Post of the Day
Climate stabilization: Lessons from the corona crisis
Highlighting the parallels between the global health and the climate emergency, a team of researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) has analyzed what policy makers and citizens can learn from the corona outbreak and how to apply it to the global effort of reducing CO2 emissions. Their proposal: A Climate Corona Contract that unites the younger and the older generations.
On This Day
Aug 16
Coronavirus Watch
Confirmed cases: 23,035. Deaths: 379
How worried should you be about news the coronavirus is mutating into different strains?
You may have seen headlines popping up during the pandemic that SARS-CoV-2 has split into “strains” that are more contagious, more virulent or even easier to vaccinate against. The reality is a little less cut and dried.
Should Australians continue working from home after coronavirus is controlled?
A survey by the Community and Public Sector Union showed 56 per cent of people surveyed were more productive working from home, but there were also reports of longer working hours.
Climate Change
Reconstructing global climate through Earth’s history
Accurate temperature estimates of ancient oceans are vital because they are the best tool for reconstructing global climate conditions in the past. While climate models provide scenarios of what the world could look like in the future, paleoclimate studies (study of past climates) provide insight into what the world did look like in the past.
Warming Greenland ice sheet passes point of no return
Nearly 40 years of satellite data from Greenland shows that glaciers on the island have shrunk so much that even if global warming were to stop today, the ice sheet would continue shrinking.
Climate stabilization: Lessons from the corona crisis
Highlighting the parallels between the global health and the climate emergency, a team of researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) has analyzed what policy makers and citizens can learn from the corona outbreak and how to apply it to the global effort of reducing CO2 emissions. Their proposal: A Climate Corona Contract that unites the younger and the older generations.
National
Morrison government urged to use Australian conservation laws to address climate change
Andrew Barr calls for more funding to reduce environmental assessment delays, following finding that governments are failing to protect unique native species
Companies bear a social responsibility in the coronavirus crisis
SMH editorial
Large corporations which profit from a stable society have a role to play in helping carry Australia through this crisis.
Victoria
Scientists say the loss of millions of reptiles in Australia’s summer bushfires will have a huge impact on ecosystems and biodiversity
State government launches competition for Sydney’s public spaces
The COVID-19 crisis offers a unique opportunity to transform Sydney’s public spaces, as the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Rob Stokes, urges Sydneysiders to “seize the moment” and come up with ideas for parks and public facilities.
About 45,000 tonnes of carbon fibre ends up in landfill each year but a team of aerospace engineers and organic chemists are transforming old wind turbines and aircraft into high-performance surfboards.
New South Wales
Decision on $3.6bn Narrabri coal seam gas development delayed after late submission from Santos
Public comments on the project reopened after oil and gas company claimed economic benefits would be greater than thought
Exclusive: leaked environment department document raises concerns about the regent honeyeater and forest and woodland ecosystems
Government sold land under claim by Aboriginal Australians
The NSW government sold land that was subject to claim by Indigenous Australians while keeping them in the dark in a practice the Aboriginal Land Council says has kept restitution out of reach.
Toxic threats to Sydney’s drinking water catchments
Severe infestations of blue-green algae in Sydney’s drinking water catchments have soared 800 per cent, according to an audit which warned climate change is putting the sensitive waterways under increasing threat from toxic blooms.
Kean vows to press on with horse removal from Kosciuszko National Park
Environment Minister Matt Kean has rebuffed attempts by Nationals leader John Barilaro to halt the removal of feral horses from sensitive areas of the famous national park.
Queensland
‘Horrendous’ new flight paths create stress in south-east Brisbane
Some residents in Brisbane’s inner south-east have considered moving to escape aircraft noise following the opening of the parallel airport runway last month.
How people and ecosystems fit together on the Great Barrier Reef
A world-first study examines the scales of management of the Great Barrier Reef. The findings have the potential to help sustain other ecosystems across the world. The study provides a new approach for diagnosing social-ecological scale mismatches and responding to them.
South Australia
As platypus come out, wildlife sanctuary gets a V6 boost [$]
Warrawong’s inhabitants are about to get a huge boost thanks to a unique pumping system involving a V6 engine – and the iconic platypuses will be among the big winners.
Tasmania
Sustainable Timber Tasmania audit details swift parrot habitat loss and old growth harvesting [$]
An audit of Sustainable Timber Tasmania’s operations against Forest Stewardship Council guidelines found 10 major issues in need of rectifying, five minor issues and five observations before it could attempt to gain the globally-recognised certification.
Asbestos Free Tasmania Foundation says government has questions to answer over compensation claim [$]
The head of an organisation aimed at supporting Tasmanian workers with asbestos related diseases says the government has a question to answer around why a compensation appeal took seven months to process.
TasWater to decommission troubled Waratah Dam
Tasmania’s water and sewerage utility will work towards decommissioning the Waratah Dam – a development sure to disappoint the local community.
The government’s Cat Management Amendment Bill, set to be debated when Parliament resumes next week, does not go far enough according to critics.
Labor: Charging stations key to energy fast lane [$]
Labor climate change spokeswoman Alison Standen would like to see Tasmania become a national leader for electric vehicles.
Photograph of captive thylacine in UK household collection confirmed as new discovery
A photograph found in a household collection in the UK has turned out to be a previously undocumented image of a thylacine.
Swift Parrot Public Authority Management Agreement
Tasmanian government media release
The critically endangered Swift Parrot will be better protected with almost 10,000 hectares of potential nesting habitat to be excluded from wood production.
Western Australia
‘They never went away’: reclaiming Indigenous names from a colonial past – a photo essay
The reinstatement of traditional place names in the northern Kimberley signals a new wave of empowerment for Ngarinyin people
Sustainability
The plastic we use unthinkingly every day is killing our planet – and slowly but surely killing us
As researchers, we have been shocked to find the most remote depths of the Pacific Ocean polluted by our plastic. And it will outlive us all.
Maldives records highest microplastic pollution
The amount of microplastic pollution in waters around the Maldives, a global tourist hot spot known for its beautiful coastline, is amongst the highest in the world and has the potential to severely impact marine life in shallow reefs and threaten the livelihoods of island communities.
Pollution linked to antibiotic resistance
Antibiotic resistance is an increasing health problem, but new research suggests it is not only caused by the overuse of antibiotics. It’s also caused by pollution.
Efficient low-cost system for producing power at night
Rooftop radiative cooling system could provide lighting power when solar energy is unavailable
Adding a metre between meals boosts vegetarian appeal
Researchers have identified the optimal dish positions to help ”nudge” diners into picking more planet-friendly meals in cafeterias.
New catalyst efficiently turns carbon dioxide into useful fuels and chemicals
By efficiently converting CO2 into complex hydrocarbon products, a new catalyst could potentially aid in large-scale efforts to recycle excess carbon dioxide.
Systemic racism has consequences for all life in cities
Social inequalities, specifically racism and classism, are impacting the biodiversity, evolutionary shifts and ecological health of plants and animals in our cities. That’s the main finding of a review paper published Aug. 13 in Science led by the University of Washington, with co-authors at the University of California, Berkeley, and University of Michigan.
Decline in US bird biodiversity related to neonicotinoids, study shows
Bird biodiversity is rapidly declining in the US. The overall bird population decreased by 29% since 1970, while grassland birds declined by an alarming 53%. A new study points to increased use of neonicotinoid insecticides as a major factor in the decline.
Restoration helps forests recover faster
Actively restored forests recover above ground biomass faster than areas left to regenerate naturally after being logged, according to a long-term study on Borneo lowland rainforest.
Changes in climate and land cover affecting European migratory bird populations
Changes in climate and habitat on the breeding and non-breeding grounds of migratory birds are both playing an important part in driving their long-term population changes.
Native trees thrive in teak plantations and may protect the Panama Canal
Teak often underperforms on poor soils. By planting valuable native trees in existing teak plantations, researchers will evaluate the potential increase in timber value, biodiversity value and ecosystem services provided.
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