Extinct in central Europe for 300 years, 36 northern bald ibis are following an ultralight aircraft on their long-forgotten migration route from Austria to Spain
The northern bald ibis was extinct in central Europe for 300 years. Now, it has returned – and scientist “foster parents” aboard a tiny plane are teaching the birds to fly their long-forgotten migration routes.
Thirty-six of these endangered birds are now following an ultralight aircraft 1,740 miles (2,800km ) from Austria to Spain, on a trip that could take up to 50 days to complete.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
08/28/2024 - 10:00
08/28/2024 - 10:00
Investments in solar, wind, batteries, pumped hydro and transmission links must be delivered ‘on time and in full’
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Australia’s electricity authority has declared the country’s main power grid will remain reliable as it shifts from coal domination to running overwhelmingly on renewable energy – but only if investments in new generation are delivered “on time and in full”.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) reached its conclusion in a report that considered what needs to be built over the next decade to maintain the National Electricity Market, which links the five eastern states and the ACT.
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08/28/2024 - 10:00
Australia needs more gas in the short term because of our sluggish transition to renewables – but at worst the shortfall may lead to some rationing
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The gas industry has been unleashing a firehose of rhetoric in recent days over concerns Australia could suffer a shortage of gas.
In a series of articles in the Australian newspaper under the banner “Gas Crisis”, industry figures and the Coalition’s energy spokesman, Ted O’Brien, claim a shortage is going to “destroy” the economy, cause a “crippling energy crisis” and have Australians suffering the ignominy of “cold showers”.
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08/28/2024 - 09:00
Windell Curole built a vast levee to protect his district from disappearing into the ocean – despite federal resistance to his plan. Had he listened to officials, he says, ‘we wouldn’t have a community’
On 29 August 2021, as Hurricane Ida made landfall on Louisiana’s Gulf coast, 69-year-old Windell Curole sought refuge with others at the three-story Lady of the Sea hospital in Galliano, located 90 minutes south-west of New Orleans.
As Curole looked out the window, watching Ida’s rain hammer the grass, a question tormented him: would the levees that encircled his community be tall enough to hold back the water that was surging toward them?
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08/28/2024 - 08:00
Food prices have increased 22% in last four years and people are feeling the pinch. Readers share their strategies to cope
Back in 2019, $100 worth of groceries may have lasted a week for a household of two. Today, that same $100 will probably only buy enough groceries to stretch for a couple of days.
In the last four years, food prices have increased a whopping 22%, and consumers are feeling the pinch.
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08/28/2024 - 07:26
Toymaker hopes to bring down oil-based plastic it uses by paying up to 70% more for certified renewable resin to encourage production
Lego plans to make half the plastic in its bricks from renewable or recycled material rather than fossil fuels by 2026, in its latest effort to ensure its toys are more environmentally friendly.
The Danish company last year ditched efforts to make bricks entirely from recycled bottles because of cost and production issues. At the moment, 22% of the material in its colourful bricks is not made from fossil fuels.
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08/28/2024 - 06:00
We want to hear from people across the US who have been affected by the volatility of the home insurance market
We know the industry is in an enormous state of flux amid the climate crisis and increasingly severe wildfires, floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters. Companies have been raising premiums, cancelling or refusing to issue policies, and pulling out of entire markets. The Guardian US has reported on the crippling effects for homeowners in Florida, California, Louisiana and beyond.
We want to hear from people from all parts of the country caught up in this. Have you lost your policy, and what did you do? Has the cost of insurance influenced where you chose to live or your decision to buy a home? Have you been forced to recover from a natural disaster without insurance? Tell us your story.
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08/28/2024 - 06:00
Records of Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz instill hope that progress under Biden could be extended
Public health advocates are optimistic that a Kamala Harris win in the November presidential election in the US would lead to further regulation of PFAS toxic “forever chemicals”, on which the Biden administration has already taken unprecedented regulatory action.
In part that is based on past actions. Last year, Harris’s running mate, the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz, signed bold legislation prohibiting the use of toxic PFAS across a range of common consumer goods from menstrual products to food packaging – a measure that is considered by public health advocates to be among the “strongest bans in the world”.
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08/28/2024 - 05:31
Reusable varieties unlikely to dent environmental impact of e-cigarette waste, even as they curb battery waste
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Vape products redesigned to avoid a legislative crackdown on single-use devices may do little to dent the environmental scourge of e-cigarette waste, experts have warned.
Manufacturers have been evolving their products after the UK government introduced a ban on disposables, due to come into force in April 2025.
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08/28/2024 - 05:24
Companies need regulator go-ahead on significant increases or they will not be able to aid plan, says Water UK
Labour’s key housebuilding target will not be met if water companies are blocked from significantly increasing bills, the leader of an industry group has said.
The government has promised to build 1.5m homes during this parliament as a central pillar to its plans to end the housing crisis.
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