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Environmentalist who first calculated the damage caused by clearing tropical rainforests to raise cattle for hamburgers

Norman Myers, who has died of dementia aged 85, was the scientist who first calculated that every year, worldwide, an area of tropical rainforest the size of England and Wales was burned, bulldozed or felled to ranch beef for US hamburgers.

That, more than 40 years ago, was not orthodoxy. Satellite imagery over the next decade proved him right. He also predicted – and explained his reasoning, in his second book, The Sinking Ark (1979) – that species were being extinguished at the rate of one a day, rather than the accepted figure of one a year. This too was challenged, and later Myers conceded he had been wrong; he should have said 50 species a day.

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The fairy penguins under my shack are gone, and soon the forty-spotted pardalotes and swift parrots will join them. Our children knew these birds; their children will not

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I am not a twitcher’s binocular strap, but I adore birds. I watch birds for hours. Their freedom and joy move me. Something in their play and way suggest minds far different than ours. A man I once met who kept cockatoos told me that you have to be careful because they fuck with your head.

And they do.

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After Chile withdraws from holding the global climate summit, Spain offers to host it in Madrid.

This year's UN climate talks will now be held in Madrid, Chilean President Sebastian Pinera said Thursday, with the Spanish government offering to hold the summit after Chile pulled out due to ongoing protests in the country.

European carbon prices dipped on Thursday after hitting a fresh eight-day high.

Decision would mark U-turn for PM, who once said fracking was ‘glorious news for humanity’

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The prime minister could be poised to sound the death knell for the UK’s controversial shale gas industry after more than a decade of support for fracking, according to sources.

Boris Johnson is expected to rule out any new fracking in the UK as part of his election campaign following rising opposition to fracking among voters, and within his own party.

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The European Commission adopted rule changes on Thursday aiming to clamp down on rampant gaming of the bloc’s carbon market by industrial companies over the past decade.

Analysts Refinitiv have hired a Beijing-based expert from the Energy Foundation to track developments ahead of next year’s launch of China’s national emissions trading market.

Our team of environment writers from around the world reflects on the urgency and breadth of the climate crisis, and the role of readers in making our coverage possible

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George Monbiot, columnist and author of several books on the climate crisis

Before I worked for the Guardian, I tried writing for other newspapers, in the belief I should reach the unconverted. But I gradually discovered that all of them were intensely hostile to thoughtful explorations of ecological and climate breakdown. In total, I was commissioned to write 26 articles. All but two were spiked. Eventually I realised it was impossible to cover these crucial issues properly without supportive editors. Reluctantly at first, I started writing for the Guardian in the early 1990s. Across most of this period, it has been the only paper that has consistently supported powerful writing about the gathering collapse of our life support systems. Now, with your help, it is devoting unprecedented resources to the greatest predicament humankind has ever faced. Thanks to your support, I will keep writing about every aspect of our environmental crisis, always striving to dig deeper and to understand more.

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The response from Guardian readers around the world to our recently launched climate pledge has been overwhelming, and given us even more determination to put this urgent issue front and centre of our journalism

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Thank you to all the readers and Guardian supporters around the world who have responded to our environmental pledge, in which we outlined five important journalistic and institutional steps we will take to play a leading role in reporting on the climate catastrophe. The response has been overwhelming, with thousands of you across more than 100 countries making the choice to support us with a contribution.

Many of you have told us how much you value our commitment: to be truthful, resolute and undeterred in pursuing this important journalism. We made this pledge because we recognise the climate emergency as the defining issue of our lifetimes.

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Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator issued just over 76,000 new carbon credits this week, as numbers fell to a quarter of the weekly average so far this year.

Researchers found only two living koalas after fires burned through the native marsupial’s breeding ground in north-eastern NSW

Bushfires sweeping through prime koala habitat in New South Wales may have killed as many as 350 of the iconic native marsupial, conservationists say.

The blaze, near Port Macquarie in northern NSW, has burned through thousands of hectares including an important koala breeding ground.

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Goldwind Australia announced today the final Goldwind wind turbine generator components have arrived at Cattle Hill Wind Farm project site in the Central Highlands of Tasmania.

The post Final Goldwind wind turbine generator components delivered to Cattle Hill Wind Farm appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia has already overshot 2020 RET by nearly 1GW since accumulating enough completed and committed projects to meet the goal in late August.

The post Renewable energy target now overshot by nearly 1GW, says regulator appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australian battery company RedEarth secures technology partnership with Siemens to bring Australian battery storage to market.

The post RedEarth secures Siemens partnership to bring Australian battery tech to market appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Adani uses official opening of Queensland Rugby Run solar farm to stress that it "gets" climate change. Meanwhile, over in the Galilee Basin...

The post Adani opens Queensland solar farm and says it’s proof it “gets climate change” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Drought has both natural and human causes, but deep cuts in our greenhouse gas emissions are urgently needed, regardless. Ben Henley, Research Fellow in Climate and Water Resources, University of Melbourne Andrew King, ARC DECRA fellow, University of Melbourne Anna Ukkola, Research Fellow, Australian National University Murray Peel, Senior lecturer, University of Melbourne Q J Wang, Professor, University of Melbourne Rory Nathan, Associate Professor Hydrology and Water Resources, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

AGL says electric vehicles will see result in a 20-fold increase in behind the meter battery storage capacity in Australia by 2030, and it wants to be able to harness that resource.

The post Electric vehicles will drive 20-fold lift in battery storage capacity by 2030, says AGL appeared first on RenewEconomy.

CleanCo marks first day in energy market by switching on Wivenhoe pumped hydro station as solar duck curve takes shape.

The post CleanCo marks first day by switching on pumped hydro to meet solar duck curve appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Consortium seeks to leverage Govt funds to examine feasibility of hydrogen export facility near Portland in Victoria that could grow to a $1B investment opportunity.

The post Consortium proposes 80MW solar farm and green hydrogen facility in Victoria appeared first on RenewEconomy.