How Malcolm Turnbull has trashed the Liberal Party record and betrayed our oceans
Tim Winton
Five years ago I stood in the Mural Hall of Parliament House to speak at a bipartisan event hosted by MPs pushing for a national system of marine parks. Most of those present believed it was an idea whose time had finally come. Polling supported it. But with Julia Gillard’s minority government just barely clinging to power, it was a tough time to be asking parliamentarians for an act of courage.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/how-malcolm-turnbull-has-trashed-the-liberal-party-record-and-betrayed-our-oceans-20170908-gydy2d.html
Today’s Celebration
Independence Day Chile
Victory of Uprona Burundi
Herbal Medicine Week http://www.nhaa.org.au/
Meat Free Week http://meatfreeweek.org/
The Bloody Long Walk http://www.bloodylongwalk.com.au/
First Love Day https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/first-love-day/
Respect Day https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/respect-day/
Water Monitoring Day https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/water-monitoring-day/
More about Sep 16 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_16
Climate Change
Enough already,’ said God.
Nicholas Kristof New York Times
I received the following transcript of a conversation between Jim Bakker and, er, God. It comes from a divine source.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212623368
Climate hysteria hits peak stupid
Chris Mitchell
Media climate hysteria has reached ‘peak stupid’ with this US hurricane season.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/opinion/climate-hysteria-hits-peak-stupid-in-hurricane-season/news-story/89f968a6961c06258bf746df2b7e4e51
Cheap electricity is a simple equation
Tim Blair
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/tim-blair-a-simple-equation/news-story/23e2f6407e4395005a22d7abc9d5ac29
National
‘There’s no balance’: Australia-wide marine park revamp has conservationists worried
Tourism operators and environmentalists say the Federal Government’s new draft plan for marine parks almost halves the protections from commercial fishing set five years ago.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-17/australian-marine-parks-criticism-of-new-conservation-plan/8944594
Garnaut calls for two carbon targets
http://www.afr.com/news/set-two-carbon-targets-to-break-climate-impasse-ross-garnaut-20170915-gyik53
How regulators could kill off Australia’s water recycling industry
A world-leading system in Sydney’s Central Park precinct helps residents reuse up to 97% of their water. But a pricing change threatens future schemes
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/18/how-regulators-could-kill-off-australias-water-recycling-industry
AGL to net $500m solar boost
Australians are on track to pay more than $500 million to AGL to fund its flagship solar generators.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/agls-500m-solar-boost-as-it-shuts-coal-station/news-story/bda799b49a9aa16f1173a4fe98d66080
Gas salvation is in the pipeline
Colin Barnett
It is extraordinary that a country so rich in resources faces an energy shortage. We should use our gas.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/gaspowered-salvation-in-the-pipeline-if-only-we-would-build-it/news-story/1832a054432cbd4605967ee7747b48f3
How did we get into this energy mess, and how do we get out of it?
Tony Walker
The public could care less about the source of power as long as the lights remain on.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/how-did-we-get-into-this-energy-mess-and-how-do-we-get-out-of-it-20170914-gyht9r.html
How Malcolm Turnbull has trashed the Liberal Party record and betrayed our oceans
Tim Winton
Five years ago I stood in the Mural Hall of Parliament House to speak at a bipartisan event hosted by MPs pushing for a national system of marine parks. Most of those present believed it was an idea whose time had finally come. Polling supported it. But with Julia Gillard’s minority government just barely clinging to power, it was a tough time to be asking parliamentarians for an act of courage.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/how-malcolm-turnbull-has-trashed-the-liberal-party-record-and-betrayed-our-oceans-20170908-gydy2d.html
Victoria
Premier Andrews’ East West source now a West Gate Tunnel critic
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/premier-daniel-andrews-east-west-link-source-casts-doubt-on-west-gate-tunnel-20170917-gyj1ou.html
Alleged mafia boss’ push to rezone ‘green wedge’ land
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/antonio-madafferi-in-keysborough-green-wedge-push-20170916-gyirua.html
New South Wales
‘Historic lows’: Coal exports left power plants with ‘weeks’ of stocks
http://www.smh.com.au/business/energy/coal-export-priority-left-nsw-power-plants-with-weeks-of-supplies-20170915-gyi17l.html
Blackouts, huge power bills if coal mine shuts
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/springvale-mine-blackouts-huge-power-bills-if-coal-mine-shuts/news-story/7810e985c9cbb0f51ade3e2ac31936a0
ACT
Canberra’s frugal water usage equivalent to 1970s
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberras-frugal-water-usage-equivalent-to-1970s-when-city-half-the-size-20170804-gxpf31.html
Allen-key architecture of Canberra’s new suburbs is destroying our city
Jorian Gardner
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/allenkey-architecture-of-canberras-new-suburbs-is-destroying-our-city-20170917-gyj4f7.html
Queensland
Unlikely predator to Reef’s rescue
SCIENTISTS are preparing to unleash biological warfare to protect the Great Barrier Reef from one of its biggest threats.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/giant-triton-sea-snails-recruited-to-rescue-reef-from-crownofthorns-starfish/news-story/0464334d41e57bb32ac753051752dad6
Tasmania
Tassal expansion protest at Okehampton Bay
A flotilla of watercraft takes to the waters of Tasmania’s east coast to protest against salmon giant Tassal’s expansion into Okehampton Bay.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-17/okehampton-bay-fish-farm-protest-takes-to-the-water/8954512
Bid to halt fish farms scuppered
THE State Government has moved quickly to rule out a moratorium on fish farms as community protests over Tassal’s plans in Okehampton Bay continue.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/protesters-take-to-the-water-in-latest-action-against-tassals-okehampton-bay-salmon-farm/news-story/5443c0951723dd20bbaf1b1a46d1ba9e
‘Forgotten cousin’ Mount Field National Park funding welcomed by tourism operators
Tourism operators at Tasmania’s Mount Field National Park welcome further government spending, saying the park’s facilities have been somewhat neglected.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-17/mount-field-national-park-funding-welcomed/8954340
Aboriginal leader accuses Labor of vying for ‘redneck vote’ over Tarkine 4WD tracks
Labor pledges $3 million for greater protection and management of a conservation area in Tasmania’s north-west, but the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre is critical of the party for not making its position clear on controversial four-wheel drive tracks.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-17/aboriginal-criticism-at-labors-stance-on-tarkine-tracks/8954234
Labor’s $3m plan for Arthur-Pieman
FUTURE federal and state Labor governments would employ Aboriginal rangers as part of a $3 million plan for the North-West conservation area at the centre of a battle about four-wheel-drive access.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/politics/labors-3m-plan-for-arthurpieman-conservation-area/news-story/26358fb23a6e011e5cbcb2c742991780
TasWater a pawn in political game
Greg Barns
Treasurer Peter Gutwein wants nothing and no one to stand in the way of a TasWater takeover.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/talking-point-taswater-is-a-pawn-in-political-game/news-story/90852c16a0d862cc8cc2e7b56fc5fda0
Western Australia
Bushfire emergency alert for WA Aboriginal community
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/bushfire-emergency-alert-for-wa-aboriginal-community-20170917-gyj3hv.html
Sustainability
A world without nuclear weapons sounds good, but it wouldn’t be
Peter Zimmerman
It’s a good thing that the UN’s prohibition of nuclear weapons treaty is probably going nowhere.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/a-world-without-nuclear-weapons-sounds-good-but-it-wouldnt-be-20170915-gyi9bl.html
Nature Conservation
Rare white giraffes sighted in Kenya conservation area
A pair of giraffes with leucism, a condition that inhibits pigmentation in skin cells, have been filmed by conservationists for the first time
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/14/rare-white-giraffes-spotted-kenya-conservation-area
The snow leopard is no longer endangered. It is still at risk.
The snow leopard is no longer an endangered species, but its population in the wild is still at risk because of poaching and habitat loss, conservationists said this week.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212623365
A new plan to protect the water around the Seychelles.
The country’s granite islands and coral atolls sit within an exclusive economic zone of 1.4m sq km. It is here, in the ocean, that conservationists are working on a new way for small countries to protect their marine environment.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212623364
Maelor Himbury