Post of the Day
Deforestation destroyed more than two football fields of Brazil’s Amazon a minute last year
Environmentalists have accused the government of Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the record levels of deforestation.
On This Day
Voodoo Day – Benin
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Political change must help impact of climate change
Canberra Times editorial
This weekend’s summery warmth should remind us there is a life outside the darkness of politics and epidemic.
Victoria
Farmer fury over ‘ambitious’ proposal to re-introduce dingoes
A draft management plan for the Grampians created by Parks Victoria and Indigenous groups was released in November and contained a proposal to restore ‘locally extinct and culturally significant wildlife’ such as the dingo.
Indigenous researchers keep tabs on totem plants and animals after fires
Gunaikurnai traditional owners in East Gippsland have been monitoring their significant totem plants and animals, like the long-footed potoroo, across areas burnt in the 2020 bushfires to see what has returned.
New South Wales
Riding the rails: inside the push for a bike trail on disused tracks in the Monaro
Proponents say the rail trail could revive a struggling New South Wales region: ‘The alternative is pretty ugly’
How Barilaro’s new bromance with Kean changed Nationals policy
Deputy Premier and Nationals leader John Barilaro says he is open to ending logging in state forests as part of improved relations he has struck with Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean.
No let-up likely for Kean as environmental challenges keep mounting
His success at passing an ambitious energy and climate package at the end of 2020 has only lifted the expectations on the NSW Energy and Environment Minister.
ACT
Teenager finds rare jewel beetle 65 years after first ACT sighting
A chance stop on a round-the-lake bike ride led to the rediscovery last week of a rare beetle, not seen in Canberra for more than six decades.
Queensland
Bat warning issued after officials detect three cases of lyssavirus in Queensland in one month
Health officials urge Queenslanders to stay away from bats to avoid contracting the potentially deadly disease.
‘Remarkable’ rare drone footage captures dugongs mating
A beachgoer’s sighting of two dugongs close to the shore may be a sign that the population of the usually solitary marine mammals, considered vulnerable in Queensland, may be recovering.
Newest Reef Guardian Council gets on-board
Tablelands Regional Council signed up to be a Reef Guardian Council for the next four years, joining other councils to drive local action and support a healthy Great Barrier Reef.
South Australia
Oh deer, rabbits aren’t our biggest problem anymore [$]
Millions of deer have already overrun Australia’s east, and now their threat has reached a tipping point in SA.
Kangaroo Island: a place of empty beaches and hidden history
Bruce Pascoe
As this beguiling South Australian island recovers from its devastating bushfires, Bruce Pascoe hopes its Aboriginal past plays a role in defining its future
Tasmania
Tasmanian tiger pups found to be extraordinary similar to wolf pups
Researchers find more similarities between the thylacine and wolf.
When Michael Jacques dives in the Governor Island Marine Reserve off the coast of Bicheno – virtually the only part of Tasmania’s marine environment given complete protection – the difference is instantly noticeable.
Levee Food Co and Rupert and Hound at Seaport call for Tamar River health support
If you’ve noticed large “Fix the Mud” signs popping up in the windows of businesses at Launceston’s Seaport, it’s because they are working together to raise awareness and address issues concerning the health of the Tamar River.
Northern Territory
‘Woefully inadequate’: Indigenous group demands extension to Kakadu mine clean-up
An Aboriginal corporation in Kakadu National Park calls for the rehabilitation timeline for a newly decommissioned uranium mine near Jabiru to be extended by more than a quarter of a century.
Mirarr Traditional Owners welcome end to uranium mining [$]
The Mirarr Traditional Owners have welcomed the end of uranium mining at the Ranger Uranium Mine adjacent to Kakadu National Park
Final siren sounds for workers at Australia’s longest-running uranium mine [$]
When Frank Jia left his home in Beijing, China, nearly 20 years ago with his wife and two baby daughters to work in the Ranger uranium mine he had little idea of what awaited him
Western Australia
Liberals promise $81 million for WA cycle paths [$]
The WA Liberals have planned a cycle path cash splash if they win this year’s election, including $30m to close gaps in path networks along the freeways and Fremantle and Midland rail lines.
Sustainability
Scientists develop a cheaper method that might help create fuels from plants
Chemists, engineers create a key component of bioenergy production in lab
Researchers take key step toward cleaner, more sustainable production of hydrogen
Efficiently mass-producing hydrogen from water is closer to becoming a reality thanks to Oregon State University College of Engineering researchers and collaborators at Cornell University and the Argonne National Laboratory.
India only country to keep commitments on climate change: Prakash Javadekar
Javadekar also claimed that the country is not responsible for climate change, but it is working towards enhancing the generation of solar and renewable energy.
Coal carriers can look forward to a 26m-tonne increase in movements of the black rock by sea this year, although that increase springs off the lower baseline of pandemic-struck 2020.
Scientists discover slimy microbes that may help keep coral reefs healthy
Microbes living within the slimy biofilms of some coral species may help protect the coral against excess nitrogen levels, according to research from MIT and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), in collaboration with colleagues in Cuba.
Deforestation destroyed more than two football fields of Brazil’s Amazon a minute last year
Environmentalists have accused the government of Jair Bolsonaro of encouraging the record levels of deforestation.
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