https://twitter.com/timinclimate/status/1481835802976190469?s=21
Post of the Day
No, bioplastics are not (necessarily) more sustainable than conventional plastics. Plus, here are 4 more fallacies that need to be fixed if we are going to shape plastics policies correctly.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Arbor Day – Jordan, Egypt and Malta
Climate Change
Unhappy anniversary: 50 years of climate panic [$]
Bjorn Lomborg
The recent UN climate summit in Glasgow was predictably branded as our “last chance” to tackle the “climate catastrophe” and “save humanity”. Like many others, US climate envoy John Kerry warned us that we have only nine years left to avert most of “catastrophic” global warming.
National
Would you buy two-legged carrots or twin tomatoes? Uni friends tackle food waste
Did you know that Australia wastes $20 billion worth of food each year? Josh Ball and Josh Brookes-Duncan are trying to help reduce food waste by sourcing imperfect produce from farmers to sell to consumers.
Australia’s hottest temperature this century ‘sounding alarm’ for action on emissions reduction
As the remote West Australian town of Onslow registers 50.7C (123.3F) – the hottest temperature recorded in Australia this century – Greenpeace Australia Pacific has warned against ignoring the significance of these concerning figures.
‘That’s a crazy amount of floor area’: Top architect on boom in big homes
It doesn’t matter how sustainably a large home is built, every metre has an impact on the environment, says the incoming president of the Australian Institute of Architects.
How Australia plans to tackle our plastic problem [$]
There is a plan to create a circular plastic economy and the first actions happen this year.
Nationals deputy leader Littleproud: states need ’courage and conviction’ on dam building [$]
Deputy Nationals leader David Littleproud has warned a substantial shift in thinking is required to secure the nation’s long-term water security, saying states need to show the “courage and conviction” to see off environmentalist campaigns against dam building.
Are we weathering the climate storm? [$]
Australia has benefited from the effects of two La Nina years, much to chagrin of catastrophists.
Modelling showcases green building cred of Australian solar glass technology
New modelling demonstrates how ClearVue’s integrated solar glass technology can boost a building’s energy and thermal efficiency to world-leading levels.
New rooftop solar milestone, as Australia tops 3GW in 2021
Australian homes and businesses installed a record amount of rooftop solar in 2021, just edging past 3GW of new capacity added, despite another round of Covid chaos.
It’s not just WA: Sydney and Melbourne will see dangerous 50C temperatures soon enough
Andrew King
Extreme heat over 50C is likely to become more common, giving us yet another reason for Australia to act fast on climate change
La Niña doesn’t give the government a free pass on climate impacts
Jess Harwood
Dare we speak of the other crisis the government is failing us on?
Victoria
Recycling more food waste one paper bag at time
All households in Hobsons Bay are invited to register for a large-scale trial of paper bags to help recycle food scraps. From February 2022, any household that wants to participate can collect a free six-month supply of compostable paper bags from local libraries and community centres.
New South Wales
‘Looks like the kids have done a wee in the bath’: family calls for better water quality
Mother-of-four Nicole Beard boiled filtered tap water before bathing her children in it because it looked “really disgusting”. Seven years on, she’s still fighting for better water quality in her town.
Queensland
New Hope’s future was looking bright so why did the boss suddenly quit?
Resources company New Hope has lost its chief executive just weeks after a significant victory in the courts put its Acland coal project in a position to return to production.
Tasmania
Launceston’s $10m landfill cell more than hole in the ground
The City of Launceston has completed its $10 million “landfill cell” at the Launceston Waste Centre. More than simply a hole in the ground, the cell represents to highest-tech to date at the centre according to Assets General Manager Shane Eberhardt.
How Zorro and Gromit are changing the conservation game [$]
You may have heard of Zorro the detector dog helping conservationists in the field. Now his new best buddy Gromit is lending his sensational sniffing talents to the team.
Bob Brown and fellow activists to fight charge of trespass [$]
Bob Brown and a group of fellow activists will fight a charge of trespass in court, after they were arrested while protesting the logging of swift parrot habitat.
Northern Territory
Bushfire burning south of Yuendumu under control [$]
A bushfire south of Yuendumu that has been burning since Wednesday is now under control.
Western Australia
Record-breaking heat triggers Woodside gas plant outage [$]
Severe temperatures have affected a production train at Woodside Petroleum’s North West Shelf LNG plant.
Sustainability
Is nuclear power the key to carbon neutrality – or a financial graveyard for all comers?
There are calls to put nuclear energy on the table as an emissions-free solution to global warming but critics say the industry is a ‘graveyard’ for those who build it.
Scientists confirm 6 links between race and air pollution
Oil spills and trash are obvious forms of pollution. Others, though, are far more silent but can be just as deadly.
Household air pollution contributes to almost 4 million premature deaths a year
Many people around the world cook over open fires or simple stoves that produce dangerous indoor pollution, contributing to almost 4 million premature deaths each year.
The relation between Covid-19 and air pollution
Air pollutants are risk factors for respiratory infections, and COVID-19 is not an exception.
Living closer to oil and gas drilling linked to higher risk of pregnancy complications
Living near oil and gas drilling may increase pregnant women’s risk of developing gestational hypertension and eclampsia, according to a new study.
Green groups target poisonings from rising pesticides sales
More and more pesticides are being sprayed worldwide with deadly consequences for humans and nature, a report finds.
No, bioplastics are not (necessarily) more sustainable than conventional plastics. Plus, here are 4 more fallacies that need to be fixed if we are going to shape plastics policies correctly.
Americans agree on something: Get single-use plastics out of our national parks
About 82% of U.S. voters support stopping the sale of single-use plastics at national parks, according to a poll released today by the non-profit Oceana.
Coral reefs are dying, but there’s a tiny bit of good news about what happens when they’re gone
The seaweed that often takes over reefs may at least help the food systems that count on the reef to keep functioning.
Invasive plants and climate change will alter desert landscapes
Drought- and heat-adapted invasive plants like buffelgrass will increasingly gain a toehold, at the expense of native species.
The Guardian view on The Green Planet: verdant and necessary
Guardian editorial
David Attenborough’s new series takes aim at plant blindness, providing a vital service in the fight against global warming
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