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Climate emissions from tropical forest damage 'underestimated by a factor of six'

The Guardian - Thu, 2019-10-31 12:32

Scientists say policymakers must better account for climate impacts of damage to forests, and benefits of conserving them

Greenhouse gas emissions caused by damage to tropical rainforests around the world are being underestimated by a factor of six, according to a new study.

Research led by the University of Queensland finds the climate impact of selective logging, outright clearing and fire in tropical rainforests between 2000 and 2013 was underestimated by 6.53bn tonnes of CO2.

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St Baker wants “green loan” for big batteries to cut wear and tear at coal plant

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2019-10-31 12:31

Vales Point power station sale decomissioning rehabilitation - optimisedVales Point coal generator half owned by Liberal Party donor Trevor St Baker wants to install two 30MW batteries, and for the new CEFC fund to help finance it.

The post St Baker wants “green loan” for big batteries to cut wear and tear at coal plant appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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Spiders inspire double-sided sticky tape to heal wounds

BBC - Thu, 2019-10-31 11:09
The tape could help surgeons bind tissues together when stitching is difficult, scientists say.
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Saudi Arabia plans domestic carbon trading system -minister

Carbon Pulse - Thu, 2019-10-31 10:31
Oil and gas producer Saudi Arabia is planning to establish a domestic carbon trading system and will present a proposal soon, its energy minister told a Riyadh conference Wednesday, according to Reuters.
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Tilt says batteries next focus as wind earnings jump in Australia

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2019-10-31 10:26

Tilt says battery next development priority, as higher LGC prices and a halving in curtailment from South Australia lifts earnings in latest half.

The post Tilt says batteries next focus as wind earnings jump in Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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Bronze Age monument discovered in Forest of Dean

BBC - Thu, 2019-10-31 10:20
The previously unknown site was found after a laser survey of woodland in the Forest of Dean.
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Hydro Tasmania pushes “battery of the nation” plan, will unlock wind and solar

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2019-10-31 10:05

hydro tas pumped hydro battery nation wide view of strathgordon dam in tasmania - optimisedHydro Tasmania pushes "battery of nation" plan with new paper suggesting it could replace Yallourn and unlock thousands of megawatts of wind and solar projects.

The post Hydro Tasmania pushes “battery of the nation” plan, will unlock wind and solar appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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Top SA entrepreneur to join Australia’s university of enterprise

RenewEconomy - Thu, 2019-10-31 09:24

Founder of ZEN Energy and 2010 Australian Entrepreneur of the Year, Richard Turner, joins University of South Australia as Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Industry Professor of Practice.

The post Top SA entrepreneur to join Australia’s university of enterprise appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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CP Daily: Wednesday October 30, 2019

Carbon Pulse - Thu, 2019-10-31 07:51
A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.
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The EU can green its industry without carbon border measures, say researchers

Carbon Pulse - Thu, 2019-10-31 07:34
The EU can devise a strategy that allows its heavy industry to thrive while reaching net zero emissions by 2050 without resorting to border carbon adjustments, a consortium of European researchers found on Wednesday.
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Alberta’s proposed CO2 pricing regime lacking on industry benchmarks, excelling on electricity -analysts

Carbon Pulse - Thu, 2019-10-31 07:33
The Alberta government’s proposed output-based pricing system (OBPS) could penalise early movers and provide windfall profits to dirtier industrial firms in the Canadian province, while the uniform electricity sector standard would prove more ambitious than the benchmarks set by the federal ‘backstop’ programme, economists and analysts said.
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New York will not complete RGGI Model Rule update until 2020

Carbon Pulse - Thu, 2019-10-31 07:12
New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will not finalise regulations to adopt the RGGI carbon market's post-2020 Model Rule updates this year, and its timeline to publish a draft proposal remains hazy, sources said.
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'Alarming' loss of insects and spiders recorded

BBC - Thu, 2019-10-31 04:03
A new study shows hundreds of different butterflies, bugs and flying insects are declining across Germany.
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DeepMind AI achieves Grandmaster status at Starcraft 2

BBC - Thu, 2019-10-31 04:00
Artificial intelligence firm says its AI agents have achieved Grandmaster status at Starcraft 2.
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UK’s renewables powerhouses urge government to uphold carbon pricing

Carbon Pulse - Thu, 2019-10-31 03:35
Utilities SSE, Orsted, and Drax are urging the UK government to confirm it will uphold and extend carbon pricing domestically amid its efforts to exit the EU, in order to avoid undermining billions of pounds of clean energy investments in the country.
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Supporters of our content

The Guardian - Thu, 2019-10-31 03:18

This series is funded, in part, through grants to theguardian.org by the following organisations

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Here's the story of Pirate the cockatoo, the hissing white ghost who became boss of my heart | Alexis Wright

The Guardian - Thu, 2019-10-31 03:00

I ended up incorporating him into my novel Carpentaria, where he now looms larger than life

Vote for your favourite in the 2019 bird of the year poll

This is a story of Pirate, Australia’s proper number one rex regum et volucres, king of birds. As a fledging, so I was told, he was rescued in a relocation of sulphur-crested cockatoos from the vicinity of Tullamarine airport, so that he would not end up being a bird-strike victim caught up in a jet turbine of one of those long-haul international Boeing jetliners taking off at about 190mph to Hong Kong, London, Paris or wherever else these people carriers fly to on the planet.

This wild young cockatoo was taken to central Australia, where the skies would eventually be large enough for his freewheeling temperament to roam. Within days of arriving in Alice Springs he came to live with my family as a basically wild, and seemingly untameable, rebellious adolescent. He hated everyone and hissed like a mad white ghost whenever anyone went near his cage. Every day I talked to him, paid him many compliments for his extraordinary beauty, and gave him the name of Pirate. Somehow I managed to clean his cage with all the newspapers he ripped up without having my hand bitten off while he was going completely bananas, and then I brought him fresh gumtree foliage to beautify his home, which he destroyed along with the newspaper, and gave him saucers of cut-up fruit, vegetables, seed and water. In other words, he was the boss and I was his slave.

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Chile cancels climate and Apec summits amid mass protests

BBC - Thu, 2019-10-31 02:09
The country will also no longer host next month's Apec trade summit, as mass protests continue.
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Is a plastic Christmas tree more sustainable than a real one?

The Guardian - Thu, 2019-10-31 01:11

In the UK’s first ‘plastic-free’ town, Penzance, there is consternation at the arrival of 150 artificial trees, amid suggestions that this is the most environmentally friendly option

Residents of Penzance, Cornwall, the UK’s first “plastic-free” town, were understandably piqued this week to find that 150 Christmas trees had been put up – every single one made of plastic.

Local business chiefs behind the move defended their decision to opt for fake trees for the community and insisted they were more sustainable than the fresh alternative – which would later have to be burned – and could be dusted off and reused for many years.

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Electric cars could be charged in 10 minutes in future, finds research

The Guardian - Thu, 2019-10-31 01:00

Scientists are developing rapid-charging batteries that could be in use in a couple of years

New battery technology could give electric cars more than 200 miles of charge in as little as 10 minutes, according to new research.

Lithium ion batteries have had a dramatic impact because of their ability to store a large amount of energy in a small, compact battery and be recharged again and again. A trio of scientists were awarded the Nobel prize in chemistry for their contributions to the development of the batteries earlier this month.

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