Post of the Day
The insect apocalypse: ‘Our world will grind to a halt without them’
Insects have declined by 75% in the past 50 years – and the consequences may soon be catastrophic. Biologist Dave Goulson reveals the vital services they perform
On This Day
Ecological Observance
International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
Climate Change
Plans of four G20 states are threat to global climate pledge, warn scientists
‘Disastrous’ energy policies of China, Russia, Brazil and Australia could stoke 5C rise in temperatures if adopted by the rest of the world
Three degrees of global warming is quite plausible and truly disastrous
Rapid emission cuts can reduce the risks but not eliminate them
Anger as ‘polluters with vested interests’ brought in to key climate talks
More than a hundred executives with links to industries blamed for pollution were permitted to take part in vital international talks to combat climate change.
National
Roaring renewable energy sector drives emissions down
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions continued to fall during the first three months of 2021, driven lower by the booming renewables sector, which set fresh records this past weekend.
Two in three coal jobs to go in the next 30 years
The impact on communities from the global shift away from fossil fuels will be far larger than Australia’s exit from car making, says a climate investor group.
How the carbon tax has come back to haunt the Australian government
Ian Verrender
The federal government’s stance on carbon tax policy means its risks being caught on the wrong side of history and damaging the economy
How solar developments can help regenerate regional Australia
Methuen Morgan
As a former farmer and now hobby cattle farmer who has struggled through multiple droughts and ever changing rainfall patterns, I am acutely aware of concerns over the future sustainability of farming in this country.
Green returns to please even the most fossilised investors [$]
Kate Howitt
There are many “brown” companies which could turn “green”. Backing these in their efforts to decarbonise is an appropriate use of the climate-focused investment dollar.
Victoria
Critically endangered birds find ‘paradise’, but for how long?
The plight of the hooded plover is well known. But recent studies have revealed the shorebird’s found a slice of heaven near a coastal Victorian city.
New South Wales
‘Incredible overreach’: WestConnex tries to gag residents over noise complaints
The contractor building the WestConnex motorway beneath hundreds of homes in Sydney’s inner west is attempting to gag residents in return for providing noise-cancelling headphones to block construction racket.
Tougher conditions to force mining companies to rehabilitate sites in NSW
Mining companies will be forced to show plans for the ongoing rehabilitation of their mines and to report on their progress as the NSW government moves to tighten rules around environmental management.
Santos gets nod for advisers despite queries over their independence
The Berejiklian government has defended its decision to approve the choice of advisers by Santos for its $3 billion Narrabri coal seam gas project, rejecting critics who say their industry links raised doubts about their independence.
Queensland
A group of mayors wanted better trains, so they won Brisbane the Olympics
Brisbane is gearing up to host the Games, but it was a group of mayors worried about something else entirely that got the plan on track.
Why Brisbane’s traffic congestion isn’t getting better [$]
Brisbane has received pennies compared to other states to deal with painful peak hour gridlock – and our traffic congestion is only set to get worse.
No more excuses about danger to Great Barrier Reef
Terry Hughes
Thanks to intense lobbying, Australia convinced the World Heritage Committee to defer the reef’s “in danger” listing. But this pyrrhic victory may well have painted Australia into a corner.
South Australia
Indigenous community dispute ‘a health risk’ [$]
Mismanagement of the Indigenous community of Davenport, a former mission near the South Australian town of Port Augusta, has been so great that it poses a risk to human health and safety.
Tasmania
Rosalie Woodruff, Tom Allen slam Tasmanian government over Wilderness World Heritage Area
The state government will seek advice after the UNESCO reiterated their desire to see tourism developments in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area paused.
TAI release poll on salmon farming
New research from the Australia Institute Tasmania finds that one in two Australians support a moratorium on the expansion of the salmon farming industry in Tasmania, while only 15% oppose.
Horsetail Falls Track to be extended
The popular Horsetail Falls Track walk near Queenstown will be extended following the signing of a grant deed between the Tasmanian Government and the West Coast Council.
Wildlife park shrinks devil breeding program [$]
A wildlife park is welcoming the pitter patter of tiny Tassie devil feet as new litters begin to emerge, but breeding numbers are down on previous season.
We are sending native species the same way as the Tassie devil
Letters
THE forests of North-East Tasmania are like nowhere else on earth, containing glacial refugia stands of ancient forests with biodiversity that survived the last ice age, and are a direct link with our botanical history linking back to the time of the Gondwana super continent.
Northern Territory
New water licencing portal to go live on Monday
The government is promising a new water licencing portal launching on Monday will be a “one-stop shop” for applicants.
Western Australia
How the future of Ningaloo Reef hinges on a port, a billionaire and an author
Peter de Kruijff
Tension around the development of the coastal land at the entrance to Western Australia’s northern Pilbara region has existed in the community for decades. But a bigger clash is looming, with a swathe of new “green” and “eco-minded” projects and several large resources operations on the cards.
Sustainability
Yep, it’s bleak, says expert who tested 1970s end-of-the-world prediction
A controversial MIT study from 1972 forecast the collapse of civilization – and Gaya Herrington is here to deliver the bad news
The cost of cooling: how air conditioning is heating up the world
As temperatures rise, a new book delves into the environmental toll of America’s favorite way to cool off
An EV has a smaller footprint than a gas-powered car
Even if you include the emissions from the battery and charging it with dirty energy, an EV has a smaller footprint than a gas-powered car
Toxic pollution, climate risks directly harm human health, study confirms
An international team of researchers found a strong and statistically significant relationship between the spatial distribution of global climate risk and toxic pollution.
‘The de-extinction club’: Could we resurrect mammoths, Tassie tigers and dinosaurs?
New technology means we may soon be able to turn back the clock on extinction. In the final part of our series exploring the science behind science fiction, we meet the contenders for revival.
A sterile solution: How Crispr could protect wild salmon
Gene-editing technology may prevent farmed salmon from interbreeding with their wild counterparts. But will consumers embrace these new fish?
Extreme heat triggers mass die-offs and stress for wildlife in the West
Sweltering baby hawks threw themselves out of nests, and mussels baked to death in their shells as record heat brought crisis to the Pacific Northwest.
Should rivers have the same rights as people?
Around the world, activists are pushing to protect their rivers by giving them legal personhood. Is this just symbolism, or can it drive lasting environmental change?
The insect apocalypse: ‘Our world will grind to a halt without them’
Insects have declined by 75% in the past 50 years – and the consequences may soon be catastrophic. Biologist Dave Goulson reveals the vital services they perform
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