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VCM Report: Offset prices rise sharply as liquidity picks up
Australia’s rabbit invasion traced back to single importation of 24 animals in 1859, study finds
Population then exploded in what researches say was ‘the fastest colonisation rate for an introduced mammal ever recorded’
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The Australia-wide rabbit invasion resulted from a single introduction of just 24 animals in 1859, new research has confirmed.
Using historical and genetic data, scientists have pinpointed the origins of what they call “the fastest colonisation rate for an introduced mammal ever recorded”.
Continue reading...Rare orchid flourishes in Charles Darwin’s gardens after two-year project
Unusually the violet helleborine is only pollinated by wasps and is thriving thanks to nectar that is irresistible to the insects
A rare orchid that reproduces by getting wasps drunk is thriving in the gardens of Charles Darwin’s house after a two-year restoration programme.
The violet helleborine is entirely pollinated by wasps, which are usually not perceived to be the best pollinators. They’re regimented and meticulously clean themselves, scientists say, which makes the process of pollination a fairly futile prospect – there’s nothing for the pollen to cling to.
Continue reading...Water regulator giving companies a ‘licence to leak’, say MPs and charities
Ofwat is criticised for failing to curb huge bonuses for CEOs of companies that pollute
Ofwat, the water regulator, is not using its full powers to clamp down on sewage pollution and leaks, ministers, MPs and charities have said.
The regulator has been criticised for giving water companies a “licence to leak” for years and not curbing massive bonuses for CEOs who preside over a system of pollution and chaos.
Continue reading...Head of Sales and Business Development, Abatable – London
Water firms face growing criticism over beach sewage
England’s water industry now represents the unacceptable face of capitalism | Simon Jenkins
Million-pound salaries for bosses, billions for shareholders – all while sewage is dumped in our rivers and sea
Where there’s muck there’s brass. But rarely was muck filthier or money more brass-necked than in the case of the brown effluent pouring into the Channel off Seaford, or the green algae spreading over Windermere. The English water industry can make all the excuses it likes, but those who find themselves swimming in sewage tend to notice – and wonder why those responsible deserve million-pound salaries. Last year nine water chiefs pocketed over £15m between them, an annual rise of 27%.
The dumping of sewage into watercourses is caused simply by storage tanks overflowing. This is currently attributed by the industry to hot weather causing unexpectedly fast run-off. This is supposed to happen only exceptionally rarely. Southern Water has reportedly made four such dumps into the Channel in a week. In total 373,000 cases of sewage discharge were reported in 2021, even before this year’s heatwave. Something has gone wrong.
Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist
Continue reading...New wildflower havens in South Downs national park boost bee numbers
Bee populations are in steep decline in UK but community funded projects have led to recovery of the ‘vital ecosystem engineers’
Encouraging numbers of bees have been recorded at a handful of locally funded wildflower projects in the South Downs, showing that populations can recover if given support.
For several decades, bee populations in the UK have seen a steep decrease owing to the stress of the climate emergency.
Continue reading...Euro Markets: Midday Update
Rio Tinto starts commissioning Gudai-Darri solar farm, and Tom Price battery
The first solar farm to power one of Rio Tinto's huge iron ore mines begins commissioning, as does a new big battery on the same network.
The post Rio Tinto starts commissioning Gudai-Darri solar farm, and Tom Price battery appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Can aluminium be used as ultra long term storage for renewable energy and heat?
Research group is looking at how aluminium can be used to store renewable power as energy and heat - for months or even years.
The post Can aluminium be used as ultra long term storage for renewable energy and heat? appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Weather tracker: strong wind and heavy rain to continue in Australia
Gusts expected to move north, while extreme heat in parts of Europe forecast to ease this week
Strong winds are expected to continue to lash Australia this week and, while the peak speeds are not anticipated to be exceptional, the vastness of the area affected will be unusual.
As low pressure moves to the south-east, high pressure is likely to develop across Western Australia before heading eastwards.
Continue reading...Climate Change Consultant, Hamerkop Climate Impacts – London
China’s Sichuan extends power rationing, heightening concerns over energy security
Whether you’re a climate ‘doomer’ or ‘appeaser’, it’s best to prepare for the worst | Bill McGuire
While more extreme threats are unlikely to be realised, sticking to the precautionary principle is just plain common sense
- Bill McGuire is professor emeritus of geophysical and climate hazards at UCL
Our world is on course for a climate cataclysm. Or is it? Not long ago, the global heating battle lines were clear: you either believed it was happening, and that it resulted from the colossal volumes of carbon spewed out by human activities, or you didn’t. As the year on year breakdown of our once stable climate has become more apparent, however, denial has become increasingly irrelevant, and new battle lines are being drawn.
While widespread blistering heat, drought and wildfires have kept climate change in the public eye, they have also heightened tensions between those I call climate appeasers, who seek to minimise how bad climate breakdown will ultimately be, and others, disparagingly branded doomers (or doomists), who are honestly concerned that it may be catastrophic, perhaps even posing an existential threat to civilisation and possibly humankind itself.
Bill McGuire is professor emeritus of geophysical and climate hazards at UCL, and the author of Hothouse Earth: an Inhabitant’s Guide
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a letter of up to 300 words to be considered for publication, email it to us at guardian.letters@theguardian.com
Continue reading...Fossil fuel industry may have lost power, but it’s still got its foot on the brakes
The EV Summit in Canberra will likely emerge as a pivotal moment in Australia's transition to electric vehicles. But there are still powerful forces at work trying to slow it down.
The post Fossil fuel industry may have lost power, but it’s still got its foot on the brakes appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Even a one year delay in new transmission links will hurt homes and businesses
New modelling shows the impact on consumer electricity bills of delays to the electricity transmission upgrade and build – and it's not pretty.
The post Even a one year delay in new transmission links will hurt homes and businesses appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Sewage monitors faulty at seaside spots in England and Wales, data shows
Environment Agency figures indicate people could be swimming in human waste this summer without warning
Sewage monitors at some popular seaside destinations in England and Wales are faulty or not installed, Environment Agency data has revealed, meaning people could be swimming in human waste this summer without realising.
Seaside holidays this year have been marred by water companies pumping raw sewage into the ocean, with popular beaches in areas including Sussex and Devon having to close.
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