Post of the Day
Report: ‘No evidence that fracking can operate without threatening public health’
More than 1,000 scientific studies on the health and climate impacts of fracking prove its dangerous effect on communities, wildlife and nature.
Today’s Celebration
Battle of Boyacá Day – Colombia
Independence Day – Ivory Coast
Double Seventh Festival– China
Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day
Climate Change
Sea level rise began accelerating in the 1960s, researchers find
Analysis of historical tidal records alongside modern satellite data shows the rate of sea level rise began accelerating in the 1960s, not the 1990s as previously thought. And if trends continue, Australia’s region could be hit harder than most.
The Arctic fires are making climate change worse
The blazes are releasing so much carbon that they could create a feedback loop.
Extinction Rebellion ramps up civil disobedience to deliberately get in people’s faces
The Extinction Rebellion climate change protest movement is becoming very good at annoying large numbers of people, but will that really get them what they want?
Climate Q&A: will we be less healthy because of climate change?
Alexandra Macmillan
Climate change explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.
Geoff Davies
Despite continuing loud outcries from professional climate deniers such as Andrew Bolt, there is no doubt that global temperatures are rising.
National
Explainer: Are these tiny reactors the last chance for Australia to go nuclear?
What makes a small modular reactor different and why is everyone getting so worked up about nuclear power in Australia?
Mining research group to launch ad blitz to make Aussies ‘feel proud about coal’
An organisation set up to research low-emission coal technologies is funding a multi-million-dollar media campaign aimed at making Australians feel “proud about coal”, according to industry insiders.
International expert to help fight food waste in Australia
With $20 billion of food wasted every year in Australia, the Fight Food Waste Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) has partnered with Woolworths and Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL) to bring international sustainable food systems expert Mark Barthel to Australia to help develop a solution to the growing problem.
High-speed trains to nowhere: Australia’s long-running rail fail
Ambitious high-speed links between capital cities have been proposed for decades, but never built. Are shorter regional routes a better way forward?
Massive write-down forces EnergyAustralia into the red [$]
EnergyAustralia has slumped into the red in the first half, recording such a big write-down as a result of the federal government’s re-regulation of electricity prices that the whole parent company CLP Group was dragged into losses.
‘Busybody’ politics is threatening democracy, Resources Minister warns
Nationals senator Matt Canavan says regional voices are “failing to be heard” over a “din of loud Australians” while warning of a growing political divide between those living in the inner city and the bush.
Water market set for shake-up as ACCC ordered to investigate if trade is fair
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will investigate who actually owns Australia’s water, in particular the Murray-Darling Basin’s $2 billion water market.
Government acts to deliver affordable, reliable gas
Angus Taylor
The Liberal-National Government will help secure gas supplies, put downward pressure on prices and encourage new investment in gas supplies.
The politics of annoyance: Extinction Rebellion and the right to get in your face
Matt Eaton
The Extinction Rebellion climate change protest movement is becoming very good at annoying large numbers of people — but will that actually get them the political response they’re looking for?
Data-sharing can take the pain out of shopping around
Clancy Yeates
Most of us would prefer to do other things than check out how many cents we are paying per kilowatt hour of electricity. Recently passed laws should help.
Nuclear: no CO2 but it’s still not a clean fuel
Canberra Times editorial
Energy policy involves decisions which will only come good – or bad – decades into the future.
It’s time for nuclear energy ban to be lifted [$]
Caleb Bond
Nuclear energy has zero emissions and is widely used around the world without any issue. It’s time to lift the ban on this clean, reliable power.
Gas prices are set to stay high. The government’s moves, while welcome, won’t achieve much
Tony Wood
“The Liberal-National government will help secure gas supplies, put downward pressure on prices and encourage new investment in gas supplies,” Tuesday’s announcement says. Only a supreme optimist would expect it to do all three.
Scott Morrison, it’s time to declare a climate emergency [$]
Kate Ahmad
The public is calling for the government to act on the growing climate emergency — it’s now time to take action.
Victoria
780 rubbish trucks’ worth of Victoria’s recycling went to tips last week. And it could get worse
A local council warns Victoria’s “culture of recycling” is at risk as the state’s waste crisis deepens and an estimated 780 rubbish trucks’ worth of recyclable material is sent to landfill in a week.
Recycling crisis: land owners face millions in clean-up costs after SKM collapse
The company, which was wound up on Friday, stockpiled tens of thousands of tonnes of recycling at rented sites
A ray of hope as Premier says he could increase number of solar subsidies
The Premier has indicated subsidies may be lifted if quality and safety can be assured.
Landfill levy relief to help Vic recycling
Victoria’s government is reconsidering a waste landfill levy to help councils cope amid the state’s recycling troubles, Premier Daniel Andrews says.
Michael Staindl, the climate activist targeting Josh Frydenberg, campaigned alongside GetUp.
Victoria residential solar market in “contraction,” data shows
New data shows “significant reduction” in Victoria residential solar installations, supporting industry claims the government’s rooftop rebate has capped the market.
New South Wales
Glencore mine could be forced to sell coal only to Paris agreement signatories
Approval of the Wambo open-cut coalmine in the NSW Hunter Valley may be linked to the countries it exports to
$4bn demand for new dams as towns risk running dry [$]
With NSW towns at risk of running out of water, the State Government has asked the Commonwealth to fund new dams to protect residents against future droughts.
Macquarie’s agriculture company extends its land clearing with precision farming
As land clearing continues across NSW, locals around Holbrook in the state’s south are worried river red gums on the Murrumbidgee River will become the next hot spot.
Queensland
Hundreds march in ‘extinction rebellion’ protest in Brisbane
Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets of Brisbane as part of the ‘extinction rebellion’ demonstrations. Several people were arrested for causing raffic delays and congestion.
Queensland police arrest 56 climate change protesters in Brisbane
It’s the latest climate protest by environmental group Extinction Rebellion to hit Brisbane
‘Tear the system to the ground’: Brisbane climate protesters chant, block street – video
Extinction Rebellion protesters blocked the corner of Margaret and William streets in Brisbane on Tuesday.
In pictures: Extinction Rebellion CBD protests
Police have arrested 50 protesters so far in the Extinction Rebellion protests that caused commuter chaos in Brisbane.
Windlab’s solar-wind-battery project finally connected to Queensland grid
Windlab’s world-leading solar, wind and battery project at the Kennedy Energy Park in north Queensland has finally been connected to the grid and energised after an eight month delay….
Strange Coral Spawning Improving Great Barrier Reef’s Resilience
A phenomenon that makes coral spawn more than once a year is improving the resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.
South Australia
SA approves plans for wind, solar, battery and hydrogen superhub
Plans to combine wind, solar, battery storage and green hydrogen production in “24/7” energy generation facility in SA have won state development approval.
Tasmania
Shake-up of Tasmania’s National Parks fees [$]
Tasmania’s National Parks fees are in for a shake-up. Find out who will pay less and who will pay more.
Northern Territory
‘Spiritual harm’ payouts are likely to cost billions of dollars. So how does it work?
Native title experts and land councils say a proposed native title compensation claim for bauxite mining in Arnhem Land is just the tip of the iceberg for state governments and the Commonwealth.
Western Australia
Up to 80 jobs affected as government flags closure of Collie coal generators
Between 70 and 80 jobs will be impacted during the next five years after the state government made the decision to shut down two of four operating generators at the Muja power station in Collie.
‘Way of life’ at risk: Erosion report reveals beaches, 28 properties at risk of being washed away
An estimated 28 private properties, and several iconic beaches, are at imminent risk of being washed away in the next five years according to an alarming report into WA’s coastal erosion, released on Monday.
Sustainability
Abandoning coal brings ‘considerable’ benefit [$]
Insurers that stop underwriting coal companies will enjoy “considerable” long-term benefits, GlobalData claims.
Five sustainable consumer trends to get excited about
The sustainability revolution is underway, according to a new report examining how sustainability is disrupting key sections of the global economy. Here, we highlight five sustainable consumer trends outlined in the report that are transforming the way people shop.
Guacamole lovers, rejoice! The avocado genome has been sequenced
We now know the DNA of guacamole. Scientists have sequenced the avocado genome, shedding light on the ancient origins of this buttery fruit and laying the groundwork for future improvements to farming.
Report: ‘No evidence that fracking can operate without threatening public health’
More than 1,000 scientific studies on the health and climate impacts of fracking prove its dangerous effect on communities, wildlife and nature.
Diesel vehicles face a grim future in Europe’s cities
Over the next decade, 24 European cities with a total population of 62 million people will ban diesel vehicles, and 13 of those cities will ban all internal combustion cars by 2030.
Extreme water stress affects a quarter of the world’s population, say experts
A quarter of the world’s population across 17 countries are living in regions of extremely high water stress, a measure of the level of competition over water resources, a new report reveals.
Don’t let the far-right co-opt the environmental struggle
Eco-fascism has seen a notable reemergence among far-right groups and festering corners online in the U.S. and Europe.
Keeping up with the competition: global trend to demand response
The Australia Institute
This paper outlines how the world’s major electricity markets are opening up to demand response competition, which will benefit consumers with lower prices and help maintain reliability.
One day the world’s population will start falling
Ross Gittins
The way economies are organised at present, the richer people become, the more damage they do.
Nature Conservation
Widely used pesticide in US particularly harmful to bees, study finds
Agriculture has become 48 times more toxic to insects in last 25 years as neonics are used on over 140 different types of crops
Industrial fishing behind plummeting shark numbers
Research finds marine predators are significantly smaller and much rarer in areas closer to people
Climate change could shrink oyster habitat in California
Ocean acidification just one of several climate-related threats for shellfish
Road verges provide refuge for pollinators
Roadside verges provide a vital refuge for pollinators — but they must be managed better, new research shows.
The limits of rainforest growth
How much carbon dioxide can tropical rainforests absorb? Investigations indicate that the absorption capacity is severely limited by the phosphorus content of the soil.
Want to beat climate change? Protect our natural forests
Kate Dooley and Brendan Mackey
Natural forest systems are far better at adapting to change conditions than young, degraded or plantation forests
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