Around The Web

National governments are using political lobbying and empty symbolic efforts to stave off an "in danger" listing for their World Heritage sites. Tiffany Morrison, Professorial Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Katrina Brown, Professor of Social Sciences, University of Exeter Maria Lemos, Professor of Environmental Justice, Environmental Policy and Planning, Climate + Energy,, University of Michigan Neil Adger, Professor of Human Geography, University of Exeter Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Tropical cyclones account for almost four in five natural disasters across Pacific Island nations. But a new forecasting tool now gives up to four months warning for the upcoming cyclone season. Andrew Magee, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Newcastle Andrew Lorrey, Principal Scientist & Programme Leader of Climate Observations and Processes, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Anthony Kiem, Associate Professor – Hydroclimatology, University of Newcastle Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Additional compliance offsets that would meet California regulator ARB’s definition of having direct environmental benefits to the state (DEBs) are waiting for final approval, likely bolstering supply ahead of the WCI-linked carbon market's post-2020 period, according to registry data.

US biofuel credits (RIN) values are stagnating in July as the market awaits clarity on next year’s proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volumes and compliance waiver requests.

Boris Johnson’s ‘return to normality’ will only mean more consumerism at the expense of the planet – we must resist it

Out there somewhere, marked on no map but tantalisingly near, is a promised land called Normal, to which one day we can return. This is the magical geography we are taught by politicians, such as Boris Johnson with his “significant return to normality”. It is the story we tell ourselves, even if we contradict it with the very next thought.

There are practical reasons to believe that Normal is a fairyland to which we can never return. The virus has not gone away, and is likely to keep recurring in waves. But let’s focus on another question: if such a land existed, would we want to live there?

Continue reading...

Swedish utility Vattenfall saw its fossil-based production fall by a third during the first half of 2020 due mainly to weak generation margins and "challenging" market conditions, it announced Tuesday.

The bonanza in revenue from the FCAS market on Australia's main grid dried up in the second quarter, leading to a big reduction in revenue for the country's fleet of big batteries.

The post Revenue bonanza dries up for big battery storage in second quarter appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Curtailment of wind and solar farms fell by half in latest quarter, even as wind and solar set new output records.

The post Wind and solar set new production records in second quarter, curtailment falls appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia's main grid achieves trifecta of a record low in emissions in June quarter, even as the level of coal production and wholesale market prices plunged.

The post Grid emissions hit record low, as both coal output and prices plunge appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Activist says €750bn package shows leaders still not treating climate change as a crisis

Greta Thunberg has accused EU politicians of failing to acknowledge the scale of the climate crisis and said the €750bn Covid-19 recovery plan does not do enough to tackle the issue.

She said the package of measures agreed by EU leaders on Tuesday proved that politicians were still not treating climate change as an emergency.

Continue reading...

EU carbon prices rose along with wider financial markets on Tuesday, boosted by a deal on the bloc's next seven-year budget and a coronavirus recovery fund that was clinched overnight.

Plan B says government proposals unlawful in light of obligations to cut emissions

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

Climate campaigners have launched a formal legal challenge against the government’s green recovery plans, claiming they are inadequate and “clearly unlawful” in light of the UK’s obligations to reduce emissions.

Plan B, the pressure group that successfully challenged the UK government over its plans to expand Heathrow, sent a “pre-action” letter to the prime minister and the chancellor on Tuesday, saying the government was missing an historic opportunity to avoid catastrophe.

Continue reading...

IEA chief Fatih Birol says it will be impossible to meet even modest global climate targets if existing coal plants continue operating at full capacity and for their lifetimes.

The post IEA chief tells Australia all coal must go if world to meet climate targets in orderly fashion appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The "zero climate impact" promise covers both its own operations and those of its suppliers.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg has been awarded the Gulbenkian prize for humanity for the way she 'has been able to mobilise younger generations' and has announced she will donate the prize money to climate groups. 

The €1m is the largest prize won by the 17-year-old environmental campaigner who has also won Amnesty International’s top human rights prize and the Swedish Right Livelihood award, often presented as an alternative Nobel prize

• Greta Thunberg gives €1m award money to climate groups

Continue reading...

An analysis of 93m US homes found that the most energy intensive dwellings are found in Maine, Vermont and Wisconsin

The homes of wealthy Americans are major engines of the climate crisis, research has found, with the United States’ most affluent suburbs generating as much as 15 times the greenhouse gas emissions as nearby, poorer districts.

An analysis of 93m homes in the contiguous US found that the most energy intensive dwellings, per square foot, are found in Maine, Vermont and Wisconsin, while the least energy intensive are located in Florida, Arizona and California.

Continue reading...

New offsets issued by Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator and carbon credits delivered to the government’s Emissions Reduction Fund both dipped over the past two weeks after higher-than-usual activity in June, as the 2019-20 financial year came to an end.

Environment campaigner Greta Thunberg says she will donate a one-million-euro prize.

Expanded Tesla big battery delivers output at world-record 150MW for first time during trials.

The post Tesla big battery at Hornsdale delivers world record output of 150MW appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The public consultation period for assessment for export accreditation will be open until 21 August 2020.