Date: 21 March 2024 at 09:07:13 GMT+11
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Mar 21
Post of the Day
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen says the average build time for a nuclear power plant in the United States has been nearly two decades. Is that correct? RMIT ABC Fact Check runs the numbers.
On This Day
Nowruz – Persian New Year
Ecological Observance
Arbor Day – Belgium, Portugal and Lesotho
National Renewable Energy Day – USA
Climate Change
The rogue emissions being hunted out in the fight against climate change
The world’s first environmental spy satellite was launched earlier this month. Its mission is to monitor global efforts to reduce an invisible and odorless planet-warming gas.
The heat index — how hot it really feels — is rising faster than temperature
A 3 degree F rise in temperature due to global warming may seem endurable, but it can actually feel like 10 degrees F
Sea surface temperature research provides clear evidence of human-caused climate change
Claims that climate change is natural are inconsistent with new oceanic temperature trends.
Global heating is an existential threat
Canberra Times editorial
Humanity’s inability to fully acknowledge, let alone take effective action, on the existential crisis that is global warming has gone well beyond the ironic. It is an exercise in tragic self-delusion of the type spoofed in the dark comedy Don’t Look Up, where politicians refused to destroy an asteroid heading for Earth because of the mineral wealth it might contain.
National
‘Secret gas loophole’ or a ‘conspiracy theory’? The political fight brewing over gas approvals
A political stoush is erupting over a relatively minor tweak to Australia’s environment laws, but opponents fear it could lead to fast-tracking approvals for new gas projects.
Winter gas threat grows in Victoria, NSW as offshore fields dry up
Gas users are in danger of winter shortfalls sooner than originally feared as ExxonMobil and Woodside’s Bass Strait production fields dry up.
Diesel burn solution to fill gas shortage [$]
Gas generators may be forced to burn diesel to keep the grid running after authorities warned states face a catastrophic supply shortfall.
Car emission rules may be ‘too weak’ for speedy change
Australia’s car market will meet new rules to cut emissions for three years even if manufacturers make no changes to vehicles, according to new modelling.
‘Legal activism’ in Australian courts thwarts energy security [$]
A gathering of the world’s biggest energy companies have been told that “activism through the legal system” has put Australia’s energy security at risk.
Fears Pilbersek’s Green plan could ‘put a handbrake’ on clean energy [$]
The mining industry is building up a revolt against Tanya Plibersek’s Nature Positive Plan with some of the sector’s biggest names expressing fears it could delay clean energy plans.
Nationals leader finally remembers to declare free mine trip from Adani
David Littleproud was flown to the controversial Carmichael mine last October. It took him almost six months to declare it.
AGL launches website that allows consumers to cost solar, batteries, EVs and heat pumps.
AEMO issues another gas shortage warning, but analysts question why
Complete with the “perennial forecast of shortfalls,” AEMO’s latest Gas Statement of Opportunities has analysts scratching their heads on why the market operator sees gas power demand soaring in 2040.
Dutton’s nuclear push triggers usual anti-science fallout [$]
Peter Ridd
As I contemplate the desecration of pristine bush to make way for wind farms here in north Queensland, I would take a nuclear power station instead any day.
PM and a team of incompetents [$]
Terry McCrann
From destroying the electricity system to overseeing a growing migration crisis, Labor’s ministry of incompetents have proven to be way out of their depth.
The Coalition’s devotion to Abbottism is disastrous
Aan Kohler
To the extent that the Coalition’s nuclear energy waffle contains an actual policy, it is that Australia should have a capacity market which is technology neutral – that is, there should be capacity auctions and nuclear (as well as coal and gas) should be allowed to bid into them.
Tilting at windmills a lame bid for relevance [$]
John Hanscombe
A couple of weeks ago, during a run of sunny, breezy weather, the price of electricity actually went into negative territory in NSW as wind and solar kicked in.
Ditch outdated idea that gas reservation is good policy [$]
Slade Brockman
In the realm of politics, few scenarios are as frustrating as watching political opponents recast their failures as triumphs — and getting away with it.
Stephanie Perkiss et al
Australians enjoy chocolate, consuming on average the equivalent of 32 kilograms a year, but there is growing interest in its origins and how it’s made.
A battery price war is kicking off that could soon make electric cars cheaper. Here’s how
Muhammad Rizwan Azhar et al
The main cost of an electric vehicle (EV) is its battery. The high cost of energy-dense batteries has meant EVs have long been more expensive than their fossil fuel equivalents.
Tony Wood
In states with competition between retailers, the energy regulator is promising savings for most customers on the default plan. But it’s small change compared to price hikes. Here’s what to expect.
On nuclear, Coalition prefers the optimism of misleading, decade-old, unverified claims [$]
John Quiggin
The Coalition is a fan of quoting the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s optimism on nuclear timelines compared to the CSIRO. But do the numbers add up?
Anthony Albanese and Christopher Luxon are no match for powerful offshore petroleum industry [$]
Benjamin Abbatangelo
Two vastly different governments on either side of the Tasman are taking divergent paths to unlock the treasure troves of offshore drilling.
Victoria
Faster, not different: Victoria renewables fast-track is not a steamroller
The Clean Energy Council is calling for calm and clarification in the wake of the Victorian government’s announcement it will fast-track planning decisions for renewables projects, amid claims that the move will lead to “terrible decisions” and “steam-roll farmers.”
New South Wales
‘Words can’t describe’: Puggle magic in Royal National Park after 50 years
Ten platypuses were released into Australia’s oldest national park, just south of Sydney, last May. The animals are thriving and at least one puggle was born last spring.
There’s a far more urgent problem on our streets than kids on e-bikes [$]
Anish Bhasin
The state government must stop treating cycleways as local novelty projects. They are part of the solution, not the problem.
ACT
Govt report calls for Canberra’s urban sprawl to be stopped [$]
Canberra’s urban sprawl should be halted in an effort to protect the ACT environment, a report handed to the territory’s government has recommended.
Queensland
Australia’s largest remote solar farm switched on to power outback Queensland mining industry
A solar farm with the power to service 90,000 homes has switched on in outback Queensland — powering one of the richest mining regions in the world. Experts say green energy will be key to Australia’s role in filling global shortages of metals and minerals.
Beachside homes evacuated as another suspected lithium-ion battery fire destroys house
Fire and Rescue New South Wales has recorded more than 60 lithium-ion battery fires in the state so far in 2024.
Ranger averts disaster after catching stowaway cane toad on a ship heading to a pest-free island
One of the only cane toad-free places in Queensland has had a close call with the invasive, toxic species, prompting rangers to introduce stricter measures to protect native wildlife.
Mining company bosses accuse State Gov of not supporting sector [$]
The number of mining and energy companies planning to expand their Queensland operations in the next 12 months has halved, a dire mew report has revealed.
South Australia
The stakes are again high for the steel town of Whyalla as a billionaire owner who has broken past promises looks to a green future.
Adelaide company unveils plans for another big battery
A South Australia-based energy company will build the state’s second-largest energy storage project 60km north of Adelaide to boost electricity supply reliability.
KI’s koala carnage investigated; drafted management plan leaked [$]
Kangaroo Island loggers and wildlife campaigners sit down for a roundtable discussion for the first time since investigation. See details of their koala management plan.
Tasmania
In this sheltered Tasmanian waterway, where oysters are usually thriving, something is very wrong
A mystery illness is wiping out millions of pacific oysters south-east of Hobart and commercial growers don’t know what’s causing it.
O’Byrne slams progress on a new public transport ticketing system [$]
A ticketing project that would allow Tasmanians to pay for public transport by credit card, phone or wearable smart devices has been labelled a “shambles”. Latest timeline for the overhaul.
Broad independent & crossbench support to end native forest logging
Fifty-seven independent and minor party candidates across all five electorates have signed Sophie Scamps MP’s Forest Pledge ahead of the Tasmanian election, setting the stage for the next parliament to end native forest logging in Tasmania.
Celebrate International Day of Forests
The Tasmanian Wilderness Guides Association (TWGA) is encouraging Tasmanians to celebrate International Day of Forests on 21st of March by getting out into lutruwita/Tasmania’s forests.
Tasmania’s tall eucalypt forests will be wiped out by heatwaves unless we step in to help them
Tim Wardlaw
Tasmania’s tall eucalypt forests are globally significant. They accumulate carbon faster than any other natural forest ecosystem in the world.
Northern Territory
Gas stops flowing from Northern Territory to east coast as $800m pipeline sits idle
Gas has stopped flowing through the only pipeline from the Northern Territory to the east coast, highlighting uncertainty in the region’s gas supply.
Traditional owners’ anger rekindled over Jabiluka lease [$]
Anger is growing at plans to renew a mineral lease over the Jabiluka uranium deposits which were the centre of an eight-month blockade in the late 1990s.
Arafura fined for environmental breach weeks before $840m govt lifeline [$]
Arafura Rare Earths was fined for breaching environmental laws less than a fortnight before it was loaned more than $800m in public funding to bolster its embattled NT mining project.
Western Australia
Gidgegannup blaze downgraded, residents to return home
Dozens of residents forced to evacuate amid a blaze east of Perth near Gidgegannup have been told they can return home, as a probe into what caused the fire continues.
Joondalup trials new sustainable road surfacing product
The City of Joondalup is trialling a new environmentally sustainable product to change how it resurfaces roads within its council boundaries.
Batteries to turn Kalgoorlie into massive micro-grid after storms tear down network, and gas fails
A “non-network” solution – likely big batteries – has been chosen over new transmission lines, and will turn Kalgoorlie into a massive micro grid to avoid blackouts.
Sustainability
Germany kickstarts plans to dismantle gas distribution network
Germany issues green paper for the decommissioning of the country’s gas distribution network to smooth transition to climate-neutral heating.
Petrochemical exposure linked to health risks
A recent review highlights the harmful impact of petrochemicals on health, with evidence pointing to an increase in chronic diseases.
Citizen science leads the charge in environmental protection
Ordinary citizens are stepping up to tackle environmental challenges through citizen science, significantly contributing to research and data collection efforts worldwide.
Nature Conservation
There are large accumulations of plastics in the ocean, even outside so-called garbage patch
When plastic ends up in the ocean, it gradually weathers and disintegrates into small particles. If marine animals ingest these particles, their health can be severely affected. Large accumulations of plastic can therefore disrupt the biological balance of marine ecosystems.
Environmental DNA revolutionizes wildlife conservation efforts
Scientists are increasingly utilizing environmental DNA (eDNA) to efficiently detect both invasive and endangered species, transforming conservation research.
States navigate wetland protections in wake of Supreme Court decision
Following a Supreme Court ruling that removed federal protections for many wetlands, states are now divided on how to respond, with some enhancing protections and others rolling them back.
Michael Bunce and Simon Jarman
New Zealand’s rivers are not in a good shape. The Ministry for the Environment’s latest freshwater report shows an estimated 45% of total river length is no longer suitable for swimming and 48% is partially inaccessible to endangered migratory fish.
Maelor Himbury | Library Volunteer
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
1800 223 669
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