Post of the Day
All Australia’s coal generators could close by 2040 and it won’t be as big a deal as you’d think
Panel of energy experts suggest coal closures may not be as big a deal, and may happen faster than predicted, provided the transition is properly managed.
On This Day
Nag Panchami – Hinduism
Coronavirus Watch
Confirmed cases: 13,595. Deaths: 139
Global deaths soar to 5000 a day as ‘model’ countries report worst infections
Global deaths have soared to an average of 5000 a day in July (up from 4600 in June) as the world experiences yet another peak in daily infections amid a pandemic surge.
Working from home will require a rethink of noise restrictions
Jim Bright
Demands and expectations for peace and quiet in residential areas during the day will increase.
Climate Change
Groundbreaking study: Earth will warm 4.9 to 7 degrees F
How much warming will greenhouse gas emissions cause in the coming years? It’s one of the most fundamental questions about climate change – and also one of the trickiest to answer.
Two-thirds of Americans say government response to climate change is inadequate
The majority of Americans said in a new poll that the government was not doing enough to address climate change.
An article linking climate change to Earth’s solar orbit went viral last year, racking up 4.2million views on social media and widely shared on Facebook. It was the most-engaged with climate story in 2019, according to Brandwatch.
National
All Australia’s coal generators could close by 2040 and it won’t be as big a deal as you’d think
Panel of energy experts suggest coal closures may not be as big a deal, and may happen faster than predicted, provided the transition is properly managed.
More than 200 prominent Australians issue urgent call to act on climate
Leading Australians – former politicians, public servants, artists and academics – issue an urgent plea for action on climate change, saying Covid-19 is a ‘dress-rehearsal’.
Will the government stop the environmental decline? – Australian politics live podcast
Guardian Australia’s environment editor, Adam Morton, joins Katharine Murphy to discuss the recent damning review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
NSW minister urges Morrison government not to ‘smash through’ conservation law changes
State Liberal Matt Kean calls on his federal counterpart to drop opposition to an independent environment protection authority
Gas industry cooking the carbon books with its clean and green kitchen claims
Alan Pears
The gas industry marketing people chose an unfortunate example to promote its wares – cooking food.
‘Meet’ the now officially extinct smooth handfish
First Dog on the Moon
While it seems a likely culprit Tasmania’s infamous curried scallop pie is not to blame for the disappearance of the smooth handfish
Victoria
Community embraces green alternative
Following a successful 12 month trial in Altona, electric vehicle charging stations are being installed at two additional locations in Hobsons Bay.
State faces hundreds of millions in compensation over neglected grassland reserve
Large builder the Dennis Family Corporation is among a number of landowners planning to sue the government after properties it owned were included in a proposed reserve
‘Madness’: How governments failed Victoria’s endangered grasslands
Labor and Coalition governments’ mishandling of Victoria’s grassland reserves has created a most unusual consensus.
Lobby group’s bold vision to cut traffic snarls [$]
One of the city’s most influential lobby groups says Melbourne should consider changing commuting hours and introducing congestion charges to cut down travel times and reduce traffic snarls.
New South Wales
Kosciuszko brumby trapping resumes after failed court bid
The wild horses are being trapped and removed from three sensitive areas of the Kosciuszko National Park after the Land and Environment Court dismissed a bid to stop the practice.
‘The beach is riddled with asbestos’: erosion unearths toxic legacy at Wamberal
Asbestos has been discovered strewn along Central Coast beaches after erosion unearthed building waste buried in the dunes, years after authorities discovered the deadly fibre under a house that formerly belonged to disgraced Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid.
Gas project fire risk is like a gun aimed at farmers, hearing told
The presence of permanently lit gas flares in the Pilliga forests as part of the proposed Santos gas project in the state’s north west are “like a loaded gun pointed at us all summer”, farmer Mal Donaldson told a hearing into the development on Friday.
Queensland
Queensland LNP rules out taxpayer funds for new coal generator
Queensland LNP’s shadow energy minister rules out taxpayer funding for a new coal generator in the state.
CEC says thousands of renewable jobs at stake in Queensland election
Clean Energy Council calls on parties to back renewables and end coal funding, ahead of a looming Queensland state election.
Shine Energy: how a solar startup pivoted to coal and won a $4m federal government grant
Chief executive Ashley Dodd’s dream ‘is to become a big player in the power industry’. But Queensland politicians question whether more coal-fired power is needed
Queenslanders recycle 2 billion cans and containers in just 20 months
Queensland’s Containers for Change scheme has now received two billion cans and bottles in 20 months.
Climate activist in appeal over tripod stunt [$]
An anti-Adani protester who sat on a tripod structure above a Queensland railway line has claimed he was not given a fair hearing when convicted.
The traffic choke points costing us $156m a year [$]
Southeast Queensland’s congested highways and arterial roads are costing us hundreds of millions of dollars in lost productivity, with one stretch wasting over $1 million per kilometre.
Reef sceptic proves a poor poster boy for intellectual martyrdom
Michael Bradley
A decision by the Full Federal Court has reaffirmed the rights of employers to visit consequences on those who too viciously bite the hand that feeds them.
South Australia
Call for release of long-delayed key transport study [$]
A public transport lobby group has called on the State Government to release a delayed report which promises to find solutions for frustrated northeast commuters.
Tasmania
Tasmania ranks equal last on WWF single-use plastic scorecard
Tasmania has earned the “dubious honour” of coming in last on a new scorecard ranking state and territory efforts to address the proliferation of single-use plastics.
Tasmania Police continue to investigate dangerous logs sent to sawmillers
Tasmania Police say they are following a “specific avenue of inquiry” in relation to tree-spiking incidents in May.
Northern Territory
Mutitjulu community wants hotspot travellers banned from entering NT
A remote Indigenous community near Uluru has offered a compromise over concerns about the airport reopening next month.
Sustainability
Health impacts of synthetic chemicals doubled in last 5 years
Synthetic chemicals aren’t good for you. Examples of how endocrine-disrupting chemicals in plastics, pesticides and other US products impact health have doubled in the last five years, and now include obesity, breast cancer, diabetes and more.
Advancing EV charging infrastructure in India
Converting India’s existing vehicle fleet to electric will add terawatt-hours of new demand to the grid and requires thoughtful and timely planning to minimize costs and maximize benefits to electricity distribution companies and customers alike.
Explosions at China GCL facility threaten 10% of global solar production
One of the world’s largest producers of polysilicon has reportedly been forced to shut a major production facility in China after series of five explosions.
Would you like fleece with that? Wool could be answer to sustainable food packaging
As home-delivered food and meal kits experience a boom in popularity during the pandemic, the dilemma of sustainable packaging is increasingly brought to the fore. Could wool be the answer?
Geothermal power’s competitive landscape
Amory Lovins
This article is a transcript of Amory Lovins’ address for Pivot2020, a geothermal energy event hosted by the Geothermal Entrepreneurship Organization at the University of Texas at Austin and the International Geothermal Association.
The Covid-19 recovery is an opportunity for systemic change. Our future hangs in the balance
Rachel Hay and Hannah Ford
Now is the time to rebuild towards a society that can mitigate and adapt to the threats that confront us – from climate change to pandemics
River Thames ‘severely polluted with plastic’
The Thames has some of the highest recorded levels of microplastics in the world, a study says.
Maelor Himbury
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