Post of the Day
Australia ranked worst in world on Covid recovery spending on green options
A global program tracking green spending by countries puts Australia at the bottom of the pile for its tiny share of clean stimulus.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
International Day of Action for the Seals
Climate Change
Changing climate brings leaders together to fast track action
Leaders came together this week to share their climate adaptation knowledge and innovations to help supercharge the effort to help communities and the environment adjust to the impacts of climate change in the Murray-Darling Basin.
The number that could shift climate action into overdrive
Scientists argue the US social cost of carbon must be high enough to reflect the full array of climate effects, from near-term pollution to long-term sea level rise.
Mathias Cormann: OECD will now be led by a clean energy and climate wrecker
Ketan Joshi
OECD’s new head is not a climate denier: The reality is much worse: he understands the threat, but has actively worked to make it worse through his policy actions.
In the Netherlands, workers are taking on fossil fuel giants like shell
Malia Bouattia
Today, people across the Netherlands are taking part in the Climate Alarm, a nationwide set of demonstrations demanding action on the climate crisis. Over the last few months, activists, students, teachers, families, and workers have been forming community coalitions, mobilizing people for local protests planned in over forty towns and cities.”
National
The bold plan to detect bushfires within one minute — and extinguish them before they spread
Advancements in satellites, drones and AI are driving big changes in firefighting. Experts say a system that can detect bushfires anywhere in Australia within one minute of ignition is just around the corner.
Australia ranked worst in world on Covid recovery spending on green options
A global program tracking green spending by countries puts Australia at the bottom of the pile for its tiny share of clean stimulus.
Neoen aims for big batteries in every state following success of Tesla big battery
The Tesla big battery at Hornsdale was Neoen’s biggest money spinner in the past year, and the company plans to have big batteries in every state.
‘Like champagne, mate’: how a US kangaroo ban could kill off an Indigenous opportunity
As animal rights groups in America call for an end to imports, Aboriginal people push for a culturally-appropriate industry on country
Australia to miss plastic reduction targets without tougher enforcement, waste industry says
Government review finds no companies have been investigated or penalised over packaging in the past four years
Australia experiences wettest, coolest summer in five years
Australia has experienced its wettest, coolest summer in at least five years due to La Nina.
Hidden sweetener for Australia buried in EU carbon border tax
The climate tariff backed by the EU parliament this week presents many challenges for Australia, but also some opportunities.
Low carbon easier in global stocks than ASX: IFM Investors [$]
Investors are reducing carbon intensity in share portfolios far more easily through global equities than through Australian shares, says IFM Investors.
Shock truth about sale of ‘native’ flowers [$]
They’re as Australian as koalas and kangaroos. But native flowers being sold at some outlets aren’t as dinky di as you might think.
Australian e-scooters’ bumpy ride: ‘Like when automobiles appeared on streets filled with horses’
The popularity of personal mobility devices is surging – as is public opposition to their use
Threatened Australian shark and skates at ‘extreme risk’ of being wiped out
Urgent protections sought as report finds some species, which get caught in trawl nets, may never recover
Nationals shifting on net zero pledge if rural industries unaffected
Nationals leader Michael McCormack says the junior Coalition party is open to supporting a long-term emissions target of net zero without seeking specific exemptions for agriculture as long as the industry is not unfairly affected.
No-one is ‘hoarding’ water in the southern Murray-Darling Basin, new study finds
During the recent drought, irrigation water was so expensive that many farmers could not grow a crop, leading to accusations some were hoarding water to make a profit. But a new study has found no evidence that took place.
Wood heating under threat from elitist eco-warriors [$]
Vikki Campion
To ban wood heating as the cost of electricity ratchets up, and access to affordable power is broken by renewables zealots, fails the first law of government.
It’s time to clean up not start up!
Kerrie-Ann Garlick
On the 10th anniversary of the Australian uranium-fuelled Fukushima nuclear disaster, it is time for a rethink on uranium Australia-wide.
Victoria
Hydrogen production from coal generates export hopes, emissions fears
A Japanese consortium hopes its plant in the La Trobe Valley will prove it is commercially viable to create the gas for export using coal while also capturing the emissions.
AEMO says 19GW of new projects lining up in Victoria to replace dying coal
Yallourn’s closure will take a chunk out of Victoria’s electricity supplies, but a deep pipeline of new wind and solar projects will make up the gap.
Homes hit by solar limits as distributors protect profits
Thousands of Victorian homeowners are being told by solar energy distributors their contribution to the power network will be kept to zero.
‘It looks like snow’: how Australia plans to fix the ‘horrifying’ blight of expanded polystyrene
A study by the Yarra Riverkeeper Association found about half the litter in the river was expanded polystyrene
Recycling habit that could get you in trouble with ’bin police’ [$]
The pandemic has caused an influx of rubbish to residential bins, but instead of more collections, ‘waste police’ will be checking your trash.
Australia must take right path on power plant closures
Tony Wood
The federal government should not give in to any temptation to directly intervene in the closure of Yallourn.
New South Wales
‘Sad outcome’: Council culls dingoes after menacing behaviour around people
Five dingoes die after reports of intimidating behaviour near residents and attacks on pets. But experts say the dingoes were doomed when people started feeding them.
Darling River ecology ‘extinct’ and Murray cod ‘in real trouble’, warns expert
The Darling River is so degraded it can longer support healthy stocks of iconic fish species, including the Murray cod, says one of Australia’s most respected fish scientists.
More than a thousand disposable face masks wash up on Lord Howe Island
The masks are believed to be from containers that fell off a ship in high seas 73 kilometres off the coast of Sydney.
Fake grass may be greener, but much hotter and less friendly to environment
NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes has asked his department to investigate sustainable alternatives to synthetic grass amid growing concerns about its environmental and health impacts.
‘Even little penguins will be affected’: Councils voice concerns about new harbour tunnel
A multi-billion dollar election pledge to build a tunnel under Middle Harbour has raised concern among local councils in Sydney’s north.
Calls for a Great Koala National Park for northern NSW
Mark Graham from Bellingen Nature Tours in an area with one of the densest koala populations in NSW, but which he claims has recently been logged by the Forestry Corporation.
NSW’s koala truce may be temporary as deep divisions remain
Efforts to halt the decline of koalas in the wild in NSW became a little clearer this week but the battle to save the beloved marsupial is more at the “end of the beginning” rather than “the beginning of the end”.
Energy minister backs nuclear option [$]
NSW’s energy minister has said the state is “excited about the opportunities” being afforded by nuclear power as he denied climate policies were leading to the closure of coal-powered plants
‘Expect the same thing’: NSW marine park review stokes conservation fears
The NSW government is preparing a “network management plan” for marine parks stretching from Byron Bay to Batemans Bay, stoking fears from conservationists and recreational fishers about the possible outcomes.
‘Gut-wrenching’ photo reveals country NSW’s mouse plague [$]
A disgusting image has revealed the grim reality of the mouse plague afflicting NSW’s regional areas.
NSW Estimates hears 100% of heritage destruction permits approved last year
Since 2016, over 400 applications to impact or harm Aboriginal heritage sites in New South Wales have been approved by the NSW Government.
Berejiklian government building a wall of woe under the cover of caring
Elizabeth Farrelly
It’s almost dusk and we’re eating out. Surrounded by mature elms, frog-song and the scent of cooling grass we’re on the broad veranda of Palmerston, a charming New England guest house. Our hard decision of the evening is between the seared scallops with Asian slaw and the duck dumplings. First world problems. A few steps away, though, in the dark-panelled hall, carrying the story behind the place betrays a deeper truth. This is blood-soaked soil.
Birth strike: the fertility rate in NSW is set to dive
Matt Wade
The state government has been forced to reassess its expectations for NSW’s fertility rate, and it has big implications for the economy, taxes and the way people live.
John Turnbull
Two weeks ago, I found myself hitting the water on Norfolk Island, complete with a survey reel, slate and camera.
Queensland
Conservationists thought the Gossia gonoclada tree was extinct for nearly 100 years. Now a Queensland council is buying up land to see the endangered species, named after a former premier, thrive.
Virtual solar power plants give Queenslanders power to earn
A Brisbane renewable energy company and a property developer have teamed up to create a community in which the homes recycle energy from solar panels, earning residents extra income.
Calls to wipe criminal records [$]
Troubled kids who turn their lives around should have the opportunity to have their criminal records wiped, a royal commission has heard.
Tasmania
‘Shocking’ mass discovery of dead Tasmanian devils prompts plea for action
A spate of Tasmanian devil deaths in one of their last strongholds has led to calls for an urgent increase in federal funding to help protect the endangered animals.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein labels Hydro privatisation fears ‘completely false’
Premier Peter Gutwein has confirmed the government will not sell Hydro Tasmania in any situation.
Bunnings considering visit to Tasmanian tree fern removal sites in North-East
Bunnings is considering an invitation to visit forestry sites where Tasmanian tree ferns are removed for sale at their outlets, after meeting with an environmental group protesting the practice.
Fuel reduction burns scheduled to start in Launceston
The City of Launceston council will begin its annual fuel reduction burn program from March 15.
Cradle Mountain is the site of new autumn festival, ‘Festival of Fagus’
Cradle Mountain is set to be the site of a new festival this April to May, with two weeks of unique alpine events planned.
Kristen Lang has released a new collection of poems under the title Earth Dwellers
Earth Dwellers is a Tasmanian poet’s way of touching on the importance of ecological restoration for ecosystems that have suffered from humans taking too much.
We are running out of time in this climate emergency, extinction crisis and loss of intact native forests. Meanwhile in Tasmania after flattening native forests in Tasmania, the area is incinerated.
Northern Territory
Asbestos litters this remote Aboriginal community, but study finds health risks are low
A study identifies hundreds of pieces of asbestos in the Galiwin’ku Aboriginal community, 550 kilometres north-east of Darwin. Now a multi-agency group is working to minimise the risks.
Government calls for advice on reducing greenhouse emissions [$]
The Northern Territory government is calling on businesses to provide expert advice and practical steps on how to make our government buildings and assets more energy efficient, and help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions
1h ago
Western Australia
WA election: Former Liberal MPs lash out as party takes stock amid poll wipeout
A “debacle” over its green energy policy, the decision to call for a reopening of the borders at the height of the pandemic and the “toxicity” of the Federal Government backing Clive Palmer’s High Court challenge have all contributed to a generational wipeout for the WA Liberals, former Opposition leader Mike Nahan says.
Sustainability
The NFT market is a ‘wild west’. Is it also bad for the planet?
For all the hype about NFTs, there is concern that as the market expands, so too will the harmful environmental side effects of any product traded on a blockchain.
Over-valued fossil fuel assets creating trillion-dollar bubble about to burst
Major new report warns coal, gas, nuclear and hydro plants are being “severely” over-valued, and are more expensive to run than previously acknowledged.
Small modular reactors not the solution, says German nuclear authority
Two recent reports have concluded that Small Modular Reactors carry enormous risks and will probably never be as cheap as their advocates claim.
Road pollution affects 94% of Britain, study finds
Roads make up 1% of the country but the pollution produced may harm wildlife everywhere
British coal mine backers fear Australian investor will walk [$]
Supporters of the controversial venture worry that Melbourne industry veteran Owen Hegarty might get cold feet, but he’s staying tight-lipped.
Environmental justice plays a key role in Biden’s Covid-19 stimulus package
The rescue plan includes an “unprecedented” $100 million in funding for action on air pollution and environmental health risks in marginalized communities.
Countries tried to curb trade in plastic waste. The U.S. is shipping more
Data shows that American exporters continue to ship plastic waste overseas, often to poorer countries, even though most of the world has agreed to not accept it.
Athens tackles heat and pollution with pocket-sized parks
The Greek capital has started creating “pocket parks”, transforming small plots once ridden with garbage and weeds, in a bid to tackle its chronic pollution.
Graphic: Glyphosate vs. dicamba
The pesticides glyphosate and dicamba, both in products produced by Bayer (formerly Monsanto) have made headlines in the past year as lawsuits mount against the company for damages from these products.
$1 million nurdle spill settlement shines light on plastic pollution during shipping
The legal settlement — among the largest in U.S. history over plastic nurdle pollution — shines a light on ways that a rising wave of plastics manufacturing in the U.S. has impacts far from where the plastic itself is made from oil and gas.
Sailor Emily Penn on why plastic pollution is a women’s issue
Environmentalist Emily Penn is captaining an all-female crew on a voyage to save our seas from plastic. Katie Strick hears why she’s raising awareness of women’s health.
New insulation takes heat off environment
Waste cooking oil, sulfur and wool offcuts have been put to good use by green chemists at Flinders University to produce a sustainable new kind of housing insulation material.
Electricity will beat hydrogen in the household price war
Ketan Joshi
European homes need heat. And the cheapest, lowest emissions way to get there is to use heat pumps powered by renewable electricity.
How the west’s fixation with exotic animals poses new threat in pandemic age
It is tempting to think the pandemic will soon be over. Sadly, that rosy view is not supported by the evidence.
How dirt could help save the planet
The American dust bowl of the 1930s demonstrated the ruinous consequences of soil degradation. Today, we again face the potential for extreme soil erosion, but this time the threat is intensified by climate change.
In the push for marine conservation, partially protected areas are a “red herring”
Compared to fully safeguarded marine protected areas, partially protected areas have little benefit for marine life or people’s enjoyment.
Climate change damaging North America’s largest temperate rainforest, harming salmon
New research found that a remote region of North America’s largest temperate rainforest is experiencing changes to its ecosystem due to climate change.
—
return email, delete it from your system and destroy any copies.