Date: 1 December 2023 at 8:50:59 am AEDT
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Dec 1
Post of the Day
Australian populations of threatened bird species fall 60% in past 40 years
The threatened bird index reveals largest declines in Queensland and South Australia
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
World to hit 1.4C of warming in record hot 2023
With a month to run, 2023 will reach global warming of about 1.4C above pre-industrial levels, adding to “a deafening cacophony” of broken climate records, the World Meteorological Organisation says.
Developing nations seek COP 28 support for green transition – video
Many of the countries worst affected by climate change are among the poorest. They will be looking to the latest COP summit to accelerate promises of funding for loss, damage and transitioning to green economies. SBS News Asia Correspondent Aaron Fernandes filed this report from Timor Leste’s capital Dili.
COP28: How 7 policies could help save a billion lives by 2100
Joshua M. Pearce
In a recent review of more than 180 peer-reviewed articles — which I conducted with fellow researcher Richard Parncutt — we found that a scientific consensus has formed around the so-called 1,000-ton rule.
COP28: four key issues that will dominate the latest UN climate summit
Jen Allan
The United Nations Environment Programme recently published a report with an unusually strong title for a UN body: “Emissions Gap Report 2023: Broken Record – Temperatures hit new highs, yet world fails to cut emissions (again)”. Yet again, it highlights how far countries are off track from safeguarding the planet – and us.
COP28 and John Mayer: A tuneful masterclass in tone-deafness [$]
Charlie Lewis
From asinine faux-protest songs to ethical yacht maintenance, Crikey goes over some of the great absurdities of COP28.
COP28 is a global stocktake of climate change
Jacqueline Peel et al
This year’s international climate change conference could disappoint or deliver meaningful actions to combat the climate emergency and support adaptation measures
Bowen rejects CCA call for home gas ban and zero emissions for cars by 2040
Two key calls from Climate Change Authority, including for phase out of gas connections for new and existing homes, have been rejected by the federal energy minister.
In his annual update to federal parliament, the climate change minister also warns extreme weather events caused by climate change will strain Australia’s energy networks and make them vulnerable to “hostile actors”.
A scorching summer is expected, so what can you do to prepare for potential bushfires?
The bushfire outlook for summer is warning of a scorching summer. Landowners in rural and urban areas are being urged to prepare their properties for the risk of bushfire.
Why Australia won’t back Pacific’s calls to urgently phase out fossil fuels
Australia’s climate change ambassador says the federal government cannot yet back the Pacific’s call to rapidly phase out fossil fuels because it’s grappling with “complex” and “difficult” issues thrown up by decarbonisation.
A new report argues that $12bn a year on average between now and 2050 will be required to transition to renewable energy
Climate groups say projected amount is 10 times greater than estimates of Australia’s remaining fair ‘carbon budget’ if global heating is to be limited to 1.5C
Clean energy could be super for industry funds
Industry superannuation funds are calling for tax changes so they can invest part of their $1.2 trillion in members’ retirement savings into new electricity transmission lines and batteries, amid warnings Australia may have to spend $100 billion a year until 2050 to strip greenhouse gas emissions out of the economy.
Gas in the tank as Labor hits renewable pedals [$]
A controversial rollout of transmission lines and a network connecting renewable energy projects to the grid will be accelerated, but the government won’t rapidly ban household gas and new petrol cars.
‘Enormous shoes to fill’: Ex-Greenpeace boss to replace retiring Greens senator
Senator Janet Rice is expected to retire in the first half of 2024, meaning Steph Hodgins-May could serve for about 18 months before contesting her first Senate election.
Why Australia is falling so far behind in its climate target promises
Australia is falling short on its climate targets and must do significant heavy lifting to get back on track.
Australia poised to tackle ‘modern slavery’ with laws passed for new commissioner
Australia will soon get its first commissioner dedicated to tackling slavery, under laws introduced to parliament.
Identifying Australia’s most elusive birds
Scientists have analyzed more than 3.8 million volunteer hours of birdwatching data to identify Australia’s most elusive species.
Labor’s water plan ‘to force up food prices’ [$]
Farmers say food prices will surge after Labor’s Murray Darling Basin overhaul passed parliament, as they accuse the Albanese government of turning its back on the bush.
Tasked with drinking from the poisoned chalice, Plibersek lives to fight another day
Kath Sullivan
It took an excommunicated Liberal, former Wallabies captain and the Greens to — depending on who you ask — save or completely stuff the Murray-Darling Basin this week.
Dear Ministers – why do costs and timelines for Snowy 2.0 keep shifting yet are so readily approved?
Rex Patrick
It took just a day for two ministers to approve another Snowy Hydro $6 billion dollar cost blow-out and further delays to completion.
Rachel Withers
What is the point of a ministerial climate update that doesn’t mention our emissions are still rising?
It’s climate Christmas! But data dump shows Australia has a long way to go on emissions
Adam Morton
The government deserves credit for steps to drive down pollution from electricity but other parts of the economy are yet to be addressed
Behind the battle for Origin Energy [$]
Jennifer Hewett
The company says its board and management will remain open to structural options to enhance shareholder value should the bid fail.
Victoria
‘It’s basically dead’: The legacy of decades of logging
An AI-based analysis of 20 years of logging by VicForests, shared exclusively with the ABC, shows for the first time, the potential scale of failed regeneration in Victoria’s state forests.
The SEC is now an energy market player, can it cut power bills? It’s still TBC
Kieran Rooney
The details of the State Electricity Commission’s first funded battery project this week have sparked new questions about the purpose of the commission and whether it can be a solution to rising energy bills.
NSW passes climate bill to write 70 pct by 2035 emissions reduction target into law
In a triumph of multi-partisanship, NSW Parliament has passed legislation to cut the state’s emissions by 70% by 2035, and reach net zero by 2050.
Why declaring yourself a ‘sovereign citizen’ won’t get you out of a traffic fine
Former magistrate David Heilpern likens the sovereign citizen movement to a cult, and says websites promising associated legal loopholes are selling lies and should be shut down.
ACT
Fewer short flights would help tackle transport emissions: Rattenbury [$]
Biofuels and reducing the number of short plane trips in and out of Canberra would help the ACT reduce the growing amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with aviation, the Emissions Reduction Minister has said.
Let’s make ACT the first jurisdiction to get fossil fuels out of sport [$]
Jo Clay
Woodside. BHP. Santos. What do these companies have in common?
Queensland
‘Revenge travel’ boom ends amid domestic decline, now climate change looms
Domestic tourism in Queensland hit the brakes this year with a decline of 6 per cent expected as Australians returned to overseas travel and high interest rates hit spending.
Tasmania
‘Won’t stand for it’: Plibersek orders salmon farming review
Tanya Plibersek has triggered a review of salmon farming in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, in a decision that could see fish pens banned – a move industry says could cost hundreds of jobs.
Bruny community wants marine reserves not salmon pens
Media release – Killora Community Association
Angry Killora residents have called on Minister Palmer to cancel Tassal fish farming licences due for renewal on 30 November and turn the area into a marine reserve.
Northern Territory
NT Traditional Owners backing Barossa gas snubbed in Canberra [$]
A large number of Territory TOs who support gas projects on coastal lands travelled to Canberra only to be declined meetings with key figures.
What is this? A centre for ants? [$]
Julia Bergin
One-way ramps, lazy Susans, cookie bribes, and dance choreography: how do ants in the red centre keep track of work trips to and from the nest?
W.A. energy minister quits after guiding radical switch from coal to renewables
Bill Johnston to quit parliament after setting up the roadmap for a dramatic reshaping of the world’s biggest standalone grid from coal to renewables.
Fortescue signs green hydrogen supply deal for refuelling stations in Canada
Fortescue signs MOU with Canadian company that includes a supply agreement for hydrogen refuelling stations.
Elliott Management is little-known outside the world of high finance, but throughout its legendary history it’s made many enemies, including the Argentine navy. It’s now eyeing a stoush with an Australian state over energy.
This area was once targeted by miners. It’s now on track to be a national park
The 2.5-billion-year-old Helena and Aurora Range is on track to join its namesake national park, due to expand significantly with the Mount Manning Conservation Park’s addition.
WA in for bushfire HELL as NIGHTMARE summer strikes
It’s the first day of summer but it already feels like Perth and much of WA has been grinding through the heat and bushfires for months — and the alarm bells are about to get even louder.
Labor blow-up as MPs go rogue to pose with climate activists [$]
Resources Minister Madeleine King has rebuked her Labor colleagues after they went rogue and stood with activists campaigning to block Woodside’s gas fields despite it being deemed ‘integral’ to hit net zero.
China to install record-breaking 230 GW of wind and solar in 2023
China is quietly reorganising its entire power sector to support rapid electrification and renewables uptake – and smashing records along the way.
How environmentally friendly are the goods you are buying? And how true are the big “green” claims advertisers are making in online ads? New research shows it’s easy for marketers to imply their products are “sustainable” without necessarily backing it up.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has launched today its annual Statistical Yearbook
‘Let us be a lesson’, say Kazakhs wary of return to nuclear testing
As Russia warns of the rising risk of nuclear war, and relations with the United States sink into a deep freeze, communities close to the vast Soviet-era nuclear testing site in northern Kazakhstan have a message for leaders: “Let us be a lesson.”
Change is coming. The question is: what kind of change will it be?
Bernie Sanders
The challenges we face are enormous – economic, environmental, political. Our future is at stake, so let’s come together and win
Small nuclear reactors: a history of failure
Jim Green
Dozens of ‘small modular reactor’ designs are being promoted but precious few will reach the construction stage and the likelihood of SMRs being built in large numbers is negligible.
Nature Conservation
Bees are still being harmed despite tightened pesticide regulations
A new study has confirmed that pesticides, commonly used in farmland, significantly harm bumblebees one of the most important wild pollinators. In a huge study spanning 106 sites across eight European countries, researchers have shown that despite tightened pesticide regulations, far more needs to be done.
Can we sustainably harvest trees from tropical forests? Yes – here are 5 ways to do it better
Francis E Putz and Claudia Romero
Logging typically degrades tropical forests. But what if logging is carefully planned and carried out by well-trained workers?
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
p | 1800 223 669 t | @AusConservation
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Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
p | 1800 223 669 t | @AusConservation