Post of the Day
The world’s energy order is changing — and China is set to reap the strategic benefits
Historians will look back on this period as an epoch in capitalism, when oil-producing nations were powerful because they were necessary to keep the whole engine running. But the global shift towards renewable energy will change all that
On This Day
Easter – Eastern Christianity
Coronavirus Watch
Confirmed cases: 6,565. Deaths: 70
At least 300,000 Africans expected to die in pandemic, UN agency says
The COVID-19 pandemic will likely kill at least 300,000 Africans and risks pushing 29 million into extreme poverty, the UN Economic Commission for Africa says.
This is how much house cleaning you need to do to reduce your risk of coronavirus
Coronavirus prefers hard and smooth surfaces the research tells us, but the risk of bringing it into your home is still low say experts.
This isn’t the first global pandemic, and it won’t be the last. Here’s what we’ve learned from 4 others throughout history
David Griffin and Justin Denholm
The 14th century Black Death pandemic catalysed enormous societal, economic, artistic and cultural reforms in Medieval Europe. Infectious disease pandemics can be major turning points in history.
National
‘Really strong odds’ for wet winter amid hints that climate drivers may finally tip
Warm oceans are encouraging wet conditions for Australia, with the hint of a negative IOD and even a potential La Nina on the horizon.
Building agricultural resilience not enough
Jane Carney
Farmers are embracing new technologies to improve their resilience in the face of climate change, but more must be done on a national level to address the root causes and ensure long-term sustainability.
New South Wales
EPA approves logging without looking at koala impacts after bushfires
The NSW Environment Protection Authority has approved logging in forests hard hit by recent bushfires in the state’s north without first assessing the toll taken on koalas and other wildlife.
‘Every measure’: New plan to protect Sydney water supplies
The National Parks Association says the announcement is encouraging but fears it may be mere “window dressing for business as usual”.
Queensland
Fears for local zoo animals during COVID-19 crisis [$]
As overseas zoos are being forced to kill animals to feed others, local animal exhibitors are in urgent talks with the State Government about what can be done to stop ‘catastrophic’ shut downs here.
South Australia
Watch Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary is hoping real life encounters with cuddly critters via an “adoption” program and online education courses can help it survive the coronavirus social bans.
Cats out of the bag in dingo crackdown [$]
The Marshall Government’s planned crackdown on dingoes is not based on evidence and could result in a swath of ecological problems including a feral cat boom, a group of scientists say.
Tasmania
Climate risk to forests similar to coral reef threat: study [$]
The impact global heating threatens to have on forests is similar to the risk it poses to coral reefs, according to new University of Tasmania-led research.
Wildlife loving days in the parks [$]
The wombats of Maria Island have always been a laid-back bunch and Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service’s Peter Rigozzi says their ability to relax has reached new heights in the absence of human visitors.
Northern Territory
The desert is now deserted, so these locals are seeing Uluru in new light
Uluru in 2020 is a rare sight for Mutitjulu local Verna Wilson, who is taking her kids out to see parts of Kata Tjuta National Park that are typically bustling with tourists.
Western Australia
Falling power use due to coronavirus risks system overload and blackouts, experts warn
Falling demand for electricity caused by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic could leave WA’s main electricity system at risk of a solar power overload within months, experts have warned.
‘Longest animal ever’ discovered off Western Australia’s coast
Researchers have discovered a 45-metre long siphonophore – a gelatinous string of tiny invertebrates joined together- during a deep dive into the underwater canyons of Ningaloo, Western Australia.
Sustainability
The world’s energy order is changing — and China is set to reap the strategic benefits
Historians will look back on this period as an epoch in capitalism, when oil-producing nations were powerful because they were necessary to keep the whole engine running. But the global shift towards renewable energy will change all that
Scientists develop high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries
Recently, research groups led by Prof. LIU Jian and Prof. WU Zhongshuai from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed Fe1-xS-decorated mesoporous carbon spheres as the nanoreactor, which can be applied as lithium-sulfur battery cathode.
Can sub-Saharan Africa achieve sustainable access to energy for all by 2030?
In 2019, the global population without access to electricity dipped below 1 billion for the first time. This progress has however been uneven, both across and within different regions. A new IIASA study shows that to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern electricity services by 2030 in sub-Saharan Africa, the pace of electrification must more than triple.
Nature Conservation
Extinction of threatened marine megafauna would lead to huge loss in functional diversity
The extinction of threatened marine megafauna species could result in larger than expected losses in functional diversity, according to new research.
Earth Day alert to save our frogs
With climate action a theme of Earth Day 2020 (April 22, 2020), a new research paper highlights the plight of some of the most at-risk amphibian species – and shortfalls in most conservation efforts
Maelor Himbury
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