Post of the Day
Australia cuts nature protections: study
Australia is among a cohort of nations slashing the legal protection of nature reserves for business interests, a study global published on Friday reveals.
Today’s Celebration
Armed Forces Day – Brunei
Dia de Castilla la Mancha – Spain
Quds Day – Iran
Remembrance Day of the Victims of Political Repressions and Famine – Kazakhstan
Climate Change
Humans and volcanoes caused nearly all of global heating in past 140 years
New study confirms natural cycles play little role in global temperature trends and tackles discrepancies in previous models
Half of America now looks like Tornado Alley
Tornadoes have been popping up every day in the U.S. as if coming off an assembly line. They’re part of an explosion of extreme weather events, including record flooding, record cold and record heat.
Climate change is intensifying food shocks
From rain-soaked fields in the Corn Belt to drowned livestock, food shocks—abrupt disruptions to food production—are becoming more common as a result of extreme weather.
Biden received a D- grade, ranking only above John Hickenlooper, Bill Weld and President Donald Trump.
British billionaire attacks governments for failing to tackle climate change or end poverty
‘Why invest in dying products like fossil fuels when advances in clean energy, green subsidies and better regulation could effectively leave coal, oil and gas assets effectively stranded,’ says Karam Hinduja.
Oil giant Exxon has fought off climate change moves by the Church of England.
More democracy — A second chance for climate politics
Hope was high when the Paris Climate Agreement was adopted 2015. Countries pledged to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius. Five years later it is sobering: global emissions of carbon dioxide and other climate-relevant gases continue to rise. In Science, Mark Lawrence and Stefan Schäfer of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) argue that the centralized approach to addressing global warming has failed and only greater democratic engagement can reanimate global climate politics.
National
Australia cuts nature protections: study
Australia is among a cohort of nations slashing the legal protection of nature reserves for business interests, a study global published on Friday reveals.
Dry, warm winter ahead for Australia: BOM
Australians are facing a drier and warmer than average winter, with much hoped for rain unlikely to fall in eastern and central parts of the country.
Water Minister wastes no time to deliver on water trade inquiry
The newly sworn-in Water Minister David Littleproud is to order ACCC inquiry into water trading in southern basin.
The new material that could change how Australian homes are built
It’s termite and moisture-free and is better for the environment than concrete. The only catch? It’s expensive, but researchers are aiming to change that.
Business hits back at Canavan on carbon price [$]
The Coalition may have won the recent federal election but the issue of a carbon price won’t go away.
‘Lower prices and we’ll get out’: government tells energy companies [$]
Energy Minister Angus Taylor said the government had little desire to intervene in the energy sector.
Air-conditioning giant set to grow with climate change [$]
An increasingly warmer climate is underpinning demand for Deakin’s air-conditioning products, and in regions where incomes are also rising.
AEMO pushes solar register as rooftop installations head to 56GW
AEMO sets out guidelines for solar register as it tries to capture detail of solar installations, which are heading to 56GW and will be biggest energy source in country.
More Australian drivers looking to hybrid vehicles, young looking to ride-share
Roy Morgan suggests drivers increasingly want to buy hybrid cars, but overall sales will fall as people look to electric and car-sharing options.
Wind energy sets new records as strong investment and windy weather combine
Blustery conditions lead to record wind output in Australia’s main grid on Tuesday, as the Tesla big battery also plays heavily in the arbitrage market.
CEFC notches up 2GW of wind farms, with finance of 227MW Collector project
Ratch-Australia’s 227MW Collector Wind Farm set for construction after reaching financial close this week, and getting finance for its merchant model from CEFC.
Galilee Basin “carbon bomb” about to explode as coal and gas developers rush in
Rush of new fossil fuel projects, egged on by the Coalition Government, is likely to push global emissions higher while ACCC warns gas producers on prices.
Off the grid: AEMC paves way for stand alone systems to replace poles and wires
In a landmark development, Australia’s principal energy rule-maker has paved the way for network operators to sever the network ties to remote customers, and deliver stand-alone power systems based around solar and batteries that will deliver big savings to all consumers.
The Morrison government may consider tapping its emergency powers to limit gas exports
Australian Climate Roundtable renews its commitment to successful action on climate change
The Australian Climate Roundtable has met to reaffirm its commitment to foster common ground on the vital issue of climate change and energy transition.
Matt Canavan should stop wagging his finger at those who want climate action
Katharine Murphy
The climate crisis might be an inconvenience for the resources minister but the election result hasn’t changed basic facts
Why Australian solar projects offer lower returns to investors than US
Michael Mazengarb
ASX listed scale solar fund says solar projects in the US are more attractive than those in Australia because competition is hitting profit margins for investors.
Graham Richardson
Protecting the environment is worthy but not at the expense of food producers’ lives.
Simon Benson
Previous opposition to “big stick” energy laws presents Labor with a political quandary.
Move to electric cars in Morrison’s best interest [$]
Professor Peter Newman
Prior to the federal election, the Australian Labor Party produced a policy that included a target for half of all new car sales to be electric by 2030 — not a ban, just a target.
The environmental aftermath of Australia’s Federal Election
Sue Arnold
In the wake of the Federal Election, not much seems to have changed with the Government’s stance on climate change.
Victoria
Power bill savings for Victorian homes
More than 130,000 Victorian households will soon be automatically switched to a default energy pricing deal, with savings of up to $450 forecast.
Mirvac taps Melbourne start-up for shared solar at new apartments
ASX-listed property developer inks deal with Allume Energy to use its solar sharing technology at new apartment complex – and potentially across all multi-occupant buildings.
Default energy offer unveiled [$]
Critics warn the average Victorian will be worse off under the Andrews government’s default energy offer.
New South Wales
New huts to save Sydney’s penguin population
A colony of Little Penguins on a tiny island near Sydney is given new concrete homes after a bushfire destroyed their habitat last year — its hoped the “primo real estate” will help the birds mate.
100% sign-up by councils for energy savings program
All 18 NSW councils invited by Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) to join a ground-breaking program to help communities save energy and cut power bills have signed up.
Water restrictions are starting. Tap into what it means for you
From June 1, water restrictions will be in place across Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra. Here’s what you need to know as well as some ideas for how you can save more water at home.
$3b plan for four new dams to beat drought
Construction of nearly $3 billion worth of dams in the state’s most drought-ravaged regions would be fast-tracked under a new push from NSW’s peak farming body.
ACT
Golden sun moth habitat to be cleared in City Hill transformation
Plans to transform land around City Hill with more than 1000 homes will have to clear an extra hurdle, with the federal government to scrutinise the clearing of a critically endangered species’ habitat.
Canberra’s month of free public transport comes to an end this weekend
A month after the light rail opened to the public, free trips on Canberra’s public transport network will come to an end this Sunday.
Queensland
D-day for Adani’s black-throated finch plan
Adani will learn today if the Queensland government will finally approve its plan to protect a rare bird that lives on the site of its proposed coal mine.
‘Adani has provided all the necessary information’
The company was cautiously optimistic on Thursday it would receive approval for its black-throated finch management plan.
South of Bundaberg – multiple bushfires
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) crews are on scene at multiple bushfires burning south of Bundaberg along Goodwood Road, near Elliot River.
Hydrogen energy, the Queensland government’s bet for ‘thousands of jobs’
The Labor government is spruiking the promise of hydrogen energy as it continues to reinforce its ties to regional Queensland.
Why was botched gas deal such a stinker? [$]
Steven Wardill
After the State Government botched an LNG royalties agreement, it shouldn’t be Treasury investigating itself.
If the Adani mine gets built, it will be thanks to politicians, on two continents
Quentin Beresford
Re-elected Indian prime minister Narendra Modi might have helped the Adani mine in the Galilee Basin to get over the line.
South Australia
SA Health to promote more green spaces in Adelaide
South Australians are being encouraged to contemplate the importance of having daily access to public and private green spaces, and express their views through an online survey.
Tailem Bend solar farm officially opens, now for second stage and battery
Tailem Bend solar farm formally opened as developer eyes the next stage for project expansion and large-scale battery storage in South Australia
New solar farm plan for Highbury tip [$]
Two years after the original plan fell over, there is a new push for a solar farm at a long-abandoned tip in Highbury.
Tasmania
Image of seal caught in plastic bag captured at Lulworth
A disturbing photo showing a fur seal caught in a black plastic bag has been taken at Lulworth in the state’s north.
Wilderness plan to list development sites [$]
The authors of a tourism master plan for Tasmania’s protected wilderness will go a step further than required by UNESCO and identify new opportunities for development.
Sustainability
India becomes lowest-cost producer of solar power
Further, the costs of setting up solar PV projects were found to have dropped at the fastest pace – 80 per cent – in India between 2010 and 2018.
Adani Green to raise $500 million from offshore investors
The company completed global road shows last week in US, European and Asian countries to raise money for growth and refinancing
Hydrogen-powered flying vehicle touted as California traffic tonic
Developers of a multi-rotor hovercraft, billed as the first flying vehicle to be powered by hydrogen fuel cells, unveiled a full-scale model in southern California. But the craft never left the ground.
New way to protect against high-dose radiation damage discovered
Intensive radiotherapy can be toxic in 60 percent of patients with tumors located in the gastrointestinal cavity. Increases in levels of the protein URI protect mice against high-dose ionizing radiation-induced gastrointestinal syndrome and enhance mouse intestinal regeneration and survival in 100 percent of the cases.
A rose inspires smart way to collect and purify water
A new device for collecting and purifying water 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.
Chemical blends as possible alternative refrigerants identified
More than a dozen chemical blends could serve as alternative refrigerants that won’t heat the atmosphere as much as today’s refrigerants do, or catch fire, according to a new computational study.
Pollution: the race to clean up the shipping industry
New rules aim to reduce sulphur emissions from one of the world’s most polluting sectors but higher fuel prices are likely.
Swapping water for CO2 could make fracking greener and more effective
Scientists have demonstrated that CO2 may make a better hydraulic fracturing (fracking) fluid than water. New research could help pave the way for a more eco-friendly form of fracking that would double as a mechanism for storing captured atmospheric CO2.
Safe or scary? The shifting reputation of glyphosate, AKA Roundup
The world’s most widely used weed killer was once seen as one of the safest pesticides. Now it is blamed for causing cancer. Yet the scientific evidence remains disputed.
Exposure to airborne metal pollution associated with increased risk of early mortality
A recent study uses samples of wild moss to estimate individual human exposure to atmospheric metals.
Russia may be conducting low-level nuclear tests, US official says
The head of the US Defence Intelligence Agency says Russia’s nuclear activities would help improve weapons capabilities and says the country’s actions have “strained” key pillars of a network of international arms control agreements.
How we could clock up one billion electric flying taxi flights by 2030
There could be more than 1 billion flights in electric air taxis by 2030, in an industry predicted to be worth more than $2 trillion.
Scientists design organic cathode for high performance batteries
Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory have designed a new, organic cathode material for lithium batteries. With sulfur at its core, the material is more energy-dense, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly than traditional cathode materials in lithium batteries.
The Anthropocene epoch: have we entered a new phase of planetary history?
Nicola Davison
Human activity has transformed the Earth – but scientists are divided about whether this is really a turning point in geological history.
Major infrastructure projects are killing us [$]
Georgina Kenyon
Deaths related to air pollution number in the thousands, and industry and big engineering projects are major contributors to our poor air quality.
Nature Conservation
Over half a million corals destroyed by port of Miami dredging, study finds
A team of researchers including scientists at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, published new findings that reveal significant damage to Miami’s coral reefs from the 16-month dredging operation at the Port of Miami that began in 2013. The study found that sediment buried between half to 90% of nearby reefs, resulting in widespread coral death.
Rage against the dying of the planet
Saving the planet can seem like a hopeless endeavour, but it’s more important now than ever before to find the resolve to keep fighting.
Restoring forests in Mali: Tree stumps could be the solution to disappearing woodlands
As people fell trees to get wood for cooking, Mali’s trees are disappearing at rapid speed. A reforestation expert who has been dubbed ‘the forest maker’ is working with farmers to restore the country’s woodlands.
Your drug habit is destroying the planet
The illegal drug trade comes with a significant environmental cost, but it doesn’t have to.
Now for something completely different …
Fishing among worst jobs for health
People working in the fishing industry have among the poorest health of all workers in England and Wales, new research suggests.
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