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Date: 8 June 2023 at 9:04:54 am AEST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Jun 8
Post of the Day
World Oceans Day underscores need to protect ‘the foundation of life’
Over a third of global fish stocks are being harvested at unsustainable levels – just one example of how human activity is harming oceans, which cover more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface.
On This Day
Corpus Christi – Catholicism
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Microbes key to sequestering carbon in soil
Microbes are by far the most important factor in determining how much carbon is stored in the soil, according to a new study with implications for mitigating climate change and improving soil health for agriculture and food production.
Researchers are now calling for fungi to be considered more heavily in conservation and biodiversity policies, and are investigating whether we can increase how much carbon the soil underneath us can hold
UN climate talks might avoid fossil fuel phase-out, says Cop28 official
Majid Al Suwaidi says governments not in agreement yet over whether issue should be on agenda
A summer without Arctic sea ice could come a decade sooner than expected
In a new study, scientists found that the climate milestone could come about a decade sooner than anticipated, even if planet-warming emissions are gradually reduced.
Russia aims to block EU from hosting COP29 climate summit, emails show
Russia intends to block European Union countries from hosting next year’s U.N. international climate negotiations, according to internal emails seen by Reuters, a potential setback for EU-member Bulgaria’s competition with Azerbaijan and Armenia to draw the massive conference.
‘Absolute scandal’: UAE state oil firm able to read Cop28 climate summit emails
UN conference president Sultan Al Jaber is also head of oil firm, which was consulted on how to respond to a media inquiry
Measuring greenhouse gas from ponds improves climate predictions
Shallow lakes and ponds emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, but emissions from these systems vary considerably and are not well understood.
Andrew Glikson
“All grimly true, but they can be sure that they won’t be recorded for their crimes in history – because there won’t be any history” (Noam Chomsky)
National
Researchers say rising electricity costs are pushing some home owners to replace their solar panels prematurely, increasing the need for bespoke recycling facilities to avoid them going to waste.
“Urgent and daunting:” Brookfield boosts planned renewables spend to $30 billion
Brookfield plays the climate card as it seeks regulatory approval for its bid for Origin Energy, saying its planned renewable spend could reach $30 billion.
How smashing transmission monopoly could slash $13 billion from grid costs
Report finds energy users are paying dearly for the lack of contestability in Australia’s transmission market, to the tune of $13 billion.
Why solar panels should be reused, and not shredded for bricks and concrete
Solar experts call for better approach to sustainable solar, including “bespoke” technology to recycle panels and reuse their valuable components.
Coalition backs BHP’s push for nuclear energy plan [$]
Coalition backs BHP push for Labor to remove prohibitions on nuclear energy, as Chris Bowen rejects nuclear option.
Heloise Gibb and Nick Porch
The Black Summer megafires engulfing south-eastern Australia in 2019–2020 were so intense they burned habitats rarely exposed to fire, such as southern warm temperate rainforest.
Has Tanya Plibersek watered down Scott Morrison’s already weak koala protection policy?
Suzanne Arnold
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has removed the Koala Referral Guidelines, replacing them with a weaker and far more complex system, again dependent on self-referral. Suzanne Arnold reports on the ‘Nature Repair Market Bill’ to establish a voluntary market for “biodiversity credits”.
New Origin owner may outspend Andrew Forrest in Australia’s biggest renewables play: Here’s how
Giles Parkinson
Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management, the agreed new owner of Origin Energy, has significantly increased its planned spending on renewables and storage in Australia, potentially trumping iron ore billionaire Andrew Forrest for the bragging rights of the country’s biggest renewables play.
Victoria
Axed forest workers left in limbo [$]
The Andrews government has promised to employ 30 harvest and haulage crews to fight fires, but has yet to outline how.
Controversy surrounds ‘invaluable’ rabbit monitoring program [$]
Agriculture Victoria says a statewide rabbit monitoring program is safe, despite claims the initiative is in jeopardy.
Victoria pulls plug on $3000 electric vehicle handout
The Andrews government will end its subsidy for Victorians who buy new electric vehicles, cutting short an incentive intended to drive faster uptake of zero-emissions cars.
New South Wales
‘Staggering’ fall in plastic bags polluting Sydney Harbour — but there’s still much to do
A marine waste collection company says there has been a significant reduction in plastic bags recovered from the harbour. But one big issue still needs to be addressed.
Clearing halted amid fears for endangered regent honeyeater
Land clearing has been halted on a New South Wales property amid concerns it may have harmed an important breeding area for one of Australia’s rarest birds
Integrity of Sydney’s main Warragamba dam at risk from extreme flooding, says study
NSW ministers told of climate change impact and concerns about ‘weak’ rock seam under the dam wall
Port Kembla to drive energy revolution [$]
A key plank of the energy revolution underway in the Illawarra region is on the outskirts of Port Kembla’s own harbour.
Fresh twist in contentious Oxford St cycleway plans [$]
A proposed cycleway on one of Sydney’s busiest roads will be reopened for debate – with public servants to “knock on doors” – following criticism from residents and business owners.
Bambi or beast: Northern NSW on feral deer watch [$]
North Coast councils are growing increasingly worried about feral deer gaining a foothold and causing all sorts of problems, from nasty traffic crashes to long-lasting environmental harm.
AGL to tackle brain-eating amoeba in Lake Liddell near retired power station
The Hunter Valley waterway has been closed to fishing, swimming, and skiing since 2016 when the deadly amoeba was detected, likely thriving in the comfortable warm water discharged by the Liddell power station.
Queensland
‘Long time coming’: Queensland’s iconic Fraser Island officially named K’gari
Like Ayers Rock became Uluru, from today Queensland’s Fraser Island will officially be known by its Indigenous name, which means paradise.
Don’t be shy: Say a quiet hello to the state’s newest coal mine
Pembroke Resources has announced that mining has started at Queensland’s newest coal mine, the $1 billion Olive Downs project in central Queensland.
Plugged in: Brisbane’s bright sparks chart decade drive to EVs
Experts in transport, business, green energy, commerce, conservation and logistics have been invited to Brisbane’s first electric vehicle-charging roundtable.
Hot air: Not everyone on board with state’s green bus ambitions [$]
A report says the Queensland government’s target for zero-emission bus fleets is “overly ambitious” and unlikely to be met.
First Nations women take lead role in marine conservation
A group of First Nations women are taking a lead role in marine conservation with a new program teaching them to identify marine species and survey the Great Barrier Reef.
South Australia
Conservationists file complaint with ASIC over fertiliser producer’s climate marketing
SA’s peak environment group has called on the corporate watchdog to investigate accusations a Leigh Creek fertiliser company’s marketing is misleading about the climate impacts of its processing plant – an allegation the company strenuously denies.
Tasmania
Former fire chiefs fear ‘dangerous’ emergency reforms in lead up to next bushfire season
A merger between Tasmania Fire Service and the State Emergency Service has drawn criticism, with former fire chiefs saying it will create “dangerous” levels of bureaucracy. Last week, the TFS chief officer quit his post over the concerns.
‘Cheapest in the country’: Greens leader says water pricing is ‘scandalous’ [$]
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor has hit out at the state’s water pricing during a budget estimates hearing on Wednesday afternoon, saying Tasmania had the “cheapest in the country”.
Super fund firms up as major co-investor in Tasmania green hydrogen projects
Leading industry super fund moves a step closer to making a major co-investment renewable hydrogen projects in the pipeline in Tasmania.
Northern Territory
Documents show natural gas could play major role in $1.5b Middle Arm precinct
NT government documents show so-called blue hydrogen requiring natural gas will play a significant role at the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct on Darwin Harbour.
Tourism operators dismayed as key Kakadu sites kept closed by crocodiles
The opening of some of Kakadu National Park’s premier waterfalls and swimming holes has been delayed weeks into peak season because crocodile surveys have not yet been completed, to the dismay of NT tourism operators.
Sustainability
The problems with coal ash start smaller than anyone thought
How well toxic elements leach out of coal ash depends on the ash’s nanoscale composition
Graph of the Day: Solar is creating fastest energy change in history
By far the fastest energy change in history is underway, with around 400 GW of new solar and wind capacity to be added in 2023.
Raging Canada wildfires threaten critical infrastructure, force evacuations
Hundreds of uncontrolled forest fires blazed across Canada on Wednesday, threatening critical infrastructure, forcing evacuations and sending a blanket of smoky air wafting over U.S. cities.
Scientists produce green hydrogen directly from seawater at offshore wind farm
Chinese researchers produce green hydrogen at an offshore wind farm using a direct seawater electrolysis process that avoids the need for desalination.
Glass, aluminum, paper? What to know about alternatives to plastic
Replacing plastic — a ubiquitous material that’s inexpensive, robust and versatile — hasn’t been easy.
Mining critical to renewable energy tied to hundreds of alleged human rights abuses
Over the past dozen years, hundreds of alleged human rights abuses have been committed by over 90 corporations mining minerals critical to the production of clean energy, a U.K.-based human rights organization said in a report released on Wednesday.
Move to electric vehicles could save nearly 90,000 lives in US by 2050, study says
A new report from the American Lung Association that reveals that if gas-guzzling vehicles were replaced by zero-emissions vehicles like electric cars, trucks, and SUVs in the US by 2035, the nation could witness a significant reduction in premature deaths.
A bipartisan plan to punish global climate laggards: Tax them
In a rare example of a bipartisan climate policy, momentum is growing on Capitol Hill for a plan to tax imports from China and other countries with looser environmental standards.
How your hot water system could be tweaked to reduce power bills
Laura Chung
Water heating systems could be key to helping Australians reduce their electricity costs while also helping the country transition to renewable energy.
Russia has been accused of ‘ecocide’ over the destruction of a Ukrainian dam. What is it?
Ukrainian authorities claim Russia committed ecocide by destroying one of the world’s biggest dams. What is ecocide and are there laws against it?
Is eating local produce actually better for the planet?
Think that eating local will help save the planet? Think again. Most emissions come from food production, not transportation
Day Zero threatens Uruguay’s capital
In Uruguay, a mounting crisis is unfolding as ‘Day Zero’ – when the public water supply is depleted – draws closer in Montevideo.
The climate solution that’s horrible for the climate
Michael Grunwald
Corn ethanol and soy biodiesel accelerate food inflation and global hunger, but they’re also a disaster for the climate and the environment.
The die is cast: petrol and diesel engines are dying. The electric age is inevitable
Ben Lane
Arguments over the green credentials of electric cars are already over. Work on 21st-century tech, and leave the past behind
Don’t worry, Mr Bean, you are a climate hero
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Rowan Atkinson was once an electric engineer but he has fallen out of love with his electric vehicle.
Ramesh Thakur
The hubris and arrogance of the nuclear-armed states leaves the world exposed to the risk of sleepwalking into a nuclear disaster. The case for nuclear weapons rests on a superstitious magical Realism that puts faith in the utility of the bomb and the theory of deterrence. Here are four myths about the utility of nuclear weapons.
Nature Conservation
Diverting streams and rivers to irrigate crops or provide drinking water may significantly extend the time microplastics spend in river catchments before they flow into our oceans, a new study reveals.
Saving moths may be just as important as saving the bees
Night-time pollinators such as moths may visit just as many plants as bees, and should also be the focus of conservation and protection efforts, a new study suggests.
Why Africa’s vast forests are crucial in combating climate change
As we confront the need to address environmental challenges, the potential of Africa’s vast forests and biodiversity emerges as a powerful tool in combating the global crisis of climate change.
Insect decline a threat to fruit crops and food security, scientists warn MPs
Poor pollination caused by destructive farming methods leads to loss of biodiversity and is a threat to food production, inquiry told
This World Ocean Day consider where your seafood actually comes from [$]
Emily Harrison
The gastronomical phenomena of the “blind restaurant” that exploded around the world in the early 2000s titillated diners, ruined good outfits and inspired a more subtle understanding of ingredients in a new generation of foodies.
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