Post of the Day
New carbon budget framework provides a clearer view of our climate deadlines
Comprehensive method of calculating how much CO2 we can emit and still meet Paris Agreement targets
On This Day
Climate Change
Human activity is responsible for nearly all global warming, new research says
An international team of researchers has found nearly all global warming can be directly contributed to human activity.
New carbon budget framework provides a clearer view of our climate deadlines
Comprehensive method of calculating how much CO2 we can emit and still meet Paris Agreement targets
Green activism mandate in schools [$]
Lessons in climate change, the environment and how to protest will be compulsory subjects at all schools worldwide as part of the Paris Agreement, under plans being developed for this year’s UN climate summit in Glasgow.
Low-carbon policies can be ‘balanced’ to benefit small firms and average households
A review of ten types of policy used to reduce carbon suggests that some costs fall on those less able to bear them – but it also shows these policies can form the bedrock of a ‘green recovery’ if specifically designed and used in tandem.
National
Woodside leads the pack in fossil fuel political donation spree [$]
Georgia Wilkins
A massive cash splash from Woodside Energy has coincided with a run of favourable decisions and pledges from the government.
Lobbyland: ten lobbyists for every MP has democracy on life support
Adam Lucas
The resources industry donated $136.8 million over two decades to Australian political parties. Donations buy a lot of influence, with research showing that for every US$1 spent, the return on investment can be as high as US$220. In return, public policy is moulded to suit the interests of the highest corporate bidders and their lobbyists.
Hao Tan et al
Australian coal exports to China plummeted last year. While this is due in part to recent trade tensions between Australia and China, our research suggests coal plant closures are a bigger threat to Australia’s export coal in the long term.
Victoria
More car trips, extra congestion, slower speeds: the impact COVID has on our commute
The state government has been asked to intervene to stop road congestion and crowding on public transport that could hinder social distancing.
Calls for Victorian duck hunting ban after survey finds most hunters can’t identify birds
Campaigners say the survey shows hunters cannot be trusted to kill the right birds, as pressure builds on the Government — including from senior Labor MPs — to ban the practice.
Lost pigeon puts animal welfare in the spotlight
Jo Wilkinson
The outpouring of concern over what was thought to be a lost American racing pigeon needs to be directed to another Victorian issue.
New South Wales
Snowy project to cut ‘massive swathe’ through national park, NPA says
In an open letter to the Berejiklian government, the association says TransGrid should have detailed other options in its EIS to the building of two giant overhead transmission lines.
Sussan Ley backs NSW on Kosciuszko brumby cull plan [$]
Environment Minister Sussan Ley has backed the NSW government’s plan to cull more wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park, saying state governments can no longer ignore the damage brumbies cause to the ecosystem.
Queensland
Power play: Gold Coast’s electric vehicle fast chargers a world first
World-first fast-charging technology for electric vehicles that is 50 per cent quicker than standard 50kW charging stations and capable of charging two vehicles at once has been installed for electric vehicle drivers on the Gold Coast.
How pandemic proved the ‘bin chicken’ doesn’t need humans for a feed
Ibises did not suffer during pandemic lockdowns because they never relied on humans for their main source of food, an expert says.
South Australia
Dozens of vessels, planes search for tuna to save fishing season
A massive fleet of commercial southern bluefin tuna boats has migrated to the south-east coastline of SA as the industry battles the worst fishing season weather conditions in 10 years.
Zoos going wild for increase in members [$]
Our zoos have taken a COVID financial hit – but more of us are buying memberships.
Calls intensify to stop ‘outdated, cruel’ duck hunting [$]
Three Australian states have banned duck hunting – now the RSPCA and other groups are intensifying calls for SA to do the same.
Cash goes to waste in $30m recycling deal [$]
South Australia has inked a $30 million deal with the Federal Government to boost its recycling industry and create jobs.
Tasmania
Tasmania’s Next Iconic Walk Project: Tyndall Range West Coast
The Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) is exploring options to develop a new West Coast Walk, through the Tyndall Range.
TasRecycle pitches community-led container deposit scheme
Is this model the best container deposit scheme type for Tassie?
Tasmania will introduce a container deposit scheme next year, with concerns raised among a not-for-profit organisation about the type.
Total allowable catch limit for next crayfish season set [$]
The state government has set its crayfish catch limit for next season – but not everyone is happy.
New rangers keep the Instagram generation on the right track [$]
Tasmania’s recent walking boom, pre-COVID-19, is undeniable, with visitors to 14 Parks and Wildlife reference sites alone increasing from 1.1 million in 2014-15 to 1.45 million in 2018-19.
Northern Territory
Powerful NT land council opposes plan for park entry fees over tourism fears
The chief executive of the Northern Land Council says during a global pandemic is not the time for the NT Government to introduce national park entry fees, with traditional owners and tourism operators already exposed to great uncertainty.
Park fees welcomed as ‘a positive’ for Larapinta Trail [$]
Business owners around the Larapinta Trail are welcoming the move to introduce park entry fees saying it will help with essential trail maintenance
Western Australia
Global infrastructure fund lands in Australia to feed gas to energy-hungry remote mines
A US$24 billion American infrastructure fund has established an outpost in Australia with the aim of trucking LNG to diesel-reliant mines in remote Western Australia.
Sustainability
BHP, Glencore and Anglo American face OECD investigation over Colombian coal mine
The OECD is set to investigate alleged human rights abuses and serious environmental pollution at Cerrejon, one of the world’s biggest coal mines.
Global sales of electric cars accelerate fast in 2020 despite pandemic
Sales of electric cars rose by 43% while overall car sales slumped by a fifth last year
Climate and ESG risks hurting 60% of developing countries’ ratings
Roughly 60% of developing countries’ sovereign credit ratings are now negatively affected by environmental, social or governance factors.
More than 400,000 U.S. clean energy jobs have been lost so far during the pandemic
The clean energy sector in the United States lost 429,000 jobs last year due to the economic impacts of Covid-19, with the industry hitting its lowest number of workers since 2015, according to a new analysis of federal unemployment filings.
Electric car batteries with five-minute charging times produced
Exclusive: first factory production means recharging could soon be as fast as filling up petrol or diesel vehicles
Russian chemists developed polymer cathodes for ultrafast batteries
Russian researchers have synthesized and tested new polymer-based cathode materials for lithium dual-ion batteries. The tests showed that the new cathodes withstand up to 25,000 operating cycles and charge in a matter of seconds, thus outperforming lithium-ion batteries. The cathodes can also be used to produce less expensive potassium dual-ion batteries.
Could “Power Walking” fuel the energy revolution? India is ready to step up
India has an energy problem. It currently relies heavily on coal and consumer demand is expected to double by 2040, making its green energy targets look out of reach. Part of the solution could come from harvesting energy from footsteps, say Hari Anand and Binod Kumar Singh from the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies in Dehradun, India.
The head of $3.7 billion Melbourne fund manager Munro Partners has described climate change as the biggest investment opportunity since the advent of the internet.
A sea of rubbish: Ocean floor landfills
The Messina Strait, a submarine bridge separating the island of Sicily from the Italian Peninsula, is the area with the largest marine litter density worldwide — more than a million objects per square kilometre in some parts, according to a new review paper.
For the first time, scientists have successfully used satellite cameras coupled with deep learning to count animals in complex geographical landscapes, taking conservationists an important step forward in monitoring populations of endangered species
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