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One hour spent on Zoom generates less CO2 than driving a car a kilometre. Going virtual is actually a good thing for emissions.

The post Zooming versus flying: The net climate impacts of internet use appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The failure of policy makers and regulators is now being felt in the electricity market, and consumers are being sent the bill.

The post Winter energy price shock: Regulators and policy makers are to blame appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia's first 'land account' is a great example of the nation's environmental policy culture: we develop or adopt good ideas, but then tinker with, or even discard them. Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University Michael Vardon, Associate Professor at the Fenner School, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

State officials report ‘unprecedented’ deaths due to starvation as pollution and algal blooms take toll

More manatees have died already this year than in any other year in Florida’s recorded history, primarily from starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds, state officials have said.

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that 841 manatee deaths were recorded between 1 January and 2 July, breaking the previous record of 830 that died during the whole of 2013 because of an outbreak of toxic red tide.

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Number of forced outages from Australia's feet of ageing coal fired generators jumped sharply in the last financial year.

The post Chart of the Day: Australia’s ageing coal plants are not so reliable appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Burning roundwood and stemwood for power actually emits more CO2 than coal per unit of energy generated. The practice must be stopped.

The post Why burning trees for energy makes no sense appeared first on RenewEconomy.

When Unesco recommended the reef be placed on the ‘in danger’ list, the Coalition’s response was to shift the blame. We must do better

• Unesco recommends reef world heritage site be listed as ‘in danger’
• Timeline: decades of damage and Australia’s fight to stop ‘in danger’ listing

Escaping responsibility has become the recurrent theme of the Morrison government. Whether it is the glacial progress of the vaccination rollout, dealing with the megafires two summers ago, or the parlous state of the Great Barrier Reef, someone else is always to blame.

When Unesco released its recommendation to the World Heritage Committee in June to place the Great Barrier Reef on the “in danger” list, the first reaction of the federal government was to blame China.

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"The technology allows for it, but the rules are getting in the way." Why Australia's hybrid wind, solar and battery facilities can't work together.

The post Wind, solar and battery hybrids desperately need a change in market rules appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Barnaby Joyce's pro-mining stance is at odds with the more progressive quarters of the party, and puts the Nationals in a difficult position on global carbon tariffs. Geoff Cockfield, Professor of Government and Economics, and Deputy Dean, University of Southern Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Exclusive: Environment officials raised concerns that damage to habitat on Robbins Island could be difficult to offset

A proposed new windfarm on Robbins Island off north-west Tasmania could threaten a disease-free Tasmanian devil population, according to federal environment officials, who say the damage to habitat could be difficult to offset.

Correspondence obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws shows officials raised concerns that no comparable habitat existed anywhere else to compensate for the effects the project could have on the island’s unique devil colony, which is considered a stronghold for the survival of the species.

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The UK businessman realises a lifetime's ambition by riding a rocket plane high into the sky.

The BBC tracks the long, winding road to Sir Richard Branson's flight to the edge of space.

The Delta variant is rattling markets. But the temptation to soothe them with quantitative easing must be resisted

Falling share prices. Investors piling into the safe haven of bonds. Rising infection rates of the Delta variant of coronavirus. The events of the past week have demonstrated one thing clearly: this isn’t over yet.

A couple of months ago the way out of the crisis looked clear. Immunisation programmes were allowing developed countries to remove restrictions on activity. A pick-up in growth was expected to continue without interruption. Rising government bond yields were seen as a sign of life returning to normal.

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The UK businessman is about to realise a lifetime's ambition by flying to the edge of space.

Virgin Galactic's chief astronaut instructor, Beth Moses, describes the experience of spaceflight.

Wildlife officials in Montana stake out chicken coop visited by same grizzly that fatally mauled camper

A grizzly bear that pulled a California woman from her tent and killed her has been fatally shot by wildlife officials, who used night-vision goggles to stake out a chicken coop it had also raided near the small Montana town of Ovando.

They shot the bear shortly after midnight on Friday when it approached a trap set near the coop about two miles from Ovando where 65-year-old Leah Davis Lokan of Chico, California, was killed on Tuesday, said Greg Lemon with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

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

Researchers aim to "set the record straight" on how the virus transferred from bats into humans.

In remote towers, US Forest Service lookouts act as an early warning system for forest fires.

EU carbon prices have likely seen the bulk of the appreciation expected from upcoming supply-slashing market reforms, analysts forecast, with most predicting that EUAs would now sit tight and trade within sight of existing levels through 2023.