Post of the Day
The price tag for a net zero transition: $3.5 trillion a year
But that’s still cheaper than doing nothing.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
World Environmental Education Day
Climate Change
Oil firms accused of scare tactics after claiming climate lawsuits ‘a threat to US’
Attorneys for BP, Exxon and Shell claim city of Baltimore’s case over ‘deception and failure to warn’ could kill offshore drilling
McKinsey: fundamental transformation of global economy needed for net zero
$9tn of annual investment required to avoid most catastrophic climate impacts, consultancy says
The price tag for a net zero transition: $3.5 trillion a year
But that’s still cheaper than doing nothing.
I spent 12 years in the marines. The inaction on climate change shocks me
Yaritza Perez
In the Marines, I lived by the credo “leave no one behind.” Now that I am in civilian life, I am urging our policymakers not to leave any of us behind.
National
Australian wave energy technology gets backing from Japanese shipping giant
Australian founded wave energy technology gets investment boost from Japanese shipping giant, leading to a 1.5MW pilot project and a wave and wind hybrid.
Albanese: No tricks in Labor’s “straightforward” climate and clean energy plan
Albanese says Labor has presented a costed, effective, climate change policy, while Morrison’s net zero “pamphlet” lacks the certainty industry needs.
Renewables key to making electricity supplies affordable in remote communities
ANU researchers say many households in remote communities experience frequent power disconnections and solar could be part of the answer.
Sport events urged to follow Tennis Australia’s lead and ditch fossil fuel sponsorship
With Tennis Australia ditching Santos as a major sponsor, there are fresh calls to end fossil fuel sponsorship of sports and other major events.
Funding for next-gen big batteries open next week, on road to fully renewable grids
A new $100 million funding round for next generation big battery storage installations, seen as crucial for the switch to fully renewable grids, will open next week.
Doctor reveals severe health effects from heatwaves and humidity
Richard Yin
It’s not Covid, heart disease, obesity or diabetes. This killer is deadly silent and it’s an issue that every Australian faces.
If Australia’s inland rail is a game changer, why are we shortchanging it?
Cameron Simpkins
A freight railway between Melbourne and Brisbane is planned to provide a 200-year service. We owe it to future generations to build this properly
Alan Finkel made an officer of the Order of Australia
Dr Alan Finkel chairs the council working with the Australian government to develop its low-emission technology roadmap. The former Chief Scientist of Australia and 2022 Officer of the Order of Australia appointee admits the pace of change concerns him.
Jessica Danaher and Lisa Newman
Insects are sustainable, nutritious and delicious. They’re eaten by more than two billion people worldwide, mostly in the tropics, and have been a staple in Indigenous Australians’ diets for tens of thousands of years.
Victoria
Rare powerful owls at risk from long-lasting rat poisons
New research suggests the birds are being exposed to rat poison via the poisoning of prey species such as possums.
Farmers fear wind farm clean-up bill [$]
Victorian landholders leasing their properties to wind farm operators fear they could be left with a multimillion-dollar clean-up bill.
New South Wales
Farmers on the NSW Central Tablelands discover a highly invasive grass is becoming resistant to the chemical which is supposed to kill it.
Snowy Monaro Regional Council’s industry leading drone and machine-learning weed response
Council’s biosecurity team gave a presentation to representatives of the NSW State Government and Local Land Services last Friday, 21 January 2022, to share the details of their industry leading drone and machine-learning driven weed detection program.
ACT
Trauma from the Black Summer bushfires drove two middle-aged women with prosocial pasts to take part in climate change protests that have left them with criminal records.
Queensland
How do you feel about Flying-foxes and their habitats?
Rockhampton Regional Council is seeking community input to develop a Flying-fox Roost Management Plan.
Turtle nests along Queensland coastline destroyed in wake of ex-tropical cyclone Seth
Dangerous swell and high tides have washed away hundreds of turtle nests on Queensland’s coast, prompting fears for population in years to come.
World-first tourism and research partnership fast-tracking Reef recovery
Great Barrier Reef Foundation
In 2018, our partners salvaged tiny 5cm coral fragments from the seafloor that had broken off due to storm activity and planted them at Opal Reef, near Port Douglas. In a first for the Reef, these corals have rapidly grown to maturity (up to 41cm) and recently spawned, giving fresh hope that they’ll produce thousands of baby corals over the course of their lives and help repopulate damaged reefs.
How ‘green capitalism’ is changing the face of Queensland business
John McCarthy
Startups are pushing energy technology that has nothing to do with coal or gas, while the giants of Queensland’s business sector are demanding an end to greenwashing and questioning the primacy of shareholders. What’s happening?
South Australia
Bug boom: Dragonflies swarming SA in ‘once in a lifetime’ event [$]
Have you noticed more pesky bugs around – especially dragonflies – than ever before? Here’s what’s causing the unusual phenomenon in SA.
Western Australia
FMG announces plan to eliminate diesel from operations by 2030
Fortescue Metals Group acquires British tech and engineering company Williams Advanced Engineering to help fast-track its transition to renewables.
Fortescue thinking big on heavy EVs, and WA green energy hub
Fortescue says initial focus of WAE purchase will be on electrifying heavy vehicles, rather than passenger EVs, as it also eyes green energy hub in WA.
What drove Perth’s record-smashing heatwave – and why it’s a taste of things to come
Jatin Kala
Perth smashed its previous heatwave records last week, after sweltering through six days in a row over 40℃ – and 11 days over 40℃ this summer so far. On top of that, Perth has suffered widespread power outages and a bushfire in the city’s north.
Sustainability
First Latin American e-waste report covers 13 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
Can reactor fuel debris be safely removed from Fukushima Daiichi?
Decommissioning and clean-up are ongoing at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP); however, many difficult problems remain unaddressed. Chief amongst these problems is the retrieval and management of fuel debris.
New technique boosts efficiency, sustainability of large-scale perovskite solar cells
An international team of researchers has demonstrated a technique for producing perovskite photovoltaic materials on an industrial scale, which will reduce the cost and improve the performance of mass-produced perovskite solar cells.
Russia’s Ukraine ambitions could cause a global energy crisis
Stephen Bartholomeusz
The last thing a world still recovering from the worst economic effects of the pandemic and already experiencing high inflation needs is a global energy crisis.
The threat of nuclear winter hangs over our warming planet
Andrew Glikson
Even a limited nuclear war would inject enough smoke and dust into the atmosphere to threaten the survival of our species.
Shark attacks increased around the world in 2021 after years of decline
‘Shark bites dropped drastically in 2020 due to the pandemic – this past year was much more typical,’ says researcher
Sediments a likely culprit in spread of deadly disease on Florida coral reefs, study finds
New findings also point to coastal construction as potential way of further spreading coral disease
Some endangered species can no longer survive in the wild. So should we alter their genes?
Tiffany Kosch
Around the world, populations of many beloved species are declining at increasing rates. According to one grim projection, as many as 40% of the world’s species may be extinct by 2050. Alarmingly, many of these declines are caused by threats for which few solutions exist.
Australia Day honours
We congratulate the following Australia Day honours recipients for services to the environment and conservation (apologies to anyone I may have missed)
Victoria
Tom BEER
Brunswick
Alan Simon FINKEL
South Yarra
Kenneth Ian GUTHRIE
Clifton Hill
Victoria Fay MARLES
Northcote
Josephine Louise JONES
Rye
Eve KANTOR
Hensley Park
John Desmond KOEHN
Ivanhoe
Kevin Charles MASON
Healesville
Lee Alexander MIEZIS
Ballarat
Sarah Jane STEPHEN
St Kilda
Madeline Jane TOWNSEND
Ballarat
Mark WOOTTON
Hensley Park
NSW
Roslynne Elizabeth HANSEN
Merimbula
Ross Anthony JEFFREE
Alfords Point
Austrelle Susan (Sue) LENNOX
Bellingen
Margaret Joy BAKER
Winmalee
Matthew Peter HANSEN
Dubbo
Roz HOLME
Joan REID
QLD
Jo-Anne BRAGG
West End
Gordon Paul GUYMER
SA
Roger Bartram GRUND
Mary Louise SIMPSON
Burnside
John William WAMSLEY
Aldgate
Tas
John Alexander CHURCH
Battery Point
WA
Claire Lynette BRITTAIN
Claremont
Anthony Arthur FOWLER
Lynette Joan SERVENTY
Margaret River
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