Post of the Day
Renewables will deliver all but “last mile” reductions needed for net zero target
International Renewable Energy Agency urges global ramp-up of wind and solar, because it will deliver 90% of all emissions reduction needed for 1.5°C climate goal.
On This Day
Saint Joseph’s Day – Western Christianity
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Renewables will deliver all but “last mile” reductions needed for net zero target
International Renewable Energy Agency urges global ramp-up of wind and solar, because it will deliver 90% of all emissions reduction needed for 1.5°C climate goal.
Tackling gender inequality is crucial for climate adaptation
Coronavirus – and its many lockdowns – has led to women around the world doing more domestic chores and family care; employment and education opportunities for women are being lost.
Why cloud seeding won’t reverse climate droughts
Scientists are investigating an unconventional way to combat climate-driven drought in the western U.S.: spraying clouds with special particles to make them dump more snow.
Time is running short – but we can get a grip on the climate crisis
Alok Sharma
Today’s targets are nowhere near enough, we must speed up change and halve global emissions in the next decade
Sea levels are rising fastest in big cities – here’s why
Sally Brown and Robert James Nicholls
It is well known that climate-induced sea level rise is a major threat. What is less well know is the threat of sinking land. And in many of the most populated coastal areas, the land is sinking even faster than the sea is rising.
National
Prime Minister Scott Morrison failed to meet the required terms for his attendance at a global leaders climate summit last December, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab confirms to the ABC.
‘Makes complete sense’: Solar battery uptake booms during coronavirus
Australia’s uptake of household battery systems rose 20 per cent last year despite the COVID-19 crisis, showing the clean energy shift is gaining pace.
Department of Industry’s $10m reliable energy infrastructure grants program flawed: ANAO
The process behind a $10 million ad hoc energy grants program was flawed, the audit office has found, after failing to identify risks or declare conflicts of interest along with the absence of appropriate processes.
Cleaning up chemical confusion to fight pollution
The Morrison Government has delivered ground-breaking improvements to the way environmental risks from chemicals are managed in Australia with the passing of the Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Bill 2020 in Parliament today.
Stats of Convenience: Morrison selling his climate spin to rest of the world
Michael Mazengarb
Morrison deploys his usual spin on Australia’s climate efforts in call with US special envoy John Kerry, but will the world fall for it?
The history of Australia’s false claim that its 2030 climate targets are world leading
Ketan Joshi
Australia’s government is justifying climate inaction on a six-year-old document that misses the entire point of emissions reductions.
Murray-Darling Basin summit a laughable response to finding of gross negligence
Richard Beasley
All Australians should be outraged that the Murray-Darling Basin Authority told the CSIRO to effectively stick its expert scientific advice when preparing the Basin Plan.
Victoria
Trees can curb urban heatwaves
Regions with higher levels of vegetation are cooler regardless of population density, according to Monash University’s temperature check report.
Doubling of wind power generation blowing gas out of the mix in Victoria
A doubling of wind energy capacity on the Victorian grid since 2017 has created a unique generation profile that has been particularly tough on gas.
‘Breathtaking hypocrisy’: Backlash over Arthurs Seat quarry plan
A prominent Victorian philanthropic organisation is facing a strong backlash over its plans to expand a disused quarry adjacent to Arthurs Seat State Park on the Mornington Peninsula and remove about 38 hectares of native bushland.
Users say electric vehicle tax is a ‘disincentive’ to go green
The Victorian government yesterday introduced new legislation to Parliament to impose a tax on electric cars and other zero-emissions vehicles, but electric-vehicle owners say taxing them by the kilometre could hurt a movement to go green.
Jobs saved as Portland smelter gets its lifeline [$]
The future of Victoria’s Portland aluminium smelter has been secured, saving 500 jobs and bringing an end to looming fears the facility would be axed.
How much you’ll save by cycling to work [$]
This is how much money Melburnians could save each year by switching from driving to cycling.
One farmer’s 60-year mission to protect three nests of rare malleefowls
Trevor Wyatt has been guarding the nests of one of Australia’s most elusive birds since he was a boy — yet he’s never seen a newly hatched chick. He’s hoping that will change this year.
Spekboom plant could help Bendigo battle climate change
By day this plant is an unassuming succulent in a garden pot, by night it is a carbon guzzling superhero helping fight climate change.
Melbourne’s real-world impact on climate change
Sarah Marinos
A new initiative bringing together multi-disciplinary climate change experts is focused on finding effective global solutions in Australia and beyond
New South Wales
Meet the mother-daughter duo fighting to save their culture from being drowned
Gundungurra Women Kazan Brown and her daughter Taylor Clarke are taking on the NSW government’s plan to raise Sydney’s Warragamba Dam.
‘Falls short’: Sydney Water’s environmental record criticised over sewage spill
Sydney Water is criticised in a Sydney court over its environmental record and fined for releasing nearly 3 million litres of raw sewage into the Parramatta River in 2018.
‘Another blow’: Fears over koala habitat veto for Barilaro’s office
The top bureaucrat in the office of Deputy Premier and Nationals leader John Barilaro will have the final say over contested koala habitat under new laws, prompting fears the vulnerable species may face an even bleaker future.
ACT
Calls for independent assessment of cultural significance of Mt Ainslie development site
Protesters have gathered at the site of a luxury apartments development calling for further investigation into its cultural significance.
‘Leading the way’: Morrison govt MP praises ACT’s electric car policies
A federal Liberal backbencher has praised the ACT’s electric vehicle policies as nation-leading, as she suggested the federal government consider axing a tax to help drive the uptake of zero-emissions cars nationally.
Cane toad found in Canberra at Yarralumla Wholesale Nursery
A cane toad has been detected in Canberra, but authorities say there is little risk more will follow.
Queensland
David Luke just wants to run his cattle station. But living near the Carmichael Mine has made that far from easy.
Report reveals feasibility study of Collinsvale coal-fired power plant did not meet two of the eligibility requirements
Qld win as Origin Energy inks ‘green’ hydrogen deal with Korean steel giant
The steel sector generates more than 8 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
‘Every time a greenie stops a Queensland mine, Putin celebrates’
Former resources minister Matt Canavan says Queensland coal mines should increase production to “deal with climate change”, as cheap Russian coal threatens to flood the market.
E-scooter revolution: Why Brisbane can’t afford to go over the handlebars
Rebecca Michael
For e-scooters to work, we need footpath upgrades, separated cycle and scooter paths and facilities at public transport hubs that support end-to-end journeys.
South Australia
Legal bid to stop drilling at sacred Lake Torrens Aboriginal site
An Aboriginal group launches a bid for a judicial review into a decision by the South Australian Premier to allow a minerals exploration project on a sacred site in outback SA.
Amateur anglers on the hook for fish licences, fees [$]
The state’s key recreational fishing advisory group is now formally looking into an official registration scheme for all SA anglers.
Tasmania
STT logging will impact mountain bike trails
Statement – Blue Derby Wild
Over 8 million dollars of federal grants have been sunk into the mountain bike trails around the Blue Derby network.
Northern Territory
Northern Land Council expected to make East Alligator River call in the coming days [$]
Recreational fishing stakeholders have been told a decision by Traditional Owners to allow access to parts of the East Alligator River will be made in the coming days.
Western Australia
Western Australia sets new record for wind and solar share, and minimum demand
Western Australia sets a new record for wind and solar share in its stand-alone grid, while the growth in rooftop solar pushes grid demand to a record low the following day.
WA green groups charged up over introduction of new climate action minister
New climate action minister Amber-Jade Sanderson with Mark McGowan.
Conservation Council of WA Director Piers Verstegen was confident the new portfolio signalled the state government was ready to embrace climate change action.
Mark McGowan’s win a potential victory for Australian climate goals
David Ritter
Labor’s landslide victory in the WA Election could mean a greener future for the state and hopefully inspire the Federal Government to do better.
Sustainability
Billions without clean water and sanitation, a ‘moral failure’: UN General Assembly President
Access to water is not just about “liquid in a bottle” but instead touches on universal issues such as dignity, opportunity and equality, the UN General Assembly President said on Thursday, in opening a high-level meeting on ensuring water and sanitation are available to all.
Indoor air pollution isn’t getting the attention it deserves
It is estimated that nearly half of deaths caused by poor air quality (3.8 million) are due to indoor air pollution.
Air pollution kills millions every year, like a ‘pandemic in slow motion’
Dirty air is a plague on our health, causing 7 million deaths and many more preventable illnesses worldwide each year. But the solutions are clear.
We have human rights, should the Moon have rights too?
Some say we should give the Moon its own rights, to protect it from us meddling humans. But what would these rights be? And would they achieve anything?
The race to scale up green hydrogen to help solve some of the world’s dirtiest energy problems
Hydrogen has long been hailed as a potentially revolutionary alternative to fossil fuels, but high costs have been problematic. Now, “low carbon hydrogen” is back on the table.
Why petrol and diesel cars may soon be too costly to buy and maintain
Leading analyst says the price of electric vehicles will fall to around $5,000 or below, in the not too distant future, making petrol and diesel cars too costly to buy and maintain.
Plummeting sperm counts, shrinking penises: toxic chemicals threaten humanity
Erin Brockovich
The chemicals to blame for our reproductive crisis are found everywhere and in everything
Is temporary the new permanent? COVID street experiments open our eyes to creating better cities
Helen Rowe
Over the past year, many of us have enjoyed outdoor dining in spaces that would otherwise have been car parks or part of the road. These spaces are one example of the temporary projects that popped up to help cities in Australia and around the world adapt to COVID. These quickly installed projects have met our changing needs for space for walking, cycling, public space and, of course, dining to help businesses to stay afloat.
The human right that benefits nature
More than 100 constitutions across the world have adopted a human right to a healthy environment, which is proving to be a powerful way to protect the natural world.
Protect our ocean ‘to solve challenges of century’
Protecting the ocean has a triple whammy effect, safeguarding climate, food and biodiversity, according to new research.
More than 430 manatees have perished in 2021. Why are they dying?
Scientists are searching for answers as to why more Florida manatees have died in the first two months of 2021 than in most of 2020.
Oceans need protection now. A new blueprint may help countries reach their goals by 2030
Giving the ocean space to recover promises to help declining fish populations recover, restore habitat, and help save the climate, according to a new plan to save the seas.
—
return email, delete it from your system and destroy any copies.