Post of the Day
Few pathways to an acceptable climate future without immediate action, according to study
A new comprehensive study of climate change has painted over 5 million pictures of humanity’s potential future, and few foretell an Earth that has not severely warmed. But with immediate action and some luck, there are pathways to a tolerable climate future, according to a research team led by Tufts University.
Today’s Celebration
Arbor Day – China, Taiwan
Girl Scout Day – United States of America
Independence Day – Mauritius
Crown Princess’ Nameday – Sweden
Moshoeshoe’s Day – Lesotho
Renovation Day – Gabon
Tree Day – North Macedonia
Youth Day – Zambia
World Day Against Cyber Censorship
National Ground Water Awareness Week
Climate Change
Radical proposal to artificially cool Earth’s climate could be safe, new study claims
Experts worry that injecting sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere could come with major uncertainties
Climate change will increase violent turbulence on airline flights
Scientists believe climate change will cause much more violent turbulence of the sort that broke the leg of a Turkish Airlines flight attendant this weekend and sent 28 passengers to the hospital.
Study shows climate change impacts wind energy industry
Most extreme weather conditions, the world over, are attributed to climate change.
‘Consumers must act’: Jane Goodall’s plea to avoid a ‘bleak’ future
The renowned naturalist says the increase in youth activity – such the global climate movement started by Swedish student Greta Thunberg – is a source of hope.
Messages of stewardship affect Christians’ attitudes about climate change
Christians’ attitudes toward the environment and climate change are shaped by whether they hold a view of humans as having stewardship of the Earth or dominion over the planet, and reading material from religious sources advocating a stewardship interpretation can increase their concern for environmental issues, a new study found.
Few pathways to an acceptable climate future without immediate action, according to study
A new comprehensive study of climate change has painted over 5 million pictures of humanity’s potential future, and few foretell an Earth that has not severely warmed. But with immediate action and some luck, there are pathways to a tolerable climate future, according to a research team led by Tufts University.
National
Clear energy policy again eludes coalition
With Australians due to go to the polls in about two months, coalition MPs are yet to publicly agree on an energy policy and how to spend taxpayer money.
Energy shares sell-off sparks ASX dive
Australian shares have moved lower, with the energy sector leading losses.
New coal-fire power ‘hypothetical’ says PM
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says a new coal-fired power plant is “hypothetical”, as the Queensland state government wouldn’t approve of such a project.
Australia’s young climate activists to strike again – and people are listening
Students around the world have been holding protests over climate change in recent months, and they’re happening again in Australia this week.
‘We’ve been forced into this’: Australia’s school climate strikes to go global
In November, Scott Morrison told the striking students to ‘go to school’ – this time even more of them will strike
Why the ‘Very Fast Train’ is a dream that may never be realised
Former CSIRO chief Paul Wild was inspired to push for faster train travel after visiting Japan.
Authorities can do nothing about pro-coal ads linked to Glencore campaign
Australian Electoral Commission unable to take further action as Facebook page carried an authorisation
Liberals attack Queensland Nationals’ push for coal-fired power stations
Trent Zimmerman, Tim Wilson and Trevor Evans say Scott Morrison correct to dismiss Nationals’ calls
‘Lonely minority whistling Dixie’: Liberals ridicule Nationals over coal power
Liberal MPs have spoken out en masse to ridicule their Nationals colleagues over a push for a government-backed coal power station in Queensland, blasting the idea as unworkable and economically illiterate.
Shorten rules out phase out coal-fired power [$]
Bill Shorten says a future Labor government will not phase out coal-fired power but that the market will gradually shift to renewables as they become cheaper.
Big power companies snub government underwriting for new coal plants
The largest power companies in Australia have said they will not use the government’s power subsidy scheme to build more coal-fired power stations.
Coal or renewables: Which is cheaper?
As you unplug your iPhone and turn on your kettle each morning, the complexities of Australia’s energy market probably aren’t high on your mind.
Plunging sales suggests end is nigh for fossil fuel cars in Australia
Electric vehicles may already be killing demand for petrol and diesel cars in Australia – and they haven’t even arrived yet.
Modelling suggests Snowy 2.0 will lift prices, defend coal, kill batteries
Giles Parkinson
The detailed modelling underpinning the investment in the massive Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro scheme confirms the worst fears of many in the industry: it will likely cause wholesale prices to rise in the medium to long term, it will sustain the business models of coal generators, and it will put a huge dent in the battery storage industry.
Serious questions arise about Glencore’s cap on coal output
John Iser
Mining giant Glencore has announced a cap on its coal output, but news of a hidden pro-coal agenda is alarming.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez can teach Bill Shorten a thing or two about climate change policy
Amanda Tattersall
One of the reasons the Democrats and Labor need to act on climate is to build trust with millennials
Striking schoolkids should wear storm of criticism as a badge of honour
John Birmingham
I hope a lot of school kids join this global children’s strike on Friday and I hope they’re mocked and traduced by their elders in politics and the media, because those elders aren’t really their betters on this issue.
I feel duty bound to support striking students
Craig Challen
There are some lessons that cannot be learnt in school.
Students used as pawns by AEU [$]
Kevin Donnelly
The climate strike typifies a push by the cultural Left to indoctrinate our young.
Coalition fires up new power, old battles [$]
Jennifer Hewett
The Coalition is showing no sign of withdrawing from its fatal addiction – using the energy wars to conduct a range of internal and individual political battles, particularly over leadership.
How Australia’s energy became a populist plaything [$]
Matthew Warren
Talking up building new coal-fired power stations has nothing to do with the reliability of the electricity system or power prices.
We have power but little will [$]
Telegraph editorial
By the end of this year, Saudi Arabia will no longer be the world’s biggest energy exporter. According to research firm Rystad Energy, the US will take over as the planet’s power king.
National plan eases growth pains [$]
Australian editorial
Voters support a well-managed, orderly immigration intake.
Victoria
Construction begins on Mortlake South wind farm, transmission lines to be buried
Construction begins on Acciona’s 157.5MW Mortlake South wind farm, including Victoria’s first underground transmission line, in response to community concerns.
Timber uncertainty as government weighs options [$]
The Andrews Government is still considering buying out small native timber mills that approached it last year seeking a lifeline. Here’s how the Leadbeater’s possum could sway the decision.
Upgrades to send Victorian trains off track on nine lines [$]
Transport bosses are warning passengers to prepare for disruptions in nine Victorian train lines over the next three weeks as workers prepare for a major construction blitz.
End in sight for recycling being sent to landfill [$]
Councils are hoping they will no longer have to send recyclable waste to landfill, as one of Melbourne’s major recyclers aims to resume operations.
New South Wales
Sydney shrouded in smoke, hazard reduction burns to blame
The Harbour City’s iconic skyline is barely visible amid a plume of smoke, as the NSW Rural Fire Service warns Sydneysiders to expect more of the same in the coming months.
Climate change top of voters’ minds in NSW election
Most voters will consider climate change and environmental protection when deciding how to vote.
The radical plan to cut congestion on Sydney’s roads
Sydney needs a radical overhaul of how motorists are charged for using roads, with a leading transport economist proposing a 5¢ per kilometre charge on all roads during peak hours.
NSW Greens unveil $4 billion nature plan
The NSW Greens have released an ambitious $4 billion plan to protect national parks and end native forest logging if they were to come to power on March 23.
State of the drought: Dams are empty and NSW is drowning in dust
As a federal election and what should be the southern wet season approach, attention is returning to the drought. So where are we at?
Murray Darling tests courage of hardiest country folk [$]
The basic elements of an inland NSW drought are straightforward enough. First the rain stops and then, very gradually, so does everything else. This is where we stand with the Darling River now.
Voters back population cap [$]
More than one in two NSW voters want the state’s population to stay at current levels, according to an exclusive Newspoll.
Western Sydney growth: Time for a population plan [$]
Jennifer Westacott
Around one in every 25 Australians call Western Sydney home, and the region’s popularity as an enviable place to live and do business shows no signs of waning. It’s imperative then that Australia’s governments implement a comprehensive population plan.
WestConnex: A Minute to Midnight
Julie Macken
The two major parties in NSW are more or less in lock-step on one of the nation’s largest and most controversial infrastructure projects, writes Julie Macken*. That doesn’t leave voters a lot of choice.
ACT
Pedestrian safety around light rail a balance: transport experts
One expert has recommended speed limits for the new light rail be lowered to 40km/h to make it safer for pedestrians.
Federal Labor promises $200 million for Canberra’s light rail
Federal Labor would contribute $200 million to the second stage of Canberra’s light rail project if elected, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has promised.
Queensland
Threat of sediment runoff to Great Barrier Reef worse than thought
Research has found sediment runoff is not just a threat to the Great Barrier Reef by itself but also stops coral recovering from other threats like bleaching
Powerful union claims goalposts keep shifting for the Adani mine
A CFMMEU boss says the goalposts keep being moved when projects in the Galilee Basin near the “try line”.
‘Prepare to leave’: Bushfire could worsen [$]
Residents in a community near Bundaberg have been told to gather their belongings and prepare to leave their homes as a bushfire burns in a nearby national park.
South Australia
Great Australian Bight oil drilling proposal ‘making waves in Norway’
A Norwegian MP calls for a state-owned Norwegian oil and gas company not to start drilling in the Great Australian Bight, while a scientist says noise from the project could hurt marine life.
‘You don’t pay for bills’: A look inside the first ‘Earthship’ in Australia
The house is totally self-sufficient and not connected to electrical, gas, sewerage or water mains. No energy is required to heat or cool the building.
Free parking flagged under CBD shake-up [$]
City visitors would enjoy free parking, while outdoor-dining fees would be scrapped for some eateries, under Adelaide City Council’s “new vision” for the CBD and North Adelaide.
Nimbies surfing over the facts [$]
Fred Pawle
Drilling opponents and Equinor executives agree that it pays to keep our oceans clean.
On Kangaroo Island and elsewhere, beware the lure of the luxury ecotourist
Freya Higgins-Desbiolles
Each new luxury ecotourism development becomes a precedent to allow future incursions.
Tasmania
Walls of Jerusalem upgrades planned
Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service is proposing a number of upgrades to a national park in the Meander Valley.
Exeter bushfire spreads to 17 hectares, no immediate threat to property
Nine fire crews remain on the scene of a 17 hectare bushfire at Long Plains Road, Exeter.
Northern Territory
The summer bushfires you didn’t hear about, and the invasive species fuelling them
Christine Schlesinger and Barry Judd
In January 2019, fires burned across a 100-kilometre length of the iconic Tjoritja National Park in the West MacDonnell Ranges, from Ormiston Gorge nearly to the edge of Alice Springs.
Western Australia
WA Labor lashes PM for lack of regional road funding
The comments reveal a less productive federal-state relationship on infrastructure under the Morrison regime than with the previous Turnbull government.
Sustainability
Pathogens hitchhiking on plastics ‘could carry cholera from India to US’
Research finds ‘nurdles’ washed up on Scottish beaches tainted with E coli, with potentially far-reaching health implications
Lab-grown meat and ancient grains – what will be on the menu in 2050?
What will we be eating in 2050? And will there be enough to go around? These are the questions experts are already chewing on as our population grows and resources dwindle.
When green ‘fixes’ actually increase the carbon footprint
When tech companies move into a city, they often encourage a sustainability mindset. However, new research from the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Georgia, Southwestern University, and Portland State, shows that they can also lead to gentrification and emissions that stay the same or increase.
A tale of two cities: Is air pollution improving in Paris and London?
For the first time, a joint air pollution study across two mega-cities — London and Paris — measures the impact of policies designed to reduce air pollution from urban traffic over the last 12 years.
Novel technology aims to improve lithium metal battery life, safety
Rechargeable lithium metal batteries with increased energy density, performance, and safety may be possible with a newly-developed, solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI), according to Penn State researchers.
How online neighborhood reviews could aid urban planning
Every day, people share a dizzying amount of information about local communities online. They talk about whether their neighbors are friendly, how well the buses run, what kinds of restaurants are in an area, and much, much more. A new study shows how we can sort through this vast trove of digital data to improve cities and people’s quality of life.
Thousands of UK deaths linked to toxic fumes from ships
The toxic gases have been linked to cancer, heart disease and asthma.
Complaint Filed Against Bauxite Mining Company in Guinea
Last week, 13 rural communities in Guinea made public a complaint against the World Bank’s private lending arm over a loan to one of country’s largest bauxite miners, alleging its operations have destroyed ancestral farm lands and polluted vital water sources.
Algeria’s Bouteflika abandons re-election bid after weeks of protest
Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika abandoned his bid for a fifth term in power on Monday, bowing to weeks of mass demonstrations against his 20-year rule by people demanding a new era of politics in a country dominated by an old guard.
Black and Hispanic Americans are exposed to a lot of air pollution from white consumption: Study
Black and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately exposed to fine particle air pollution from goods and services consumed mostly by white people, according to a new study.
Japan′s Tepco fights for return to nuclear power after Fukushima
Eight years after the accident in Fukushima, preparations are underway to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant operated by Tepco. But residents fear a second disaster.
Nuclear energy can help us stop climate change
Hans Blix
We are facing a climate crisis that nuclear power can help avert
Should we rethink nuclear power?
Haley Zaremba
Despite high-profile nuclear disasters like Chernobyl , Fukushima, and Three Mile Island, the deaths related to nuclear meltdowns are actually very few.
Hydrogen fuels rockets, but what about power for daily life? We’re getting closer
Zhenguo Huang
Ever watched a space shuttle launch? The fuel used to thrust these huge structures away from Earth’s gravitational pull is hydrogen. Hydrogen could also be used as a household energy source.
Nature Conservation
Human growth robs other species of space
As human growth adds to our numbers and demands, other species’ survival chances shrink. Scientists can now name 1,700 creatures at ever greater risk.
Climate change forces Arctic animals to shift feeding habits: study
Seals and whales in the Arctic are shifting their feeding patterns as climate change alters their habitats, and the way they do so may determine whether they survive, a new study has found.
Honey bees can help monitor pollution in cities
Honey from urban bees can tell us how clean a city is and help pinpoint the sources of environmental pollutants such as lead, new research has found.
People are essential to conserving pollinators
A global study has concluded that people are essential to conserving the pollinators that maintain and protect biodiversity, agriculture and habitat.
How to take a census of Earth’s biodiversity? One team of researchers has a plan
How do you monitor the number and location of Earth’s plants and animals at any given time? It’s a daunting, planet-sized problem, but an international team of researchers has published a proposal for how to do just that.
Fatal horizon, driven by acidification, closes in on marine organisms in Southern Ocean
Marine microorganisms in the Southern Ocean may find themselves in a deadly vise grip by century’s end as ocean acidification creates a shallower horizon for life.
Common beetle’s gut microbiome benefits forests, holds promise for bioenergy
New research shows how an insect common to the Eastern U.S., the long-horned passalid beetle, has a hardy digestive tract with microbes to thank for turning its woody diet into energy, food for its young, and nutrients for forest growth. These insights into how the beetle and its distinct microbiome have co-evolved provide a roadmap for the production of affordable, nature-derived fuels and bioproducts.
European Commission gives boost to Vietnamese timber launderers
A treaty signed by the European Commission legitimized a Vietnamese government agency that facilitated the theft of roughly half a billion dollars of endangered species.
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