Post of the Day
Science-based climate targets are getting real results
An analysis of more than 300 companies found good news: So far, targets designed to avoid worst-case global warming scenarios are getting results.
On This Day
Tu Bishvat – Judaism
Thaipusam – Tamil Hinduism
International Mobilization Day against Nuclear War
Climate Change
Almost two thirds of respondents in a global UN survey say the world faces a climate emergency
The findings suggest the grassroots global climate movement that surged onto the world stage in 2019 is still gaining momentum, even if a raging pandemic has obscured its scope.
Science-based climate targets are getting real results
An analysis of more than 300 companies found good news: So far, targets designed to avoid worst-case global warming scenarios are getting results.
Coronavirus debt crisis undermines climate change finance
At a global summit, pressure grows for debt relief to help the green recovery.
Climate crisis: world is at its hottest for at least 12,000 years – study
Scientists say temperatures globally at highest level since start of human civilisation
Earth is now losing 1.2 trillion tons of ice each year. And it’s going to get worse.
Two new papers reveal the growing toll that human-caused global warming is having on the planet’s ice.
Carbon: Getting to net zero — and even net negative — is surprisingly feasible, and affordable
Reaching zero net emissions of carbon dioxide from energy and industry by 2050 can be accomplished by rebuilding U.S. energy infrastructure to run primarily on renewable energy, at a net cost of about $1 per person per day, according to new research.
More than just CO2: It’s time to tackle short-lived climate-forcing pollutants
Climate change mitigation is about more than just CO2. So-called ‘short-lived climate-forcing pollutants’ such as soot, methane, and tropospheric ozone all have harmful effects. Climate policy should be guided by a clearer understanding of their differentiated impacts.
New research suggests projections of future warming may be too conservative
David Spratt
Two recently published pieces of research suggest the world is likely to warm more than current projections.
National
New projects are being announced all the time in the grid-scale battery arms race but concerns are being raised over a patchwork approach which has seen some states go at it alone in their pursuit of more aggressive emissions targets.
Australia needs to cut emissions by at least 50% by 2030 to meet Paris goals, experts say
A 2030 target of between 50% and 74% is needed to limit global heating to 2C and 1.5C respectively, the Climate Targets Panel says
Anthony Albanese to bump Mark Butler out of the climate portfolio in weekend reshuffle
The move comes after rightwinger Joel Fitzgibbon quit the frontbench in late 2020 arguing Labor should be less ambitious on climate change
Six of the 10 unprovoked shark attack deaths last year were in Australia
International report attributes spike in deaths in Australia to ‘chance’, saying the country’s 18 unprovoked attacks in 2020 was only slightly above average
Biden’s new climate chief says Australian bushfires were a warning to the world
In a call to action ahead of the Glasgow climate summit, the US President’s special envoy also criticised gas as a transition fuel.
Electrifying federal govt’s fleet of cars would cost $200 million
Converting the Commonwealth’s fleet to electric vehicles would benefit the environment, save money on fuel and help second-hand car buyers, the Greens say.
Corporations purchased record 24GW of renewables in 2020
Despite the absurdity and mountain of adversity that was 2020, corporations around the globe purchased a record 23.7GW of clean energy.
Supermarkets and telcos lead Australian corporate push into wind and solar
Major retailers led the charge into the corporate renewable PPA market last year, underpinning a record number of projects.
Australian miners poised to gain from Biden’s energy makeover [$]
Rare earths group Lynas’ Pentagon deal is just the start for Australian miners as the Biden administration pushes renewables and EVs.
Coalition split over new coal power station [$]
Scott Morrison’s most senior ministers are split over subsidising a new coal-fired power station, after Josh Frydenberg rejected Nationals demands for the government to support a “modern” plant in the NSW Hunter Valley.
Review of foreign donations bill puts charities on alert
Civil society organisations are being urged to make a submission to a new parliamentary inquiry
Saving coal-fired power stations will only make Australia worse off [$]
Jason Falinski
The idea of saving failing firms and sectors through protectionism is older than economics itself, and so are the inevitable outcomes.
Coal push from Nationals is a challenge for Scott Morrison
Michelle Grattan
Nationals who attend Thursday’s memorial service in Tweed Heads for Doug Anthony, who died last month aged 90, may muse on the contrast between the state of their party when he led it and now.
We must change to battle climate change
Nicola Philp
Coronavirus has showed we can all work together to tackle a problem. We must do that now with climate change.
The verdict on Australia’s emissions targets: catastrophic
John Hewson
Leading scientists have taken the government’s own figures and found it’s overspent so much of Australia’s carbon budget that it now needs to cut emissions to half of 2005 levels by 2030.
The climate really has changed for big investment funds [$]
John Durie
Tesla’s equity market value of $US834.9bn is as much as the nine biggest global carmakers combined, even though this year’s expected output of 500,000 cars represents just 1 per cent of total vehicle sales.
Has Biden’s green revolution done Morrison a climate favour? [$]
Alan Mitchell
Joe Biden’s aggressive global agenda gives Scott Morrison the opportunity to get ahead of the game. A politically digestible carbon price is needed to cut emissions at the lowest cost to the economy.
Butler dumped as Labor’s climate opposition collapses at a truly pivotal moment
Ketan Joshi
Labor to dump Mark Butler as its opposition to Morrison’s inadequate climate and energy policies evaporates.
Barnaby Joyce shows why a Coalition government may never embrace climate action
Sophie Vorrath
For all the uncertainty in the world right now, you can set your watch by National Party elder Barnaby Joyce’s inflammatory and unsubstantiated claims that renewable energy is behind every glitch in the national electricity market.
Victoria
Animal rights group raise concerns over Grampians dingo plan
A proposal to reintroduce dingoes into the Grampians has divided public opinion, with an animal rights group warning the native predators would be at risk of being poisoned or shot.
Why mattresses are being dumped on Melbourne streets [$]
A record number of dumped mattresses were collected by Melbourne street cleaners across in 2020. Here’s the reason for the surge.
New South Wales
‘Too easy to just throw out’: The ‘untapped’ opportunity in your old bedsheets and clothes
Participants in a NSW textile recycling trial have donated more than 1,600kg of unwanted fabrics in the space of a month and organisers say they’re overwhelmed by the response.
Thousands of vehicles flooding Sydney roads to avoid toll
Thousands of extra cars and trucks are flooding onto arterial roads in Sydney’s south since a new toll was imposed on the M5 East Motorway, internal government documents reveal.
South Australia
SA renewables hit high mark in 2020
South Australia recorded its best year for renewable grid contribution in 2020 with the coronavirus causing little impact on the state’s overall energy consumption, according to data from the National Energy Market.
Causeway work likely to scare off whales, scientists warn [$]
Conservationists say noisy pile-driving work on the Granite Island causeway should not be allowed during the whale season.
Mid-north’s $350m wind farm a step closer [$]
Hundreds of jobs will be created if planning bosses give a green light to a $350m Mid North wind farm and big battery project.
Climate change ‘not a planning priority’ [$]
A new planning code for SA’s future is meant to replace 72 existing ones – but a review finds it doesn’t account enough for the effects of climate change.
Tasmania
Meander Valley Council writes to DPIPWE about rabbit overpopulation
The Meander Valley Council has written to the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment requesting a solution for the increased population of European rabbits at Westbury.
Research finds orange-bellied parrot wings change in captivity, could affect wild survival chances
Research has found the wing shapes of captive orange-bellied parrots differ from their wild counterparts, suggesting a potential reason for the low survival rate upon release for the critically endangered migratory Tasmanian bird.
Woodside moves on hydrogen in Tasmania
Woodside and Tas Gas have signed a non-binding agreement to assess the potential of blending green hydrogen in the Tasmanian gas network.
Northern Territory
‘Come talk to us’: Landholders along gas pipeline route angered [$]
Landholders who could be impacted by the proposed Darwin to Tennant Creek gas pipeline say they are being ‘kept in the dark’ about the route, claiming there has been no community consultation weeks away from a study being completed.
Major new walking track proposed for Uluru wins support [$]
The company that operates Ayers Rock Resort is broadly in favour of a newly proposed 40km tourist walking track established between Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
Western Australia
New renewable energy plant to be built in Collie [$]
A new renewable energy plant which turns landfill waste into energy will be built in the WA mining town of Collie.
Sustainability
Joe Biden to freeze public oil and gas drilling, boost wind power in series of executive orders
Joe Biden will order a freeze on public oil and gas drilling and boost offshore wind power as he embarks on the most wide-ranging effort to tackle climate change of any US president.
DuPont won’t face prosecution over birth defects linked to Dordrecht plant
Chemicals company DuPont will not face criminal prosecution for allegedly poisoning a number of female workers at its Lycra factory in Dordrecht, the Volkskrant said on Monday.
Science and plastics: Solutions for pollution in the works
Los Alamos National Laboratory is helping lead the charge, along with four Department of Energy research laboratories and four universities.
Fashion trends are often recycled. Now more clothing can be, too
Designers and tech start-ups are working to improve sustainability and interrupt the path to the landfill.
Lockdown saw historic drops in global emissions in every sector – except for sports utility vehicles, or SUVs. What does that mean for the climate?
EU lawmakers back tougher measures to cut waste, require greener products
Lawmakers in European Parliament’s environment committee called for stricter EU measures to stop materials being thrown away or wasted, including binding requirements to include recycled content in products and curb raw materials use.
Chart of the day: European wind and solar share vs Australia
How does Australia fare in the European renewable energy stakes? 2020 was a great year for renewables, so competition is tough.
Why consumers and communities should be at heart of clean energy transition
A new initiative from the world’s energy agency promises to enhance action on just transitions and community energy.
Key switchgrass genes identified, which could mean better biofuels ahead
Biologists believe they are one step closer to a long-held goal of making a cheap, widely available plant a source for energy and fuel, meaning one of the next big weapons in the battle against climate change may be able to trace its roots to the side of a Texas highway.
Scientists find ‘alarming’ global decline in sharks and rays
The past 50 years have seen the number of sharks and rays in the world’s oceans drop by more than 70 per cent, a new study has shown.
Scientists address myths over large-scale tree planting
Scientists propose 10 golden rules for restoring forests to maximise benefits for the planet.
Mangrove forests at serious risk of disappearing, loss of species
Although existing laws prohibit any destruction and pollution of wetlands and forests, the mangrove ecosystems in southern Iran are in serious danger due to the construction of roads and shrimp farming sites.
Brazil proposes cuts to 2021 budget for environmental protection as deforestation spikes
Brazil’s government under President Jair Bolsonaro is proposing the smallest budget for environmental protection in at least 13 years despite soaring destruction of the country’s Amazon rainforest, according to data from non-profit Contas Abertas.
Major discovery helps explain coral bleaching
A scientist has made a major breakthrough in the understanding of coral bleaching — a process that causes corals to lose their color and eventually leads to their death. The process is triggered by warmer ocean temperatures, and, according to the study, it begins much earlier than previously thought. The bleaching apparently results from a disturbance in the metabolic equilibrium between corals and their symbiotic algae, which feed them and give them their color.
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