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Date: 19 March 2023 at 8:09:32 am AEDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Mar 19
Post of the Day
‘A wake-up call’: total weight of wild mammals less than 10% of humanity’s
From elephants to tigers, study reveals scale of damage to wildlife caused by transformation of wildernesses and human activity
On This Day
Saint Joseph’s Day – Western Christianity
Ecological Observance
National
Breeding birds in captivity may alter their wing shapes and reduce post-release survival chances
New research on critically endangered orange-bellied parrot finds 1mm difference in length of one feather – enough to reduce survival rate by 2.7 times
The best budget friendly electric car of 2023 is one you have never heard of
The BYD Atto 3 is the 2023 Drive Car of the Year Best Electric Vehicle Under $70,000.
‘Irresponsible’: Labor won’t buckle on Greens’ demand to ban new coal and gas projects
Labor and the Greens are still some way from reaching an agreement on the climate bill and Energy Minister Chris Bowen has declared that the Greens’ demand to ban new coal and gas projects would be “irresponsible”.
Farmers warn unlimited carbon offsets will set ‘dangerous precedent’
Farmers are raising concerns the federal government’s plan to reduce the emissions of big polluters would rely too heavily on carbon credits from agriculture.
Victoria
Victoria’s rangers hunt eco-vandal firewood thieves
The trunks of river red gums in Victoria’s Lower Goulburn National Park tell different stories.
Kennett River warning downgraded, Eastern View on high alert [$]
Watch and act warnings have been issued for the Eastern View and Kennett River areas on the Surf Coast as firefighters work to keep blazes under control.
State government in the dark on use of $2.7b train maintenance fund
The government has been accused of not properly overseeing Metro Trains maintenance, or whether if works benefit the network long term.
‘Having trees is absolutely critical to us’: Yarraville locals protest against stadium plan for park
Some locals have waged a campaign against the proposed six-court area at McIvor Reserve, which is used for team sports, dog walking and recreation between the West Gate Freeway and the old Bradmill denim factory.
Queuing 90 minutes to charge your car: Why Victorians are shunning EVs
A slow rollout of fast charging stations could hold Victorians back from shifting to electric vehicles, with some early adopters finding infrastructure has not kept pace.
Melbourne tipped to become Australia’s migrant city
Melbourne is predicted to grow by almost three million in the next quarter century, with new forecasts suggesting Victoria is hot on the heels of its northern neighbour.
Rail failings demand first-class response
Age editorial
The maintenance of our rail infrastructure should be a high priority for the government. But there have been serious deficiencies in the oversight of this critical part of the public transport system.
New South Wales
Jobs the big issue as contest heats up in coal-fired NSW electorate
People in the most marginal seat in regional NSW, Upper Hunter, usually work in coal mines, power stations, or on farms. There’s both concern and optimism about traditional jobs.
Chris Minns says documents show Liberals considered privatising parts of Sydney Water
Labor to start final week of NSW election campaign by continuing pursuit of Perrottet government over its privatisation record
Timid NSW transport policies show Labor and the Coalition have taken their feet off the accelerator
No matter who wins the election, the task of tackling clogged roads and Sydney’s tolling mess will be immense
Shark nets and fishing hooks risk killing off endangered species
Activists want shark nets removed in places like Bondi, where it was originally designed to kill the animals rather than shepherd them away from swimmers.
ACT
Passenger rebound across ACT public transport despite bus route cuts [$]
Public transport patronage has grown to almost 95 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, despite the government cutting back the number of bus services.
City cycle route plans progress, 30km/h streets ahead of inner north rollout [$]
A plan to connect Watson to Braddon via a new cycle trail is being welcomed by cyclists of the inner north, including Canberra bike bus founder, Paris Lord.
Queensland
Former coal miner’s fears for future of job ‘no one ever leaves’
David Ashen says his family is one of 500 in the South Burnett region who face an uncertain future as Queensland phases out coal-fired power by 2035.
South Australia
Spectre of Maralinga hangs over Aukus nuclear waste for Indigenous communities
The question of where to store waste from submarines is exacerbating trauma caused by British atomic testing in South Australia in the 50s and 60s
Flinders goes nuclear for new courses [$]
World-leading nuclear education programs will be delivered at Flinders University under deals unveiled in London by Premier Peter Malinauskas.
Put down that weapon: Mali’s Peter Garrett rebuke [$]
Nuclear-powered submarines are no setback for our country, Premier Peter Malinauskas has declared as he repudiates Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett’s attack on AUKUS.
Tasmania
‘Get out of Tasmania’: Anti-salmon protesters take to boats in droves
Furious anti-salmon farm protesters have taken to their kayaks and sail boats in droves, to send a “clear message” that they want industrial feedlots gone.
Northern Territory
Popular gorge, trail closed due to Central Australian bushfire [$]
Two popular gorge’s and six sections of the Larapinta Trail are closed this weekend as a bushfire burns in Tjoritja/ West MacDonnell National Park
Sustainability
Inside the facility designed to generate limitless clean energy — if it can solve the fuel problem
Among idyllic French villages and rolling fields, midnight convoys ferry enormous mysterious objects to construct the world’s biggest fusion reactor. What’s going on there?
‘Talking’ concrete could help prevent traffic jams and cut carbon emissions
An increasing number of U.S. interstates are set to try out an invention that could save millions of taxpayer dollars and significantly reduce traffic delays. The invention, a sensor that allows concrete to ‘talk,’ decreases construction time and how often concrete pavement needs repairs while also improving the road’s sustainability and cutting its carbon footprint.
There is currently a large dependence on coal for power generation. As coal-fired plants cause environmental and health hazards, technologies such as swirl flow and air staging have been proposed to mitigate the pollutants in their emissions. However, it is unclear how effective these technologies are in reducing the environmental costs of these plants. Now, researchers have provided insights on this front in a new study, delineating their efficacies with experiments and simulations.
New catalyst helps turn plastic waste into useful organosilane compounds
Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found that gold nanoparticles supported on a zirconium oxide surface help turn waste materials like biomass and polyester into organosilane compounds, valuable chemicals used in a wide range of applications.
Review of world water resources
A recent review study provides an overview of the planet’s freshwater supplies and strategies for sustainably managing them.
Nature Conservation
Pigs and ponies join UK’s wild bison to recreate prehistoric landscape
Ancient breeds will act as ecosystem engineers to convert commercial pine plantation into a wild wood
‘Alarming’ rate of mountain forest loss a threat to alpine wildlife
Since 2001, 7% of the habitat has been lost globally due to logging, wildfires and agriculture, scientists report
New study counts the environmental cost of managing Japanese knotweed
New research has looked at the long-term environmental impact of different methods to control Japanese knotweed.
New study provides first comprehensive look at oxygen loss on coral reefs
A new study is providing an unprecedented examination of oxygen loss on coral reefs around the globe under ocean warming. The study captures the current state of hypoxia — or low oxygen levels — at 32 different sites, and reveals that hypoxia is already pervasive on many reefs.
How fishermen benefit from reversing evolution of cod
Under long-term fisheries management, evolutionary change, that has resulted in smaller maturation sizes, can be reversed profitably.
Genetics as conservation tool for endangered chimpanzees
The western chimpanzees of Guinea are threatened by mining activities. Using a novel genetic approach, researchers have collected information on population size and community structure of the endangered species. These data provide an important baseline to assess the impact of mining.
River deltas: Valuable and under threat
It is often not rising seas, but sinking land due to human activities that puts coastal populations most at risk, according to new study
Noise harming ocean invertebrates and ecosystems
Noise from human activities is harming ocean invertebrates and ecosystems, new research shows.
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