Daily Links Jan 27

Indian PM Narendra Modi’s mate Gautam Adani seems to play fast and loose in his business dealings. And yet this is the character we have allowed into the Galilee Basin with his mega-mine, threatening groundwater and endangered species. Approval for the mine was given over the objections of some traditional owners groups, but they ‘found’ others to give it a green light. On how many counts can we find Adani wanting?

Post of the Day

When will we hit peak fossil fuels? Maybe we already have

Kingsmill Bond, energy analyst and author, describes the circumstances that hastened the transition of the electricity sector—plus four reasons he’s optimistic about our planet’s future.

 

On This Day

January 27

Saint Devota’s Day – Monaco

Feast of Saint Nino – Georgia

Feast of Saint Sava – Serbia

 

Climate Change

The Guardian view on carbon offsetting: a model with dangerous flaws

Guardian editorial

Protecting nature requires financial incentives. Serious problems uncovered in carbon markets must be fixed

 

National

Is recycling really worth it? Turns out, the system is far from perfect

There’s a reason why we’re told to reduce, reuse and recycle – not just recycle


Australia’s involvement in ‘the largest con in corporate history’

Elizabeth Knight

US short-selling group Hindenburg scored a direct financial hit on Adani as shares in the group’s various listed companies fell by $US9 billion.

 

Is ‘Toadzilla’ a sign of enormous cane toads to come? It’s possible – toads grow as large as their environment allows

Lin Schwarzkopf

Last week, the world met “Toadzilla”, a cane toad the size of a football and six times larger than average. The rangers who found her – female toads are bigger than male – were stunned. Weighing in at 2.7 kilograms, Toadzilla may be the largest cane toad ever recorded.

 

Victoria

Shooters stalk Alpine National Park [$]

Images of shooters in the Alpine National Park last night have prompted warnings that walkers and campers need to be careful.

 

New South Wales

Santos edges in on fracking the Liverpool Plains despite repeated denials

Callum Foote

Santos is denying it, but local farmers claim the group is poised to start fracking in the Gunnedah Basin on the Liverpool plains.

 

Queensland

Qld farmers must go green or lucrative Euro trade will ‘dry up’ [$]

With our steak set for tables at high-end London restaurants and our sugar sweetening delights at Paris patisseries, farmers have been warned they must change to keep the European cash flowing.

 

Asbestos unearthed, Coast Guard facing life in a ‘pond’ as breaking of Bribie Island wreaks havoc

The breaking of Bribie Island has turned a deepwater passage into a treacherous maze of sandbars, led to the discovery of asbestos and is causing major headaches for residents and authorities.


“We could do better:” Green hydrogen leader pulls Plug on Forrest’s electrolyser factory

US-based green hydrogen leader pulls Plug on joint venture with Andrew Forrest, saying the economics did not make the project worthwhile.

 

South Australia

Murray River floodwater creates spectacular sea foam on SA beaches

Waves, wind and floodwater have combined to generate a remarkable amount of sea foam in the state’s south.


Wind turbine catches fire in one of Australia’s oldest wind projects

A wind turbine caught fire at one of the country’s oldest wind projects, not for the first time.


Tasmania

Fire danger not over yet for farms [$]

Farmers and land owners are being urged to protect their properties from blazes.

 

Western Australia

Could bushfire imitation help restore the Kimberley’s most famous mine site?

Traditional owners are working on a wet season seed smoking trial to restore native vegetation at the Argyle diamond mine site, closed by Rio Tinto in 2020.

 

100,000 tonnes of back-up coal shipped from NSW bottlenecked at WA port

The Bunbury Port issues add to WA’s coal issues following a January fire at Premier’s existing Collie coal stockpile.


Papalia proposes sea mine manufacturing base in Collie [$]

WA Defence Industry Minster Paul Papalia has proposed establishing a home-grown sea mine manufacturing base in Collie as part of the South West town’s transition away from a decades-long reliance on coal.

 

Sustainability

Food, feed and fuel: global seaweed industry could reduce land needed for farming by 110m hectares, study finds

Scientists identify parts of ocean suitable for seaweed cultivation and suggest it could constitute 10% of human diet to reduce impact of agriculture

 

Low-value crop with high-value potential — why seaweed has scientists excited

Seaweed’s many uses already include food and fuel. Scientists are now investigating how the plant can address environmental and climate change challenges.

 

Investigating Europe’s water pollution crisis: Blame it on industrial farming

Despite comprehensive regulations, around 60 percent of Europe’s surface water and a quarter of its groundwater do not meet “good” standards. Agriculture bears most of the responsibility.

 

Artificial photosynthesis uses sunlight to make biodegradable plastic

Synthesis of fumaric acid by a new method of artificial photosynthesis, using sunlight

 

Clean-energy push puts abandoned Philippine nuclear plant back in spotlight

President Marcos looks to his father’s nuclear project, once dogged by scandal and safety concerns, as a solution to fossil-fuel challenges.

 

This device dramatically reduces harmful pollution released by car tyres

Meet the award-winning startup that created a device which collects harmful microplastics released from your car tyres.

 

The battle over bike lanes needs a mindset shift

Installing protected routes tends to boost local shops. But many store owners remain attached to their street parking—and fight to protect it.

 

How hydropower could help developing nations decarbonize

Africa and Asia have 85 percent of the world’s affordable hydropower, and it is possible to develop the resource while treading lightly, a new analysis shows.

 

A zero emissions future without the mining boom

A new report finds that the U.S. can reduce skyrocketing lithium demand by up to 90 percent and avoid mining vast quantities of the metal. Mining the metal is often devastating for the environment and the people who live nearby, since it’s water intensive and risks permanently damaging the land.

 

The Adani short sale puts investor trust in India in doubt [$]

Andy Mukherjee

More than anything else, it is this threat of darkness creeping up on India’s markets that should worry investors in the Hindenburg-Adani saga.

 

Nature Conservation

Human activity and drought ‘degrading more than a third of Amazon rainforest’

Fires, land conversion, logging and water shortages have weakened resilience of 2.5m sq km of forest, says study

 

Beavers and oysters are helping restore lost ecosystems with their engineering skills – podcast

Whether you are looking at tropical forests in Brazil, grasslands in California or coral reefs in Australia, it is hard to find places where humanity hasn’t left a mark. The scale of the alteration, invasion or destruction of natural ecosystems can be mindbogglingly huge.

 



Maelor Himbury
6 Florence St Niddrie 3042
0432406862 or 0393741902
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