Post of the Day
Andrew Blakers
Last year, the world built more new solar capacity than every other power source combined.
On This Day
Saint Andrew the First-Called Day – Georgia
Ecological Observance
Environmental Education Day – Russia
International Day of Plant Health
Climate Change
Can we fight climate change by sinking carbon into the sea?
Two Israeli companies are betting that by trapping biomass deep underwater, they can keep gigatons of CO2 out of the atmosphere.
Biden’s new power plan holds big key to his climate pledge
A Environmental Protection Agency plan would drive massive emissions cuts from coal and natural gas power plants to help meet the president’s ambitious global climate pledge.
National
Albanese government approves first new coalmine since taking power
Environment activists condemn expected decision by Tanya Plibersek to give green light to the Isaac River mine in central Queensland
Aquawatch Australia to issue world’s first water quality forecasts
Project will use data from satellites and sensors to provide warnings on algal bloom, blackwater and runoff contamination
Herd the news? Australian alpaca numbers near 400,000 after baby boom
Most alpaca farmers run hobby farms or side businesses despite Australia having the second-largest alpaca herd after Peru
‘Australia behaved very badly’: Gusmao turns up heat for Timor gas deal
Timor-Leste’s resistance hero says Australia can make amends for “exploiting” its smaller neighbour by backing a long sought-after pipeline to the country’s south coast.
Orica seizes on $2b green hydrogen push to accelerate key production plants
But the explosives maker believes the incentives are not big enough to counter America’s $US369 billion effort to supercharge its clean energy economy.
Nature protection watchdog needs funding boost
The Australian Conservation Foundation has called on the Albanese government to beef up funding for the new environment protection agency, after Parliamentary Budget Office costings obtained by independent MP Andrew Wilkie showed the budget allocation for a new EPA is likely to be significantly less than what is required.
How The Good Guys got it wrong on the risks of gas cooktops, and Bob Katter’s new vest
Graham Readfearn
The sales pitch for new cookers ignored concern about the danger of burning fossil fuel in your home, and the move towards electric induction hobs
Leader goes nuclear on new ‘working poor’ [$]
Dennis Shanahan
Peter Dutton’s budget reply has thrown a nuclear power challenge to Labor on climate change as he waves through the bulk of Jim Chalmers’ $14.6bn cost-of-living payments to low-income earners.
Dutton’s nuclear reactor pitch worth investigating [$]
Australian editorial
Peter Dutton opened up an important new front in Australia’s energy debate. Much will depend on cost benefits and safety, but his advocating small modular nuclear reactors as part of the nation’s energy mix makes sense.
The budget and climate change: getting our priorities right
Ian Dunlop
The Government’s treatment of climate change in the 2023 Budget is a vast improvement on their conservative predecessors. That said, it continues a pattern of reluctance to face reality on the really big issues which will determine our future as a nation, notably on climate.
We now know just how much the Albanese government cares about the climate [$]
Emma Elsworthy
Labor pitched climate change as an economic opportunity in the budget — rather than an apocalyptic deadline — to win voters over.
Victoria
This pretty country creek has officially shaken off its ugly colonial name
Central Victoria’s Dja Dja Wurrung people and their supporters have been pushing for Jim Crow Creek to be renamed for more than a decade, finally earning a new entry in the government gazette.
Melbourne is on track to be like Monaco – and not in a good way
Unless Melbourne takes a radical approach to housing and transport, it risks becoming just a “destination city”, one expert says.
Airport Rail Link job loss fears as works set to be paused
Fears are growing of widespread job losses as construction on Melbourne’s Airport Rail Link slows to a crawl, as future works get set to be put on hold.
Why is everyone buying truckzillas that are too big for our streets?
After decades of work in improving road safety in our country, there’s a real chance these vehicles will undo a lot of progress.
Amanda Tattersall
When people are involved in planning for climate transition that takes account of their other daily concerns, such as housing and jobs, they become more positive about transformative change.
New South Wales
Pipe connected to nowhere all that remains of $4m project to drought-proof town’s water supply
A mayor in western New South Wales says his town is “in limbo” after the budget for a water security project blew out by $4.7 million.
Snowy Hydro ordered not to move giant boring machine until approvals are met
The 143-metre-long tunnelling machine is stuck and it will stay that way until the company can prove moving it won’t cause “further damage” to the environment.
Sydney toll road review to examine who benefits from price caps
The roads minister says tolling is inconsistent as different pricing rates, ways of calculating charges and vehicle classifications make it confusing for motorists.
Hope for pelicans as scientists research more NSW nesting sites than ever before
A project that uses citizen science to track pelican movements has been expanded across inland New South Wales, as the water bird thrives following consecutive wet years.
Middle Head masterplan will irretrievably damage First Nations’ ‘Times Square’
Linda Bergin
Rather than dining, weddings, offices and festivals, might not Middle Head be better purposed for education and research, to teach future generations about Australia’s important past?
Queensland
Calls for ‘Tennyson line’ to reopen instead of new western bridge
Instead of spending close to a billion dollars for new car bridges at Indooroopilly, a state MP and public transport advocates support reopening the nearby Tennyson freight rail line to passengers.
South Australia
Mali trumpets SA hydrogen ‘land grab’ laws to the world [$]
Proposed world-first laws allowing big global firms to “grab land” are being trumpeted by Premier Peter Malinauskas at a Netherlands hydrogen summit.
Tasmania
Hobart’s bid to become bike friendly [$]
Hobart could soon become a more bike friendly city, as the council releases plans for new bike lanes.
Northern Territory
‘Another Juukan Gorge’: Darwin’s Middle Arm hub threatens Indigenous rock art, traditional owners say
Larrakia people say they have not been properly consulted on planned industrial precinct, which is near ‘priceless’ cultural site
Nearly 70 cattle die from cyanide poisoning at NT research station
The cattle died over an eight-day period in March, with investigations pointing to a native shrub as the cause.
29 cars stolen in one week: Dramatic rise in property crime [$]
NT Police have made 22 arrests since last Friday, as the Top End records a major increase in property crime and vehicle theft.
Western Australia
The WA budget is being announced, with the state expected to confirm a $4 billion surplus.
Sustainability
New US rules could stem emissions from coal and gas power plants
Environmental groups laud the regulation, which would advance clean power in the US – if it survives expected legal challenges
Have we had the bamboo pulled over our eyes when it comes to this ‘natural’ fibre?
Not all fabric labelled as ‘bamboo’ is as sustainable as we’d like to think.
Chart: EVs could make up more than a third of global car sales by 2030
A new electric-vehicle forecast from the IEA is a big upward revision from just a year ago, underscoring the speed of the global EV revolution.
Biden adopts new green building energy standards for housing
The Biden administration has announced a plan to adopt new building energy standards for homes built and financed by the federal government, a move that officials said will result in energy savings of more than 35% for families.
Chemists have found a new way to recycle wind turbine blades
Recycling wind turbine blades when they reach the end of their lives is paramount if wind power is to be sustainable. Turbine blades however, are made of materials that cannot currently be recycled.
Jane Goodall calls for end to factory farming amid ‘extreme’ animal cruelty
The 89-year-old conservationist warned of agro-industry and factory farming’s impact on human health, climate and biodiversity.
Toxic chemicals in the air may raise risk of rheumatoid arthritis
Toxic chemicals that develop from car exhaust, smoking and backyard grilling might increase your risk of developing the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis, a new study suggests.
Go big or start small: Picking the right scale for green hydrogen
Startups Electric Hydrogen and Ohmium are both building gigawatt-scale factories. But the electrolyzers they’re making come in very different sizes.
Impact of warmer seas on fish stocks leads to rise in pirate attacks
Dwindling fish stocks caused by the climate crisis are leading to an increase in pirate attacks, according to a new study looking at two piracy hotspots over the past two decades.
Renewables race: Code red to go green for climate
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
Renewable energy has entered a new phase of even faster growth thanks to its energy security benefits. There is an opportunity now to leverage this momentum and turn it into a revolutionary moment.
Nature Conservation
Company agrees to give up gold mining claim near Yellowstone
A conservation group’s $6.25 million deal to purchase a mining company’s gold rights is meant to permanently protect land bordering Yellowstone National Park.
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