Daily Links Feb 22

Post of the Day

A plan for human survival

Julian Cribb

Among the world’s many pressing needs, the most urgent of all is a plan for human survival. And Australia should be the country to lead its creation.

 

On This Day

February 22

Ash Wednesday – Christianity

Lent begins – Christianity

 

Ecological Observance

National Wildlife Day – USA

 

Climate Change

The canals of Venice are drying up and experts fear it’s a sign of things to come

Flooding is normally the primary concern in Venice, but the city is confronting unusually low tides amid fears Italy could face another drought after last summer’s emergency.

 

Children sue Austria for ‘failing to protect them’ against climate change

A group of twelve minors said children’s rights are not taken into account in the current climate protection law in Austria – and have taken the matter to the country’s highest court.

 

Jimmy Carter, the president who tried to save the planet

Jimmy Carter was one of the most consequential U.S. presidents when it comes to protecting the environment, experts say.

 

Book review: Greta Thunberg tells it like it is in “The Climate Book”

The 20-year-old climate activist has put together a reading list for determined citizens willing to mobilize for a just and sustainable future.

 

National

Safeguard mechanism will “syphon” investment away from renewables, report warns

New report warns Safeguard Mechanism will shift investment to the offset market, with evidence a shift in climate capital is already underway.

Santos’ ‘clean’ fuel claims challenged in court

Lawyers in a dispute between a shareholder advocacy group and one of Australia’s biggest energy producers have been told to get in a room and reach an agreement.

Australia a ‘powder keg’ for grassfires after big wet

Every time Australia has had prolonged periods of wet weather, deadly fires have followed. Experts say the death of this La Nina will likely end the same way.

 

‘Gone are the days where greenwashing will go unchecked,’ says GC

With ASIC having announced it will target greenwashing in 2023, one general counsel weighs in on how GCs should respond …

 

Majority of household appliances packaged in unsustainable material, Choice says

Only half of the packaging of kettles, air fryers and stick vacuums was being recycled, according to a survey by the consumer group

 

‘Environmentally conscious life’: Green loans boom for Bendigo

Green loans to businesses have grown as banks shore up their sustainability credentials, and individuals are increasingly seeking the same.

Greens need to let go of Trump-like populism. Like him, it’s past its use-by date [$]

Dennis Atkins

Yes, it got big swings because of its climate policies, but the party knows well that issue came second to aircraft noise in inner-Brisbane.

 

Climate cover

Rachel Withers

Why is it on the Greens to ensure the government can pass its climate policy?

 

As La Nina wanes, what follows could be even worse

Greg Mullins

Just as we did before the Black Summer fires, we are issuing a threat warning now. Unlike last time, we now have a government that just might listen.

 

Unpaid energy, water bills up 30 per cent in further sign of tough times

John Collett

Greater use of credit cards and a rise in unpaid bills being chased by debt collectors continues to paint a picture of households feeling the squeeze.

 

The safeguard mechanism isn’t perfect. But we’ve wasted enough time

Tim Buckley

After 10 years of going backwards, we need this massive win.

 

Asia is telling us our reputation as a reliable energy supplier is under threat [$]

Paul Everingham

Labor’s gas market intervention will also jeopardise the flow of LNG on which Asian trade partners’ net zero targets depend.

 

Victoria

Out-of-control grassfire threatens homes north of Melbourne as dozens work to contain blaze

A fire burning out of control north of Melbourne is threatening properties, prompting authorities to issue an emergency warning for residents in Flowerdale and Yea.

 

‘We are working it out’: E-scooter giant vows to tackle footpath hazard

Lime has promised it can stop customers illegally riding its devices on footpaths if permitted to remain operating in Melbourne after a controversial trial finishes next month.

 

‘Jet-skis of the city’: Why Melbourne’s e-scooter trial is not working

Ben Rossiter

If our trial is to continue, there are five things that must happen.

 

New South Wales

NSW government accused of ‘outrageous’ pork barreling as multi-billion-dollar road upgrade starts

Taxpayers say the state government is wasting their money by starting construction on the Great Western Highway upgrade without a guarantee it will be completed.

 

Major inland river ‘a big mess’ as it chokes on flood debris as water recedes

Several large rafts made of wood and other debris are blocking parts of the Macquarie River in NSW’s west, leaving residents concerned about erosion or even a diversion of the river itself.  

 

Perrottet Government remains ignorant as NSW forests vanish

Sue Arnold

Despite grim assessments by environmental scientists, the NSW Government continues to turn its back on the environmental devastation sweeping the state.

 

ACT

‘Hopefully we can inspire others’: Rattenbury shares ACT’s climate vision on Antarctica voyage

The ACT’s Energy and Emissions Reduction Minister and Greens leader has joined an expedition to Antarctica, which includes more than 100 experts and leaders focused on documenting the effects of climate change and alerting the planet to the need for faster action.

 

Queensland

Mining giant BHP to sell two coal mines as profits slump, royalties hike frustrates

Mining giant BHP announces its intention to sell two central Queensland mines, one of which has been operating for 50 years.

 

‘Making climate crisis worse’: Greens blast Labor after Queensland coal seam gas expansion approved

Decision allows Santos to open 116 new wells with an operational life of about 30 years in Surat Basin

 

Santos’ wins fracking approval for Towrie gas development from Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek

Callum Foote

Tanya Plibersek has quietly approved another Santos fracking project to go ahead in Queensland’s Surat Basin.

 

South Australia

South Australia: Grid with the most wind and solar has the smallest reliability gap

Conservative technology deniers take note: The Australian state charging towards 100 per cent wind and solar has the smallest reliability gap.

 

Call for tree change on canopy protection

State laws protecting old trees with big trunks should be broadened to include smaller species like pear trees in Leigh Street where thousands of tree martins are roosting, the first hearing of the Urban Forest Inquiry heard this week.

 

Home batteries on wheels: How SA can drive an energy evolution [$]

SA has become the first state that allows electric cars to supply battery power to homes, and Mitsubishi’s boss says this could be a game-changer.

Tasmania

Hate or love e-scooters, they’re here to stay on Hobart streets

Hobart City Council gives the tick of approval to e-scooters in the CBD, with one councillor praising them for reducing emissions and congestion on the roads.

 

Northern Territory

Key contract awarded in Tiwi Islands clean energy push

A renewable energy future is one step closer for the Tiwi Islands with a design and construct tender for a pilot program in Wurrumiyanga awarded to Circular Solutions.

 

Environmentalists accuse Beetaloo Basin pro-fracking website of astroturfing

Mudburra elder Ray Dimakarri Dixon says he was shocked to discover site using his image to support fracking, which he is campaigning against

 

Territory tops federal spend on new solar project [$]

More than 27,000 solar panels have been built east of Darwin, but they won’t power local homes.

 

Western Australia

Protesters’ latest anti-Woodside stunt

Anti-Woodside protesters have again used yellow paint to call out the energy giant over a major gas hub project.

Local urged to roll up their sleeves for annual busy-bee

 The Shire of Murray is calling on the local community to take part in the annual Clean Up Australia Day event in a bid to keep the area free from litter.

 

Research to save little penguins [$]

The dwindling population of little penguins on Penguin Island will be the focus of new research, in hopes to save the species from future extinction.

 

Sustainability

There is a myth about mass migration to Europe. But some people do risk it all

The challenges facing Africa are real, but depending on who you talk to, the solution is either to risk it all for a better life in Europe or stay on the continent and fight for a better future there.

 

These plant-based refugee shelters were made to survive typhoons

A handful of families in Bangladesh have been testing shelters constructed with an affordable new plant-based plastic that is made locally and lasts longer. When a typhoon hit the area last year, the new homes were undamaged, unlike other shacks nearby.

 

By adding timber to old buildings, Stockholm is expanding sustainably

Architects are using lightweight wood to add on to existing buildings, preserving what’s already there and preventing wasteful demolitions.

 

As fatal fungus takes its toll, can we save frog species on the brink?

The deadly chytrid fungus has wiped out as many as 90 species of amphibians. Now researchers from Australia to California are exploring a host of ways to save threatened frog populations — from relocation to safer habitats to reintroducing frogs treated with a sort of vaccine.

 

Gautam Adani: Will tycoon’s wealth woes hit India’s green energy dreams?

Adani Group has seen its market value plunge after a US firm made fraud allegations against it.

 

How do I compost at home? New technology makes going green easier

New technology and services are making it easier to compost, whether you live out in the country or in a 400-square-foot apartment.

 

You’ve read the scary headlines – but rest assured, your cookware is safe

Oliver A.H. Jones

“Are nonstick pans toxic”? “Can aluminium cookware cause dementia?” “Are my scratched pans still safe?” That’s just a sample of a few worrying headlines about the safety of our pots and pans recently.

 

Nature Conservation

What if the environment held the same legal rights as a human?

Bestowing the natural world with the same legal rights as humans is a strategy that is gaining traction around the world…

Bird flu kills sea lions and thousands of pelicans in Peru’s protected areas

Bird flu has killed tens of thousands of birds, mostly pelicans, and at least 716 sea lions in protected areas across Peru, the authorities said, as the H5N1 strain spreads throughout the region.

 

Boreal trees may grow faster due to climate change

Enhanced tree growth could significantly offset carbon emissions, but some researchers say it’s not enough to compete with forest disturbances.

 

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