Post of the Day
These are the ecosystems Australia stands to lose in the next decade
Some of Australia’s iconic and unique natural ecosystems are headed for irreversible damage if we keep emitting carbon at current rates, climate experts warn. But they’re not necessarily the ones you might expect.
On This Day
Ash Wednesday – Christianity
Lent begins – Christianity
Climate Change
Food sovereignty is in danger due to droughts, heat, and the working conditions of people in the rural areas. Production is expected to decrease by 17% in the Mediterranean basin.
Heat wave a glimpse of climate change’s impact in N. America
The IPCC report still holds out hope that people can slow climate change — or at least adapt to blunt its effects. Prioritizing society’s most vulnerable will have the greatest impact on climate resiliency, it said.
These climate scientists are fed up and ready to go on strike
Evidence on global warming is piling up. Nations aren’t acting. Some researchers are asking what difference more reports will make.
Worry about climate change seeps across political party lines, but the approach needed to slow Earth’s warming still splits voters, survey shows.
We must adapt to climate change. Can we do it in ways that solve other problems too?
Elizabeth Sawin
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has released its Sixth Assessment Report on the impacts of climate change.
Don’t let Putin distract America from its climate change imperative
Manish Bapna
Even as he confronts Russian aggression abroad, touts his first-year achievements at home and calls for renewed unity in an election year, President Biden must make good on his promise to take the boldest action possible to fight the climate crisis.
National
These are the ecosystems Australia stands to lose in the next decade
Some of Australia’s iconic and unique natural ecosystems are headed for irreversible damage if we keep emitting carbon at current rates, climate experts warn. But they’re not necessarily the ones you might expect.
How unusual is all this rain we’re having? The answer? Very
The rainfall totals Australia is witnessing at the moment are staggering. There is a lot to get your head around. Here are the answers to five quick questions about the floods.
Doctors say climate change is already having devastating effects on our health
Jen Spears was pregnant during the Black Summer bushfires and when her baby was born her doctor said she had the “placenta of a heavy smoker”.
Horror prediction for Aussie capitals
Australia’s climate is changing and it’s set to get worse with experts revealing some horror predictions for the nation’s capitals.
‘Everything to lose’: Australia’s grim warning
While there is hope Australia can slow extreme weather events, a new report says we have dashed our hopes of stopping them.
Urgent climate action needed to help protect animals and pets, vets say
The latest IPCC report documents widespread and critical impacts on people and the natural world from increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts, bushfires, storms and floods. Some impacts are now irreversible. Veterinarians for Climate Action are committed to bringing a halt to climate change to protect the health and welfare of all animals, livestock, unique Australian wildlife and much loved pets.
Bushfire survivors call for urgent action in wake of IPCC report
Bushfire Survivors across Australia are alarmed by warnings of increased days of extreme heat and bushfire risk in Working Group II’s contribution to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, which was released last night.
What caused the ‘rain bomb’? How the unprecedented Queensland and NSW 2022 floods unfolded
The damage was much worse than predicted. So how did it come about, and how does it compare to the 2011 Brisbane disaster?
New investment in innovative Australian soil carbon measurement technology
The Morrison Government is continuing to back Australian agriculture by helping farmers improve the health and quality of soil.
Record coal prices tipped to rise further on Ukraine conflict [$]
Yancoal boss David Moult said Asian customers were trying to replace the coal they traditionally bought from Russian suppliers.
Minister laments climate leadership [$]
Bridget McKenzie says UN is ‘dead right’ to criticise global leaders for the lack of action on climate change.
AFR launches essential news guide to Australia’s energy transition [$]
Michael Stutchbury
Over the past seven decades, The Australian Financial Review has provided the definitive story of how Australia transformed its wool-based economy to become the leading exporter of iron ore, coal and gas to the industrialising nations of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China.
Morrison Government keeps coal fired up despite AGL bid
Graeme McLeay
The offer by tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and his partners in the Brookfield group to buy out AGL has stunned the markets and left the Morrison Government blindsided.
In land of flooding rains, we still don’t give our biggest river system the care it needs
Scott Hamilton
Gobsmackingly, tactics such as market manipulation, insider trading, front running and other market behaviours that are illegal in most commodity market are permitted in water trading.
Rachel Withers
The devastating floods and the latest IPCC report together form a warning impossible to ignore – unless you’re the federal government
The unexpected bright side of higher petrol prices
Peter Martin
With Australian petrol prices forecast to reach $2.10, it’s possible some good could come of the pain wrought by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — including a faster path to net zero emissions
The climate-change changes the politicians don’t want to talk about
Ross Gittins
Both sides of politics are leading us to a policy-free federal election campaign at a time when we have so many problems we should be debating.
Our climate window is closing, this is what needs to happen
Miki Perkins
More delays in global action mean humanity will miss a “brief and rapidly closing window” to secure a liveable future, say experts. We need to focus our attention on these crucial areas.
Fire and flood: Climate change emergency should be top priority
Letters
The extreme weather events in northern NSW and Queensland are real-time examples of climate change’s wrath. But we see little sense of urgency from our leaders.
“Coal won’t hurt you” says Prime Minister of nation facing 5th natural disaster in 5 years – satire
The Chaser
The nation of Australia has today buckled down for it’s 5th once-in-a-lifetime natural disaster in 5 years today, after torrential floods allowed the CSIRO to complete their “things we fucking told you were going to happen” bingo card.
Victoria
Historic Murray-Darling water deal lauded by Victorian Traditional Owners
Murray-Darling Traditional Owners have for the first time been awarded 1.36 gigalitres of water from the Victorian Government as part of the state’s massive irrigation project, Connections.
Blueprint to bring Tassie tiger back to life [$]
Melbourne scientists are attempting a Jurassic Park-style plot to revive the Tasmanian tiger through a multimillion dollar “de-extinction” project.
Lobster fisherman battles marine waste with plastic-free lobster pot
When fisherman Gary Ryan discovered the “appalling” impact his industry was having on the environment, he knew he had to do something about it.
New South Wales
Broken Hill cleans up after powerful hailstorm
Roads are closed, powerlines are down and emergency services are working to reach residents in need after a large hailstorm hit Broken Hill last night.
Council commits to an education campaign to manage Common Mynas
Residents in the Georges River area will be able to access information on Council’s website to learn how to protect local native wildlife from Common (Indian) Mynas – an invasive bird that is usually confused with the native Noisy Miner or solider bird.
Second stage of Parramatta light rail up to 10 years away
Residents in fast-growing suburbs are likely to have to wait until early next decade for the second stage to be completed if the government commits.
ACT
Distinctive gang-gang cockatoo edges closer to extinction as it makes the threatened species list
The gang-gang cockatoo will be added to the threatened species list after climate change and bushfires impact populations.
Queensland’s biggest wind farm that will power zinc refinery gets final green light
Massive Queensland wind farm that will supply more than half of the energy needs of Australia’s largest zinc refinery has been granted environmental approval.
Brisbane might not see flood levels drop until next week — and more rain could be on the way
As flood levels keep dropping across Brisbane, some inundation adjacent to the river may not recede until early next week, says Seqwater.
Logan floods ‘bigger than anything we’ve ever seen’ [$]
As parks disappear from view, the bottoms of houses go underwater and ducks swim over what were once off-leash dog areas, Logan locals have told how this is the worst flood they have ever seen.
Wivenhoe release to keep city under water [$]
Brisbane flood emergency to extend into next week as Wivenhoe Dam unleashes millions of litres of water for six more days.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pointed to constantly changing forecasts ahead of the floods as one reason emergency planning was so difficult. But experts say that was to be expected, and the Bureau of Meteorology is more accurate than ever.
100-year flood hits Brisbane just 11 years after the last [$]
Leisa Scott
How could we be here again, so soon after the horror of the one-in-100-year flood of just 11 years ago.
Reef protection money is useless if we’re still refusing to properly cut emissions
Tony Fontes
In 1979, having travelled from my home in California, I arrived on the shores of Australia as a backpacking dive instructor with one thing on my mind … to dive the Great Barrier Reef.
South Australia
Clean-up in Adelaide after ‘one-in-20-year’ storm
The Bureau of Meteorology says the storm that smashed Adelaide’s west was a one-in-20-year event.
Ignore population-growth advocates who can’t answer this obvious question
David Washington
South Australian business leaders need to become fierce advocates for public transport if they want their calls for speedier population growth to be taken seriously.
Tasmania
Plastic Free Launceston runs Clean Up Australia Day event at Riverbend Park
A local environmental working group is on a mission to spur change this Clean Up Australia Day.
Tasmanian hunters hold animal welfare concerns about government’s fallow deer management strategy
The head of a deer hunting advisory committee says he holds some animal welfare concerns regarding the government’s new five-year plan for fallow deer management.
ALCT: Reject Robbins Is Wind Farm
The Robbins Island wind farm should be rejected because of its impacts on an Aboriginal Cultural Landscape and, given the Aboriginal Heritage Act (1975) is acknowledged as deficient and Government has committed to new legislation, the upcoming assessment will be a test of the current Act and its interpretation by the Minister, according to the Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania (ALCT).
EPA reveal findings into TasWater’s vile black ‘discharge’ into river [$]
The EPA has revealed its finding into thick, black ‘discharge’ captured on video oozing onto a Tasmanian riverbank from a TasWater facility.
Why today is a major day for Tasmanian cat owners [$]
Another tranche of new laws regarding the management of the state’s cats have come into effect.
Northern Territory
NT Parks hiking and camping booking system experiences ‘teething issues’
Adventure-seekers keen to experience some of the Northern Territory’s most spectacular multi-day hikes have waited hours online after a long-awaited booking system experienced glitches on the first day of its rollout.
Western Australia
Legal eagle lists top priorities as he steps into Aboriginal Affairs portfolio
Western Australia’s new Aboriginal Affairs Minister has named implementing the state’s controversial Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act as his top priority in a wide-ranging interview with the National Indigenous Times.
Federal plea to protect ancient Murujuga rock engravings
Traditional custodians from Western Australia’s Pilbara have made an urgent plea to the Federal Government to step in and protect a globally significant collection of ancient rock engravings.
Indigenous rangers trial drones to track rare rock-wallaby
Traditional knowledge and cutting edge tech are combining to help monitor and improve culturally-important rock wallaby populations.
Fortescue starts work on world-first “Infinity Train,” a regenerating battery on rails
FFI to spend $50m to develop “world-first” regenerating battery electric iron ore train to save tens of millions of litres of diesel.
Intense fire through Cape Range National Park exposes ‘cave entrances we’ve never seen before’
Fire crews navigated sinkholes, caves and unexploded ordnances to bring the Cape Range National Park fire under control and now experts are making some exciting discoveries.
Court dismisses green challenge against biggest gas development to be built in Australia in a decade
The Conservation Council of WA fails in its Supreme Court challenge against the $16.5 billion Scarborough project off WA’s coast – the biggest gas development to be built in Australia in a decade.
Body parts dumped in landfill near Dwellingup forest after rail woes hit medical waste disposal
Medical waste is being dumped in landfill near Dwellingup state forest after flooding washed away parts of the rail line which normally takes it to incinerators over east.
How will we cool down Perth’s sweatiest postcodes?
As WA farewelled its hottest summer on record a Perth sustainability expert warns the sprawl of big homes on increasingly tiny blocks on the city’s urban fringe will soon become unsustainable – and unsaleable.
Sustainability
Russian capture of Chernobyl nuclear plant threatens research on radioactivity and wildlife
Shortly after Russia launched its attack on Ukraine, both governments said that the Russian military had taken over the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster. In a tweet, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised fears of possible ecological disaster.
UK overrules scientific advice by lifting ban on bee-harming pesticide
Campaigners aghast as emergency exemption on use of thiamethoxam granted due to risk to sugar beet crop
Textile waste is a growing problem — and Canada still isn’t doing enough to solve it, experts say
Textile waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. Experts say it’s important to recycle and repurpose clothing even if it’s damaged. But some in the recycling and textiles industries say Canada lacks a lot of the infrastructure to properly re-purpose clothes.
These solar panels pull in water vapor to grow crops in the desert
Using a unique hydrogel, scientists have created a solar-driven system that successfully grows spinach by using water drawn from the air while producing electricity. The proof-of-concept design offers a sustainable, low-cost strategy to improve food and water security for people living in dry-climate regions.
Since it first went on the market in 1974, glyphosate has been used for weed control, as an exfoliant to eradicate unwanted vegetation and illegal crops, and as a crop desiccant—a chemical applied to crops to dry them out more quickly before harvest.
Amazon is drastically undercounting its carbon footprint
The company has marketed itself as a climate change leader, but a private emissions report obtained by Reveal highlights the pitfalls of relying on voluntary commitments.
Environment should not be sacrificed for political gain: DOE chief
Despite the water and climate tensions that Iran and West Asia are facing, supporting the sustainable livelihoods of wetland communities through modeling measures and the creation of micro funds are among Iran’s other efforts to preserve this ecosystem.
Cities are unlikely yet powerful weapons to fight climate change
The UN’s latest IPCC report paints a dire picture for the species of Earth. But it also suggests how urban areas can help humanity face down the threat.
Europe looks to fossil fuels as Russian invasion sends energy shockwaves
The Ukraine crisis has raised the prospect of a blockage in the massive supply of Russian gas into Europe, posing big questions for the clean energy revolution.
Europe must stop paying for the Russian gas financing Putin’s war
Simon Johnson
Enforcing sanctions on the Kremlin’s hidden reserves would see Russia struggle to outlast an EU energy embargo says a former IMF chief economist.
From egg cartons to rare earths, global supply chains are about to get a lot shorter
Gareth Parker
Did you know most WA egg cartons were manufactured in China? The situation is a microcosm of the shift under way as industries reliant on global supply chains rush to adapt to a changing geopolitical situation.
Why we need to revive global food diversity
Dan Saladino
The Green Revolution helped feed a surging global population, but at the cost of impoverishing crop diversity. Now, with climate change threatening food supplies, the need for greater agricultural resilience means restoring endangered crop and food varieties.
Rumors of this coral’s survival were greatly exaggerated
Bleached coral can suffer long-lasting reproductive effects.
Prescription drugs are contaminating Florida’s marine life, researchers find
A recent Florida International University study identified 58 different drugs in bonefish from South Florida’s coastal waters. A single fish had 16 drugs in its system.
Climate crisis: Indigenous groups both victims and saviours
Long portrayed as victims of climate change, indigenous peoples who have struggled for years to protect ancestral lands and ways of life from destruction are finally being recognised as playing an important role in defending precious environments.
—
return email, delete it from your system and destroy any copies.