Date: 25 May 2023 at 8:24:05 am AEST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links May 25
Post of the Day
Recycled plastic can be more toxic and is no fix for pollution, Greenpeace warns
Campaign group says plastics are incompatible with circular economy as countries prepare for treaty talks
On This Day
Ascension Day – Eastern Christianity
Ecological Observance
International Plastic Free Day
Climate Change
‘Worthless’: Chevron’s carbon offsets are mostly junk and some may harm, research says
Investigation finds energy giant’s efforts to offset its huge emissions rely on schemes with little impact
U.N. slams carbon removal as unproven and risky
A United Nations panel is casting doubt on the promise of using machines to remove vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the air and sea in order to fight climate change.
German police raid climate activists who blocked traffic
Police have searched 15 properties and prosecutors are investigating seven suspects aged between 22 and 38 on suspicion of forming or backing a criminal organisation, police said.
These are the most dangerous places in the world for extreme heat
Global warming could force more than a fifth of the world’s population out of the “climate niche” most conducive to human life by 2100, a study says.
False choices and climate security
John Conger
When Congress declared climate change to be a direct threat to national security in 2017, it cited both the effects of extreme weather on installations and observations by Secretary of Defense James Mattis that climate change was affecting stability around the world — and thereby affecting our deployed forces. It was not a “green mandate” put in environmental terms; it was about direct effects to our military capacity.
Biden’s fossil fuel turn is bad politics — and even worse science
Basav Sen
President Biden has officially announced that he’s running for a second term in 2024. Among the first-term achievements he touted were his actions to address climate change. There’s a good reason for that — Biden’s reelection may well hinge on turnout among young voters who care passionately about the climate.
National
AFP investigating former PwC executive over using confidential Treasury information
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) launches a criminal investigation into a former executive of consulting firm PwC, after he used confidential Treasury information to benefit the firm’s client base.
Scourge of slavery looms large as Forrest calls out Australia’s solar supply chains
Australia imports more than $25 billion in goods that may have used modern slavery, and for the first time solar panels are one of the most valuable, according to a human rights group funded by Andrew Forrest.
Green hydrogen taskforce links Australia and India in race to renewable fuel
In an industry-led push, the two countries agreed to share expertise and ideas in a new taskforce.
‘Don’t F&*! The Planet’: Atlassian wants to help companies reduce their carbon footprint
On a quest to be a climate action leader, technology firm Atlassian has written the manual for other companies to follow suit for long-term sustainable success.
The three things stopping Tanya Plibersek from protecting native forests
Conservationists say the environment minister must revoke exemptions that shield state logging corporations from federal biodiversity laws.
Albo’s $547bn clean energy fizzer,[$]
Australia’s renewable superpower ambitions were supposed to be turbocharged by Joe Biden’s clean energy pact. But all is not what it seems.
Energy transition short $10bn as delays strike [$]
Delays are creeping in as Australia targets a bold 82 per cent renewables target by 2030.
Plants ‘remove carcinogens from the air’ [$]
It comes after a University of Melbourne study found vehicle emissions could be responsible for over 11,000 Australian deaths a year.
Australia needs 20GW renewables in four years to meet 2030 target
David Leitch
To reach 80 pct renewables by 2030, we need 20GW of wind and solar committed in four years, and six years for transmission to be built. That’s a doubling of the historic pace.
Cooperation with the US could drive Australia’s clean energy shift – but we must act fast
Wesley Morgan
A new pact between Australia and the United States highlights the pivotal role our nation’s mineral wealth will play in the clean energy transition. But it also underscores the massive effort now required from Australia.
Scarlett Howard et al
Varroa mites – notorious honey bee parasites – have recently reached Australian shores, detected at the Port of Newcastle in New South Wales last year. If they establish here, there would be significant implications for agricultural food security, as honey bees are heavily relied on for the pollination of many crops.
Energy-hungry India has a natural green ally in Australia [$]
Malcolm Turnbull and Arunabha Ghosh
India is going through several energy revolutions at once as it removes carbon without wrecking its industry. Australia can help in four ways.
Flood warning: full potential not achieved
Chas Keys
The recent announcement by federal ministers Tanya Plibersek (Environment) and Murray Watt (Emergency Management) of substantial investment in upgrading the nation’s flood warning gauge network is welcome.But gauging is only part of the problem of flood warning: there is another element which is not routinely well recognised in flood management circles.
Victoria
Victoria falls in line on dynamic rooftop solar exports, to make homes ready for electrification
Solar Victoria announces raft of rule changes and recommendations to make solar homes “future ready,” including for a shift to all-electric appliances.
Energy bills could jump more than 30 per cent
Thousands of Victorian households and businesses are facing a massive bill hike from July 1, sparking fears people will choose between heating or eating.
Legal fights mean no ‘certainty’ for Victoria logging [$]
Tim Pallas says ongoing litigation means it would be impossible to have ‘certainty’ in the logging industry.
Victoria has surrendered to environmental activists [$]
Joel Fitzgibbon
The Victorian government’s decision this week to accelerate the cessation of selective and sustainable native forest harvesting is an unnecessary surrender to environmental activists.
Save our renewable forest – cartoon
Spooner
New South Wales
New hope for critically endangered turtle as pairs mate for first time at breeding facility
Conservationists at a NSW breeding facility are “cheering” as they attempt save the Manning River turtle from extinction.
NSW Energy Security Corp to address “spiralling costs” of pumped hydro projects
NSW energy minister Penny Sharpe says the Energy Security Corp will help address the spiralling costs of pumped hydro which lost out to battery storage in a recent tender.
NSW government renewable energy projects delayed and more expensive
Energy Minister Penny Sharpe will unveil a new plan on Thursday that sets out the energy transition plans from coal-fired power to renewable energy.
NSW renewable energy zones up to two years behind schedule
The state energy minister, Penny Sharpe, promises: ‘We are not going to allow the lights to go off’
Perrottet government plan to end native logging in NSW was blocked by Nationals
‘Ready to be activated’ roadmap adds pressure to Minns government to follow lead of other states in ending controversial practice
Anxiety stirs in NSW community as Cadia mine investigated over heavy metals in blood tests
EPA holds ‘drop-in’ session to answer questions about health and drinking water but concerns remain
South Australia
End of the road threat for city e-scooters as council puts foot down
Rental e-scooters will be banned from the CBD by next May unless the state government steps in to regulate their use amid Adelaide City Council concerns about pedestrian safety and lack of insurance, with the Lord Mayor “vehemently opposed” to their use on footpaths.
SA’s populist punishment law to chill climate dissent
Paul Laris
A new Bill to silence climate protest has provoked a broad chorus of alarm in South Australia. Despite opposition, it seems likely the Bill will pass and South Australia will join the ranks of governments determined to suppress opposition to the fossil fuel industry.
Tasmania
Cornelian Bay could be next in AFL land grab
Media release – Kristie Johnston MP, Independent Member for Clark
Today in Parliament I asked the Premier if he would tell Gil McLachlan and the AFL to stay away for Cornelian Bay.
Why did the giant crayfish cross the road? Conservationists want to know — and stop it
The endangered Tasmanian crustacean risks becoming roadkill when it chooses to climb creek banks instead of taking a safer path through culverts, puzzling observers.
Losing the maugean skate will diminish us all
Peter Boyer
Everything that lives will die, sooner or later. We have no option but to accept this simple reality. But that doesn’t mean we should accept the death of a whole species.
Northern Territory
‘Personal attack’: Anti-fracking protests leave Chief in tears [$]
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has described anti-fracking protests which reportedly left her in tears at an Alice Springs trail event as ‘harassment’.
Western Australia
Pain still runs deep, but Juukan Gorge remediation underway three years after blast
It’s been three years since Rio Tinto blew up sacred rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in WA’s Pilbara region. While nothing will make up for the destruction, traditional owners are working to rehabilitate the site.
Three years on, Rio Tinto says Juukan disaster remains a ‘deep stain’
Rio Tinto chairman Dominic Barton has described the destruction of the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters three years ago as a stain on the miner’s history.
Historic Purnululu and Gajangana Jaru native title determination celebrated on Country
The historic Purnululu and Gajangana Jaru native title determination was celebrated at an on-country ceremonial sitting on Wednesday.
Recycling crisis forces 8000 tonnes of milk cartons abroad [$]
Australia’s recycling crisis has dealt a blow to the WA Containers for Change scheme, with almost 8000 tonnes of material collected having to be shipped overseas for processing.
Sustainability
Plastic waste puts millions of world’s poorest at higher risk from floods
More than 200 million face more intense and frequent floods due to plastic pollution blocking drainage systems, report finds
Sustainable till death do us part, and 45 days beyond; mushroom coffin a last best wish for some
For those seeking to live in the most sustainable way, there now is an afterlife too.
How robots could dramatically speed up solar farm construction
A number of companies are now using automation and AI to expedite utility-scale solar installations, ease labor shortages and protect workers from unsafe conditions.
Lockdown at sea a lesson in sustainable shipping
Chistiaan De Beukelaer
To combat climate change we need to decarbonise international shipping. Powering cargo ships with wind should be part of the solution
How we stop floating wind turbines the size of skyscrapers from drifting away
Benjamin Cerfontaine & Susan Gourvenec
Floating wind turbines are emerging as a promising solution – but turbines are also getting bigger at a rapid rate. So how do these colossal structures remain in place?
Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian et al
Electric vehicle advocates say the cars ultimately have a smaller carbon footprint than their fossil-fuelled counterparts and could resolve our energy concerns for good. Well, fair enough, but questions arise when we dig into the inner layers of electrical vehicles and see how sustainable their components are. In fact, the batteries that power electric vehicles may also be their Achilles heel.
How to strategically derisk the push for electric vehicles
J. Peter Pham
Last month, in one of the most aggressive steps to date in its push to get Americans to buy more electric vehicles (EVs), the Biden administration announced tough new Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards for carmakers’ automotive fleets.
Nature Conservation
Europe’s grassland butterfly population down more than a third in 10 years
Decline worse in Britain than other countries, as conservationists blame agriculture and global heating
New framework will allow firms to assess their impact on nature
Science-Based Targets Network says new schema will ‘get nature into the boardroom’ in the same way as climate footprints
Chemical cocktails harmful to wildlife found in 81% of English rivers and lakes
Campaigners call for rigorous testing of waterways to protect species after analysis reveals scale of problem
How global warming and a wet winter may impact U.S. wildfire season
Wildfire season in most parts of the western United States could be delayed this summer with heavy snow still covering many mountain ranges, national fire forecasters say.
Seagrass: a powerful climate solution just below the ocean’s surface
Restoring seagrass meadows is one tool that coastal communities can use to address climate change, both by capturing emissions and mitigating their effects.
Among some fish, heat stress may be contagious, study finds
“We found that heat-stressed zebrafish embryos release cues into the water, which then stresses other embryos that have not been exposed to heat themselves,” tweeted Katharina Wollenberg Valero, a biologist at University College Dublin.
Red Sea corals threatened by mass sea urchin die-off, Israeli researchers say
Sea urchins in Israel’s Gulf of Eilat have been dying off at an alarming rate, researchers announced Wednesday — a development that threatens the Red Sea’s prized coral reef ecosystems.
Under the EPA’s watch, unchecked insecticides are causing another ‘Silent Spring’
Clay Bolt
In the early 1990s, the pesticide industry unleashed neonicotinoids, a new class of neurotoxic insecticide lauded as “a milestone in insecticide research.” Neonics, for short, were proclaimed to be safer and more effective at selectively killing insects, while not harming birds and other vertebrates. They were seen by many as an improvement over more persistent pesticides like organophosphates and DDT, which was banned after millions of Americans were outraged in the wake of Rachel Carson’s landmark 1962 book, “Silent Spring.”
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