Date: 17 September 2022 at 6:10:30 am AWST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Sep 17
Post of the Day
Euan Ritchie
Just one day after the Queen’s death, another deeply sobering study related to the dangers of exceeding 1.5C of global warming was published
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Global cooperation to protect ozone layer can ensure better future for us all
As the Montreal Protocol to Protect the Ozone Layer turns 35 on Friday, World Ozone Day, the United Nations has said that continuing the level of cooperation that led to the treaty’s adoption and success is just what is needed to protect life on Earth, end the climate crisis and ensure a brighter future for us all.
‘Doomsday’ is up to us. There’s a fair chance Thwaites Glacier is past the point of no return
Researchers using a remote underwater vehicle have raised fresh questions about exactly how fast the widest glacier on the planet is melting. Here’s what that means for us.
No ‘emergency’ shown in climate records [$]
Graham Lloyd
An international study of major weather and extreme events has found no evidence of a “climate emergency” in the record to date.
Why resolving Democrats’ internal war on climate policy will be hard
Kate Aronoff
Details on the permitting reform demanded by Senator Manchin remain scant. Many fear it could prove a giveaway to fossil fuel companies.
Copenhagen’s failure casts doubt on other major climate plans
Kirstine Lund Christiansen, Inge-Merete Hougaard
The Danish capital reneged on its net zero target after an incinerator failed to secure state aid.
National
Australia should reach net zero by 2040, new Climate Change Authority member says
Prof Lesley Hughes, a climate specialist appointed this week, says current target is not good enough
Fact check: Senator wrong on greenhouse gas claim, say experts
Gerard Rennick says greenhouse gases don’t trap in heat because they cannot stop convection.
Australia’s ocean forest of 35-metre ‘trees’ is growing at light speed
One deep-sea forest off Australia’s coast is one of the world’s two most productive, rivalling the Amazon in its capacity to feed – and protect – the world.
Road pollution the ‘silent killer of our brain’, experts warn
Air pollution has emerged as a small but important risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline, experts say – and Australia probably has a false sense of security about how clean our air is.
Millions earmarked to power ‘renewable energy superpower’ [$]
Nearly $100m of taxpayer funds will be poured into developing hydrogen and critical minerals projects as the Albanese government moves to increase Australia’s low emissions exports.
Many fear climate change will impact their lives – podcast
Almost two thirds of Australians believe climate change will impact their homes, within the next ten years. That’s is according to a report commissioned by the World Economic Forum.
We may be underestimating just how bad carbon-belching SUVs are for climate – and for our health
Robin Smit and Nic Surawski
Australia’s love for fuel-hungry and fuel-inefficient SUVs is hampering our ability to bring transport emissions down. SUVs make up half of all new car sales last year, a National Transport Commission report revealed this week – up from a quarter of all sales a decade ago.
Fighting for the right to silence, and its privilege [$]
Bernard Keane
Through relentless efforts to monetise every second of our attention, we’ve created a public space devoid of silence.
Doing a Patagonia: will Australia’s mega-rich start saving the planet?
Julia Bergin
The billionaire founder of outdoor gear company Patagonia is giving his riches to climate action causes. Are the wealthiest Australians doing enough to save the world?
Victoria
Victorian builder wins at national sustainable building awards
The stylish Blackwood design by Chatham Homes represents the benchmark of energy-efficient display homes. Located in the cold climate of Ballarat, the family-friendly home achieves an exceptional 8.2-star NatHERS energy rating.
Central Victorians warned to brace for flooding as ‘astronomical’ volumes of water soak region
Heavy rain forecast for parts of Central Victoria is putting local councils on an emergency footing as they brace for rising water levels and fast-running creeks.
What lies beneath: Bikes and casino furniture dredged up from depths of Yarra River
E-bikes, e-scooters, shopping trolleys and tables and chairs from Crown casino were among the junk retrieved in the clean-up of the Yarra River.
Philanthropist Anne Kantor dies at 86 [$]
One of Australia’s leading philanthropists, Anne Kantor AO, passed away this week aged 86, with her daughter describing her as “deeply happy”.
New South Wales
NSW asks RSCPA to help evaluate wild horse management plan after dead horses found
The NSW Environment Minister has called for an evaluation into the implementation of a wild horse management plan in the Snowy Mountains, following the discovery of horses shot dead in Kosciuszko National Park.
Transition to plantation timber would be win for nature and industry
Nature Conservation Council media release
NSW’s peak conservation group supports the expansion of timber plantations in NSW as recommended by the Upper House timber inquiry as the best way to guarantee timber supply while avoiding further extinctions of forest-dwelling wildlife.
‘I’m not loyal to coal’: The Hunter readies for change [$]
Tom Morton
An ‘alliance’ of unions and environmental groups is helping change the debate on energy transition in Australia’s biggest coal region.
Queensland
New generation of outback opal miners take on the metaverse and go green
From living in Sydney and backpacking around Australia, this pair ended up digging for opals in the outback — and they are looking to revolutionise the gem mining industry.
Spider project aiming to find 100 species
Queensland Museum Network arachnologist Dr Jeremy Wilson has embarked upon an ambitious plan to describe over 100 new species of spider over three years.
Water scheme beloved by the Nationals would pump $20 billion down the drain
A costing of John Bradfield’s nation-building vision to irrigate Australia’s interior shows the scheme can’t turn a profit even if farmers get water for free.
Tasmania
Fork in the road: can Tasmania unwind the environmental damage at Lake Pedder?
Christine Milne argues the glory of restored Tasmanian lake, drowned in 1972, would outweigh benefits of energy it generates
Northern Territory
Territory to build cleaner and greener commercial buildings
The Territory Labor Government will adopt the National Construction Code (NCC) Section J 2019 for new non-residential buildings from 1 October 2023.
Western Australia
WA government plays down Indigenous heritage concerns over new hydrogen plant
The West Australian government says rising concerns for Aboriginal heritage in the state’s north will not derail a landmark hydrogen plant.
Sustainability
The resumed 18th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) closed with environment ministers from 54 African countries adopting a series of decisions and key messages to tackle climate change, the loss of nature, pollution and waste, including the elimination of open dumping and burning of waste. The conference took place from 12 to 16 September 2022 in Dakar, Senegal.
Palm oil’s implications on Sustainable Development Goals
Today, palm oil is at the same time the world’s most-used vegetable oil – accounting for more than 35% of all vegetable oil production – and the most criticised: the issue of controversy that led palm oil at the centre of the public and scientific debate in the last years is its environmental impact and particularly the link
UN expert to assess environmental impacts on human rights: Portugal
The Special Rapporteur’s visit at the invitation of the Government follows a challenging summer from a climate perspective, as heat waves and wildfires have seriously affected the country, and elsewhere around the world.
Scientists explore sea level rise impact on building foundations
Researchers have considered how flooding from rising sea levels and storm surges will damage the built environment along the coast, but what about climate change’s less noticeable impacts below the surface?
The Black Sea Grain Initiative: What it is, and why it’s important for world
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, exports of grain from Ukraine, as well as food and fertilizers from Russia, have been significantly hit. The disruption in supplies pushed soaring prices even higher and contributed to a global food crisis. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye, was set up to reintroduce vital food and fertilizer exports from Ukraine to the rest of the world. Here are some key points to understand.
Banning gas cars is good, but it’ll take more to save the planet
People must both drive less and switch to electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions enough to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
Republican congressmen push for environmental impact study on cannabis
Two GOP congressmen have issued a letter to four major cabinet heads urging lawmakers to study the environmental impacts of growing cannabis before Congress continues to discuss legalization initiatives.
Is your gas stove bad for your health?
Jonathan Levy
Natural gas has been marketed for decades as a clean fuel, but a growing body of research shows that gas stoves can contribute significantly to indoor air pollution, as well as climate change.
Nuclear power still doesn’t make much sense
Farhad Manjoo
There’s a lot of new enthusiasm around nuclear power. It isn’t warranted.
Now that Charles is King, who will badger environmental vandals?
Nick O’Malley
King Charles III may find it difficult to continue his advocacy for the environment from the throne.
Nature Conservation
Ever heard of ocean forests? They’re larger than the Amazon and more productive than we thought
Albert Pessarrodona Silvestre et al
Amazon, Borneo, Congo, Daintree. We know the names of many of the world’s largest or most famous rainforests. And many of us know about the world’s largest span of forests, the boreal forests stretching from Russia to Canada.
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