Protected nature reserves alone are insufficient for reversing biodiversity loss
Protected nature areas are considered fundamental for maintaining biodiversity and countering its loss. But how effectively do established protected areas work and prevent negative trends? Research shows mixed effects of protected areas on various species.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Experts call for global moratorium on efforts to geoengineer climate
Techniques such as solar radiation management may have unintended consequences, scientists say.
Climate change is reducing global river water quality
A review of almost 1000 studies on the effects of climate change and extreme weather events on rivers around the world has found an overall negative effect on water quality in rivers globally. An international team of experts sourced from every continent, conducted between 2000-2022.
National
Carbon credits “are not the enemy,” says head of markets lobby
Head of Carbon Markets Institute says scrutiny has been “intense and at times personal”, but was nothing compared to suffering of those on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
Murray-Darling Basin water compliance under microscope
Water compliance in the Murray-Darling Basin will be examined after the federal government announced an independent review.
The major change needed to hit energy targets
Experts have revealed how parts of Australia’s energy infrastructure must be dramatically expanded if renewable targets are to be met.
‘Hottest weather in 6 years’ to scorch east
Temperatures could soar to 35C in major cities over the next few days which would be the hottest September weather in years.
Cleaner, cheaper, reliable: Albo’s energy vision
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to deliver his vision on how Australia can lead the world in the race to cleaner, cheaper, reliable energy.
Bowen announces end to ‘remnants of climate wars’
Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen will permanently cancel the Howard-era Kyoto carbon credits scheme, 25 years after the controversial “carryover” greenhouse gas accounting system was created.
Can’t find a parking spot? Meet the planner who wants to make it much harder
David Mepham says parking is a poor use of valuable public land in Australian cities – and it’s helping keep property prices high
Kenneth W Beagley and Tim Dargaville
Chlamydia is a major threat to koala populations across Australia. This bacterial disease infects between 20% and 90% of individuals in koala populations. It’s a major cause of the rapid decline of many wild populations, particularly in South-East Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Voice to Parliament a path towards restoring biodiversity
Andrew Knop
Implementing an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will have long-term benefits for Australia’s environment and offer a chance to reverse catastrophic damage
There’s a foul, rising tide of racism in the Voice debate ahead of the referendum
Annabel Crabb
Bunburying is the art of concocting a noble-sounding alibi to provide cover for an undisclosed and less-noble objective. Why is this relevant today? Because senior First Nations academic Marcia Langton has been at the centre of a comprehensive Bunburying. Here’s what transpired
Big batteries and solar push new boundaries on the grid
Giles Parkinson
Solar and battery storage have been pushing new boundaries in various states this week as the energy system continues to evolve.
Graham Readfearn
Series sponsored by organisations including coal and gas companies features ‘incorrect’ claims on ‘green gas’ and context missing on carbon capture technology
Why are electricity bills rising so much? [$]
Opinion
Cheap, clean electricity is the dream result of the renewable energy transition, but don’t hold your breath.
Make our life easier, PM, and get the nation producing its own oil [$]
Matt Canavan
Want to bring down the cost of petrol? The answer is simple. Australia needs to produce and refine more oil.
Tim Flannery
As humanity hurtles towards a climate catastrophe, the debate has shifted – from the science to solutions. We know we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. But progress has been painfully slow.
Victoria
Local groups in Shepparton have pressed the need for a second river crossing in the city to a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into last year’s floods.
Off track: the struggle for people with disabilities on Melbourne’s tram network
Disability advocate says there is ‘no political will’ to make accessibility upgrades as Brunswick residents plan rally
A Victorian fire chief has confirmed native forestry harvest and haulage crews who have lost work will be offered jobs to clear fire breaks.
New South Wales
RFS made ‘inexplicable’ decision to leave fire that burned 20,000ha, inquiry hears
The 2018 fire in southern NSW destroyed four homes and burned out of control for three months in a national park.
A private abattoir is being touted as carbon neutral, but neighbours say it’s in the wrong place
A proposed $10 million abattoir is part of a cattle producer’s ambitious plan to produce carbon neutral beef, but nearby landholders say it will put the local environment at risk.
About 1,000 protesters rally in Sydney against coal seam gas and water buybacks
Farmers protested against Murray-Darling Basin policy and the proposed Hunter gas pipeline
ACT
E-scooters with seats arrive in Canberra [$]
One of the companies renting out the electric machines is introducing 150 new ones with seats.
Queensland
Great Barrier Reef avoids UNESCO ‘in danger’ listing, but Australia now has homework
The UN’s World Heritage Committee keeps the reef off its list of sites “in danger”, but Australia remains under pressure to show it is doing enough to protect the marine ecosystem from environmental harm.
Energy efficient appliances can save you money in the long term, but this expert says we need a bigger scheme that targets the home as a whole.
Urban sprawl is dire threat to koala habitats
Koalas are under increasing pressure as south-east Queensland grapples with a housing crisis and predicted population explosion of 2.2 million people.
Furious rangers blast ‘dangerous decision’ of man fined for feeding K’gari dingoes
A man has been fined for feeding dingoes on K’gari, as rangers slammed his “dangerous decision” to interact with the animals following a spate of attacks on the Queensland island.
Call of the wild: Inside Queensland’s luxury $2k hiking retreat [$]
Step inside Queensland’s gorgeous $2,000 two-day hike retreat nestled in the mountains of the Scenic Rim.
Shock polling: Qlders support recycled water [$]
Queenslanders support drinking recycled water more now than at the height of the millennium droughts, a new poll from Seqwater has revealed.
The uncontroversial truth behind the Great Barrier Reef’s ‘good news’
Michael Slezak
If Australia wants to keep the Great Barrier Reef — not just off the ‘in danger’ list, but also in existence — much more needs to be done,
South Australia
Power reconnected to SA’s west coast as bushfire conditions ease
Electricity has been restored to around 2500 properties in Ceduna, Streaky Bay and other west coast areas after it was switched off this morning due to bushfire concerns.
Tasmania
Tasmanian government votes down bill for free public transport — but how much would it cost?
Tasmania’s parliament has debated — and defeated — a bill to make it free to ride on public buses in its biggest cities. But some say the idea has merit.
Hundreds sign petition to stop Freycinet National Park development [$]
An online petition against a development within Freycinet National Park has gained momentum.
‘Glossy brochure’: Salmon industry report scrutinised [$]
A motion in Tasmania’s Upper House has prompted a lengthy discussion on whether a salmon industry report is economics, or propaganda.
Northern Territory
UN expert warns NT Middle Arm project will raise risk of cancer, heart disease and asthma
A United Nations expert warns three major NT oil and gas projects will “threaten to make Darwin and the region a climate change sacrifice zone”.
Western Australia
WA government releases new draft Aboriginal heritage regulations
New draft regulations concerning Aboriginal heritage laws in Western Australia were made public Wednesday. The proposed regulations are part of the Aboriginal Heritage Legislation Amendment and Repeal Bill 2023, currently before the State Parliament.
Woodside temporarily blocked from carrying out seismic testing at major gas project off WA coast
Woodside is temporarily blocked from moving ahead with part of the Scarborough gas project off Western Australia’s northern coast.
Single Australian southern right whale’s 6,000km round-trip tracked for the first time
In a scientific first, researchers have tracked the lengthy journeys of a single southern right whale off Australia’s southern cost.
Solar developers warned on waste after Woodside PV and battery project gets green tick
EPA issues warning to solar developers on waste and land disturbance after giving initial approval to a PV and battery project proposed by oil and gas giant Woodside.
Sustainability
Toxicologists: Popular cleaning products can increase cancer risk
“This study is a wake-up call for consumers, researchers and regulators,” toxicologist Alexis Temkin said.
Organocatalyst deconstructs mixed plastic waste into monomers
The protic ionic salt catalyst is the first single catalyst to transform a mixture of consumer plastics into high-quality monomers.
What factors make for a deadly flood?
The flooding in Libya shows how climate, geography and other factors can collide with swift and disastrous results.
BP boss departure raises fears another oil giant may turn its back on green transition
Abrupt departure of BP CEO raises fears of another Big Oil giant turning its back on the green energy transition as it is pushed by investors to maximise profits.
Scientists invent a bright way to upcycle plastics into liquids that can store hydrogen energy
Scientists have created a process that can upcycle most plastics into chemicals useful for energy storage, using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a commercially available catalyst, all at room temperature. The new process is very energy-efficient and can be easily powered by renewable energy in the future, unlike other heat-driven recycling processes like pyrolysis. Currently, only nine per cent of plastics globally are recycled and the rest are typically discarded in landfills or incinerated.
Radioactive waste contaminates parts of St. Louis region
A look at why parts of the St. Louis region, including areas along Coldwater Creek and a landfill in St. Louis County, have radioactive waste issues. How did World War II-era work at a Mallinckrodt plant near St. Louis lead to decades of problems storing and then cleaning up radioactive waste?
Roadside hedges can reduce harmful ultrafine particle pollution around schools
A new study confirms that planting hedges between roadsides and school playgrounds can dramatically reduce children’s exposure to traffic-related particle pollution.
Charging ahead: New electrolyte goes extra mile for faster EV charging
A team of battery scientists recently developed a lithium-ion battery material that not only recharges 80% of its capacity in 10 minutes but keeps that ability for 1,500 charging cycles.
Urban parks built on former waste incineration sites could be lead hotspots
Legacy of contamination could still live on in the soil of parks, playgrounds and other urban spaces built on former municipal incinerator sites
New methodology reveals health, climate impacts of reducing buildings’ energy use
Increasing energy efficiency in buildings can save money — and it can also decrease the carbon emissions and air pollution that lead to climate change and health harms. But the climate and health benefits of reducing buildings’ energy consumption are rarely quantified. Now, researchers have developed a new method for calculating the health and climate impacts of these energy savings.
Hot summer air turns into drinking water with new gel device
Researchers have focused on the moisture present in the air as a potential source of drinking water for drought-stressed populations. They reached a significant breakthrough in their efforts to create drinkable water out of thin air: a molecularly engineered hydrogel that can create clean water using just the energy from sunlight.
Plant-based food alternatives could support a shift to global sustainability
Replacing 50% of meat and milk products with plant-based alternatives by 2050 can reduce agriculture and land use related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 31% and halt the degradation of forest and natural land, according to new research.
Exposure to air pollution while in the womb is linked to alterations in proteins that can be detected after a baby is born, and which affect cell processes such as autophagy, the ‘self-eating’ of damaged cells that occurs in response to stress.
Venice avoids being added to UNESCO list of endangered sites
A UNESCO committee has decided not to add Venice to the organisation’s World Heritage List in Danger, disregarding a recommendation from experts and sparing the Italian government from an embarrassing verdict on the city’s condition.
Nature Conservation
Seaweed is taking over coral reefs. But there’s a gardening solution – sea-weeding
Hillary Smith and David Bourne
In the early 1990s, marine researchers in the Caribbean found something alarming. On reef after reef, corals were dying off – and seaweed was growing in their place.
Maelor Himbury | Library Volunteer
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
p | 1800 223 669 t | @AusConservation
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Maelor Himbury | Library Volunteer
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
p | 1800 223 669 t | @AusConservation