Post of the Day
Wentworth backlash reignites tensions inside government on climate policy
“We are going to have to go to the next election with a clear plan to meet our Paris targets.”
Today’s Celebration
International Stuttering Awareness Day
National Week of Deaf People (NWDP)
Climate Change
Climate change is no joking matter. except, this week, it was.
Global warming made the rounds on the late-night comedy shows this week. It was funny, but do jokes blunt the message that climate change is a threat? Hardly, experts say.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/19/climate/snl-late-show-climate-change.html
Time to recognize climate realities
Orrin Pilkey
On the 6th of October 2018, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a bombshell report arguing that within 30 years
https://www.fayobserver.com/opinion/20181020/orrin-pilkey-time-to-recognize-climate-realities
Climate change: Nauru’s life on the frontlines
Anja Kanngieser
Nauru’s people are struggling in the face of environmental change.
https://theconversation.com/climate-change-naurus-life-on-the-frontlines-105219
National
Look after the soil, save the Earth: farming in Australia’s unrelenting climate
Former governor general Michael Jeffery says soil health and regenerative farming is essential for security and carbon emissions
Wentworth won’t prompt climate rethink, says Frydenberg
Treasurer says government does not intend to ‘reduce emissions at the expense of people’s power bills’
Wentworth backlash reignites tensions inside government on climate policy
“We are going to have to go to the next election with a clear plan to meet our Paris targets.”
Libs urge climate policy fix [$]
Moderate Liberal MPs have urged Scott Morrison to take action on climate change after the mammoth swing in the by-election.
Rapid electric car charge network for Australia’s highways [$]
Electric cars will soon be able to zoom between Australia’s major cities with scores of new “ultra-rapid” charging sites to be rolled out on interstate highways.
Preserving a culture by protecting the environment
The Dhimurru Rangers are one of more than 100 Indigenous groups spread across Australia who are removing thousands of pounds of plastic garbage from the beaches.
Nuclear’s case for low-cost power [$]
Nuclear power could become the lowest-cost, emissions-free generation source in Australia, a research paper says.
Time to fire up nuclear debate [$]
Australian editorial
Climate change and power needs should energise policy.
Don’t rubbish efforts to manage the trash [$]
Ruth Ostrow
I’m standing here watching corn cobs, last night’s vegies and a plethora of tea bags seep from a huge hole in the bag they’re in, all over my kitchen floor.
Victoria
Andrews pledges 25 new level crossing removals in Melbourne
Premier Daniel Andrews says his Government will remove even more level crossings across Melbourne if re-elected, which could include elevated rail sections in Brunswick and Coburg.
As Melbourne’s recycling stockpiles keep growing, so does the fire threat
Dozens of Victorian recycling centres require “urgent attention” to prevent more fires in suburban communities, as China’s ban on importing rubbish fuels the growth of hazardous waste stockpiles around Melbourne.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-21/melbourne-recycling-facilities-pose-fire-risk/10368302
Energy mix vital to reduce climate change
The boss of a leading Australian carbon capture and storage research organisation will tell a conference in Melbourne it’s important to have an energy mix.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/energy-mix-vital-reduce-climate-change-163131032–spt.html
Jaguar boss says Australia missing out on becoming electric car leader
Luxury car marker Jaguar says Australia could be a world leader in electric vehicle technology, but a lack of government incentives is holding back the sector and preventing a related tech boom.
Coal sector: Coronado’s scaled-back ASX IPO a referendum on global outlook [$]
Matthew Stevens
Coronado’s owners had hoped to raise $1.39 billion, so the decision to pocket just $774 million is a disappointment that will ripple far beyond the coal company
New South Wales
Graziers going deeper into debt, and dams, to get out of drought
Graziers in far-west New South Wales are using government loans to prepare their properties for the arrival of rain, and ensure they are protected during the next drought.
‘They deserve care and compassion’: sanctuary says foxes misunderstood
‘If people saw foxes as a companion and not a pest, they might not let others kill them in cruel and unusual ways,’ says Sydney Fox Rescue president
Nuclear facility needs overhaul: report
An independent report has recommended that the federal government’s nuclear medical facility at southern Sydney be replaced or rebuilt due to safety concerns.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/nuclear-facility-needs-overhaul-report-163241530–spt.html
Nuclear facility’s safety failure [$]
There is a “make do and mend” culture at the Australian government’s nuclear medical facility at Lucas Heights.
Sydney homes to be powered by hydrogen [$]
Gas pipeline owner Jemena will lead the country’s biggest trial of the generation and use of hydrogen, which could see homes and businesses in Sydney begin using the fuel within five years.
https://www.afr.com/business/energy/gas/sydney-homes-to-be-powered-by-hyrodgen-20181018-h16u5a
NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton accused of failing to tackle waste crisis
NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton has been accused of failing to address the state’s waste crisis by providing incentives to divert rubbish from landfill or crackdown on illegal dumping.
Reversal of national park bill spurs fears of ‘open season’ on environment
A state Nationals MP has lodged a private member’s bill to extinguish one of NSW’s largest national parks, a move that opponents say signals an “open season” on the state’s natural heritage.
ACT
Thousands of solar panels to deliver CSIRO big savings
About 2900 solar panels will be installed at the CSIRO’s Black Mountain facility as part of a larger plan the federal government agency says will eventually help it save more than $900,000 on energy bills each year.
Queensland
‘Don’t muck around with the spirits’: Black Mountain’s dark secrets
Traditional owners don’t want tourists entering a sacred site dubbed the ‘Bermuda Triangle’ of far north Queensland.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-21/mysterious-black-mountain/10067072
Aurizon urged to end regulatory spat [$]
One of Japan’s largest steel producers has called on listed rail company Aurizon to resolve its long-running dispute with the Queensland regulator saying it was concerned about further delays to coal exports.
https://www.afr.com/news/politics/japan-steel-maker-jfe-tells-aurizon-to-end-spat-20181019-h16vif
Aurizon alleges Green ‘bias’ over Adani worry [$]
Aurizon has alleged former QCA chairman Roy Green may have acted to benefit the Port of Newcastle in a lawsuit against its regulator.
Twenty per cent of south-east Queensland commuters abandon bus links to trains
More than 20 per cent of bus passengers have abandoned Brisbane’s regional bus companies and returned to their cars, new figures show.
Scheme to turn trash into treasure [$]
It’s the scheme that will give Queenslanders a 10-cent refund for their cans and bottles. But with two weeks until it kicks off, questions remain over its readiness and how the public will respond.
South Australia
Heat on arsonists over rise in deliberate fires
The number of deliberate and recklessly lit fires is on the rise, police say, as emergency services brace for an extended fire season.
Tasmania
Tasmanian salmon should be off the menu for now, says conservation group
Fish eaters advised to ‘Say No’ due to environmental concerns surrounding Tasmania’s salmon farming industry
Voters sway on cable car [$]
Pro and anti kunanyi/Mt Wellington cable car groups are campaigning heavily this election to ensure the Hobart City Council is stacked with aldermen with views sympathetic to their causes.
Let’s turn Tasmania into a research powerhouse
Bruce Ransley
For a long time, we liked to kid ourselves that Tasmania is a natural laboratory that’s home to a world-class research community. This is not and never was true. But it could be.
https://tasmaniantimes.com/2018/10/lets-turn-tasmania-into-a-research-powerhouse/
The quiet achievers of Tasmania’s fisheries
Anna Bateman
A new report from the Australia Institute has found Tasmania’s non-salmon fishing industries employ over 1,900 people and produce 9,000 tonnes of seafood annually, with a gross value of $209 million.
https://tasmaniantimes.com/2018/10/the-quiet-achievers-of-tasmanias-fisheries/
Northern Territory
Surge in number of Uluru climbers [$]
The number of tourists climbing Uluru has skyrocketed since the Uluru-Kata Tjuta park board voted to ban climbing on the iconic rock
Battle looms over Uluru [$]
Marc Hendrickx is challenging a decision by bureaucrats and traditional owners to close the Uluru climb, claiming it’s racist
Gas policy could cost NT billions [$]
Gas producers may have to have to pay billions of dollars annually under new Labor climate policies.
Sustainability
Californian city powered by solar inspires Australian councils
As you look across the desert in Lancaster, southern California, a solar farm stretches as far as the eye can see. This is how the city is powered, and now Australian councils want to do something similar.
Bottle it up: the car park that lets drivers pay in plastic
A scheme at one Leeds’ CitiPark hopes to encourage recycling by giving motorists a 20p parking voucher for every bottle they bring in
Russia warns Trump over ‘dangerous’ plan to quit nuclear treaty
Russia has reacted strongly to the US saying it will dump the 1987 Gorbachev-Reagan nuclear missile treaty.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/russia-warns-trump-over-dangerous-plan-to-quit-nuclear-treaty
PR company accused of using ‘tobacco lobbyist tactics’ to promote weedkiller linked to cancer
Roundup maker Monsanto reportedly funded campaign to defend chemical.
Nature Conservation
‘Headless chicken monster’: deep-sea cucumber seen in Southern Ocean for first time
Creature filmed off east Antarctica using technology developed by Australian researchers
Minister’s claim that badger cull cuts cattle TB is attacked by experts
George Eustice’s boast that government strategy is working called untrue by vets and animal specialists
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