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Date: 30 April 2024 at 8:16:40 AM GMT+9:30
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Apr 30
Post of the Day
Peter Burnett
April has been a bad month for the Australian environment. The Great Barrier Reef was hit, yet again, by intense coral bleaching. And Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek delayed most of her Nature Positive Plan reforms.
On This Day
Last day of Passover – Judaism
Climate Change
Extreme rains in Oman and UAE linked to climate change
A recent study suggests climate change, driven by fossil fuel emissions, likely intensified the unprecedented rains in Oman and the UAE, causing significant destruction and fatalities.
Maldives’ race to expand land raises environmental and social concerns
The Maldives is undertaking large-scale land reclamation to combat land scarcity and rising sea levels, but this move has sparked widespread environmental and societal concerns.
National
“Simply astounding:” Australian coal mine methane emissions may be twice offical data
Australia’s coal mine methane emissions are being vastly underreported and are damaging the nation’s credibility on climate change, economist Professor Rod Sims has warned.
All Australians will foot the bill after climate disasters leave insurance industry on the brink
Floods, bushfires, and severe storms send insurance costs skyrocketing. It’s high time for Australia to heed warnings from other parts of the world before insurance becomes unaffordable for all Australians — or simply unavailable.
New consumer laws needed to protect us from forever chemicals [$]
SMH editorial
The federal government must address the hole in the consumer law and make it illegal to sell unsafe products.
Andrew Blakers
As Australia’s rapid renewable energy rollout continues, so too does debate over land use. Nationals Leader David Littleproud, for example, claimed regional areas had reached “saturation point” and cannot cope with more wind and solar farms and transmission lines.
A nuclear solution for Dutton: You get a reactor! And YOU get a reactor! Everyone gets a reactor! [$]
Bernard Keane
Rather than bribing a few voters to have a large nuclear reactor next to them, why not put small modular reactors in every single electorate? It’s only fair.
These maps tell us we need to cool our sweltering streets
Thami Croeser and Michele Acuto
Our Map of the Month shows the impact of asphalt and concrete on city temperatures, and why we need to ‘de-pave’ and ‘re-plant’ in a warming climate
Victoria
This busy highway once connected Melbourne and Ballarat. Planners no longer want cars on it
Parks in Melton could be sold to developers and the main road replaced with bike lanes in a bid to revive its town centre.
The gold-flecked American lothario who got lost in a sewage plant [$]
The off-course plover, covered in golden flecks that indicate his readiness to take a mate, should have landed in the Arctic for his species’ breeding season.
New South Wales
‘Symptomatic of a very sick river’: Scientists warn of more fish kills in the Murray-Darling
Scientists say rotting dead fish from a massive fish kill at Menindee earlier this year may create a domino effect on water quality as oxygen levels in the river plummet again putting more fish under stress.
More than 90% of marine animals caught in NSW shark nets over summer were non-target species
New documents reveal NSW government division over controversial program as data reveals death toll
Greenery, whirlybirds, and aircon do little to reduce heat in homes with dark roofs, project finds
A experiment finds dark-roofed homes in Western Sydney are recording indoor temperatures as much as 10 degrees warmer than homes with lighter shades.
New funding to help Koala conservation – podcast
One of Australia’s most iconic and cuddly creatures is being given a greater chance of survival, with new funding announced for a major conservation hospital in south-west Sydney. There to witness the announcement were two of the hospital’s former patients, who were released back into the wild.
South Australia
Death of pymgy whale, two dolphins unrelated to seismic survey, SA Water says
A former senator and a Greens politician want answers after a whale and two dolphins died three days after SA Water completed a seismic survey at Port Lincoln.
A new plan may stop tourists who visit the enormous salt pan 700km north of Adelaide from driving or walking on sacred ground – or into trouble
Tasmania
Brown to fight forestry protest trespass charge
Veteran environmentalist Bob Brown has pleaded not guilty to a trespassing charge stemming from an anti-forestry protest in southern Tasmania.
Northern Territory
‘Continues to get worse’: Alice groups weeding out invasive fire risk [$]
An invasive weed which has planted it tendrils throughout the Alice Springs and the Uluru region has now faced its newest competitor: the local landcare groups.
Western Australia
Sharks nets to be installed at more WA swimming spots [$]
Millions of dollars have been set aside in the upcoming State Budget to protect swimmers and surfers from sharks.
WA’s gas shortage is a joke – at the public’s expense
Mark Ogge
Can you imagine Qatar or Saudi Arabia panicking about a gas or oil shortage? It would be a joke. And in the west, companies are laughing all the way to the bank.
Sustainability
Hydropower’s challenges and opportunities amid climate change
Hydropower faces increased vulnerability due to climate change as droughts and high temperatures affect water levels in Colombia and Ecuador, impacting energy production.
The world has a chance to end plastic pollution – the petrochemical giants mustn’t spoil it
Steve Fletcher
The UN global plastic treaty could be as important as the 2015 Paris accords, if negotiators can stand up to industry lobbyists
‘Invisible’ consultants help companies write sustainability reports. Here’s why that’s a problem
Hendri Yulius Wijaya and Kate Macdonald
Around the world, more and more companies are publishing sustainability reports – public scorecards detailing their impacts on society and the environment.
Environment defenders face new wave of oppression
Maria Laura Canineu
We all have an interest in supporting people who are pressing governments to meet their obligations on climate change, whether they are protesting in the street, bringing cases to court, or even carrying out civil disobedience.
Solar is now being installed faster than any technology in history
Andrew Blakers
At current installation rates, solar will pass fossil gas in 2024 and coal in 2025. Technologies like nuclear would require “magical growth rates” to compete.
Maelor Himbury | Library Volunteer
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
1800 223 669
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