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World’s biggest wildlife citizen survey maps changing fortunes of Britain’s bird populations

The garden of 1979 was filled with glossy gangs of starlings, the atonal chirp of sparrows and the tap-tap of song thrushes breaking open snail shells.

In 2019, you’re more likely to hear the screech of a ring-necked parakeet, the “coo” of a collared dove or the “woo” of a woodpigeon.

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Google expands its portfolio of renewable energy projects to a fourth continent as it signs a long-term PPA for the output of a 10MW solar array in Taiwan.

The post Google announces its first Asia PPA in Taiwan appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Forget the kangaroo and koala. Our new podcast dives deep into the world of Australian animals, looking beyond the old favourites to the most unusual, rare and fascinating wildlife found down under. Join host Benjamin Law as he learns about their amazing lives and hears from people who have formed a special connection to these animals.

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Extreme heat plus coal outages have made it a rough couple of days for the Australian grid operator. But there are some of good news energy market stories to come out of this heatwave, too.

The post Grid held together by solar, load management, as coal fails in heat appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Could Scott Morrison and Angus Taylor do anything possibly more unpopular than announce funding for new expensive, unreliable and high-polluting coal fired power plants during a record-breaking heatwave?

The post Will Morrison kick off 2019 with massive own-coal? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Recent advances in energy storage technology, especially batteries, coupled with dramatic cost declines is making storage increasingly attractive.

The post Battery storage as substitute for gas peakers – better performance, lower cost appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Move over Benedict Cumberbatch, there's another oddly shaped pale figure stealing the limelight. Elizabeth Joyce, PhD candidate, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Committee on Climate Change says the UK needs to cut power emissions from about 265g of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour in 2017 to under 100g by 2030.

The post With UK nuclear power plans in tatters, it’s vital to double down on wind and solar appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Sightings from fishing boats suggest the mysterious angel shark is present in Welsh waters.

The Met Office says that the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere in 2019 will rise at near record pace.

Nitrate in drinking water has been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer. That could have implications for some parts of New Zealand where nitrate levels are high. Michael (Mike) Joy, Senior Researcher; Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Victoria University of Wellington Michael Baker, Professor of Public Health, University of Otago Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We've had vegan burgers and sausage rolls, could animal-free clothing be our next obsession?

Levels of the climate-warming gas are set to rise by near-record amounts, Met Office predicts

The level of climate-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere is forecast to rise by a near-record amount in 2019, according to the Met Office.

The increase is being fuelled by the continued burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of forests, and will be particularly high in 2019 due to an expected return towards El Niño-like conditions. This natural climate variation causes warm and dry conditions in the tropics, meaning the plant growth that removes CO2 from the air is restricted.

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

Russia is considering a bill that would establish a cap-and-trade system for major carbon emitters by 2025 and require companies to report their emissions.

California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices rose slightly this week amid the ongoing turmoil with utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), while RGGI allowances (RGAs) also saw minor increases on thin volume as a large winter storm bore down on the northeast US.

Evidence is increasingly forcing us to re-visit our assumptions about the Neanderthals.

US will become increasingly reliant on natural gas and could become a net energy exporter by next year

The US could become a net energy exporter by next year as oil and gas production expands, according to new projections from the Energy Information Administration.

America is becoming increasingly reliant on natural gas – a fossil fuel that contributes to climate change but less so than coal. Solar power will grow rapidly too. Both will replace nuclear and coal power plants that are more expensive.

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Much of Australia is sweltering due to a high pressure system parked over the Tasman Sea – and there's no sign it's moving any time soon. Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

European carbon prices sank for a second day on Thursday despite the most bullish auction result of the year to date, as traders said weaker energy and profit-taking weighed on EUAs.