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Study highlights importance of biodiversity as part of strategy to stop planet overheating

Scientists have shown to be true what JRR Tolkien only imagined in the Lord of the Rings: giant, slow-reproducing trees play an outsized role in the growth and health of old forests.

In the 1930s, the writer gave his towering trees the name Ents. Today, a paper in the journal Science says these “long-lived pioneers” contribute more than previously believed to carbon sequestration and biomass increase.

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EU heavy industry is lobbying to ensure its allocation of free carbon allowances is maintained once production recovers from massive drops due to the coronavirus outbreak, business sources have told Carbon Pulse.

Chile will aim to peak its GHG emissions in 2025 and set a carbon budget for the coming decade as part of its new UN Paris Agreement contribution submitted Thursday, as well as starting a public-private dialogue on how international emissions trading may help meet those targets.

At least three large nations have postponed CORSIA deadlines for their airlines to report 2019 emission data due to coronavirus disruptions, even as auditors insisted on Thursday that the checks can be completed with little difficulty.

Draft policy released by agriculture ministry cites concern over animal welfare and prevention of disease transmission as factors behind move

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The Chinese government has signalled an end to the human consumption of dogs, with the agriculture ministry today releasing a draft policy that would forbid canine meat.

Citing the “progress of human civilisation” as well as growing public concern over animal welfare and prevention of disease transmission from animals to humans, China’s Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs singled out canines as forbidden in a draft “white list” of animals allowed to be raised for meat.

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Traditional fanfare is abandoned as a team head for the International Space Station.

Offset standard developer and manager Verra is seeking to cut red tape and costs for stakeholders in launching its own registry on Thursday, becoming the latest US-based organisation to administer its own system.

The joint European-Japanese mission is set to swing by Earth on its long journey to the "iron planet".

Five Easter-egg sized decorated ostrich eggs in the British Museum are the subject of a new study.

EUAs hit a fresh one month high early on Thursday but sank back towards €21 in choppy trade following a weak auction and as wider markets fluctuated wildly on mixed news.

Populations could recover as verges are left uncut, setting what conservationists hope will be a long-term trend

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Rare wildflowers and declining bee populations could start to recover during the coronavirus lockdown because many councils are leaving roadside verges uncut, according to Europe’s biggest conservation charity for wild plants.

The respite for these mini-meadows is likely to lead to an explosion of colour in the countryside this summer and bring benefits to other pollinators, including butterflies, birds and bats, botanists at Plantlife said.

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Farms forced to shut down operations as search continues for source of Covid-19 amid uncertainty over new industry rules

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Just a few months ago Cheng Yongcai ran a thriving farm that produced 20,000 bamboo rats a year in Qingyuan in northern Guangdong province.

It was an operation that his local government actively encouraged with loans and other support, he says.

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Guardian analysis comes amid growing scrutiny of industry’s response to outbreak

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At least 6,000 passengers remain at sea on cruise liners despite the coronavirus pandemic, Guardian analysis has found, amid growing scrutiny of the cruise industry’s reaction to the spread of Covid-19.

Dozens of fatalities have now been linked to cruise ships, with both passengers and crew dying while at sea and after disembarking. Yet, according to analysis using the ship-tracking site CruiseMapper, at least eight ships remain at sea with passengers – including one vessel on which 128 people have tested positive for coronavirus.

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New Zealand carbon allowances saw a second straight day of gains on Thursday, ending at a high ahead of the Easter break as the market continues to see support above NZ$24.

AEMO has called for action on North QLD system strength issues, making formal declaration of shortfall that has impacted solar and wind projects.

The post AEMO declares system strength shortfall in Queensland after wind, solar curtailed appeared first on RenewEconomy.

W.A. switches from laggard to national leader as it plots out a path to embrace rooftop solar, batteries and EVs so that distributed energy can help displace big fossil fuel plants.

The post W.A. to lead way in transition to distributed, renewable and equitable grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

If the government ends up with a stake in the airline industry, it should steer transport policy towards a lower air-travel future

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Passenger air travel has come to a virtual standstill. EasyJet has grounded its entire fleet, and Ryanair has announced it will not resume commercial flights before June. British Airways has elected to suspend 36,000 staff and has closed its operations at Gatwick and London City airports until further notice. Overall, passenger flights have decreased by up to 95%. With job losses for airline and airport staff likely to reach hundreds of thousands, the government’s priority is, unsurprisingly, securing workers’ income and keeping strategic routes open.

But if government intervenes and looks to buy a stake in airlines, this could be a turning point in transport policy, as the pandemic allows us to pivot to a lower air-travel future. We are already being forced to rethink how we move around, conduct business, keep up family ties and maintain friendships in a globalised world without aviation – a dire necessity, given the urgency of the climate emergency.

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Second part of Lal Lal wind complex in Victoria connects to the grid and begins generating.

The post New wind farm begins generating in Victoria appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Calls for Morrison to end the 'fossil fuel stimulus' as economic crisis creates opportunity to make long term investment in clean technologies.

The post Calls for Morrison to end fossil fuel stimulus, redirect funds to clean tech appeared first on RenewEconomy.

What could be Australia's first offshore wind farm takes a step closer to reality, as project commences environmental approval process.

The post Star of the South offshore wind project starts environmental approvals appeared first on RenewEconomy.