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Last week, some rules for modern manners went viral, but they weren’t very applicable to those of us with mundane lives. Here is what you really need to know about travel, masks and toilet paper orientation

Have you noticed that nobody seems able to behave properly any more? The pandemic, along with modern technology, has caused some of us to forget how to interact with others completely. See, for example, rising incidents of air rage.

New York magazine has certainly noticed all this: the media outlet recently published a viral list of 140 rules of modern etiquette to help people navigate our brave new world. Unfortunately, a lot of the rules on the list were somewhat deranged and seemingly aimed at people who spend their days mingling with celebrities, attending “ironic birthday parties” and dropping in on gatherings where the hosts put out large bowls of cigarettes as party favours. In other words, not very useful for those of us who lead rather more mundane lives. So, you’ll be thrilled to know, I’ve helpfully put together my own list of rules for modern life that everybody should follow.

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An advisory firm has found the Australian government’s overhauled Safeguard Mechanism policy to be “balanced, fair, and effective” and will create strong demand for Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs), but noted several crucial sticking points in the proposed policy that remain to be addressed.

This reshuffle will make little difference: the country is going nowhere as the PM leads us further down an economic dead end

Britain’s future will be shaped by a summit of European leaders this week, but Rishi Sunak, as prime minister of a very sovereign nation, will be absent.

It is one of the more subtle degradations of life outside the European Union. Heads of government gather in Brussels to decide things that affect British voters, who are represented by an empty chair.

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Global CO2 emissions from power generation reached an all-time high in 2022, mainly on the back of growth in fossil fuel-fired generation in the Asia-Pacific and worldwide power demand edging up, but aggressive renewables capacity build-out means that electricity emissions will stabilise at around the same level over the next three years, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported on Wednesday.

Australia produces its second highest solar output on record in January, with NSW solar assets delivering more than any other state.

The post Second best month for big solar in Australia as WA facility tops rankings again appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A game-changing Australian methodology that was on the cusp of being implemented has been left in limbo in the wake of the independent review into the country’s carbon market, with its developers unclear on when the method will be finalised.

Magnis Energy Technologies has put a pause on plans, once vigorously promoted, to build a lithium-ion battery mega factory in Townsville.

The post Battery gigafactory on the backburner as Magnis walks back Queensland plans appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Latest Clean Energy Regulator data shows nearly 50% year-on-year growth in large-scale wind and solar investment.

The post Big solar and wind pipeline boosted by 4.3GW of new “committed” projects in 2022 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Voluntary carbon markets have come under fire in recent weeks with questions raised of the merits of a range of projects across the world. While the headlines are of course disappointing and knock confidence in the sector as a whole, the greater scrutiny is welcomed to ensure carbon credits deliver the climate impact they are designed to offer and to provide sufficient return on capital to carbon-reducing projects to stimulate more such projects, writes Louis Redshaw of Redshaw Advisors.

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If decision makers don’t have up-to-date information about urban water use and demand, any policies they design are unlikely to deliver for communities or the environment. Julia Talbot-Jones, Senior lecturer, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Thomas Benison, Research Analyst, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The Abbott-era policy hides its support for fossil fuel expansion behind a fig leaf of dodgy carbon credits and offsets

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The enormous PEP-11 gas project off Sydney’s northern beaches is back in the headlines and the timing couldn’t be worse for a federal Labor government trying to rush a new climate policy through the parliament; a policy that does nothing to stop new gas and coalmines being built and doesn’t even stop major polluters increasing their emissions. Labor’s Madeline King must now remake the decision made by our undercover resources minister, Scott Morrison.

The gas project is so unpopular that, with an upcoming New South Wales election, even the Liberal premier, Dominic Perrottet, is campaigning against it. And federally, Labor is in a mad, but unnecessary, rush to get its new climate policy through the parliament. Unfortunately for the climate minister, Chris Bowen, the loudest supporters for his so-called safeguard mechanism are the fossil fuel industry. Just last week, Beach Energy, which is preparing to expand the Waitsia gas project in WA by 250 terajoules a day (that’s a lot), spoke up in its defence. There are 113 other gas and coal projects seeking approval in Australia, and by design, the safeguard mechanism will do nothing to stop any of them going ahead.

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Fortescue Future Industries has added to its hydrogen technology portfolio, taking part in an early funding round for a New Zealand start-up.

The post Fortescue backs new green hydrogen technology start-up, this time in NZ appeared first on RenewEconomy.

HS2 Ltd's assessment of its impact on biodiversity is "riddled with inaccuracies" - say wildlife charities

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday signed deals with two separate African countries to develop forest conservation projects on the continent and earn carbon credits.

ANU team sandwiches two solar technologies together to achieve cell efficiency at levels targeted by ARENA for 2030.

The post Australian researchers hit solar stretch goal with tandem cell breakthrough appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Birds stored haul of acorns over the years in Santa Rosa house’s chimney, where they spilled into a wall cavity

Exterminator Nick Castro was inspecting a home for mealworms when he discovered something … nuts. Tens of thousands of acorns came cascading out from behind a bedroom wall.

“Unreal,” Castro posted on his company’s Facebook page. As he reached behind the wall, the little oak nuts kept spilling out. Castro – who owns Nick’s Extreme Pest Control in Santa Rosa, California – said he filled a total of eight garbage bags with 700lbs of acorns.

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BMW, Renault and Peugeot PHEVs all exceeded carbon dioxide output claimed in standard lab tests, on-road tests show

Popular plug-in hybrid cars emit significantly more carbon dioxide than official measures suggest, according to new on-road tests by academics that add to concerns over the true impact of cars sold as better for the environment.

Cars from BMW, Renault and Peugeot all emitted much more than standard lab tests had claimed, with the BMW 3 Series in particular emitting more than three times advertised, according to the research by Switzerland’s Graz University of Technology.

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Fossil fuel lobby demands that new laws designed to force regulators to consider and environmental and emissions in their rulings be watered down.

The post “We might get sued:” Fossil fuel lobby wants environmental objective watered down appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Report forecasts tens of gigawatts of new utility-scale renewables capacity will be added to US grid in 2023, the majority of it solar and storage.

The post Solar and storage to dominate new US capacity additions in 2023 appeared first on RenewEconomy.