
Now here’s a mish-mash of reasonable-sounding science, false economics and blatant ideology. Yes, the laws of thermodynamics are immutable, the economics of fossil-fuels never include externalities (ask home owners in Los Angeles and their insurance companies while sparing a thought for the lives lost) and the author Charles Hemmings is steeped in the resources sector. Meanwhile emissions have now led to the 1.5 degree temperature increase beyond which hell in a hand-basket becomes relevant.
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From: Maelor Himbury <M.Himbury@acfonline.org.au>
Date: 10 January 2025 at 8:40:51 am GMT+11
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Jan 10
Date: 10 January 2025 at 8:40:51 am GMT+11
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Jan 10
Post of the Day
Nearly a quarter of freshwater animal species are at risk of extinction due to habitat destruction, pollution and climate pressures, according to new research.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
McNeese State University in Louisiana building a liquefied natural gas center, prompting fears of ‘corporate capture’
Global climate diplomacy could face setbacks if Donald Trump, set to retake the presidency, exits the Paris Agreement once again.
Researchers find that climate change and extreme weather events impact HIV prevention and care through numerous pathways, including increased HIV exposure, reduced testing, and worse health outcomes for people living with HIV
As Los Angeles battles catastrophic wildfires, experts say there are signs climate change is already reshaping fire seasons around the world.
Rebecca Solnit
The current fires in Los Angeles are reminders of the costs of forgetting
National
Will van de Pol
Banks banning fossil fuel backing needs to be more consistent across supply chains and banks.
Ben Laycock
Climate report suggests net zero by 2050 is unachievable on our current trajectory.
Charles Hemmings
Energised electrons (electricity) are devout followers of the Laws of Nature; they do not bend to any ideology, fashion nor to any act of a parliament. Ideologies have to bend to the Laws of Nature not the reverse.
Reporting animals in trouble can make a huge difference to our understanding of wildlife health and disease patterns
Pam Whiteley and Jasmin Hufschmid
Australia’s southern states have been warned gas shortfalls are likely to continue in the winter months due to underlying issues with supply and diversity.
The Albanese Government has approved a new wind farm in North Queensland which will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of every home in Townsville, Cairns, the Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton, Mackay, and Bundaberg combined.
Chris Bowen ‘weaponised’ the public service by instructing his department to produce ‘entirely flawed’ figures to allege Peter Dutton’s nuclear energy plan would see a 49 per cent electricity shortfall by 2035, the Coalition claims.
As many as 120 electric vehicle chargers could be installed on power poles in NSW every week, a study has found, if national rules were changed to allow them.
Anthony Albanese has given an iron-clad guarantee no new mining tax will be introduced if he wins the Federal election and has also ruled out a minority government deal with the Greens or Teals.
David Bowman
As I write this, five people are dead and at least 1,000 buildings have been destroyed by wildfires that have swept across Los Angeles. Around 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.
Andrew King and Kimberley Reid
It’s the height of summer and many Australians have already experienced heatwaves, heavy rains and even significant bushfires over the Christmas and New Year period. But could we be in for something different as summer draws to a close?
Matt Canavan
None of our energy regulators’ recent actions should fill you with confidence that they know what they are doing.
Victoria
Investigators are searching for those responsible for an unattended campfire that turned into a major blaze in Victoria’s south-west.
The Allan government has raised gas exploration permit fees by more than 300 per cent in a move industry members have slammed as a “mixed message” as shortages loom for the state.
Victoria is facing a gas shortfall this winter, despite a surplus of supply on the east coast over the next two years.
New South Wales
About 150 kilograms of powdered bleach “reacted” to another substance also in the rubbish pile.
A pollution caution and warning of bull shark activity has been issued for multiple Sydney beaches and waterways after prolonged rain this week.
Queensland
Since 2018, Queensland’s Environment Department has received thousands of complaints from Ipswich residents about odours from the waste industry.
A public inquiry will be held into the health impacts of noxious odours from waste facilities – which can mimic raw sewage – on suburban householders.
A culturally and scientifically significant collection of coral specimens taken from the Torres Strait Islands well over a century ago has been returned to Queensland following its rediscovery within…
Tasmania
A team of scientists has tracked the flight path of Tasmanian boobook owls across Bass Strait, revealing they fly directly through areas earmarked for major offshore wind farms.
A bright blue phenomenon is playing out in the waters of Southern Tasmania, but you need to be out at night to see it. Known as bioluminescence, those who dedicate their nights to finding it say what is being seen at the moment is among the most stunning displays they have witnessed. However, it can also be a sign of trouble in the ecosystem.
Northern Territory
A six-month remediation program for mine sites in Tennant Creek has been finalised, the Northern Territory government has announced.
The NT government says it will rehabilitate one of the Top End’s most toxic mine sites while traditional owners warn they won’t agree to any new mines on vast swathes of their land unless pollution from abandoned operations are cleaned up.
Western Australia
Native sedges and rushes will be planted to restore habitat for terrestrial and aquatic fauna, including the vulnerable fairy tern, the locally threatened native water rat rakali and the black swan.
Party labels plan for offshore carbon capture and storage near Scott Reef ‘nothing but greenwashing’ and calls on Albanese government to extend public consultation
Sustainability
People who live close to airports and are exposed to high aircraft noise levels could be at greater risk of poor heart function, increasing the likelihood of heart attacks, life-threatening heart rhythms and strokes, according to a new study.
Potentially catastrophic risks to life as we know it have prompted dozens of eminent scientists to hit the brakes on their research.
New York City and St. Louis are among the first to enforce building performance standards aimed at cutting emissions, with other cities expected to follow soon.
Groundwater samples across India show high levels of pollutants like nitrates, fluoride, arsenic and uranium, with nearly 20% of samples exceeding safe limits, largely due to agriculture and industrial activities.
New York is reassessing nuclear power as rising greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas threaten its climate goals, just two years after closing the Indian Point nuclear plant.
Nature Conservation
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upheld protections for grizzly bears, rejecting calls from western states to remove them from the endangered list despite population recovery and setting up a policy clash with the incoming Trump administration.
The Panama Canal’s expansion is upending local ecosystems as marine species from the Atlantic and Pacific invade its freshwater lake, displacing native fish and threatening biodiversity.
New research has found more than 200 measures to protect sharks and rays across the 22 coastal states of the Mediterranean region. However, while elasmobranchs have made it onto many policy agendas, the study found considerable differences in how effectively any legislation was being monitored with no single source for tracking progress in the conservation and management of sharks at national levels.
Maelor Himbury | Library Volunteer
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
1800 223 669
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