Post of the Day
After winning the climate election, Labor must be the climate government the whole world needs
Bill Hare
For years Australia was a roadblock to global climate action. It’s time we returned to the right side of history
On This Day
Whit Monday – Western Christianity
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Dozens of prospective fossil fuel projects in the UK that qualify for Rishi Sunak’s tax relief on oil and gas could together pump up to 899 million tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, analysis shows.
CO2 levels at Mauna Loa station spike past milestone
Levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere have soared to levels that are now more than 50% higher than in preindustrial times, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last week.
Is carbon removal a realistic climate solution?
Humans have pumped so much carbon into the air that experts believe simply cutting emissions won’t be enough, we’ll also need to remove some of the carbon that’s already in the atmosphere.
How a mineral used in cat litter could help fight climate change
A mineral used as a drying agent in air purifiers and cat litter could soon be used to clean up one of humanity’s nastiest messes – climate change.
Tomorrow’s people: why we must act now to ensure a future for the next generation
Ailie Galant
We’re already feeling the impacts of climate change. How can we protect future generations from succumbing to its extremes?
National
Dutton names 10 women to shadow cabinet, demotes Morrison lieutenants
Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announces his new shadow ministry, with 10 women named among the 24 in his shadow cabinet.
Bowen blames Coalition for gas crisis as government faces call to ‘pull the trigger’
The federal government is laying blame for Australia’s current gas crisis at the feet of the Coalition, accusing it of botching energy policy for close to a decade and leaving Australians in the cold this winter.
‘Canaries in the coal mine’: Frogs face an uncertain future, and that’s bad news for us as well
As Australia comes to grips with mosquito-borne diseases like Japanese encephalitis, frogs help keep the mozzies under control — but they’re among the first species to show signs of stress when the environment deteriorates.
Celling the farm: Are EVs the new frontier for primary producers?
They produce a fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions and cost almost nothing to refuel … but it’s unlikely you will see this new generation of electric vehicle on the roads near you.
David Littleproud denies former government’s policy failures contributed to energy crisis
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the Coalition’s “lack of a coherent policy framework” while in government is contributing to the crisis.
Chris Bowen says Labor ‘actively managing’ energy crisis as Dutton criticises response
Bowen blames decade of inaction on renewables and limitations on gas trigger for preventing a swifter fix
Government ‘not ruling anything out’ as it calls gas crisis meeting
State and federal ministers will meet on Wednesday to discuss solutions to the gas crisis as they look to protect local manufacturing from supply shortages.
‘A lot of cold days’: Nationals Leader concedes gas trigger no short-term solution
The federal government has been called on to activate the so-called gas trigger as energy prices soar and gas reserves are put at risk, but both sides say it’s not the solution.
‘We can get there’: Power chief backs Labor’s green energy goals
Former AGL chief executive Brett Redman says federal Labor’s ambitious clean-energy target and the rise of the Greens and climate-focused independents are clear signals that the nation must prepare for an earlier shift from fossil fuels to renewable power.
What is illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing?
The Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) uses a multifaceted approach that recognises the dynamic and diverse nature of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).
Santos to drill extra wells to lift supply amid crisis [$]
The move comes amid rising pressure on the federal government to force Queensland’s three LNG exporters to divert more gas to the domestic market.
Dutton flags Coalition will argue for nuclear power [$]
The opposition is gearing up for a fight over nuclear energy with the appointment of advocate Ted O’Brien to the Climate Change and Energy portfolio.
After winning the climate election, Labor must be the climate government the whole world needs
Bill Hare
For years Australia was a roadblock to global climate action. It’s time we returned to the right side of history
From town to country, we must act as one on climate change [$]
Jo Dodds
The recent election demonstrated there’s been a seismic shift in the direction of our nation. For people like me, living in a regional area that’s been hammered over the past five years by floods, fires and drought, it’s about bloody time.
Old and costly, nuclear energy has reliable friends
Nick O’Malley
The world has limited funds and time to tackle the climate crisis, so perhaps we should set aside a slow and expensive solution.
Reinventing Tanya: The one discordant note in Albanese’s reshuffle
Deborah Snow
In a ministerial line-up otherwise widely praised for its freshness and diversity, this was Anthony Albanese’s one controversial move.
It’s an energy crisis plaguing us, not a climate one [$]
Andrew Bolt
Green power isn’t saving us, and poorer Australians will almost certainly die in homes they cannot afford to heat.
Ed Coper
The director of the communications agency responsible for the major teal independent campaigns reveals the revolutionary nature of the social media advertising strategy.
Australia’s hard rubbish culture a shock to my third-world perspective
Maida Pineda
When I walk to my local cafe I’m alarmed by the amount of hard rubbish left out on the kerb. Back home we would never throw out these items that still can be used.
Politics of energy hits a perfect storm [$]
Jennifer Hewett
This week’s emergency meeting of federal and state energy ministers will be big on the rhetoric of co-operation but short on practical answers for soaring energy prices and inadequate supplies.
Labor needs a realistic net zero transition plan [$]
AFR editorial
The lesson of the energy crisis is that the decades-long transition to cleaner energy cannot be achieved simply by flicking the off switch on fossil fuels.
Government ‘should breach gas contracts’ [$]
Ticky Fullerton
Andrew Liveris says the new government should intervene in the gas market to deal with the energy crisis – even if it means breaching international contracts.
Victoria
A community battery that will take excess energy from local solar panels is unveiled in Melbourne and welcomed as a “fabulous” step towards having more renewable energy in the network.
Get out and go fungal: why it’s a bumper time to spot our native fungi
Gregory Moore
When COVID forced Melburnians to isolate during large parts of 2020 and 2021, many took the opportunity to walk around parks, creeks or remnant bush.
New South Wales
Golden bandicoots haven’t inhabited outback NSW for more than a century, until now
Twenty-seven native golden bandicoots have returned home to far north-west New South Wales, where they lived more than 100 years ago, until being wiped out in the region by rabbits, cats and foxes.
ACT
Why Canberrans’ power bills won’t rise despite electricity prices soaring elsewhere
Some of the money other Australians are paying for electricity will now be given to Canberrans — a pay-off for a decision taken a decade ago.
Queensland
Koalas to get millions in funding, but a leading advocate says we really need more trees
Queensland commits another $25 million towards koala conservation, but the Australian Koala Foundation says the new funding is a “band-aid solution” that does not address the real reason koalas are endangered.
Queensland has done the ‘heavy lifting’ for Australia in producing gas
“The problem has been in other states who haven’t been producing gas and that’s now created a problem, for southern states in particular,” Queensland’s Treasurer Cameron Dick said.
South Australia
Santos boosts gas supplies with new rig [$]
Santos is establishing a new drilling rig in the Cooper Basin to boost national gas supplies as wholesale power and gas prices soar.
Tasmania
Proposed Robbins Island wind farm could ‘decimate’ endangered parrot population, documents reveal
A contentious wind farm proposed for Tasmania’s north-western tip could interfere with the recovery of a critically endangered parrot species, and significantly impact a population of Tasmanian devils thought to be key to the species’ survival, documents obtained under right to information laws show.
Aboriginal elders voice concerns over proposed Tasmanian trek through areas of ‘immense importance’
Tourism operator Experience Co is pushing for a seven-day catered walk through Tasmania’s south-west, but elders say proposals in areas with Aboriginal heritage sites should be put on hold until the state’s new Aboriginal Heritage Act is tabled later this year.
TasWater cops warning after ‘massive’ effluent spill [$]
Tasmania’s water and sewage utility has been issued a warning by the environmental regulator after a 1.23 million litre effluent spill – but the Greens say further penalties are needed.
Northern Territory
‘Little place, big footprint’: Celebration of trash helps tackle waste crisis
A lack of recycling options in a remote town has inspired residents to make the most of their throwaway items in a celebration that produces prized sculptures and costumes.
Sustainability
75% of river monitoring stations report heavy metal pollution: Centre for Science and Environment
Three out of every four river monitoring stations in India posted alarming levels of heavy toxic metals such as lead, iron, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and copper.
Nature Conservation
Climate change and overuse is threatening Pakistan’s main waterway
In a rare journey down the length of the Indus River, a filmmaker and environmental activists survey damage done to Pakistan’s main water artery and meet the people who live on its ancient banks.
Siberia’s tundra could soon disappear, scientists warn
Across nearly 2,500 miles of unbroken wilderness, the Arctic tundra is a unique and unexpectedly abundant ecosystem. But that could change if human-caused global warming goes unchecked, researchers warn.
World Environment Day 2022: Scuba divers on climate change, how pandemic impacted marine life
This World Environment Day, scuba divers highlight how human activities negatively impact the environment, and how pandemic came to the rescue
Three oil firms exit Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, after seeking access
Three big oil companies announced they would drop the exploration leases they won for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge after spending years to get access to the sensitive region in northern Alaska.
Et tu, Brute? The case for human rights for animals
A court case about a Bronx Zoo elephant could pave the way for animals to gain basic human rights.
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