Date: 17 April 2023 at 8:56:30 am AEST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Apr 17
Post of the Day
Climate change threatens insects — and us
Researchers warn we risk losing a sustainable future if we don’t take action to conserve insects and address climate change. They also offer solutions.
On This Day
Easter Monday – Eastern Christianity
Lailat al Qadr – Islam
Ecological Observance
International Bat Appreciation Day
Climate Change
G7 nations formally declare their intention to speed transition to renewables
In a major gain for a stable climate, energy and environment ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy nations have vowed to speed the shift to renewable energy.
How electrifying everything became a key climate solution
To tackle climate change, we’ll need to plug in millions of cars, trucks, home heaters, stoves and factories.
Brazil, UAE seal climate, biofuels deals as leaders meet
Brazil and the United Arab Emirates announced a series of deals on combating climate change and advancing biofuels Saturday as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva paid an official visit to the oil-rich country.
Iraq’s ancient treasures sand-blasted by climate change
Iraqi archaeological marvels that have survived millennia and the ravages of war now face a modern threat: being blasted and slowly buried by sandstorms linked to climate change.
National
Labor’s ‘quite ambitious’ electric vehicle strategy expected to be released this week
Chris Bowen is expected to introduce an EV and vehicle fuel efficiency standards policy this week
Consumer watchdog urged to step in on so-called ocean plastic
Some brands boast their products are made from recycled plastics dredged from the ocean.
Climate authority backs carbon storage under land, sea
Australia could fail on emissions reduction commitments unless climate engineering technologies are accepted, a federal body warns.
Household green switch to cause surges in gas demand for power grid
The energy market operator says switching out gas-powered household appliances could deepen the threat of winter gas shortfalls at peak times.
Net zero is the goal, but will chaos in the regions delay energy transition goals?
Jack Archer
The roll-out of large scale renewable projects in the regions could be hampered if communities aren’t meaningfully engaged.
How squabbling politicians let mining companies wreck our economy
Ross Gittins
While it may seem like a resource boom is good for the Australian economy, petty, short-sighted politicking has sabotaged any potential benefit.
‘Activist’ BOM fuels climate politics [$]
Maurice Newman
The Bureau of Meteorology claims it has more important things to do than to provide data. But surely its methodology is not commercial-in-confidence?
A dive into the deep past reveals Indigenous burning helped suppress bushfires 10,000 years ago
Alan N Williams et al
Indigenous Australians have conducted cultural burning for at least ten millenia and the practice helped reduce bushfire risk in the past, our new research shows.
Callum Foote and Michael West
Amid fossil fuel corporate fury at any move to tax them or cap their soaring price rises, the tax reform moves of the Albanese government have been yet modest. The country-by-country reporting initiative however has drawn international plaudits. Callum Foote and Michael West report on the progress and the challenges in funding Australia’s future.
Victoria
Yarra waterfalls, scarred trees: Hidden Indigenous histories of Melbourne revealed
The alternative histories of some of Melbourne’s landmarks have been mapped out online, identifying sites where Naarm’s Indigenous people gathered for ceremonial rites.
Yarra River flood warning after overnight deluge [$]
The state’s emergency service has received almost 100 calls for help overnight after flash flooding hit homes and blocked roads across the city.
Geelong oil refinery lifts fuel reserves amid energy security concerns
The Ukraine war and closure of two oil refineries have renewed focus on a long-running question: How vulnerable is Australia to the threat of energy disruption?
New South Wales
Gut-burrowing parasite found in fish across NSW could infect humans
A worm-like parasite was found burrowed inside the gut of multiple freshwater fish and is the same species as those found to have previously killed native birds. Researchers say fully cooking fish can reduce or remove the chance of infection.
Scores arrested as climate activists halt Newcastle coal train
Dozens of people have been arrested after protesters scaled a train bound for the Port of Newcastle and began shovelling coal out of its wagons.
Coal shipments slump amid labour shortages, wet weather [$]
The export data released by the Port of Newcastle, the largest coal facility in Australia, come ahead of production figures from Yancoal, BHP and Whitehaven.
AGL flagged closing Liddell years ago. Why it wasn’t enough time [$]
Angela Macdonald-Smith
When AGL said six years ago how it would replace capacity at NSW’s Liddell power station, it promised a gas plant, battery and LNG imports. None of it happened.
Liddell shutdown a test of Australia’s orderly energy transition [$]
AFR editorial
Passing the Liddell test would be a good omen. But politically created obstacles risk making the challenging transition ahead even more difficult than it already is.
Queensland
Birriliburu rangers band together for skink preservation during Mulyamiji March
It is a family affair for the Birriliburu rangers who spent March using their tracking skills to find tjakura burrows and collect scientific data for an Indigenous-led National Recover Plan for the animal.
Western Australia
WA’s biggest emitters increased carbon output 5 per cent year on year
Analysis by the ABC of the past six financial years of reported emissions, under the national safeguard mechanism, shows a 15 per cent increase in carbon dioxide released by major WA projects, and up 5 per cent on last year’s figure.
Sustainability
Welsh Water boss defends pollution record and six-figure salary
Peter Perry accepted “to a certain extent” that Wales was not where it should be on water quality. “We don’t get out of bed every day thinking we’re happy about pollution, far from it,” he said.
It’s a great month for shutting power plants and being stupid
Tim Blair
Britain was the first nation to use coal as a steam-generating, wealth-creating power source in factories and mills. A few centuries later, Britain pays people to reject domestic power sources. Seems logical.
Environment: Rich people are melting Arctic sea ice
Peter Sainsbury
Rich countries and rich people have incredibly high greenhouse gas emissions. Arctic sea ice is shrinking. Tasmanian government plans to make fish farms more environmentally destructive.
Nature Conservation
Hawke’s Bay lake pollution among the worst in the country
A study of pollution in New Zealand’s lakes has found that 90 per cent of Hawke’s Bay’s lakes are in poor or worse condition, one of the worst three regions in the country.
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