Post of the Day
New research examined the impact that bottom-up, community-level initiatives have in addressing environmental justice issues. They found that the best way to address a community’s environmental injustices is to meet them where they are, integrating into the community and building trust over a long-term partnership.
Today’s Celebration
Canary Islands Day – Spain
Harvest Festival – Malaysia
Father’s Day – Germany
Foster Care Day – Poland
Indian Arrival Day – Trinidad & Tobago
Lod Massacre Remembrance Day – Puerto Rico
Mother’s Day – Nicaragua
Croatian Parliament Day – Croatia
Take a Girl Child to Work Day – South Africa
Anguilla Day – Anguilla
Arbor Day – Honduras
Ascension Day – Christianity
Climate Change
Climate change has started to influence our language. Here’s how
Climate change isn’t just affecting our planet, it’s also shifting the language we use. There’s even a Bureau of Linguistic Reality dedicated to keeping track of the phenomenon.
Banking on Climate Change Report identifies biggest fossil fuel bankers
The publication identifies US banks collectively as the biggest source of funding for fossil fuel expansion since the Paris Agreement on climate change was adopted, accounting for 37% of all global fossil fuel financing.
Melting glaciers threaten Asia’s drought buffer, scientists warn
At least a third of the ice in the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush will thaw by 2100, even if governments take tough action to limit global warming.
Hurricane landfalls may grow more intense with climate change
Future hurricanes may become more intense as they track toward the East Coast.
Climate change and tornadoes – a succinct guide to what we know
What we know (and don’t know) about tornadoes and climate change.
Students can sway how their parents view climate change
Teens and tweens can sway their parents’ views about climate change if they talk about it, sharing what they learned in school, a new study finds.
New climate change poll highlights political differences
A new report from the Yale Program on Climate Communication offers new data on Americans’ beliefs and attitudes about climate change, with a particular emphasis on the influence of political views.
Geoengineer the planet? More scientists now say it must be an option
Human intervention with the climate system has long been viewed as an ill-advised and risky step to slow global warming. But with carbon emissions soaring, initiatives to study and develop geoengineering technologies are gaining traction as a potential last resort.
Using nature to adapt to climate change
Climate change poses major threats to people around the world. One important method for adapting to these changes may lie in the deployment of nature-based solutions in urban areas.
Colombia could lose 60% of land suitable for irrigated rice due to climate change
Without significant global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, Colombia will have 60% less land suitable for rice production by the 2050s.
New Path to Capturing and Upgrading Carbon Dioxide
Engineering researchers have developed a new electrochemical path to transform carbon dioxide into valuable products such as jet fuel or plastics.
Climate deniers are the hysterical alarmists
Emily Atkin
They, not climate scientists or activists, are stoking fear with exaggerated rhetoric and outright lies.
Robin Smit et al
Legislative action regarding vehicle emissions is overdue, and needs urgent attention by the federal government.
National
Taylor waves big stick again, but energy industry fears same old mistakes
Angus Taylor wields “big stick” again, but finds himself heading for a new round of climate policy wars, with industry and with Labor.
Making sense of lives from fish kill epicentre to mouth of River Murray
Locals at the heart of a devastating fish kill say politicians lack the vision or intent to overcome water management deficiencies, as the ABC visits towns from Goolwa to Menindee to find out who, if anyone, is in control of the Murray-Darling Basin.
Cooking with Indigenous foods and helpful hints like avoiding ‘rubbery’ kangaroo
It has never been easier to buy Indigenous foods at the supermarket, but do you know how to use them?
Cap vehicle emissions if you won’t price carbon, Chief Scientist tells government
Australia’s chief scientist Alan Finkel says the Morrison government should use vehicle emissions standards to help meet climate targets if it won’t introduce a price on carbon.
Australia fails to deal with ‘crux’ of energy problem [$]
Energy investors are voting with their feet to reduce their exposure to climate-change risk, regardless of policy uncertainty over Australia’s energy policy.
East coast gas producers in for another scolding from Rod Sims [$]
The latest findings from the ACCC on east coast gas prices look set to put pressure on Resources Minister Matthew Canavan to take further action on gas.
A slimy biosecurity threat too big for Australia to ignore
It is a giant snail with a voracious appetite and the threat it poses to Australian agriculture is too big to ignore.
Rubbish is a waste opportunity [$]
Recycling industry leaders have urged authorities to move quickly to develop Australia’s domestic industry.
Asia’s wake-up call on recycling [$]
New environmental demands in Asia are a turning point for Australia’s waste industry.
Canavan rebukes business on carbon [$]
Resources Minister attacks major oil, gas companies for supporting carbon price.
Freak mud flows threaten our water supplies, and climate change is raising the risk
Petter Nyman et al
Debris flows can disrupt a region’s drinking water supply for years.
The case for a Labor-Greens coalition [$]
Dan Hogan
A progressive alliance would be a much-needed boon for Labor.
Tim Winton
Award-winning author and Australian Marine Conservation Society patron Tim Winton reminds us all that despair is not an option when it comes to climate change.
Defiant Taylor says ‘accept our policies’ [$]
Jennifer Hewett
Angus Taylor has a simple response to calls for a national energy and climate change policy. He has one. Here it is.
Clear national energy plan does not need a ‘big stick’ [$]
Australian editorial
As occupants of an energy superpower — with abundant supplies of coal, gas and uranium, and immense potential in hydro, solar and wind — Australian consumers and producers should be able to access cheap and reliable power.
Lib win to burst corporate virtue-signallers’ bubble
Jeremy Sammut
“Messiah from the Shire” Scott Morrison’s electoral victory is a reminder to corporations not to alienate half their customer base with politics.
Victoria
Fears Caulfield to Rowville tram link on ice
Councils in Melbourne’s south-east fear that plans for a new tram line linking Caulfield train station and Monash University in Clayton have been put on the back burner, with the project receiving no money in the state budget.
Disability riding group faces closure over sand-dune riding ban by Parks Victoria
The Victorian Environment Minister has been asked to intervene over a Parks Victoria decision that is likely to sink a long-running business, taking a volunteer “riding for the disabled” group with it.
Fox cull call to stop ‘murder on the golf course’ [$]
Bloodcurdling screams can be heard coming from a Bayside golf course and animals are “squealing for their lives” as foxes wreak havoc, frustrated neighbours say. But authorities deny there is a problem.
New South Wales
International award for NSW climate preparations
A NSW Government program using cutting edge technology to guide Sydney solutions on climate change has won an international award in Germany.
It’s a noxious weed, but Instagram has made this grass a wedding hit
Biosecurity officers raid florists in the Byron Bay and Tweed regions of New South Wales to seize highly invasive pampas grass, a noxious weed that is banned from sale in parts of the state.
More safe havens for native plants and animals needed in New South Wales’ west
Location matters for species struggling to survive under a changing climate. A new study led by Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, has found we need to provide more safe havens for wildlife and plant species to survive under climate change in New South Wales’ west.
Politicians must stop playing their mine games [$]
Stephen Galilee
NSW is in a prime position to capitalise on this growing demand for traditional and new energy, CEO of the National Minerals Council, Stephen Galilee writes. There’s a strong future for our mining sector. Those politicians who pursue this are most likely to receive support from mining communities in the future.
ACT
Canberra named roadkill capital of Australia
If the amount of dead kangaroos besides ACT roads are any indication, it should come as no surprise that Canberra is the nation’s capital for animal collision.
Queensland
Queensland solar rule change declared “invalid” by Supreme Court
Solar farm investor-backed project developer score Supreme Court win over Queensland government’s controversial new solar rules.
Two new solar farms connect to the grid in Queensland
Adani’s Rugby Run finally joins grid after lengthy delay, as Haughton solar farm also starts production.
Queensland approves 250MW Aldoga solar farm near Gladstone
Queensland Government gives green-light to 250MW Aldoga solar project, set to create hundreds of jobs in the coal dominated Gladstone region.
Farmers accuse councils of ‘cash grab’ over Queensland land clearing
The farming industry is joining the property lobby in reacting angrily to a court ruling reinforcing councils’ powers over land clearing.
Experts perplexed as Gold Coast becomes humpback whale nursery
It used to be a pit stop on the humpback migration highway but marine experts say the Gold Coast is becoming a whale nursery, and no-one is sure exactly why.
Clock ticking for the black-throated finch: a plea before Adani D-Day
Bill Laurance
A conservation scientist pleads the case of the black-throated finch on the eve of a decision over the Adani coal venture and its effect on the endangered bird.
Strong economy won’t tip green scales [$]
Dean Jaensch
If Adani was blocked, India would simply have obtained its coal from another source. Blocking it would do nothing significant against climate change.
South Australia
KI sleeping pod plan dogged by delays [$]
The head of the company planning to build sleeping pods on Kangaroo Island wants to meet the environmental hurdles – but he says the approval process has been unnecessarily drawn out.
Oh crap: Raw sewage leaks into wetlands [$]
Raw sewage from a blocked SA Water pipe has leaked into the Warriparinga wetlands in Bedford Park.
Keep emotion out of parks’ development [$]
Advertiser editorial
The Australian Walking Company, which is the proponent of a $4 million eco-tourism development in Flinders Chase National Park, has a noteworthy record operating similar ventures interstate.
Tasmania
Employment records missing for employees in chemical exposure case
One of the issues associated with the historical chemical exposure case TasNetworks is now facing when dealing with former Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC) employees is access to information.
Greens reveal the budget priorities [$]
The Greens have released their alternative state budget, which would include more money for funding and tackling climate change. See who would win and who would lose.
Northern Territory
Conoco to install big battery to cut emissions at Darwin LNG facility
ConocoPhillips says 4MW battery will enable it to shut down one gas generator, and it is looking at renewables to further reduce fuel costs and emissions.
After switching to solar, this date farm is reaping the benefits
This NT farm picked twice as many dates as their previous season, and they’re putting much of it down to running their irrigation system on solar power.
Feral camels cause havoc on Central Australian cattle stations
Pastoralists west of Alice Springs haven’t seen this many camels on their station in years, and say their neighbours should be doing more to prevent a boom in the feral population.
Man goes into cardiac arrest on Uluru as impending climb ban draws tourists
A 64-year-old Australian man goes into cardiac arrest while climbing Uluru as tourists overwhelm local accommodation in a bid to tick a dangerous item off their bucket list before climbing the rock is banned in October.
Western Australia
Underground expressway plan for Orrong Road
A bold concept to cut down travel times on a 5km stretch between the city and Perth Airport would take commuters below ground.
Woodside now not so keen on paying to reduce emissions [$]
Myriam Robin
A few days ago, we remarked on the irony of Christine Forster spending weeks campaigning for her brother Tony Abbott’s re-election after her boss at Woodside, Peter Coleman, called for an end to the climate wars. But maybe we spoke too soon.
Sustainability
33m polluting cars still on EU roads after Dieselgate scandal
Analysis of EU commission figures found diesel cars clean up going at ‘snail’s pace’
Nuclear ‘blow to carbon target’ [$]
Nuclear energy had a key role to play in meeting global carbon dioxide emissions reduction targets, a new report has said.
The rich world’s electronic waste, dumped in Ghana
The burning and dismantling of old electronics make the city’s Agbogbloshie area noxious for the 80,000 people who live or work there.
A rose inspires smart way to collect and purify water
A new device for collecting and purifying water, developed at The University of Texas at Austin, was inspired by a rose and, while more engineered than enchanted, is a dramatic improvement on current methods. Each flower-like structure costs less than 2 cents and can produce more than half a gallon of water per hour per square meter.
New light shed on the harms of air pollution
A new study based on levels before, during and after the Beijing Olympics reveals how air pollution affects the human body at the level of metabolites. Researchers found that 69 metabolites changed significantly when air pollution changed.
Why is British Columbia home to more mining exploration companies than anywhere else on earth?
Most mining exploration companies have no producing assets or revenue streams, but generous B.C. tax breaks and other perks draw them in disproportionately high numbers.
Pesticides explained: The toxic chemicals in up to 70% of produce
Studies have linked long-term health issues, while regulators insist breaches of safe limits are rare.
Food delivery apps are drowning China in plastic
The noodles and barbecue arrive within 30 minutes. The containers they come in could be around for hundreds of years thereafter.
Cycling lanes reduce fatalities for all road users, study shows
Roads are safer for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists in cities with robust bike facilities
New research examined the impact that bottom-up, community-level initiatives have in addressing environmental justice issues. They found that the best way to address a community’s environmental injustices is to meet them where they are, integrating into the community and building trust over a long-term partnership.
Free-range food labels: Can my groceries really help the planet?
So many food labels proclaim their eco-virtues these days — organic. Pasture-raised. Cage-free. Non-GMO. What do they actually mean?
California must stop dumping toxic plastic waste abroad
Nick Lapis
The state accounts for around 30 percent of total U.S. plastic waste exports — 503,000 tons in 2017.
Nature Conservation
Two tonnes of fishing nets removed from Greek seabed
Greek and Dutch divers have removed two tonnes of discarded plastic fishing nets from the seabed in northern Greece, where they posed a risk to local marine life, including a rare colony of Mediterranean seahorse.
Climate crisis may be a factor in tufted puffins die-off, study says
Researchers believe 3,150 to 8,500 birds starved in Bering Sea due to loss of prey species
Cyprus begins lionfish cull to tackle threat to Mediterranean ecosystem
Voracious fish are bleeding into ocean ‘like a cut artery’, says top marine biologist
Domino effect of species extinctions also damages biodiversity
The mutual dependencies of many plant species and their pollinators mean that the negative effects of climate change are exacerbated. The total number of species threatened with extinction is therefore considerably higher than predicted in previous models, researchers show.
Light at night is harmful for amphibians, new research shows
Exposure to light at night has potential to make amphibians more susceptible to additional stressors
Thinning forests, prescribed fire before drought reduced tree loss
Thinning forests and conducting prescribed burns may help preserve trees in future droughts and bark beetle epidemics expected under climate change, suggests a new study.
High radiation levels found in giant clams near US nuclear dump in Marshall Islands
The discovery raises concerns the contamination is spreading from the dump site’s tainted groundwater into the ocean and the food chain.
Hundreds of puffins are starving to death because of climate change
Hundreds of dead seabirds have washed up on an Alaskan island – all apparently starved to death because the warming waters they forage from contain less food.
What conservation efforts can learn from indigenous communities
A major U.N.-backed report says that nature on indigenous peoples’ lands is degrading less quickly than in other areas.
A forest beset by oil palms, logging, now contends with a coal-trucking road
A biodiverse patch of forest in Sumatra threatened by encroaching oil palm plantations and illegal logging could soon be carved up by a road for coal trucks.
Who, or what, will stop the battle against biodiversity?
Andrew Nikiforuk
Environmentalism has failed to halt the relentless ‘furnace’ of humanity.
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