Date: 18 February 2023 at 8:56:09 am AEDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Feb 18
Post of the Day
We found 29 threatened species are back from the brink in Australia. Here’s how
John Woinarski et al
Australia’s natural world is in deep trouble. Many of our species are getting rarer. Some are now perilously close to extinction, while entire ecosystems face collapse.
On This Day
Laylat al-Mi’raj – Islam
Maha Shivaratri – Hinduism
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Great Lakes ice cover plummets to mid-February record low
Because of abnormally warm temperatures, only 6 percent of the Great Lakes are covered by ice — the lowest ever observed at this time of year.
Antarctica sea-ice hits new record low
Sea-ice measurements in Antarctica have registered a new minimum, breaking the record set only one year ago.
Global goals fail those who need us the most [$]
Bjorn Lomborg
The international community must set clear priorities and not try to do everything at once.
National
Energy security at risk as Bowen pledges funding
Soaring global demand for the technology has sparked concerns about energy security when China has increased its dominance in renewables.
Coal stoush heats up as miners told to supply local power plants
Australia’s largest coal miners, including BHP, are pushing back against a new reservation policy that will force them to set aside hundreds of thousands of tonnes of coal for domestic power plants for 15 months, despite wringing major concessions from government.
Govt claims credit as Aussie energy prices plunge [$]
Wholesale gas prices fell in Australia by 23 per cent in the last two months of 2022, bucking a trend of increases around the world, new Treasury figures show.
‘We have to turn the Titanic around’ on environment: Plibersek
The iconic and threatened koala is emblematic of the complexities of the environment portfolio Tanya Plibersek inherited after the May 2022 federal election.
Can carbon offsets land a blow on climate change?
Nick O’Malley
The government is laying out carbon emissions offsets plan. But as Mike Tyson said: “Everybody’s got a plan, until they get a punch in the mouth.”
Renewable obsession has created massive debt and no energy [$]
Vikki Campion
As we close and run down coal-fired power stations, there will be no Snowy Hydro to save us when Liddle Power Station’s April closure leaves a 13 per cent reduction in NSW’s power supply.
Carbon offset homelessness scheme – cartoon
Kudelka
Victoria
Bacchus Marsh fire threat downgraded
A grassfire continues to burn out-of-control near Bacchus Marsh, as authorities downgrade the fire threat level.
Wind and solar take wholesale electricity prices below zero for whole week in Victoria
Victoria becomes first state grid to experience average negative wholesale electricity prices for whole week, thanks to wind and solar and low demand.
New South Wales
Consumers driving environmental change, industry leaders told
Top names from Australian business and politics have gathered in Sydney to discuss how to tackle the waste crisis.
How Australia rescued an island plagued by more than 200,000 rats
Animals pushed to the brink of extinction by rats have been brought back to life on Lord Howe Island, with some bird populations doubling in number within 12 months.
Dead kangaroos make a surprising feast for possums in the Australian Alps
James Vandersteen and Thomas Newsome,
Vultures, hyenas, and Tasmanian devils are highly efficient scavengers, able to locate and consume carrion rapidly, including the meat and bones.
“A slam dunk for families:” Pilot launched to kick gas out of homes and communities
NSW pilot program to guide how homes and communities can kick out gas and use rooftop solar and electric cookers, water and heating systems.
Queensland
Queensland government approves 55 gas wells near contaminated site
Arrow Energy has been granted environmental approval to drill 55 coal seam gas wells near a site contaminated with benzene, naphthalene and cyanide in western Queensland.
Electric vehicles are booming but charging bay designs are preventing some drivers from powering up
People with disabilities are calling out inaccessible charging bays as the popularity of electric vehicles rises.
South Australia
Minister’s red flags on housing expansion in Adelaide’s south
Health Minister and southern suburbs MP Chris Picton raised resident concerns about his government’s push to rezone greenfield land in Hackham for new housing, saying medical services “are already stretched and difficult to access” and public transport would need to be improved.
‘More needs to be done’: Locals demand action to combat bushfire threat
Devastated Port Lincoln locals say they are frustrated and searching for answers after another bushfire ripped through the Eyre Peninsula town.
Western Australia
Use wood mulch in your garden? You may need to consider an alternative soon
Garden stores are warning of a hardwood mulch shortage, saying the soil-enriching product has “virtually disappeared”.
Sustainability
China now has enough wind and solar to power every home
China installed 125GW of new wind and solar capacity in 2022, and now generates enough wind and solar to meet demands of every home, but not industry.
Russia-Ukraine war has nearly doubled household energy costs worldwide – it didn’t have to
New study offers a stark reminder that an energy system highly reliant on fossil fuels perpetuates energy-security risks and accelerates climate change.
Do you have to be an optimist to work toward a better world?
For professionals in fields such as suicide prevention and climate science, the future can seem bleak. But sometimes action is the most effective form of optimism.
Steven Donziger may get another day in court
The imprisoned environmental lawyer is asking the Supreme Court to intervene in a case that may have broad implications for the separation of powers.
Silent ‘life and death’ risk lurking in electric cars
Jennifer Dudley-Nicholson
Crossing the street in an age of electric vehicles has added risk. The new transport technology is clean, powerful and quiet – so quiet pedestrians may not hear it at low speeds.
On the road to corporate responsibility [$]
John Hewson
The issues of sustainability and the environmental and social impacts of their activities are certainly now on the agendas of most businesses, and corporate boards are having to lift their game to recognise these longer-term responsibilities
Dangerous fungal infections are on the rise globally. But we have few drugs that work and no prospect of anti-fungal vaccines any time soon.
Nature Conservation
Indigenous people are Earth’s greatest champions. Listen to us – and watch biodiversity thrive
Minnie Degawan
When discussions take place about environmental protection, we are always ignored. That’s a huge mistake
Mapping Iran’s biodiversity hotspots to create new protected areas covering 20% of the landscape
April Reside
Iran’s ancient forests, rugged mountains, vast deserts and captivating coasts are rich in biodiversity, including animals found nowhere else on Earth.
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