Post of the Day
Climate change is killing off soil organisms critical for some of Earth’s ecosystems
Lichens can’t take the heat, with disastrous implications for arid places.
On This Day
Climate Change
Climatic variability might not drive evolutionary change as much as previously thought
A new study combining climate data with fossil records of large mammals that lived across Africa during the last 4 million years casts doubt on a long-standing hypothesis that repeated shifts in climate acted as major drivers of evolutionary change in mammals, including human ancestors.
Study: Africa cyclones exacerbated by climate change
Extreme rainfall in southeast Africa has become heavier and more likely to occur during cyclones because of climate change, according to a new analysis released Monday by an international team of weather scientists.
Turns out Biden’s climate change policies are actually incredibly popular
The right often attempts to paint the Biden administration’s proposals to address climate change as extreme and out of step with what Americans want. Well surprise, surprise: Turns out that’s a bunch of bullshit.
In the race to slow warming, the chorus for cutting methane grows louder
Methane is having a moment — again.
National
Power companies say expect higher electricity bills within months
The price of coal is soaring, driving up the cost of electricity and creating a test for both major parties ahead of the May 21 election.
Carbon credit: Start-up claims tech measures real-time greenhouse gases
GAIT Global combines atmospheric sensors and spatial data from satellites with AI to provide constant monitoring of greenhouses gases in the atmosphere.
Greens put price on support: coal, gas ban [$]
A national ban on new coal and gas projects would be sought by Greens leader Adam Bandt for Labor to secure the minority party’s support in the event of a hung parliament.
Electric cars cost as little as $3 per 100km to run, so why aren’t more people buying them?
Despite the slow uptake, the industry is about to undergo a significant shift that could sway many consumers.
Bilbies trying to bounce bunnies off supermarket shelves this Easter
As Easter approaches, chocolate is on the mind of many. But will it be a bunny or a bilby that makes its way into your home and belly?
Call for renewable energy revolution to be at heart of election campaign
Clean Energy Council says strong clean energy policies will be key to Australia’s future prosperity.
Projects in limbo as Morrison’s promised billions evaporate on election call
Dozens of energy projects in limbo as billions in promised funding evaporates, with Morrison heading to polls without passing key legislation.
Five energy and climate tasks a new government must tackle [$]
Tony Wood
The bipartisan 2050 net zero target will not fix carbon issues by itself – the federal government needs to follow up in a number of critical areas.
Cheap funding, reforms needed for transmission [$]
Stephanie Bashir
The many hectares of solar panels in the desert and wind farms on the coast don’t matter if the electricity isn’t going anywhere.
Climate party must come clean [$]
Australian editorial
Mr Holmes a Court’s public spats are no substitute for full disclosure.
Felicity Deane
The richness of Earth’s plant and animal species is rapidly declining. In Australia, responsibility for this biodiversity loss lies in many quarters – including agriculture.
Honest Government Ad | Carbon credits & offsets – satire
The Australien Government has made an ad about its carbon credits and offsets scheme, and it’s surprisingly honest and informative….
Victoria
EPA lays charges over building site asbestos at Altona North
Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has charged a company and its three directors under the Environment Protection Act 1970 following a comprehensive investigation into the dumping of asbestos contaminated soil at an Altona North development site.
New South Wales
Forestry Corp NSW fined over habitat loss
Logging trees that provide vital habitat for endangered native animals in NSW has led to the state’s appointed environmental and land manager copping $45,000 in fines.
‘My god, what’s happening?’: Dead weedy seadragons wash up on Sydney beaches
Narrabeen resident Betty Ratcliffe had never seen a dead weedy seadragon on the beach. Then, in one week, she found seven.
Climate change a key issue in marginal seat [$]
New data shows climate change is a key issue for voters in the marginal seat of Reid and, after hundreds of parents gathered to make that clear, the issue could have a say on May 21.
Rally at Federal Court as Gomeroi people take on Santos’ Pilliga project
Some two hundred people demonstrated outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Friday in solidarity with the Gomeroi people in their fight to protect the Pilliga forest from coal seam gas extraction.
Sydney is a global city. It must have reliable public transport to match
SMH editorial
Voters will not be forgiving if Sydney’s recent transport disruptions persist.
South Australia
A failed dam wall north of Adelaide could leave thousands at risk, report reveals
SA Water moves to assure people that a major Adelaide dam is safe, despite a report detailing concerns about cracking and its ability to hold up in an extreme flood.
Labor dumps planned changes to pastoral leases [$]
The new Labor government has scrapped the Libs’ draft pastoral bill and handed powers for almost half the entire state back to the environment minister.
Tasmania
Blue Derby Wild wins temporary halt against logging in two coupes [$]
An environmental group has won a temporary injunction against the logging of two north-west forestry coupes – in the wake of revelations Tasmanian logging may have been illegal for decades.
Pedal power pushes Lake Pedder’s plight to Parliament
A campaign to restore Tasmania’s Lake Pedder has been presented to Parliament using pedal power this week, thanks to the advocacy of mates Andy Szollosi and Patrick Kirkby.
Northern Territory
NT Traditional Owners’ court action delays gas project loan
Northern Territory Traditional Owners have had a victory in their quest to halt a major oil and gas project off the Northern Territory coast they say threatens pristine sea country and marine life.
Sustainability
Russian soldiers who occupied Chernobyl only have a year to live, Ukrainian minister says
Russian soldiers who occupied the Chernobyl nuclear plant may only have a year to live because of the amount of radiation they will have absorbed, Ukrainian authorities say.
Chile announces unprecedented plan to ration water as drought enters 13th year
Rivers that supply Santiago with water are running low, forcing rotating cuts to different parts of the city
Discovery of radioactive liquid pauses work at US nuke dump
An area at the U.S. government’s nuclear waste repository in southeastern New Mexico was evacuated over the weekend after workers handling a shipping container discovered a small amount of radioactive liquid inside it.
Here’s what a nuclear war would do to the planet, say scientists
According to two studies, nuclear weapons could also pose a huge environmental threat.
Former BYU professor Paul Alan Cox on religion and science
At a time when the environment, science and belief are increasingly contested, Cox straddles these worlds.
New transistor could cut 5% from world’s digital energy budget
A new spin on one of the 20th century’s smallest but grandest inventions, the transistor, could help feed the world’s ever-growing appetite for digital memory while slicing up to 5% of the energy from its power-hungry diet.
Converting solar energy to electricity on demand
A new energy system that makes it possible to capture solar energy, store it for up to eighteen years and release it when and where it is needed has now taken the system a step further. After previously demonstrating how the energy can be extracted as heat, they have now succeeded in getting the system to produce electricity, by connecting it to a thermoelectric generator.
A ‘new era of air pollution’ in the tropics could have a huge toll
Increasingly bad air in big cities is expected to kill hundreds of thousands in coming years if stronger controls are not put in place.
Do you shop for second-hand clothes? You’re likely to be more stylish
Louise Grimmer and Martin Grimmer
It’s not just about being eco-conscious and frugal: second-hand clothes shoppers are also more stylish
‘Too many people, not enough food’ isn’t the cause of hunger and food insecurity
Gisèle Yasmeen
Environmental catastrophe, war, a worldwide pandemic. What does this mean for feeding the world today and in the future?
Nature Conservation
Climate change is killing off soil organisms critical for some of Earth’s ecosystems
Lichens can’t take the heat, with disastrous implications for arid places.
Climate change is messing with bears’ hibernation schedules
Bears will have to rethink their concept of hibernation as the climate warms and winters grow shorter. How they respond will say much about their commitment to winter naps, and about the deep interconnections between climate and animal behavior.
Facing disastrous floods, they turned to mangrove trees for protection
In the Sundarbans, an ecological treasure straddling India and Bangladesh that is now on the front lines of climate change, local women are leading an effort to mitigate the dangers of rising waters.
The boreal forest is on the move. Here’s what that means for our climate
Warmer temperatures and high soil nitrogen levels are causing Earth’s largest land biome to advance northward.
The Guardian view on nature tourism: tread lightly
Guardian editorial
You don’t need to visit a wonder of the world to show an appreciation of landscapes and wildlife
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