Post of the Day
40 years ago, scientists predicted climate change. And hey, they were right
Neville Nicholls
This month the world has been celebrating the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the Moon. But this week sees another scientific anniversary, perhaps just as important for the future of civilisation.
Today’s Celebration
Revolution Day – Egypt
Renaissance Day – Oman
National Remembrance Day – Papua New Guinea
National Children’s Day – Indonesia
International Yada, Yada, Yada Day
Climate Change
Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg wins France’s first Freedom Prize
A 16-year-old Swedish climate champion has received the first Freedom Prize in France, and has urged people to recognise the link between climate change and “mass migration, famine and war.”
More sensitive climates are more variable climates
A decade without any global warming is more likely to happen if the climate is more sensitive to carbon dioxide emissions, new research has revealed.
The new frontiers of climate change
A heat wave is sweeping America, but people across the world are also devising unconventional strategies to battle climate change.
Tomorrow’s doctors will diagnose the mental toll of climate change
Future health professionals are learning to recognize and treat mental illnesses linked to global warming.
Extinction Rebellion’s radical philosophy
“When it’s a fight for your life, you’re willing to throw down.”
40 years ago, scientists predicted climate change. And hey, they were right
Neville Nicholls
This month the world has been celebrating the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the Moon. But this week sees another scientific anniversary, perhaps just as important for the future of civilisation.
National
‘Apocalypse is always possible’
Newly minted Labor MP Anika Wells has used her maiden speech to paint a picture of a climate change-induced “apocalypse”.
Infrastructure projects getting too risky for insurers: AECOM [$]
Insurers are baulking at covering infrastructure projects because the Australian market is so adversarial.
Bangladesh seeks Australian gas, coal [$]
Bangladesh’s top envoy in Australia believes Canberra has a “blind spot” about the economic opportunities in one of the world’s most densely populated nations.
Electricity prices across the grid fall to zero as renewables reach 44% share
Spot electricity prices fell to zero in all state grids on Sunday afternoon, just as the share of renewables overtook black coal.
Who is going to manage and control rooftop solar, batteries and electric vehicles?
Australia’s grid operator and the principal network lobby are now looking at a “hybrid” model as they search for an optimum system to fully “integrate” the growing amounts of rooftop solar and battery storage, and ultimately electric vehicles, into the country’s grids.
Greens push bill to prohibit coal funding, pre-empting UNGI money for Vales Point
The Australian Greens have tabled legislation that would prohibit the federal Coalition government from providing funds to new coal-fired power stations.
Airborne lidar system poised to improve accuracy of climate change models
Instrument improves measurements of atmospheric gases that shape the planet’s climate
Drought and climate change drive high water prices in the Murray-Darling Basin
Neal Hughes
High water prices in the Murray-Darling Basin are blamed on foreign investors and corporate speculators. The simple truth is they are caused mostly by lack of rain.
We are now in a place we’ve never been before
Peter Boyer
Australia’s big dry is now its worst drought on record. Which is pretty much the way it is everywhere.
Victoria
Students voice hope and concern at inaugural Climate Change Education Forum
Secondary school students made themselves heard at Victoria’s inaugural Climate Change Education Forum held on 12 July by Sustainability Victoria and Deakin University.
20,000 tonnes of recycling dumped in Victorian landfill during SKM ban
Fears grow that figure could compound into hundreds of thousands of tonnes if the company collapses
Recycling saviour could fix Vic crisis
There is growing speculation Victoria’s dire recycling outlook could be improved by an investor as a major processor signals the end of business.
‘A day of savagery’: Locals in a flap over Daylesford geese
Daylesford locals have converged on the town’s picturesque lake to stop contractors removing a flock of geese.
New South Wales
‘Critical period’ as NSW farmers eye dry winter extending into spring
Towns across northern NSW are scrambling to secure water supplies as major dam levels dwindle and the near-term weather outlook offers little chance of drought-breaking rain.
It’s not seawater, so why does the drinking water in these towns need to be desalinated?
Desalination is not just for coastal cities treating seawater. Drought-hit inland towns could use it where emergency bore water supplies are too salty.
Planning slammed over NSW coal mine delay [$]
The state’s peak mining body has launched an attack on the Department of Planning after a South Korean company was advised its proposal for a massive coal mine in the Central West would not move ahead.
Another delay hampers city rebuild [$]
Telegraph editorial
When you put your hand up to reshape the city, you must deliver. The NSW Coalition has previously hit numerous problems during the light rail system’s troubled construction and now it appears similar delays are engineered into major Sydney building developments.
ACT
Could all students in the ACT soon get free public transport?
Transport could be made free for children and uni students in Canberra.
Wire-free tracks, not bridges, biggest light rail cost burden
The need for seven new road bridges in light rail stage two has prompted questions about the final cost of the project.
Boral granted approval to clear native vegetation for quarry upgrade
Boral’s bid to dig deeper into its Mugga Lane quarry has cleared a major hurdle, after the company was granted permission to clear a large swathe of native vegetation in order to store leftover rock and soil.
Drone noise rules need clarification
Canberra Times editorial
Canberrans are among the most enthusiastic adopters of new technology, often at the forefront of inventions that promise to streamline or otherwise improve our lives.
Queensland
French journalists arrested while covering anti-Adani protest
A French journalist charged with trespassing while covering an anti-Adani protest in north Queensland says he was arrested without explanation.
Noosa declares climate emergency, considers warning homebuyers of future flood risks
The threat of flooding to Australia’s coastal areas due to climate change is very real for some with the luxury seaside shire of Noosa in Queensland formally declaring a “climate emergency”.
If we can put man on the moon, we can fix climate change [$]
Tony Fontes
When man went to the moon, it inspired a generation to work towards a better future. Fifty years on, we need that same spirit to face the greatest threat to the existence of the Great Barrier Reef.
Protest art: rallying cry or elegy for the black-throated finch?
Felicity Fenner
Australian artists are protesting the Adani mine’s potential impact on the black-throated finch. The project is gaining traction online, but in this case, emotive art might not be enough.
In not at all intimidating news: Adani wants the names of scientists investigating it
First Dog on the Moon
Nice scientists you have there, shame if The Australian found out who they were
South Australia
Section of SE Freeway to be upgraded to three lanes
The federal and state governments will spend $14.2 million to provide three lanes of traffic in each direction on the South Eastern Freeway between Crafers and Stirling.
Green light for Murray Bridge solar farm [$]
Momentum in the solar farm industry in SA is building at an extraordinary pace. The latest to jump the development approval hurdle is a $200m project at Murray Bridge — and more are on the way.
Want to preserve our National Parks? Keep building in them [$]
Our National Parks need more sustainable development — with initiatives like sleeping pods — to ensure they are maintained for future generations, one of the Premier’s most senior advisers says.
Rubbish idea leads to a real charity bonanza [$]
The Coopers Brewery Foundation has received almost $700,000 from the company’s recycling efforts to donate to local charitable projects.
Hurdle for power link to NSW [$]
The $1.53bn electricity interconnector to NSW will need to pass environmental tests as well as prove to electricity regulators that the ElectraNet-led project is worthwhile. Concerns about the black-eared miner are one of the issues to be checked.
Tourism or conservation? Why not both? [$]
Bill Spurr
Flinders Chase National Park was set aside 100 years ago, but even then our park forefathers knew they had to bring in people to make them sustainable. So let’s get these sleeping pods built.
Tasmania
Cable car tensions have been escalated to police, with one protester claiming she received threatening emails.
Northern Territory
‘Time they learn about the way we see it,’ Uluru custodian says of critics
People criticising the decision to close the Uluru climb need to understand how the traditional owners, the Anangu, relate to the site, a senior custodian of Uluru says.
Western Australia
What the electric car revolution could mean for a small outback rare earths mine
The Browns Range pilot plant in remote Western Australia has been touted as a project that could have global significance, particularly if the US-China trade war escalates.
It may take more than $4 billion to make Perth give up its love affair with the car
With WA in the middle of a $4 billion spending splurge on public transport, debate still rages on whether public transport, or the car, is the best way to get around Perth.
Quokka selfies, eco-tents, cultural tours draw record numbers to Rotto
Celebrity visitors, quokka selfies, eco-tents and additional activities have attracted a record number of visitors to Rottnest Island in the last year, according to the state government.
Sustainability
UK air travellers may have to pay carbon charge to offset emissions
Planned tax will make public more aware of climate harm caused by flying, ministers hope
Environment of greater concern than housing or terrorism – UK poll
Concerns over climate crisis growing among British public, poll findings reveal
Weeding, writing and arithmetic… why green fingers are good for our children
Schools should teach pupils gardening skills to instil a passion for the environment in future generations, says horticultural chief
Why German coal power is falling fast in 2019
Germany generated significantly less electricity from coal-fired power stations in the first half of 2019, with output down by more than a fifth compared to a year earlier.
Understanding the drivers of a shift to sustainable diets
One of the 21st century’s greatest challenges is to develop diets that are both sustainable for the planet and good for our bodies. An IIASA-led study explored the major drivers of widespread shifts to sustainable diets using a newly developed computational model of population-wide behavioral dynamics.
How cities are redesigning to deal with extreme heat
As days of extreme heat get more common, there are a few simple solutions that cities around the world are implementing to keep people a little more comfortable.
NZ dairy giant Fonterra to phase out “insane” use of coal power to dry milk
New Zealand’s largest company Fonterra will to phase out use of coal power to dry milk, a practise that has been labelled ‘insane’.
Americans are drilling deeper than ever for fresh water
A new study shows Americans are drilling deeper than ever for fresh water.
New approach needed to address Anthropocene risk
A team of international researchers suggest adopting a holistic approach to understanding environmental risks.
Phthalate MEHP and cardiac arrhythmias
A new study examines the potential role plastic exposure, akin to exposure in a medical setting, has on heart rhythm disruptions.
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.
Beset by drought, Indonesia to start cloud seeding to induce rain
After more than six weeks without rain, Indonesia will soon start cloud seeding in an effort to kickstart precipitation and end an El Niño-driven drought that has put 50,000 acres of crops at risk of harvest failure.
The plastic industry’s fight to keep polluting the world
Pushes to “recycle” plastics are one element of a massive industry-led effort to suppress meaningful efforts to reduce plastic waste.
Nature Conservation
Video of uncontacted Amazon tribe highlights threat from illegal loggers
Clip shows a bare-chested man with a spear, who is believed to belong to the Awá people, the world’s most threatened tribe
New species of pocket shark identified
A team of researchers has identified a new species of pocket shark. The 5-and-a-half-inch male kitefin shark has been identified as the American Pocket Shark, or Mollisquama mississippiensis, based on five features not seen in the only other known specimen of this kind.
‘Restore UK bogs’ to tackle climate change
Restoring peat moors degraded by farming may prove a relatively inexpensive way of tackling climate change.
Plastics will outnumber fish in Indonesian waters by 2040 without action
Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Susi Pudjiastuti, has urged plastic producers to help clean up seas from plastic waste and debris.
Land-based nitrogen pollution playing major role in coral reef die-offs
Scientists have mostly attributed coral bleaching and diseases to environmental stressors like warming water temperatures and increased acidification brought on by climate change. Now, a 30 year study reveals land-based nitrogen is playing a major role.
Why Nairobi River cleanup has stalled
Increased industrialization, rapid population growth, mushrooming slums and scarce water resources continue to create major environmental problems for the river.
Strong winds reignite wildfires in central Portugal
More than 1,000 firefighters battled wildfires in central Portugal on Monday, forcing the evacuation of several villages as the authorities hoped to limit the number of residents at risk.
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