Post of the Day
Most other countries are planning new cities. Why isn’t Australia?
In the face of increasingly unsustainable urban environments, do we retrofit existing cities, or relocate and build new cities to achieve greater sustainability?
Today’s Celebration
Cinco de Mayo – United States of America
Constitution Day – Kyrgyzstan
Coronation Day – Thailand
Indian Heritage Day – Guyana
Children’s Day – South Korea
Children’s Day – Japan
Patriots’ Victory Day – Ethiopia
Prague Uprising 1945 – Czech Republic
Senior Citizen’s Day – Palau
Liberation Day – Netherlands
Arbor Day – Dominican Republic
Liberation Day – Denmark
Martyrs’ Day – Albania
Battle of Puebla – Mexico
International Day of the Portuguese Language and Culture
Climate Change
Climate extremes explain 18%-43% of global crop yield variations
Climate extremes, such as drought, heatwaves, heavy precipitation and more are responsible for 18%-43% of variation in crop yields for maize, spring wheat, rice and soybeans. according to a new paper published in Environmental Research Letters. The researchers have also identified global regions which are highly susceptible to extremes and also supply a high proportion of the world market. Climate change is likely to make these areas more vulnerable in the future with consequent impacts on world markets.
How could a changing climate affect human fertility?
Human adaptation to climate change may include changes in fertility, according to a new study by an international group of researchers. They found that, through its economic effects, climate change could have a substantial impact on fertility, as people decide how much time and money they devote to child-rearing, and whether to use those resources to have more children or invest more in the future of each child.
National
Greens urge climate emergency declaration
The Greens will push the Australian parliament to declare a “climate emergency” after the federal election, party leader Richard Di Natale says.
Bill Shorten pledges to establish national environment protection authority
Leader has been under pressure to make an election commitment to an overhaul flagged at Labor conference
Whither the Greens? How a reckoning looms for a party fighting to hang on
In an election focused on climate change, the Greens should be surging. But pressure is building inside the beleaguered party
Most other countries are planning new cities. Why isn’t Australia?
In the face of increasingly unsustainable urban environments, do we retrofit existing cities, or relocate and build new cities to achieve greater sustainability?
Major parties accused of neglecting a ‘broken’ Landcare funding system
The Landcare movement has the ability to unite farmers and environmentalists, but it hasn’t received much attention in an election campaign infatuated with climate change.
Labor’s EPA and new nature laws pledge welcome, more detail and investment needed
ACF media release
Labor’s announcement is a positive start towards fixing our broken environment laws and restoring our national environment budget, but more investment is needed to truly restore our natural world.
‘I want my childhood back’: young climate activist’s letter to Australia
Bella Burgemeister
Our demands aren’t radical, they’re the very least that need to be done. They will take effort, but aren’t our futures worth it?
Victoria
Wildlife shelters inundated, as drought pushes native animals into harm’s way
Wildlife carers in Victoria say more native animals are being injured or killed as prolonged dry weather drives them to seek food and water closer to urban areas.
Three new mediative spaces ready to offer precious green respite
Tucked in quiet nooks of the popular Fern Gully, the Royal Botanic Garden’s Wellbeing Garden is all about offering interesting spaces for rejuvenation.
Liberal Party media release
Bill Shorten has today guaranteed that the East West Link would not be built under a state and federal Labor partnership.
New South Wales
Half of Sydneysiders ignorant of drought
Sydney residents have been asked to conserve water as dam levels continue to fall.
Sydney residents have been asked to conserve water as dam levels continue to fall.
Close to two-thirds of Sydneysiders are unaware of the city’s current drought conditions, according to Sydney Water.
‘Critical habitats’: New minister targets NSW national park expansion
Matt Kean, NSW’s new energy and environment minister, has kicked off his new role by inspecting the impact of feral horses on the Kosciusko National Park and promising to expand the national park estate where possible.
Public Spaces Minister plans to buy Sydney’s ‘forgotten land’ for open space
The state’s first Public Spaces Minister plans to create half a billion dollars of public value from his $150 million budget to increase open space in Sydney.
Sydney metro line expected to open week after election
The $7 billion metro train line in the north-west will be the city’s first fully automated and privately operated suburban train service.
‘Five decisions before lunch’: environment gets another bite at the PIE
NSW will have an ‘environment’ department once more after the word was added to the name of the mega-agency, Planning, Industry and Environment.
Dark clouds threatened rain as schoolkids gathered outside the Sydney electorate offices of both Labor and Liberal politicians on Friday, but it didn’t dampen their message on climate change.
ACT
Wellbeing should be about more than money and houses, Barr says
If Australia has lately been in the grip of New Zealand envy, the Kiwis themselves are deep in a period of wellbeing fervour
South Australia
Reef restoration project hits new milestone
A massive reef restoration project in Southern Australia has reached a new milestone.
Tasmania
Go-ahead for golf club to cull native animals sparks outrage
The decision to allow a Tasmanian golf club to cull native animals in the area because of faeces on the greens sparks outrage from wildlife carers and locals.
Northern Territory
NT government failures allowed environmentally damaging mining to continue ‘unchecked’
Northern Territory government failures allowed substandard iron ore mining operations to continue unchecked and unsecured, causing environmental harm near the town of Pine Creek, a judge has found after three years of deliberation.
Sustainability
Industry-ready process makes plastics chemical from plant sugars
A team from the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and the University of Wisconsin-Madison describe an efficient and economically feasible process for producing HMF, a versatile plant-derived chemical considered crucial for building a renewable economy.
Novel thermoelectric nanoantenna design for use in solar energy harvesting
In an article published in the SPIE Journal of Nanophotonics (JNP), researchers from a collaboration of three labs in Mexico demonstrate an innovative nanodevice for harvesting solar energy. The paper, ‘Thermoelectric efficiency optimization of nanoantennas for solar energy harvesting,’ reports that evolutive dipole nanoantennas (EDNs) generate a thermoelectric voltage three times larger than the classic dipole nanoantenna (CDN).
What happens when schools go solar?
Rooftop solar projects at schools could reduce harmful air pollution, help the environment and enhance student learning while cutting electricity costs, a new study finds. Overall, the energy switch could deliver benefits valued at $4 billion.
Researchers make organic solar cells immune to the ravages of water, air and light
Researchers at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering have devised a way of making organic solar panels robust by performing the molecular equivalent of hair removal by waxing: they used adhesive tape to strip the electron-accepting molecules from the topmost surface of the photoactive layer of the cell.
Nature Conservation
‘You can make a difference’: Jane Goodall passes baton onto next generation
In her newly dedicated Taronga Institute of Science and Learning, surrounded by passionate young people, Dr Goodall told them why their conservation efforts matter.
Study demonstrates seagrass’ strong potential for curbing erosion
An MIT study shows how seagrass can help to protect shorelines against erosion and help to mitigate damage from rising sea level, potentially providing useful guidance for seagrass restoration efforts.
Localized efforts to save coral reefs won’t be enough, study suggests
A National Science Foundation study of factors that cause corals stress suggests that localized attempts to curb pollution on reefs won’t save them without a worldwide effort to reduce global warming.
Tapping fresh water under the ocean has consequences
While offshore groundwater resources could be used for drinking, agriculture and oil recovery, new research suggests tapping into them could lead to adverse impacts onshore.
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