US energy regulators have rejected plans from the Trump administration to subsidise struggling coal-fired and nuclear power plants in competitive electricity markets. The decision by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will be seen by many as a blow for President Trump’s goal to “bring back coal” in the US. The proposal by Energy Secretary Rick Perry was deemed unnecessary by the commission, the New York Times reports. Over the past ten years, an influx of cheap natural gas and the rapid rise of renewable energy have transformed the nation’s power sector, driving down wholesale electricity prices and pushing many older coal plants into unprofitability. In September, Perry warned that the loss of these plants could threaten the “reliability and resiliency of our nation’s grid” and asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to guarantee financial returns for plants capable of stockpiling 90 days’ worth of fuel onsite, which in effect, would prop up coal plants. But in its decision, the commission said there was “no evidence” that supporting coal plants would improve the resilience of the grid. “Rather, the record demonstrates that, if a threat to grid resilience exists, the threat lies mostly with the transmission and distribution systems, where virtually all significant disruptions occur,” wrote commissioner Richard Glick. In a statement accompanying the decision, Glick said that coal and nuclear plants could also face problems in extreme conditions. Initial reports from the PJM electricity network, which stretches from New Jersey to Tennessee, indicated that coal-fired plants accounted for nearly half of all forced outages during the extreme cold last week, he said. The Guardian, The Hill and the Washington Post also have the story.

The US experienced a record year of losses from natural disasters in 2017, according to new data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Total losses from disasters such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires amounted to $306bn the agency said, which is $90bn more than the previous record set in 2005. Last year, the US was hit with 16 separate disasters with losses exceeding $1bn, including Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The majority of the damage, at $265 billion, came from hurricanes, the Washington Post reports. “2017 was a historic year for billion-dollar weather and climate disasters,” said Adam Smith, an economist for NOAA. The Hill reports that the $306 billion total is also a new cost record worldwide for one country for a year. Associated Press, InsideClimate News and Reuters also have the story. Meanwhile, the Daily Express reports one scientist’s claims that the world has exceeded a “tipping point” for natural disasters caused by climate change.

A target to cut emissions 40% by 2020 could be dropped in coalition talks between Germany’s Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, reports Reuters. Negotiations remain at an early stage of “talks about talks”, notes the Economist, with any coalition agreement unlikely before Easter. Though the 2020 target had long looked out of reach, chancellor Angela Merkel promised it would be met during election campaigning in September, notes Clean Energy Wire, which adds that coalition negotiators also agreed to discuss ramping up renewables and preparing to phase out coal power. Germany would retain its target to cut emissions by 55% in 2030. Politico and Climate Home also have the story.

Greg Clark is to remain as Business Secretary in the latest government reshuffle, despite speculation that he was to be handed a demotion, it was revealed yesterday. Downing Street also announced that climate change minister Claire Perry has been given a small promotion and will now attend cabinet meetings as minister of state at the department for business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS), DeSmogUK reports. The details of Perry’s appointment are not yet known, but If she keeps her focus on climate change, it would mean the issue will be represented by a minister with that specific brief at cabinet level for the first time since the old department of energy and climate change was disbanded in July 2016, DeSmogUK adds.

Global warming is turning almost all green sea turtles in a Great Barrier Reef population female, a new study finds. The incubation temperature of eggs determines the sex of turtles, with a warmer nest resulting in more females. Rising temperatures is causing the proportion of hatchlings born female to rise in the Great Barrier Reef, a new study in Current Biology suggests. Of green turtles from the warmest parts of the reef, 99.1 per cent of juveniles, 99.8 per cent of subadults, and 86.8 per cent of adults are being born female, the Timesreports. Mashable also has the story. Carbon Brief has previously reported on how climate change is altering the sex ratios of sea turtles and other animals.

Following news that 2017 was the costliest year on record for natural disasters in the US, Vox explores how events such as hurricanes, floods and megafires can be made more severe by climate change. “Even though the unending string of calamities felt unprecedented, we must see 2017 as an average year, if not a baseline,” Vox writes. “We must reckon with the likelihood of even worse storms, heat waves, fires, and droughts as the Earth warms — because scientists expect even this ‘new normal’ to get worse.”

The impact of climate change on extreme weather such as drought may have played a role in sparking protests in Iran, scientists have claimed. At least 20 people have died in the uprising, which was driven in part by growing mistrust in the state, the collapse of financial services and economic hardship. The downturn in Iran’s economy could have in part been caused by severe drought and dust storms, Amir Handjani, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, told ClimateWire. She said: “You have climate change, shortage of water, they can’t grow their crops, and now they’re getting their cash handouts taken away. It’s a panoply of issues coming together at once.” The role of climate change in sparking conflict is debated among scientists, the report notes.

As many of 99% of sea turtles hatching on the northern beaches of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are born female because of high temperatures, a new study finds. The sex of sea turtles is determined by temperatures during incubation in nests made in the sand, and is therefore affected by climate change. The results suggest that breeding sites for the green turtle in northern GBR have been producing primarily females for more than two decades. The researchers warn that “the complete feminisation of this population is possible in the near future”.

Efforts to limit climate change and improve air quality will likely reduce emissions of human-caused aerosols (such as soot). As aerosols tend to cool the Earth’s surface, a new study estimates the impact of their removal. Taking away all human-caused aerosols from the atmosphere would warm that Earth’s surface by 0.5-1.1C and increase rainfall by 2-5%, the findings suggest. In the near-term, regional climate change will depend strongly on the balance between aerosol and greenhouse gas forcing, the researchers conclude.