World needs up to 140TWh of long duration energy storage to meet net-zero goals
New report says energy storage of eight hours and more will be crucial to shift to renewables, and we’ll need a lot of it between now and 2040.
On This Day
Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur – Sikhism
Free green services could substantially reduce emissions
Using carbon tax revenue to fund free green electricity and public transport could significantly reduce individual households’ greenhouse gas emissions, a new study has found.
COP26 left the world with a climate to-do list. Here are 5 things to watch for in 2022
The world promised progress at the Glasgow climate conference. Now it has to turn those promises into reality. A former senior UN official describes what to watch for in the coming year.
‘Pipelines will be blown up,’ says David Suzuki, if leaders don’t act on climate change
Long-time environmental activist David Suzuki made an extreme statement over the weekend about what could happen if politicians and global leaders don’t act to reverse climate change.
UK will press governments to stick to climate pledges, says Cop26 president
Alok Sharma says shared goals must be steered to safety by ensuring countries deliver on their promises
A $65 billion opportunity awaits green building sector, CEFC says
Low carbon materials could deliver big emissions cuts and big investment opportunities, a new CEFC report suggests.
New ARENA funding round to help plug one of last gaps to 100 pct renewables grid
A new $100 million funding round will support the rollout of grid forming battery inverters that could fill one of the last technical gaps to 100 pct renewables.
Australia-Germany to support hydrogen supply-chain projects
The future of hydrogen exports in Australia will get a boost from international collaboration between Australia and Germany as the Morrison Government continues to accelerate the development of Australia’s future hydrogen industry.
Know where to look in National Asbestos Awareness Week
Asbestos is present in millions of homes and buildings across Australia so knowing where to look for it and thinking twice before renovating are the key takeaways from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) this National Asbestos Awareness Week (November 22-28).
CSIRO develop technology to mitigate attack on native wildlife
Scientists at the CSIRO are developing a technology which would genetically modify cats and mice to prevent the birth of females and help control their numbers.
‘Half the country’ set to be drenched
The La Nina fuelled sodden spring will ramp up in the coming days with huge downpours from the desert to the sea.
Labor senator warns party about reacting to climate ‘extremists’
Raff Ciccone has warned his colleagues against demonising regional industries as the federal opposition prepares to finalise its climate policy ahead of next year’s election.
Protests distract Government from climate crisis
Sue Arnold
Vaccine mandate protests around the country are distracting politicians from the ongoing climate crisis that still requires urgent attention.
If Scott Morrison acted on his strong Christian faith, he would phase out coal
Tim Costello
The Bible is not a policy document, but its vision of all flourishing, including creation, is unequivocally clear
Universities are key to tackling climate change [$]
Andrew Parfitt
Scott Morrison has said “technology, not taxes” should be Australia’s path to net-zero emissions. Technology will be a key driver in reaching net zero, no doubt. But for this to occur as quickly as we need it to, universities should be front and centre in the government’s thinking.
Tasmanian Times editorial
What is most worrying about the Morrison government’s ‘technology not taxes’ slogan – for that’s all it will ever be – is that even ‘green technology’ won’t work without genuine commitment to implementation.
EVs are a must, but they raise as many questions as answers
Noel Whittaker
Electric vehicles continue to have three major problems: they are expensive; they have a relatively short range; and Australia is short of high-speed charging stations.
How 5G technology will increase productivity of agriculture
Louise Hyland
With Australia’s population projected to reach 38.8 million in 2060-61, agricultural productivity will need to increase to help sustain our growing population.
Forrest’s fossil fuel subsidy illogic [$]
Matthew Warren
FMG’s chairman has latched onto the spurious campaign against so-called subsidies for coal, oil and gas, when the real issue is the need to subsidise batteries, pumped-hydro and hydrogen.
Climate emergency: Australia must come in from the cold
Ralph Evans
As the consequences of global warming worsen, countries that are laggards on climate action …
Victoria
Djab Wurrung woman’s fight to protect ‘culturally significant’ trees dismissed
Marjorie Thorpe’s long-running legal battle for declarations to protect what she says are culturally significant trees has been dismissed after a state backdown in the Supreme Court.
Victoria Big Battery now registered as biggest non hydro player in FCAS market
Victoria Big Battery, the largest in Australia, now officially registered for crucial frequency control markets in the country’s main grid.
Three offshore wind projects get $40m boost from Victorian government
Victorian government allocates $40 million to kick start three major offshore wind projects by the Star of the South, Macquarie Group and Flotation Energy.
Logging agency blames lawsuits after losing $4m despite state grants
VicForests attributes the loss to court challenges from community environment groups, and the effects of the Black Summer bushfires.
New South Wales
Climate activist sentenced to 12 months in prison over Newcastle protest
Eric Serge Herbert was one of dozens of protesters arrested in the past two weeks over protest action at the Port of Newcastle.
Queensland chips in $10m to boost local vanadium production for flow batteries
Queensland government tips $10m into Australia’s first vanadium processing plant, providing local supply of the metal used in redox flow batteries.
‘Testament to resilience, strength and unity’: Yuwaalaraay/Euahlayi win native title
The Federal Court of Australia has granted the Yuwaalaraay/Euahlayi people native title rights to nearly 13,000 hectares of land in south west Queensland.
Truffle-eating marsupial on ‘brink of extinction’
Population of northern bettongs in Queensland thought to number 1,000 found to be no more than 50, researchers say
Gold Coast gets greener with new council vision, but industry won’t be forgotten
The City of Gold Coast has set the groundwork for two very different developments, with swathes of land to become a green recreational area while 1,100 hectares may become industrialised.
South Australia
Another Port River dolphin found dead as interim report struggles to identify cause
A third dolphin is found dead inside the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary with all showing similar symptoms of illness before they died, but an interim investigation is no closer to finding the cause.
Shock payout: SA Power Networks cops $2m bill over bushfire [$]
Lost livestock and property that burned in a 2019 fire sparked by a corroded transformer have cost SA Power Networks millions after it settled a class-action lawsuit.
Fight over native title millions heads to court [$]
The credibility of the native title system itself has been called into question as a fight over millions in uranium royalties paid to the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association heads to court.
Tasmania
Pushing ahead with Marinus Link would result in ‘Snowy 2.0’ like loss, report finds
A proposed undersea power cable and electricity storage project in Tasmania would not be able to compete with cheaper battery storage in Victoria, a report has found.
The government has dismissed fears new marine research legislation provides a loophole for deep water fin-fish farming developments.
Epuron pointing to wind farm noise study findings
A company planning a range of Tasmanian wind farms is highlighting new research findings that the turbines do not appear to affect the sleep of nearby residents.
War of words over future of power station [$]
The Tamar Valley Power Station saved the state from blackouts in 2016. But there are doubts about whether it will be able to do so again, with claims it is about to be “mothballed”.
Western Australia
Woodside’s Scarborough gas decision sparks inner-city protests as CEO defends project
Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill says the Scarborough gas project is important to meet the world’s energy needs as protesters gather outside the company’s Perth offices.
Woodside gas project to emit as much pollution as every car and motorbike on Australian roads
Woodside gas project to emit as much pollution as every car and motorbike on Australian roads: Climate Council
‘Worse than Adani’: Horror over gas project
Environmentalists are ‘horrified’ a massive gas project that could damage Indigenous artefacts and produce epic amounts of carbon emissions has been approved.
Woodside quizzed on business and environmental concerns about WA gas project
Chief executive Meg O’Neill says gas from Scarborough project will help customers in Asia transition away from coal
Ethical investment funds urge WA premier to shelve new Aboriginal heritage laws
Open letter from 14 super funds calls for bill to be revised to represent interests of traditional owners
WA government could step in if Supreme Court finds Woodside environmental approval invalid
A cloud remains over a key portion of the Scarborough project’s approvals, but Mark McGowan has flagged his government would be willing to intervene.
Woodside takes on risk as it bets big on its only option
Peter Milne
For Woodside, the $16 billion Scarborough LNG project has gone from nothing to central to its existence in just five years.
Cooking with gas: Woodside’s $16b Scarborough affair splits sentiment
Elizabeth Knight
A jump in price over the past year and a strong demand outlook has helped stack up the economics of the project. But the optics are quite another matter.
Team Australia backs Woodside’s Scarborough LNG [$]
AFR editorial
The go-ahead is also a major investment and vote of confidence in Australia making an orderly and successful transition to the low carbon future.
Woodside’s $16 billion Scarborough the last of the mega projects as tide turns on gas
Daniel Mercer
Woodside’s Scarborough project has found itself thrust to the front line in the war against fossil fuels by conservationists and those concerned about rising emissions
World needs up to 140TWh of long duration energy storage to meet net-zero goals
New report says energy storage of eight hours and more will be crucial to shift to renewables, and we’ll need a lot of it between now and 2040.
Coal-fired power plants to close after new wastewater rule
Climate change isn’t what’s driving some U.S. coal-fired power plants to shut down. It’s the expense of stricter pollution controls on their wastewater.
Serious health risk from air pollution lingers
You may not be able to see them but they can take a toll on your health or even kill you. From vehicle pollution, wildfires to fossil fuel burning, the air around us is increasingly becoming more toxic and harmful than ever.
Ikea says it will eliminate plastic packaging by 2028
As part of the company’s goal to become fully circular, it needs to work to eliminate the 10% of its packaging that still uses plastic.
Men’s meat-heavy diets cause 40% more climate emissions than women’s, study finds
Men’s meaty diets are responsible for 40% more climate-heating emissions than those of women, according to a UK study.
How global warming is impacting our beauty products
Many of our products just aren’t built for the record temperatures we’ve seen this summer and last summer, this winter, and the winter before. But with sweltering heat forecasts to make frequent future appearances, how will brands adapt?
Why putting solar canopies on parking lots is a smart green move
Solar farms are proliferating on undeveloped land, often harming ecosystems. But placing solar canopies on large parking lots offers a host of advantages – making use of land that is already cleared, producing electricity close to those who need it, and even shading cars.
The global fashion industry will not address its destructive impact on the climate without regulation, according to a new report by Greenpeace Germany – Self regulation: a fashion fairytale.
The plastics inferno – Pete Myers podcast
The founder and chief scientist at Environmental Health Sciences makes his case for a new set of R’s around plastics: rethink, redesign, reform.
Coal plants are closing faster than expected. Governments can keep the exit orderly
James Ha and Alison Reeve
The international climate summit in Glasgow aimed to “consign coal power to history”. But while some major coal-consuming countries have agreed to phase out the fossil fuel in the 2030s, Australia is not one of them.
Salvaging a future out of the monsters’ collapse
Peter Boyer
Ten years ago Wendell Berry, the revered American writer, sage and farmer, gave a speech at a conference about the future of food in which he described “an irreconcilable contradiction between the natural world and the engineered world of industrialism”.
Scooter future needs a brand new set of rules [$]
Ryan Murphy
Cities were expected to be redesigned around the Segway, instead it’s the humble scooter that is forcing changes to our road rules.
Australia and Indonesia keep talking about a ‘green economy’ — but what does that look like?
Mariah Papadopoulos
The two countries have been giving speeches and issuing statements about green economies for at least five years. What has been happening and where is it heading
Vaquitas could soon be extinct. Mexico will largely determine their fate
Only about 10 vaquitas remain, but scientists say there’s still hope for the elusive porpoises. Their fate largely depends on the Mexican government.
Bees may take generations to recover from one exposure to insecticides
Study shows reduced reproduction and other negative impacts on performance of species
D. Rex Mitchell
Each year, thousands of wild animals across the world are rescued. They can include young animals saved from abandonment, injury, disease or the death of their parents. Animal carers around the world work tirelessly to help these little animals heal and grow until they are ready to be released back into the wild.
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