Date: 26 June 2023 at 8:48:05 am AEST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Jun 26
Post of the Day
We don’t have to be overwhelmed by climate anxiety. Feel the pain, then act
Susie Orbach
We might be scared and not know what to do. But as a new film reveals, that can help
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Colorful snow algae is blooming in Japan’s alpine areas. What does this mean for climate change?
Scientists race to Mount Gassan to see how the algae might affect the natural balance in vulnerable ecosystems and potentially perpetuate warming.
3 ways to tell if a candidate is serious about climate change
There are lots of factors to consider when choosing who to vote for in an election. But if you’re a voter who’s concerned about climate change, here’s how to pick the candidate who will be most effective in addressing it.
National
Defence was warned about forever chemicals. They kept it quiet for three decades
Documents show Defence took steps to protect its workers from toxic chemicals while tens of thousands of Australians were exposed.
‘Only gotten stronger’: Sea temperatures spark summer drought, fire warnings
The drivers for a hot, dry summer are in place, with climate scientists warning a strong El Nino weather pattern is likely.
Big Australia is coming — let’s not repeat past mistakes
Simon Kuestenmacher
In forecasting we must agree on a few basics. We will be assuming relatively high population growth for the foreseeable future. Whether you like it or not, growth of about 400,000 people each year is a very plausible scenario.
Why packing more people into our cities won’t be so bad
Ross Gittins
You may think that the inner suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne are already pretty high density, but it’s not true.
Australia’s ‘forever chemicals’ scandal demands a royal commission
SMH editorial
The time for political inaction and bureaucratic blame shifting is over.
Victoria
‘Extinct’ lizard colony’s Vic refuge kept under wraps
A rare species of Australian lizard has been spotted in the wild for the first time since 1969, having previously being written off as extinct.
With Melbourne’s west cut off from city, government spruiks 20-person punt
The two-week closure of three major rail lines in Melbourne’s west has reignited calls for ferry services to stranded suburbs, while the Transport Department has suggested commuters take a private 20-seater punt under the West Gate Bridge to avoid the works.
Earless dragon rediscovery like finding the Tasmanian tiger
Annika Smethurst
A lizard described as the most endangered reptile in the world has been sighted in Victoria for the first time in 50 years by two early career ecologists.
Victoria has rediscovered a dragon – how do we secure its future?
Brendan Wintle and Sarah Bekessy
The Victorian grassland earless dragon (Tympanocryptis pinguicolla), not seen since 1969, has been found in grasslands west of Melbourne. No need to fear this dragon, though; these lizards are just 15cm long fully grown.
New South Wales
Record number of whales sighted along NSW coast during annual migration census
Citizen scientists spot more than 3,700 whales from 70 vantage points along the NSW coast, a research group says.
EPA staff lack basic equipment for forestry inspections, NSW auditor-general finds
A performance report from the NSW auditor-general has found failings on multiple levels in the state-owned Forestry Corporation and the government agency tasked with environmental compliance.
Indigenous groups say proposed gold mine sits at confluence of sacred Dreaming story, but company objects
Traditional owners and elders from the NSW central west are asking the federal environment minister to intervene in a gold mine project, with the mine owners denying there is any “significant” cultural value associated with the site.
Cat bibs are being trialled to stop pets killing wildlife, but keeping cats indoors is still best
Experts say roaming pet cats are killings millions of native wildlife annually but there is a tool to help mitigate this.
NSW mining jobs boom despite protest attacks [$]
Despite Blockade Australia protesters’ attempts to shut down the coal industry, NSW jobs in the mining sector are the highest they’ve been in more than a decade.
ACT
ACT apartment blocks to get public money for solar panels
Apartment blocks across Canberra will be able to apply for a slice of $3.6 million to put solar panels on their rooves.
Queensland
Queensland could be the first state with a total ban on certain dog breeds
Queensland authorities want to get tough on owners of dangerous dogs with new laws that could see them jailed. The state could also become the first to completely ban some breeds.
Poor track record: Victoria removes 70 rail crossings in nine years. Qld zero
They’re a major source of traffic congestion, but not a single level crossing has been removed in Queensland since 2014. In Victoria, it’s been full steam ahead with 70 gone.
Net zero needs mining: Minister’s shock rallying cry to industry [$]
Labor’s Resources Minister will issue a rallying call to the industry today, claiming more mining is needed “faster than ever” to reach our net zero commitments.
South Australia
Potential dam failure south of Adelaide, SES warns
South Australian emergency services have warned residents in a small town to prepare for flooding amid a risk of a possible dam failure.
Tasmania
Modern-day adventurers step back in time to recreate the hiking experiences of a pair of Tasmanian pioneering conservationists who campaigned for the protection of Cradle Mountain.
Recycling company loses fight over post-blaze water contamination [$]
A metal recycling company that caused a serious water contamination problem after a catastrophic blaze has lost a battle against the state’s environmental protection agency.
$1.36bn salmon industry keeps regional jobs swimming [$]
Tasmanian salmon officials have lauded a new report highlighting the benefit of the $1.36bn industry to its workforce across the state.
Salmon industry slaps itself on the back
Media release – Neighbours of Fish Farming
In another doomed attempt by the Tasmanian salmon industry to restore its ruined reputation, its newly-formed lobby group today launched a publicity campaign at a lunchtime event in the Huon Valley.
Northern Territory
‘Unseasonable’ cloud band could double monthly average rainfall in areas of central Australia
BoM forecasts show system to move from northern WA toward eastern states while alps in south-east could receive more snow
Industry group responds to Darwin Esplanade heritage list plan [$]
A plan to heritage list Darwin’s Esplanade has met resistance from a key business group.
Traditional owners create map of country in bid to protect it from development
Indigenous traditional owners across 20,000 square kilometres of the Northern Territory come together to create a map of the region in a bid to highlight concerns about gas and cotton developments.
Sustainability
Freight train carrying hazardous materials plunges into Yellowstone River
Officials shut down drinking water intakes downstream due to the “potential hazmat spill” while they evaluate the danger of the accident.
Caught short: lack of recycled toilet paper in UK ‘fuelling deforestation’
Less office waste material during Covid has led big lavatory roll makers to cut amount of recycled paper in tissues, according to consumer body
Whisky companies rapped for polluting Scottish rivers
Two major whisky companies have been reprimanded by the Scottish Government’s environmental watchdog after leaks which breached legal limits, polluted rivers with oil and “sewage fungus” and killed wildlife.
When the water isn’t safe to drink
In Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas, Black communities are fighting for their right to access clean water.
Vietnam arrests climate activists while taking billions from foreign donors
Vietnam has arrested a leading environmental activist just months after it signed a deal to receive billions of dollars of international aid to tackle climate change, partly on the condition that the government would involve grass-roots activists in the effort.
Bangladesh offers a glimpse of the water crises of tomorrow
Bangladesh, a river delta nation, is on the front line of climate change. Its coping strategies could offer lessons for the wider world.
Canada is one of the biggest exporters of recyclable paper to India, but that paper is often contaminated with plastic waste, leaving a country struggling with its own waste management and pollution problems to deal with Canada’s dirty laundry.
Nature Conservation
Antarctic tourism is booming – but can the continent cope?
In tourist hotspots cruise ships must at times queue to disembark passengers and fragile ecosystems may be at risk from visitors. But who gets to decide on who can come?
Can hidden fungal networks help save earthly existence?
Merlin Sheldrake, a biologist and author, is doing his best to show the world all the amazing things fungi can do to benefit life on a damaged planet.
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