Post of the Day
There’s one ‘massively important’ thing you can do about climate change right now
Caring about the climate crisis can often feel like a lonely and helpless burden, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Simply talking about the issue with your friends and family can actually make a big difference, according to a new study.
Today’s Celebration
Feast of Out Lady of Mount Carmel in Chile
Gergetoba in Georgia
Manu’a Cession Day in American Samoa
Holocaust Remembrance Day in France
La Paz Day in Bolivia
Asalha Puja – Buddhism
Climate Change
Climate activists disrupt British cities with ‘summer uprising’
Environmental activists sought to sow chaos in five British cities on Monday in a bid to force the government to act to help avert what they cast as a climate cataclysm.
Decades of progress will be undone by climate change, UN warns
Climate change and increasing inequality are quickly reversing any progress made on the Sustainable Development Goals over the last decade, a new UN report warns.
How much water do snowpacks hold? A better way to answer the question
Researchers have developed a new computer model for calculating the water content of snowpacks, providing an important tool for water resource managers and avalanche forecasters as well as scientists.
Warming climate intensifes summer drought in parts of US
In regions with low soil moisture, higher temperatures create a ‘feedback loop’ that links the land and air, worsening droughts
Model development is crucial in understanding climate change
Preliminary evaluation suggests that FGOALS-f3-L can capture the basic patterns of atmospheric circulation and precipitation well, and these datasets could contribute to the benchmark of current model behaviors for the desired continuity of CMIP. Analysis of these datasets will also be helpful in understanding the sources of model biases and be of benefit to the development of climate forecast systems
Climate change anxiety is affecting Americans’ mental health
There’s no official clinical diagnosis, but the psychiatric and psychological communities have names for the phenomenon of worrying about the Earth’s fate: “climate distress,” “climate grief,” “climate anxiety” or “eco-anxiety”.
World hunger rises with climate shocks, conflict and economic slumps
An annual UN report shows an estimated 2 billion people now face moderate or severe food insecurity as the planet warms.
New study underscores link between climate change and wildfires
Research shows that warming temperatures are likely fueling more deadly and devastating fires.
Philanthropists make it rain for climate change
Heeding the call of grassroots campaigners, deep-pocketed U.S. philanthropists are throwing their weight behind groups they say are raising the profile and urgency of climate activism, launching a new Climate Emergency Fund.
There’s one ‘massively important’ thing you can do about climate change right now
Caring about the climate crisis can often feel like a lonely and helpless burden, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Simply talking about the issue with your friends and family can actually make a big difference, according to a new study.
German environment minister: No more ′soapbox speeches′ on climate protection
The Fridays for Future youth movement has piled on the pressure; in Germany, politicians are debating a carbon tax. DW spoke with Environment Minister Svenja Schulze about whether climate protection efforts are enough.
A zealot responds to climate change alarm
Jill Whitmore
‘We all need to open our minds to the fact that things must change.’
National
Nuclear lobby identifies preferred sites for 20 nukes in Australia
Nuclear proponents identify most likely sites in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and South Australia for up to 20 nukes they think should be built in Australia.
Wind energy sets new record output in Australia’s main grid
Wind output hit new record on Sunday night, average prices in South Australia fall into negative territory last Thursday.
Renewables prop up construction activity, as well as being threat to fossil fuel exports
Give and take – renewables deliver a crucial economic boost to Australia, supporting construction activity, while undermining exports of coal and gas.
Last summer’s heatwave made electricity price forecasts look foolish. Will it happen again?
15 hours of extremely hot weather added about $60/MWh to the average price for the entire March quarter last summer. Will it happen again this coming summer?
Fact Check: Are there really 54,000 people employed in thermal coal mining?
National Party Deputy Leader Bridget McKenzie says there are here 54,000 people employed in the thermal coal mining industry. Is she right?
Feral and pet cats killing ‘billions’ of native animals each year, research finds
New research finds each feral cat in Australia will kill 740 animals a year. Together with their domesticated cousins, cats are killing about three million animals a day.
Future Super dips toe into peer-to-peer lending for clean energy
Fossil-free superannuation fund Future Super will loan money to Australian borrowers so they can buy clean energy products through an investment deal with peer-to-peer lender RateSetter.
Gas exports surge amid shortage [$]
A 20pc surge in Australia’s LNG gas exports has put the nation on track to eclipse Qatar as the world’s biggest LNG producer.
Murray-Darling water story not cut and dried [$]
Michael Murray
Australian farmers are under siege — from a suffocating drought and sections of the media that are not providing the full story on complex agricultural issues.
Was the Government’s irrigation cash splash worth it? [$]
Sarah Ann Wheeler and Emma Carmody
Rather than hoping the issue will simply go away, the Government ought to be concerned about creating a water policy that is transparent, and that delivers environmental benefits for all Australians.
Victoria
Bureaucrats were still desperately hunting for the location of all rock climbing sites in the Grampians days after a ban.
‘Haven’t we learnt the lesson of O-Bikes?’ [$]
A plan to practically give away inner-city parking spots to commercial car share operators has been meet with some strong opposition. Councils argue car-sharing reduces overall vehicle numbers on our roads, but should they be taking up already scarce spots?
New South Wales
Byron Bay stripped of once-white sandy beach by erosion, lack of replenishing sand
A popular beach in Byron Bay has been washed away by the worst erosion in at least 30 years.
Value jobs, a quick commute and relief from urban heat? Avoid these parts of Sydney
In Sydney’s leafy north, just two per cent of residents are exposed to high urban heat. Head west and it’s a very different story, a new report shows.
Farmers call for water supply cut to SA during drought [$]
The NSW Irrigators’ Council said water security has become a huge concern for the 12,000 irrigation farmers in NSW who faced hardship because of the amount of water from the Murray and Murrumbidgee river systems being allocated to South Australia.
Thredbo visitors need to think about climate change
Annalisa Koeman
Many skiers who come to enjoy the mountain paradoxically lack environmental awareness or sensibility.
ACT
Asbestos test scheduled after National Capital Authority concedes it does not have accurate data
Buildings, parks and roads in the heart of Canberra will be surveyed for asbestos, after the National Capital Authority conceded it did not have accurate information on the presence of the potentially-dangerous material across its estate.
Queensland
Adani demands names of CSIRO scientists reviewing groundwater plans
Emails obtained under freedom of information reveal Adani demanded the names of all federal agency scientists reviewing its contentious groundwater plans so it could check if they were “anti-coal” activists.
Seven Brisbane CBD climate change protesters arrested
Seven climate change protesters have been arrested in Brisbane after blockades on Monday morning but the activist group still plans to disrupt traffic again within days.
Farmers scared to clear firebreaks [$]
Some Queensland farmers were too scared to clear protective firebreaks on their land.
The great gas market myth exposed [$]
In the face of political pressure and weak spot prices, Qld LNG exporters are pumping uncontracted gas back into domestic markets.
Edward Treloar
If the Adani Carmichael coal mine was a wind farm there would be 4.7 times more Aussie jobs.
South Australia
Terregra completes its first 5MW fully ‘merchant solar’ farm in South Australia
Indonesia’s Terregra Renewables completes its first solar farm in Australia, with another on the way, eyeing attractive merchant market for electricity.
SA’s Granite Island access should be limited to protect penguins, experts say
Experts are calling for the Granite Island nature reserve to be closed to the public at night to protect Little Penguins, which are bouncing back from the brink of extinction.
Dockless bike-share rides back into Adelaide
Unfazed by Adelaide’s previous failed foray into the bike-share market, dockless bike company Airbike is hoping a slow and steady approach will help it win over cyclists when it launches here in about two weeks.
Tasmania
Microplastics research has students picking through seagull vomit
A Launceston-based researcher has been teaching students about microplastics found in the ocean by using “boluses” collected locally.
Robbins Island wind farm a ‘new Franklin Dam’, says Bob Brown
Bob Brown has compared the proposed wind farm on Robbins Island to the controversial Franklin Dam he successfully campaigned against in the 1980s.
Graham Lloyd
Bob Brown’s alarm at a proposed wind farm may be a sign that reality is starting to bite.
Northern Territory
‘I’ll be chopping vineyards down’: Grape gripe blows up in NT over water deal
One of Australia’s biggest table grape companies is threatening to rip up vines and scrap its million-dollar plan to expand in the Northern Territory.
Today responds to Uluru backlash
Today host Deb Knight has addressed the backlash the show received after featuring Pauline Hanson in a debate on the closure of Uluru.
Western Australia
Pilbara green hydrogen project grows to 15GW wind and solar
The huge wind and solar project planned for the Pilbara region of West Australian has grown in scope again – and will now aim to build 15GW of wind and solar capacity as it focuses on encouraging local industry and the “green” hydrogen domestic and export market.
Seabirds at remote Australian islands use plastic rubbish for nests
Seabirds at the Abrolhos Islands off the coast of WA are using pieces of discarded plastic found in the ocean and on the shoreline to build their nests, prompting a call for further research into the impact on bird populations.
South Fremantle solar farm gets environmental approval
A proposal to develop a solar farm on the former South Fremantle tip site has cleared its last major regulatory hurdle after the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation signed off on plans to manage the site.
WA fracking ban to be lifted next month
A moratorium on fracking in certain parts of Western Australia will be lifted next month, a state government document shows.
Sustainability
Electric vehicles to drive mining [$]
A new report outlines the benefits of using electric vehicles in underground mining.
The village paying the price for the world’s addiction to new tech
Recycling your electronics might get old tech goods out of your home. But on the fringes of Bangkok, villagers say the western world’s e-waste is destroying their lives.
The rush to air conditioning in Europe pushed by urbanization and climate change
A new study published in Environmental Science and Policy shows that without adequate and focused policies, many households will rely on air conditioners to adapt to climate change, thus generating even more greenhouse gas emissions.
More farmers, more problems: How smallholder agriculture is threatening the western Amazon
Small-scale farmers are posing serious threats to biodiversity in northeastern Peru — and the problem will likely only get worse.
Wildfires disrupt important pollination processes by moths and increase extinction risks
Researchers have shown for the first time the detrimental effect of wildfires on moths and the ecological benefits they provide by transporting pollen, making interacting plant and insect communities more vulnerable to local extinctions.
Meet the six-legged superfoods: Grasshoppers top insect antioxidant-rich list
For the first time, a study has measured antioxidant levels in commercially available edible insects.
Nature Conservation
Impacts of selective logging on Congo’s intact forest landscapes
A new study says that the tropical forests of Western Equatorial Africa (WEA) — which include significant stands of Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) — are increasingly coming under pressure from logging, poaching, and associated disturbances.
Invasive parrots have varying impacts on European biodiversity, citizens and economy
A pan-European team of researchers, conservationists, wildlife managers and policy-makers worked together as part of an EU COST Action: ParrotNet, to conclude that measures to prevent parrots from invading new areas are paramount for limiting future harm.
Climate change will cause massive movement of wildlife, study says
A new study describes the future mass redistribution of plants and animals on Earth due to climate change.
“A friend is gone:” Handpicking hardy corals to save them from warming waters
When Steve Palumbi and a group of scientists arrived in American Samoa in 2017, they saw a grim scene. Acropora hyacinthus, a charismatic coral shaped like large plates, was dying out.
′The biggest problem is greed′ says conservationist Jane Goodall
A tireless advocate for conservation and one of the world’s most prominent primatologists, Jane Goodall travels 300 days a year, explaining why it’s important to protect our environment and wildlife.
Global warming isn’t the only threat to coral reefs, according to scientists, who say nitrogen from sources like improperly treated sewage is also causing bleaching.
Better river basins network to protect biodiversity in Spain
The European eel (Anguilla anguilla), the freshwater blenny (Salaria fluviatilis), the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera auricularia) and the pronged clubtail (Gomphus graslini) are some of the vulnerable species that are not represented enough in the biodiversity catalogue of the Natural River Basins (RNF) in Spain.
World’s island conifers threatened with extinction from climate change
By estimating climate conditions in which conifer species could thrive if they needed to, a new study identifies which species are at extinction risk due to climate change.
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