Post of the Day
Are e-bikes the electric vehicle we’ve been overlooking?
In the push to decarbonise our economy, much has been made of the need to transition to electric cars. But advocates say there’s a much cheaper and greener EV to consider.
On This Day
July 31
Feast Day of Ignatius of Loyola – Catholicism
Ecological Observance
National Tree Day – find somewhere near you to plant today
Climate Change
A window of opportunity for methane to slip by nature’s filters
Warmer oceans can lead to large amounts of methane being released from the seabeds, which may amplify climate warming. A new study develops a method to understand the role of microorganisms in increasing emissions of methane from seabeds.
National
Eucalypts are icons of the Australian landscape, but their family tree is shrouded in mystery
Eucalyptus may look ancient, but they took over Australia in a surprisingly short period of time. Here’s how they became an evolutionary success story.
How scientists are working for greater inclusion of Indigenous knowledge
Aboriginal academics say the culture of science needs to change so that more First Nations people are the researcher, not the research
Nic Seton
Any new coal and gas projects are incompatible with effective climate action. This egregious compromise has to stop now
The Earth’s distress is evident. To care for her, Australians need to adopt First Nations values
Jack Pascoe
The state of environment report is grim reading. Nightmare stuff for those of us who care. But surprising? Not at all
Mark Beeson
Thousands of ‘grey Nomads’ are travelling endlessly around Australia contributing in a small way to the destruction of the very environment they apparently admire. Good luck to them.
Australia’s government must do more to incentivise clean energy [$]
Saul Griffith, Helen Haines
Australia has an energy crisis and a new government. These two facts give us both an opportunity for sensible energy reform, and a government that might be smart enough to seize it.
Nature needs us to sweat the small stuff [$]
Canberra Times editorial
When the ACT Legislative Assembly sits next week, Greens MLA Jo Clay will raise a motion to instruct government mowing contractors to take better care around protected grasslands.
New South Wales
Tiny turtle pooed ‘pure plastic’ for six days after rescue from Sydney beach
Green sea turtle hatchling was missing a flipper when it was found lying on its back in a rockpool and taken to Taronga zoo
‘These seas have stolen front yards’: Sydney beaches at risk of being washed away
Australian beaches could struggle to recover if a third La Nina weather event occurs this year, threatening coastal communities, experts warn.
ACT
‘Irrefutable evidence of our ancestry’: Ngambri custodians take ACT to court [$]
Ngambri custodians have filed a claim in the ACT Supreme Court under the territory’s human rights laws, saying the government has violated their human rights by failing to recognise them as traditional owners of the Canberra area.
Queensland
Brisbane council flood action plan focuses on rebuilding better, stronger
Brisbane, which was severely flooded in 1974, 2011 and again this year, could host a state-first Centre of Excellence for Flood Resilient Design and Construction as part of Brisbane City Council’s February 2022 flood action plan, released on Saturday.
Tasmania
Mismanagement of Tamar Estuary has been failure to act by successive leaders [$]
A Legislative Council inquiry into the future environmental management of kanamaluka/Tamar Estuary made a strong recommendation for an independent statutory authority to lobby and make decisions for the health of the estuary.
Northern Territory
‘Kingdom of the ant’: northern Australia boasts more than 5,000 species
‘It’s the global centre of diversity,’ says insect scientist who found 27 species of ant in two days in Kakadu national park
The Torres Strait Islander elders lawyering up to stop their homes from sinking
Inspired by a successful case in Europe, Paul Kabai and Pabai Pabai are taking the Australian government to court in a bid to force urgent climate action.
The new ‘pseudoscorpion’ species found in WA
Scientists have discovered seven new species of a pear-shaped creature similar to spiders and ticks which they believe may be native to the Kimberley region.
Residents can finally use this beach again after decades of stinky, rotten seaweed mountains
Seaweed still piles up at this Busselton beach every winter but residents say new techniques are paying off after years of expensive failures.
Conrad’s trailers of trash on road from Coober Pedy to Laverton
Conrad McKee completed the Anne Beadell Highway from South Australia to Western Australia while doing his bit picking up three trailer loads of rubbish along the way.
Sustainability
Plant-based ‘meat’ ‘healthier and more sustainable than animal products’
Plant-based dietary alternatives to animal products are better for the environment and for human health when compared with the animal products they are designed to replace, say the authors of a new study.
Are e-bikes the electric vehicle we’ve been overlooking?
In the push to decarbonise our economy, much has been made of the need to transition to electric cars. But advocates say there’s a much cheaper and greener EV to consider.
Inefficient building electrification risks prolonging fossil fuels
A new study indicates that decarbonization pathways should incorporate more efficient electric heating technologies and more renewable energy sources to minimize strain on the U.S. electric grid during peaks in electricity usage from heating in the winter.
Listening to the people results in a more sustainable future energy system
Energy plan for 2050 based on consumer preferences and future demographics of the US population includes 50% more electricity derived from renewable sources than current projections
An increase in oil prices may lead to a decrease in the development of green energy
Oil required in the transition to a carbon-free electricity supply. Precisely, oil is needed for deploying clean energy capacity or infrastructure. This relationship was revealed by an international team of scientists from Russia, Bangladesh.
Green purchasing is affected by price only in times of economic crisis
The departments of Financial Economics II and Economics & Business of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country have conducted a cross-sectional study to find out whether periods of well-being and crises have different effects on internal factors (motivations, attitudes and perceived effectiveness by the consumer) and on external factors (environmental information and marketing) that influence green behaviour, such as green activism and green purchasing.
Exposure to urban greenness has unequal effects on men’s and women’s mental health
Exposure to urban greenness leads to greater mental health benefits for women, although they are less likely to use these green spaces as frequently for reasons mainly related to safety concerns.
Nature Conservation
US drafts new speed limits on shipping to help save endangered whales
Fewer than 340 North Atlantic right whales remain and vessel strikes are among the biggest threats to the species
No ‘Safe Space’ for 12 key ocean species on North American West Coast
Climate-induced changes endanger future of coastal ecosystems
Climate change could be making it harder for seabirds to catch fish
Researchers have found that that cloudier waters, caused in part by climate change, is making it harder for seabirds to catch fish.
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