Date: 6 September 2022 at 6:44:27 am AWST
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Subject: Daily Links Sep 6
Collapse of G20 talks sparks fear of ‘backtracking’ on climate pledges
Climate and energy ministers clash over climate finance, methane, shipping, carbon levies and the world’s warming limit at talks in Bali
On This Day
Climate Change
In face of climate change, migration offers adaptation strategy in Africa
The Africa Climate Week, organized from 29 August to 2 September, presented an opportunity for African countries to discuss regional climate action solutions ahead of the COP27, the global climate change forum that will take place in Egypt in November.
Egypt prepares for flagship UN climate conference, in year of unprecedented global weather shocks
Regional authorities in Egypt, the host country of the 2022 UN climate conference (COP27), are ramping up initiatives designed to improve the country’s environmental credentials, and speed up its transition to a low carbon economy. The event will begin on 4 November, in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh.
Fact check: Scientists never warmed to the idea of global cooling
A Facebook user reheats misinformation that the majority of climate experts in the 1970s believed we were headed for an ice age.
Pakistan floods: what role did climate change play?
Ben Clarke et al
Pakistan is experiencing the most devastating and widespread floods in its history, with the country’s climate minister saying waters have reached across a third of the nation.
Rich countries caused Pakistan’s catastrophic flooding. Their response? Inertia and apathy
Mustafa Nawaz Khokar
If Cop27 fails to bring the major polluters to heel, the global south will be forced to act on its own
Fear! Anxiety! DESPAIR! A guide to managing your End Times Feelings – cartoon
First Dog on the Moon
Do you have small children? Allow yourself a brief moment of stark mind-numbing terror at what you have done – and then move on
National
Wool industry’s ‘visceral’ new advertising campaign dresses down oil-heavy synthetics
Footage of men and women covered in black oil, and emerging from a swimming pool, are part of a new international ad campaign to sell more wool. Will it work?
Indigenous group welcomes more environmental water under Murray Darling Basin, but want their voices heard
Wiradjuri men Michael and Braden Lyons hope their voices are heard before governments make any decisions on environmental flows and the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
More ‘cottonfed’ cattle possible as waste turned into feed
A new factory that upcycles waste from growing cotton could see more “cottonfed” Australian beef, and a byproduct from the process could find its way into your fish and chips.
New climate vision for sustainable and equitable Australia
Australia must address social injustices and support communities experiencing multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities as we adapt to a changing climate, argues a new report from Future Earth Australia.
Another 3GW offshore wind project “unveiled” in Australia, with carbon copy proposal
Danish company unveiled its third 3GW offshore wind project in Australia, with a virtual carbon copy outline of its previous proposals.
Who Gives a Crap launches second sustainable product line
The team behind Who Gives a Crap are launching a new line of personal care products with biodegradable packaging, putting its environmental commitment front-and-centre of the social enterprise’s business model.
Some of the biggest players profiting from Australia’s carbon market speak out for the first time, backing expert analysis saying the system is generating meaningless credits that actually result in Australia’s emissions going up.
Australia’s carbon sequestration potential
Australia’s carbon sequestration potential is the focus of the Climate Change Authority’s latest self-initiated research project.
Fact check: Climate sceptic’s shot at Aussie data misses net warming facts
Two cooler La Niña years have been cherry-picked to claim the temperature in Australia hasn’t changed in the past decade.
Australia gears up for ‘low-carbon club’
As Australia’s coal-fired power plants shut down, about 18,000 megawatts of power storage will be needed as it heads toward 82 per cent renewables by 2030.
Decades-long study finds endangered whales are having fewer babies
A world-class collaborative research project has found that the Australian population of southern right whales is calving less frequently and fewer whales visited our coastlines this whale season than expected, putting further pressure on the already endangered species.
Anthony Albanese promises resources sector ‘orderly’ reduction in emissions
Labor is under pressure on climate policy from Greens who propose ban on high-carbon projects
Stoush over electric vehicle tax nears Australian high court hearing
With a hearing expected later in the year, the outcome could have far-reaching consequences for revenue raising from electric vehicles, lawyers say
Mining profits hit $80 billion as coal prices boosted by crisis
Australian mining companies generated $80 billion in gross profits in the July quarter, a rise of 50 per cent in a year.
Aussie start-up seeks to quiet critics’ fears over carbon trading platform
When global investment giant Blackstone invested $US400 million ($575 million) in Australian start-up Xpansiv last month, it sent a clear signal that its pioneering platforms, which let investors trade on the decarbonisation of the global economy, is now big business.
Magical thinking is making the challenge of decarbonisation more difficult
We need to do a lot more than just build more renewable power plants if we want to keep the lights on warns a new report from the Australian Energy Market Operator.
Fat cat electricity bosses pocket up to $15k per day [$]
The bosses of the major energy retailers are earning up to $15,000 a day. When Aussies’ power bills are due to increase again, “it is not a good look”.
Electric vehicles surge to highest market share to date [$]
Electric vehicles accounted for almost one in 20 new vehicles sold in August, new figures show.
David Pocock to back Labor’s climate bill
Labor’s climate change targets will become law after ACT independent David Pocock confirmed he would support them, despite arguing they were “clearly not enough” to address the threat of global warming.
Mining ‘poised to become renewable superpower’ [$]
Anthony Albanese says the mining sector would be the ‘foundation’ for jobs and growth in a decarbonising world through escalating production of lithium, rare earths, nickel and copper.
Australia and US are passing major climate bills – without taxing carbon
Ian A. MacKenzie
At last, there’s action on climate change. The United States recently passed its largest climate bill ever. And Australia is set to usher a 43% emissions target into law this week, although the Greens will try to amend the bill so the climate impacts of new gas and coal projects are considered.
Migration boost is bad news for Australia’s environment – we mustn’t ignore that
Ian Lowe
An increase in the permanent migrant intake to 195,000 this year is one of the jobs summit outcomes announced by the federal government on Friday. The business community pushed for this change, saying shortages of skilled employees are holding back the economy.
Albanese Government favours jobs and growth over biodiversity
Sue Arnold
The Labor Government seems focused on the mantra of jobs and growth, failing to observe the detrimental effects on biodiversity.
Victoria
Victorian Government urged to let First Nations group lead healing of popular state forest
A Victorian Aboriginal group has urged the State Government to let it take the lead on healing a 70,000ha national park-earmarked forest on the outskirts of Naarm (Melbourne).
Dartmouth Dam not far from spilling — and people are excited
Local businesses are enjoying an influx of visitors as travellers flock to watch the nearby dam spill for the first time in 26 years.
Kearney’s bush block plans head to VCAT
Noel Towell and Kishor Napier-Raman
Junior minister’s plans for ecologically sensitive development of Bass Coast bush block raises local ire.
Higher water bills and more desal under Labor’s water ‘plan’
Liberal Party Victoria
The Andrews Labor Government needs to come clean on how much water bills will rise under its new water plan and reveal whether it intends to build a second desalination plant.
New South Wales
Western NSW landholders sound alarm as Hudson pear threatens RAMSAR-protected wetlands
Farmers and residents are concerned floodwaters have helped spread the invasive cactus down the river system as they struggle to control it.
New exotic bee parasite detected in NSW after illegal hive movement
As the fight against varroa mite continues, wingless braula fly has been found in honey bee hives for the first time in the state following a detection last month in Victoria.
Why your Christmas lunch is under threat from an oyster killer
A disease named QX – or Queensland unknown – has wiped out huge crops of Sydney rock oysters.
Sydney drivers may be hit with charges for road use
The NSW government has flagged the introduction of road user charges to reduce Sydney’s congestion and remove inequities in the tolling system.
Peter Lake
When the big flood came in February 2022, we thought we were prepared. We’d dealt with major floods in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2021 plus numerous other minor and moderate floods over the years.
ACT
Canberra’s Bill Chisholm has experienced the highs and low of EV ownership [$]
Nearly three years ago when Bill Chisholm took delivery of his Tesla Model 3 in Canberra, owning one of the latest electric models from the US was almost as rare then as a case of COVID-19.
Queensland
Power of compost – making waste climate champion
A new way of using compost could boost global crop production and deliver huge benefits to the planet, according to a study co-led by The University of Queensland.
Tasmania
Quiet minister must speak out on rock lobster decision
Tasmanian Labor
The Primary Industries and Water Minister must announce her intentions for the Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fishery this week.
Salmon report highlights environmental negligence
Peter Boyer
Fish are great political metaphors, and Christopher Downes nailed a number of them last week in his cartoon of a female MP and an Atlantic salmon sharing grievances about toxic environments (Mercury, August 31).
Sustainability
Chile resoundingly rejects new progressive constitution
Chileans vote against the adoption of a new constitution that would have established autonomous Indigenous territories and prioritised the environment.
It’s not just vehicles and factories – what we eat can pollute environment
According to the Association of UK Dietitians (BDA), up to 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions are connected to food production and agriculture. Current food systems also contribute to soil degradation, waste and the loss of habitats.
Cryptocurrency must be made less energy intensive to protect planet
Despite the financial benefits of cryptocurrencies, such as their potential to offer a financial system that is safe from bankruptcy or crisis, continued investment in more energyintensive cryptocurrency is likely to increase the probability of a global climate crisis, according to the report, Damage Limitation: Cryptocurrencies and Climate Change.
Combining forces for energy transition
The Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and the start-up AlphaSYNT have a common mission. By signing a cooperation and licensing agreement, they aim to commercialise a novel approach to “power-to-gas” conversion, or to be more specific: “power-to-methane”. The innovative methanation process developed by PSI will allow energy to be stored as methane gas in future.
More than 50 Greenpeace activists from across Europe have interrupted the opening ceremony of Gastech, the world’s most important meeting of gas, LNG, and hydrogen companies.
Burning forests for energy isn’t ‘renewable’ – now the EU must admit it
Greta Thunberg et al
The EU’s classification of wood fuels is accelerating the climate crisis. Next week, a key vote can change that
Nature Conservation
‘Edge of extinction’: Race to save one of the world’s rarest crocodiles
Only found on Cuba’s Isle of Youth, these critically endangered crocodiles are facing a race against extinction that is being fuelled by illegal poaching and global warming.
Scientists study tourists to protect great apes
Researchers are protecting great apes from diseases by studying the behaviour and expectations of tourists who visit them.
Floodplains improve water quality of rivers
Many rivers are polluted by nitrogen inputs. An international research project involving the IGB has now investigated for the first time the extent of these inputs, the extent to which they are reduced and the contribution made by floodplain areas to this in the Danube catchment area. The results show how useful the large-scale renaturation of river floodplains is for improving water quality.
New programme to ‘step up’ NZ marine reserve monitoring
A new monitoring programme for marine reserves, coupled with a network of marine reserve rangers, will boost protection for the country’s special marine areas, Conservation Minister Poto Williams says.
Large parts of Amazon may never recover, major study says
Swathes of rainforest have reached tipping point, research by scientists and Indigenous organisations concludes
To preserve Amazon, indigenous groups call for debt forgiveness
Indigenous groups from across the Amazon basin called on Monday for financial institutions to forgive the sovereign debts of the South American nations that comprise the Amazon rainforest, in exchange for commitments to preserve the environment.
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