Post of the Day
Coal phase-out can provide “cheap” way to reduce emissions, researchers say
Researchers say a coal phase-out would bring net benefits to global economy, and exporters like Australia should not be allowed to “free-ride”.
On This Day
April Fools Day cancelled? Yes, if you believe Google
Ecological Observance
National Tree Planting Day – Tanzania
Coronavirus Watch
Confirmed cases: 4,561. Deaths: 19
Sitting or standing? Table or bench? How to get your home office set-up right
Kitchen benchtops and dining room tables around Australia have become workspaces as office workers have been advised to work from home in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are some tips and hacks that may help.
From JobKeeper program to Coronavirus Supplement: What support is on offer and who is eligible?
Increasing numbers of Australians are seeking financial support from the Federal Government to help them through the coronavirus pandemic.
National
AGL boss says ‘the lights will stay on’ even in worst-case coronavirus scenario
AGL chief executive Brett Redman says contingency plans are being constantly updated to ensure the energy giant’s generators remain secure as it manages the risk of workers contracting the coronavirus.
Nearly one in five of Australia’s big polluters breach government-set emissions limits
Australian Conservation Foundation says about 729,000 tonnes of CO2 above agreed industrial limits went unpenalized
Santos investors to turn up heat on climate change targets
Oil and gas giant Santos is facing significant investor pressure over climate change as influential shareholder advisers recommend defying the board and supporting demands for hard emissions-reduction targets.
Rubbish idea nets $2 million in crowdsourcing
It’s rare that entrepreneurs hope their product becomes redundant, but for Seabin Project co-founder Australian Pete Ceglinski, that’s the goal.
Is demand declining in the main grid as Covid-19 restrictions bite?
Are households, commerce and industry in Queensland and Tasmania responding differently to Covid-19 to those in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia?
If you’re worried about bushfires but want to keep your leafy garden, follow these tips
Philip Gibbons and Geoff Cary
With a bit of sensible planning, you can retain plants close to your home without creating a huge bushfire risk.
COVID-19 has reminded us to trust and prioritise science
Graeme McLeay
It remains to be seen whether Scott Morrison’s Coalition Government will embrace the science on COVID-19 and the environment (image via YouTube).
The coronavirus pandemic should lead us to consider the importance of science and the environment
Victoria
Meet Chimbu, the blue-eyed, bear-eared tree kangaroo. Your cuppa can help save his species
Marissa Parrott
Chimbu is a baby tree kangaroo, and he is the latest success in a complex web of international conservation.
New South Wales
‘Rich with untapped resources’: new drilling to uncover NSW’s minerals
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said there was worldwide demand for metals found in NSW including cobalt, copper and scandium.
Despite the fires, logging continues in damaged forests
Logging is ramping up in forests where the first shoots of recovery have just appeared.
NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons pays tribute as bushfire season ends
Bushfire season officially closes today but those who lost their lives will never be forgotten, says New South Wales’s fire boss.
Jemalong solar farm commences construction in “step change” for Genex
Genex begins construction of 50MW Jemalong solar project in western NSW, and expects no ill-effects from Covid-19.
NSW examines new electric vehicle levies as market expands
NSW considering changes to transport levies as EV uptake expands, and is looking to models in New Zealand and Norway.
ACT
Big Tidbinbilla crowds force nature reserve closure
The Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve has been closed because so many people have ignored advice meant to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Queensland
Good news for five-legged frog stranded by COVID-19 crackdown
The Department of Environment and Science has eased restrictions on the release of native wildlife.
South Australia
Bushfire clean-up delayed by coronavirus, leaving volunteers stranded
BlazeAid is closing its key volunteer camp in the Adelaide Hills because of worries its mostly older crew will contract coronavirus.
Good signs for Kangaroo Island wildlife
Wildlife on Kangaroo Island are beginning to source their own food and rely less on RSPCA volunteers as habitats start to regenerate after the bushfires.
‘It’s time to quarantine Kangaroo Island’
Thousands of people have joined calls to ban non-essential travel to Kangaroo Island, in a bid to protect locals from a COVID-19 outbreak.
Rail privatisation needed to meet budget savings: Transport boss
The Marshall Government would need to find alternative savings measures if the sell-off of the state’s rail services did not proceed, the head of the Transport Department has conceded – despite previous assertions proceeds would be reinvested into improving the network.
Tasmania
Hobart fuel reduction burns program in Waterworks Reserve
The City of Hobart plans to carry out an 18.7 hectare fuel reduction burn in Waterworks Reserve tomorrow Wednesday 1 April 2020.
Locals should be able to access reserves for exercise: Whish-Wilson
People who live near reserves should be able to access them for exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tasmanian Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson says.
Flinders Island Mayor Annie Revie sees the traditional industries of tourism and agriculture as the growth areas on the island and is excited about its sustainable future.
TasWater to unplug water restrictions
Water restrictions across the state are about to be lifted – but some areas will still face limits.
Northern Territory
More Territory parks to close [$]
The Territory Government has announced the Territory Wildlife Park, Alice Springs Desert Park and parts of the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens will be closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Sustainability
Turkey/Syria: Weaponizing water in global pandemic?
Turkish authorities’ failure to ensure adequate water supplies to Kurdish-held areas in Northeast Syria is compromising humanitarian agencies’ ability to prepare and protect vulnerable communities in the COVID-19 pandemic, Human Rights Watch said today.
Trump administration rolls back fuel efficiency standards, Climate
The Environmental Protection Agency announced reduced efficiency standards for US vehicles.
Coal phase-out can provide “cheap” way to reduce emissions, researchers say
Researchers say a coal phase-out would bring net benefits to global economy, and exporters like Australia should not be allowed to “free-ride”.
Coronavirus could crush US coal industry
The spreading coronavirus pandemic may too heavy of a burden for the already struggling coal miners in the United States, with three companies announcing operations halts due to measures to contain the spread of the disease.
Renewable hydrogen to undercut gas on price, but not the answer for transport
Renewable hydrogen has the potential to slash the global greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuel power generation and industry by more than one third, at a cost competitive with natural gas, new research has found – but it’s not the answer for low-carbon automotive transport.
Climate-damaging products should come with smoking-style warnings
Graphic imagery should be used on petrol pumps and air tickets, experts say
Environmental features attracting older adults to physical activity differ among neighbourhood types
Environmental features perceived as motivating for outdoor mobility and levels of physical activity were investigated alongside the neighbourhood types in which the older adults lived. Based on these findings, it could be seen that environmental features associated with higher levels of physical activity differed between neighbourhood types. Differences existed especially between densely populated and sparsely populated areas.
Battery storage: Why accurate price forecasting is key to capturing revenue
Batteries have a limited ability to charge or discharge energy at any point in time. This means that how you operate a battery now impacts your ability to earn…
Report reveals ‘massive plastic pollution footprint’ of drinks firms
Report says plastic from Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé and Unilever products could cover 83 football pitches every day
Scientists tap unused energy source to power smart sensor networks
The electricity that lights our homes and powers our appliances also creates small magnetic fields that are present all around us. Scientists have developed a new mechanism capable of harvesting this wasted magnetic field energy and converting it into enough electricity to power next-generation sensor networks for smart buildings and factories.
Forget coronavirus – what about the travel bug?
Peter Boyer
Good times for travellers have gone, and the travel industry will never be the same again.
Nature Conservation
Mass bleaching seen along Great Barrier Reef could mark start of global-scale event, expert warns
A new study led by the University of Delaware’s Pinki Mondal recommends that in addition to using large swaths of coarse satellite data to evaluate forests on a national scale,
German zoos ask Merkel for funds to feed animals during crisis
Zoos in Germany have written to Chancellor Angela Merkel pleading for 100 million euros to help them look after their animals during the coronavirus crisis.
Maelor Himbury
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