Post of the Day
‘Tsunami’ of plastic damaging health must be stopped, scientists warn UN
Global population ‘eat and drink’ hazardous material, world leaders told amid treaty negotiations.
On This Day
St. Leopold’s Day – Austria
Ecological Observance
National Tree Planting Day – Sri Lanka
Climate Change
‘The science is irrefutable’: US warming faster than global average, says report
Government assessment says extreme weather events mean country suffers a disaster every three weeks, costing at least $1bn
World behind on almost every policy required to cut carbon emissions, research finds
Coal must be phased out seven times faster and deforestation reduced four times faster to avoid worst impacts of climate breakdown, says report
It’s time to get serious about carbon removal
If the world is to reach net zero, billions of tons of carbon dioxide need pulling from the air every year. At the moment, the global carbon removal system extracts less than 0.01 percent of that.
Uncounted emissions: The hidden cost of fossil fuel exports
Oil, gas, and coal exports are not counted when countries tally their greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement. This allows wealthy nations to report progress on emissions reduction goals, while shipping their fossil fuels — and the pollution they produce — overseas.
In a report card on global warming, nations get a very poor grade
Countries are taking “baby steps,” a U.N. official said. In a separate study, Saudi researchers warned of an “existential crisis” for their nation from rising temperatures.
National
‘The end of the line for engineered stone’: Major retailer Bunnings to remove product from shelves
Bunnings has announced it will stop selling engineered stone by the end of the year, amid calls for a total ban on the product by unions and Safe Work Australia.
How to handle Australia’s ‘plague’ of cabbage-chomping moths
Experts warn Melbourne and Sydney gardeners to look out for ‘cute little butterfly’ lookalikes, which have flourished this year due to the climate
Virgin says Australian airlines should reduce emissions by buying greener fuel for overseas carriers
Virgin Australia says buying sustainable aviation fuel to reduce foreign airlines’ carbon emissions more effective than being forced to import SAF
The ‘sick note’ to get kids out of school for the climate strikes
Three climate professors have signed a climate “doctor’s certificate” which can be used by students if they attend their local climate strike on Friday.
Energy fear for long, hot summer [$]
Australia’s energy system faces a once-in-a-decade spike in demand for electricity this summer, and the market operator says the system cannot afford any unexpected outages.
Power play scares off potential investors [$]
The Albanese government’s heavy-handed intervention in the energy market risks muscling out private investment, an independent industry think tank has warned.
Heavy price as ‘Airbus Albo’s’ carbon footprint revealed [$]
The globetrotting PM’s hectic travel schedule has left tonnes of carbon dioxide in his wake.
‘Gas cartel shoots Australia in the head’ – Origin to control imports too
David Llewellyn-Smith
As AusSuper plays chicken with Brookfield’s $20b bid for Origin Energy, lifting its blocking stake to 16.5%, investors are asking, where is the value? David Llewellyn Smith sees it in the expanding power of the gas cartel
Here’s how a TV series inspired the KeepCup revolution. What’s next in the war on waste?
Danie Nilsson and Rachael Vorwerk
Changing habits can be hard. So when a single episode of an Australian television show prompted a national shift in behaviour, as behavioural researchers, we took notice.
Transition to renewables low on energy and intent [$]
Graham Lloyd
The Albanese government is facing a long hot summer of disappointment on its climate change and energy ambition.
Victoria
Question time paused when three students unfurled banners from the public gallery promoting student rally and sang ‘history will remember you’
New battle in Melbourne Airport rail war [$]
The fight over Melbourne’s Airport rail link has intensified amid fresh demands about the Tullamarine station.
I get that Melbourne is a growing city, but will this construction hell ever end?
Simon Taylor
When you have great roads, they need to be maintained. But maybe authorities could just take it easy for a while?
ACT
New rules for dealing with engineered stone in the ACT
The workplace safety regulator in the ACT is toughening its policing of new laws to protect workers from silica dust.
Some ACT homes set to get help to save on power bills [$]
Around half of the ACT’s entire stock of public homes are set to receive energy-efficiency upgrades such as electric stoves and better insulation through a $35.2 million federal and territory partnership flowing from the May budget’s $1.65 billion energy savings package.
Queensland
Three days into the marine turtle nesting season, “toxic” polystyrene beads started washing up along the Sunshine Coast near Maroochydore, spread over at least 5km of the beach and riverbank.
Rain brings green shoots to Queensland, but not enough to avoid drought
Parts of Queensland have recorded up to 50mm of rain so far this month but farmers say it’s not enough to replenish parched soils
Thousands of complaints have been made about a foul stench, often compared to cat urine and rotten eggs, coming from this industrial site. Infringement notices have been issued — but not about the smell.
Northern Territory
NT chief minister’s shareholding in gas company Woodside attracts federal scrutiny
Natasha Fyles defends her ownership of shares in Woodside, saying she has properly declared the holdings each year and that she has acted in line with financial disclosure rules.
Traditional Owners alarmed at NT plan to extract billions of litres from groundwater
The Northern Territory’s largest water allocation plan has been released, angering environmentalists and Traditional Owners.
Western Australia
World’s biggest carbon storage project off WA coast burying only a third of what it promised
What was to be the showpiece of the emissions reduction Australia’s gas giants need at Chevron’s Gorgon project is at just one-third capacity after seven years.
Lawfare a threat to the economy [$]
Susan McDonald
Western Australia’s offshore oil and gas industry has a proud history of contributing significant wealth and prosperity to the State as well as to the entire nation.
Sustainability
This week in Nairobi, nations gather for a third round of talks on an international plastics treaty
Delegates from more than 175 countries are gathered in Nairobi to advance a potential diplomatic solution to a global plastic pollution crisis amid a growing awareness of the effect of plastic on the environment and human health.
Water scarcity worst in South Asia, UN says
Floods, droughts and other extreme weather events have contributed to millions of children lacking access to basic water services, according to the latest report by UNICEF.
The tough truth behind corporate net zero sustainability targets
Businesses are increasingly committing to ambitious sustainability pledges. Yet what that means is complicated and opaque, and some companies are struggling to make an action plan.
Stacey Pizzino et al
When armed conflict breaks out, we first focus on the people affected. But the suffering from war doesn’t stop when the fighting does. War trashes the environment. Artillery strikes, rockets and landmines release pollutants, wipe out forests and can make farmland unusable.
The problem with plastics is global
Deborah Lau
We need a global treaty to solve plastic pollution – acid rain and ozone depletion show us why.
How surprisingly small diet tricks change your climate footprint
James Gerber
Fighting climate change is a marathon, not a sprint. But a new report shows surprisingly small changes can make a difference.
Nature Conservation
Metal pollution may be skewing the sex ratio of sea turtles
Some sea turtle populations have become skewed towards females because of climate change, and now it appears that chemical pollution might be adding to the problem.
Bison return to Texas Indigenous lands
Indigenous ranchers in Texas are receiving help from nonprofits to rebuild bison herds in the state. One family in Sulphur Springs that received five bison last month invited Texas tribal members to see the herd in person.
Why polar bears are no longer the poster image of climate change
For decades distressed polar bears on distant ice caps were an emblem for climate change – until experts began to doubt the effectiveness of these visuals.
How much can trees fight climate change? Massively, but not alone
The research, which comes with important caveats, was partly an effort to address the scientific uproar surrounding an earlier paper.
Restoring ecosystems to boost biodiversity is an urgent priority – our ‘Eco-index’ can guide the way
Kiri Joy Wallace et al
Biodiversity continues to decline globally, but nowhere is the loss more pronounced than in Aotearoa New Zealand, which has the highest proportion of threatened indigenous species in the world.
Are flame retardants about to burn a hole in biodiversity?
Marta Venier, Michael Wasserman
Researchers recently mapped more than 150 species of wild animals across every continent contaminated with flame retardant chemicals.
Maelor Himbury | Library Volunteer
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
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