The Australian Conservation Foundation has long enjoyed the contributions to their work of volunteer Maelor Himbury. I’ve long enjoyed one of his contributions – the daily compilation from the nation’s media of articles featuring the environment, conservation and climate change. Each weekday I receive Maelor’s list of articles, I scan the list and make an editorial comment on one that takes my fancy. Yes, I know, quite self-indulgent but it makes me look carefully through the daily offerings. I then send it on to the 40 or 50 people who have indicated that they wish to receive it. In turn, a number of them then pass the list on to people that they know. I’m never sure that Maelor knows just how many people appreciate his work – but I certainly do.
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It seems that the Pentecostal PM is way ahead of us. I hadn’t realised that electric vehicles would end the weekend or that we’d have to buy really really long extension cords. The Chinese have over 2 million EVs, the US over 1 million. Now they probably don’t have weekends but I wonder how long extension cords are in those countries?https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/apr/07/shorten-wants-to-end-the-weekend-morrison-attacks-labors-electric-vehicle-policy
Installing a reflective or cool roof would have to be one of the simplest changes one could make. The roof functions absolutely normally as a roof, it holds the walls up, keeps the rain off and does all the things we want a roof to do. But wait, there’s more. Sitting under a reflective roof in summer helps you keep your cool so what’s with these dark grey tiles that are the go now?https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-04/uoo-rrc040519.php
When the weather comes on at the end of the news bulletin in Darwin, the temperatures for Dili, Jakarta and Manila are given. Nothing says we are part of Asia more than this daily reminder of the fact. A regular report of atmospheric CO2 levels would be similarly useful but for the fact that the daily difference might suggest that there was no issue. Creative minds, over to you.https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/05/why-the-guardian-is-putting-global-co2-levels-in-the-weather-forecast
Every where we look there are consequences of climate change that many would prefer to pretend aren’t there. Wise leaders and good government would accept that we have problems now and face up to them. The longer we ignore them the more comprehensive they’ll be. When is our election?https://theweek.com/articles/832981/future-climate-change-refugees
Not much lerve out there from environmental groups for the budget. Small ‘l’ liberals like Fraser and Hamer wouldn’t do this.https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2019/04/environment-groups-slam-budget-for-climate-inaction/
Us Bank Australia shareholder/customers are prone to outbreaks of smug and this article tells part of the reason. You could shift your business to them and feel the smug too.https://reneweconomy.com.au/bank-australia-signs-up-for-100pct-renewables-calls-on-business-to-lead-transition-84103/
Ok, this has gone far enough! Now our hearty meal of snails is threatened by the higher temperatures we are having.
A sea wall is a just a massive bandaid with the pustule underneath ready to erupt elsewhere. Are we to put sea walls around every erosion-vulnerable house? Sea level rise, storm tides and storm surges aren’t going to decline in frequency or magnitude so retreat is inevitable, protection is only ever going to be temporary.https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/precedent-collaroy-residents-to-get-state-subsidy-for-sea-walls-20190329-p5190y.html
Across the environment sector, there’re research organisations, policy organisations, activist organisations and others. There’s a group with an approach to fit most citizens. They just about all earn the ire of governments, particularly authoritarian strong-man governments, which prefer to avoid challenge and scrutiny. Narendra Modi heads one such government and his threats to civil society in general, and to Greenpeace in particular, are to be resisted for the good of all.https://newmatilda.com/2019/03/29/profit-before-people-why-india-has-silenced-greenpeace/
Hoons shredding this regrowth area reminds us that we have a long way to go in enlisting the whole population in environmental care and protection. Despondency is understandable, persistence is necessary.https://www.canberratimes.com.au/canberra-news/never-seen-anything-like-it-hoons-shred-up-regrowth-area-20190326-p517me.html