Scientists ‘shocked’ at logging of endangered swift parrot habitat
Conservation scientists are calling on the Tasmanian Government to ban logging in recognised swift parrot nesting areas after discovering a key site in the state’s south was recently felled.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-12/endangered-swift-parrot-nesting-boxes-destroyed-in-logging/9142214
Today’s Celebration
Harvest Festival US Virgin Islands
World Orphans Day https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-orphans-day/
World Kindness Day https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/kindness-day/
Australian Food Safety Week http://www.foodsafety.asn.au/
Pollinator Week http://beesbusiness.com.au/pollweekmain.html
National Recycling Week http://recyclingweek.planetark.org/about/
National Adoption Awareness Week http://www.adoptchange.org.au/
Perinatal Depression and Anxiety Awareness Week http://www.panda.org.au/awareness/pnda-awareness-week
Alopecia Awareness Week http://aaaf.org.au/alopecia-awareness-week/
Antibiotic Awareness Week http://nps.org.au/aaw2016
More about Nov 13 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_13
Climate Change
Al Gore: ‘I tried my best’ but Trump can’t be educated on climate change
At UN climate talks in Bonn, Gore is heading an unofficial group trying to stop climate change – in the face of scepticism from Trump administration officials
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/10/al-gore-donald-trump-climate-change
We’re not even close to being prepared for the rising waters
Bill McKibben
For the 10,000 years of human civilization, we’ve been blessed with a relatively stable climate, with flooding an exceptional terror. That blessing is coming to an end.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/were-not-even-close-to-being-prepared-for-the-rising-waters/2017/11/09/441f4752-97d7-11e7-87fc-c3f7ee4035c9_story.html
The skunk at the climate party
William Becker
Trump’s dismantling of federal climate policies combined with his aspiration to make the United States the world’s largest producer of fossil fuels constitute nothing less than a crime against humanity, present and future.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-skunk-at-the-climate-party_us_5a04a2dee4b0204d0c171546
National
CEFC backs wind-plus-battery project
Singapore outfit Nexif Energy locks in $150m of debt funding from Clean Energy Finance Corporation for a project that will include the first large-scale unsubsidised battery system.
http://www.afr.com/business/energy/electricity/cefc-backs-300m-windplusbattery-project-in-south-australia-20171110-gzj33v
Bernardi’s bid to lift nuke bans
Conservative senator Cory Bernardi will introduce a bill today that seeks to lift a ban on nuclear power plants.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/bernardi-seeks-to-lift-ban-on-nukes/news-story/06ef1d96c74c833146722aaeb88c3248
Are you the hero frogs need right now? This app will tell you!
First Dog on the Moon
This exciting new frog identification app will help you work out if anything around you is an actual frog and which one it is. It’s not all frog fun though
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/10/are-you-the-hero-frogs-need-right-now-this-app-will-tell-you
Victoria
The enemies within: Matthew Guy divides Liberals
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/the-secret-life-of-matthew-guy-liberal-leader-20171109-gzif5g.html
Cycling Melbourne: Planned Fisherman’s Bend cycling path slammed by truck drivers
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/truck-drivers-warn-cycling-route-on-busy-freight-roads-will-put-riders-lives-at-risk/news-story/02617344620b34d7030c37facb9ab354
New South Wales
Aboriginal people spread native plants by hand: study
Bush-tucker plants were spread by hand across mountainous regions in New South Wales by Indigenous people, according to a new scientific theory published today.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-13/aboriginal-influence-behind-distribution-of-native-plants:-study/9142142
ACT
We tried: Cycling the National Arboretum on electric bikes
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/we-tried-cycling-up-the-national-arboretum-canberra-on-electric-bikes-20171105-gzfh7f.html
Canberra just threw a 100th birthday party for this forest
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-life/thousands-flock-to-national-arboretum-as-canberras-cork-oak-forest-turns-100-20171112-gzjjqi.html
Queensland
Palaszczuk ‘not aware’ of PwC donation on same day of Adani veto
The Queensland Premier says she was unaware consultancy company PricewaterhouseCoopers donated more than $2,000 to Labor on the same day she revealed her partner Shaun Drabsch was involved in a loan application for Adani, but says she has no concerns about it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-12/queensland-election-premier-not-aware-pwc-donation-to-labor/9142252
Queensland land clearing could become ‘tsunami’, say conservation groups
Notification of planned clearing is up 30% in the past year compared with the previous three-year average
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/13/queensland-land-clearing-could-become-tsunami-say-conservation-groups
North Stradbroke on knife-edge as it readies for tourism to replace mining
Straddie is on a knife-edge with sand miner Sibelco leaving in 2019 and a transition plan facing serious questions.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland-election-2017/straddie-on-a-knife-edge-is-it-ready-when-miners-leave-in-18-months-20171110-p4ywxx.html
Labor commits more than $150 million for renewable energy
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland-election-2017/labor-commits-more-than-150-million-for-renewable-energy-20171112-p4ywyi.html
Palaszczuk hides solar subsidies
The Palaszczuk government is under pressure to reveal how much it has paid to underwrite eight large-scale solar projects to help achieve its 50 per cent renewable target by 2030.
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/queensland-election-palaszczuk-hides-solar-subsidies-20171112-gzjjm3
Central Queensland council sticks by bounty on ‘monster’ feral cats
The Banana Shire Council says despite receiving a “fair few ridiculous letters and phone calls”, it will continue its $10 bounty on feral cats, providing residents present the scalps of the dead animals to collect.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-13/central-qld-council-sticks-by-bounty-on-monster-feral-cats/9138634
Why big projects like the Adani coal mine won’t transform regional Queensland
John Cole, University of Southern Queensland
http://theconversation.com/why-big-projects-like-the-adani-coal-mine-wont-transform-regional-queensland-86622
Tasmania
Scientists ‘shocked’ at logging of endangered swift parrot habitat
Conservation scientists are calling on the Tasmanian Government to ban logging in recognised swift parrot nesting areas after discovering a key site in the state’s south was recently felled.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-12/endangered-swift-parrot-nesting-boxes-destroyed-in-logging/9142214
Logging cessation needed in swift parrot habitat: Wilderness Society
An immediate end to logging in the swift parrot habitat is “urgently” needed following the discovery of impacted nesting trees in the state’s South, the Wilderness Society says.
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/5050579/calls-for-logging-halt-for-parrots/?cs=95
Nesting trees appear destroyed
THE apparent destruction of nesting trees in the state’s south has been described as a “disaster” for Tasmania’s critical endangered swift parrot.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/logging-of-habitat-a-disaster-for-critically-endangered-bird-says-anu-researcher-dr-dejan-stojanovic/news-story/77ac66d3c92d7edaab3b588b60986668
Letter solicits dam help
Proponents of an East Coast dam liaised with the Office of the Coordinator General over the $6m treasury loan sought by the Council for the project, new documents reveal.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/politics/coordinator-generals-office-liaised-with-proponents-of-east-coast-dam-project/news-story/bfcbb6f2614f87f9b872566182413154
Pulp mill went down a decade ago
Peter Henning
About this time a decade ago, Gunns thought it was at the top of its game, at the peak of its power and influence.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/its-been-ten-years-since-the-painful-demise-of-one-of-tasmanias-most-contentious-industrial-projects/news-story/569545df8e6b7f7984f5d2dc9a63d288
Western Australia
The ‘funeral flower’ bringing death to WA’s South West
It may look pretty, but the arum lily is an invasive weed threatening native species and destroying much of the natural beauty of WA’s South West.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-12/funeral-flower-causing-death-of-native-plants-in-wa-south-west/9129312
Firefighters battle Kings Park bushfire
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/firefighters-battle-kings-park-bushfire-20171112-gzjtp8.html
Sustainability
German coal mining could end by 2030s, says Merkel’s coalition negotiator
Leader of North Rhine-Westphalia, who is leading the CDU’s coalition talks on energy, said mines across Germany could be closed by the decade after next
http://www.climatechangenews.com/2017/11/12/german-coal-mining-end-2030s-says-merkels-coalition-negotiator/
Nature Conservation
Congo basin’s peaty swamps are new front in climate change battle
Ancient peatlands that store huge amounts of carbon are under threat from logging
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/12/congo-basin-swamps-peatlands-carbon-climate-change
America’s wildest place is open for business
If you’ve never heard of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, you’re not alone. But it deserves our attention, now more than ever.
http://www.ehn.org/americas-wildest-place-is-open-for-business-the-new-york-times-2508824784.html
Opening ANWR to stop climate change?
Charles Wohlforth
Implausible arguments don’t sit well in oil development debate.
http://www.thearcticsounder.com/article/1745opening_anwr_to_stop_climate_change
Maelor Himbury