Around The Web

Shifting to electric vehicles will still leave the UK with transport problems, a report says.

Scientists were surprised by results of painting eyeliner on shells of jumping spiders to change their appearance

Researchers have come up with an ingenious way to test the theory that male jumping spiders have evolved colourful stripes to ward off predators – they have put makeup on them.

Unlike the females of the species, the male Habronattus pyrrithrix come in vivid hues to attract mates. But scientists writing in the journal Royal Society Open Science wanted to establish whether their bright, striped backs help protect them from predators.

Continue reading...

At the end of the day, net-zero by 2050 is a risky and inadequate goal, especially for wealthy nations such as Australia. Peter Christoff, Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor, Melbourne Climate Futures initiative, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The development is significant for several reasons – not least that Australia's progress under the Paris Agreement is being linked to its stewardship of the reef. Jon C. Day, PSM, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Scott F. Heron, Associate Professor, James Cook University Terry Hughes, Distinguished Professor, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A Pennsylvania Republican lawmaker questioned the legality of the existing RGGI cap-and-trade programme on Tuesday, while saying the power sector scheme faced “historic litigation” if it allows the Keystone State to join next year.

EUAs climbed above €53 on Tuesday, gaining steadily for a third straight day as energy prices moved higher and buyers were not put off by a weaker auction result.

Exclusive: Unesco’s Fanny Douvere denies any political interference, noting the reef’s outlook has gone from ‘poor to very poor’

A senior Unesco official has rejected the Australian government’s claims it bowed to political pressure when deciding to recommend the Great Barrier Reef be placed on the world heritage “in danger” list.

Dr Fanny Douvere, of Unesco’s World Heritage Centre in Paris, also rejected a suggestion from the Australian environment minister, Sussan Ley, that the UN body had told the government a week ago it would not be recommending the listing.

Continue reading...

Large-scale environmental destruction affects the future of all life on our planet. Criminalising it would finally hold decision-makers to account

An international team of lawyers co-chaired by Philippe Sands QC and Dior Fall Sow has presented the outcome of its work announced in November last year to develop a legal definition of ecocide. This is a crucial step towards adding ecocide to the list of other major offences recognised by the international criminal court (ICC), including crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

Making large-scale destruction of nature and its associated loss of biodiversity an international crime means that individuals, not legal entities, can be personally held accountable and prosecuted if found guilty. This implies that responsibility for damage cannot be dealt with by budgeting for potential fines. Corporations very rarely intend to cause mass damage and destruction; rather, it is a consequence of their activities. The proposed definition of ecocide describes the crime as one of recklessness; the perpetrator acted in the knowledge that there was “substantial likelihood” of serious harm arising from their conduct, but they acted anyway.

Continue reading...

A leaked version of the EU’s upcoming forest strategy risks failing to increase the bloc’s natural carbon sink amid a push to harvest wood products for construction and buildings, campaigners say.

US biofuel credit (RIN) prices pared back roughly half their losses sustained in recent days as market participants pointed to a higher soybean oil values and a reopened import window for gasoline.

A Finnish coal-fired power plant has been condemned to closure two years earlier than scheduled due to rising carbon prices.

Draft law is intended to prosecute offences against the environment

Legal experts from across the globe have drawn up a “historic” definition of ecocide, intended to be adopted by the international criminal court to prosecute the most egregious offences against the environment.

The draft law, unveiled on Tuesday, defines ecocide as “unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts”.

Continue reading...

California imported more electricity from the Pacific Northwest and less from the Southwest last year, while the state relied more heavily on carbon-emitting sources amid declining power demand during the COVID-19 crisis, according to new data.

Scientists find evidence parts of Venus's rocky surface move around like bits of ocean pack ice.

California-headquartered Boomitra has raised $4 million from a variety of corporate backers and billionaires as it seeks to establish an international low-cost CO2 removal programme for both voluntary and compliance carbon markets.

Terraformation, the restoration company co-founded last year by former Reddit CEO Yishan Wong, made headlines this month for offering ‘reforestation in a box’, but the real news may be that more investors are willing to put money into sustainable land practices.

Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. (Japex) and major power company J-Power have signed separate agreements with Indonesia’s state-owned Pertamina to earn carbon credits under the Joint Crediting Mechanism from CCS projects.

Coloured graphics designed by a Reading academic represent changing temperatures over time

It is the first African country to get money for reducing carbon emissions through forest protection.

Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator has issued almost 665,000 new carbon credits, while the optimism that Australia will set a 2050 net zero target this year – which some analysts say has been instrumental in pushing ACCU prices to record high levels – might be in question after the junior Coalition partner this week ditched its leader for being too pliant on climate.