Post of the Day
Climate activism can’t leave out the built environment — it generates half of emissions
Michael Shank
With Indonesian islanders suing cement producers for climate damages recently, buildings are getting much-needed attention for their carbon-heavy footprint.
On This Day
Climate Change
New study calculates retreat of glacier edges in Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park
A new study from the University of Washington and the National Park Service measures 38 years of change for glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park, a stunning jewel about two hours south of Anchorage.
Coping with climate grief: Advice from an environmental psychologist
When we feel helpless in the face of threats, everything gets worse.
National
Australia’s first six offshore wind zones unveiled
Domestic offshore wind zones have been given the green light after the federal Energy Minister announced the location of the first of six sites
No shift on new fossil fuel projects: PM
The government’s intention to reject a new coal mine has no bearing on other fossil fuel projects that are in the pipeline, the prime minister says.
Simple, cheap material for carbon capture, perhaps from tailpipes
Using an inexpensive polymer called melamine — the main component of Formica — chemists have created a cheap, easy and energy-efficient way to capture carbon dioxide from smokestacks, a key goal for the United States and other nations as they seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
We’re no rubber stamp on climate: Pocock, Lambie warn Labor on climate bill
The trio of senators want federal budget measures to be assessed for their impact on Australia’s carbon emissions.
Don’t get rid of coal or gas too quickly, warns Bluescope [$]
The company says the Energy Security Board should not forget the need for reliable and affordable power for big industrial users in the transition to net zero.
The $8 billion Australian industry that’s creating thousands of tonnes of landfill waste
Make-up brands and retailers are now introducing recycling programs so old cosmetics waste can be turned into new products, but how effective are they and what makes the packaging so hard to recycle in the first place?
Fact check: Barnaby’s meltdown over nuclear energy claim
The former deputy prime minister claims Australia is the only OECD country that doesn’t produce nuclear power.
How Labor will hit its 2030 climate target
Mike Foley
Success for the federal government’s 2030 climate goal hinges on two ambitious schemes to force big businesses to cut their carbon pollution, and the deadline looms large with just 89 months to go.
Albanese outflanks both left and right in climate win [$]
Phillip Coorey
The Prime Minister will have taken satisfaction from watching Labor’s existential Green rivals paint themselves into a corner.
Amy Coopes
From Parliament House in Canberra to the 16th National Rural Health Conference in Queensland, the climate crisis and its devastating health impacts have been in the spotlight. Finally, some progress is being made.
It’s time to shift the course from climate disasters to climate security [$]
Janet Salisbury
Women’s voices were certainly in abundant supply in the first sitting weeks of the 47th Parliament. From the first speeches of newly elected MPs to the ground-breaking climate target bill negotiations, it was exciting and moving to hear a succession of diverse women’s perspectives coming into that notoriously masculine place.
Victoria
Rare native rodent rediscovered at Wilsons Promontory
For the first time in three decades the endangered Broad-toothed Rat has been rediscovered at Wilson Promontory.
New South Wales
‘Happy Valley’ land for Aboriginal community
More than 5.4 hectares of Crown land will be returned to the ownership of Coffs Harbour and District Local Aboriginal Land Council following successful Aboriginal land claims.
NSW flood response to include buybacks, land swaps for Northern Rivers homes
The long-awaited independent flood recovery report, which the premier has committed to implementing, has recommended a voluntary buyback program for the thousands of residents in Lismore who lost homes in this year’s deadly disaster.
NSW needs solutions, not scapegoats, for flood response mistakes
SMH editorial
Leaks of a government report into this year’s floods response have focused on Resilience NSW and its boss Shane Fitzsimmons but the problems are much wider.
ACT
‘How do they think we’re going to cook’? Restaurants respond to gas ban [$]
Stir-fries, steaks and seafood have traditionally been synonymous with cooking on an open flame, but chefs at places like Cinnabar could soon be learning new methods for their cuisines.
Family took their home from 3 stars to 7.7 – and now are saving big [$]
The electrification of Canberra is under way in Watson, with a 1960s ex-government house getting an all-electric retrofit.
Coalition on path to national irrelevance, just as they are in the ACT [$]
Richard Denniss
The Australian Parliament is more representative of the Australian population than it has ever been. It has more women, Indigenous people and first generation Australians than any before it.
Queensland
Ipswich mayor hails ‘good outcome’ as government plans to close smelly Cleanaway landfill cell
A flooded landfill cell causes chronic odour issues for residents and a costly clean-up for Cleanaway at their New Chum landfill near Ipswich.
New Acland coal mine objectors flag new court challenge
Farmers, local residents and environmentalists fighting the New Acland thermal coal mine in Queensland’s Darling Downs are not done yet.
Qld weeds to be turned into green fuel [$]
Des Houghton
Prickly acacia trees that cover an area of this state the size of Victoria have gone largely unchecked but that’s changing thanks to a fresh approach.
Coal comfort: Why politics and economics are still trumping climate change
John McCarthy
Given that Clive Palmer’s planned coal project in central Queensland is now, at least unofficially, dead, we are getting a clearer picture of what sort of projects are no longer acceptable to state and federal Labor governments.
Zoe Richard
In what seems like excellent news, coral cover in parts of the Great Barrier Reef is at a record high, according to new data from the Australian Institute of Marine Science. But this doesn’t necessarily mean our beloved reef is in good health.
Rethinking South Australia’s planning system
Nick Champion
State planning minister Nick Champion outlines the principles and challenges that will govern an upcoming review of the state’s contentious planning system, including protecting the tree canopy and preparing for climate change.
Tasmania
Report on Port Arthur marine environment
Media release – Environment Protection Authority (EPA)
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has received the final report, Rapid visual assessment of rocky reef assemblages in Port Arthur, February 2022 from the Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS).
Northern Territory
Defence set to truck toxic soil from northern Australia to Melbourne
Defence has begun tackling the toxic legacy of the firefighting foam used for decades at Northern Territory RAAF base, but some residents say action should have been taken years ago.
Western Australia
Last minute Federal Court injunction stops work on controversial $1.25 billion WA highway
The court order has immediately halted work on the Bunbury Outer Ring Road project, which at $1.25 billion is WA’s most expensive ever road project.
Sustainability
Nuclear-free world is possible, test-ban treaty chief says
Nuclear weapons will continue to pose a risk to humanity unless countries fully adhere to the treaty that prohibits their testing, a senior UN official said at a press conference in New York on Friday.
How James Lovelock’s ‘out there’ ideas transformed the way we see ourselves and Earth
The scientist credited with inventing Gaia theory has been celebrated by everyone from the New-Age movement to nuclear power advocates. But what is the late James Lovelock’s lasting legacy to science?
Common weed may be ‘super plant’ that holds key to drought-resistant crops
A common weed harbors important clues about how to create drought resistant crops in a world beset by climate change.
Nuclear technology helps Mexico eradicate invasive insect pest
One of the most devastating insect pests infesting fruits and vegetables in Mexico has been eradicated in the state of Colima, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Research centre to find sustainable solutions for textile waste recycling
NTU Singapore and Royal Golden Eagle (RGE), a global resources-based manufacturing group, launched the RGE-NTU Sustainable Textile Research Centre (RGE-NTU SusTex) to accelerate innovation in textile recycling and translate research outcomes into practical solutions that can be deployed in urban settings like Singapore.
Top 5 tips for driving cheaper and greener
Here are some tips to help you save money and limit environmental impact when you drive.
Women don’t start wars or destroy the planet. We should follow their lead
Julian Cribb
A fresh human perspective of the world is needed. Picture: Shutterstock
If humanity is to survive the vast and growing threats it faces, women must assume the leadership of government, business, religion and social institutions around the world.
Environment: UN declares right to a healthy environment
Peter Sainsbury
Global right to a healthy, sustainable environment declared but governments conspire to hide the truth about climate change, Tassie sanctions the killing of native wildlife and Brazil encourages dangerous mining deep in the Amazon.
Climate activism can’t leave out the built environment — it generates half of emissions
Michael Shank
With Indonesian islanders suing cement producers for climate damages recently, buildings are getting much-needed attention for their carbon-heavy footprint.
Nature Conservation
Value of seagrass to planet’s future is far greater than appreciated
Experts at the forefront of efforts to restore the UK’s coastal seagrass meadows say the remarkable plant’s contribution to the most important to-do list in the history of humankind should be reassessed.
Taking long view when restoring grasslands
An article in Science by Elise Buisson, Sally Archibald, Alessandra Fidelis and Katharine N. Suding argues strongly that restoration interventions should be long-term, and benchmarked by an understanding of the complexities of ancient grasslands.
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