Post of the Day
This map shows the gaps between who is causing climate change and who is suffering from it
The areas with highest emissions and the areas with highest temperature increases are not the same places.
On This Day
Climate Change
Move faster to cut emissions, developing world tells rich nations
More than 100 poorer nation governments demand action from rich world before Cop26 climate talks
Arrival of land plants changed Earth’s climate control system
In a new study, published in the journal Nature, researchers looked at samples from rocks spanning the last three billion years and found evidence of a dramatic change in how the carbon cycle functioned about 400 million years ago, when plants started to colonise land.
This map shows the gaps between who is causing climate change and who is suffering from it
The areas with highest emissions and the areas with highest temperature increases are not the same places.
Nearly half of Americans say climate change has become a bigger threat
The increase in sea levels, extreme weather, and wildfires, some of it the result of climate change, has made nearly nearly half of Americans feel more threatened by the changing climate, a poll finds.
Google CEO: ‘Bar none’ climate is young people’s top concern
Google’s dedicated “sustainability” landing page is where the tech giant outlines its goals to combat climate change — like being carbon free by 2030 — and shows status reports on its environmental efforts, such as making a “hyperlocal” air quality map.
Europe is provoking the world with its controversial plan to fight climate change
Stephen Bartholomeusz
The European Union has announced the world’s most ambitious response to climate change, and the US and China are not far behind.
The climate-change agenda goes out with a bang
Joseph C. Sternberg
Climate politics seem to be undergoing a rapid and significant shift in many places, and not in the direction environmental activists hoped.
National
‘People don’t have time to search’: how clear instructions could help Australians recycle better
Most of us believe that recycling is important – but many find figuring out how to do it properly confusing
Engineered stone has become popular in homes across Australia — but it’s left a deadly legacy
Engineered stone benchtops have transformed kitchens and bathrooms across Australia, but the number of people being diagnosed with a serious lung condition after working with it is continuing to rise at an alarming rate.
Not engaging isn’t the answer’: Australia under pressure as US follows EU lead on carbon tariffs
Experts and opposition MPs say Australia should work with Europe on new imports scheme instead of criticising
Industry ‘can live with EU tax slug on carbon’ [$]
Emissions-intensive industries say they can withstand the economic hit inflicted by Europe’s new carbon border taxes as one of the nation’s leading business figures called on Scott Morrison to consider imposing his own climate tariff regime.
Australia’s biggest emitter and coal generator says its customers are “strong green”
AGL’s next CEO says energy policy should be guided by customers – and says one-third of the coal generator’s customers are “strong green.”
Authorities should keep the term ‘shark attack’ says victims group
Authorities should take care not to remove “attack” from the lexicon used to describe incidents between sharks and humans, according to an organisation that represents victims.
Dutch defenders: The queen bees helping to safeguard Australia’s honey bees
Special bees from Holland are being imported into Australia to fight a deadly pest that has ravaged bee colonies around the world.
From coal to inverters, AEMO’s engineering vision is ambitious and necessary
Gabrielle Kuiper
This is AEMO’s sunshot – an ambitious plan to develop and deploy the systems and technologies that will make 100 per cent renewables happen.
From G7 to COP26: A path forward for the Global South
Justin Locke et al
The Global South is pissed off. And rightly so. Developing countries have borne the brunt of climate change and now COVID-19 related health impacts and economic contractions.
The Coalition is sinking in the uncharted waters of the Murray Darling
David Shearman
Deals between the Liberal and National parties could further imperil water policy and spell a dark future for the climate and sustainability efforts.
Crikey Talks: Addressing climate change isn’t simple, but there are solutions [$]
Amber Schultz
Environmentalists can often feel like they’re fighting a losing battle. But change is occurring and support is growing, as our latest Crikey Talks subscribers event outlined.
EU carbon border tax is a warning to Australia: cut emissions or lose exports
Emma Beal and Luke Heeney
If we play our cards right, this could be an opportunity and our emerging low-carbon industries – such as green steel, aluminium and lithium – will thrive.
Europe’s controversial carbon plan could be a global game-changer
Nick O’Malley
Australia has already repeated its opposition to the bloc’s proposed carbon tariffs, which could be introduced as soon as 2023.
Scott Morrison is irresponsible to duck debate on climate bill
John Hewson
The Morrison Government is employing both whitewashing – to intentionally hide its irresponsibility on climate – and greenwashing – to falsely create the impression that it has a climate transition strategy – with little substance just hubris and spin.
Trade war looms as EU and US plan carbon border tax [$]
Australian editorial
Australia can expect to be targeted in any carbon-based global trade war but is best sticking to its longstanding principled support for open markets and free trade.
It’s time to face up to global reality on carbon [$]
Nick Evans
The EU’s carbon border tax poses almost no immediate threat to Australia’s exports but it does highlight the growing gulf between Australia and its European trading partners on carbon policy.
Climate denial still features in fossil fuel-funded education materials
Ketan Joshi
The fossil fuel industry has long used its influence on education to downplay climate threats. It’s getting worse, and is even turning up at Questacon.
Victoria
Council scraps fortnightly landfill collection
Inner-city councils leading a push to introduce fortnightly waste collection to divert it from landfill are facing fierce opposition.
New machine to recycle pesky styrofoam [$]
Unsure what to do with those outdated takeaway food containers or packaging from electrical goods? A new recycling centre in the city’s north has the answer.
New South Wales
Boom in recreational fishing having major impact on seabirds, say wildlife rescuers
Wildlife rescuers on the New South Wales north coast say there has been a dramatic spike in the number of seabirds being injured by fishing tackle.
Miners up ante in Newcastle port coal row [$]
Hunter Valley coal producers have banded together and written to the Port of Newcastle requesting it to enter into collective negotiations on terms and conditions for access amid an escalating dispute over the port’s monopoly powers.
Queensland
Scientists dismiss Warren Entsch’s claim warm water from northern hemisphere is damaging reef
Coalition’s Great Barrier Reef envoy also said Australia was a ‘victim of our own success’ when it came to coral bleaching
Me and Ms Jones – Why rich-lister and ex-minister teamed up to save our Reef
When Kate Jones left politics at last year’s state election, she was touted as everything from a Lord Mayoral candidate to CEO of the Brisbane Broncos. Instead she’s joined one of Queensland’s wealthiest men in a quest to save the state’s greatest natural asset
Kate Fraser
This week, international ambassadors will take a snorkelling trip to the Great Barrier Reef as part of the Australian government’s efforts to stop the reef getting on the world heritage “in danger” list.
Tasmania
Cultural assessment dooms Tasmanian Government’s Tarkine tracks plan
A cultural assessment has doomed the Tasmanian Government’s plan to reopen three four-wheel-drive tracks in the Tarkine region.
Extinction Rebellion defendants plead guilty, fined over climate protest
Activists have fronted court and pleaded guilty to charges relating to environmental protests last month.
Officials sound alarm over wind farm’s threat on devil population [$]
Federal environment officials have expressed serious reservations about a proposed wind farm on Robbins Island which they say could pose a major threat to a Tasmanian devil colony.
Sustainability
How to get the link between executive pay and climate right
The number of ASX 100 companies that include environmental measures in short-term bonus calculations is set to double this year.
US planned coal fired retirements now total nearly 120GW of capacity
Planned coal generator retirements leap as utilities adjust to influx of cleaner and cheaper wind, solar and battery storage.
Explainer: How offshore floating wind farms work
Floating offshore wind farms are becoming a commercial technology, but there are still technical challenges that need to be solved.
International team of scientists turns methane into methanol at room temperature
A “tantalizing” principle borrowed from nature turns harmful methane into useful methanol at room temperature. With their latest study, U.S. and Belgian scientists have brought this process an important step closer to realization.
Removing the lead hazard from perovskite solar cells
Although a very promising solution for capturing solar energy, perovskite solar cells contain lead, which is toxic to the environment and a serious health hazard. EPFL scientists have now found a very elegant and efficient solution by adding a transparent phosphate salt that doesn’t interfere with light-conversion efficiency while preventing lead from seeping into the soil in cases of solar panel failure.
5 big trends in sustainability, per Al Gore’s investment firm
From the increase of net-zero goals to the rise of the 15-minute city, sustainability is growing—but not fast enough.
Report: Appalachian states face billions in mining cleanup
The cleanup and reclaiming of coal mines in seven Appalachian states will cost billions, and Kentucky and West Virginia have the largest bills coming due, according to an environmental group’s new report.
Make profit, not pollution: How businesses turn trash into cash
A lifetime of indiscriminate disposal of plastics can be detrimental to the ocean, marine life and landfills that could leak toxic pollutants to food and water systems.
Study: Financial markets ignore environmental damage
Credit-rating agencies say they can discipline companies that behave badly, but research reveals negligible progress.
What’s wrong with free parking at work?
Subsidizing employer-paid parking clogs streets, boosts emissions and isn’t fair to commuters who can’t use this perk. But there’s an easy way to fix it.
Oil is on the road to oblivion but can still shock the global economy
Jeremy Warner
Oil may be fast heading for redundancy but it may have a one last sting in the tail for the world economy.
Why we need engineers who study ethics as much as maths [$]
S. Travis Waller et al
The recent apartment building collapse in Miami, Florida, is a tragic reminder of the huge impacts engineering can have on our lives. Disasters such as this force engineers to reflect on their practice and perhaps fundamentally change their approach. Specifically, we should give much greater weight to ethics when training engineers.
Nature Conservation
Will dams spoil one of Europe’s last wild rivers?
Albania’s Vjosa River also faces other development threats, including an airport. Designating the river a national park could save it.
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