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Study finds leading economies have funded projects related to fossil fuel, worsening global heating

Wealthy nations are breaking their climate commitments by funding a new dash for gas in the global south, according to a study.

A week before the G7 summit begins in Cornwall, the report reveals low and middle-income nations received nearly $16bn a year between 2017 and 2019 to fund projects related to gas, a fossil fuel that worsens global heating.

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G7 countries will lose $5tn a year by 2050 if temperatures rise by 2.6C

The economies of rich countries will shrink by twice as much as they did in the Covid-19 crisis if they fail to tackle rising greenhouse gas emissions, according to research.

The G7 countries – the world’s biggest industrialised economies – will lose 8.5% of GDP a year, or nearly $5tn wiped off their economies, within 30 years if temperatures rise by 2.6C, as they are likely to on the basis of government pledges and policies around the world, according to research from Oxfam and the Swiss Re Institute.

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The wind power industry is making gains in its quest for full recyclability, but there is still much to do.

The post Explainer: What happens to old wind turbines? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Climate Change Authority chair Grant King says there is a "secret society" that is pushing to remove Australia's ban on nuclear power.

The post Grant King flags “secret society” working to lift nuclear power ban appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Global heating and habitat destruction may together devastate humanity’s closest relatives

Great apes – humanity’s closest relatives, are predicted to lose a “devastating” 90% of their homelands in Africa in coming decades, according to a study.

All gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos are already endangered or critically endangered. But a combination of the climate crisis, the destruction of wild areas for minerals, timber and food, and human population growth is on track to decimate their ranges by 2050, the scientists said. Half of the projected lost territory will be in national parks and other protected areas.

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2020 was a strong year for renewables uptake in every Australian state and territory, but are some of the biggest states moving fast enough?

The post Are Australia’s biggest states moving fast enough in transition to clean energy? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

ElectraNet gives approval for its part of new transmission link from South Australia to NSW, expected to unlock huge wind and solar projects.

The post ElectraNet approves landmark “freeway” for wind, solar and storage appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Solar overtakes wind and renewables overtake gas, as new data suggests 2020 could be the turning point for Australia's clean energy transition.

The post Solar overtakes wind to be new queen of Australian renewables in 2020 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Gas and coal producers are profiting from the "scarcity" created by the Callide explosion and the early winter sunsets. Will Angus Taylor claim responsibility?

The post Price explosion: Gas producers clean up as sun goes down in post Callide world appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Nexif reportedly seeking buyers for its Australia assets, which includes the biggest wind project in South Australia.

The post Nexif joins growing list of investors quitting Australian renewables appeared first on RenewEconomy.

New Energy Solar finds buyer for two Australia solar farms and will now focus on US, where it sees more supportive policies.

The post New Energy Solar sells NSW solar farms to complete exit from Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australians should see the rainforest as a cultural landscape – one that has been managed and maintained by people, rather than just a relic unchanged since the dinosaurs. Barry Hunter, Djabugay Aboriginal Corporation, Kuranda, Indigenous Knowledge Alice Buhrich, Adjunct Researcher, College of Arts, Society and Education, James Cook University Asa Ferrier, Honorary Research Associate, La Trobe University Gerry Turpin, Ethnobotanist, James Cook University Patrick Roberts, Research Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Many flood-ravaged homes have not been repaired, while others are infested with mould. Farmers are dealing with financial stress and the memories of livestock killed in traumatic circumstances. Ian Wright, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Ocean waves are a massive source of energy, but it's challenging to design power generators for the harsh environment. Allowing marine organisms to grow on engineered structures could help. Craig Stevens, Associate Professor in Ocean Physics, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Louise Kregting, Lecturer in environmental interactions of marine renewables, Queen's University Belfast Vladislav Sorokin, Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, University of Auckland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

‘It was as if they didn’t even flinch,’ researcher says as study finds tiger sharks’ presence consistent before and during storm

Forecasters expect the Atlantic hurricane season that began this week to bring increasingly fierce storms to the US east coast. One notoriously fierce kind of shark, however, does not seem likely to be swimming for cover.

Related: Sharks use Earth’s magnetic field as ‘GPS’ guidance system, study says

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Will Eades is an award-winning photographer based on the mid north coast of NSW. His mission is to see and capture spectacular moments in nature, and to share these rare moments with others. A self-taught Nikon shooter, Will’s main focus is on storms and other weather phenomena as he strives to be present when the elements align for a great photograph

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The sad state of affairs is that, since the end of the carbon price, much that is good for growth is bad for reducing our emissions

This week came the news that we had discovered how to reduce emissions at a rate needed to get to net-zero by 2050 without imposing an economy wide price on carbon.

All we needed was a worldwide pandemic. Simple.

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Parts of the continent potentially face a decade of crisis. These two measures are more important than any other in avoiding it

There are so many good causes in the world it is often difficult to know where aid money should go. As leaders line up to attend the G7 summit in Cornwall, the most effective destinations for aid money have become clearer – a global vaccination programme and improving girls’ education.

This is especially true in sub-Saharan Africa, where so much can go wrong over the next 10 years – a population explosion, massive biodiversity loss, desertification, famine and mass migration to mention just a few – that unless we focus our efforts on vaccines and girls’ education, whatever is done to alleviate poverty or tackle the climate emergency will be threatened or even sabotaged in almost every other region of the world.

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A thick, slimy layer of algae is growing at an alarming rate in the Sea of Marmara, to the south of Istanbul, posing a growing threat to marine life and the Turkish fishing industry. Experts have linked the increasing amounts of 'sea snot' to high sea temperatures stemming from the climate emergency, as well as the discharge of untreated sewage into the sea

• ‘Sea snot’ covers Turkish coast, threatening fishing industry

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Rich countries can’t expect to be trusted on their climate promises if they fail the poorest on vaccines

It would only cost $50bn to ensure 40% of the world’s population is vaccinated by the end of the year, and 60% by the first half of 2022. This is a recent estimate from the IMF, the latest institution to join a chorus of voices calling for a global vaccination programme to bring Covid-19 under control. The IMF has highlighted the economic benefits of global vaccines, which would be huge. But there is another powerful reason for a worldwide campaign.

Vaccinating the world will be crucial if countries are going to act together to confront the climate crisis, which will require many of the same things as delivering vaccines: resources, innovation, ingenuity and a true partnership between rich and developing countries. The Cop26 climate conference in November will be an opportune moment for building this partnership. But to do so, rich countries need to deliver on their early promises to deliver global vaccines.

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