Date: 9 March 2021 at 8:39:55 am AEDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Mar 9
Post of the Day
Land could be worth more left to nature than when farmed, study finds
Nature-rich sites such as woods and wetlands more valuable because of the ‘ecosystem services’ they provide
On This Day
Climate Change
Climate change already impacting Irish waters
Climate change has already impacted Irish waters, new research has found, with the ocean off the southwest coast likely to become warmer and less salty by the year 2035, thereby harming everyday sea life.
Switzerland’s energy transition [$]
Can Switzerland, as planned, cut its CO2 emissions to zero by 2050? Researchers have investigated what measures would be necessary to achieve this reduction and how much it might cost per …
Atmospheric drying will lead to lower crop yields, shorter trees across the globe
A global observation of an ongoing atmospheric drying — known by scientists as a rise in vapor pressure deficit — has been observed worldwide since the early 2000s. In recent years, this concerning phenomenon has been on the rise, and is predicted to amplify even more in the coming decades as climate change intensifies.
Sea level rise up to four times global average for coastal communities
New research shows that coastal populations are experiencing relative sea-level rise up to four times faster than the global average. The study is the first to analyze global sea-level rise combined with measurements of sinking land.
China’s Five Year Plan disappoints with “baby steps” on climate policy
President Xi offers no “big bang” to get to carbon neutrality, but others say China’s massive renewables pipeline – more than 1,200 gigawatts – is cause for hope.
National
Freedom of information: Coalition’s refusal to reveal national cabinet discussions challenged
Australian Conservation Foundation to file test case to access documents on approvals fast-tracked by federal environment minister
Disclosing climate change risk in bonds a costly challenge: RBA [$]
The government’s debt bill is expected to hit $1 trillion in two years. The RBA says trying to disclose the climate change risks on the ability to repay this would be challenging.
Power grid plans for emissions target [$]
The operator of the nation’s electricity grid has begun planning how to integrate net zero emissions by 2050 target into the system, as the Morrison government faces pressure to formally back the carbon-neutral commitment by the end of the year.
Which types of seafood contain most microplastics — and are they harmful?
Researchers have identified the seafoods that are most likely to contribute microplastics to the Australian diet — but we still don’t know what effect, if any, the tiny particles have on human health.
‘Biodegradable’ plastic will soon be banned in Australia. That’s a big win for the environment
Jenni Downes et al
To start dealing with Australia’s mounting plastic crisis, the federal government last week launched its first National Plastics Plan.
‘Sacred’ Indigenous landmarks are everyone’s to enjoy [$]
Mike O’Connor
Surely it is of greater benefit to enlighten visitors about sacred Indigenous landmarks rather than pressure governments to lock them up. That does not seem to be a welcome to country.
Gas and CCS? Australia needs to move on, and quickly – video
Giles Parkinson
Australia’s major political parties are stuck with old energy technologies. We need them to catch up, and soon.
Electrification: Australia is heading in the wrong direction
David Leitch
There is no single energy significant industry where electricity has gained market share in the past decade.
Victoria
How titans of nature fed Melbourne’s boom [$]
When a Victorian forests inspector led a team deep into uncharted woodland in 1872, what they found would change Melbourne and the state’s forests forever.
Sally Quinn is the co-founder of Green Collect, a social enterprise transforming hard-to-recycle items into useful products, while also employing people who face barriers to work.
Luddite Andrews condemns state to energy misery [$]
Nick Cater
After successfully botching the management of a pandemic, the Andrews government has turned its attention to botching the recovery. Last week, the Victorian parliament not only banned hydraulic fracturing, but locked it into the state’s constitution, effectively depriving Victorians forever of a source of an abundant natural gas. Ludditism has been set in stone.
New South Wales
NSW Nationals claim win in koala stoush as government agrees to remove red tape for farmers
The NSW Liberals and Nationals make a deal on koala protection, giving more concessions to farmers, after the issue threatened to tear the Coalition apart last year.
NSW koala deal ‘will push them to brink’
Conservationists say a new deal struck between the NSW Liberal and Nationals parties will minimise koala protections in rural areas will push the species to the brink.
Sydney’s new cemetery on hold despite burial space running out
The government’s own crisis report has warned the lack of burial space in Sydney is much worse than previously thought.
Black summer ash blankets ocean floor [$]
The NSW south coast still bears the devastating scars of the horror 2020 fire season despite regrowth in the bush.
It is high time Bathurst council respected traditional owners’ wishes and found another site for a go-kart track
Paul Daley
The imposition of the track on a sacred women’s site would be in contempt of local Indigenous sensibility, culture and millennia of Aboriginal history
Queensland
New $1m cash splash to pay visitors to see the Reef
Just a day after offering $200 to visitors of the Great Barrier Reef, the State government has unveiled a $1 million bid to get even more Queenslanders to the natural wonder.
Greenie anger as state drags the chain on SMART drumlines
Conservationists who won a battle to end lethal shark control measures in the Great Barrier Reef marine park say the state has stalled on a court-ordered SMART drumlines trial.
Proposed development on protected wetlands raises community fears
Steve Bishop
Opponents of a plan to build a town on internationally-recognised wetlands and marine park are gearing up for the release of an environmental impact study (EIS) of the project.
South Australia
Flattening bill shock with solar smarts
For consumer technology journalist Stephen Fenech, the decision to install rooftop solar and home batteries just over three years ago was easy once he realised the huge savings he was going to make on his annual electricity bill.
Barmera’s Lake Bonney in line for new picnic, campsites and track upgrades [$]
More than $1m worth of upgrades will help one of SA’s favourite Murray getaway locations cope with the consequences of its popularity.
Pressure builds over Belair National Park soccer fields plan, amid 1500 signature-strong petition [$]
More than 1500 people have joined calls to stop a soccer development at Belair National Park’s former golf course, amid concern about the loss of conservation land.
Could an Australian billionaire unravel Sanjeev Gupta’s green industry vision?
The collapse of an Australian’s investment empire could see Sanjeev Gupta lose a favoured financial backer, complicating his push into green steelmaking.
Tasmania
Sheffield indigenous elder Harold Riley is frustrated at burning policies after escaped fire at Cethana
An indigenous elder is frustrated at burning policies after a Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service fuel reduction burn escaped near Sheffield over the weekend.
Submissions released on review of Tasmanian Planning Commission
Hydro Tasmania believes environmental reporting requirements should be transferred from the Tasmanian Planning Commission to the Environmental Protection Authority – a proposal opposed by the Greens.
‘Worst timing’: Communities irate over forestry burns [$]
The state’s tourism slogan may be Come Down for Air, but local operators are asking whether forestry regeneration burns are tarnishing the brand, with heavy smoke as major events prepare to kick off.
Tasmania ‘dragging the chain’ on single-use plastic ban [$]
The state is lagging behind the rest of Australia in banning single-use plastic products, according to one City of Hobart Alderman.
Premier’s best chance for climate reform
Peter Boyer
The current review of the Climate Change (State Action) Act is Peter Gutwein’s best chance to get Tasmania on the road to a carbon-free economy.
Northern Territory
NT town to get new rubbish tip, but not kerbside recycling, under new strategy [$]
A NT town will get a new rubbish tip – but not kerbside recycling – in a $19m project part of a major new waste management strategy approved by council
‘We know what is sacred’: Native title holders’ fight to protect their treasured ground
Council was days from starting construction on a site considered sacred to the people of this Torres Strait island. A last minute legal bid turned the tide.
Sustainability
Should your next car be electric? The dilemma of the decade for motorists
There are signals from both the automotive industry and politics that a shift away from petrol-powered cars towards electric vehicles is on the horizon. But whether motorists should be buying electric depends on who you ask.
Irrigation management key for bioenergy production to mitigate climate change
To avoid a substantial increase in water scarcity, biomass plantations for energy production need sustainable water management, a new study shows.
Eight ways chemical pollutants harm the body
A new review of existing evidence proposes eight hallmarks of environmental exposures that chart the biological pathways through which pollutants contribute to disease: oxidative stress and inflammation, genomic alterations and mutations, epigenetic alterations, mitochondrial dysfunction, endocrine disruption, altered intercellular communication, altered microbiome communities, and impaired nervous system function.
Pull a synthetic thread, and you may unravel the universe.
PFAS in pesticides: ‘A problem of epic proportions’
“Forever chemicals” are present in multiple common pesticides, according to new testing conducted by an environmental watchdog group and released exclusively to E&E News.
Land could be worth more left to nature than when farmed, study finds
Nature-rich sites such as woods and wetlands more valuable because of the ‘ecosystem services’ they provide
New research shows just how many fish are eating plastic
A new study reveals that certain kinds of fish are more likely to have ingested plastic — including hundreds of species people depend on for food.
Seagrass is a vital weapon against climate change, but we’re killing it
Seagrasses don’t get as much attention as coral reefs, but these “hidden forests” store carbon, keep the water clear and are a vital habitat for marine l…
—
return email, delete it from your system and destroy any copies.