Post of the Day
Environment 2022: let’s put the blah blah behind us and demand change
Nigel Howard
The cheery end-of-year messages from climate activist groups didn’t resonate with me. The reality is that we’ve run out of time for dangerously comforting delusions about our “achievements”.
On This Day
Tu Bishvat – Israel
Feast Day of Anthony the Great – Catholicism
Ecological Observance
Future Sustainability Summit (until Jan 19)
Climate Change
Impact of global warming on Antarctica will be felt a millennium from now
A study into the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet shows how it could cause multi-meter rise in sea levels by the end of the millennium.
Climate change: Thawing permafrost a triple threat
Thawing Arctic permafrost laden with billions of tons of greenhouse gases not only threatens the region’s critical infrastructure but life across the planet, according a comprehensive scientific review.
How to prepare for climate change’s most immediate impacts
The effects of the climate crisis are happening right now. From natural disasters to supply chain shortages, here’s how to cope.
It’s the biggest threat to the world; so why should we stop researching climate change?
Melissa Sweet et al
Failure to act on climate change is the top long-term threat facing the world, with severe impacts over the next decade expected to include droughts, fires, floods, resource scarcity, species loss and involuntary migration, according to a new World Economic Forum report.
National
Energy crisis lifts LNG giants, but future of gas ‘under pressure’
Australia’s top LNG shippers are expected to unveil windfall profits this week as a Northern Hemisphere energy crisis drives prices higher.
Meet the Aussie poised to create the first hydrogen-powered airline [$]
Aviation may as well be in John Thomas’ blood. The former Virgin Australia executive – and heir apparent to former chief John Borghetti until falling out with the board – got a pilot’s licence before his 18th birthday, and two years later started a regional airline in home town Wagga Wagga.
The sustainability roles that employers are paying big money for [$]
Australian employers are offering big pay rises to attract professionals who can help them slash their carbon emissions and manage their environmental, social and governance risk.
For decades Australians have happily paid a premium for their very own piece of coastline. But with up to a metre of sea-level rise all but locked in by the end of the century, will waterfront living remain a viable option?
Steven Percy
You might remember hearing a lot about green hydrogen last year, as global pressure mounted on Australia to take stronger action on climate change ahead of the COP26 Glasgow summit last November.
Environment 2022: let’s put the blah blah behind us and demand change
Nigel Howard
The cheery end-of-year messages from climate activist groups didn’t resonate with me. The reality is that we’ve run out of time for dangerously comforting delusions about our “achievements”.
New South Wales
‘Beautiful’ Sydney land handed back to Aboriginal ownership
The return of the prime piece of real estate is a major victory in the fight for Land Rights in Australia’s biggest city.
ACT
ACT government receives more than 3000 pothole complaints this year
The number of complaints about potholes in ACT has risen sharply in recent years which one road expert suggests could be a sign of bad road management.
Queensland
Greens’ gains in Brisbane may not be enough in 2022
While there has been significant internal hand-wringing about the party’s long-term chances of success, for now the Greens have their eyes set on the federal election.
South Australia
South Australia breaks record, runs for a week on renewable energy
Analysts believe South Australia’s more than six-day run on green energy may be a global first for a power grid supporting an advanced economy.
This wind will blow down power prices, here and interstate [$]
Hundreds of jobs will be created in the Mid North and power prices will fall with work starting at SA’s biggest energy project.
Parklands terror as giant gum trunk breaks at adventure park [$]
A giant trunk has crashed down among children and adults at TreeClimb in the south parklands – sparking calls for an immediate audit of other trees at the adventure park.
Tasmania
Circular Head Council anticipates being ‘swamped’ over Robbins Island proposal
Circular Head Council is preparing to “be swamped” over the development application lodged for up to 122 wind turbines on Robbins Island, according to council mayor Daryl Quilliam.
Comedy legend joins push to restore Lake Pedder [$]
One of the most revered figures in the Australian screen industry has thrown his weight behind a campaign to restore Lake Pedder in Tasmania’s South West Wilderness.
Western Australia
WA’s offshore gasfields pay almost no royalties and stoke carbon emissions, report finds
Australia Institute report finds state received only $430m of its revenue from industry that generated $27bn in exports last year
Sustainability
Tongan tsunami damage unclear as volcanic ash hinders response
The extent of damage in Tonga following a volcanic eruption remains unknown, with authorities yet to make contact with some coastal areas and smaller islands.
More eruptions predicted for volcano off Tonga as tsunami’s effects felt around the globe
When coastal geologist Ian Goodwin went surfing at Avalon Beach at sunrise on Sunday, he could feel the after-effects of the tsunami that had ripped through Tonga only hours earlier.
Toxic reaction: How to clear dangerous pollutants out of your home
After tests revealed the levels of harmful chemicals in her blood, the environmental writer vowed to discover the best ways to keep her family safe.
The dirtiest river in the world
The color of the brackish water running down the drain across Pak Udis’ paddy field changes everyday: it goes from blue to green or red. One only needs to take a look around to understand why. A textile factory was built a few meters away from this Indonesian peasant’s parcel.
Residents live dangerously amid growing number of oil-polluted rivers in Niger Delta communities
Oil pollution has rendered almost all natural water bodies in the Niger Delta area of the South-South region useless.
No, there will not be a war for water
Jeroen Warner & Sumit Vij
Some people falsely believe that the Afghanistan takeover by the Taliban during a drought increases the risk of violence over shared waters such as the Helmand and Kabul Rivers.
Earth is running low on animals as the climate changes. Plants are next
Many plants need to migrate to survive climate change, but they’re losing their animal rides. The seeds of this story were planted in a steaming pile of elephant dung somewhere in the African savanna.
The billions of victims of the heat dome
The June heat wave caused billions of deaths.
In India, aquaculture has turned a sprawling lake into fish ponds
Kolleru Lake was long known for its biodiversity, but scientists say that ecosystem faces an uncertain future.
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