Date: 27 February 2024 at 08:53:14 GMT+11
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Feb 27
Post of the Day
Our native animals are easy prey after a fire. Could artificial refuges save them?
Darcy Watchorn et al
We need every tool at our disposal to stop feral cats and foxes from decimating Australia’s incredible wildlife after fires. Artificial refuges show promise.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
Public transport workers join climate activists for week of strikes across Germany
Verdi union in unusual alliance with Fridays For Future, founded by Greta Thunberg, based on common goals
Onward touts a vision of a ‘clean energy future’, but experts say ventures like this are part of fossil fuel firms’ greenwashing plan
Global heat crisis: Eleni Myrivili’s mission as UN’s first chief heat officer
Eleni Myrivili discusses her groundbreaking role in combating the global health crisis posed by extreme urban heat.
AAP FactCheck: Temperature ‘fraud’ claim is a load of hot air
It is being falsely claimed that contrary to scientific consensus, 2023 was actually one of the coldest years on record.
A small victory in the battle against denialism
Peter Boyer
Last week a Washington DC jury awarded over $1 million to a prominent climate scientist for damages inflicted on him by a couple of conservative writers who likened his work to child molestation. It was a reckoning 25 years in the making.
National
In a searing Press Club speech, mining and clean energy magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest slams the Coalition and fossil fuel lobby for using nuclear energy “bulldust” to delay the transition to a zero emissions economy.
Productivity Commission backs Government’s approach to rescue the Murray-Darling Basin Plan
The Albanese Government has today released the final report of the Productivity Commission’s implementation review of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Scorching heat to engulf south-eastern states amid fire emergencies
Residents in Victoria’s west told to leave now ahead of catastrophic fire conditions.
Australia ‘ain’t seen nothing yet’: Dire climate warning
Top UN climate official Simon Stiell says Australia will be “front and centre in resettling entire national populations” if climate targets are not met.
As we wait for the next fire, it’s clear this country isn’t prepared for what’s to come [$]
Ben Eltham
Victoria learnt a lot from Black Saturday. Even so, it’s hard to argue that we’re properly prepared for the ever-growing scale of natural disasters driven by climate change.
Green journos blind to reality of energy transition [$]
Chris Mitchell
Chris Bowen and his media cheer squad ignore setbacks in the northern hemisphere where coal and gas are being burned at record levels.
Our life support systems of climate, water and ecological services are in collective crisis
David Shearman
“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” —Franklin D. Roosevelt. We must educate and act urgently on these problems.
Victoria
Known for being the home of Victoria’s coal-fired electricity, could this region go nuclear?
Victoria’s Latrobe Valley has built its identity on electricity production, but the Coalition’s suggestion nuclear power plants could be built at coal sites in the region has drawn criticism.
Airport rail stand-off drags on with no mediator in sight
Three months after the federal government said it would resolve the Melbourne Airport Rail stalemate, no one has been appointed to broker the peace.
Huge plumes of smoke fill the sky as Mt Buangor fire burns west of Melbourne – video
Columns of smoke rose into the sky west of Ballarat as bushfires burned out of control in Victoria’s west on Thursday. About 1,000 firefighters have been battling the fires – including those operating water bombing aircraft – with fire conditions failing to abate before residents in almost 30 communities near Ballarat were told to leave the area. More firefighters were expected to arrive to battle the blaze on Friday and on the weekend
Nuclear in Victoria? Tell Dutton he’s dreaming
Age letters
Readers react to Coalition suggestions that nuclear reactors could provide stable electricity in Victoria.
New South Wales
Bushfire victims take Essential Energy to Supreme Court over devastating 2018 bushfire
A cattle farmer who is among a group suing the state-owned company tells the NSW Supreme Court that he repeatedly asked for trees to be cleared ahead of the destructive Tathra bushfire.
No nuclear option for $275m green-manufacturing and innovation grants
Grants from a NSW $275 million green manufacturing fund will not go towards nuclear projects as the state says the technology is not part of its plans to reach net-zero emissions.
ACT
Light rail’s benefit extends beyond better transport: peak body
Claims that extending Canberra’s light rail line to Woden do not make financial sense have failed to consider the broader economic benefits of the project, Australia’s peak rail body says.
Queensland
Greens push for ban on new developments in Brisbane flood zones in council election promise
In the lead-up to next month’s Brisbane City Council election, the Greens have announced they would ban new developments in certain flood zones in the city – but the idea has been criticised by the LNP and Labor.
Varroa jacobsoni mite detected at the Port of Brisbane
A solitary specimen of Varroa jacobsoni, which is a different species to the pest plaguing New South Wales and Victoria, was found during a routine inspection of a sentinel hive in Brisbane.
Record temperatures cause new Great Barrier Reef bleaching
Scientists say coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef will worsen in coming weeks.
The decision to pave Brisbane’s civic space is still debated 15 years later
King George Square was paved in 2009 – a decision backed by both major parties – but it has again become an issue ahead of the Brisbane City Council election.
Revealed: Qld towns most likely to get a nuclear power station [$]
Regional Queensland would play a central role in a nuclear energy future for Australia, with former coal power station sites tapped as strong contenders to locate new small modular reactors.
Pumped Hydro to soar past $12bn budget – and Qld will still pay [$]
The Premier says “the cost of building everything has gone up”, paving the way for the world’s largest pumped hydro project to be a significant venture for Queensland taxpayers to fund.
No money, no problem: Miles downplays rail funding gap [$]
Queensland Premier Steven Miles insists there is “ample time” to construct rail from Beerwah to Caloundra in time for the 2032 Games despite potential funding gaps.
South Australia
The Premier and his hydrogen messaging problem
Premier Peter Malinauskas is trying to sell hydrogen energy as the next big thing. But first, he needs to explain what it is.
Santos secures funds for $335m SA carbon capture and storage project
Adelaide’s biggest company has tapped banks to fund a major carbon capture project at its Moomba gas plant in South Australia’s outback.
Tasmania
Liberals, Labor both promise big on energy relief for Tasmanians
Both major parties announce policies to help Tasmanians struggling with power prices, and Labor says it will recoup any state funding for the Marinus Link undersea cable.
Will Swifties, and Taylor, get on side to save the world’s fastest parrot? [$]
An Australian fashion boss and a world-renowned environmental photographer have teamed up to entice superstar songbird Taylor Swift to jump aboard the campaign to save Tasmania’s critically endangered Swift parrot.
Public transport system labelled ‘terminal’ in damning report [$]
A new analysis has found that Tasmania’s public transport system is in “seemingly terminal decline” after decades of underinvestment by successive state governments.
Libs plan to power up electricity generation on day 13 of campaign [$]
Libs want to ‘tear up and rewrite’ a charter limiting the size of projects Hydro can build, meanwhile independent Ben Lohberger says Hobart is ‘sick of being ignored’.
Milne: Marinus is the Basslink debacle all over again
Tasmanian Times spoke to former Greens’ Leader Christine Milne today in the wake of various election campaign statements about the Marinus Link project.
Northern Territory
Fracking in the Beetaloo a step closer after ‘excellent’ results [$]
Tamboran’s pilot project in the Beetaloo sub-basin has returned record level gas flows, positioning it to be one of the biggest gas developments in the world.
Western Australia
As much of WA experiences reduced rainfall, a prominent water-law expert is baffled by why nearly two decades of legislative reform has been abandoned in the state.
Carers and volunteers race to save wildlife returning to burnt-out habitat too soon
More than 285 animals have been euthanased north of Perth as carers scour the scorched and sometimes still smouldering ground for injured wildlife.
Macquarie exits BP’s $55 billion WA green energy project
Australia’s biggest renewable energy project in WA’s Pilbara region has lost the backing of “the millionaires factory” Macquarie Group.
Heatwave smashes grid demand records as batteries come out to play
Batteries are making their mark in WA, the world’s most isolated grid, as the relentless heatwaves set six new demand peaks in three weeks.
Sustainability
America is replacing its pipes: Is ductile iron pipe a good alternative for plastic?
Across the U.S., there are more than 2 million miles of water pipes installed beneath our feet and out of sight — and they’re getting old.
Brazil’s pesticide crisis: A closer look at the environmental and health impacts
A new report highlights the alarming rise in pesticide use in Brazil, revealing significant environmental and health concerns.
Cities embrace nature by removing concrete for greener spaces
In a global movement, cities are replacing stretches of concrete with natural landscapes to foster environmental resilience.
New world record for CIGS solar cells
A new record for electrical energy generation from CIGS solar cells has been reached.
The world’s green juggernaut will become unstoppable this year
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
It is the greatest economic growth story since the industrial revolution, and it has just passed a critical threshold.
Nature Conservation
Devastating bird flu detected on mainland Antarctica for the first time. Could it reach Australia?
Scientists are concerned about the impact of a deadly strain of bird flu which has finally reached mainland Antarctica, leaving Australia as the last continent to be conquered.
Tuna’s mercury levels remain unchanged despite environmental efforts
Despite significant reductions in mercury emissions, scientists find that mercury levels in tuna have not decreased since 1971.
Amazon’s growing fire crisis: a deep dive into the rainforest’s struggle
The Amazon is experiencing increasingly frequent and intense megafires, exacerbated by climate change and human activities, leading to significant ecological damage and carbon emissions.
Secrets in the canopy: scientists discover 8 striking new bee species in the Pacific
James B Dorey et al
After a decade searching for new species of bees in forests of the Pacific Islands, all we had to do was look up.
Maelor Himbury | Library Volunteer
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
1800 223 669
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