Post of the Day
Human-induced disease outbreak in animals causes cascading ecological effects
The increased spread of human-induced diseases to wildlife poses a growing challenge for ecosystem conservation
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
CO2 could be stored below ocean floor
Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity. To combat its potentially catastrophic effects, scientists are searching for new technologies that could help the world reach carbon neutrality. One potential solution that is drawing growing attention is to capture and store carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the form of hydrates under ocean floor sediments, kept in place by the natural pressure created by the weight of the seawater above.
Women and girls are suffering more because of climate change
All too often, the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls is forgotten. We cannot make that mistake this international women’s day, Christian Aid says.
Vanessa Nakate confronts rich world’s ministers over loss and damage
Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate has confronted rich countries over their refusal to provide finance for victims of the climate crisis in the developing world.
Misinformation is blocking climate action, and the U.N. is finally calling it out
LA Times editorial
Perhaps we are getting closer to a turning point, where public realization that we’ve been misinformed by polluting industries begins to overcome decades of planet-endangering deceit and delay.
How Angus Taylor handed a $1.3 billion windfall to carbon traders
Michael Mazengarb
The Morrison government’s decision to allow the developers of emissions reduction projects from its flagship climate program is likely to deliver a windfall of $1.3 billion or more to the country’s carbon traders.
How Biden’s ‘climate crazies’ emboldened Putin [$]
Miranda Devine
US President Joe Biden’s kowtowing to fringe groups was a green light for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
We cannot solve the climate crisis without women and girls
Oladosu Adenike
One the reasons progress has been slow when it comes to climate action is because of the limited rights of women. This barrier towards access to resources disempowers women’s ability to participate as solution makers.
National
Cat owners need to keep pets contained, say feds, but cat curfew a no-go
With native fauna being hunted to extinction by cats, the Invasive Species Council chief says the federal government’s response to its own feral cat inquiry “doesn’t go far enough”.
Australia’s biggest hybrid wind and solar farm about to start production
The biggest hybrid wind and solar farm in Australia – the 317MW Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park – is about to begin production after getting the green light from the Australian Energy Market Operator.
Major flooding disasters prompt calls for urgent political action – podcast
With a federal election due by May at the latest, the political and economic elements of climate change’s impacts are more magnified than ever.
La Nina is fading – but may return stronger than ever next time – podcast
There are fears that, as the climate warms, the next La Nina cycle could be even more severe.
‘Running out of food’: Farmers warn climate crisis will empty shelves and raise food prices
Empty supermarket shelves will become a common sight unless urgent action is taken to combat climate change, a new report has warned.
Nature, community, resilience focus of tourism industry forum
Tourism is changing as travellers becoming increasingly aware of the impact they have on the places they visit.
Most Australians think banks lie about their green credentials [$]
A report by the Responsible Investment Association Australasia says most Australians don’t believe their bank when it says it’s managing money ethically.
‘The sad reality is many don’t survive’: how floods affect wildlife, and how you can help them
Euan Ritchie and Chris J Jolly
For over two decades, bull sharks have called a Brisbane golf course home after, it’s believed, a flood washed them into the course’s lake in 1996. Now, after severe floods connected their landlocked home back to the river system, these sharks have gone missing, perhaps attempting to seek larger water bodies.
Abul Rizvi
It isn’t at all clear Australia can find enough migrants to meet the Treasury’s proposed target. Even if it can, net migration is determined by other things.
Australia can lead on reducing global nuclear risk
Rumtin Sepasspour
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Australia has pulled from the standard toolkit. Strongly worded statements. Far-flung economic sanctions. Humanitarian and military assistance. The dull threat of expelling the ambassador.
This is the future for natural disasters: the cavalry won’t be coming
Jenna Price
Forget the ADF and the SES, accelerating climate change will soon outstrip their ability to help.
Energy and security are joined [$]
Australian editorial
Invasion of Ukraine provides long overdue opportunity to take stock.
Local gas players look to capitalise on energy fears [$]
Ticky Fullerton
Three events signal the pendulum could now swing back to more LNG development as the debate on gas versus carbon emissions shifts.
The oil surge won’t send electric vehicle sales soaring [$]
Chanticleer
The fuel’s rocketing price should be good news for environmental cars. But supply shocks are hitting that market, too.
Barbara Norman
The devastating floods in Queensland and New South Wales highlight, yet again, Australia’s failure to plan for natural disasters. As we’re seeing now in heartbreaking detail, everyday Australians bear the enormous cost of this inaction.
Victoria
Farmers rage against power project with tractors, horses in Melbourne CBD
Hundreds of farmers descend on Parliament House to demand the Victorian government reject AusNet’s plan to build a giant transmission corridor that they say will destroy prime agricultural land.
Guy backs 2030 climate target as Andrews mocks Liberals’ ‘Damascus-like conversion’
The state Liberal leader, keen to appeal to more voters in an increasingly climate-conscious electorate, said he was “excited” about future climate announcements.
State Liberals take a vital redemptive step
Letters
Readers discuss the Victorian Liberal Party’s new zero-emissions target, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Australia’s defence policy.
New South Wales
‘Coming back to life’: Locals rejoice as 100km creek flows for first time in a decade
For more than 10 years, Tallywalker Creek in far west New South Wales has been dry. Now floodwaters have given locals cause to celebrate.
Is Newcastle a realistic option for a nuclear submarine base? It depends who you ask
A Senator dismisses Newcastle’s inclusion on a shortlist of sites being considered for a submarine base as pork-barrelling in the lead up to this year’s federal election.
Manly Dam has spilled, what does that mean?
A warning that an unused dam in Sydney’s northern beaches could overflow has left residents on high alert. Here’s what happened.
Dominic Perrottet admits NSW disaster response hasn’t improved since Black Summer bushfires
The NSW premier said the state’s death toll would be higher had it not been for local residents who rescued one another as waters submerged people’s homes.
Nicky Morrison and Patrick Harris
Thousands of people in south-western Sydney have been ordered to evacuate as extreme rain pummels the region and floodwaters rise rapidly. The downpour is expected to continue for days.
No solutions for frequent floods [$]
Telegraph editorial
Just as there were many bureaucratic, administrative and governmental flaws in the handling of the Black Summer bushfires, we now see similar faults relating to the floods.
ACT
Heading to the footy or a music festival in Canberra? You’ll now be expected to go plastic-free
Canberra’s single-use plastic ban is being expanded, with major events at Canberra Stadium and Manuka Oval now going plastic-free, alongside music festivals.
Cotter River feels long term effect of millennium drought
An investigation into the reliability of the Cotter River for future water capture will soon be underway, as the long term impacts of the millennium drought begin to take effect.
Queensland
Minister tells energy companies not to cut off flood-affected Queenslanders [$]
Energy Minister Angus Taylor has written to the Australian Energy Regulator seeking a set of consumer protections to stop Queenslanders smashed by floods from having their power cut off if they can’t pay their bills.
‘Huge, terrifying experiment’: Floods’ major threat to Qld wildlife [$]
Marine experts are concerned the second major flood event in just over a decade in southeast Queensland could be pushing marine life to its limit of tolerance and resilience, warning it could be years before popular feeding grounds recover, if at all.
‘How bad will it get?’: Scientists brace for Great Barrier Reef bleaching
A late summer heatwave is creating severe risk for mass coral bleaching across vast areas of the Great Barrier Reef.
South Australia
How a rescued bird of prey’s TV antenna mishap could soon help ensure the survival of the species
Bird enthusiasts hope to fit a satellite tracker to a rare adult eastern osprey that was trapped in the tower of a television antenna.
Liberals claim $150m hole in Labor hydrogen plan [$]
The state’s electricity transmission company has revealed up to a $150m hole in Labor’s cutting edge Hydrogen electricity generator, the state government says.
Tasmania
Venture Minerals proposes third mine
Media release – Bob Brown Foundation
Venture Minerals has announced their third mine attack on Tasmania’s takayna / Tarkine. Rehashing a failed proposal for its Livingstone open cut iron ore mine in the rainforest clad Stanley River valley.
Northern Territory
Tourist fees for NT parks released [$]
The government has released the fees for tourists to enter NT parks from 2023.
Fortescue teams up with aero giant Airbus to accelerate green hydrogen planes
FFI and Airbus form new partnership to accelerate development of a “green revolution” in the aviation industry.
Plans unveiled for Australia’s biggest offshore wind project by Danish company
Danish company proposes a massive 3GW offshore wind farm, which would rank as the biggest proposed so far in Australia.
Sustainability
‘Crazy price’: Russia-Ukraine war sparks surge in coal price to unprecedented levels
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has sent thermal coal prices rocketing to new heights, as some European countries look to ban Russian coal.
Macron urges securing nuclear plants in call with Putin
The Russian president has agreed to a dialogue with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Kremlin confirms.
Unintentional PFAS in products: A “jungle” of contamination
Toxic PFAS are often added into consumer products to make items stain- or water-resistant. But mounting evidence indicates that many products made without the intentional addition of PFAS are also contaminated.
Tiny ‘skyscrapers’ help bacteria convert sunlight into electricity
Researchers have made tiny ‘skyscrapers’ for communities of bacteria, helping them to generate electricity from just sunlight and water.
War in Ukraine highlights vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure
Keeping energy supplies safe from hackers is becoming more important, as countries decarbonize their economies and modernize electricity grids.
Factory farms use a quarter-billion pounds of pesticide to feed animals: report
That amount of pesticide usage is likely to harm plant and animal ecosystems, advocates warn.
Truck maker Hino admits to cheating emissions and fuel economy tests
Hino Motors, a subsidiary of Toyota, admits to cheating emissions and fuel economy tests on its engines, reigniting calls locally for a “cop on the beat” to catch cheating car makers.
EmPower Her launches to advance women energy entrepreneurs in developing countries
The Climate Investment Platform (CIP) has launched a call for to support women energy entrepreneurs and organizations supporting women’s economic empowerment.
Millennials, Gen X are using their money to change the world
Animal cruelty and human rights are moving higher on the radar of younger investors, but ethical investment providers are not keeping up with what investors want.
Why is California wasting millions on hydrogen fuel pumps?
Eric Wesoff
Battery EVs have won the clean car race, so bankrolling a major buildout of hydrogen infrastructure seems foolish.
India’s renewable energy commitments and coal plant retirements
Gireesh Shrimali
Coal power still produces more than 70 per cent of India’s power, and this has risen to close to 80 per cent in recent times.
Corporate giants staying in Russia are taking a big risk
Matthew Lynn
Some companies find it far easier to be woke than to stand up to Putin. This is the ultimate test of whether corporate social responsibility means anything.
Fiji working tirelessly to restore and protect ecosystems
Fiji is actively promoting and incorporating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in its ever-increasing disaster management models.
Human-induced disease outbreak in animals causes cascading ecological effects
The increased spread of human-induced diseases to wildlife poses a growing challenge for ecosystem conservation
Can we resurrect the thylacine? Maybe, but it won’t help the global extinction crisis
Corey J. A. Bradshaw
Last week, researchers at the University of Melbourne announced that thylacines or Tasmanian tigers, the Australian marsupial predators extinct since the 1930s, could one day be ushered back to life.
Rewilding Argentina: lessons for the 2030 biodiversity targets
Emiliano Donadio et al
A foundation that turns private land into national parks is reintroducing native species to restore ecosystems and build ecotourism.
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