Post of the Day
Time for a plebiscite on Big Australia
Simon Cole
With a federal election looming, it’s worth raising the question to the Australian people whether or not we should increase our population.
On This Day
Christmas – Eastern Christianity
Martyrdom of Fatimah – Iran
Climate Change
“Don’t Look Up” was good for climate cinema, even if you hated it
As critics debate Adam McKay’s latest film, perhaps the better question is where movies about climate change should go from here.
How states powered climate policy in 2021 – Political Climate podcast
Governors and state lawmakers are blazing trails on emissions reduction, clean energy targets and environmental justice.
Watching Don’t Look Up made me see my whole life of campaigning flash before me
George Monbiot
I’ve broken down on TV too, trying to explain the horror of the climate crisis to those who wield power and do nothing
Europe energy crisis goes global [$]
Holman W Jenkins Jr
Hard to believe, but politics sometimes exhibits a pull toward the rational, especially when voters find it difficult to pay their bills, heat their homes and keep their jobs.
Don’t look Up! has a surprising amount to tell us about economics, much of it useful [$]
Steven Hall
In the new Netflix sensation Don’t Look Up, two astronomers, played by Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo Di Caprio, discover a massive comet heading towards Earth, and desperately try to warn the US president, played by Meryl Streep.
National
2021 produced warmest La Niña on record as climate change supercharges floods and storms
The Bureau of Meteorology has released a preview of its 2021 Annual Climate Statement today.
Australia Japan clean hydrogen trade partnership
The Morrison Government is growing Australia’s clean hydrogen export industry through a new initiative aimed at attracting overseas investment into hydrogen supply chains originating in Australia.
Swooping, nesting, preening: Australian birds in the wild – in pictures
A book compiled by Matthew Jones and Duade Paton showcases a range of species in their natural habitats
David Littleproud snaps back at reports of ‘cruelty’ to crocodiles [$]
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud has written to major global fashion retailers, including Louis Vuitton, to assure them that Australia is an ethical supplier of crocodile skin for purses, belts and bags.
‘Concerning’ threat in Aussie homes that’s putting kids at risk
Household dust has been tested in 35 countries for toxicity and the results for Australia and New Zealand are concerning.
Peter Brewer
Australia’s new vehicle sales staggered over the 1 million mark for 2021 but with one critical key ingredient missing from its declarations: the sales recorded for the year by US-based car maker Tesla.
Hop to it … Aussie frogs are in trouble and need your help
Josie Humphries et al
“Sick and dead frogs in my backyard!”, “Frogs dying in large numbers”, a flurry of reports started coming in last winter.
Nuclear and gas now green fuels [$]
Australian editorial
The staunchest supporters of the green revolution are starting to learn the lessons that, when it comes to energy security and cost, good intentions are not always enough.
Time for a plebiscite on Big Australia
Simon Cole
With a federal election looming, it’s worth raising the question to the Australian people whether or not we should increase our population.
Surprisingly few animals die in wildfires – and that means we can help more in the aftermath
Chris J Jolly and Dale Nimmo
The estimate that one billion animals were killed by Australia’s 2019-20 Black Summer fires drew international attention to the fate of wildlife during fire.
Victoria
When demand for water is set to outstrip supply [$]
Melbourne’s demand for water could outstrip supply as early as 2028, prompting warnings from the state’s Auditor-General that more work is needed to recycle our wastewater.
New South Wales
Barton Highway duplication: NSW Transport’s decision to protect culturally significant trees welcomed
A Ngunnawal elder has welcomed the NSW government’s decision to protect a group of culturally significant trees near the Kaveneys Road intersection of the $200m Barton Highway upgrade project.
Sydney’s dams may be almost full – but don’t relax, because drought will come again
Ian Wright
Dams serving capital cities such as Canberra, Hobart and Sydney are near full after two years of widespread rainfall. But these wet conditions won’t last.
Queensland
Island hideaway: has the endangered mahogany glider found a new home off the Great Barrier Reef?
With less than 2,000 gliders left on the mainland, environmentalists hope the elusive marsupial has been making a Queensland island its home
Adani snares coal deal to avert Indian electricity crisis
Adani has won a key tender to supply 1 million tonnes of coal to India’s struggling power sector just weeks after it said it was ready to export from its Carmichael mine in central Queensland.
Magic mangroves a ‘blue carbon’ buffer for Great Barrier Reef
Mangrove forests on some remote islands of the northern Great Barrier Reef are expanding by up to six metres a year, new research shows.
Korea Zinc thinks it may have found the holy grail of energy transition
Korea Zinc’s push to create a green zinc manufacturer in Townsville and find the holy grail of the energy transition has been boosted by a $US50 million ($A69 million) stake in Energy Vault, an off-grid storage company.
Paradise Dam wall rebuild ‘welcome but late’ [$]
Fruit and vegetable growers in Bundaberg say the Queensland government’s plan to start a rebuild of the wall at Paradise Dam in 2024 is too late and have called for construction to start sooner.
Tasmania
Olegas Truchanas remembered as a pioneer of Tasmanian conservation
In recent years Tasmania has branded itself as a destination for those seeking adventures in the wild.
Western Australia
Fortescue buys battery-powered trains as green shift for miners heats up
Billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s Fortescue Metals Group has purchased two battery-powered trains to carry iron ore to the port in the latest sign of the resources industry’s push for cleaner ways to fuel Australia’s hugely carbon-intensive mining operations.
Sustainability
Reality check: Gas no longer needed as a bridge to a clean energy future
As coal plants shut down across the United States, there is a pervasive belief that gas is the necessary “bridge” to a low-carbon grid.
South32, Alcoa to restart Brazilian smelter with green energy [$]
The two companies will spend about $US175m on the restart of the smelter – known as Brazil Aluminium – with South32 shouldering $US70m of the burden for its 40 per cent share.
Rolls-Royce envisions hybrid-style plug-in electric plane [$]
The aviation industry is under pressure to move towards zero emissions by 2050. Rolls-Royce is trying to make that not just possible, but inevitable.
How long does it take to recoup the cost of an EV?
Many drivers are champing at the bit to get behind the wheel of an electric vehicle, but the biggest barrier is cost. So how long does it take to recoup the extra cost of an EV?
Plastic trash transformed into sneaker gold
Ashay Bhave’s sneakers made of waste plastic are a runaway success as the sustainability race heats up
Stopping food waste before it starts is key to reaching climate goals
While rescuing wasted food gets all the headlines, a new EPA report shows that avoiding it completely offers bigger benefits.
‘Cultural resources are not a renewable thing for us.’
The West’s largest green energy storage project would destroy a Yakama sacred site. Now, the nation is fighting back.
The US military is polluting Hawaii’s water supply – and denying it
Wayne Tanaka
The Hawaiian governor issued an emergency order to de-fuel the Red Hill Facility. The US Navy has enlisted top lawyers to make sure its 600m liters of petroleum stay perched above our water supply
‘Ghost’ orchid that grows in the dark among new plant finds
Hundreds of new species include pink voodoo lily and an ylang-ylang tree named after Leonardo DiCaprio
—
return email, delete it from your system and destroy any copies.