From: Maelor Himbury <M.Himbury@acfonline.org.au>
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 2026 at 8:42 am
Subject: Daily Links Sep 15
To:
Post of the Day
Michael Vardon
Australia’s pipeline of huge data centre projects has raised questions about how much energy and water these giant server farms will use.
On This Day
Paryushana ends – Jainism
Samvatsari – Jainism
Ganesh Chaturthi – Hinduism
Daslakshana – Jainism
Ecological Observance
Climate Change
‘Carbon fever’ threatens hard-won Indigenous rights in Bolivian Amazon
Leaders in Pando region denounce opaque deals over carbon credits as government and companies rush to monetise Amazon rainforest after 2024 ruling
US ‘super-emitters’ of planet heating methane identified by satellite analysis
Energy Transfer, whose CEO is a major Trump donor, named as biggest single methane producer in new rankings
Venice faces a looming catastrophe. Is it already too late to stop it?
Foreign Correspondent guest reporter Anthony Burke visits Venice to see whether this medieval wonder can survive rising sea levels.
Global map reveals where petrochemical emissions really come from
A global analysis of 37,000 petrochemical facilities reveals that just 10% produce 53% of the industry’s emissions.
Lowering gas prices requires stopping climate shakedowns
Jason Isaac
On Sept. 1, just as the national average for gasoline hit $4.09 a gallon, President Trump brought oil refiners and fuel distributors to the White House to discuss expanding refining capacity and bringing prices down.
National
Australia’s dependence on gas generation during evening energy peak falls by almost 70%
Batteries now meet almost half of the grid’s dispatchable power needs during hours of highest demand
‘Moving at light speed’: Plug-in solar and batteries are coming to Australia [$]
The plug-in solar panels can be used by renters and taken when they move house. Apartment dwellers can hang them on balconies – or just use a “suitcase battery” to store cheap daytime energy from the grid.
OpenAI’s issues ultimatum to PM: dilute creatives’ rights or we won’t talk renewables [$]
The ChatGPT creator threatens to walk away from local training facilities unless Labor backs down on creative industry protections.
One Nation under fire for abandoning gas reservation plan in favour of policy benefiting Gina Rinehart – The Populist podcast
Pauline Hanson’s gas policy and the party’s relationship with Rinehart is examined in a new Guardian podcast series, The Populist
China’s clean-tech glut poses risks. But Australia can turn it to its advantage
Hao Tan, Elizabeth Thurbon
Australia can use low-cost Chinese clean-energy technology to accelerate decarbonisation, strengthen energy security and build domestic industry without pursuing costly self-sufficiency.
First Dog on the Moon
It’s complicated and everyone is having a lot of feelings
Victoria
Rail loop rejig displaces more residents and businesses to save park
A Suburban Rail Loop construction rethink will conserve parkland by displacing more residents and businesses, including one business that has already moved once.
New South Wales
Feral pig problem raises bird flu fears in famous wetlands
Landholders fear the Macquarie Marshes feral pig problem could make a bird flu outbreak harder to contain as concerns grow about the potential impact on the internationally recognised wetlands.
Minns faces his own orange wave, polling shows [$]
New polling has placed One Nation level with Labor on primary votes in NSW ahead of the March state election, as uranium mining emerges as a surprise election issue.
ACT
Hindu community prepares for eco-friendly festival after Lake Tuggeranong backlash
Canberra’s Hindu leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to environmentally friendly worship practices after facing a barrage of online backlash.
Queensland
Do new shark drones make for a safer summer?
A world-leading shark mitigation program could help with peace of mind heading into summer – but is far from able to prevent all future attacks.
Flying fox influx overruns Mount Isa suburb ‘like a cloud coming over’
Residents of the Mount Isa suburb of Sunset say a huge influx of flying foxes is damaging trees, coating homes and cars in droppings, and leaving them desperate for action.
South Australia
First case of bird flu in pelican detected in SA
H5 bird flu has been detected for the first time in an Australian pelican, as another suspected case is reported in a sea lion off the Victor Harbor coast.
Northern Territory
Aussie miner targets huge NT uranium revival [$]
Australia’s highest-grade uranium mine ran for just four months in 1979 – now a Perth company wants to unlock what’s still buried beneath the Northern Territory.
Study finds six major threats for NT’s green turtles [$]
First Nations ranger groups have helped researchers uncover a hidden threat to the Northern Territory’s green turtle populations.
Western Australia
The Tjalkadjara community celebrated gaining native title over a swathe of the Northern Goldfields on Monday, after almost eight years of fighting for their rights to the land.
Sustainability
World’s largest battery-electric ship arrives in new home
The arrival of Hull 096 in Uruguay marks the end of a years-long journey to build and deliver the world’s largest battery-electric vehicle.
Trump’s EPA reportedly poised to axe carbon pollution rules for power plants
Advocates and experts describe the Trump administration’s climate rollbacks as gifts to polluters at expense of planet
‘Tidal wave’ of Pfas being launched to satisfy AI industry, campaigners warn
Big manufacturers planning to produce more of the forever chemicals to meet demand from datacentres
MIT spinout turns plastic waste into resilient building materials
Atlas Building Composites is commercializing MIT research to turn plastic waste into parts for buildings and other infrastructure.
Brigid Delaney
There are several answers, and none of them will be provided by tech. One thing we must do is identify the ingredients for human flourishing
Nature Conservation
Scientists find nine new sponge species in glimpse of Alaska’s deep-sea diversity
But their habitat is threatened by bottom trawling in the region and Trump’s plan to expand seafloor mining
Japan’s biomass energy boom threatens further deforestation in Indonesia
A surge in Indonesia’s wood pellet and chip production is driving a new wave of deforestation, threatening the vast archipelago’s remaining tropical forests, vital biodiversity hot spots and the land of Indigenous peoples, according to new satellite analysis from environmental nongovernmental organizations.
Maelor Himbury | Library Volunteer
Australian Conservation Foundation | www.acf.org.au
1800 223 669
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