Post of the Day
When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez met Greta Thunberg: ‘Hope is contagious’
One is America’s youngest-ever congresswoman, the other a Swedish schoolgirl. Two of the most powerful voices on the climate speak for the first time
Today’s Celebration
Naadam Festival – Mongolia
Independence Day – Kiribati
Independence Day – São Tomé and Príncipe
Hijab and Chastity Day – Iran
The Twelfth – Northern Ireland
Climate Change
Dramatic warming projected in world’s major cities by 2050
More than three-quarters of the world’s cities will experience a ‘striking change’ in climate conditions, according to a new study.
When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez met Greta Thunberg: ‘Hope is contagious’
One is America’s youngest-ever congresswoman, the other a Swedish schoolgirl. Two of the most powerful voices on the climate speak for the first time
Arctic ice loss is worrying, but the giant stirring in the South could be even worse
Nerilie Abram et al
A record start to summer ice melt in Greenland this year has drawn attention to the northern ice sheet. We will have to wait to see if 2019 continues to break ice-melt records, but in the rapidly warming Arctic the long-term trends of ice loss are clear. But what about at the other icy end of the planet?
National
Climate agency wants input on emissions
The Climate Change Authority is calling for public input to update its policy advice to the Morrison government on how to achieve its emissions reduction goals.
Budget relying on overestimated population growth figures, leading expert says
The man who briefed state premiers and the Prime Minister about population planning believes the Government’s own Budget figures overestimate population growth.
Gas reservation could bring down household electricity prices by $270, argues report
A new report estimates Australians could save up to $270 a year on their electricity bills, if the Federal Government introduced policy to reserve gas for the domestic market.
Fact check: How many people are employed in thermal coal mining?
Deputy Leader of the Nationals Bridge McKenzie said there are 54,000 people employed in the thermal coal industry, but is the number that high? RMIT ABC Fact Check investigates.
Barnaby Joyce predicts most of us will starve to death in an ice age
Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce says warmer weather is better than dying in an ice age.
Renewables short of target [$]
Less than 1 per cent of electricity was generated by solar power last year as renewable energy generation fell short.
Morrison government experts say Australia must ‘do more’ on climate
The Morrison government’s climate change advisers say Australia and others must do a better job of cutting emissions for the world to meet the Paris goals, and more ambitious policies are needed to put the nation “firmly” on the path to a zero-carbon economy.
Going green gets competitive for Australia’s office buildings
A new competition has workers, companies and building managers across the country battling it out to see who can most improve their green credentials.
Energy policy gridlock won’t go away by ignoring the states
The AFR View
Tensions that have been bubbling away behind closed doors ever since the collapse of the National Energy Guarantee have now been uncorked.
We create 20m tons of construction industry waste each year. Here’s how to stop it going to landfill
Salman Shooshtarian and Malik Khalfan
The Australian construction industry has grown significantly in the past two decades. Population growth has led to the need for extensive property development, better public transport and improved infrastructure. This means there has been a substantial increase in waste produced by construction and demolition.
Unconventional violations of human rights by the gas industry
Shay Dougall
A recent tribunal has determined that the unconventional gas industry is violating human, social and economic rights.
Greed of big business leaves everyone else high and dry [$]
Sarah Hanson-Young
The Murray River crisis isn’t farmers versus the environment: It is big business versus everyone else – local farmers, communities and the environment.
UK and EU carbon neutrality will challenge Australian climate policy
David Shearman
Australia is still behind in reaching carbon neutrality targets (Screenshot via YouTube)
While the EU makes every effort to reach carbon emission reductions to save the planet, Australia still needs to catch up.
How could Australia develop nukes? [$]
Amber Schultz
Author Hugh White and Chernobyl-mania have put nuclear weapons are back in the spotlight. Could nukes really be in our future?
Victoria
Going solar for our environment
Cardinia Council’s My Place youth centre in Pakenham has had an environmental boost with solar electric systems to help reduce future energy costs and the impact on the environment.
Our response to statewide recycling crisis
City of Greater Geelong media release
The following comments can be attributed to Director City Services Guy Wilson-Browne:
The City received notification yesterday that EPA Victoria has issued SKM Laverton with a notice to stop receiving recyclables until they have reached compliance once again.
New South Wales
Living Cities Driving better outcomes from planning system
Some of the world’s most prominent planners and designers recently came together at the annual Living Cities forum in Sydney to talk about planning and beyond.
Gladys Berejiklian urged to rule out logging in Murray Valley national park
Labor says deputy premier John Barilaro’s plan is outrageous while the Greens label it ‘criminal’
Dear oh deer – Bambi’s the bullseye as it’s game over called on feral pest
Tracey Fairhurst
Anyone who has watched the 1942 animated Disney classic Bambi will attest that if you aren’t left emotionally tormented as the end credits roll, you do not have a heart.
Green signals just red ruse [$]
Maurice Newman
With its ‘climate emergency’, City of Sydney Council signs up to global wealth redistribution plot.
ACT
Clean-energy Canberra aged home gets $60m
A Canberra office block will be turned into an energy efficient retirement village with the help of a $60 million investment from the government’s green bank.
Update your recycling habits and “Recycle Right”
Residents of Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council are being encouraged to Recycle Right and update their recycling habits.
Queensland
Protesters plan more disruptions for Brisbane commuters next week
Organisers of this morning’s climate protests that caused peak hour delays in Brisbane say they are planning to block more traffic from Monday to Friday next week.
Qld coal reaches new export heights
Queensland’s resources sector continues to underpin the economy and regional jobs after coal exports set a new State record with 21.43 million tonnes of metallurgical and thermal coal exported in June said the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).
Could a class action be brought for presumptive damages to the Great Barrier Reef?
With an increase in litigation funding in Australia and royal commissions abound, it is pertinent to ponder whether a proactive class action can be brought for social justice matters such as environmental toxic torts.
Police warn against vigilante reprisals during Brisbane blockade next week
After being met with a chorus of car horns, the activists plan to hold traffic up again every weekday next week.
Study finds nearly half of shared e-scooters being ridden illegally
An observational study of electric scooter riding in central Brisbane has found nearly half of shared e-scooters were being ridden illegally.
Coral cover on the northern Barrier Reef shows signs of recovery but the outlook overall is mixed, says a new survey.
Power of gold to help run energy [$]
An abandoned northern Queensland gold mine will be converted into a pumped hydro-electric storage centre.
Northern Australia Infrastructure has approved a $610m loan for a Queensland solar and hydro power plant.
Fake clouds, shade cloth in $444m save the reef plan
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation is set to release its outline of how it plans to spend $444 million of Federal Government cash to save Queensland’s iconic natural wonder – and its solutions may be as controversial as the funding it received.
Great Barrier Reef’s resilience [$]
Australian editorial
Australians expect this national treasure to be protected.
These protesters are just spoilt brats wasting our time [$]
Peter Gleeson
Anti-Adani protesters are deluded. Someone tell them the war is over — the mine is approved. Wake up, get a job and stop wasting the time of people who actually contribute to our society.
Great Barrier Reef’s death ‘fake news’: tourism veteran [$]
Brett Claxton
You will be pleasantly surprised about how alive the Great Barrier Reef really is, and its abundance of beautiful healthy corals, and massive schools of brightly coloured fish.
South Australia
SA may look to cull ‘pest’ species
A South Australian parliamentary committee has recommended urgent action to cut the number of overabundant animals, including kangaroos and koalas.
Lower Lakes galah deaths blamed on insecticide but source remains unclear [$]
The mass death of galahs and other birds in the Lower Lakes region late last year is attributed to the “inappropriate disposal” of an insecticide but a vet suggests its misuse could have been deliberate.
Banning straws? It sucks, says Dr Rob [$]
Plastic straws are useful in so many chidren’s science projects, says The Curiosity Show’s Professor Rob Morrison. He wants a ban exemption for educational outlets.
National park plan in limbo following land transfer delay
The 200ha piece of land at the heart of plans for a new national park is yet to be handed over to the State Government, a year after Adelaide University agreed to pass over the site.
New director for public transport authority
The South Australian Public Transport Authority (SAPTA) has appointed Rita McPhail as Director of Customer Service and Transformation.
AGL to delay gas unit closures ahead of summer [$]
AGL Energy is set to delay the closure of two gas power turbines in South Australia as the electricity generating industry plans to avoid supply shortages next summer.
Northern Territory
Tourists flock to climb Uluru before it closes, ignoring wishes of traditional owners
Uluru has been inundated with tourists hoping to climb the World-Heritage listed site before a climbing ban comes into effect on 26 October.
‘Blatant ignorance’ as dog-owners ignore protected birdlife signage on Top End beach
An ornithologist is embarrassed after taking world-recognised researchers to count shorebirds near Darwin’s Lee Point only to find dog owners disrupting the annual migration.
Western Australia
Indigenous tour operators eye gap in WA market as cultural awareness demand grows
Eighty-two per cent of tourists to WA want an Aboriginal cultural experience when they visit, but only 26 per cent get what they want.
One of the nation’s most congested roads ‘forgotten’ as Perth races to fix traffic woes
Governments are spending billions on “congestion-busting” projects in and around Perth, with 29 projects underway across the city. But where is the money actually making a difference to commuters’ lives?
New light on WA uranium mine approval sparks call to put environment before economics
New light shed on the “clandestine” approval of a uranium mine in Western Australia’s outback has sparked calls to beef up the country’s environmental laws, amid concerns the minister responsible prioritised the economy over the environment.
Plan needed to avoid WA ‘infrastructure chaos’
Infrastructure WA chairman-designate John Langoulant said the new group needed to gauge public and private sector infrastructure needs.
Native title body focus of inquiry [$]
A troubled Pilbara native title group will be the subject of an inquiry ordered by federal regulators.
Sustainability
Electric cars could form battery hubs to store renewable energy
By 2050, National Grid predicts, 35m electric cars will supply energy when needed
Design and repair must work together to undo our legacy of waste
Tom Lee
Apple’s industrial design has played a fundamental role in transforming computers from machines for tinkerers into desirable objects of self-actualisation.
Nature Conservation
Scientists discover a fish called Wakanda
The new fish species has been named after the fictional nation from Black Panther. (AAP)
A new species of fish, confirmed by an expert at Sydney University, has been named after a mythical nation from the Black Panther movie.
Improve contraception access to tackle wildlife crisis, urges campaign
Groups say expanding access to contraception can improve lives and help save wildlife
It’s time we stopped treating soil like dirt – video
Soil is pretty remarkable stuff. It provides 95% of our food, helps regulate the Earth’s atmosphere and is a bigger carbon sink than all the world’s forests combined. In fact, it basically enables all life on this planet to exist. So why do we treat it like dirt?
In the remote Cambodian jungles, we made sure rare Siamese crocodiles would have enough food
Paul McInerney
Fewer than 1,000 Siamese crocodiles exist, but can captive crocs survive again in the wild?
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