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We could use a global carbon tax to give developing countries incentives to phase out coal

Although much derided by climate-change deniers, not least Donald Trump, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal hits the nail on the head with its urgent call for the US to lead by example on global warming. But the sad truth is that, for all the needless waste produced by Americans’ gluttonous culture, emerging Asia is by far the main driver of the world’s growing carbon dioxide emissions. No amount of handwringing will solve the problem. The way to do that is to establish the right incentives for countries such as China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

It is hard to see how to do this within the framework of existing multilateral aid institutions, which have limited expertise on climate issues and are pulled in different directions by their various constituencies. For example, to the dismay of many energy experts, the World Bank recently rather capriciously decided to stop funding virtually all new fossil-fuel plants, including natural gas. But replacing dirty coal plants with relatively clean natural gas is how the US has managed to reduce emissions growth dramatically over the past decade (despite Trump’s best efforts), and is a centrepiece of the famous “Princeton wedges” pragmatic options for minimising climate risk. One cannot let the perfect become the enemy of good in the transition to a carbon-neutral future.

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RN Drive's Country Drive ploughs through some of the most important news of the week from rural and regional Australia.

Cyclists: Scourge of the Roads? isn’t just as bad as the title indicates – it’s irresponsible

On Wednesday morning, I’ll be a little bit more wary when I cycle into work. I’m always hugely careful, anyway – the trip involves sharing space with tonne-plus lumps of speeding metal – but this time I’ll be particularly on my guard. Why? Because Channel 5 are putting me, and others, at risk.

At 9.15pm on Tuesday, a reasonably sizeable number of people, the majority of whom probably drive motor vehicles, will sit down to watch what is undoubtedly the worst, most scaremongering, inaccurate, downright irresponsible programme on cycling I’ve ever seen.

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City one of five required by government to set up a clean air zone to tackle nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5s

Primary school children who grow up in Birmingham could lose half a year of their lives due to illegal levels of air pollution in the city, a new report warns.

The study examines levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate pollution (PM2.5) in the city and calculates that an eight-year-old child could die up to seven months early if exposed over their lifetimes to toxic air. The loss of life expectancy is worse in Birmingham than some other major cities in the UK including Manchester, researchers found.

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Proponents of 2,200MW Star of the South project begin labour market study for first offshore wind farm in southern hemisphere.

The post Australia’s first offshore wind project moves forward with labour market study appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Diplomats are losing patience with players like Saudi Arabia blocking progress at international climate talks, instead looking to other forums for action.

The post Saudi row over 1.5°C science raises frustration with UN consensus model appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia's responsibility for global emissions is set to soar as government policies push more coal and gas into a diminishing market for fossil fuels.

The post Australia to become world’s biggest dealer in fossil fuel emissions appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia has experienced a four-fold jump in large scale solar farms in the last year, but it has still been overtaken by a stunning surge in Vietnam.

The post Australia just got overtaken by Vietnam for large scale solar installations appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The UK has had more wildfires in half of 2019 than any year on record, Joe wants to learn why.

Mandla Maseko, from South Africa, won a chance to become the first black African in space.

The offspring of abandoned pets in the nuclear exclusion zone are receiving veterinary help.

Two of big six energy companies sign up to pledge organised by the Climate Group

Two of Britain’s biggest energy suppliers are accelerating the drive towards greener vehicles by pledging to replace their existing fleet of vans with all-electric models by 2030.

British Gas owner Centrica and SSE have committed to switch to electric cars and vans a decade ahead of the government’s ban on the sale of new combustion engine vehicles.

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Marine scientists from around the country are gathering in Fremantle for their annual conference to hear the latest efforts to develop Australia's blue economy.

Billions of dollars in Commonwealth funds have been handed out to irrigators in the Murray-Darling Basin under a scheme that was supposed to help the environment.

Australia reaches another key milestone in rooftop solar installations, with 9GW across the country and the 10GW mark likely to be reached by year end.

The post Australia now has more than 9GW of small scale rooftop solar appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia looking to become an emissions superpower, the Australian Conservation Foundation says

Australia is responsible for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and could be contributing as much as 17% by 2030 if the pollution from its fossil fuel exports is factored in, research suggests.

Under climate accounting rules that record carbon dioxide released within a country, Australia is responsible for about 1.4% of global emissions. The analysis by science and policy institute Climate Analytics found more than twice that, another 3.6%, are a result of Australia’s coal, oil and gas exports.

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Jaguar Land Rover boss says UK needs batteries made in Britain - or carmakers will leave

The feeling of relief in the British car industry was almost palpable on Friday, when Jaguar Land Rover said it would invest billions in producing new electric vehicles in the UK. After the recent closure of two other UK automotive factories in five months – Honda in Swindon and Ford in Bridgend – JLR boss Ralf Speth was clearly pleased to have good news for the 2,500 workers at the Castle Bromwich plant.

Yet amid the congratulations, Speth also struck a note of warning. Not on Brexit this time, but on the future of the car sector in the absence of a British battery industry. “One thing is clear: if batteries go out of the UK, then also the automotive production will go out of the UK,” he said.

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The scale of the climate emergency requires nothing less than full government engagement

With just 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage caused by the climate emergency, there are still options to wean the world’s economy off its reliance on fossil fuels. However, anything less than putting Britain on a war footing will not be enough.

The government response so far has been timid. Theresa May introduced a net-zero carbon emissions target for 2050, but there are reasons why the Conservatives haven’t gone further: her party is hard-wired to fail. Clinging to a belief in the power of free markets, it neglects the fact that to decarbonise the economy greater investment from the state is required.

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The observatory, which tracked US and Russian craft during the space race, wins Unesco recognition.

Developing countries must prepare now for profound impact, disaster representative says

Climate crisis disasters are happening at the rate of one a week, though most draw little international attention and work is urgently needed to prepare developing countries for the profound impacts, the UN has warned.

Catastrophes such as cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique and the drought afflicting India make headlines around the world. But large numbers of “lower impact events” that are causing death, displacement and suffering are occurring much faster than predicted, said Mami Mizutori, the UN secretary-general’s special representative on disaster risk reduction. “This is not about the future, this is about today.”

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