Date: 3 November 2022 at 9:03:50 am AEDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Nov 3
Post of the Day
How natural disasters have shaped Australians attitudes to climate change
Over the past 15 years, Australians have weathered myriad natural disasters including catastrophic bushfires, droughts, and floods and a new report shows attitudes to the threats posed by climate change have shifte.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
COP27: Ensure climate action is rights-based
Countries and advocates attending the 27th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt beginning on November 6, 2022 should take rights-based and ambitious climate action necessary to keep the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, Human Rights Watch said today.
How climate lawsuits could sharpen Cop27 loss and damage talks
The floodgates of litigation feared by wealthy nations have now well and truly been opened – as a result of international inaction rather than action.
Climate change and rising seas threaten Egypt’s breadbasket
Situated on Egypt’s northern coast on the Mediterranean, the Nile River Delta is one of the world’s three most vulnerable hot-spots to climate change impacts, including rising sea levels
Humans just as vulnerable to climate change as other animals despite technology use, study warns
Humans may be just as vulnerable to changes in the environment – including those caused by the climate crisis – as other animals, according to a new study that assessed genetic data from the past 45,000 years.
3 things a climate scientist wants world leaders to know ahead of COP27
Andrew King
World leaders and climate experts will come together this Sunday for pivotal United Nations climate change talks in Egypt. Known as COP27, the conference will aim to put Earth on a path to net-zero emissions and keep global warming well below 2℃ this century.
National
Dams spilling, communities at risk with more rain predicted
Dams are spilling across NSW and Victoria as flood hit areas get a few days of reprieve from the rains.
Renewable energy records tumble around the country as rooftop solar power soars
Soaring production from households with solar has sent records tumbling across Australia as output from fossil fuels falls to all-time lows.
Electric tuk-tuks to deliver more parcels
Three-wheeled electric tuk-tuks will be rolled out for parcel deliveries in Australia in the latest push to get more petrol and diesel vehicles off the roads.
Aussies want cheaper electric cars, bikes
Most Australians want changes to accelerate the switch to electric vehicles, according to a new study, and support a ban on new petrol car sales by 2035.
Majority of Australians back taxing fossil fuel companies’ super profits, survey shows
Research comes as treasurer acknowledges ‘an appetite in the community’ to strengthen petroleum resource rent tax
Bush remedy: How native foods might make people and the planet healthier
Native fruits are among the key ingredients of a new drink aimed at reducing chronic disease in First Nations communities, as researchers also probe their potential for lifting production in a climate-challenged world.
‘We have crossed a threshold’: Oil and gas taxes in Chalmers’ sights
Commodity prices feed huge amounts of tax into the budget, but little is earned from the taxation of petroleum and gas.
No policy? No renewables powerhouse, says BP [$]
BP Australia chief Frederic Baudry says a local version of the US’s Inflation Reduction Act is vital to realise the country’s huge potential in clean energy.
BHP wants 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars [$]
Australia’s biggest company will urge state governments to adopt an electric vehicle policy that would see the sale of new petrol and diesel cars banned by 2035.
Climate change to spark internal migration wave as Australians chase jobs, flee disaster
Pig farmer Hanna McCreath isn’t getting too attached to the Beechworth land she calls home.
‘Positive’ results for battery stewardship program
A program to recycle Australia’s batteries shows impressive results thanks to an industry-led model and growing awareness amongst consumers.
Albanese drives relief from energy prices [$]
Anthony Albanese has vowed to broker short-term relief from soaring energy prices by consulting heavily with business and governments.
Nowhere for polluters to hide: Satellites track power station emissions in real-time
With big polluters in Australia severely underreporting their emissions, the country is in need of this kind of independent data.
Energy expert Bruce Mountain on what to do about the gas crisis – Politics with Michelle Grattan podcast
The aftermath of the Albanese government’s first budget has seen the political and policy debate turn sharply onto the spectre of households and businesses facing sky-high power prices over the next 18 months.
By any means necessary: how Cannon-Brookes plans to control AGL
Elizabeth Knight
The tech billionaire isn’t the sort to suffer from self-doubt, but he needs all of his chess pieces in place before he can reprogram the energy giant.
Bill Hare
It’s small wonder a major fossil fuel producer like Australia has relied so heavily on carbon offsets. Plant new forests – or say you will avoid clearing old ones – and you can keep approving new gas and coal developments. This year, whistleblower Professor Andrew McIntosh claimed up to 80% of these offsets weren’t real. They didn’t actually offset emissions.
Exposed: Sydney, Melbourne’s $530 billion junk infrastructure scandal
John Menadue
Sydney and Melbourne’s ‘big infrastructure build’ will soon prove Australia’s ‘big bust’. Our Prime Minister must not aid and abet this madness.
Rushing the green energy transition will be painful [$]
John Kehoe
In fossil-fuel-rich Australia, the energy transition will be a massive economic adjustment, and very expensive.
Recipe for cheaper power is stop treating gas as the enemy [$]
Amanda Stoker
Energy Minister Chris Bowen must set ideology aside and support the critical role of gas in delivering lower emissions, improved reliability and lower prices.
Animal welfare a forgotten priority and that says a lot about us
Martine Lappan
During the Coalition era, animal welfare was relegated to state and territory governments, leaving a fragmented system with no national coordination or leadership.
Australia’s land clearing toll on river health and climate threatens platypus
Duncan Bailey
The elusive platypus is rapidly becoming the face of Australia’s biodiversity and species decline as land clearing, urban sprawl, rising temperatures and extreme weather events affect their habitat.
Speeding ever faster to renewables wreck [$]
Peta Credlin
No one in authority has had the courage and intellectual honesty to explain the magnitude of the power transition this country is embarking on and the dire consequences of its likely failure.
Our health is compromised by our global fossil fuel addiction
Celia McMichael
Climate change is affecting the health of people around the world; transitioning to net-zero emissions could be the greatest health opportunity this century
Australia’s carbon report card smeared in red ink as climate action goes backwards
Rachel Williamson
Australia has spent more on fossil fuel subsidies and done less on climate disclosure. Will the new government change this?
Victoria
Brent wants an EV but has nowhere to charge it. So he’s knocking down his back shed
The number of Australians who want an electric vehicle is growing rapidly, but they’re hampered by a lack of access to charging facilities. A Melbourne trial of kerbside EV chargers could be part of the solution.
Massive pile-on in marginal Melton as planned power towers spark protests
Farmers and landowners in the crucial seat are throwing their weight behind a campaign against a high-voltage power line they claim would cause mental stress and poorly impact the electorate’s rural areas.
Who wins from Dan’s cheap public transport plan [$]
Daniel Andrews has announced a $1bn election pledge to slash the cost of some train fares to give commuters “a fair go”.
New South Wales
No protesters but plenty of police as miners discuss green future at global conference
The International Mining and Resources Conference has commenced in Sydney, where former NZ PM Helen Clark urged the attendees to be part of the fight against climate change.
Flash flood victims clean up after ‘total chaos’ sees cars, furniture and trees swept away
Terrifying flash floods have ripped out trees, smashed cars into bridges and washed away furniture in the NSW Riverina and Southern Tablelands — leaving businesses and residents to clean up the mess.
Hurry up with Narrabri gas, Angus Taylor tells NSW [$]
Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor says the NSW government is yet to fulfil a promise to open the state’s Narrabri gas field despite a deal with the federal government in 2020
Moral grandstanding banning many from loveliest parts of our land [$]
Andrew Bolt
Many Australians used to climb Mt Warning a year, but NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service says that’s now banned by citing superstitions as fact.
Queensland
Your favourite fruit could become a thing of the past. But there is a solution
Many crops — including apples and cherries — could become unprofitable to grow in Queensland as temperatures continue to warm.
Running on empty: Two units offline at Callide power plant
A major Queensland coal power station connected to the national grid will have two of its four generators offline at once for three weeks after a cooling tower partially collapsed at the facility.
Piazza to be removed, more green space in radical plans for South Bank 3.0
The Palaszczuk Government says it wants public feedback on plans to upgrade one of southeast Queensland’s most popular public spaces, Brisbane’s South Bank parklands.
Greens under fire over mindblowing surge in Brisbane flight noise complaints [$]
Brisbane Airport has had more noise complaints than the nine other major Australian airports combined – but all might not be as it seems.
Domestic dogs threaten one of Queensland’s most pristine islands
It has been more than 30 years since pets were banned on K’gari (Fraser Island) yet rangers have had multiple reports of dogs and cats on the island in a matter of months.
South Australia
Premier backs SA Police call for laws around e-scooters to be reviewed
Laws around e-scooters in South Australia may be reformed next year, with the state’s premier backing a call from the police commissioner for legislation around them to be changed or clarified.
Power bill surge the price of Libs’ ‘grotesque failure’: Mali
The Premier has slammed the Opposition’s legacy on energy policy, saying cash-strapped families were now paying the price.
Tasmania
Permit to kill up to 200 swans issued in Tasmania’s Central Highlands over trout habitat
A permit to kill up to 200 black swans in Tasmania’s Central Highlands was approved after the native bird rendered the area unsuitable as a habitat for trout.
The last remaining Australian-owned major salmon producer is set to be bought by seafood giant Cooke Aquaculture — and some say the Canadian company’s environmental record is a worrying sign for what’s to come.
Crunch time as decision arrives on cable car [$]
It’s been a controversial proposal for years, and this morning Tasmanians will finally have an answer on whether a cable car will be built on kunanyi/Mt Wellington.
TasRail plans nearly half billion dollars in rail and port investments
Higher employee wage expenses and fuel prices have pushed profits at state-owned TasRail down to $22,000 – barely above break-even – for the year to June 2022, according to its annual report released last week.
The end looks nigh for invasive pest species [$]
A long battle to eliminate carp from Lake Sorell appears to have been all but won, with further breeding thought to be impossible.
Northern Territory
Alice Springs company allegedly damaged sacred site [$]
An Alice Springs company has been accused of dismissing guidance from custodians and causing damage to a sacred site near the Territory border.
Western Australia
An agriculture body says a suspended $250,000 fine over the death of 100 cattle is “punishment with a feather duster”.
Sustainability
‘Giving you a pretty little story’: The fashion industry’s greenwashing problem
Phoney environmental claims are a big problem in the fashion industry. So, how do you know if the ‘eco-friendly’ label is a lie?
A ‘planet killer’ asteroid could be a big problem for our descendants
Astronomers on the hunt for modestly sized asteroids that could vaporise a city or bulkier beasts that could sterilise Earth’s surface have spotted a new potential threat.
Longer lasting PV modules promise relief for solar supply chain
New research suggests longer-lived PV modules may be key to reducing the amount of materials and manufacturing needed meet global demand for solar.
PFAS evidence piles up, puts polluters on notice
Between recent studies and lawsuits against PFAS manufacturers, polluters are being put on notice that they have to clean up.
Should we ditch spray cans? How benzene got into aerosol beauty products
Aerosol spray cans of dry shampoos, deodorants, sunscreens and foot sprays have been recalled due to trace amounts of a cancer-causing chemical.
Nature Conservation
The two major culprits of the jays’ decline are climate change and a long history of piñon pine removal carried out by federal agencies, including, increasingly, thinning and burning for wildfire prevention.
Lula’s victory in Brazil comes just in time to save the Amazon – can he do it?
Kathryn Baragwanath
Brazil’s presidential election result is crucial for the future of the world’s forests. On Sunday, former president and Workers Party candidate Lula da Silva narrowly beat the incumbent, Jair Bolsonaro. Deforestation rates had surged under Bolsonaro.
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