Post of the Day
We all owe it to those lost to build a better society
Sarah Boyack
In these uncertain times, when the events of each day seem stranger than the last, those keen to predict our post-Covid world can seem full of certainty. We’ll all work from home, apparently; climate change will ease; we’ll drive less and shop local; and we’ll even appreciate our neighbours, united in a new-found community. What’s not to like?
On This Day
Baisakhi – Sikhism
Coronavirus Watch
Confirmed cases: 6,313. Deaths: 59
Coronavirus is less deadly than SARS — that’s why it kills so many people
It’s not the first virus to spread rapidly from country to country, nor is it the first to be declared a pandemic, but here’s why the response to COVID-19 has been different.
The amount of tax you can claim while working from home in Australia has changed – here’s how
Australians now working at home due to the impacts of coronavirus could claim 80 cents per hour back when they do their tax return. Here’s how it works.
There’s a growing pressure to ease restrictions — and Australia has two options
David Speers
The flattening of the coronavirus curve in Australia has beaten even the government’s expectations. A product of that success has been a rapid gear shift in sentiment
Climate Change
Carbon emissions from fossil fuels could fall by 2.5bn tonnes in 2020
Reduction of 5% would represent biggest drop in demand for industry on record
Methane levels reach an all-time high
A preliminary estimate from NOAA finds that levels of atmospheric methane, a potent heat-trapping gas, have hit an all-time high.
In both cases there is a curve that must be flattened in order to avoid the worst outcomes, and in both cases disinformation is readily ramped up and must be countered.
The Guardian view on the climate and coronavirus: global warnings
Guardian editorial
Steep falls in emissions have been the pandemic’s immediate effect. But what’s needed is a green recovery
National
‘Will there be any relief?’: Coronavirus isolation has people fearing the next power bill
With Australians forced to stay home, electricity that would normally be used at work (or not at all) is now being tacked onto electricity bills, and with winter looming, consumers are worried.
Climate scientists say coronavirus could be Australia’s golden opportunity
Climate experts say the way Australia chooses to rebuild its economy after the COVID-19 pandemic will seal its climate change fate.
Water expert predicts rice shortage after door shut on imports
Australia risks a shortage of rice and other staples during the coronavirus pandemic unless Southern Murray urgently receive water allocations.
The bilby is Australia’s very own Easter bunny, but how much do you actually know about it?
Many Australians turn to a burrowing creature closer to home at Easter time — the chocolate variety that is. But how much do you really know about bilbies?
Rio Tinto says pandemic no excuse to delay climate action [$]
Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson’s climate call comes as a company shareholder indicated he was open to dividend cuts if required to fund climate action
Coronavirus is changing the way we recycle — but it’s not all bad news
Some sustainability initiatives have been pushed to the side as we deal with coronavirus, but in homes across the country people are still thinking of the environment as they adapt their lives.
The ancient practice that could save Australia from more bushfires
Victor Steffensen became the face of Indigenous land management during the catastrophic bushfires. As he travels across the country teaching cultural burning, he says he owes his skills to two wise elders.
Murray-Darling river system set to flow again after substantial rainfall [$]
For the first time in two years the Murray-Darling is set to become a connected river system again, running from Queensland to South Australia.
Calls for Morrison to end fossil fuel stimulus, redirect funds to clean tech
Calls for Morrison to end the ‘fossil fuel stimulus’ as economic crisis creates opportunity to make long term investment in clean technologies.
Why Australia needs to aim for at least 75% renewables by 2030
Giles Parkinson
This week in Spain, the government submitted an ambitious plan to reach 75 per cent renewables by 2030 as part of its efforts to help the world cap average global warming at well below 2°C. Australia is being urged to do the same.
Pell decision shows the system is working. But it isn’t the right system [$]
Michael Bradley
The High Court was correct in its application of the law regarding George Pell. The question is, does the law need to change?
Paddy Manning
As policymakers puzzle over how to wake up Australia’s economy from ‘hibernation’, the Greens believe the solution lies in massive renewable energy investment and a Green New Deal.
Angus Taylor’s energy projects push [$]
Mike Seccombe
With the nation’s focus fixed on the fight against Covid-19, Energy Minister Angus Taylor has forged ahead with a new program that includes measures designed to prop up coal-fired electricity generators and weaken environmental protections.
The real cost of running your car: It’s time to change gears
Jessica Irvine
The average Aussie household spends a whopping $10,800 a year on transport costs but you can make a big dent in that amount by making a few simple choices
Mining can lead economic surge after the pandemic [$]
Australian editorial
The lowering COVID-19 infection rate is turning attention to how and when we will emerge from economic hibernation.
Victoria
What a transformed Yarra River could look like [$]
Gondolas, commuter ferries, a public pool and a new bridge are among the bold ideas by prominent Victorians to make the Yarra River more enticing than ever.
New wind farm begins generating in Victoria
Second part of Lal Lal wind complex in Victoria connects to the grid and begins generating.
Star of the South offshore wind project starts environmental approvals
What could be Australia’s first offshore wind farm takes a step closer to reality, as project commences environmental approval process.
Wandi the purebred dingo thriving in sanctuary after high-flying ordeal
He was the tiny dingo pup whose story made worldwide headlines after he appeared to have been dropped by an eagle into the backyard of a Victorian home.
Ending logging in Victoria now would save taxpayers $192m, budget office estimates
The Greens asked officials to calculate the cost of shutting down the native forest timber industry immediately rather than 2030 as planned
New South Wales
Friend or foe? Scientists and farmers divided on importance of dingoes
The New South Wales Threatened Species Scientific Committee says there is not enough evidence to suggest the removal of dingoes in hot spots like the Myall Lakes will cause a negative effect on smaller species.
‘Stay away’: Beaches shut as popular coastal walks face closures
Sydney councils are continuing to shut beaches and urging those wanting to exercise to stay away from busy coastal walking tracks during the Easter long weekend.
Plans for Sydney’s third cruise ship terminal delayed for 18 months
The Berejiklian government will delay plans for a controversial third Sydney cruise terminal for up to 18 months due to the crisis engulfing the cruise industry from the coronavirus pandemic.
State under pressure for full disclosure of Sydney’s metro rail project
The Berejikilian government is under renewed pressure to release the entire business case for the metro rail line it is building under central Sydney, the cost of which has blown out by up to $3 billion.
‘A fish is a fish’: Sydneysiders eating harbour fish despite warnings
Jeremy Sims reckons he has caught – and eaten – thousands of fish from Sydney Harbour.
Barilaro demands water crisis meeting to shore up food security
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has called for a crisis meeting of state and federal water ministers to allocate emergency irrigation water to farms in the Southern Murray basin and help ensure Australia’s food security through the pandemic.
‘We had two days to save the species’: Koalas rescued [$]
A population of koalas threatened by a raging bushfire in the Blue Mountains had such scientific significance, a crack team of rescuers was sent into the line of fire to save the marsupials from nine-story high trees.
ACT
Controversial Manuka tree removal won’t be investigated by Integrity Commission [$]
The process which allowed the removal of a contentious London plane tree from a prominent future development site in Manuka will not be investigated by the ACT’s newly established integrity commission.
Queensland
More than half of remote reefs in Coral Sea marine park suffered extreme bleaching
Researchers found some areas outside the bounds of the Great Barrier Reef had 90% of their shallow water corals bleached this summer
Sunshine State the leader in solar (of course) but green projects on the wane
Queensland is dominating the uptake of household renewable energy with four of the top five postcodes for rooftop solar in Australia, but there has been a dramatic decline in the nation’s project development, according to the Clean Energy Council.
Defective dam can be repaired ‘for less than $25m’ [$]
Queensland’s faulty Paradise Dam could be repaired and returned to its full storage capacity for a fraction of the $700m cost being considered by the Palaszczuk government, the commission of inquiry into the dam’s construction has been told.
How coronavirus has affected Brisbane’s pollution [$]
Experts have weighed in on whether or not Queensland’s coronavirus lockdown is having a positive impact on Brisbane’s air and traffic pollution levels, but opinions are divided.
AEMO declares system strength shortfall in Queensland after wind, solar curtailed
AEMO has called for action on North QLD system strength issues, making formal declaration of shortfall that has impacted solar and wind projects.
Gold Coast transport strategy takes a wrong turn
Brian Feeney
Gold Coast Council’s focus on “congestion busting” is at odds with how cities really function, but is just one example of a nationwide fixation.
Tasmania
Closed Tassie parks to get makeover [$]
Rehabilitation work on park walks, roads and bridges that were damaged by recent bushfires will be undertaken while Tasmania’s national parks are closed.
Northern Territory
NT Government scraps solar feed-in tariff despite plan to increase renewables
The country’s most generous rooftop solar rebate has been slashed without warning, amid growing concerns about a lack of progress on renewables reform and grid stability in the NT.
Last-minute rush for solar power before tariff change, jobs plunge [$]
Darwin solar companies have reported a flood of last-minute business after Jacana did a quiet backflip and extended the period for companies to get applications for one-for-one feed-in tariff solar panel installation until midnight on April 14.
Western Australia
Temperature in Perth soars to new April record of 39.5C as police patrol beaches
The temperature in Perth almost reached 40 degrees Celsius as police continue to warn beachgoers about the importance of social distancing amid another eight WA cases of coronavirus.
W.A. to lead way in transition to distributed, renewable and equitable grid
W.A. switches from laggard to national leader as it plots out a path to embrace rooftop solar, batteries and EVs so that distributed energy can help displace big fossil…
Sustainability
Himalayas visible from parts of India for first time in decades as pollution drops amid lockdown
Residents of Punjab are sharing social media photos of the Himalayas, some seeing the peaks for the first time, after a massive drop in pollution because of the coronavirus lockdown.
Pandemic crackdown sparks worries for human rights
While China has attracted much attention and criticism over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, governments everywhere pose a risk for human rights with their own responses, advocates warn.
World cities turn their streets over to walkers and cyclists
From Berlin to Bogotá there are new footpaths and bike lanes – but not in London
Bushfire rages in Chernobyl area as radiation ‘exceeds norm’
Firefighters in Ukraine are battling a large fire that began at early April in the western part of the Chernobyl exclusion zone and spread to nearby forests. Experts are concerned that radiation in the epicentre of the fire is exceeding the norm.
G20 Energy Ministers work together to stabilise energy markets
An extraordinary meeting of G20 Energy Ministers, including Australia’s Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor, has agreed to work together in the spirit of solidarity to ensure the stability of global energy markets through the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘It’s positively alpine!’: Disbelief in big cities as air pollution falls
Delhi is one of many capitals enjoying improved air quality since restrictions were introduced due to the coronavirus
Could a reborn cruise industry be a better environmental steward?
Environmental groups say if cruise lines are revived after the coronavirus pandemic, it should only be under strict new environmental regulations.
In a pandemic, the parks are keeping us alive
For city residents, equitable access to local green space is more than a coronavirus-era amenity. It’s critical for physical, emotional, and mental health.
Coronavirus may kill our Fracking fever dream
America’s energy independence was an illusion created by cheap debt. All that’s left to tally is the damage.
Some of the largest coal companies in the United States are using the coronavirus crisis to pressure Congress to slash the tax that finances the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, a lifeline for more than 20,000 miners whose lung disease makes them more vulnerable to COVID-19.
Coronavirus an ‘existential threat’ to Africa and her crowded slums
David Sanderson
No continent is more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most vulnerable people pay the highest price, and this time Africa will struggle to get help as other nations fight their own battles.
What a simulated Mars mission taught me about food waste
Dianne McGrath
Even on ‘Mars’, humans waste food. And some types of food are more likely to end up in the bin than others.
The origins, the species and the global political power of Chinese traditional medicine [$]
John Fitzgerald
How the coronavirus started remains a burning question. But the answer most favoured by the Chinese regime raises even deeper questions about the role played by traditional medicine in the growth of the country’s global influence
Animal welfare: our good intentions usually fall short. Here are 4 ways to shop responsibly
Amelia Cornish et al
The overwhelming majority of us say we care about animal welfare. But when it comes to shopping, our actions often take a different turn.
Coronavirus should prompt the design of healthier buildings
Daniel Overbey et al
Throughout history, buildings and infrastructure have played an enormous role in improving human health.
We all owe it to those lost to build a better society
Sarah Boyack
In these uncertain times, when the events of each day seem stranger than the last, those keen to predict our post-Covid world can seem full of certainty. We’ll all work from home, apparently; climate change will ease; we’ll drive less and shop local; and we’ll even appreciate our neighbours, united in a new-found community. What’s not to like?
A tale of two futures — let’s choose the right one this time
Trevor Hancock
Because of COVID-19 we stand yet again at a crossroads of history. Too often in my lifetime, we have stood at this same crossroads, and each time we have taken the wrong path. Will we get it right this time?
Nature Conservation
Tolkien was right: giant trees have towering role in protecting forests
Study highlights importance of biodiversity as part of strategy to stop planet overheating
Bamboo rats left in limbo as breeders push back against China wildlife ban
Farms forced to shut down operations as search continues for source of Covid-19 amid uncertainty over new industry rules
Jane Goodall says global disregard for nature brought on coronavirus pandemic
Renowned conservationist Jane Goodall is hoping the coronavirus pandemic will be a wake-up call, warning the crisis is a result of human disregard for nature.
Poaching threats loom as wildlife safaris put on hold due to COVID-19
Official lockdowns and the loss of tourism revenue create new challenges for protecting the continent’s wildlife.
Most laws ignore ‘human-wildlife conflict’. This makes us vulnerable to pandemics [$]
Katie Woolaston
There aren’t enough international and domestic laws to address how the interests of humans and the needs of wildlife overlap.
Maelor Himbury
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