Post of the Day
Will native species be winners or losers after the election?
Many voters have environmental issues on their minds, so what do each of the parties plan to do about the loss of biodiversity through invasive species and land clearing?
Today’s Celebration
Red Hill holiday – Russia
SPLA Day – South Sudan
Vyshyvanka Day – Ukraine
Mass Graves Day – Iraq
International Day of Living Together in Peace
Climate Change
Neighbours discuss ‘global catastrophe’ — and some blame Australia
Pacific leaders deliver stern warnings about the lethal threat climate change poses to their nations during historic climate change summit, with Australia the uncomfortable, silent elephant in the room.
Global CO2 emissions surpass record 415ppm, just as Exxon predicted in 1982
Global carbon dixoide emissions have surpassed 415ppm – in line with Exxon Mobil’s catastrophic climate change forecasts which they then buried.
These are the cities doing the most to combat global warming
Cities, which are home to more than half the world’s population, are stepping up efforts to slash pollution, often wresting the fight against climate change away from national governments.
Unprecedented weakening of Asian summer monsoon
Models implicate sulfate aerosol emissions as the culprit behind widespread drought cycles
Can artificial intelligence in the energy sector help solve the climate crisis?
Artificial intelligence conjures fears of job loss and privacy concerns — not to mention sci-fi dystopias. But machine learning can also help us save energy and make renewables better.
National
Next government urged to focus on climate
A group of more than 60 scientists and experts have penned an open letter to the next Australian government, calling for immediate action on climate change.
Jane Goodall calls for greater action on climate change ahead of federal election
World-renowned primatologist Jane Goodall weighs in to Australia’s federal election campaign, calling on the nation and its leaders to take greater action on climate change.
Will native species be winners or losers after the election?
Many voters have environmental issues on their minds, so what do each of the parties plan to do about the loss of biodiversity through invasive species and land clearing?
Election scorecard shows Labor ahead of liberal/nationals in support for forest industries
An analysis by the Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA), of forest industry related policy commitments has revealed that the ALP leads the Coalition as the campaign enters the last days.
Aussie businesses take renewable energy to the next level
A customer-owned bank has become the first Australian bank to switch to 100 per cent renewable electricity amid a growing push for clean energy in the business sector.
Why Australia’s biodiversity is in trouble – video explainer
The UN global assessment report painted a stark picture: the decline of our natural support systems means that human society is in danger.
Hundreds copped illegal Origin power bill late fees over seven years
Origin Energy has been ordered to reimburse hundreds of customers incorrectly charged late payment fees over seven years.
Two party system dying: Father Rod Bower
Independent Father Rod Bower says Australia’s major parties are in decline because they’re too slow to react to immediate problems like climate change.
Water drought becomes money drought for many country towns
As the water dries up in drought-affected Australia, so does the money that keeps many country towns afloat.
Climate Change Election: where do parties stand and what can we expect after Saturday?
Six years ago, following the election of the Abbott Government, the renewable energy industry, and prospects for climate change were cast into a pretty dark period. Strong climate policies were unwound, and investment in new clean energy projects came to a standstill.
Schools teach climate truth [$]
Ian Plimer
Bill Shorten might have missed the lesson that explained essential carbon dioxide.
Where does your workplace get its electricity?
David Ritter
We have to massively accelerate the speed of our transition to clean energy to help save civilization. It is in the interests of your organisation to commit.
Take a lump of silicon to Parliament: 20,000 times better than coal
Rory McGuire
The realities of the energy market are changing fast, so Scott Morrison might consider brandishing silicon rather than coal in Parliament next time.
Stark climate policies on offer at this election but will voters bite?
Peter Hannam
If our politicians are supposed to be driven by polls and focus groups, why is that climate change isn’t a policy that attracts bi-partisan or even tri-partisan support?
How the big solar boom saw major PV projects eat their own market
Giles Parkinson
How Australia’s solar projects have cannibalised their own market by grouping together and causing congestion in the local grid.
The UK has a national climate change act – why don’t we?
Anna Skarbek et al
It’s time Australian politicians were guided by national climate change legislation.
A ‘Council for the Future’ could break Australia’s climate paralysis
Helen Camakaris
A Council for the Future should be independent of government.
Robert Gottliebsen
Bill Shorten should learn from mistakes that have turned nations against renewable energy.
Children’s future becoming a heated topic [$]
Peter Combe
The idea that there might not be a healthy planet for children to inherit is unthinkable, writes children’s entertainer Peter Combe. That’s why it’s on us to elect those who will act on climate change.
Financial Review backs Morrison
AFR View
The party might have unity, but Bill Shorten’s agenda threatens a high-taxing, high-spending caricature of a Labor government.
Victoria
Show us the money: Extension to Melbourne Metro 2 overlooked
The much-anticipated extension to the $11 billion Metro Tunnel is not mentioned by either the Coalition or Labor in their slew of multibillion-dollar transport promises.
Walk this way: plan to shut off Elizabeth Street traffic on two city blocks
Two city blocks along Elizabeth Street would be closed to cars under a plan to transform one of the last eyesores in Melbourne’s CBD into a more pedestrian friendly gateway to the city.
Scientists edge closer to stable, cheap green hydrogen production
Monash University team says it makes “critical” progress on the path to industrial production of green hydrogen fuel by water electrolysis.
Australian bus builder Volgren to produce its first all-electric vehicle
Australian bus body manufacturer Volgren has commenced production of its first ever electric bus, as part of what the company hopes is a larger transition to zero-emissions transport.
Council calls for formal review of Murray Darling Basin Plan
Greater Shepparton media release
As a direct result of the Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District has already experienced the loss of at least 1,000 jobs and a loss of productivity of over $550 million per year, hence the continuation of the Plan and ignoring the socio-economic impacts will continue to place viability of communities and industry at risk.
New South Wales
Koala survey provides vital data to help save koalas
More than 90% of people in the Northern Rivers are happy to live among koalas and want to see them protected, a major community survey has found.
Webster spends $8m on bees to reduce the sting of almond production
Almond-producer Webster Limited was last year stung by the $340,000 cost of hiring hundreds of thousands of bees to pollinate its almond trees.
‘The culture needs to change’: Stokes targets high-rise development
Planning Minister Rob Stokes is seeking to end “spot rezoning”, but denies the need for wholesale changes to NSW’s planning laws.
Let me cast light on high-rise debate before Sydney submits to shadows
Clover Moore
The Lord Mayor argues the approval of tower at Cockle Bay will not only rob Town Hall Square of sunlight but set a dangerous precedent for the city.
ACT
Light rail delays boost ACT’s return to surplus
Delays to light rail have proven an unexpected windfall for the ACT budget, bringing the territory’s finances closer to its projected surplus sooner.
Queensland
Most Australians want Adani mine stopped, Vote Compass shows
The largest-ever survey on the proposed Adani coal mine reveals a majority of people think the multi-billion-dollar project should be scrapped but also shows a reverse NIMBY effect — the closer you get, the greater the support.
Olive Downs mine may impact koala habitat the size of Sydney Harbour
A new Queensland coal mine, about the same size as Adani’s controversial project, did not draw opposition from environmentalists during the approval process, despite the possibility an expansive koala habitat the size of Sydney Harbour may be cleared.
‘We’ve got a problem’: Sims questions laws after rail go-ahead in Queensland
Australians will pay more for groceries and other products and the nation’s takeovers regime needs to be reconsidered, competition tsar Rod Sims has warned.
Emergency water assistance readied for ‘tomato town’
The Berejiklian government is preparing to truck water to a town facing the prospect of running out of water.
Electricians reject Queensland solar rule: Adds “nothing but red tape”
Electricians body says new rules on solar installations are no good. “Our members didn’t do 4-year electrical apprenticeship (to) lift heavy solar panels.”
Models, maps, and citizen scientists working to save the Great Barrier Reef
As global warming drives more events that impact coral reefs, managing the Great Barrier Reef’s resilience demands comprehensive and detailed mapping of the reef bed.
Stable coal royalty rates to deliver $5B to Queensland from new mine
QRC media release
The Palaszczuk Government would secure an extra $5 billion in coal royalties for all Queenslanders, from the Olive Downs mine near Moranbah in central Queensland it approved today, if it maintained royalty rates at current levels.
Madeleine De Gabriele et al
It’s a 50km long patch in the middle of Queensland that’s causing a lot of trouble, but many people couldn’t even point it out on a map. Queensland Government – Coordinated Projects Map
South Australia
Greens push for Bight protection
The Greens have proposed a plan to save the Great Australian Bight from oil exploration.
SA irrigators to get more water
The South Australian government says irrigators along the River Murray will now get initial allocations of 22 per cent of their entitlements.
Unions rail against privatisation as Libs leave doors open
Privatising the state’s rail fleet could usher in higher fares, service cuts and government subsidies, the sector’s union claims, as Premier Steven Marshall today confirmed “all options” were on the table.
Sundrop Farms sells solar tower powered greenhouse business
Adelaide-based sustainable agriculture trailblazer sells solar thermal arid-zone greenhouse business to NZ-based infrastructure group Morrison & Co.
Labor to help councils combat climate change [$]
Federal Labor has pledged $62 million in grants for SA councils to combat coastal erosion ahead of an announcement on climate change.
Why our power bills are about to rise [$]
Increased power prices have been approved by the regulator but the reasons behind it are surprising.
Find new site for seaport, KI council says [$]
A Kangaroo Island timber company should abandon current plans and find another location for a seaport, the local council says.
Toxic groundwater found in Adelaide’s west [$]
Residents in some western suburbs have been warned not to use bore water after cancer causing chemicals discovered.
Tasmania
Labor commitment to fund Southern Tasmania Regional Forest Industry Hub welcomed
The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) and Forest Industries Association of Tasmania (FIAT) welcome Federal Labor’s commitment to fund a Regional Forest Industry Hub in Southern Tasmania with $1 million.
Greens peddle city cycleway plan [$]
The Tasmanian Greens have announced a multi-million-dollar plan to build a network of urban cycleways.
Drunken mob attacks protest camp [$]
A man has allegedly been threatened with assault and verbally abused in what has been described as a “frightening attack” at a protest camp in the Tarkine.
Northern Territory
‘Monstrous’: Indigenous rangers’ struggle against the plastic ruining Arnhem Land beaches
The Gulf of Carpentaria is being inundated with some of the highest densities of rubbish in the world
Parties vow to cut emissions while supporting NT fracking. Is that possible?
The environment and energy have emerged as two of the biggest issues ahead of Saturday’s federal election. While that has seen the spotlight shone on Adani’s proposed Carmichael Coal Mine, another sector evolving in the Northern Territory has flown quietly under the public’s radar.
Western Australia
Shorten makes pitch to big miners in Perth
Labor leader Bill Shorten is promising big business he can deliver “win-win” results for workers and bosses as he outlines his approach to industrial relations.
Lives, homes under threat from bushfire east of Perth
Lives and homes are under threat from a bushfire in the shires of Mundaring and Northam, with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services this afternoon issuing an emergency warning for the area.
Water deficiency declared on WA’s south coast amid animal welfare concerns
The Western Australia State Government will now supply water to affected farms where, in some cases, record-low rainfall has persisted, and damaging floods in early 2017 were the last significant rainfall event.
Ignorant travellers pose billion-dollar risk to WA economy, quarantine officers say
Quarantine officials are warning that inexperienced travellers are putting WA’s $8 billion agriculture industry at risk with tonnes of produce seized at borders.
Alistair Paterson et al
The Enderby Island ship image depicting His Majesty’s Cutter Mermaid, which visited the Dampier Archipelago in 1818. Courtesy: Murujuga Dynamics of the Dreaming ARC Project
Sustainability
Cooking ‘may turn homes into toxic boxes of air pollution’
Fry-ups and woodburners can cause high levels of particle pollution, campaigners warn
EU clean water laws under attack from industry lobbyists
Mining, farming and hydropower sectors aim to weaken key directives
Non-electric vehicle sales may have peaked globally, says new research
A global research house says sales of petrol and diesel cars have passed their peak and by 2040 more than 60 per cent of new cars sales will be electric vehicles, boosting Labor’s election pledge to turbocharge Australia’s uptake.
Stop new coal plants by 2020 and taxpayer subsidies for fossil fuels, UN chief says
“Taxpayer money should not be used to boost hurricanes, spread drought and heatwaves, melt glaciers, and bleach corals,” Antonio Guterres says.
Electrode’s ‘hot edges’ convert CO2 gas into fuels and chemicals
A team of scientists has created a bowl-shaped electrode with ‘hot edges’ which can efficiently convert CO2 from gas into carbon based fuels and chemicals, helping combat the climate change threat posed by atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Energy-free superfast computing invented by scientists using light pulses
The invention uses magnets to record computer data which consume virtually zero energy, solving the dilemma of how to create faster data processing speeds without high energy costs.
Coal’s end foreshadowed in IEA’s Plant Investment Report
More generators were closed last year than approved, for possibly the first time since the 19th century.
Mexico City declares environment emergency as fires hurt air quality
Mexico authorities declared an environmental emergency on Tuesday for metropolitan Mexico City, one of the world’s most populous megalopolises, as smoke from nearby wildfires pushed pollution to levels deemed potentially harmful to human health.
Clutching to fossil fuels, and losing, in the era of climate change
Trump administration’s “drill baby drill” agenda has been effectively thwarted by states and environmental advocates.
New material could unlock potential for hydrogen powered vehicle revolution
An international team of researchers has discovered a new material made from manganese hydride that would be used to make molecular sieves within fuel tanks – which store the hydrogen and work alongside fuel cells in a hydrogen powered ‘system’. The material would enable the design of tanks that are far smaller, cheaper, more convenient and energy dense than existing hydrogen fuel technologies, and significantly out-perform battery-powered vehicles.
From making it to managing it, plastic is a major contributor to climate change
Plastic is polluting oceans, freshwater lakes and rivers, food and us — but it’s also a major contributor to global climate change, warns a new report.
Washable, wearable battery-like devices could be woven directly into clothes
Washable, wearable ‘batteries’: based on cheap, safe and environmentally-friendly inks and woven directly into fabrics, have been developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge.
Why ‘waste not, want not’ is flavour of the month
Eleanor Steafel
With the amount of food currently being thrown away in households and food outlets every year, the need for the rest of us to tackle our food waste has never been so important.
Tooth fairy study reveals children near lead smelters are exposed to dangerous lead in the womb
Jill Johnston
The Truth Fairy project provides further evidence that environmental injustice can be transmitted from mother to child via lead pollution.
Nature Conservation
Heavy metals and harmful chemicals ‘poison Europe’s seas’
Three-quarters of areas tested show contamination, European Environment Agency says
Amount of carbon stored in forests reduced as climate warms
Accelerated tree growth caused by a warming climate does not necessarily translate into enhanced carbon storage, an international study suggests.
Can sound protect eagles from wind turbine collisions?
Every year, bald and golden eagles are killed when they inadvertently fly into wind turbine blades. One possible way to prevent these deaths is to chase the birds away with acoustic signals.
The heat is on: Amazon tree loss could bring 1.45 degree C local rise
Business-as-usual Brazilian deforestation could result in loss of 606,000 square kilometers of forest by 2050, triggering local temperature rise of up to 1.45 degrees Celsius: study.
Mapping microbial symbioses in forests
Data collected from over 1 million forest plots reveals patterns of where plant roots form symbiotic relationships with fungi and bacteria.
UN biodiversity report evokes grief. Can it inspire action, too?
Last week’s report of 1 million species at risk is the latest in a stream of bleak environmental reports.
Species facing climate change could find help in odd place: Urban environments
Using just 15% of urban space for favorable habitat can help species reach more complete, suitable habitats more quickly
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