Post of the Day
The world needs death and decomposition
Thanks to a new study, scientists now have a better way to investigate decomposing plants’ and animals’ contributions to the ecosystem.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180912133547.htm
Today’s Celebration
Birthday of Yang di-Perta of Sabah – Malaysia
Constitution Day – Papua New Guinea
Dia de la Independencia (Independence Day) – Mexico
Independence Day – Papua New Guinea
Malaysia Day – Malaysia
Mayflower Day – United States of America
Ordino – Andorra
Owain Glyndwr Day (Wales) – United Kingdom
Sustainable House Day – http://sustainablehouseday.com/
Stepfamily Day – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/stepfamily-day/
Wife Appreciation Day – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/wife-appreciation-day/
Lyme Gladiolus Day – http://www.karlmcmanusfoundation.org.au/
International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer – http://www.un.org/en/events/ozoneday/
Pet Promise Day – http://www.facebook.com/petpromiseday/
National Organic Week – http://www.organicweek.net.au/core/
More about Sep 16 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_16
National
A deadly threat the size of a sugar cube could be our next industrial health crisis
A former mining engineer is speaking out about what could be the biggest occupational health disaster since asbestos — the diesel machinery exhaust fumes churned out by heavy machinery in many of Australia’s underground mines.
Drought-stricken farmers challenge Coalition’s climate change stance in TV ad
‘We need to stick to the Paris agreement, we need to stop burning coal and we need to commit to more renewable energy,’ Longreach farmer says
Sustainable House Day proves that less is more when it comes to our homes
Say goodbye to the usual “my house is bigger than your house” palaver. This weekend, it’s all about how little you have.
Victoria
Tram patronage booming, including on weekends, new data reveals
Tram patronage has more than doubled on some Melbourne routes in the past decade, with new data showing that weekend tram trips on some routes are almost as busy as trips during the week
City to airport in 20 mins under new rail plan [$]
Trains from the CBD to Melbourne Airport would run every 10 minutes and trips would take just 20 minutes under a new plan for the $15 billion airport rail link.
New South Wales
NSW police charge 26 coal protesters
Police have charged 26 protesters who scaled equipment, blocked railway tracks and obstructed machinery at a NSW coal port.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw-police-charge-26-coal-protesters-081410908–spt.html
‘For my grandchildren’: War veteran among 26 charged in coal protests
Bill Ryan, a 92-year-old war veteran, says he locked himself to train tracks to protest coal for the sake of future generations.
‘They don’t drop dead’: Thirsty koalas flock to Blinky drinkers
When a brutal four-day heat wave killed 25 per cent of the koala population near Gunnedah, NSW, in 2009, nobody knew why. Koalas were believed not to drink, a myth now disproved.
Queensland
When dugongs were mercilessly hunted for bacon, steaks and a miracle cure
Today the vulnerable and endangered dugong is a protected species, but once upon a time hunters slaughtered the marine animal for its meat and oil in a thriving commercial industry based in Queensland.
Native title stays on Adani site until finance confirmed: Minister
Traditional owners will retain native title rights over the Adani mine site until the Indian mining company can prove it has finance in place for the project, the Queensland Mines Minister says.
South Australia
Winds of change blowing through GM crops
South Australia announces an independent review into the state’s moratorium on genetically modified crops, with scholars and a former anti-GM activist wanting a re-think on its opposition.
Tasmania
Basslink demands Hydro Tasmania pay up [$]
Basslink is demanding Hydro Tasmania pay all money the government-owned business has withheld since a December 2015 outage that resulted in diesel generators being shipped into the state.
Northern Territory
Severe drought affecting NSW in the Murray River area . The Lake Hume Dam outflow valves .
The Gunner Government will explore Federal Government money to build water infrastructure but does not support the building of dams
Western Australia
The efforts of a WA remote community to protect bilbies from feral cats
One of Australia’s most remote communities, Kiwirrkurra, is offering a bounty of $100 to catch a feral cat in an effort to protect one of the country’s last reserves of the bilby, and save the much loved animal from extinction.
Sustainability
China’s energy policies must balance air quality, carbon emissions and water scarcity goals
The use of coal-based synthetic natural gas, known by the acronym ‘SNG,’ would increase carbon emissions and water demand, especially in regions in China that already have high per capita carbon emissions and water scarcity, according to a study in Nature Sustainability.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-09/puww-cep091318.php
Novel framework to address uncertainty in water management
IIASA researchers have developed a general decision-making framework to support policy decisions on the management of water resources, which, for the first time, explicitly takes into account the associated uncertainties.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-09/iifa-nft091118.php
Nature Conservation
Study Shows Toxic Effects of Oil Dispersant on Oysters Following Deepwater Horizon Spill
A new study finds that oysters likely suffered toxic effects from the oil dispersant Corexit® 9500 when it was used to clean up the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180913160039.htm
The world needs death and decomposition
Thanks to a new study, scientists now have a better way to investigate decomposing plants’ and animals’ contributions to the ecosystem.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180912133547.htm
Vital for life, heat and power – what you never knew about salt water
Timothy Duignan
We take salt water for granted, and often overlook how important it is for our own lives and in sustaining a healthy planet.
Now for something completely different …
We mapped cancer rates across Australia – search for your postcode here
Sunanda Creagh
What trends might emerge when we map cancer incidence and mortality rates across Australia?
6 Florence St Niddrie 3042
93741902
0432406862