Post of the Day
Keeping trees in the ground is an effective way to slow climate change
Beverly Law, William Moomaw
Permanently protecting large, mature forests is a faster and cheaper way to stabilize Earth’s climate than complex carbon capture and storage schemes, and more effective than planting new trees.
On This Day
Fast of Esther – Judaism
Climate Change
Carbon tax would be popular with UK voters, poll suggests
Levies on flying, imports and other high-carbon services could raise £27bn a year by 2030, says Zero Carbon Campaign
China’s shock carbon dioxide emissions revealed [$]
China emits more carbon dioxide every 16 days than Australia emits in an entire year, according to new research.
Keeping trees in the ground is an effective way to slow climate change
Beverly Law, William Moomaw
Permanently protecting large, mature forests is a faster and cheaper way to stabilize Earth’s climate than complex carbon capture and storage schemes, and more effective than planting new trees.
The climate crisis shows how rich people blow through their “fair share” of carbon emissions
How the right to pursue happiness through unlimited consumption harms the planet, and our kids.
The risks of communicating extreme climate forecasts
Apocalypse now? The all-too-common practice of making climate doomsday forecasts is not just bad science, it’s also a terrible way to communicate important information.
John Kerry, at U.N., likens climate inaction to a global ‘suicide pact’
John Kerry’s remarks stood in sharp contrast to the American stance under the previous administration, which tried to block even general mentions of global warming at the world body.
Glaciers accelerate in the Getz region of West Antarctica
Glaciers in West Antarctica are moving more quickly from land into the ocean, contributing to rising global sea levels. A 25-year record of satellite observations has been used to show widespread increases in ice speed across the Getz sector for the first time, with some ice accelerating into the ocean by nearly 50%.
Scientists begin building highly accurate digital twin of our planet
A digital twin of our planet is being designed to simulate Earth’s climate system reaching into the future. It is a tool to support policy-makers in taking appropriate measures to better prepare for extreme events.
Biden says U.S., Canada to work toward achieving net zero emissions by 2050
U.S. President Joe Biden says that he and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have agreed to work toward achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
National
Gransolar plans 300MW of big battery projects across SA, Victoria and NSW
Gransolar says the 13 batteries will be up and running by the middle of 2022, concentrated mostly in Victoria and South Australia.
New standards imposed for rooftop solar panels to protect electricity grid
From December all new sales of solar panels and other technologies that connect to the electricity grid will have to comply with new standards.
Copping criticism when you order an almond latte? This could be why
Next time you’re thinking about ordering an almond latte, it might be worth considering how eco-friendly that particular plant-based choice really is because the nut’s production and environmental impact is under hot debate.
Aussie sports stars call for climate action
Some of the nation’s most high profile athletes are calling for greater climate action following the release of a new Climate Council report which finds Australia’s summer of sport is under threat from climate change.
‘Another Juukan Gorge’: First Nations leaders warn laws risk more destruction
First Nations leaders warn necessary protections for Indigenous heritage sites have been excluded from the Morrison government’s proposed environmental reforms, risking another Juukan Gorge.
Charities ‘punished in case they break the law’ [$]
Proposals to give the charities commissioner the power to strip organisations of their charitable status based solely on the belief they might commit a minor offence have been condemned.
Big tech and big media are growing closer together: that’s bad news for climate
Ketan Joshi
As the dust settles in Australia’s media war, big tech and News Corp have grown closer together. The consequences for climate will be very bad.
Bhiamie Williamson and Phoebe Quinn
Disaster resilience and recovery conversations are filled with mentions of “community”, but collapsing various groups together this way fails to acknowledge that people experience disasters differently.
Australia’s solar tsunami to trigger coal collapse
Alan Kohler
Although coal generation must end eventually if we’re to have zero carbon emissions by 2050, the transition to renewables is happening a lot faster than expected, and neither the national grid nor the coal industry is ready for it.
Australia needs a Green Hydrogen Target. Here’s why
Scott Hamilton, Simon Holmes à Court
It has been 20 years since John Howard’s Renewable Energy Target kickstarted Australia’s longest-lasting and most effective climate policy – replacing coal and gas with renewables. Howard’s target was modest, mandating that electricity retailers procure an additional 2 per cent of their energy from renewable sources by 2010.
Let’s show young people generational solidarity by acting on climate change
Susanne Legena
It was the images that flashed across our screens for those long, terrible weeks of the Australian bushfires last summer that became a tipping point for me. Pictures of kids in boats, wildlife destroyed en-masse and birds falling from the sky, of entire ecosystems made uninhabitable. Of course, I had been acutely aware of climate change up until then.
Liberals park pledge becoming a car crash [$]
Matt Johnston
Promising much-needed car parks in under-siege electorates seemed like a great idea at the time but that popular pledge has become one giant headache.
The Texas deep freeze left the state in crisis. Here are 3 lessons for Australia
Tim Nelson and Joel Gilmore
The US state of Texas has this month experienced some of its coldest weather on record. Houston recorded a temperature of -10.6℃, which is around 20℃ below average. And Dallas-Fort Worth recorded its lowest-ever temperature of -18.9℃.
Brazen: Australia plans to build $2 billion concrete airstrip at base in Antarctic
Brian Toohey
While Australia criticises other countries for their expansionist policies, it claims to own 42% of Antarctica. And although citing a “staunch commitment” to environmental protection of the Antarctic, proposes to build a $2 billion concrete aerodrome at its Davis base.
Victoria
COVID hits pause on Melbourne’s population boom [$]
Melbourne will be home to half a million fewer people than forecast in 20 years as the coronavirus pandemic closes the door on migrants.
New South Wales
Underground powerlines ‘not suitable’ for Snowy 2.0 connection, Transgrid says
TransGrid says underground power lines not a viable option for Snowy 2.0 grid connection, as NSW releases EIS for consultation.
Construction begins on northern beaches sea wall despite ‘vexed’ funding issues
Construction of a long-awaited sea wall to protect dozens of homes on Sydney’s northern beaches from major storms has begun, at an average cost of $282,000 per resident.
Beyond the carrot and gun, the government has a new wildlife plan
The NSW government has now developed a five-year restoration strategy to help wildlife recover from devastating bushfires. It has been distributing carrots and shooting feral animals since last year’s massive firestorm.
How animals will be saved from fires
The NSW government has unveiled its plan to protect vulnerable animals and plants from future bushfires.
ACT
Community bulk buy for electric cars coming to Canberra
Canberra’s electric vehicle market could be set for a shake up, with a new way to purchase the cars on its way to the capital.
After years just keeping trees alive, the recent rain has ‘future-proofed’ the National Arboretum
The National Arboretum’s trees struggled to take root, and then were carefully kept alive through drought and bushfire. Now months of good rain has seen its forests explode into life.
Queensland
Cross-sector Energy Council to guide Queensland shift to renewables
Queensland joins NSW and Victorian in establishing a new, cross-sector body to collaborate and advise on state’s shift to 50% renewables by 2030.
Stanwell issues calls for renewable energy deals, as it plans for life after coal
Queensland government owned Stanwell Corporation calls for offers of new wind and solar investment opportunities.
South Australia
PFAS landfill explainer: Your questions answered [$]
A controversial plan to send PFAS-contaminated solid waste to landfill at McLaren Vale has everyone talking – so should we be concerned?
Lost whale tourism could cost Victor dearly [$]
The Victor Harbor community stands to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in tourism income if building a causeway disturbs whales, conservationists warn.
Tasmania
‘We’ve done it!’ … but have we? Experts say new Tasmanian tiger ‘footage’ not a thylacine
‘We found a thylacine’: They’re the words so many of us would love to be true. But if we really want to see a living Tasmanian tiger again, scientists say gene technology is our best bet.
Bunnings to keep selling Tasmanian tree ferns despite campaign from Blue Derby Wild
Bunnings is continuing to sell Tasmanian tree ferns at its garden centres despite a campaign from Blue Derby Wild against the practice of removing them from native forests for distribution by third parties.
Tamar River: West Tamar focused on collaborative solution
Sediment build up and poor water quality may plague zone one of the Tamar estuary, but what happens up the river has its own challenges.
The thylacine that wasn’t even though we wish it was
First Dog on the Moon
Many folk believe the creatures are still out there and look for them regularly
Northern Territory
Northern Territory to trial hydrogen made with ‘water from air’
The technology extracts water from the air, then runs solar-generated electricity through it to create green hydrogen.
Mining slams NT Govt: ‘putting at risk investment in Territory with royalty change’ [$]
The peak body representing the Territory mining industry has slammed the Gunner Government accusing it of putting at risk potential mining investment in the Territory
Parks and Wildlife open interim track access to Glen Helen Gorge [$]
Access to a popular Central Australia swimming spot, Glen Helen Gorge, has reopened after the track was cut off last year when the associated iconic outback lodge closed down.
Western Australia
WA Government investigates possible breach of Aboriginal heritage laws by FMG
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ben Wyatt confirms the WA Government is “officially investigating” a breach of Section 18 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act by iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group, as the company’s CEO says she is “deeply sorry” about the incident.
WA can’t go back to ‘business as usual’ on Aboriginal heritage: Dodson
The disruption of another Pilbara heritage site has triggered calls for the WA government to act quickly after the March election.
‘Destruction by a thousand cuts’: the relentless threat mining poses to the Pilbara cultural landscape
Sarah Holcombe and Bronwyn Fredericks
Just as the parliamentary inquiry into Rio Tinto’s destruction of the Juukan Gorge rock shelters was reconvening in Canberra, another culturally significant site was damaged at one of BHP’s iron ore mines in the Pilbara.
Sustainability
The Asia-Pacific region’s move towards a sustainable, low-carbon energy future is now more critical than ever as it builds back better together from the COVID-19 pandemic, high-level delegates stressed today at the opening of the Third Session of the Committee on Energy, convened by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
Cars of the future: The hype, the high hopes, and the sobering reality
Are everyday driverless, electric cars just around the corner? Is a car sharing revolution underway? Why some of the hype around the future of car travel hasn’t become reality just yet, and the challenges we need to overcome.
Experts call for home battery storage to protect vulnerable during outages
Extreme weather driven by climate change is making power outages more commonplace even as the need for electricity-dependent home health equipment grows. In this context, battery storage can help protect medically vulnerable households, according to researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
Four more US states propose harsh new penalties for protesting fossil fuels
Industry-designed bills to silence climate protests are under consideration in Arkansas, Kansas, Minnesota and Montana. More are likely to come.
The search for life, and an environment in which to thrive, should start here
Rebecca Levingston
If we landed on Mars and met aliens, what would they think of us.
Ten rescued orangutans returned to the wild in Indonesia
Helicopters carried critically endangered great apes deep into forest from rehabilitation centres
Don’t focus on genetic diversity to save our species
Scientists have challenged the common assumption that genetic diversity of a species is a key indicator of extinction risk. The scientists demonstrate that there is no simple relationship between genetic diversity and species survival. But researchers conclude the focus shouldn’t be on genetic diversity anyway; it should be on habitat protection.
Arctic ice loss forces polar bears to use four times as much energy to survive – study
Polar bears and narwhals are using up to four times as much energy to survive because of major ice loss in the Arctic, according to scientists.
As extreme weather events increase, what are the risks to wildlife?
Last year the United States racked up nearly $100 billion in damages from weather and climate disasters. These events are starting to take their toll on wildlife, too.
The world must act to stop Venezuela’s environmental destruction
Cristina V. Burelli, Francisco Dallmeier
The dismantling of Venezuela’s environmental institutions and the collapse of its oil sector have generated a chain reaction of unsustainable natural resource extraction.
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