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Former CEFC chief calls for a new, Queensland government-owned green bank to unlock the state’s north as “a major growth engine” for renewables.

The post Yates calls for a state green bank to unlock Queensland renewable potential appeared first on RenewEconomy.

AEMO looks overseas for best practice on renewables integration and may adopt a "staged transition" as it seeks to determine if there is an upper limit to wind and solar.

The post AEMO hints at “staged transition” as it seeks to define limits of wind and solar appeared first on RenewEconomy.

BHP cancels existing coal contracts and commits to going 100 per cent renewables at its huge Chile copper mines, to save money and emissions.

The post BHP cancels coal contracts, goes 100 per cent renewables at huge Chile copper mines appeared first on RenewEconomy.

BBC Radio 5 Live speaks to a space gynaecologist about the impact of space travel on female astronauts.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

Plates will mean perks such as free parking as part of scheme to push zero-emission vehicles

Green coloured number plates will be issued for electric cars under government plans to encourage drivers to buy zero-emission vehicles.

The government said the new licence plates would make the least polluting cars easily identifiable and help their drivers benefit from incentives such as free parking or access to clean air zones.

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New Jersey compliance entities’ accounts previously registered in the CO2 Allowance Tracking System (COATS) will be re-opened as necessary ahead of the state’s return to RGGI next year, an official said, with numerous emitters having not yet registered.

A Neanderthal tool from the Netherlands bears traces of ancient "glue".

US astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch answer questions about their all-female space walk.

The Queensland State Government has fast-tracked a bill that introduces two-year jail terms and hefty fines for environmental protesters who use lock-on devices.

If Australia is the biggest gas exporter in the world, why are we shipping it back in? Because the gas market is dysfunctional - and it means consumers are suffering. Samantha Hepburn, Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Carbon emissions make sea more acidic, which wiped out 75% of marine species 66m years ago

Ocean acidification can cause the mass extinction of marine life, fossil evidence from 66m years ago has revealed.

A key impact of today’s climate crisis is that seas are again getting more acidic, as they absorb carbon emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas. Scientists said the latest research is a warning that humanity is risking potential “ecological collapse” in the oceans, which produce half the oxygen we breathe.

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Scientists call for urgent action to prevent peatlands drying out and releasing vast stores of carbon.

Beating finalists from five other states, Queensland’s Mackay is judged to have the nation’s most delicious water on tap

Australia’s best-tasting tap water has had a long journey: from rainforest ponds where “platypuses are playing”, down “cascading waterfalls”, “rocky rivers”, “into the Pioneer River”, through Marion Water Treatment Plant and then into the pipes of Queensland’s Mackay.

Related: How to save water in Australia's drought: reuse, buy a front-loader – and wash less

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Highview Power claims device will be Europe’s largest energy storage project

British battery pioneers plan to build Europe’s largest energy storage project using a cryogenic battery that can store renewable energy for weeks rather than hours.

The device will be built on the site of an old fossil fuel plant in the north of England to power up to 50,000 homes for up to five hours.

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Michael Miller writes on the Conservatives’ record on tackling the climate crisis, while Dr Andy Higginbottom argues that both parties fail to acknowledge the real impact and Dr David Lowry says that nuclear power is not the panacea it’s made out to be

The letter from Conservative MPs listing their climate achievements makes rather sad reading (Letters, 17 October). Yes, they have done some positive things but the letter glosses over many problems.

The record investment in renewables and phase-out of coal power stations is largely a result of market forces because green measures have become much cheaper, and it was the Labour government that introduced the feed-in tariff leading to the huge growth in solar power. Setting a net-zero target is meaningless unless supported by action, and hosting the 2020 UN climate talks will probably simply produce more hot air than reduce CO2 .

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A bird found in the Amazon has shattered the record for the loudest call, reaching the same volume as a pneumatic drill. The white bellbird, which lives in the mountains of the north-eastern Amazon, was recorded at 125 decibels (dB), three times louder than the next bird in the pecking order, the screaming piha

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White bellbird’s call reaches same volume as pneumatic drill during courtship ritual

A bird in the Amazon has shattered the record for the loudest call to be recorded, reaching the same volume as a pneumatic drill.

The white bellbird, which lives in the mountains of the north-eastern Amazon, was recorded at 125 decibels (dB), three times louder than the next bird in the pecking order, the screaming piha.

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Veganism and trees could help stop agriculture contributing to global heating, study says

If one in five people in richer countries went near-vegan, and threw away a third less food than they currently do, while poor countries were assisted to preserve their forests and restore degraded land, the world’s agricultural systems could be absorbing carbon dioxide by 2050 instead of adding massively to global heating as they do at present.

Tree-planting and improving the fertility of soil through better farming practices would also be needed, according to a study of global forests, farming and food systems published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

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New technology - called prime editing - is like a "genetic word processor" able to re-write DNA.