Post of the Day
Environmental laws won’t fix climate change unless we enforce them, new UN report says
UN Environment investigated environmental protection laws around the world from 1972 through 2017 and found the biggest challenge is a failure to properly enforce the laws.
Today’s Celebration
Commemoration Birthday of G.F. Croes – Aruba
Foundation Day (Sao Paulo) Brazil
Food and Nutrition Day – Indonesia
National Tourism Day – India
National Voter’s Day – India
St. Tatiana Day (beginning of Winter Holiday) – Russia
25 January Revolution Day – Egypt
National Police Day – Egypt
Burns Night Scotland
Saint Dwynwen’s Day – Wales
Kirmeline Lithuania
Climate Change
US off track to reach climate goals as oil and gas production expand
US will become increasingly reliant on natural gas and could become a net energy exporter by next year
Teenage activist takes School Strikes 4 Climate Action to Davos
Protest by 16-year-old Greta Thunberg snowballs to last day of World Economic Forum
Environmental laws won’t fix climate change unless we enforce them, new UN report says
UN Environment investigated environmental protection laws around the world from 1972 through 2017 and found the biggest challenge is a failure to properly enforce the laws.
As climate warms, plants will absorb less CO₂, study finds
Plants and soil absorb carbon dioxide, which helps mitigate climate change. But global warming will degrade that ability, scientists say.
Why cold weather doesn’t mean climate change is fake
Weather and climate aren’t the same thing, meaning you can expect harsher winters in a warming world.
All of us can combat climate change
Lawton Chiles
My goal is that we all open our eyes to what is right in front of us, recognize the problem, and understand each of us has a role to play in the solution.
National
‘Old car’ coal plants aren’t going to get any better warns AEMO
The energy market operator has warned the nation’s coal fired power plants will break down more often after it had to ask businesses to shut down to keep the lights on during a scorching day in Victoria.
Urban heat is making us sedentary and lonely, study finds
A new report finds an over-reliance on air conditioning and a lack of shade in outdoor areas could be making us sedentary, passive and lonely, as people turn to their houses to beat the urban heat.
The stubborn high-pressure system behind Australia’s record heatwaves
Steve Turton
Parts of Australia have broken multiple heat records over the past week.
Reliability of newer coal power questioned
Newer coal-fired power stations break down more often per gigawatt than older power generators, the Australia Institute has found.
‘1000kg of plastic for every km of coast’
Plastic is piling up on Australia’s beautiful coastlines, and a new documentary shows an even more disturbing truth.
‘Make it like brushing your teeth’: Experts urge daily sunscreen use
Australians are urged to protect themselves from strong and damaging UV rays.
Skin cancer experts are now urging Australians to use sunscreen every day, not just when they intend to spend a long time in the sun.
Waste-to-energy has ‘big potential’, but caution urged
The development of waste-to-energy plants in Australia is underway and, while the potential is strong, there are some economic and environmental hurdles to jump first.
Animal activists v private landowners: what does the law say?
Rick Sarre
Aussie Farms’ have map showing locations where farms or producers treat animal cruelly has caused outrage with many claiming it is illegal. So, what does the law actually say about this?
Power plant failure validates coal inefficiency
Sophie Vorrath
With renewable energy being a hot topic leading up to the Election, a recent power failure may further unravel the ALP’s hopes.
Victoria
Locals left to sweat it out as blackout hits two central Victorian towns
A power blackout leaves two towns in central Victoria without air-conditioning, refrigeration or even a public swimming pool, while the temperature reaches 40C in Melbourne.
Coal plants in mix for Coalition’s electricity guarantee but Victoria attacks new bid
Victoria says Trevor St Baker’s $6bn plan for two new coal power plants proof scheme designed to boost fossil fuels
Victoria exported power to NSW as it battled blackout
As Victoria struggled to ensure it had enough power top keep the lights on it was still exporting energy to New South Wales.
Third generator down ahead of record heat day [$]
Victorians have sweated through a potentially record-breaking night, but things are about to get worse, with Melbourne expected to swelter through the hottest day since Black Saturday a decade ago. And a third generator shut down overnight, adding further pressure on Victoria’s power supply.
Dallas Kinnear has been pushing for climate action for more than 30 years
The phrase ‘climate change’ is increasingly playing on everybody’s lips as the world continues to experience extreme weather phenomenons.
Why is Victoria still struggling with its myki ticketing system?
Tony Morton
Ever since the “scratch ticket” debacle in 1990 claimed then transport minister Jim Kennan, there’s been a need to carefully define what an effective public transport ticketing system is, against the various tech-enthusiasms and agendas of political and bureaucratic insiders.
New South Wales
NSW govt blames weather for fish kill
The NSW government has blamed the weather for an unprecedented fish kill in the Darling River at Menindee in an interim report into the “ecological disaster”.
Forget Bondi and Coogee: call to save Yarra Bay makes a splash in Australia’s top beaches
Passionate supporters of the inlet on Botany Bay even love the looming cooling towers and container terminal
Farmer blames PFAS for growing number of animal deformities
In the shadow of an RAAF base’s PFAS contamination, the heartbreak of watching fish grow with twisted spines and deformed skulls took breeder Greg Semple to a “pretty dark place”.
Enforce water restrictions before turning to desalination, Sydney Mayor argues
A Sydney Mayor is calls for water restrictions to be enforced early, as the NSW Government prepares to switch on the city’s desalination plant tomorrow.
Lock The Gate ad under investigation [$]
A Lock The Gate Alliance advertisement lobbying against coal mining in the Hunter Valley region has been referred by the state government to the Electoral Commission for investigation.
ACT
New wetlands will see Canberrans swimming in Lake Burley Griffin
Construction has begun on three new sites in Narrabundah, Fyshwick and Kingston.
Boomanulla Oval is Aboriginal land and we want it back
Julie Tongs
Our message to the ACT government on this Australia Day is that Boomanulla Oval is Aboriginal land, and we want it back.
Queensland
Rubbish on fire near Brisbane airport
Multiple fire trucks are dousing rubbish on fire near Kingsford Smith Drive.
The $62 billion plan to keep SEQ’s commute under 45 minutes
South-east Queensland’s mayors want to see 47 road and rail projects across the region completed to prevent total gridlock by 2041 at a total cost of $63 billion.
How a vomit-sniffing dog is helping save endangered owls
A puppy called Zorro has been sent to the Sunshine Coast to learn how to sniff out owl vomit.
Jobs to flow with $1.4b mine on fast track [$]
The State Government is moving to streamline approvals for a $1.4 billion iron ore mine in north Queensland, with hundreds of jobs expected to be created.
South Australia
Adelaide now Australia’s hottest capital city on record as temperatures soar
Adelaide hits a sweltering 46.6 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record set in Melbourne a decade ago to officially become the hottest capital in the country.
Record-breaking heat sees power generators switched on for first time
Temporary diesel power generators owned by the South Australian Government are switched on as the Australian Energy Market Operator deals with record-breaking heat conditions across both SA and Victoria.
Almost 30,000 without power in SA
Almost 30,000 properties are without power In South Australia due to outages likely related to the extreme heat.
Key environmental document for KI port is lodged [$]
Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers has resubmitted a revised environmental impact statement for its proposed Kangaroo Island seaport, saying the report shows it would generate jobs and not have a significant impact on the environment.
SA’s next big mine on track to start up this year [$]
South Australia’s next big copper mine is on track to start production before the year is out, with 750 people on site building OZ Minerals’ Carrapateena mine in the state’s Far North.
Tasmania
People told to leave as Tas bushfire rages
Rising temperatures and wind gusts of 90km/h will create grave bushfire danger for south and central parts of Tasmania from the early hours of Friday morning.
Heat alert for injured and distressed wildlife [$]
Wildlife rescuers have issued a plea for rural residents to keep watch for animals fleeing from the bushfires raging across the state.
Beautiful and tragic: the saga of Wukalina
Bob Brown
The Wukalina Walk in northeast Tasmania is the best way to learn about a bloody moment in Australia’s history
The Heart of Tasmania is on fire!
Claire Gilmour
Tasmania … currently the highest CO2 producing Capital of Australia. For those who wanted the tourists and mainland buyers of the state to disappear; for those who wanted World Heritage protection of unique forests to disappear … you got it … you got your wish!
Northern Territory
NT rangers warn of plan to kill horses
Aboriginal rangers culled 55 horses after dozens were found dead and it it is warning it will have to kill more animals due to a heatwave in Central Australia.
Traditional owners dispute culling 120 dying feral animals in Central Australia
The Central Land Council hosts an emergency meeting after traditional owners stop a planned cull of dying feral animals, a day after photographs emerged of dozens of dead brumbies strewn along a 100-metre stretch of a swimming hole.
Western Australia
Marie Kondo trend could ‘spark joy’ for bargain hunters at WA op shops
One man’s clutter is sparking another man’s joy – and filling WA op-shops to the brim with a treasure trove of clothes, books and homewares.
Sustainability
Is timber a sustainable building material?
Timber is a renewable resource that can lock away carbon dioxide, but deforestation is wiping out fragile ecosystems and the species that inhabit them. So is timber sustainable, and what should we be wary of when buying timber products?
Oslo made its city center basically car-free — and it’s great
It was a huge success: Parking spots are now bike lanes, transit is fast and easy, and the streets (and local businesses) are full of people.
‘The trash never stops’: Indonesia battles to clean up rivers
Authorities in the nation of 260 million are battling a lack of recycling culture or environmental awareness to achieve an ambitious target of a 70 percent cut in marine plastic debris by 2025, despite having devoted $1 billion a year to the task.
Could hi-tech Netherlands-style farming feed the world?
As the global population swells, so does the need for food. Could a Netherlands approach to farming that doesn’t rely on soil, sunshine, water and pesticides be the answer?
United Nations, World Economic Forum and partners unite to address e-waste
Seven UN entities have come together, supported by the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development to address e-waste. A new joint report shows that the world now discards approximately 50 million tons of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) per year, greater in weight than all of the commercial airliners ever made; only 20 percent is formally recycled. If nothing changes, United Nations University predicts e-waste could nearly triple to 120 million tonnes by 2050.
Scientists tackle breeding challenges of land mine-finding rats
African giant pouched rats have an exceptional sense of smell – they are used to detect land mines and tuberculosis – but scientists know very little about their biology or social structure, and they’re difficult to breed in captivity.
We need a circular, urban food system
If we could shift food production to a more hyperlocal, circular system, both our planet and ourselves would be better off.
New water splitting catalyst could make it easier to generate solar fuel
Water splitting, the process of harvesting solar energy to generate energy-dense fuels, could be simplified thanks to new research.
‘Tipping point’: Electric vehicle ownership costs to undercut petrol and diesel cars from 2022
Deloitte predicts demand for plug-in vehicles is set to soar over the coming decade, as costs fall and barriers to adoption come down, but can the auto industry navigate a challenging transition?
I’ve Always Wondered: is rain better than tap water for plants?
Ian Wright and Jason Reynolds
Plants can find it tough to get all the nitrogen they need, especially from Australian soils. But summer storms can provide an added boost.
Should we stop eating meat? Not while humans are the real weapons of climate destruction
Tony Lovell
Instead of calling for humans to stop eating meat, we need to focus on what they have done to unbalance the methane cycle
Huge backlog could trigger new wave of shale oil
Nicholas Cunningham
The explosive production figures in 2018 seem higher than last year’s rig count justified.
Nature Conservation
Japan whalers discuss plan to resume hunt
Japan’s new era outside the International Whaling Commission will begin with a new fleet ready to hunt on July 1.
Bees face yet another lethal threat in dicamba, a drift-prone pesticide
The EPA extended its approval of the weed killer for two more years, despite scientists’ warnings.
Why do some tuna contain toxic mercury levels, while others don’t?
A new study may help to explain why toxic methylmercury concentrations in tuna fish vary across different geographic regions.
Liberia’s community forestry becoming a front for deforestation: Report
A report released by Global Witness late last year alleges that Liberia’s forestry laws are being “hijacked” by logging companies.
Biosecurity strategy needed for China’s Belt and Road Initiative
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched five years ago, includes more than 120 countries, linked by six proposed land-based Economic Corridors between core cities and key ports along traditional international transport routes. But, as new evidence shows, the risk of introducing invasive species into new areas is substantial as it would threaten native species and biodiversity.
Conservation efforts help some rare birds more than others
Land conservation programs that have converted tens of thousands of acres of agricultural land in Illinois back to a more natural state appear to have helped some rare birds increase their populations to historic levels, a new study finds. Other bird species with wider geographic ranges have not fared as well, however.
Now for something completely different …
The wrong people are given top honours, year after year
Nicholas Gruen
Many of those in line for an Order of Australia on Australia Day are getting it for their career. But here’s an idea: why don’t we award honours to encourage people to do more than their job.
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