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Small mammals in northern Australia have been rapidly vanishing for the last 30 years, and scientists weren't sure why. Now, a major new study found feral livestock are largely to blame. Alyson Stobo-Wilson, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Charles Darwin University Brett Murphy, Associate Professor / ARC Future Fellow, Charles Darwin University Graeme Gillespie, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Jaana Dielenberg, Science Communication Manager, The University of Queensland John Woinarski, Professor (conservation biology), Charles Darwin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

To limit warming to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels, we'll need to cut global emissions by 7.6% each year this decade. It's difficult, but not impossible. Robert McLachlan, Professor in Applied Mathematics, Massey University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The organisms had been in a dormant state in the seabed in the South Pacific since the age of dinosaurs.

Spanish utility Endesa reported a major drop in H1 coal-fired power generation in its financial results on Tuesday, amid earlier-than-expected shutdowns of nearly half of the country's coal power fleet.

The government talks a good game when it comes to radical policymaking. But its failure to invest in a zero-carbon future tells a different story

Senior figures in this government like to view themselves as insurgents against a hidebound Whitehall establishment. This is partly because Boris Johnson won the last election after pledging to “get Brexit done”, breaking the post-referendum stalemate in parliament. But it is also settled wisdom in Downing Street, and in the Treasury, that a more general shake-up is required of Britain’s body politic if it is to become more lithe and nimble, and get ahead of the game.

More evidence of this desire to disrupt came on Tuesday in the form of a speech by Stephen Barclay, the chief secretary to the Treasury. Addressing a centre-right thinktank, Mr Barclay heralded a new era of state spending in which the ethos of Silicon Valley would inform departmental decision-making. In the spirit of west coast venture capitalists, government ministers and their civil servants would back schemes that took risks and which would therefore sometimes fail. The interminable delays and inveterate caution that have blighted government projects and investment would become a thing of the past. Inculcating this new Whitehall worldview is seen as fundamental to speedily delivering the “infrastructure revolution” promised by Mr Johnson at the end of last month.

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For some lab-grown meat is ‘scary science’, for others a genuine lever for change. Rachel Khoo, believes it may be both

Grant Howie likes to describe himself as a “traditional kind of middle-aged meat eater,” which is to say he eats mostly beef or lamb sourced from farms in his region. But he’s also not shy of a plant-based burger made from hemp, soy and pea isolates, hydrated with coconut oils and flavour powders. His vegan daughter cajoled him into making plant-based products at his New Zealand-based company Fishers Meat.

But ask this longtime food executive to eat lab-grown meat and Grant will dig in his heels. There is a limit to his progressiveness. “It just sounds too scary science,” he says.

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The European Commission is considering whether to end the bloc's exemption to taxing aviation and shipping fuels as part of an overhaul to EU Energy Taxation Directive (ETD).

Sir Richard Branson's tourist spaceplane company updates on progress, unveiling a cabin design.

The world's biggest nuclear fusion project has entered its five-year assembly phase.

A former RGGI executive director has been hired by Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as the Pacific Northwest state develops a cap-and-reduce programme and more stringent clean fuel standard under a gubernatorial order.

US president Donald Trump promised he would save the country's coal industry, but it's not working out that way, with coal production plunging to its lowest levels in more than 50 years.

The post US coal production plunges to lowest level in more than 50 years appeared first on RenewEconomy.

EUAs held above €25 early on Tuesday, halting the previous session's 5% drop as wider markets steadied amid hopes of more government stimulus measures.

Tahlequah captured the world's attention when spotted carrying her dead calf for 17 days.

We’ve turned a blind eye to a public health time bomb in already vulnerable communities

“I Can’t Breathe” is echoing across the planet. Filled with anguish and pain, these haunting words are spotlighting the systemic racism that has infected unjust policing practices, putting black and brown communities in its crosshairs. As police take lives with chokeholds and asphyxiate others with knees on their necks, we are reminded that racism is literally killing our people and planet.

Related: Is this the best of times, the worst of times, or both?

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Project aims to show clean fusion power can be generated at commercial scale

The world’s largest nuclear fusion project began its five-year assembly phase on Tuesday in southern France, with the first ultra-hot plasma expected to be generated in late 2025.

The €20bn (£18.2bn) Iter project will replicate the reactions that power the sun and is intended to demonstrate fusion power can be generated on a commercial scale. Nuclear fusion promises clean, unlimited power but, despite 60 years of research, it has yet to overcome the technical challenges of harnessing such extreme amounts of energy.

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Emirates utility awards contract to build 2GW Al Dhafra solar project at a record-low tariff for solar power of $0.0135/kWh.

The post World’s largest solar power plant moves forward with world’s lowest price appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Top investment house delists world biggest meat producer over lack of commitment to sustainability issues

The investment arm of northern Europe’s largest financial services group has dropped JBS, the world’s biggest meat processer, from its portfolio. The Brazilian company is now excluded from assets sold by Nordea Asset Management, which controls a €230bn (£210bn) fund, according to Eric Pedersen, its head of responsible investments.

The decision was taken about a month ago, over the meat giant’s links to farms involved in Amazon deforestation, its response to the Covid-19 outbreak, past corruption scandals, and frustrations over engagement with the company on such issues. “The exclusion of JBS is quite dramatic for us because it is from all of our funds, not just the ones labelled ESG,” Pedersen said.

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CSIRO scientists determined the type of shark involved after examining the life jacket worn by 10-year-old boy when he was grabbed from a fishing boat

The shark that grabbed a 10-year-old boy from a fishing boat off north-west Tasmania was likely a great white measuring about 3.5 metres, scientists have said.

Lucas Arnott is recovering after the attack about 5km off the coast of Stanley on 17 July.

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Snow leopards, tapirs, oriental storks and many others feature in WWF’s new collection. Its camera traps are wildlife friendly, as they cause little environmental disturbance, while producing permanent, verifiable records of some of the world’s rarest animals.

The technology can also give scientists vital insights into population numbers and trends at a time when poaching has reportedly increased

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The Auditor General has included the stalled UNGI program, and the Snowy 2.0 expansion, on its priority list for audits in 2020-21.

The post Taylor’s stalled UNGI and Snowy 2.0 included on watchdog’s audit hit list appeared first on RenewEconomy.