Daily Links May 10

Post of the Day

‘Regenerative agriculture’ is all the rage – but it’s not going to fix our food system

Anja Bless

Decades of industrial agriculture have caused environmental and social damage across the globe. Soils have deteriorated and plant and animal species are disappearing. Landscapes are degraded and small-scale farmers are struggling. It’s little wonder we’re looking for more sustainable and just ways of growing food and fibre.

On This Day

May 10

Ecological Observance

International Day of Argania

Climate Change

There’s still time to avoid climate catastrophe

David Suzuki 

If we fail to reach the goal of reducing emissions by 50 percent by 2030, it won’t be for lack of options.

National

Renewables, electrification, tax breaks and ‘less about utes’: What’s in the budget for business

Renewable energy and the transition away from fossil fuels are the government’s key focus in its assistance to businesses, big and small, but a key small business tax break has been scaled back.

Coles to phase out soft plastic bags by July

Coles commits to sustainability goals, phasing out soft-plastic bags by end of June, removing 230 million bags in one year, and introducing reusable box initiative.

Tax breaks for miners ‘clarified’ in response to Shell case [$]

Gas companies may be forced to slow down the write-off of exploration costs incurred over the past decade.

A million companies to get one-off energy cut of $650

The other measures to help SMEs include a $392.4 million industry grants program and the promise of more skilled migrants.

Households to get help becoming energy efficient

More than 110,000 homes will be able to access low-cost financing options to make their homes energy efficient and cut down on their power bills after the federal government committed $1.3 billion in the May budget to establishing a Household Energy Upgrades Fund.

Labor creates $2bn renewable hydrogen fund as part of $4bn green energy package

Labor gives $2 billion to support a gigawatt of green hydrogen electrolysers, $1.3 billion for household efficiency, but is coy about funds for capacity mechanism.

Care workers, climate change, and personal data. The budget says they’re steering our economy

Gareth Hutchens

Three huge structural shifts are pushing Australia’s economy in a certain direction

HECS for farmers? Nature repair loans could help biodiversity recover – and boost farm productivity

Bruce Chapman and David Lindenmayer

Almost three billion hectares of farmland is in poor condition worldwide – an area the size of Russia. Biodiversity is in freefall. Extinctions are rising. Wild animal populations have fallen almost 70% since 1970.

Building sustainable housing at a neighbourhood scale

Stefanie Dühr

To realise sustainable neighbourhoods, Australia needs a more visionary approach to integrated strategic planning with help from strong local government.

Wind, solar and storage: Three ideas to accelerate Australia’s green energy transition

David Leitch

The rollout of wind, solar and storage is too slow. We need more transmission, and more action from state governments, and NSW in particular.

Green hydrogen versus direct renewables – best and worst ways to use wind and solar

Giles Parkinson

The there are good ways to use wind and solar and bad ways. And much of it comes down to where green hydrogen is applied.

Victoria

Melbourne Airport Rail survives budget chop [$]

Victoria’s key projects have survived the budget scalpel, but despite billions of dollars of new money for other states, no new infrastructure funding is coming our way.

New South Wales

Metropolitan Collieries mine fined after ‘sludgy substance’ spotted in river

A coal mine near the Royal National Park in NSW has had its operating licence tightened after breaches resulted in “significant pollution events”.

A weed masquerading as a shrub killed Anna’s two ponies. It’s still sold in garden centres

Cestrum nocturnum, a decorative, sweet-scented but highly toxic shrub popular in gardens, is taking off as a weed in NSW – but the government has not banned it.

Queensland

Land is gradually sinking around gas projects, but the government says gas and farming can co-exist

Lawyers and farmers say the government response to subsidence of land near gas project is like a “bandaid on a volcano” and have no confidence in government to tackle the problem.   

Coal prices slump but remain high enough for Palaszczuk’s ‘golden zone’

Coal prices would continue to deliver above average prices and royalties to the State Government for the rest of the year, according to forecasts from Westpac.

Eco-fail: Report exposes black spots in our green tourism [$]

The state’s Auditor-General has issued a scathing assessment of the Queensland’s eco-tourism strategy, finding a lack of direction.

The big Queensland projects that are safe – and at risk [$]

Two major Queensland rail projects remain funded in the federal budget, but an axe hovers over other state mega projects

South Australia

Whyalla’s blue steel plant on track for $2bn green makeover [$]

A hydrogen power plant at Whyalla is ready to snare a share of $2bn in budget funds to produce green steel, among the major wins for cash splashes in SA.

Tasmania

Opposition, public integrity experts worried by push to limit free speech in Tasmanian Parliament

Tasmania’s opposition political parties have furiously opposed a move by the government which may restrict them from naming public servants under parliamentary privilege.

Muttonbird rookery control to be handed over if proposal passes

The proponent of a tourism retreat on Little Dog Island has promised to hand control over a muttonbird rookery to the Flinders Island Aboriginal Association

Investors told ‘Don’t Fund Venture Minerals’ at Sydney Resources Roundup

Media release – Bob Brown Foundation

Bob Brown Foundation has joined with members of the Sydney community to send a clear message to mining investors that Venture Minerals’ plans to mine in World Heritage value rainforests in takayna / Tarkine will always be met with community opposition.

Northern Territory

Traditional owners condemn ‘disgraceful’ draft of NT water allocation plan

Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory fear the new water allocation plan proposed by the territory government threatens the future of country and culture for remote Aboriginal communities in Central Australia.

Western Australia

Perth needs to generate 10 times more power than it currently does if we’re to go green

Western Australia’s biggest electricity system will need to roughly triple in size over the next two decades, as the state seeks to wean itself off fossil fuels and go green.

Residents outraged as Labor donor gets green light to develop Glen Iris golf course

Jandakot residents have learned the Glen Iris developer they oppose was a member of an exclusive Labor Business Roundtable.

Former Wittenoom families seek clarity over access to relatives’ graves as asbestos town gets demolished

The town is being demolished by the state government but it is not clear whether families will have ongoing access to the existing cemetery.

REVEALED: How much energy generation WA will need by 2042 [$]

Jake Dietsch

 WA will need nearly 10 times more energy generation and storage capacity to keep the lights on in a net zero future.

Sustainability

Money makes the world go round – and development succeed

Jeffrey Sachs

The key to economic development and ending poverty is investment. Nations achieve prosperity by investing in four priorities. Most important is investing in people, through quality education and health care. The next is infrastructure, such as electricity, safe water, digital networks, and public transport. The third is natural capital, protecting nature. The fourth is business

Nature Conservation

Warming oceans putting pressure on blue whale food as researchers observe ‘skinny’ animals

Blue whales are beginning their migration north to breed, but skinnier than usual animals spotted off Australia’s coast are leaving researchers worried about their food source. 

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