Post of the Day
European youth bet on authoritarian states to fix climate change
A majority of Europeans in the 16-29 age group believe authoritarian states have a better shot at addressing the climate crisis than democracies, according to a new Oxford-backed survey.
On This Day
Coronavirus Watch
Confirmed cases: 12,894. Deaths: 128
Three problems stopping Victoria from flattening it’s coronavirus curve
Melbourne’s been locked down for a fortnight. Stage three restrictions have clearly had some impact on the spread throughout the state. But there hasn’t been enough movement to push the trajectory downward, so what’s going wrong?
Why some Australians are rebelling against coronavirus face mask advice
As face masks are set to become compulsory in parts of Victoria, SBS News speaks to three experts about why some are hesitant to get on-board.
Coronavirus cutting Australians’ lives short by more years than top three causes of death
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report shows Covid-19 not just dangerous for chronically ill and elderly
Climate Change
Global heating: best and worst case scenarios less likely than thought
Uncertainty over climate outcomes reduced but experts warn urgent reduction in CO2 levels is essential
Sensitive planet: Scientists narrow the expected heating from CO2 rise
Researchers have found doubling the atmosphere’s carbon-dioxide levels will warm the planet about 3 degrees from pre-industrial times, narrowing the predicted range that had guided policymakers for four decades.
Money for climate change to be cut
The Just Transition Fund, which aims to help poorer countries like Poland in the energy transition, was cut particularly hard It will be €10 billion instead of the €30 billion originally proposed.
Poland bails out coal, yet wins access to EU climate funds[MH1]
Poland has been given a green light to access EU money designed to reach the bloc’s 2050 carbon neutrality goal – without having signed up to the target.
Gas flaring persists in worrying climate sign
Flaring the gas associated with oil production, rather than capturing it, emits lots of greenhouse gas emissions, even though the oil sector has made progress on a per-barrel basis.
European youth bet on authoritarian states to fix climate change
A majority of Europeans in the 16-29 age group believe authoritarian states have a better shot at addressing the climate crisis than democracies, according to a new Oxford-backed survey.
The evidence is in: we need to flatten the carbon-emissions curve
Steven Sherwood
As we battle our second wave of COVID here in Australia there are other waves washing over the planet. A six-month heatwave in Siberia brought record-shattering temperatures of up to 38C inside the Arctic Circle in June. A team of scientists reported last week that this heatwave would have been
National
Super fund says Australia’s climate policy void sending investment dollars overseas
Health industry super fund calls for federal net-zero emissions target, or risk losing trillions in investment dollars to more stable, less risky international markets.
Grid emissions hit record low, as renewables displace coal and prices plunge
Australia’s main electricity grid achieved a remarkable trifecta in the last three months: The level of greenhouse gas emissions fell to a record low in the June quarter, even as the level of both coal production and wholesale market prices plunged at the same time.
Student files climate change class action against Australian Government over ‘risks’ to her money
A 23-year-old Melbourne law student is suing the Australian Government for failing to disclose the risk climate change poses to Australians’ super and other safe investments.
Marcia Langton eviscerates Rio Tinto [$]
Indigenous leader and anthropologist Marcia Langton has accused Rio Tinto of “a return to the corporate culture that led to the disaster at Bougainville” and linked its degeneration to the 2016 appointment of current chief executive Jean-Sébastien Jacques.
Please Explain podcast: Why is Australia’s environment in an ‘unsustainable state of decline’
In this episode, climate and environment editor Nick O’Malley is joined by climate and energy reporter Mike Foley to discuss the review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Lifeguards with drones keep us (and sharks) safe, and beach-goers agree
Debra Stokes et al
Recent shark-related deaths fuel the debate around the best way to keep people safe in the water, without hurting marine wildlife.
Conflict of Interest: Will environmental protections be kept out of states’ hands? [$]
Georgia Wilkins
State governments have a history of rolling over to powerful developers’ demands, often turning a blind eye to environmental concerns.
Matthew Mclaughlin and Trevor Shilton
Investing more in cycling and walking would boost both physical and economic health, with a typical return of $5 for every $1 spent on cycling infrastructure.
The ‘wicked’ environmental act that has everyone unhappy [$]
Andrew Tillett
Buried in Graeme Samuel’s interim review of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, the former head of the competition watchdog draws a sharp contrast to the zeal of parking inspectors in the NSW town to the seeming reluctance by federal regulators to enforce the law.
Victoria
Timber workers blockade Bunnings for ditching Victorian native timber
Timber workers are protesting against hardware giant Bunnings’ decision to ditch Victorian native timber by blockading one of its stores in eastern Victoria.
Reduce plastic without being drastic
Bayside City Council has committed to eliminating avoidable single-use plastics from council’s operations and is now working on removing them from Council-owned buildings like sporting clubs and community centres.
New South Wales
Traditional owners lose Federal Court bid to protect culturally-significant sites at NSW coal mine
A NSW open-cut coal mine that an Indigenous woman says will destroy culturally significant sites can proceed after a Federal Court challenge failed.
Cracks in Warragamba Dam plan revealed by leaked documents
Documents show the state government is trying to avoid buying offsets to compensate for damage caused by lifting the Warragamba Dam wall that would add many millions of dollars to the project’s cost.
Gas protestors accuse Santos of ‘’disregard’ for the community [$]
A ‘political plot’ between Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and former NSW Resources Minister Anthony Roberts was evidence the outcome of Santos’s $3.5bn Narrabri project has been pre-determined, a gas protester has claimed.
ACT
Black Mountain nature reserve marks 50 years
An energetic birthday celebration will take place this weekend.
Endangered quoll survival rate boosted by new ACT research
As a threatened species, every member of the ACT’s eastern quoll population is valuable.
Queensland
Brisbane residents fight to save core koala habitat from development plan
A year-long dispute to save 2.7 hectares of core koala habitat in Brisbane’s northern suburbs has reignited as a developer goes to court to challenge council’s rejection of its plans.
Douglas Shire Council Council re-commit as Reef Guardians
The Douglas Shire Council has signed up to be a Reef Guardian and hopes to lead the nation in driving local action to support a healthy Great Barrier Reef.
Council’s green credentials endorsed
Cairns Regional Council’s latest snapshot of the state of the region’s environment has revealed improvements in waste recovery, increased electricity production from solar, and more tree planting activities.
When the bubble bursts: Why LNG is now a sad, expensive tale of a cursed industry
Once the great white hope for the Queensland economy, LNG has instead become an albatross around its neck, as John McCarthy reports
Long delay over controversial mine to get even longer [$]
More than 60 landholders fighting the controversial expansion of a southeast Queensland coal mine have had a minor win in court, with a judge making a decision over the mine owner’s bid to have their group liquidated.
Extinction Rebellion are rebels without a clue
Courier-Mail editorial
IT must be deeply gratifying being a member of protest outfit, the Extinction Rebellion.
South Australia
Extinction rebellion: $800K boost to save KI marsupials [$]
More than 90 per cent of these tiny dunnarts’ habitat was destroyed in the Kangaroo Island fires, pushing them closer to extinction. But a huge new refuge is being built to keep the species alive.
Tasmania
New contender for Tasmania’s first solar farm, with 5MW Bell Bay proposal
An application for a new, 5MW solar farm proposed for George Town in Tasmania’s north, has been submitted to the local council.
Northern Territory
Northern Territory set to release 67,500 hectares for farming near WA-NT border
The NT is set to unleash its largest-ever land release for agricultural development which could finally see the Ord scheme expand beyond WA.
Western Australia
Fear over ‘massive’ cracks at WA plant
Australia’s largest gas project, the Gorgon development off the West Australian coast, is at risk of being shut down for months after workers raised serious safety concerns.
Sustainability
Value of energy storage lies in increased renewables and capacity deferrals
MIT study finds economic value of energy storage increases as variable renewable energy generation increases its share of electricity supplied.
Where there’s cattle ranching and soybean farming, there’s fire, study finds
Most of the fires in the Amazon rainforest last year were associated with industrial agriculture, according to a study cross-referencing NASA satellite data with corporate supply chains.
Nuclear power: A women-led, progressive group takes a new approach
A new women-led, progressive energy group will devote itself to nuclear policy.
Green jobs can be just as good as fossil fuel jobs
Certain leaders love to suggest that renewable power is anti-labor. The numbers don’t back that up.
Chemists make tough plastics recyclable
New method for producing thermoset plastics allows them to be broken down more easily after use
First ever global survey of reef sharks reveals widespread decline
Results shows reef sharks are functionally extinct on many coral reefs, but Australian populations are among the healthiest.
Should plants and animals that have moved because of climate change be considered invasive?
Some researchers are calling for a more nuanced approach when it comes to flora and fauna needing to relocate in a warming world.
Which species will win and lose in a warmer climate? It depends on one key factor
As the global climate shifts, it’s important to know which species have adaptations to survive. Our research, published in Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences found it largely depends on where they evolved.
‘Essential’ but unprotected: How the United States fails its most important fish habitats
A report concludes U.S. waters “have insufficient protections for a healthy future,” and that the problem has gotten worse under the Trump administration.
Is it time to reassess our relationship with nature?
Western societies tend to see nature and humanity as separate. But are there other ways of relating to the natural world?
Maelor Himbury
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