Post of the Day
How melting plastic waste could heat homes
Breakthrough means less pollution and lower greenhouse gas emissions
Today’s Celebration
National Day – Belgium
Galla Bayramy – Turkmenistan
Liberation Day – Guam
Racial Harmony Day – Singapore
Children’s Day – Panama
Children’s Day – Cuba and Venezuela
Climate Change
USF geoscientists discover mechanisms controlling Greenland ice sheet collapse
New radar technology allowed USF geoscientists to look at Greenland’s dynamic ice-ocean interface that drives sea level rise.
National
Greens seek ‘climate emergency’ this year
The Australian Greens are focusing on climate change and the need to transition to renewable energy at its annual conference in Adelaide.
‘Best chance’: Scientists, advocates divided over Murray-Darling future
Debate over the viability of the $13 billion Murray Darling Basin Plan will likely intensify in coming months as the region’s drought deepens.
Victoria
Illegal waste buried under Vic property
Illegal waste has been found buried on a property in regional Victoria, understood to be owned by a man linked to other waste sites.
The tiny Victorian town that’s powering all of Melbourne’s trams
More than 300,000 panels will power Melbourne’s entire tram network from a massive solar farm sitting on 500 hectares of land near a sleepy community in the north of the state.
Fish are chilling out on our drugs [$]
A cocktail of discarded human drugs is having an unexpected effect on our waterways — with crabs now “too chill” to be scared of predators and fish becoming “feminised” from hormones.
Troubled Melbourne recycler to close, boss blames witch hunt [$]
The boss at the centre of Victoria’s waste crisis will shut down plants this week, saying he’s the victim of a government witch hunt. Up to 600 jobs will be affected and 30 councils across the state rely on their facilities for recycling.
Solar scheme ‘killing us with kindness’ [$]
Householders are rushing to secure government cash handouts for solar panels. But installers say it’s killing the industry.
Melbourne wildlife park leads fight to save endangered parrot [$]
It can fly at speeds of up to 90 kmh and travels further than any other bird in the world during migration — but this special parrot is on the brink of extinction. Here’s how a Pearcedale sanctuary is answering the call for help.
New South Wales
Brave or naive? Conservative Wagga surprises with climate emergency declaration
Fifteen years ago, no one would have thought the city would embrace Mardi Gras and same-sex marriage. Now, the climate debate is amping up
Toxic secret kept from owners of Erskineville units
Owners barred from moving into their apartments for more than a year were blindsided yesterday by revelations toxic contamination was to blame after being told it was an ‘‘unforeseen planning issue’’.
Queensland
Major land clearing about to begin at Adani mine site, opponents say
Major land-clearing operations at the site of Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal mine will begin from this Monday, according to information leaked to groups opposed to the controversial project.
Tasmania
Council address concern after ‘isolated’ waste water disposal incident
A new practise has been put in place by the City of Launceston council after it was caught disposing of water from its mini sweeper into a stream that flows into the North Esk.
Northern Territory
NT solar farm enters next phase
The Northern Territory government has granted major development status for a major solar farm project.
Sustainability
How melting plastic waste could heat homes
Breakthrough means less pollution and lower greenhouse gas emissions
Atomically precise models improve understanding of fuel cells
Simulations from researchers in Japan provide new insights into the reactions occurring in solid-oxide fuel cells by using realistic atomic-scale models of the electrode active site based on microscope observations instead of the simplified and idealized atomic structures employed in previous studies. This better understanding of how the structures in the cells affect the reactions could give clues on ways to improve performance and durability in future devices.
Eco-friendly composite catalyst and ultrasound removes pollutants from water
Scientists have developed a wastewater treatment process that uses a common agricultural byproduct to effectively remove pollutants and environmental hormones, which are known to be endocrine disruptors.
Smart irrigation model predicts rainfall to conserve water
A predictive model combining information about plant physiology, real-time soil conditions and weather forecasts can help make more informed decisions about when and how much to irrigate. This could save 40 percent of the water consumed by more traditional methods, according to new research.
Nature Conservation
Sustainable land management key to reducing Amazon wildfires, study shows
The unrelenting deforestation of the Amazon region could lead to a dramatic increase to the risk of destructive wildfire outbreaks, research has shown.
Study reveals unusually high carbon stocks and tree diversity in Panama’s Darien forest
Through a participatory forest-carbon monitoring project in the Darien forest of Panama, scientists and a team of trained indigenous technicians found that, even in disturbed areas, it maintained the same tree species richness and a disproportionately high capacity to sequester carbon.
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