Post of the Day
8 things that need to happen this decade to reach net zero emissions by 2050
Adele Peters
We’re running out of time to hit 2050 goals, but there is a path to get there.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Donald Trump was blunt that he wanted the US out of the Paris Climate Agreement but just 107 days since the nation exited the agreement, Joe Biden has officially returned them to the agreement.
Experts offer roadmap for Biden administration to calculate social cost of carbon in new analysis
The new president and his team are revising the social cost of carbon, a decade-old cost-benefit metric used to inform climate policy by placing a monetary value on the impact of climate change.
Climate change driving increased migration from Central America
This past autumn we witnessed the beginning of what may be one of the most straightforward examples of climate-induced migration in Central America. Around 10,000 people have already attempted to migrate northward after two devastating storms hit, and many more are planning to leave soon.
Facebook ramps up efforts to dispel climate change misinformation
Facebook says it is stepping up efforts to dispute myths and misinformation about climate change, including adding labels to some posts in the UK.
8 things that need to happen this decade to reach net zero emissions by 2050
Adele Peters
We’re running out of time to hit 2050 goals, but there is a path to get there.
‘We have no time to lose’: why Bill Gates is on a planetary crusade
Greg Callaghan
Having grappled with malaria, HIV and Ebola, the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist has set his sights on solving another intractable global problem: climate change.
National
Australia’s battery and hydrogen storage pipeline jumped by massive 20GW in 2020
Number of battery storage and hydrogen electrolyser projects in Australia soared in 2020, rivalling that of solar PV and wind energy as developers bet on a rapid transition to renewables.
Clean Energy Regulator unveils new effort to track corporate carbon offsets
CER seeks feedback on new carbon offset transparency report to drive greater interest in voluntary offsetting amongst Australia’s largest emitters.
‘Every day it’s happening’: Juukan Gorge inquiry told Aboriginal heritage is commonly destroyed
Cultural sites are being lost daily across Australia and stronger legal protections are essential, federal inquiry hears
Kitchens set for a rubbish revolution [$]
Households around the country would be given a kitchen-scraps bin under a plan being considered by the federal government in which a uniform garbage collection scheme would convert rubbish into compost for farmers.
Why do we love koalas so much? Because they look like baby humans
Kevin Markwell
The koala is a much-loved species and lucrative tourism drawcard. Yet, for all its popularity, koalas are forecast to be extinct in NSW within 30 years.
Google’s Sky News Australia team-up will make it a climate misinformation powerhouse
Ketan Joshi
It’s been the busiest week for renewable energy misinformers in recent years. Google’s new partnership with Sky News is going to supercharge the problem.
Propping up dying industry will leave miners in the cold
Letters
Political advocates of coal are misleading industry workers if they say there’s a long-term future for the fossil fuel.
We must hop to it and save our sick wildlife [$]
Graham Lloyd
When tourists stand among the grey kangaroos on Look At Me Now headland to take a selfie in the wild, they probably don’t think too hard about why the animals don’t jump away.
Nationals’ dog whistling on coal must stop
Canberra Times editorial
While much has changed in the four years since Scott Morrison, Barnaby Joyce, and Josh Frydenberg were pictured fondling a piece of lacquered coal in parliament some things have stayed the same.
Victoria
Indigenous names reflect history too [$]
Marcus Stewart
Far from an attempt to erase the past, Indigenous names of places are all part of the rich history of Victoria, and those stories deserve to be told.
New South Wales
Insurance Council of Australia withdraws support from Warrragamba Dam project
The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has withdrawn its support from the controversial Warragamba Dam Wall raising project.
RES 100MW solar farm approved after years-long fight with locals
Plans for a $120 million, 100-megawatt solar farm in the NSW Southern Tablelands have been approved despite hundreds of complaints from locals that it would be an eyesore, clog up the roads, take up good agricultural land and damage the local biodiversity.
Batteries in the street – the new face of storage – Energy Insiders podcast
Ausgrid says one-fifth of the NSW storage target could be met with community batteries located in streets in suburbs.
Locals worry that raising Wyangala Dam will mean that Lake Cowal will fill less often, impacting breeding events for endangered birds.
ACT
As Canberra prepares to roll out its electric bus fleet, a whole fresh set of challenges emerge
The fast-moving technology of electric vehicle batteries has prompted the ACT government to assess different leasing and operational models for its forthcoming 90 electric buses due to be phased in over the next three years.
ACT home battery scheme: More choices for Canberrans wanting to install battery storage at home
Canberrans looking to install battery storage for their home’s electricity supply will have more choices, after additional retailers signed on to an ACT government rebate scheme.
Queensland
Genex needs more time to seal deal for Kidston pumped hydro project
Genex again seeks more time to lock in partners for Kidston pumped hydro project – but its not the only pumped hydro project to run into troubles.
Record growth in Queensland exploration industry expected to continue: QEC
An exploration forum in Brisbane today heard Queensland’s resources industry has grown exponentially over the past decade, and by an incredible 77 per cent in the past three years.
Light rail a ‘no-brainer’ but opposition builds to Coast mass transit plan
Sunshine Coast Council is due to start community engagement on its proposed mass transit system in the next few months, touting it as a sustainable transport solution to deal with the region’s growing pains.
Anglo American wants to go back underground at mystery blast mine [$]
Mining giant Anglo American is pressing the Palaszczuk government to re-enter the Grosvenor coalmine despite being unable to find what caused a methane explosion that could have killed five miners.
Look, but don’t touch! Bushwalkers warned about potentially deadly fungus
The world’s second-deadliest fungus is spotted growing near a popular hiking trail in Far North Queensland, prompting a warning to bushwalkers.
The city becoming southeast Queensland’s rubbish dump [$]
Des Houghton
Decades of state and local government inaction and mismanagement has turned Brisbane’s neighbour into the southeast’s rubbish dump.
Tasmania
Launceston left waiting for two major projects to fix its main waterway
Two major projects to limit sewage discharge into the Tamar estuary still have indefinite timelines for work to start in earnest, despite one having been announced almost five years ago.
Tasmanian forest manager Forico launches 2021-22 Reconciliation Action Plan
An action plan acknowledging the importance of an Aboriginal voice in the management of Tasmania’s forestry resources has been welcomed.
Western Australia
Labor promises 1,000 stand-alone solar, battery and hydrogen microgrids
Western Australia to build and install 1,000 standalone power systems including solar, battery and hydrogen electrolysers, to replace poles and wires and diesel gen-sets, and boost the state’s green manufacturing sector.
WA miner joins hydrogen rush, plans 1GW of wind and solar
Province Resources believes abundant wind and solar make Carnarvon a perfect site for a green hydrogen ‘hub’.
Sustainability
Woodside CEO slammed for ‘cynical’ move to press ahead with Myanmar energy projects after coup
Human Rights Watch accuses the Australian energy giant of sitting back and hedging its bets in its own self-interest instead of joining several Western governments in condemning the junta and its coup.
What caused the blackouts in Texas?
The state’s widespread electricity failure was largely caused by freezing natural gas pipelines. That didn’t stop advocates for fossil fuels from trying to shift blame.
Tourism desperately wants a return to the ‘old normal’ but that would be a disaster
Susanne Becken
With each passing day, the grave future of Earth becomes more stark. The disruption of COVID-19 has not been enough to shift the trajectory, nor has it prompted polluting sectors of the economy to reconsider the harms they inflict on the planet. Nowhere is this clearer than in the global tourism sector.
Texas tragedy reveals three important reasons to take up the nuclear option [$]
Chris Kenny
The climate and energy debate swirled into a tragic and deadly reality in Texas this week. Millions of people were stuck without electricity and families were killed when fires lit for warmth burned down houses, or they were poisoned by carbon monoxide when they ran cars in garages or generators indoors to stave off the cold.
How Biden could use foreign and trade policy to protect the Amazon
To tackle rising deforestation in the Amazon, experts urge U.S. climate diplomacy to focus on trade policies, economic incentives and new coalitions.
Biden administration kick-starts review of Trump’s national monument cuts
The president has vowed to “reverse the Trump administration’s assaults on America’s natural treasures.”
The unexpected benefits of surfing
Surfers and the marine life of the coasts have a lot in common – including that they depend on the ecosystems that make their lives, or sport, possible.
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