Post of the Day
The good, the bad and the ugly: the nations leading and failing on climate action
Bill Hare
It is almost five years since the landmark Paris deal was struck. Nearly 200 countries agreed to work towards limiting global warming to 1.5℃, beyond which the planet is expected to slide irreversibly towards devastating climate change impacts.
Today’s Celebration
Independence Day in Chile
National Music Day – Azerbaijan
Persian Literature and Poetry Day – Iran
Island Language Day – Japan
National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day – USA
International Read an eBook Day
Climate Change
More than one million New York students allowed to skip school for climate protest
Public school students in New York are allowed to skip class to join the youth climate strikes.
Greta Thunberg and Fridays for Future honoured by Amnesty
Amnesty International 2019 Ambassador of Conscience Award goes to Swedish teen Greta Thunberg and the Fridays for Future Movement, for bringing attention to the climate change movement.
The ozone layer is on track to completely repair itself in our lifetime
The ozone layer is steadily repairing itself following a drastic global reduction in the use of ozone-depleting substances, the UN’s environmental agency has found.
Global divestment movement hits $11 trillion, pushes for more – and faster
Global fossil fuel divestment movement tops US$11 trillion as campaigners place further pressure on investors to respond to climate emergency.
When it comes to climate change, gender makes a difference
A new report examines why gender equality is necessary for efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change in Africa, and how governments and other stakeholders can integrate the two.
Climate change is poised to alter the face of global conflict.
Climate decade is coming – are you ready?
Ahead of Climate Week NYC, Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, highlights the scale of the climate risks faced by businesses and the steps they need to take over the next decade.
Wall Street investment giants voting against key climate resolutions
Asset management companies BlackRock Inc and Vanguard have failed to live up to pledge to support climate action at energy firms
Elusive compounds of greenhouse gas isolated
Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent atmospheric pollutant. Although naturally occurring, anthropogenic N2O emissions from intensive agricultural fertilization, industrial processes, and combustion of fossil fuels and biomass are a major cause for concern. Researchers have isolated elusive transition metal compounds of N2O that provide clues into how it could be used in sustainable chemical technologies.
The good, the bad and the ugly: the nations leading and failing on climate action
Bill Hare
It is almost five years since the landmark Paris deal was struck. Nearly 200 countries agreed to work towards limiting global warming to 1.5℃, beyond which the planet is expected to slide irreversibly towards devastating climate change impacts.
Climate explained: how different crops or trees help strip carbon dioxide from the air
Sebastian Leuzinger
Planting any tree is more important than planting a particular tree when it comes to removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
For Communities in South Africa, Climate Change is Now
Liesl Gerntholtz
Sylvia remembers the first time a government official came to speak to her community in Lephalale, in the Limpopo province, about the construction of a new coal power plant
National
Australia’s ecosystems ‘already suffering from climate change’
Warming temperatures are threatening Australian wildlife with the iconic Kakadu National Park also in danger of rising sea levels, a report has found.
Where have all the bogong moths gone?
Billions of bogong moths that migrate to alpine reaches each year have all but disappeared, but there are hopes that citizen scientists will fill knowledge gaps and save an endangered possum in the process.
Our shrinking backyards are limiting children’s exercise levels
Researchers are calling on urban planners to ensure there is enough local parks, after identifying fixed play equipment as key for children’s activity levels.
BHP says cutting emissions good for iron ore [$]
BHP has brushed off Morrison government complaints about big business pandering to activist shareholders, vowing to press ahead with plans to ”influence” the carbon emissions of Chinese steel mills and other big customers.
It’s tiny. It’s deadly. It could wipe out our bees. But these people stand ready to fight it
Australia is the last inhabited continent on Earth that is free of the varroa mite, a parasite which has crippled honey bees everywhere it has taken hold. The threat is real — but our beekeepers are preparing to meet it head on.
Matthew Canavan blasts ‘hypocritical, self-indulgent activists’ holding back mining sector
Resources Minister Matthew Canavan has blasted the actions of “hypocritical, self-indulgent activists” holding back the mining sector as he opened Australia’s first coal mine in nearly five years.
This is what climate change looks like
Climate Council
This report finds it is not just Australia’s favourite animals, but our favourite places that are suffering as a result of climate change, including Kakadu National Park, where rising sea levels are affecting freshwater wetlands.
Climate change deniers are dangerous – they don’t deserve a place on our site
Misha Ketchell
At The Conversation we’ve recently vowed to improve our climate change coverage, and part of that means moderating comments with a similar degree of rigour.
Why our response to climate change needs to be a just and careful revolution that limits pushback
David Hall
As a new sense of urgency to act on climate change rises – through calls for climate emergencies and green new deals – it is vital that we limit pushback while encouraging action.
An opportunity not to be wasted
Andrew Cairns
If we stop looking at waste as something to be disposed of, and instead recognise it as an asset that can be repurposed, we can unlock a whole new waste to asset industry in Australia
Who gives a dam? Ask dry towns [$]
Ean Higgins
A progressive slowdown in construction of dams over the decades has led to a crisis that might have been avoided had governments met their promises.
Victoria
Vic issues illegal snake harming reminder
Warmer weather lures snakes out of hibernation and into more visible areas, which has prompted Victorian authorities to issue warnings on illegal snake harming.
Andrews government gives public servants green light to skip work for protest
The Andrews government has given public servants the green light to down tools and join a climate rally expected to bring much of Melbourne’s CBD to a standstill on Friday.
Victoria solar demand still sizzling: another 3,250 rebates gone in 20 minutes
Second-round September offer of 3,250 rooftop solar rebates taken up in little more than a quarter of an hour.
Victoria locks in new solar farm planning guidelines
Victoria government planning amendment introduced to ensure large-scale solar projects choose appropriate locations on grid, have minimal environmental or social impacts.
Energy plant generators offline [$]
Only one generator out of four is operational at Victoria’s largest coal fired energy plant as temperatures warm across the state.
City of Port Phillip set to declare ‘climate emergency’ in Bangladesh [$]
Another Melbourne council is set to take on the war against permanent flooding and mass species extinction abroad, saying the situation “should be treated as an emergency”.
The Victorian government is a bulldozer painted like a rainbow [$]
Guy Rundle
From Djab Wurrung to violence against women to public transport: activist groups have started to get wise to what this government really is.
New South Wales
Port Botany flagged as potential site for third Sydney cruise ship terminal
Following years of debate over where a third Sydney cruise ship terminal could be built, the State Government announces it wants to work with industry on a potential site in Port Botany.
Sydney’s drinking water supply under threat as mining takes toll on crucial swamps
Sydney’s drinking water catchment is under threat from longwall mining with upland swamps and streams drying out as a colliery pushes to expand.
Over 30 NSW homes lost to bushfires
More than 30 homes have been destroyed by bushfires raging across NSW, with more blazes expected to be sparked by dry storms.
Josh Frydenberg overruled department to block Lord Howe Island wind turbines
FOI documents reveal former environment minister took action despite support from islanders
The ‘tweak’ coming to Sydney’s vast golf courses
As Sydney’s population grows beyond 5.8 million in the next decade, its golf courses could be put to better use.
Smarter ways than dams to manage Sydney’s water supply
Paul Plowman
Despite a 26 per cent increase in population, Sydney’s total demand for drinking water today is lower than it was before mandatory water restrictions were introduced 15 years ago. Yet, with much of Australia in the grip of drought and water storage levels falling, Sydney’s conversations of late have been swirling around whether we have enough water to sustain a growing population.
ACT
More carbon neutral schools coming to Canberra
Canberra’s next generation of schools will be carbon neutral under the ACT government’s ambitious climate change strategy.
Green machine: ACT first ‘major’ city outside Europe to transition 100% renewable energy
Canberra is set to become the first city outside Europe to source 100 per cent of its electricity needs from renewables, according to a new Australia Institute report.
‘Willfully misleading the public’: Political storm over new climate action plan
Opposition leader Alistair Coe has slammed the government’s plan to encourage Canberrans to make the switch to electric cars and household appliances, labeling it “very arrogant”.
ACT fuel-monitoring website recommended by Assembly inquiry
Forcing service stations to post petrol prices on-line in “real time” on a government-regulated fuel monitoring website would be the “much-needed wake-up call” the industry needed, a motorist advocacy group says.
ACT Climate Change Strategy: Bumpy bike ride from Copenhagen to Canberra
“We do need to Copenhagenise Canberra,” said the ACT’s Climate Change Minister, Shane Rattenbury, as he announced the government’s intention to model the Australian capital’s transport policy on that of the Danish capital.
Energy transition will be no easy task
Canberra Times editorial
The easy bit is over. The ACT government has held a press conference where it has outlined its strategy to do its bit to tackle climate change.
Queensland
Water Quality Laws will give our Great Barrier Reef a cleaner future
New laws being debated in Queensland Parliament today will give the Great Barrier Reef and its amazing wildlife a cleaner future, says the Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS).
Byerwen coal mine opening good news for Queensland exports, jobs and royalties
The opening of the Byerwen coal mine in North Queensland is testament to the strength and diversity of the state’s mining sector, Queensland Resources Council (QRC) Chief executive Ian Macfarlane said today.
Inquiry into Reef Science Condemned by Australia’s Peak Marine Conservation Group
The Australian Marine Conservation Society today condemned the passage of a motion in the Australian Senate to establish a Committee inquiry into the science of farming impacts on water pollution of the Great Barrier Reef.
Senate inquiry into Great Barrier Reef seen as bid to discredit Queensland laws
Greens and conservationists warn it will be used by the Liberal National party to attack state Labor environment rules
Farmers, miners win freeze on Great Barrier Reef run-off regulations
Farmers, miners and sewer operators will be spared further changes to how much fertiliser and sediment they can dump in the Great Barrier Reef for five years.
Queensland mine sackings begin as approvals stall
About 150 Queensland coal workers will be out of a job by the end of the week as their company pushes the government to approve an expansion at a controversial mine to “prevent any further job losses”.
‘Tide is turning’: Coal company accuses activists of costing jobs
Coal miner New Hope Group has accused anti-coal activists of undermining investment through the use of court cases to delay approvals for major projects, including the company’s long-delayed expansion of a mine in southern Queensland.
Thunderstorms spark dry lightning fears as Redbank fire flares
The first spring storms rolled towards Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon, bringing a chance of dry lightning as bushfires flared up near Ipswich.
Fighting for our planet must be first priority [$]
Ella Jean Evans
I’m a 17 year old Aboriginal woman from the Darumbal nation living in the Rockhampton region. I was born in Townsville and I’ve lived here my whole life.
Tasmania
Northern Tasmanian students present climate goals at youth event
It has been six months since a group of Northern Tasmanian youth climate leaders met, but when they revisited their goals on Tuesday they realised how far they had come in that time.
Northern Territory
‘Something should’ve happened years ago’: Calls for fishing ‘no-go’ zones in Top End park
As the NT Government releases its new management plan for the Limmen Bight Marine Park, traditional owners are pleading for far greater environmental protections and an end to overfishing in the area.
Film documenting Indigenous fight against NT uranium mining unearthed
A rare copy of the nearly 40-year-old documentary Dirt Cheap, which details the early resistance against uranium mining in Kakadu National Park, is rediscovered in Darwin.
Is this Australia’s first utility to acknowledge death by solar?
The electricity generation company owned by the Northern Territory government says it faces an “existential risk” from the rise of solar power, possibly becoming the first energy utility to openly recognise that the growth of cheaper renewables could spell the end of its traditional fossil fuel business.
Western Australia
Women rangers protecting country and culture
In the Kimberley, women ranger teams have doubled in the past two years, with more women looking after more country than ever before.
Sustainability
Electric water taxi offered as future of Parisian transport
The Seabubbles startup is proposing, ‘Bubble’ an electric powered water vehicle as a greener alternative that makes use of the River Seine.
Microplastics are everywhere. Here’s what we know about them
A study of eight healthy Europeans adults found microplastics in all of their stool samples. But science is racing to catch up with the potential health impacts of the emerging issue.
Leading burger supplier sourced from Amazon farmer using deforested land
Brazilian meat company which has supplied McDonald’s and Burger King bought cattle from farm using deforested land earlier this year, investigation shows
Air pollution particles found on foetal side of placentas – study
Research finds black carbon breathed by mothers can cross into unborn children
Infrastructure investors cut carbon emissions to court government [$]
First Sentier Investors is cutting carbon emissions rather than just paying lip service to ESG so it can keep operating European utility and water networks.
Machine learning used to help tell which wildfires will burn out of control
New technique could help authorities conduct triage in multiple-blaze scenarios
Large transnational corporations play critical role in global natural resource management
Researchers have identified six corporate actions that, combined with effective public policy and improved governmental regulations, could help large transnational corporations steer environmental stewardship efforts around the world.
To address hunger, many countries may have to increase carbon footprint
New study details specific climate and freshwater impacts of nine plant-forward diets in 140 countries
Superblocks are transforming Barcelona. They might work in Australian cities too
Patrick Love and Mark Stevenson
The Spanish city is remaking urban neighbourhoods by limiting through traffic in superblocks that give priority to pedestrians and street activities, not cars.
Nature Conservation
Brazil: Criminal Networks Target Rainforest Defenders
Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is driven largely by criminal networks that use violence and intimidation against those who try to stop them, and the government is failing to protect both the defenders and the rainforest itself, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
Many people want to set aside half of Earth as nature
A new survey of 12,000 adults in 12 countries revealed overwhelming support for conservation, as well as knowledge gaps in subjects like extinction rates.
What we lose when animals go extinct
Animals are disappearing at hundreds of times the normal rate, primarily because of shrinking habitats. Their biggest threat: humans.
Sea turtles are surviving—despite us
These reptiles have roamed the oceans for 100 million years. We’ve put them at risk, but with a little help, they’re rebounding.
Peatlands trap CO2, even during droughts
Scientists studied the two species of moss that make up the peatland. They discovered that in hot weather and drought conditions, one species resists, whereas the other is negatively impacted. In wet weather conditions the opposite takes place. Peatland however survives in the end. Although peatlands make up only 3% of the Earth’s surface, they store one third of CO2 present in soil. Preserving peatlands would therefore limit the impact of future climate change.
Researchers see need for action on forest fire risk
New statistical approach: Changes in forest fires in the 19th and 20th centuries were human-made
Fungicides as an underestimated hazard for freshwater organisms
Large amounts of fungicides, used in agriculture, leak into nearby surface waters. The effects of it on aquatic organisms are poorly understood and not specifically addressed in the EU regulatory frameworks with respect to the protection of surface waters. Scientists have found that pollution by fungicides can have unforeseen but far-reaching consequences for the functioning of aquatic systems — like indirect effects on the development of algal blooms.
Now for something completely different …
State of security of NFP websites
James Hornitzky from Leafcutter shares the latest findings from a research project exploring the potential threat of attacks on NFP websites and suggests steps you can take to protect your website.
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