising sharply as climate change and post-lockdown DIY and building projects hit supplies.

We are looking for a motivated, experienced and communicative professional in climate policy and sustainability to expand Bellona’s operations in Belgium and the Netherlands.

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

The Australian wine industry has already been forced to adapt to the effects of climate change. It must reduce its carbon footprint – including emissions generated by wine tourists. Ya-Yen Sun, Senior Lecturer, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The male anatomy of tuatara, the last representatives of an ancient lineage, is unique among reptiles. They lack a penis, which has made sperm collection a major challenge – until now. Sarah Lamar, PhD Researcher, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Dr Diane Ormsby, Senior Lecturer, Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Jennifer Moore, Associate Professor of Biology and Natural Resources, Grand Valley State University Nicola Jane Nelson, Professor of Conservation Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Susan N. Keall, Senior Technical Officer - Conservation Ecology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

If the price of oil rises further, the firm’s move away from oil and gas output will fuel doubts

• BP raises dividend and unveils share buyback

It’s hard to keep up with oil companies’ dividend policies. One minute they’re slashing payments to shareholders in the face of a pandemic that, supposedly, had permanently lowered the outlook for oil prices. The next they’re saying the coast is clear and divis can rise again.

Shell last week provided a classic example of this stop-start approach when, having cut by two-thirds last year, it announced a 38% increase. BP offered a less chaotic picture on Tuesday but the basic plot was similar. Last year’s halving of the divi was followed by a 4% increase, rather than the previously flagged zero.

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Exclusive: Labour leader says prime minister’s lack of ambition risks failure of Cop26

• Opinion: Britain could be taking the lead in tackling the climate crisis. Where’s the ambition?

Vital UN climate talks are at risk of failure because Boris Johnson is “missing in action” while his climate spokesperson talks about freezing bread, Keir Starmer has warned.

The Labour leader said there is already “dystopia” all around caused by climate breakdown, but Johnson’s ambition to tackle the scale of the crisis is irresponsibly small.

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Ahead of Cop26, the Tories are failing to act on their promises. Labour’s bold green recovery plan shows what could be done

• Boris Johnson ‘missing in action’ ahead of vital climate talks, says Keir Starmer

It used to be said of a good politician that they were able to make the weather. The metaphor has acquired a literal sense in recent years as humanity’s effect on the climate has become clear. In early July, downpours and flash floods hit parts of Glasgow. As I begin a two-day visit to the city tomorrow, the world is looking ahead to November, when countries’ representatives will gather in Glasgow for the 2021 UN climate change conference (Cop26). The world is looking to Britain, as host of the summit, to deliver. We cannot afford to miss this moment, but I fear we will.

The urgent need for a coherent response is in front of our very eyes. In recent weeks flash floods have immobilised parts of Britain, Germany and China. Towns built on rivers have been destroyed and there have been frightening scenes of train commuters trapped underground in rising water. Record heatwaves and fires have ravaged parts of North America. All over the world, unusual weather events show that dystopia is not on the horizon. It is here today, all around us.

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The animals have suffered from drought, wildfires, habitat destruction, as well as poisoning and trapping

The slender, bushy-tailed Sierra Nevada red fox will be listed as an endangered species, federal wildlife officials announced, saying its population has dipped to just 40 animals in an area of California stretching from Lake Tahoe to south of Yosemite national park.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service decided against listing a distinct population of the foxes in the southern Cascade Range of Oregon and near Lassen Peak in northern California. But it said in a listing rule to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday that the Sierra Nevada segment south of Tahoe “is in danger of extinction throughout all of its range”.

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Investment vehicle Carbon Streaming Corporation on Tuesday announced it has entered into a long-term offtake agreement with the Rimba Raya REDD project in Indonesia, paying at the high end for carbon credits from reduced deforestation as the fund seeks to add hundreds of millions of offsets to its portfolio in the coming years.

Victim was mauled while planting trees after logging operation

Police in Canada say a 26-year-old woman working on a tree-planting operation in Alberta was killed by a black bear on Saturday, in a rare attack by one of the country’s largest predators.

The woman was mauled by what witnesses believe was an adult black bear in a remote area of northwest Alberta. A co-worker who witnessed the attack helped scare off the bear before calling for help.

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Electric cars able to do long journeys and there are increasing number of chargers on UK roads, say experts

Electric car experts have rallied to the defence of the vehicles after suggestions from a government spokeswoman that they were unsuitable for long journeys.

Electric cars have an average range of about 200 miles, suitable for the vast majority of journeys taken on British roads, while top-range models have a more extensive range of about 250 miles.

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Germany's Green Party has pledged to grant veto rights to the environment ministry and increase the country's national carbon price for vehicles and buildings, according to a party manifesto released Tuesday ahead of a federal election in late September.