Post of the Day
The age of ‘the car is king’ is over. The sooner we accept that, the better
John Vidal
Accidents and pollution are making road vehicles untenable. With public transport and ride-sharing, their demise can’t come soon enough
On This Day
Ganesh Chaturthi – Hinduism
Climate Change
Evangelicals release climate change report, say Bible demands action
The National Association of Evangelicals has unveiled a sweeping report on global climate change, laying out what its authors call the “biblical basis” for environmental activism to help spur fellow evangelicals to address the planetary crisis.
Why climate change may be driving more infectious diseases
While the impacts of climate change may conjure images of natural disasters, a new study shows that its can also impact humans on a microscopic level.
Fact check: What role does climate change play in extreme weather events?
Attribution scientists are modeling floods, droughts and wildfires in real time to determine how big a part global heating plays in each event. DW takes a closer look.
Why ‘climate refugee’ is an inaccurate way to explain migration
When we use the impacts of climate change to explain migration, we only tell half the story—and obscure how power, race, and social inequalities are at play.
It is 100 days until Cop15 – and the omens are good for a global plan to protect nature
John Vidal
Despite many challenges, December’s crucial biodiversity talks in Montreal may set a new path for humans to live with nature
National
Consumers lose faith in energy market as fossil fuelled crisis hits hip pockets
Survey finds consumer confidence at new lows, as bill shock cements perception that Australia’s energy market is broken.
Sustainability and green bonds in Australia
Aussie green bonds are having a cracker of a year. So what are they again?
Third La Niña declared around the world, but not in Australia — how come?
The US, Japan, India and other countries have all declared a third consecutive La Niña, but the BOM has not followed suit. Here’s why.
Murray River businesses worry flood warning could dry up summer trading
Tourists are being urged to continue to visit river communities, despite a flood advice message, to support the towns which rely on peak summer season support.
Gas giant Santos accused of ‘greenwashing’ clean energy claims
One of Australia’s largest oil and gas companies is being taken to court over claims of ‘greenwashing’ its clean energy credentials.
Fact check: Sussan Ley says no one in the world is making an electric ute. Is that correct?
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley told Sky News no one in the world is making an electric ute. Is that correct? RMIT ABC Fact Check investigates.
Investment needed to plug energy gaps
The Australian Energy Market Operator says coal and gas plant closures will reduce electricity reliability and an urgent boost in new generation is needed.
Building a backyard ‘frog hotel’ could help species recover from bushfires
A simple DIY project could provide a temporary habitat for frogs made homeless by bushfires as high rainfall gives numbers a welcome boost.
Australians want green public transport options, and fast
Australians overwhelmingly want governments to splash cash on a fast transition to green transport options that will save them money and fight climate change, a national survey shows.
Murray-Darling dams approach capacity
Forecast heavy rainfall could see a Victorian dam spilling for the first time in 26 years, potentially contributing to flooding downstream.
UK faces catastrophic winter as energy costs skyrocket: Is Australia safe from this crisis?
Britons will pay exorbitantly for energy in coming weeks after the nation’s energy regulator announced a huge price rise.
Landcare’s projects ‘smashed’ as it tries to restore the environment
Landcare Australia says the environment is facing a climate crisis and efforts to protect and restore sites are being hindered by successive disasters.
Partnering with Indonesia on climate and energy
Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen is departing for Bali to support the Indonesian G20 Presidency and deepen the bilateral relationship as Indonesia hosts crucial ministerial G20 meetings this week.
Are we helping others increase global emissions?
Geoff Carmody
Is Australia helping increase global greenhouse gas emissions? Yes. Not by continuing our coal and gas exports. By stopping them.
‘Monumental blunder’: opposition small business spokesperson claims electric utes don’t exist [$]
Emma Elsworthy
Sussan Ley has wrongly claimed electric utility vehicles do not exist. And boy have people let her know about it.
The Reserve Bank review must have expertise to measure natural capital and to replace GDP
David Shearman
The government has launched its first Reserve Bank review since the 80’s. The Reserve Bank affects issues from mortgage repayments to the cost of groceries – and under review will be its performance, inflation policy, board, operations, and governance.
Australia must heed Musk’s stark green energy warning [$]
James Morrow
Tesla’s CEO tells the world moving to renewables too fast will cause more problems than it solves; but our leaders in Australia are blind to the unfolding global disaster.
Christopher Turbill
Golden-tipped bats are peculiar creatures. By night, they hunt the understorey for orb-weaving spiders, plucking them carefully from their sticky webs. By day, they roost in excavated basements at the bottom of nests made by two rainforest birds.
Victoria
Fisherfolk, environmentalists call on gov’t to stop seismic testing in Otway Basin
Fisherfolk and environmentalists say knowingly damaging the oceans for the sake of outdated and unnecessary fossil fuel exploration is wrong.
Councillor dumped over anti-bike lane views [$]
Melbourne City Council has stripped a councillor of a key transport portfolio amid her outspoken views on CBD bike lanes.
New South Wales
City of Sydney makes the move to net zero
Developers and the City of Sydney council have joined forces in support of new regulations that will help the city reach its net zero goal.
“Failure by almost every measure:” Offsets under fire again after “damning” audit
A theme emerges as NSW auditor-general raises serious concerns about the effectiveness and integrity of the state’s Biodiversity Offset Scheme.
Home truths: Sydney’s train dispute reinforcing COVID work habits
Matt Wade
The remote work trend that emerged during the pandemic has been solidified by months of disruptions to the city’s mass transit system.
Sydney can’t pretend to be a world-class city with this transport chaos
Jordan Baker
This long, expensive fight that’s crippling Sydney’s transport network will come with no upside and a significant cost for commuters.
Queensland
Bottoms up for the Barrier Reef
A collaboration will champion First Nations custodianship of the Great Barrier Reef… through beer. Cheers!
“Open season” for experimental coral to grow on demand
For the first time, researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) have successfully bred the next generation of captive-raised corals in an experimental aquarium outside of their natural reproductive window, months before the annual spawning season on the Great Barrier Reef later this year.
‘Scattergun’ impact: The miners set to quit state over royalties [$]
Mining companies digging up non-coal resources in Queensland are considering taking their crucial future investment elsewhere, a new report has found.
South Australia
Power shortages predicted as coal, gas taken out of market [$]
An “urgent response” is required to meet South Australia’s electricity demand by mid next year, with power shortages predicted.
Northern Territory
The NT Traditional Owners standing staunch in the face of an international gas giant
Traditional Custodians say they are hurting with the ongoing battle against gas companies wanting drill on their Country, in Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin 500km south east of Darwin. But they won’t give up.
Western Australia
Yindjibarndi Elder calls for Burrup industry deal to be torn up over sacred site protection snub
A respected Pilbara Elder has urged the WA Government to tear up a 19-year-old industry deal amid growing concerns Traditional Owners have limited power to stop destruction of sacred sites on Murujuga.
Renewables hardly get a mention as super profits wed Woodside to gas
Renewables takes back seat at Woodside as profits surge on soaring global gas prices.
Coca-Cola steps closer to 100 pct renewables in deal with huge wind farm
Coca Cola steps closer to 100 per cent renewables in 8-year deal with one of biggest and best performing wind farms in Western Australia.
Big win for little penguin campaigners as state government commits to conservation
A tourist centre planned for Rockingham’s Penguin Island has been ditched for a proposal to help the vulnerable population adapt to climate change.
Water theft fines could increase under new WA legislation
West Australian Water Minister Dave Kelly has indicated fines for water theft could be increased to protect a resource which is drying up in parts of the state from climate change.
Mandurah to stay bushfire safe with latest grant
The City of Mandurah has received a financial boost to its annual fire prevention program that will enable it to reduce the risk of bushfires at various reserves.
Sustainability
Pregnant women in the U.S. are being exposed to chemicals like melamine, cyanuric acid, and aromatic amines that can increase the risk of cancer and harm child development, according to researchers at UC San Francisco and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Trinity College Dublin researchers collaborating with University College London have demonstrated for the first time the low environmental footprint of water fluoridation compared to other preventive measures for tooth decay.
Timber cities ‘could cut 100bn tons of CO2 emissions by 2100’
Environmentalists say replacing natural forests with wood plantations to realise shift in construction practices is ‘bonkers’
US fossil fuel firm sues insurer for refusing to cover climate lawsuit
Aloha Petroleum’s case against AIG could set precedent as to whether firms are protected against climate damage claims
Collateral damage: The environmental cost of the Ukraine war
As the war in Ukraine drags on, scientists are increasingly concerned about the environmental consequences of the destruction. From forests ignited by shelling to wrecked factories spewing pollution to precarious nuclear plants, the long-term impacts could be profound.
Iran expanding underground uranium enrichment, leaked report says
Iran is pressing ahead with an upgrade to its advanced uranium enrichment program, even as the West awaits Iran’s response on salvaging its 2015 nuclear deal.
What is the environmental cost of gas flaring?
Russia is believed to have flared large amounts of gas near the Finnish border since July, releasing approximately 9,000 tonnes of CO2 per day. DW looks at the potential climate impact.
We need rare earth elements for a greener future, but there’s a catch
Rare earth elements are becoming increasingly important in the switch to clean energy, but mining them brings its own environmental footprint. So how do we balance the need for mining the minerals with environmental risks associated with the operations? And where does climate change fit in?
Novel glass design for energy saving in buildings
Energy use in buildings contributes to over 40% of the world’s total energy consumption, of which lighting and space cooling make up a significant proportion. Traditional glass windows have been used for centuries, however, are not energy-efficient.
The six reckonings of Europe’s energy crisis: Gas, nuclear, war and inflation
Europe is facing a day of reckoning as the energy crisis deepens, and French nuclear failures push electricity prices to unprecedented levels.
Finally, a heat-pump water heater that plugs into a standard outlet
How a public-private collaboration brought a key climate-change-fighting tool to market: an efficient 120-volt water heater that can be easily installed in homes.
How do land sparing vs. land sharing interventions influence human wellbeing?
A recent study examines how land use approaches impact human wellbeing.
Is breadfruit the climate change-proof food of the future?
As the climate continues to shift because of human actions, breadfruit could increasingly play a role in addressing global hunger, according to a paper published this month in the journal PLOS Climate.
Ana Estefanía Carballo and Erin Fitz-Henry
Chile may soon be the second country in the world to grant constitutional rights to nature, under astoundingly progressive reforms proposed by the government. If approved in the national referendum on 4 September, the new constitution would deliver profound changes to the country.
The age of ‘the car is king’ is over. The sooner we accept that, the better
John Vidal
Accidents and pollution are making road vehicles untenable. With public transport and ride-sharing, their demise can’t come soon enough
Nature Conservation
Reintroducing bison to grasslands increases plant diversity, drought resilience, K-State study finds
A Kansas State University study more than 30 years in the making and recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science finds reintroducing bison would double plant biodiversity in a tallgrass prairie.
A ‘fungi first’ approach to climate change
Vast underground fungal networks sequester carbon and sustain much of life on Earth. Yet they have so far been overlooked by efforts to tackle the climate crisis. A new fungi-focused non-profit is working to change that.
How corals protect themselves against climate change
Corals have developed a sophisticated internal fan system to protect themselves from climate change, a study has revealed.
Exposure to past temperature variability may help forests cope with climate change
Understanding how forests are responding to climate change is critical to planning effective forest management and climate policy.
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