Post of the Day
Industrial fisheries are starving seabirds all around the world
Industrial fisheries are starving seabirds like penguins and terns by competing for the same prey sources. Seabirds are now the most threatened bird group.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181206114726.htm
Today’s Celebration
Constitution Day – Northern Marianas
Independence Day – Tanzania
International Anti-Corruption Day
Climate Change
Trump, observing French turmoil, suggests end of climate change pact
U.S. President Donald Trump, commenting on the clashes between police and “yellow vest” protesters in Paris, said on Saturday that it may be time to do away with the Paris accord on climate change.
National
School-aged students lead Stop Adani protests in wake of Prime Minister’s activism comments
Students who felt condescended by the Prime Minister last week vow to keep the Liberal Party out of power as long as it maintains its current climate policies.
Remember Mr Lump O’Coal? He’s still doing his thing
Warwick McFadyen
It is almost two years ago that Prime Minister Scott Morrison, then the treasurer, walked into question time with his friend, Mr Lump O’Coal. What’s changed?
Victoria
‘Imagine if people got killed’: Community anger over suspicious Victorian grassfire
Authorities suspect a grassfire which threatened homes on Melbourne’s south-western fringe on Friday — in one of Victoria’s first major bushfire incidents this summer — was deliberately lit.
New South Wales
‘Unacceptable’: Sydney springs more big leaks as response times double
Residents of Banksmeadow, inundated by as much as a metre of water from a burst main last week, will probably get little consolation knowing they are far from alone battling leaky pipes.
ACT
Firebugs to be monitored amid concerns over bushfire conditions in Canberra
Police are ramping up monitoring of multiple firebugs in the Canberra region at the start of a bushfire season forecast to rival that which saw the catastrophic 2003 fires.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-08/bushfire-season-canberra-arson-police-monitoring/10595826
Queensland
Adani: thousands protest across Australia against Carmichael mine
Protest follows announcement by Adani it would self-finance the controversial coal project
The developer, the whistleblower and the minister
When you look out at Cleveland’s Toondah Harbour at low tide, the first thing you see is the mudflats.
More bushland preserved for koalas [$]
The State Government has announced an extra 190,000 hectares of bushland will be preserved in an effort to save Queensland’s struggling koala population.
Premier responds to accusations of land mismanagement [$]
Annastacia Palaszczuk
It’s normal after a natural disaster to review how it was managed and see what could be done better.
South Australia
Last chance saloon for stunning SA lagoon [$]
At the tail end of the mighty Murray, the Coorong is one of Australia’s most spectacular nature spots teaming with wildlife, waders and waterbirds — and it’s vulnerable.
Seismic testing for oil in The Bight postponed in win for tuna industry but whales in firing line [$]
The tuna industry is celebrating a win over planned seismic testing for oil in The Bight during the species’ Autumn juvenile migration.
Northern Territory
NT’s largest land-clearing permit faces legal challenge over climate change
Potential greenhouse gas emissions from the Northern Territory’s largest-ever land-clearing project were not weighed because their impact on global warming could not be measured, the head of an environmental watchdog says.
Torres Strait fishers raise racial discrimination in dispute with regulator
Traditional owner fishers say rules meant to help them are hurting them financially
More action needed to cut down Darwin’s plastic waste [$]
Darwin Council’s plan to ban one-use plastics is underway with a number of stakeholders and events indicating to council they are eager to help reduce plastic waste in Darwin
Western Australia
WA lobster fishers angry at government plan control portion of catch
Changes proposed by the State Government will see an increase in the commercial lobster quota, but the big catch is the Government will control more than 17 per cent of the caught crustaceans.
Sustainability
Airlines ignoring efficient planes in blow to carbon targets – study
TUI Airways comes top of 2018 Atmosfair Airline Index while Virgin Atlantic ranks 83rd
More bioplastics do not necessarily contribute to climate change mitigation
Bioplastics are often promoted as an environmentally and climate-friendly alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. However, a recent study from the University of Bonn suggests that shifting to plant-based plastics could have less positive effects than expected.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/uob-mbd120718.php
Simple steps to climate-proof farms have big potential upside for tropical farmers
Climate-smart agriculture boosts yields, mitigates extreme weather impact and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. A new study points to profitable opportunities for farmers and the environment.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181206120019.htm
Fighting smog supports solar power
Model calculations by researchers show that if China fought smog more aggressively, it could massively increase solar power production.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181206115940.htm
Nature Conservation
Study: Damning evidence of dam’s impacts on rainforest birds
A study by an international team of conservation scientists found that a dam built in Thailand 31 years ago has caused the local bird population to collapse.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/wcs-sde120718.php
One out of 3 rivers in the Iberian Peninsula is affected by salinization
One out of three rivers in the Iberian Peninsula has salinization mainly due the impact of agricultural activity and territory urbanization. This environmental problem will affect hydric ecosystems due global warming, the growing use of water and the exploitation of soil natural resources.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/uob-ooo120718.php
Could algae that are ‘poor-providers’ help corals come back after bleaching?
How much of a reef’s ability to withstand stressful conditions is influenced by the type of symbiotic algae that the corals hosts? New work investigates how the nutrients algae share with their coral hosts varies between species and what this could mean for a coral’s ability to survive in a changing climate. They determined that in the wake of a bleaching event, even an algal tenant that’s poor provider may be better than no provider.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/cifs-cat120618.php
Industrial fisheries are starving seabirds all around the world
Industrial fisheries are starving seabirds like penguins and terns by competing for the same prey sources. Seabirds are now the most threatened bird group.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181206114726.htm
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