Post of the Day
Parents encourage children to fight climate change, survey suggests
Almost two thirds of parents would like their children to follow in the footsteps of Greta Thunberg by becoming a passionate eco-warrior.
Today’s Celebration
Mabon – Paganism
Ecological Observance
National Arbor Day – Barbados
National Tree Day – Canada
Climate Change
Spring 2020 arctic “ozone hole” likely caused by record-high north pacific sea surface temperatures
Scientists from the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics at Peking University, led by Prof. Yongyun Hu, found that that the Arctic “ozone hole” in spring 2020 was likely caused by record-high North Pacific sea surface temperatures.
In climate pledge, Xi says China will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad
Chinese leader Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China would not build new coal-fired power projects abroad, using his address at the United Nations General Assembly to add to pledges to deal with climate change.
U.N. chief welcomes U.S., China climate moves, but long way to go
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed climate pledges by the United States and China at the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders on Tuesday, but warned “we still have a long way to go” to make an upcoming climate meeting in Glasgow a success.
United States announces plan to address extreme heat
The administration of US President Joe Biden announced yesterday a major interagency initiative to respond to the impacts of extreme heat in the United States. This effort, which closely follows the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, will seek to develop the first-ever federal heat standard to protect workers.
Parents encourage children to fight climate change, survey suggests
Almost two thirds of parents would like their children to follow in the footsteps of Greta Thunberg by becoming a passionate eco-warrior.
Climate change will alter cooling effects of volcanic eruptions
New research indicates the cooling effect of rare, large eruptions will increase, whereas the effects of more frequent, smaller eruptions will be reduced.
Climate crisis leaving ‘millions at risk of trafficking and slavery’
Millions of people forced to leave their homes because of severe drought and powerful cyclones are at risk of modern slavery and human trafficking over the coming decades, a new report warns.
‘Climate crisis on our shores’: Mediterranean countries sign deal after summer of fires
With the catastrophic effects of this summer’s unprecedented wildfires still being counted, leaders from around the Mediterranean – the European region most at risk from climate change – have vowed to intensify their efforts to tackle the challenges posed by extreme weather.
Johnson says he has changed his mind on the climate – but he’s still dragging his feet
Adrienne Buller
Outright denial has been replaced by something that may turn out to be even worse: delay
National
Liberal MP Dave Sharma urges government to back more ambitious 2035 emissions reduction target
The Liberal backbencher has conceded he doesn’t “underestimate” the political difficulty around trying to gain support for a more ambitious medium-term target.
Australian government plan to capitalise on carp orgies to cull the pest species with herpes virus
Authorities are due to report by 2021 on the potential to control the vermin, but what to do with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rotting fish?
One in five carbon credits under Australia’s main climate policy are ‘junk’ cuts, research finds
‘Avoided deforestation’ projects do not represent genuine abatement, say researchers who liken the Coalition policy to ‘cheap tricks and hot air’
Former Nationals leader Michael McCormack warns a flat ‘no’ on net zero could threaten trade
The ex-deputy PM tells Guardian Australia the next phase of climate policy must not ‘smash our regional economies’
Clear majority of Australians want net zero emissions by 2050
More than half of the Australians surveyed in the Resolve Political Monitor also want a stronger emissions reduction target for 2030.
Angus Taylor qualifies Labor climate attack [$]
Energy Minister Angus Taylor has backed away from his claim that an emissions-reduction target of 43 per cent by 2030 would be needed for Australia to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
Upsetting the neighbours: the high cost of Australia’s nuclear submarine “deal”
Brian Toohey
Buying ludicrously expensive nuclear submarines upsets our neighbours, inflates the defence budget, unbalances our military forces and does nothing to address the bigger security threat of global warming and species extinction
Sussan Ley pulls the old ‘one mine won’t matter’ trick on the Federal Court and kids [$]
Michael Bradley
The environment minister’s decision to approve the extension of NSW’s Vickery coalmine is ideological vandalism at its worst.
Morrison has upended defence policy. Are climate targets next?
Melissa Clarke
Rewriting our submarine deal required a frank assessment of global politics and power, and a willingness to take a difficult stand for a long-term objective. In the next six weeks, Scott Morrison has the chance to apply the same critical lens to climate change
Australia’s energy superpower status at risk with grid congestion reforms
Simon Corbell
If proposed reforms to prevent grid congestion go ahead, they will make Australia a bad place for investment in wind and solar.
What is Scott Morrison doing in New York? Nothing on climate, it seems
Michael Mazengarb
While other world leaders arrive in New York to discuss cooperation on Covid and climate, Morrison will be trying to patch up his submarine blunder.
Better ways to manage coal closures: Six ideas for state energy ministers
Giles Parkinson
Angus Taylor’s Coalkeeper subsidy is dead in the water. Or at least it should be. Here are six better ideas that state energy ministers should consider.
Liberal MPs need more than tepid climate signalling to overcome Joyce and Canavan’s coal cosplay
Katharine Murphy
The moderates are mobilising – and the prime minister’s office knows it
Morrison’s date with destiny keeps bringing up climate reality
Philip Citowicki
As someone with a history of quoting American presidents, Prime Minister Scott Morrison would recognise Reagan’s famous line, “You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.”
IFM targets net zero emissions, and how it intends to get there
David Neal
Participating in the transition to net zero emissions is crucial for long-term investors, as is identifying and pricing in risk.
Victoria
Towards zero carbon 2030: our Climate Emergency Action Plan
We’re proud to announce the City of Stonnington’s first Climate Emergency Action Plan.
New South Wales
Australian tech start-up creates world’s most efficient solar cell
A solar power start-up business that began in a warehouse in Wollongong has officially created the world’s most efficient commercial-sized solar cell, and it has one big point of difference.
ALP-linked branch stacking of Wilderness Society [$]
Labor’s environmental network head, Felicity Wade, faces accusations she led an ALP takeover of The Wilderness Society’s Sydney campaign centre in a series of leaked emails revealing internal concerns about how funds raised by the charity would be used.
$1m gift to UNSW boosts nuclear studies [$]
UNSW will expand its nuclear engineering course with the aid of a $1m philanthropic gift, as demand builds for high-level nuclear expertise to operate and maintain Australia’s planned fleet of nuclear submarines.
ACT
Australian National University scientists say they have used “groundbreaking” technology, which uses plastic-eating enzymes to break plastic down to its core building blocks.
Queensland
The fight for a plastic-free future
University of Queensland researcher Nasim Amaralian is fighting for a more sustainable and healthy world by turning unlikely natural resources like spinifex and sugar cane into everyday products.
Ratings agency gets jittery over Adani’s Abbot Point debt
Adani’s North Queensland Export Terminal has had the outlook for its debt rating revised to negative on concerns about the company’s ability to refinance its debt due next year.
Acland delay still a drag but New Hope profit soars
New Hope Group has shrugged off the decade-long legal fight at its Acland coal mine to post a $111 million pre-tax profit for the year, a turnaround of $337 million from the previous year.
Sugar cube-sized bait traps thousands of cane toad tadpoles
A bait that attracts and traps cane toad tadpoles is being described as a ‘game changer’.
South Australia
The wild west coast is slowly swallowing this town. Its people aren’t giving up without a fight
The residents of Fowlers Bay in South Australia are grappling with Mother Nature in an effort to save their cherished town from being engulfed by creeping sand dunes.
Rebuilding SA’s most popular mountain bike destination
Local community groups have worked with ForestrySA to make Fox Creek Bike Park better than ever.
Tasmania
In Tasmania, deer aren’t classified as pests. That’s causing problems for farmers like Julian
Australia has grappled with feral deer since they were introduced as game species in the 1800s — but deer populations are increasing and spreading.
The Hub could impact Tasmania’s goal of reaching 200 per cent renewable power
Clean Hydrogen Industry Hub program proponents say a Bell Bay facility would provide jobs and economic growth for the state, but experts warn it could harm the state’s long-term green energy goals.
Research breakthrough boosts hydrogen production from waste water
A new catalyst has been found to require less energy input in producing hydrogen from waste water, while also reducing the urea content of the fuel source.
Fit washing machines with filters to reduce microplastic pollution, MPs say
Women’s Institute supports initiative, urging manufacturers to take action on plastic microfibres
London river ‘stinks and is full of dead fish’ as toxic blue substance found
Thames Water is investigating after a toxic blue substance was found in a river in South London.
In the years to come, the only great powers will be green powers
Boris Johnson
By 2030 renewables will be undercutting coal and gas almost everywhere.
Nature Conservation
‘Earth looks fragile from space’: Jeff Bezos pledges $1bn to conservation
Donation from $10bn Bezos Earth Fund will go towards biodiversity hotspots in Congo Basin and Andes
Extinction of Indigenous languages leads to loss of exclusive knowledge about medicinal plants
A study at the University of Zurich in Switzerland shows that a large proportion of existing medicinal plant knowledge is linked to threatened indigenous languages. In a regional study on the Amazon, New Guinea and North America, researchers concluded that 75% of medicinal plant uses are known in only one language.
Your lawn is an ‘ecological dead zone.’ The case for replacing it with native plants
Entomologist Doug Tallamy says ditching half of our lawn space could make room for planet-saving biodiversity.
Red tide and algae blooms: Florida waters in crisis
Florida’s water pollution crisis is reaching a breaking point, and the race to pass comprehensive legislation to fix our statewide problems is moving as slow as the environmental catastrophe unfolding in our bays, rivers, natural springs, and lagoons every day.
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