Daily Links Oct 25

Economist Ross Gittins writes sensible articles, I reckon. How come our ‘leaders’ never agree?

Post of the Day 

War on plastic is distracting from more urgent threats to environment, experts warn 

A team of leading environmental experts, spearheaded by the University of Nottingham, have warned that the current war on plastic is detracting from the bigger threats to the environment. 

 

On This Day 

October 25 

 

Coronavirus Watch 

Today’s Update 

 

An uncomfortable question looms for Australia: Are we ready for the third wave? 

Catherine Taylor 

We should not expect that we can beat this wave of coronavirus and then it’s over. We are entering the next phase and there are 10 keys to keeping it under control 

 

As Victoria’s COVID crisis nears its end, we must look to long-term 

Age editorial 

As Victoria moves out of crisis mode, the focus shifts to the long term: how the nation will live with this virus for years to come. 

 

Climate Change 

Coastal permafrost more susceptible to climate change than previously thought 

Research led by Micaela Pedrazas, who earned her masters at The University of Texas at Austin Jackson School of Geosciences working with Professor Bayani Cardenas, has found permafrost to be mostly absent throughout the shallow seafloor along a coastal field site in northeastern Alaska. That means carbon can be released from coastline sources much more easily than previously thought. 

 

National 

Early warning: human detectors, drones and the race to control Australia’s extreme bushfires 

For a century, humans high up in fire towers have sounded the alarm. But breakthroughs in technology may offer something more 

 

Budget’s infrastructure spend more about sex appeal than jobs 

Ross Gittins 

Economists haven’t been enthused by inclusion in the budget’s big-ticket stimulus measures of $11.5 billion in road and rail projects. Why not? Because spending on “infrastructure” often works a lot better in theory than in practice. 

 

Victoria 

Australia’s first offshore wind farm promises jobs boom 

Australia’s first offshore wind farm could provide about 8000 direct and indirect jobs in Victoria over its 30-year lifetime, including 5200 construction jobs and 740 ongoing roles a year. 

 

Showdown looms as Western Highway protesters stay put [$] 

Fears of a showdown with police and security are now rising after protesters ordered to move from the Western Highway project area refused. 

 

New South Wales 

‘Like the Franklin’: Future of Sydney’s last wild river hangs in the balance 

Sitting by the burbling Kowmung River on a still night, watching a full moon rising over the Wild Dog mountains, it’s easy to forget that Sydney is just a short drive and a gruelling day-long hike through wilderness away. 

 

Offsets could triple cost of raising Warragamba Dam wall to $2 billion 

The cost of raising the wall of Sydney’s biggest dam will triple to more than $2 billion unless the Berejiklian government can avoid paying for damage to the environment in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains area. 

 

Meet the unique Indigenous outfit caring for country in the centre of Sydney 

Monitoring whales, diving with dolphins and preserving ancient Aboriginal sites — protecting Botany Bay with the Gamay Rangers. 

 

ACT 

ACT Greens win gives renewable recovery a chance 

ACT Greens leader Shane Rattenbury has rejected claims a gas-led recovery is the best way out of a recession, promising his six-seat-strong party will push for a renewables-led recovery. 

 

Queensland 

‘Real money’ to be saved under LNP’s water plan [$] 

The LNP are promising to save southeast Queenslanders hundreds of dollars on their water bills. Here is how they say they can do it. 

 

South Australia 

How Gwen and Jeff have transformed their farm into a ‘magic’ bird haven 

Gwen and Jeff Young plant thousands of trees over 20 years to create a bird haven on their property, the same property Mr Young’s father cleared 60-odd years ago. 

 

Coalition accused of ‘ideological wishlisting’ after BHP pulls out of multibillion-dollar project 

The mining giant’s decision to abandon its Olympic Dam mine has raised questions about the government’s ‘opaque’ selection process for major projects 

 

Tasmania 

Queries over hidden light rail report [$] 

A consultants’ report on a Hobart light rail service remains unreleased months after it was received, with supporters suggesting it contains advice “the government doesn’t want to know about”. 

 

Natural gas offers a pipeline to Tassie’s renewable future [$] 

Lindsay Ward 

Gas is vital in the transition period to Tasmania’s ambitious renewable target. 

 

Maintaining Tasmania’s biosecurity edge 

Lloyd Klumpp 

Our biosecurity system is about minimising the risk to Tasmanian primary industries and our environment from introduced pests and diseases. 

 

Western Australia 

‘Extinction is forever’: Meet the woman committed to bringing a weird fungus-eating flower back from the brink 

Three years ago there were just four known specimens of the Bussell’s spider orchid alive in Western Australia’s bushland, so conservation specialist Belinda Davis was called in to undertake the painstaking process of bringing the species back from the brink of extinction. 

 

Sustainability 

Fipronil, a common insecticide, disrupts aquatic communities in the U.S. 

The research team found a common insecticide, fipronil, and related compounds were more toxic to stream communities than previous research has found. 

 

War on plastic is distracting from more urgent threats to environment, experts warn 

A team of leading environmental experts, spearheaded by the University of Nottingham, have warned that the current war on plastic is detracting from the bigger threats to the environment. 

 

Charging electric cars up to 90% in 6 minutes 

Professor Byoungwoo Kang’s research team uncovers a new Li-ion battery electrode material that can achieve high-energy density and high power capability per volume without reducing particle size. 

 

Your polyester sweater is destroying the environment. Here’s why 

Adrienne Matei 

Boycotting polyester would reduce microfiber pollution. But the larger problem is the sheer volume of clothing we buy and discard 

Maelor Himbury

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