Post of the Day
Carbon capture: What you need to know about catching CO2 to fight climate change
Taking carbon out of the atmosphere sounds like an ideal way to stop climate change. Here’s a closer look at how carbon capture works, its pros and cons and where it needs to go to make an impact.
Today’s Celebration
Republic Day – San Marino
Tokehega Day – Tokelau
Solidarity Against Terrorism Day – Russia
Independence Day – Qatar
Levy Mwanawasa Day – Zambia
Victory over Japan Day – China
Day of Combat Against British Colonialism – Iran
Climate Change
China’s ‘Belt and Road’ risks Paris climate goals, report warns
New analysis has revealed carbon-heavy development in countries part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative could render the Paris climate goals unreachable.
Australian tech company Atlassian urges business to support climate strikes
Future Super, KeepCup and clean energy retailer Amber among 20 firms to join Not Business as Usual alliance
Will Antarctic ice doom us all?
Under the ice: the methane equivalent of billions of cows.
Carbon capture: What you need to know about catching CO2 to fight climate change
Taking carbon out of the atmosphere sounds like an ideal way to stop climate change. Here’s a closer look at how carbon capture works, its pros and cons and where it needs to go to make an impact.
‘My sister says global warming is a lie. How do I talk to her?’
Advice on connecting with family members, ditching your commute, and understanding climate models.
New feedback phenomenon found to drive increasing drought and aridity
A new Columbia Engineering study indicates that the world will experience more frequent and more extreme drought and aridity than currently experienced in the coming century, exacerbated by both climate change and land-atmosphere processes.
Impact of climate change on global banana yields revealed
Climate change could negatively impact banana cultivation in some of the world’s most important producing and exporting countries, a study has revealed
National
Paying high electricity bills? Switching to another provider may not make a difference
A complex retail electricity market means shopping around for a better deal on electricity could well be a waste of time, according to new research obtained exclusively by 7.30.
Australia’s old powerlines are holding back the renewable energy boom
Australian wind and solar farms are putting downward pressure on energy prices, and there are hundreds of new renewable facilities set to come online. But that green energy is stretching the country’s outdated network of transmission lines.
Late surge from undecided and minor party voters to Coalition swung election, study says
Research finds a quarter of people voted for different party than one they supported month before election
Parliamentary inquiry labels identity politics a threat alongside rightwing nationalism
Labor-majority committee overseen by Kim Carr and Amanda Stoker targets ‘ecofundamentalism’ as well as postmodernism and populism
‘Long time coming’: Energy cop seeks power to grill company bosses
Australia’s outgoing energy regulator is pleading for new powers to summon executives from electricity and gas companies and force them to provide oral evidence.
Drought deepens as ‘very dry winter’ combines with record heat
Drought-hit regions of southern and eastern Australia got little if any relief during winter, with barely half the normal rainfall as record heat rolls on.
Mineral exploration (other than for petroleum)
The trend estimate for total mineral exploration expenditure increased 5.2% ($31.3m) to $629.6m in the June quarter 2019. The largest contributor to the increase in the trend estimate this quarter was Western Australia (up 6.2%, $22.9m). The current quarter estimate is 16.5% higher than the June quarter 2018 estimate.
How international volunteers are responding to climate change
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. It will take more than scientists, meteorologists and activists to address it. Complex, global problems require everyone’s attention.
Corruption undermining faith in $13b plan, Murray-Darling ‘top cop’ says
Mick Keelty says a string of scandals involving water thefts and corruption have fostered public mistrust in the plan to save the Murray-Darling Basin.
Is it time for Australia to have a population policy?
Jenny Stewart
It’s been a long time since an Australian government has given any serious thought to a national population policy.
Is mindless planet-trashing the way to go?
Peter Boyer
The Morrison government is engaging in the kind of international chicanery we used to associate with tinpot dictatorships.
Remember school rule as climate strike looms [$]
Tim Blair
He’s an idol to youngsters everywhere but back in the day former US President Barack Obama would not have tolerated skipping school due to scary weather.
Three ways to start fixing Australia’s energy policy mess [$]
Tony Wood
If we are prepared to reform our existing markets and institutions then we could reclaim the competitive energy advantage that we have thrown away.
Victoria
Victoria rooftop solar rebate under fire again, as application portal crashes
Victoria’s troubled rooftop solar rebate hits another snag, with “technical difficulties” crashing the online application portal on day one of expanded September offering.
Emissions plan ‘a job killer’ [$]
Manufacturers have warned Victoria’s emissions reduction goals may lead to factory closures and job cuts.
Victorians who switched energy retailers only save $45 a year – leaving hundreds on the table
Bruce Mountain
‘Switchers’ who change their energy retailers often are following accepted wisdom, but research shows it saves them far less than expected.
New South Wales
Should journalists be climate activists? Antidote festival grapples with big ideas
Tim Flannery, Maria Ressa and Denise Ho speak truth to power at Sydney Opera House event that electrifies audience
NSW’s ‘ecosystem in crisis’ will need to wait a little longer
A fix to the river crisis in western NSW will be delayed after a key report was put on hold.
Sydney to suck more water from Shoalhaven River as dam levels dive
The Berejiklian government has suspended rules on how much water it can pump from the Shoalhaven River to Sydney after another dry season.
South Coast rezoning plan would allow cows to graze on environmental reserves
Changes to zoning laws on the NSW South Coast would see cows grazing on environmental reservations and put the $9 million local oyster industry at risk, the council has been warned.
ACT
Prescribed burn targets African Lovegrass in Majura
A prescribed burn will be held in Majura on Tuesday afternoon to stop the spread of African Lovegrass.
Queensland
‘Becoming a theme park’: Concerns raised over Great Barrier Reef’s changing image
Underwater statues and submerged hotels are some of the latest attractions on the Great Barrier Reef, and that is concerning some old-school tourism operators.
Hope for ‘coral candy’ algae to give Great Barrier Reef a sugar hit
A species of algae described as one of the “building blocks” of the Great Barrier Reef could be the key to its eventual recovery, research suggests.
‘Devastating impacts’ as marsupial habitat burnt in north Queensland
Aerial images show about 400 hectares of woodland, including an area with protected great gliders, has been burnt, according to the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Rasmussen Townsville – grass fire
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) crews are on scene at a grass fire burning near South Beck Drive, Rasmussen
Kangaroo Point pedestrian bridge feasible at $190m, council says
Linking Kangaroo Point to the City Botanic Gardens with a pedestrian and cycling bridge could cost $190 million, Brisbane City Council says.
In the circular economy, one man’s waste becomes another man’s flowers
A new circular food recycling system is saving hundreds of tonnes of food from landfill, driven in part, its advocates say, by Queensland’s new waste levy
Queensland government gives nod to 64MW wind farm near Kingaroy
Queensland government approves plans for 64MW wind farm to go ahead west of Kingaroy.
Ex-ALP staffer’s coal lobby links [$]
The Premier’s former adviser’s lobbying firm has been appointed to help secure a mine expansion.
The Great Barrier Reef outlook is ‘very poor’. We have one last chance to save it
Terry Hughes
It’s official. The outlook for the Great Barrier Reef has been downgraded to “very poor”, and the window to act is closing.
South Australia
Solar scheme to power up Eyre Peninsula
A community solar power scheme for the Eyre Peninsula aims to help thousands of people move towards renewable energy and provide a shot in the arm for the region’s economy.
Cool solution for CO2 refrigeration in hot climates
Two new South Australian technologies have combined to create what researchers claim to be the world’s most efficient air-cooled carbon dioxide refrigeration system.
Tasmania
Tasmania’s flathead fishery is depleting in numbers
Flathead, a popular catch for recreational fishers, is listed as a depleting species in the most recent Tasmanian Scalefish Fishery Assessment report.
Permits allow huge number of animals to be culled
Crop protection permits issued in Tasmania since 2014 have allowed a staggering number of native animals to be killed, new documents show.
Western Australia
The koala colony giving Perth its cute animal fix since 1938
Koalas were not always found in WA, but a colony for the cute marsupials at Yanchep is doing well after rocky beginnings.
Dreams of safeguarding sharks in a shark ark sanctuary
A long-time local thinks Shark Bay in WA should be world renowned for its sharks, at a time when communities elsewhere grapple with ways to keep them out.
Support for hydrogen production from biomethane in Western Australia
The Liberal National Government is supporting the development of hydrogen as a future energy source in Western Australia.
Plans for 100MW solar farm in south-west W.A. clear early hurdle
Plans to build 100MW solar farm in Western Australia’s Harvey Shire win local council backing to allow the project to be advertised for public comment.
The energy wars are far from over [$]
Jennifer Hewett
The Western Australian government is willing to concede environmental goals to protect jobs and projects. But this is only a temporary truce in Australia’s energy wars.
Sustainability
Zombie reactors and an invisible enemy: The toxic legacy of Chernobyl
Three decades on from what is considered to be one of the world’s worst nuclear accidents, the fallout from Chernobyl continues to have an impact on lives.
New nuclear arms race brings higher risk of global catastrophe
The world is at its highest risk of a global catastrophe in decades, thanks to an unpredictable resumption in the nuclear arms race.
Can we work less and save the planet, too?
Building a new world will require first reexamining—and dismantling—the cultural ethos of productivity that creeps into our lives every day.
Plant gene discovery could help reduce fertilizer pollution in waterways
Excess phosphorus from fertilized cropland frequently finds its way into nearby rivers and lakes, resulting in a boom of aquatic plant growth, plunging oxygen levels in the water, fish die-offs and other harmful effects. Researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute have uncovered the function of a pair of plant genes that could help farmers improve phosphate capture, potentially reducing the environmental harm associated with fertilization.
Most likely apocalypse scenarios
A disaster expert – and a really fun guy at parties – reveals how the apocalypse will come.
Don’t despair: some hope for our world from the margins
Quinn Eades
Humans have always experienced the sense that the world is nearing its end. My childhood was characterised by a strong fear of nuclear annihilation as the last years of the Cold War played out in the mid to late 80s.
The unsafe laziness of painted bike lanes
Daniel Bennett
Painting white lines to mark bike lanes on city roads and assuming cyclists will be safe and motivated to use them is delusional, and does nothing to encourage more people to give two-wheeled city transport a try.
How to get people to eat bugs and drink sewage
Nathan S Consedine
Disgust has its evolutionary advantages, but is also a barrier to more sustainable consumption. Marketing may help.
Nature Conservation
‘It’s really close’: How the Amazon Rainforest could self-destruct
As fires rage across the Amazon, a growing number of scientists are raising the alarm about a nightmare scenario that could see much of the world’s largest rainforest erased from the Earth.
Ocean treaty needed to tackle ‘deep trouble’, says UN envoy
The oceans are increasingly threatened by global warming, acidification and pollution, and the impacts will affect us all, warned the U.N. oceans envoy.
Climate change causing migrating birds to change flight path, study finds
Climate change is causing wild birds to shift their migration routes, new international research has found.
The Amazon is on fire. What can the world do? [$]
Jason Murphy
The G7’s aid offering was never going to work in Brazil — a place where national pride and claims about lost sovereignty are political dynamite.
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