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Date: 16 April 2024 at 8:37:34 AM GMT+10
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Apr 16
Post of the Day
Why governments should subsidise household batteries to go with solar
SMH editorial
There are now 3.8 million households with solar. It’s time to push storage solutions, so households – and the grid – get the benefits by night as well as day.
On This Day
Climate Change
‘Moved to tears’: The hottest year on record unleashes a mass coral bleaching tragedy
After a year of record-breaking heat, a devastating story has been playing out in the world’s oceans. Scientists working along the most breathtaking reefs show what led to climate agency NOAA calling a global bleaching event for only the fourth time in history.
Banks pressured to tighten climate strategies for agriculture sector
Despite constituting a small fraction of their portfolios, big banks’ financing of the industrial livestock industry plays a disproportionately large role in global greenhouse emissions, a recent environmental report reveals.
National
Summit bid to end Murray-Darling standoff [$]
A first-of-its-kind meeting this week will discuss how to return hundreds of gigalitres of water to the Murray-Darling Basin.
Bill shock means home batteries make financial sense, despite expense [$]
A quarter of a million households now have home batteries to store the electricity their rooftop solar generates and help them avoid sky-high power bills.
Plibersek scales back environment reforms as coral bleaching goes global [$]
The Albanese government is backing away from its pledge to lodge a comprehensive nature protection reform in parliament.
Tink insists environmental merits reviews would not mean ‘green lawfare’ [$]
Independent MP Kylea Tink insists there is “absolutely room” to challenge ministerial decisions in national environmental law reform, but she has rejected that a suggested move toward merits reviews will lead to drawn-out “green lawfare” in the courts.
Rooftop solar now delivers 11.2% of Australia’s energy and is the fourth largest energy source in the country.
Modular Reactors. Peter Dutton hasn’t done his nuclear homework
Rex Patrick
Is Peter Dutton’s proposed ‘rollout’ of modular nuclear reactors real policy or just politics? What research has he done to develop the policy? Not much, it seems
Environmental decision making means a merits review [$]
Joel Townsend and Kim Rubenstein
The Commonwealth government can be congratulated for introducing new legislation to create an Administrative Review Tribunal to replace the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. In doing so, it has affirmed the importance of providing a practical, accessible means of reviewing government decisions. Yet some of the most consequential government decisions – approving actions with potentially significant environmental impact – are currently excluded from this straightforward means of review.
Victoria
The mistake 30 years ago that turned this precinct into the windy suburb [$]
Docklands is often battered by strong winds, but experts say no wind testing was done when the suburb was built, while a wind sensor and more trees would mitigate the problem now.
XR blocking arteries of capitalism labelled “catastrophic inconvenience”
Samantha Helps
One month ago, three Extinction Rebellion protesters led by Deana ‘Violet’ Coco blocked the Westgate Bridge to deliver a desperate plea to all Australians. ‘Climate Breakdown has Begun.’
Queensland
Queensland premier says Bondi attack makes ‘compelling’ case for search powers at shopping centres
The government had agreed to consider expanding warrantless stop-and-searches after the alleged murder of Ipswich grandmother Vyleen White at a shopping centre in February.
Airservices ‘cut corners, misled government’ over airport noise – lobby group
Traffic controller Airservices Australia has been accused of misleading the federal government on the impact of a controversial Brisbane runway.
New ‘virtually undetectable’ drone set to track down illegal fishers raiding the Great Barrier Reef
A drone with beefed up surveillance that can fly higher, further and faster than previous models is deployed to help protect the reef from outlaw anglers.
South Australia
The way to make plastic fantastic [$]
An Adelaide company believes it can be part of the solution to the plastic waste crisis by converting used plastics into bridges and other building structures.
Tasmania
Last-ditch bid to stop native forest logging at holiday hotspot [$]
Tasmanian environmental group Blue Derby Wild wants to take their fight to stop native forest logging near mountain bike trails in the North-East to the High Court.
A pledge to phase out fossil fuels
Peter Boyer
Passing the supermarket checkout is just one reminder that living carries a cost, and that cost is now rising across many economic sectors. In these circumstances we lean heavily on the ability of authorities to limit the damage until things settle down again.
Northern Territory
Central Land Council launches new animal tracking training package
Over 100 Aboriginal rangers are set to gather at Tilmouth Well this week for the Central Land Council’s annual ranger camp.
A key feature of the camp this year is the introduction of a bilingual animal tracking training package that integrates traditional knowledge with contemporary methods.
Western Australia
DFES to add 60 new firefighters in major Budget pledge [$]
Reinforcements are on the way for next summer’s bushfire season with the Cook Government recruiting 60 extra career firefighters, completing the biggest expansion of frontline personnel in more than 50 years.
Sustainability
Bioplastics create a composting conundrum
Biodegradable food packaging is a step in the right direction, experts say, but when composted carries risks of microplastic and chemical contamination.
The ongoing presence of lead in food highlights global contamination issues
Despite global efforts to eliminate lead, its persistent presence in food products continues to pose a serious public health threat, highlighting the need for more stringent international safety standards.
Nature Conservation
– podcast
California sea otters were almost hunted to extinction by the start of the last century. Now a new program aims to pair stranded otter pups with surrogate mothers to help boost the population and save California’s coastline.
Climate change is causing marine ‘coldwaves’ too, killing wildlife
Nicolas Benjamin Lubitz and David Schoeman
The effects of ocean warming are profound and well-documented. But sometimes changes in the patterns of winds and ocean currents cause seawater to suddenly cool, instead.
Maelor Himbury | Library Volunteer
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
1800 223 669
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