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Today’s Celebration
Independence Day – Grenada
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day – United States of America
Saint Mel’s Day – Ireland
Northern Territories Day – Japan
Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbors Day
Climate Change
The past 4 years the hottest on record, UN confirms
The last four years were the hottest since global temperature records began, the UN confirmed in an analysis that it said was a “clear sign of continuing long-term climate change.”
Massive cavity discovered in Antarctic glacier
A study into the Thwaites Glacier finds a massive 300-metre-high hole that would have contained 14 billion tonnes of ice — most of which has melted over the past three years. If it melts completely, sea levels could rise by 65 centimetres.
Met Office: global warming could exceed 1.5C within five years
Lowest Paris agreement target may temporarily be surpassed for first time between now and 2023
Trump State of the Union speech: what climate change experts say
Top scientists condemn State of the Union address and say future presidents must confront climate change as urgent priority
It’s time to try fossil-fuel executives for crimes against humanity
It isn’t hyperbole to say that fossil-fuel executives are mass murderers. We should put them on trial for crimes against humanity.
Climate change, a driver of Central American migration
Toward the end of 2018, Central American migrant groups of several thousands of people began journeys towards the United States. Many are fleeing a massive drought that has lasted for five years.
Climate change may hamper response to flu: Study
Mice exposed to heat wave temperatures ate less and showed weakened immune responses to the virus.
Climate change threatening underwater forests: study
Climate change is affecting biodiversity at a global scale.
Climate change could leave thousands of lakes ice-free
Lakes that used to freeze every winter now see some years without ice. Scientists say that extensive ice loss will happen within a generation if current warming trends continue.
The false choice between economic growth and combatting climate change
Decades ago, the economist William Nordhaus demonstrated how a “spaceship economy” could thrive if governments made sure that companies paid a price for the environmental damage they caused.
Diffusing the methane bomb: We can still make a difference
The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, causing the carbon containing permafrost that has been frozen for tens or hundreds of thousands of years to thaw and release methane into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to global warming. A new study suggests that it is still possible to neutralize this threat.
Climate change is the deadliest legacy we will leave the young
John Lanchester
Property prices, pensions and austerity will pale into insignificance compared with the effects of global warming.
This climate solution is an economic opportunity staring Congress in the face
Jason Hartke
The U.S. has come a long way in using energy more efficiently in recent decades, but we have a long way to go. For lawmakers looking for bipartisan solutions to address climate change, there’s a bounty of opportunity.
De-smogging mining director Ian Plimer’s anti-climate rant in The Australian
Graham Readfearn
Ian Plimer’s latest attempt in the pages of Murdoch-owned The Australian newspaper to shoot down climate science had so many clear errors it should embarass the editor who printed it.
National
‘Beggars belief’: more endangered parrots exported from Australia
Warren Entsch demands investigation after German convicted kidnapper boasts about new shipment
Renewables reach highest share of Australia’s power in 40 years
Renewable power now accounts for one-fifth of all energy generated in Australia, the first time it has done so since the 1970s.
Liberal president hints at climate policy
The Liberal Party president has hinted at the need for a “substantial” climate policy, as Scott Morrison again insists the government is taking action.
In record year for rooftop solar, who were Australia’s top PV retailers?
This week, SunWiz looks at Australia’s top solar PV retailers in each market segment in the bumper year that was 2018, based on data gathered from STC and LGC…
From wood waste to solar: The changing face of renewables in past 20 years
The renewable technology of choice has changed significantly over the past 20 years. This graph shows how.
‘Big stick’ energy law not tested
Generic power lines pic for TCP letter to the editor on Ergon price hikes. Must credit
No modelling has been done to check whether laws forcing the sale of power assets will cut electricity prices, Treasury admits.
Energy Insiders Podcast: 50% renewables – Too much, too soon? Or too slow?
Energy expert Nicky Ison joins the podcast to discuss renewables energy targets, the NSW policy vacuum, the need for more transmission and delivering solar to those who need it.
Push for federal probe on Murray River [$]
Potential acts of fraud and ministerial misconduct would be investigated as part of a proposed federal royal commission into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan being pushed by the Australian Greens.
Weather gone wild: climate change-fuelled extreme weather in 2018
Climate Council of Australia
As many Australians already believe, this report finds that climate change is increasing the frequency and/or severity of extreme weather and that Australians are suffering as a result.
Criminal Neglect: Our Climate Of Denial In A State Of Emergency
Richard Hil
What’s this obsession with ‘national security’? Let’s talk about the climate emergency and the complicity of the powerful.
Ten years ago, climate adaptation research was gaining steam. Today, it’s gutted
Rod Keenan
We need to know we can handle whatever the climate throws at us.
Where to with transport in our capital cities?
Alan Davies
The start of the year is an opportune time to take a big-picture view of the state of passenger transport in Australia’s major urban areas.
Look to Spain to solve the Murray-Darling issue [$]
Jason Murphy
Solving the problem of a common resource the Murray Darling Basin is not a new one. What can we learn from the rest of the world?
Victoria
Black Saturday in facts and figures
Victoria’s devastating Black Saturday bushfires claimed 173 lives and injured hundreds of others and the fallout is still felt a decade later.
Gupta’s Simec pushes into Victoria, says “baseload” renewables to “change the game”
Simec Energy obtains licence to retail in Victoria, extending its reach to offer its “baseload renewable energy” product to businesses and large energy users.
Suspicious factory fire in Maribyrnong [$]
A blaze at a Maribyrnong factory which destroyed several cars and sent plumes of smoke billowing into the air this morning is being treated as suspicious.
The busy stations to get 1500 more car parks [$]
More than 1500 new car parks will be added to railway stations throughout Melbourne’s booming southeastern suburbs as the federal government pledges to slash peak-hour traffic times. See if your station is one of them.
What has Australia learned from Black Saturday?
Kevin Tolhurst
Black Saturday was a day like no other; it will be forever remembered in the history of bushfire disasters in Australia. The fires burned about 300,000 hectares in a single day; 173 human lives were lost and more than 2,000 houses were destroyed in one afternoon.
Climate change is poised to deliver more Black Saturdays in decades to come
Scott Hamilton
Treacherous bushfire conditions are predicted to grow even more frequent as the climate changes.
New South Wales
Raising NSW dam wall ‘good for developers’
A property in flood-prone land west of Sydney more than tripled in value after the NSW government announced its plan to raise Warragamba Dam wall.
NSW ‘suffered 27 power plant breakdowns’
A report by The Australia Institute has found that gas and coal-fired power stations across NSW broke down 27 times last year.
Container refund scheme prompts calls for crackdown on ‘bin chickens’ cashing in on recycling
A fight is brewing between self-described “bin chickens” raiding our rubbish for refundable containers and the waste industry — with both wanting to cash in on recycling.
NSW under pressure to move quickly on renewables, as coal clunkers fail
The major parties competing for power in Australia’s most populous state are under increasing pressure to present ambitious plans for renewable energy installations in NSW, not least to reduce emissions but also to prepare for the inevitable exit of the state’s ageing coal fleet.
The last of Sydney’s koalas are doomed
Sue Arnold
A major development in Sydney is touting itself as being environmentally friendly towards koalas, but it is far from it.
ACT
Parts of Lake Burley Griffin closed because of blue green algae blooms
Canberrans have been warned against having contact with Lake Burley Griffin after government testing found elevated levels of the dangerous blue green algae and other bacteria in the water.
Queensland
Push to ban all coal mines in the Galilee Basin does not go far enough
A controversial proposal to ban mining in the Galilee Basin does not go far enough, some members of the public have argued.
‘Bigger than Franklin’: Bob Brown to lead anti-Adani road convoy
The former Greens leader says his planned road convoy to protest the proposed giant Adani coal mine in Queensland will be bigger than the protest to stop the damming of Tasmania’s wild rivers in the 1980s.
Digging into the Adani debate [$]
Graham Richardson
Whether or not it deserves to be, the future of the Adani mine in Queensland is by far the biggest issue facing our politicians.
South Australia
Planners warn of climate change risks for Adelaide
The way South Australians design their communities and their homes must change, planners warn, with the impacts of climate change a present reality. Stephanie Richards reports on how the state has been preparing its built form – and what needs to happen next.
Cockroach explosion as dry spell enters day 50
Adelaide’s dry spell has officially entered its 50th day, with the hot and dry weather forcing monster cockroaches to seek refuge in people’s homes — but cooler weather is on the way.
Why the Eyre Peninsula needs a deep-sea port [$]
A deep-sea port on the Eyre Peninsula would make the region globally competitive and lead to further investment along the coastline, according the regional development group.
Eastern states saw wet-behind-the-ears water minister coming [$]
Michael McGuire
The SA Liberal Government’s handling of the Murray-Darling issue is proof it can take newcomers time to get used to the job.
Tasmania
Cooler weather aids Tasmanian fire effort
Cooler weather has helped aid firefighters in Tasmania despite winds pushing a massive bushfire towards one of the state’s most spectacular mountain ranges.
Tasmanian farmers form energy alliance
Tasmanian farmers have formed an agri-energy alliance to get a better power deal.
Island cat eradication plan to come at a cost [$]
Financial aid has been offered to cat owners on one Tasmanian island to help them contain their feline friends 24 hours a day when new bylaws are introduced.
Dry lightning has set Tasmania ablaze, and climate change makes it more likely to happen again
Nick Earl et al
Every year Tasmania is hit by thousands of lightning strikes, which harmlessly hit wet ground. But a huge swathe of the state is now burning as a result of “dry lightning” strikes.
Northern Territory
$126 million of government spending ‘fast tracked’ [$]
A $17 million upgrade to Litchfield National Park is one of five infrastructure projects which will be brought forward by the Territory Government in an attempt to stave off declining economic conditions
Italian energy giant snaps up solar farm [$]
Italian multinational oil and gas company ENI has entered the Australian Renewable Energy market with the purchase of Australia’s largest construction ready solar farm project near Katherine
Western Australia
Mystery surrounds more than 1,000 dead fish that washed ashore south of Perth
More than 1,000 dead fish wash up on a beach near Rockingham as authorities begin testing to determine the cause of the mysterious mass kill event, which claimed only one particular species.
These young Aboriginal men didn’t know asbestos would destroy their community
Thousands of people who lived and worked in Wittenoom have died from asbestos-related diseases, but the impact on the Pilbara’s Aboriginal people has been disproportionate.
ClearVue solar glass notches first commercial setting – a shopping centre atrium
Perth-based building-integrated PV company completes first commercial demonstration – a solar glass atrium at a suburban Perth shopping centre.
Sustainability
What’s plastic doing to our bodies? This all-female team is investigating.
To trace the path of plastic from the ocean to our bodies, an eXXpedition sailed 3,000 miles of garbage-filled seas.
PFAS and phthalate chemical exposure early in life may hamper kids’ lungs
Children exposed to three different chemical classes — parabens, phthalates and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)—before birth and shortly after had reduced lung function at 6 and 12 years old, according to a study released today.
The environmental cost of free returns
The world is addicted to free returns.
The climate cost of a sprawling city
Calgary’s 2011 climate plan failed.
10 cities are predicted to gain megacity status by 2030
The vast majority of the new megacities expected to break the 10 million mark between now and 2030 are located in developing regions. But London is also predicted to join the list.
Millions of tons of plastic waste could be turned into clean fuels, other products
A new chemical conversion process could transform the world’s polyolefin waste, a form of plastic, into useful products, such as clean fuels and other items.
Taxpayers should not fund Bill Gates’ nuclear albatross
Joe Romm
Nuclear power is so uneconomic even Bill Gates can’t make it work without billions from taxpayers.
How a bushfire can destroy a home
Douglas Brown
If you’re preparing to defend your home from fire, be aware of the vulnerable parts of your house.
Nature Conservation
We’re eating the world’s largest animals into extinction
Harvesting animals like gorillas and giraffes for bush meat is a bigger threat to the world’s megafauna than habitat destruction, according to research published today.
‘Twilight Zone’ could help preserve shallow water reefs
Corals lurking in deeper, darker waters could one day help to replenish shallow water reefs under threat from ocean warming and bleaching events, according to researchers. They examined corals from the ocean’s ‘twilight zone’ at depths below 30 meters.
Now for something completely different …
Morals versus money: How we make social decisions
Our actions are guided by moral values. However, monetary incentives can get in the way of our good intentions. Neuroeconomists at the University of Zurich have now investigated in which area of the brain conflicts between moral and material motives are resolved. Their findings reveal that our actions are more social when these deliberations are inhibited.
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