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Date: 27 September 2023 at 8:44:40 am AEST
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Sep 27
‘Staggering’ green growth gives hope for 1.5C, says global energy chief
IEA’s Fatih Birol says uptake of solar power and EVs is in line with net zero goal but rich countries must hasten their broader plans
On This Day
Mawlid (Birth of the Prophet) – Islam
Elevation of the Holy Cross – Eastern Christianity
Ecological Observance
National Tree Day – Canada
Climate Change
Antarctic winter sea ice hits ‘extreme’ record low
Sea ice that packs the ocean around Antarctica hit record low levels this winter, adding to scientists’ fears the impact of climate change at the southern pole is ramping up.
Europe: Six young people to present landmark climate case before the European Court of Human Rights
Six young people from Portugal will present a landmark case before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) tomorrow, 27 September, arguing that countries are breaching their human rights by failing to do enough to protect them from climate change.
Naming and shaming can be effective to get countries to act on climate
Enforcement is one of the biggest challenges to international cooperation on mitigating climate change in the Paris Agreement. The agreement has no formal enforcement mechanism; instead, it is designed to be transparent so countries that fail to meet their obligations will be named and thus shamed into changing behavior. A new study shows that this naming-and-shaming mechanism can be an effective incentive for many countries to uphold their pledges to reduce emissions.
Our Fragile Earth: How close are we to climate catastrophe?
Lessons from past eras when Earth was a hothouse or a snowball tell us whether we are doomed by climate change or still have time to prevent that fate.
National
What did Australia learn from the last drought? We are about to find out
The experience and the lessons of the 2019 drought are fresh in the minds of farmers. Now the challenge is to get ahead of the next one.
Drought funding should focus on programs with ‘lasting public benefit’, review finds
The $5bn Future Drought Fund has underspent its $100m annual budget every year since it was established in 2019
Australian households on track to add near-record rooftop solar capacity to electricity grid
Clean Energy Regulator says consumers looking to save money on energy but investment in large-scale wind and solar all but stalled
Power bill shock continues to bite; thousands join hardship programs
One of Australia’s largest energy companies is supporting thousands more households with hardship programs as people grapple with rising prices.
Call for foreign tradies to meet renewable energy target
A major union and industry group are calling for a specific migration pathway for electrical tradies to plug a desperate shortfall of workers.
Hearing is believing in the power of the kookaburras’ raucous chorus
Calla Wahlquist
In the mythology of birds, some can bring luck, others rain. But when that famous laugh portends a snake in the grass, it’s hard to deny
How the Coalition changed the rules to create dodgy carbon credits [$]
Bernard Keane
In 2013 the Coalition ushered in a dramatic expansion in carbon credits — fuelled by a method that flew in the face of basic science.
Victoria
Court order calls halt to VicForests logging in western Victorian forest
VicForests is facing another court proceeding, this time issued by community group Wombat Forestcare, which is concerned salvage logging operations are proceeding without proper surveys for threatened species.
New South Wales
Fowl play: Who’s poisoning brush turkeys on Sydney’s lower north shore?
Two brush turkeys and several pigeons have died from suspected poisoning on Sydney’s lower north shore, with suspected pellet bait discovered at a park.
Queensland
The latest bug to spark border shutdown between Qld, NSW [$]
Like the rabbit, cane toad and fire ant, a new foreign pest on Queensland’s doorstep is expected to soon wreak economic chaos.
Damned if we don’t: Debate boils over again as drought disaster looms [$]
An LNP senator has demanded more dams for Queensland after the federal Treasurer warned off a looming climate emergency.
South Australia
Climate change protester pleads guilty over abseiling stunt that stopped traffic
A climate change protester pleads guilty after causing traffic chaos in Adelaide by abseiling off a CBD bridge.
Tasmania
Developer answers critics over national park camps proposal
Taking visitors beyond the carpark and lookout into the stunning Freycinet National Park is in Tasmania’s interest, developer says.
Council invests in cycling projects across the city
The Shire of Murray and City of Mandurah have vowed their commitment to maintaining the safety of cyclists despite recent concerns raised in a survey.
Battery plant advances for Middle Arm, as questions raised over Fortescue hydrogen
Proposal to build Australia’s first commercial scale LFP battery cathode facility at Middle Arm takes step forward, but concerns raised over Fortescue hydrogen plan after office closed.
Large parts of WA are tipped to swelter on Wednesday, with many centres — including Perth — on track to record their hottest-ever September day.
Sustainability
This is the deadliest country in Asia to defend the environment
Environmental activists in the Philippines say they face killings, disappearances and being labelled a communist or terrorist as they are targeted by state-backed and private forces.
The trials of Robert Habeck: is the world’s most powerful green politician doomed to fail?
A year ago, Germany’s vice-chancellor was one of the country’s best-liked public figures. Then came the tabloid-driven backlash. Now he has to win the argument all over again
“Electricity is the new oil:” IEA lays out new net zero roadmap for 2030
New IEA report warns there is no slow route to net zero emissions. Rather, the world needs to add 11,000GW of new renewables by 2030 and electrify everything.
Should we tear down dams, or use hydropower to fight climate change?
Hydropower from dams is the primary source of clean energy in Idaho, whose major power company has pledged 100% clean energy by 2045. But when dams threaten natural rivers and fish, can hydropower really count as clean?
I’m a Tory MP, but I know Rishi Sunak’s claims about the cost of net zero are false
Chris Skidmore
The economy will thrive under the energy transition, not suffer. So why is the government rowing back on its green pledges?
Alan Labas et al
Food waste is a global problem with approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted each year throughout the food lifecycle – from the farm to food manufacturers and households.
Nature Conservation
Parasite that lingers with ‘frog Ebola’ killing more frogs than thought
A seldom-studied parasite fatal to frogs is more widespread than previously thought and growing deadlier as the world warms, a new University of Central Florida study found.
‘We can’t drink oil’: How a 70-year-old pipeline imperils the Great Lakes
Tribes say Line 5 is a ‘ticking time bomb’ for the Great Lakes, which contain a fifth of the Earth’s surface fresh water, and risks destroying their relationship with land and water.
Brown bear cubs in Japan die of starvation amid salmon shortage
As many as eight in 10 brown bear cubs born this year in a remote part of northern Japan have died amid a shortage of salmon, with
Maelor Himbury | Library Volunteer
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
p | 1800 223 669 t | @AusConservation
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