Date: 4 August 2019 at 8:13:04 am AEST
Subject: Daily Links Aug 4
Post of the Day
Study suggests economic growth benefits wildlife but growing human populations do not
Analysis shows that while national-level economic growth and social development — including more women in government — are associated with more abundant wildlife, growing human populations are linked to wildlife decline.
Today’s Celebration
The First Sermon of Lord Buddha – Bhutan
Constitution Day – Cook Islands
Founders Day – Ghana
Matica Slovenská Day – Slovakia
Revolution Day – Burkina Faso
National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day (NATICD)
National
Coalition requests first study of nuclear power in Australia in over a decade
Energy Minister Angus Taylor insists the moratorium on nuclear energy will remain in place, but asks the bipartisan Environment and Energy Committee to look at what would be needed for “any future government’s consideration” of the technology.
Meeting of Murray-Darling Basin Water Ministers
Minister for Water Resources David Littleproud said he would meet state and territory ministers to discuss how the drought is affecting Basin communities, agriculture and the environment.
Australia’s climate stance is inflicting criminal damage on humanity
Ian Dunlop and David Spratt
The government opts for conflict rather than change, while suppressing details on the implications of its climate inaction
Dingoes save wildlife and improve stock grazing
Peter Mirtschin |
Dingoes have long been considered a natural pest, but perhaps it’s time we worked with them instead of against them.
Victoria
La Trobe University says North East Link planners have missed the bus
Students at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus need better bus services, and often have no choice but to drive, the North East Link panel has been told.
Ozone, uh oh: Fumigator roasted for spraying pesticide at fruit market
A fumigation company at Melbourne’s fruit and vegetable wholesale market has been ordered to stop releasing a gas it sprays for pests because it depletes the ozone layer.
Drive to share recycling bins to cut landfill [$]
A northern suburbs group has started a “recycling buddy program” to encourage people to share bins so recycling doesn’t end up in landfill.
Can trees, seats slow Southbank’s speeding cyclists? [$]
Pedestrian safety will be the focus of an extensive overhaul of the Southbank promenade, which will extend use of the space to the Yarra River’s edge. See the new measures that’ll force speeding cyclists to hit the brakes.
New South Wales
‘Russian roulette’: State Government failed to identify contaminated swimming spots
A study using data from Water NSW finds parts of the popular Hawkesbury-Nepean River is “susceptible to periods of elevated faecal contamination” yet the community is not being alerted to hazardous levels of contamination.
‘Just crazy’: Koscuiszko feral horse herds swell as government dithers
Divisions within the NSW government have delayed the relocation of brumbies in the Kosciuszko National Park even as numbers of the feral horses continue to rise.
Queensland
Queensland planning laws risk alienating communities, expert warns
Griffith lecturer Philippa England has updated her text on Queensland’s planning laws and their impact on the state.
Stick to collecting rubbish – not spreading it [$]
Peter Gleeson
As the clock edged towards midnight, all that was left for the craggy old mayor was to call stumps and close the long council meeting.
South Australia
Platypus breeding? It may be on the bill at Warrawong [$]
The humble platypus is thriving at the Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary in the Hills — in fact, they’re doing so well that a breeding and research program may soon be on the cards.
Tasmania
Alarm at zoo’s plan to import wild cat [$]
A Tasmanian zoo has applied to import a wild cat native to Africa and Asia – but wildlife authorities have assessed the risk posed by the species as “extreme”.
Meet Australia’s southern-most ranger [$]
Parks ranger Andrea Turbett will this week undertake one of the highlights of her job on remote and rugged Macquarie Island.
Northern Territory
Bauxite mine set for compensation claim over ‘destroyed dreamings’
Respected Aboriginal leader Galarrwuy Yunupingu says mining operations on the peninsula have gone on without seeking advice from traditional owners, and have damaged “a whole lot of dreamings”.
Sustainability
We must transform food production to save the world, says leaked report
Cutting carbon from transport and energy ‘not enough’ IPCC finds
Shared E-Scooters Aren’t Always as Green as Other Transport Options
People think of electric scooters, or e-scooters, as environmentally friendly ways to get around town. But a new study from North Carolina State University finds it’s not that simple: shared e-scooters may be greener than most cars, but they can be less green than several other options.
A comparative analysis has shown that ‘indirect’ instruments, such as excise taxes on motor fuel and other energy taxes, did not yield any lesser impact than their ‘direct’ counterparts, and, over time, were even more effective.
Making a case for returning airships to the skies
Reintroducing airships into the world’s transportation-mix could contribute to lowering the transport sector’s carbon emissions and can play a role in establishing a sustainable hydrogen based economy. According to the authors of an IIASA-led study, these lighter-than-air aircraft could ultimately increase the feasibility of a 100% sustainable world.
University of Delaware scientists are part of an international team of researchers that has revealed a new approach to convert carbon dioxide gas into valuable chemicals and fuels.
Study identifies way to enhance the sustainability of manufactured soils
Through its FABsoil project, the University of Plymouth — in partnership with the world famous Eden Project and businesses in Cornwall, such as the Green waste Company — is leading the quest to fabricate soils which could ultimately lead to the creation of custom-made, sustainable products across a range of locations and markets.
Nature Conservation
Brazilian scientist sacked after row with Brazil’s President over Amazon deforestation
The head of Brazil’s space research agency is sacked after Jair Bolsonaro accused the respected government science body of fudging Amazon deforestation numbers to make his administration look bad.
Outfoxed! The incredibly simple baiting tool that’s killing foxes and saving wildlife
A clever little baiting device is being hailed as groundbreaking for the way in which it tempts foxes to take a poison bait while discouraging other wildlife.
Number of US fish stocks at sustainable levels remains near record high
Today, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the Status of US Fisheries Annual Report to Congress, which details the status of 479 federally-managed stocks or stock complexes in the US to identify which stocks are subject to overfishing, are overfished, or are rebuilt to sustainable levels.
Eleven new species of rain frogs discovered in the tropical Andes
Eleven new frog species were described in the open-access journal ZooKeys. This is the largest number of frog species described in a single article from the western hemisphere in over a decade.
Seabirds are threatened by hazardous chemicals in plastic
An international collaboration led by scientists at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) , Japan, has found that hazardous chemicals were detected in plastics eaten by seabirds. This suggests that the seabird has been threatened by these chemicals once they eat plastics.
Study suggests economic growth benefits wildlife but growing human populations do not
Analysis shows that while national-level economic growth and social development — including more women in government — are associated with more abundant wildlife, growing human populations are linked to wildlife decline.
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