WTF is the ‘Global Stocktake’? We explain the ‘heart’ of COP28
6 December 2023
Confused about the term COP delegates keep throwing around? We’ve got you covered. Hint: It’s critical to the future of humanity.
Cells of people living in greener areas age more slowly, research finds
5 December 2023
Many studies have shown that people living in greener neighborhoods have several health benefits, including lower levels of stress and cardiovascular disease. But new research indicates that exposure to parks, trees and other green spaces can slow the rates at which our cells age.
4 December 2023
For the first time ever, food and agriculture took center stage at the annual United Nations climate conference in 2023.
Australian populations of threatened bird species fall 60% in past 40 years
1 December 2023
The threatened bird index reveals largest declines in Queensland and South Australia
30 November 2023
Fossil fuel giants and other foreign multinationals are again the biggest tax dodgers in Australia. Callum Foote and Michael West unveil the un-prestigious Michael West Media Top 40 Tax Dodgers awards.
Enough of the guesswork: Energy think-tank says govt should invest in measuring emissions
29 November 2023
Australia is only “guessing” how much greenhouse gas it produces and the federal government should invest $60 million in new infrastructure to measure its real environmental impact, according to a renewable energy think tank.
We’ve committed to protect 30% of Australia’s land by 2030. Here’s how we could actually do it
28 November 2023
In the mid 1990s, only 7% of Australia’s land was protected for conservation. Now, it’s more than tripled to 22%. But to reach our ambitious goal of boosting protection to 30% by 2030, we’ll have to sharpen our focus and boost funding.
Green growth or degrowth: what is the right way to tackle climate change?
27 November 2023
Nearly all the world’s governments and vast numbers of its people are convinced that addressing human-induced climate change is essential if healthy societies are to survive. The two solutions most often proposed go by various names but are widely known as “green growth” and “degrowth”. Can these ideas be reconciled? What do both have to say about the climate challenge?
How to ensure Bowen’s underwriting scheme doesn’t create another Snowy 2.0 debacle
24 November 2023
Federal Labor’s move to underwrite 32GW of renewables and storage is nothing short revolutionary. But abandoning market-based mechanisms carries its own serious risks.
Five ways retrofitting cities can help decarbonise our future
23 November 2023
New construction is the source of massive amounts of carbon pollution. Retrofitting existing infrastructure is cleaner, and brings multiple benefits
22 November 2023
Leading energy modellers forecast temperature rises will be kept within 2C of pre-industrial levels thanks to rapidly advancing clean technologies.
Revealed: the huge climate impact of the middle classes 21 November 2023
Carbon emissions of richest 10% is up to 40 times bigger than poorest, and ignoring divide may make ending climate crisis impossible, experts say
Five years on, the world is failing to learn the gilets jaunes’ lesson about class and climate
20 November 2023
From the reaction to Ulez in London to heat pumps in Germany, eco-policies are still too often felt as sanctions on working people
5 things we need to see in Australia’s new nature laws
17 November 2023
Australia’s abysmal rates of extinctions and land clearing since European colonisation are infamous globally. Our national environmental legislation has largely failed to protect biodiversity, including many threatened plants, animals and ecological communities. But change is afoot.
‘Tsunami’ of plastic damaging health must be stopped, scientists warn UN
15 November 2023
Global population ‘eat and drink’ hazardous material, world leaders told amid treaty negotiations.
Young Australians want the right to a healthy environment enshrined in law
14 November 2023
A poll of 1,700 Australians aged 13–24, conducted as part of the research, reveals:
- Nine out of ten young people believe they have a right to a healthy environment.
- 74% believe climate change will make their lives harder and the same percentage say the federal government should do more to address the problem.
- Two thirds believe the federal government should pay more attention to their views on climate change.
Feral horses and peatland carbon emissions
13 November 2023
A ground-breaking new study has found carbon emissions from Australian alpine peatlands to be much higher in areas disturbed by feral horses.
Smart climate policy is good for people, not just the environment
10 November 2023
Fighting climate change can improve our diets and physical health. It’s not too late to adopt smarter policy.
Climate disconnect grows wider as fossil fuel use soars to ‘double’ required level by 2030
7 November 2023
The gap between climate rhetoric and fossil fuel use is growing, according to a UN report that warns the world’s carbon budget has almost been used up.
“Steamrolled:” Loss and Damage deal described as “sombre day” for climate justice
7 November 2023
“This was not climate justice provided but naked power politics by developed countries, led by the US, at its worst,” say critics of key decision taken ahead of climate talks.
Meat-loving Australia has no appetite for vegetarian diet to help planet, study finds
6 November 2023
La Trobe University research shows Australians would prefer to embrace many other green options to help the environment before giving up meat and becoming vegetarians.
The ‘flickering’ of Earth systems is warning us: act now, or see our already degraded paradise lost
5 November 2023
When Rishi Sunak granted 27 new North Sea licences this week, he wasn’t thinking about the survival of the living world.
How might we build trust in an untrusting world?
3 November 2024
Considering the challenge of polarization in digital societies
Slip, slap, sloppy: Squillions spent on public education, but not on our most pressing threat
2 November 2023
Clever ads cut smoking among Australians and increased their use of seatbelts and sunscreen – but where’s the education campaign for the dangers of climate change?
Humans are disrupting natural ‘salt cycle’ on a global scale, new study shows
1 November 2023
A new paper revealed that human activities are making Earth’s air, soil and freshwater saltier, which could pose an ‘existential threat’ if current trends continue. Geologic and hydrologic processes bring salts to Earth’s surface over time, but human activities such as mining and land development are rapidly accelerating this natural ‘salt cycle.’
Get ready for an uninsurable future
31 October 2023
It’s no surprise that a UN think-tank issued yet another dire warning last week about accelerating global extinctions, groundwater depletion, melting mountain glaciers, space debris and unbearable heat.
We must assess ‘cumulative impacts’ to protect nature from death by a thousand cuts
30 October 2023
Australia’s national environment protection law ignores the big picture. Like a racehorse wearing blinkers, decision-makers focus on a single project in isolation. If they dropped the blinkers and considered the combined effects of multiple projects, they might shy away from allowing so many harmful impacts.
Barack Obama
29 October 2023
Rishi Sunak says AI has threats and risks – but outlines its potential
28 October 2023
Artificial intelligence could help make it easier to build chemical and biological weapons, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned.
In a worst-case scenario, society could lose all control over AI, preventing it from being switched off, Mr Sunak said.
‘2m Aussies must change jobs for Net Zero’
A staggering two million Aussies will have to change jobs if the country is to meet its target of being Net Zero by 2050.
27 October 2023
National road-user charges are needed – and most people are open to it, our research shows
26 October 2023
The High Court ruled last week that Victoria’s road-user charge for electric vehicle (EV) drivers is unconstitutional. Because the court decided it’s an excise, only the Commonwealth can now impose such a tax.
Earth’s ‘vital signs’ worse than at any time in human history, scientists warn
25 October 2023
Life on planet is in peril, say climate experts, as they call for a rapid and just transition to a sustainable future.
24 October 2023
The beauty and wonder of the natural world is what keeps scientists like Dana Bergstrom fighting to protect it. She’s one of many who say speaking out comes at a cost but not speaking up can take an even greater personal toll.
David Karoly says the worst example of direct censorship he experienced was as a reviewer on the two-yearly State of the Climate report, published jointly by CSIRO and the BoM.
‘Strange Fruit’ by Abel Meeropol
Sometime in the early 1930s, a young and liberal-thinking schoolteacher Abel Meeropol saw a photograph of a lynching in Omaha, Nebraska, America. The images haunted him for days and he was so upset by what he saw that he wrote a poem about such atrocities,
Southern trees bear a strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
Pastoral scene of the gallant South,
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh,
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.
We need new solutions to reach Australia’s 2030 renewable goals
The overwhelming takeaway from industry experts at this year’s AFR Energy & Climate Summit was that while commitment to ambitious clean energy goals remains strong, achieving 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030 is fast becoming unachievable under the existing plan.
The original and still the best: why it’s time to renew Australia’s renewable energy policy
If Australia is to meet its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 43% below 2005 levels by 2030, we need to cut emissions faster. Even if all current government policy commitments are achieved – an unlikely outcome given delays in implementation – emissions are still projected to be only 40% below 2005 levels by 2030.
New report has terrific news for the climate
On the climate crisis, there’s good news and bad news. That’s according to the latest report from the International Energy Agency, or IEA, taking stock of humanity’s progress in addressing the problem.
Climate change has toppled some civilizations but not others. Why?
The link between environmental disasters and societal collapse, explained.
Psychology and climate change: Some need-to-knows
We can slow, halt, and reverse rising temperatures. Psychology can hurt or help.
Today (6/10/2023) I received this EMAIL from CLIMARTE. The Chair of CLIMARTE is Deborah Hart who was the founder of LIVE. As I am the current Convenor of LIVE, I recommend you read the email as I feel just as Deborah does, but unfortunately I am not as eloquent as she is with words. David Robinson
How criminalisation is being used to silence climate activists across the world
Guardian investigation finds growing number of countries passing anti-protest laws as part of playbook of tactics to intimidate people peacefully raising the alarm
“Not listening to scientists:” Most Australians don’t think climate change is a serious problem
Griffith Uni study find most Australians are not not listening to climate scientists, they’re “looking out the window and saying ‘I think the weather is all right’.”
Australia opens $2 billion tender to support massive green hydrogen projects
Federal government formally opens the tender process for the $2 billion hydrogen head-start program as Australia tries to keep pace in the global green energy arms race.
Climate crisis costing $16m an hour in extreme weather damage, study estimates
Analysis shows at least $2.8tn in damage from 2000 to 2019 through worsened storms, floods and heatwaves
Why is the world so incredibly hot right now? It’s not just climate change
Climate change is the main reason temperatures are so high right now, but here are five other reasons you might not be aware of.
Is there really a 1 in 6 chance of human extinction this century?
In 2020, Oxford-based philosopher Toby Ord published a book called The Precipice about the risk of human extinction. He put the chances of “existential catastrophe” for our species during the next century at one in six.
Planned degrowth is needed to stop the collapse of civilisation
An opinion piece (‘Degrowth approach is disastrous’, Canberra Times, 9 September, p.38) by authors from the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) attacked the concept of degrowth to a steady-state economy (SSE) and defended the notion of continuing economic growth on a finite planet.
Abandoned lands: a hidden resource for restoring biodiversity
Abandoned farmland has been increasing, with a billion acres — an area half the size of Australia — lost globally. Ecologists are increasingly pointing to the potential of these lands and of degraded forests as neglected resources for rewilding and for capturing carbon.
Last week was a big moment in my life. I have long thought that no sane person could ever advocate for nuclear energy, given its undeniable connection to devastating weaponry, catastrophic operational failures and permanently toxic waste. Yet I did.
Toyota CEO “Our Solid State Battery Will Change The Industry In 2024
Toyota is known for its innovation and reliability, but it has been lagging behind in the electric vehicle (EV) market. However, that could soon change with its new solid-state battery technology that promises to revolutionize the industry. In this video, we will explore how Toyota’s solid-state battery works, what advantages it has over conventional lithium-ion batteries, and how it could give Toyota’s EVs a staggering 750-mile range. This is not a fantasy, but a reality that Toyota plans to unveil in 2024. Don’t miss this video if you want to learn more about the future of EVs and Toyota’s game-changing battery technology.
It was a rare bit of good news on climate. The International Energy Agency this week released its latest net zero roadmap, showing it was still just possible to hold global heating to 1.5℃.
Climate change is hurting our mental health. How ‘climate cafes’ can help
Similar to grief circles or other types of peer-support groups, these informal gatherings help people work through the emotional distress of living in a climate emergency.
‘Staggering’ green growth gives hope for 1.5C, says global energy chief
IEA’s Fatih Birol says uptake of solar power and EVs is in line with net zero goal but rich countries must hasten their broader plans
Container deposit schemes reduce rubbish on our beaches. Here’s how we proved it
Our beaches are in trouble. Limited recycling programs and a society that throws away so much have resulted in more than 3 million tonnes of plastic polluting the oceans. An estimated 1.5–1.9% of this rubbish ends up on beaches.
‘Moto-normativity’: why cycling professor wants Australians to rethink how we use our roads
Dutch social scientist says redesigning our cities to be less car-centric will foster community, improve wellbeing and help the environment
It’s a little word, but if you’re a chronic people pleaser it can be so tricky to say it. These tips and tricks will help
We need to brace ourselves.
‘Nature positive’ isn’t just planting a few trees – it’s actually stopping the damage we do
Have you heard the phrase “nature positive”? It’s suddenly everywhere. The idea is simple: rather than continually erode the natural world, nature positive envisions a future with more nature than we have now.
Premiers should cool it in their rush to build
As premiers Minns and Andrews race to address the housing crisis, curbing the planning powers of local governments to stop development, they need to convince us they are not greenlighting poorly designed apartment blocks that will make neighbourhoods unliveable in years to come.
Beyond politics: Why battle to rein in climate change can only be decided in our courts
We are facing a summer when global extreme climate change will be the unavoidable topic. Dennis Atkins says young people are demanding action now, and are prepared to use the courts to make their point.
Politicians are hurting us all by weaponising renewables
I’m furious that serious issues are being co-opted by politicians to stir up anti-renewable sentiment in regional communities instead of working together to implement solutions – especially considering regional communities stand to benefit the most from well-planned clean energy projects.
Our planet is burning in unexpected ways – here’s how we can protect people and nature
People have been using fire for millennia. It is a vital part of many ecosystems and cultures. Yet human activities in the current era, sometimes called the “Anthropocene”, are reshaping patterns of fire across the planet.
Protected nature reserves alone are insufficient for reversing biodiversity loss
Protected nature areas are considered fundamental for maintaining biodiversity and countering its loss. But how effectively do established protected areas work and prevent negative trends? Research shows mixed effects of protected areas on various species.
Earth ‘well outside safe operating space for humanity’, scientists find
First complete ‘scientific health check’ shows most global systems beyond stable range in which modern civilisation emerged
Lead poisoning linked to 5M annual deaths in shocking study
Modelling research indicates that lead poisoning has a more substantial impact on global health than previously believed.
Daniel James
The Monthly
12 September 2023
When it comes to the climate, leaders will only grasp that the writing is on the wall when the wall is burning
This is what Earth’s hottest summer on record looks like
Gavin Butler
SBS News
11 September 2023
Graphs show the dire reality of spiking temperatures around the world, in what is quickly shaping up to be Earth’s hottest year since records began.
Cities are advertising themselves as ‘climate havens.’ Experts say there’s no such thing
Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
The Hill
8 September 2023
As the consequences of the planet warming grow ever more apparent, some cities are marketing themselves as “climate havens,” or refuges from extreme climate conditions. But experts agree that no city, state or region of the country is truly immune from the climate crisis.
Sunrise above primeval forest of Pemberton Western Australia
A good start to urgent climate change abatement: end native forest logging now
Bob Debus
Pearls and Irritations
7 September 2023
The native forest logging industry is a fundamental danger to Australia’s natural environment and an utter disaster for climate change policy.
The continent that’s warming faster than anywhere else
Reuters
SBS News
6 September 2023
Africa was hit by 80 extreme weather and climate hazards last year, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
Andy Sheppard et al
The Conversation
5 September 2023
Invasive alien species are driving biodiversity loss and extinctions in every country, all over the world. Responding to the challenge, the United Nations is today releasing the first global assessment of invasive alien species and their control.
There’s a battle over carbon emerging from the war in Ukraine
Sebastien Malo
Politico
4 September 2023
Putting a figure on the carbon emissions tied to Russia’s invasion might help people outside of Ukraine understand the massive stakes of the conflict and care more about it.
A little boy is exploring nature outside by looking at grass through a magnifying glass.
Why we need an Earth System Treaty
Geoffrey Holland and Julian Cribb
Pearls and Irritations
1 September 2023
“Humanity created its current dire trajectory. It is now time to change course with a binding global treaty designed to empower individuals, institutions, and policymakers, and through this shared effort, reduce the existential threats to civilisation. The Earth Systems Treaty is potentially a major step forward, a step towards a healthy future for all.”– Paul R. Ehrlich, Emeritus Professor, Stanford University
We studied more than 1,500 coastal ecosystems – they will drown if we let the world warm above 2C
Neil Saintilan
Thw Conversation
31 August 2023
Our new research, published today in the journal Nature, analyses the vulnerability and exposure of mangroves, marshes and coral islands to sea level rise. The results underscore the critical importance of keeping global warming within 2 degrees of the pre-industrial baseline.
The true cost of climate pollution? 44% of corporate profits
Kate Yoder
Grist
30 August 2023
What if companies had to pay for the problems their carbon emissions cause? Their profits would plunge, according to new estimates, possibly wiping out trillions in financial gains.
the light bulb sits on the ground Plants grow on stacked coins. Renewable energy production is essential for the future. Green businesses using renewable energy can limit climate change and global warming.
Fatal mistake: Intergenerational report misleads on climate risks
David Spratt and Ian Dunlop
Pearls and Irritationa
29 August 2023
The Australian Government’s public analysis of climate risk, our greatest threat, is dangerously misleading. The Intergenerational Report 2023 (IGR) is a prime example. By dumbing down the implications of climate change with simplified economic models, the IGR and similar reports are institutionalising the global failure to face climate reality.
Fossil fuels being subsidised at rate of $13m a minute, says IMF
Damian Carrington
The Guardian
25 August 2023
Oil, gas and coal benefited from $7tn in support in 2022 despite being primary cause of climate crisis
Carbon tax on the rich: Why world’s wealthiest should pay for their emissions
Rachel Williamson
Renew Economy
24 August 2023
A tax on investments rather than consumption would do more to force wealthy people to act on emissions – if only to protect their own portfolio income from stranded assets.
Jason Alexandra et al
The Conversation
23 August 2023
The national cabinet has announced plans to build an extra 1.2 million homes by July 1 2029. The construction, operation and maintenance of buildings accounts for almost a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. If these new homes are built in a business-as-usual fashion, they will significantly increase national greenhouse gas emissions.
Anger is most powerful emotion by far for spurring climate action, study finds
Ajit Niranjan
The Guardian
22 August 2023
Link to climate activism is seven times stronger for anger than it is for hope, say Norwegian researchers
Saphira Rekker and Belinda Wade
The Conversation
21 August 2023
Rapid reductions in fossil fuel production and use are essential to limit global warming to 1.5℃ compared to pre-industrial levels. Our new research shows most of the world’s major coal, oil and gas companies are yet to make meaningful reductions.
‘Reality catching up with rhetoric’ as coal-fired closure delayed
Daniel Mercer
ABC News
18 August 2023
Across Australia, governments have set ambitious goals for turning their power systems green. But a decision to keep a coal plant running longer suggests the rhetoric is not matched by the reality.
Extreme water stress faced by countries home to quarter of world population
Sandra Laville
The Guardian
17 August b2023
Twenty-five countries are using 80% of their water supplies each year, research shows
Andrew King et al
The Conversation
16 August 2023
Our world-first analysis, published today, examines the experience of global warming over the lifetimes of people around the world: young and old, rich and poor. We sought to identify who has perceived warmer temperatures most keenly.
For decades, our carbon emissions sped the growth of plants — not anymore
Author Unspecified
Yale Environment 360
For the last century, rising levels of carbon dioxide helped plants grow faster, a rare silver lining in human-caused climate change. But now, as drier conditions set in across much of the globe, that uptick in growth is leveling off, a new study finds.
Scientists look beyond climate change and El Nino for other factors that heat up Earth
Scientists are wondering if global warming and El Nino have an accomplice in fueling this summer’s record-shattering heat.
SETH BORENSTEIN
Associated Press
14 August 2023
Report emphasizes impacts of climate change on children’s health
Susan Dunlap
NM Political Report
11 August 2023
Children are at greater risk to pollutants and various deleterious effects caused by climate change, including behavioral health risks, a new report foun
Climate education that builds hope and agency, not fear
Jeffrey D. Corbin, Meghan A. Duffy, Jacquelyn L. Gill and Carly Ziter
EOS
10 August 2023
Reframing climate change education around a message of “hopeful alarm” not only will underscore the threats we face but will also show students how they can act to shape the future.
Air pollution linked to rise in antibiotic resistance that imperils human health
Andrew Gregory
The Guardian
9 August 2023
A global study suggests the connection has strengthened over time across every country and continent.
Global warming to global boiling: Do such phrases help climate action?
Noel Castree
Fast Compamy
8 August 2023
So says a U.N. official, at least. It’s a term that sounds the alarm on the climate crisis—but does such rhetoric help or hinder climate action?
‘Despair is a luxury we can’t afford’: David Suzuki on fighting for action on the climate crisis
Adam Morton
‘The Guardian
7 August 2023
The celebrated science broadcaster and environmental activist says we have to stop elevating the economy and politics over the state of our world
Andrew Blakers and David Firnando Silalahi
The Conversation
4 August 2023
Vast arrays of solar panels floating on calm seas near the Equator could provide effectively unlimited solar energy to densely populated countries in Southeast Asia and West Africa.
Oil refinery plant from industry zone, Aerial view oil and gas industrial, Refinery factory oil storage tank and pipeline steel at night.
Just transition? Fossil fuel industries must pay the entire cost
Frank Formby
Pearls and Irritations
3 August 2023
For a transition to a low carbon economy to be just, the Australian government should force the fossil fuel industries to pay the entire cost.
Eating less meat ‘like taking 8m cars off road’
Pallab Ghosh
BBC News
2 August 2023
Big meat eaters’ diets result in almost twice the carbon emissions per day of those who eat small amounts of meat
Climate change can drive social tipping points – for better or for worse
Sonia Graham
The Conversation
1 August 2023
It’s impossible to turn on the TV, listen to the radio or scroll social media without hearing about real-world climate impacts. July is the hottest month on record.
The era of ‘global boiling’ is here. These are the most impactful changes you can make to combat it
Jessica Bahr
SBS News
31 July 2023
The United Nations says the era of “global boiling” has arrived. Here are the top three things you can do to reduce your impact.
Steve McKenna
The Age
30 July 2023
If ever a city deserved gold for life’s delights – food, drink, art, design, fashion – it’s Paris.
7 Jaw-dropping Photos Recovered From The Ocean
Faze
Medium.com
29 July 2023
Venturing into the Abyss — Unearthing spine-chilling deep sea photos.
Climate and ecological security: time for rogue thinking?
Elizabeth Boulton
Pearls and Irritations
28 July 2023
Imagine encountering an enemy and, as it starts to reveal its full array of tactics and capabilities, a feeling of ice-cold fear runs through your chest. In an instant, you realise that you are out-matched; you’ve been out-witted, and defeat is a real possibility.
We will not be silenced
Stop dissembling: International Climate Emergency Mobilisation is essential – now
Chris Barrie, John Blackburn and Ian Dunlop
Pearls and Irritations
27 July 2023
Whilst some incremental progress has been made following the 2022 change of Federal government, evidence confirms that both main political parties lack the imagination, courage and leadership to adequately address climate change.
The threat Australia faces that’s ‘worse than rabbits, cane toads, and feral cats combined’
AAP
SBS News
26 July 2023
Fire ants are breaching their containment zones in Queensland and a recently-discovered nest was the closest one has ever been to the NSW border. There could be devastating consequences if they cross.
Here’s what we know about extreme heat continuing to grip much of the world
Georgie Hewson
ABC News
25 July 2023`
Record breaking high temperatures are set to continue for Europe and the US in August, experts warn.
Plastic’s climate footprint staring us in the face
Maya Rommwatt
LA Progressive
24 July 2023
As we create policies and incentives to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we have a plastic-shaped hole in our vision.
Renewables could pass coal as leading global power source next year
Amalyah Hart
Renew Economy
23 July 2023
Renewable electricity generation could outpace coal as world’s largest source of power in 2024, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency.
We need an Earth System Treaty to save civilisation. And we need it now
Julian Cribb
Pearls and Irritations
22 July 2022
The Council for the Human Future has proposed we adopt an Earth System Treaty. This is a global legal accord, to be negotiated, signed and ratified by all the nations of the Earth, under the UN umbrella.
Previous daily postings are below the “Rachel’s Farm” and “Wild at Art” articles.
Rachel’s Farm Q&A Screening Tour
Film director and actress Rachel Ward is not the first person you’d expect to join a farming revolution. In this triumphant film, Rachel voyages from wilful ignorance about the ecological impacts of conventional agriculture on her own rural property, to embracing a movement to restore the health of Australia’s farmland, food and climate.
Join Director Rachel Ward & Special Guests at a Q&A screening
(Click on Book Tickets then on VIC for Victorian theatres)
Wild At Art is Australia’s biggest wildlife art competition for kids.
Government’s Climate Active program should be probed for potential greenwashing, Allan Fels says
Graham Readfearn
The Guardian
21 July 2023
Former ACCC boss has told a Senate inquiry the certification program could be guilty of ‘misleading and deceptive conduct’
Forked Tongues: heavy emitters exposed as hypocrites on climate action, new analysis shows
Callum Foote
Michael West Media
20 July 2023
Behind public statements supporting climate action, key companies engaged in extensive lobbying against Labor’s flagship climate policy
Traditional owners win legal challenge to stop nuclear waste facility
ABC News
18 July 2023
Traditional owners on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula have won a legal challenge to stop the federal government building a nuclear waste facility near Kimba.
Jamie Pittock
The Conversation
18 July 2023
The Murray Darling Basin Plan is an historic deal between state and federal governments to save Australia’s most important river system. The A$13 billion plan, inked over a decade ago, was supposed to rein in the water extracted by farmers and communities, and make sure the environment got the water it needed.
Can we mine the world’s deep ocean without destroying it?
RICHARD SCHIFFMAN
Yale Environment 360
17 July 2023
The U.N. body charged with regulating deep-ocean mining will soon consider whether to permit the first project to move forward. But ecologist Lisa Levin, who has long studied the deep sea, worries that in the rush for key minerals, a pristine and important ecosystem will be lost.
The physics of coal power made Australia’s grid strong. What happens when it’s gone?
Daniel Mercer
ABC News
15 July 2023
Coal plants have long provided intrinsic strength to Australia’s grid. How to replace those properties is one of the big challenges in the energy transition.
The political swamp will not be cleansed by the eventual departure of Morrison
George Megalogenis
The Age
15 July 2023
There is a danger in the ongoing humiliation of Scott Morrison that he becomes a fall guy for a wider system failure.
Why Individual Action on the Climate Crisis Matters
Peter Knapp
The New Climate.
14 July 2023
Yes of course, only systemic change will do; but that begins with individual actions.
Pesticides from farming leach into world’s waterways at rate of 710 tonnes a year, UN research shows
Donna Lu
The Guardian
13 July 2023
Safe levels exceeded in 13,000km of rivers globally with ingredients potentially degrading into more persistent substances
Douglas Bardsley
The Conversation
12 July 2023
New research shows scientists have underestimated the climate risk to agriculture and global food production. Blind spots in climate models meant “high-impact but deeply-uncertain hazards” were ignored. But now that the threat of “synchronised harvest failures” has been revealed, we cannot ignore the prospect of global famine.
Sean Kelly
The Age
11 July 2023
Too many politicians want to find policies that allow them to fight a populist battle against an easily vilified enemy.
Australia’s annual plastic consumption produces emissions equivalent to 5.7m cars, analysis shows
Donna Lu
The Guardian
10 July 2023
Plastics consumed nationally in 2019-20 created 16m tonnes of greenhouse gases, report says
US puts climate change at centre of China talks
Andrea Shalal
New Daily
9 July 2023
The US and China, as the world’s two largest economies, must work together to combat the “existential threat” of climate change, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has told Chinese government officials and climate experts.
To save the planet, should we really be moving slower?
Bill McKibben
The New Yorker
8 July 2023
The degrowth movement makes a comeback.
How hot is too ‘too hot’ for humans?
EurekAlert!
7 July 2023
Ongoing research by Prof. Lewis Halsey and his team at the University of Roehampton, UK has identified that an upper critical temperature (UCT) exists for humans and is likely to be between 40°C and 50°C. Further research is now underway to explain this rise in metabolic energy costs at high temperatures.
The media covers only a narrow slice of climate research
Sarah DeWeerdt
Anthropocene
6 July 2023
Tens of thousands of papers about climate change are published every year, but media coverage isn’t giving the public a full picture of this research, according to a new study.
Australia’s fossil fuel methane emissions are nearly twice as bad as industry reports
Rachel Williamson
Renew Economy
5 July 2023 2
Methane emissions from Australia’s fossil fuel industry are nearly twice as bad as reported, and polluters will have to double their planned emission cuts to make up for it.
Canada learnt from its Black Summer moment. Why haven’t we?
Greg Mullins
The Age
4 July 2023
The Canadian government is poised to end fossil fuel subsidies. Australia’s policymakers are heading in the opposite direction.
The Murray-Darling Basin shows why the ‘social cost of water’ concept won’t work
Sarah Ann Wheeler and Claudia Ringler
The Conversation
3 July 2023
Access to safe, clean water is a basic human right. But water scarcity or barriers to access can cause conflict within and between countries.
Getting adults on board with messy nature play
University of South Australia
2 July 2023
Climbing trees, making mud pies, or simply playing outside, parents and educators know that being in nature is an important part of every childhood. But when it comes to messy or risky play, it’s a whole different story according to new research.
China adds 62 gigawatts of solar capacity in just five months, compared to 10 gigs in the US
Juan Cole
Pearls and Irritations
1 July 2023
Carrie Xiao at PV Tech reports that in the first five months of 2023, China has installed 62.1 gigawatts of solar capacity at a cost of $13.6 billion. Year on year, it was a 140 per cent expansion.
800 species to become extinct due to climate change – study
The Jerusalem Post
Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman
30 June 2023
Climate change is presenting a growing threat to many animals, particularly amphibians and reptiles.
Rusty Langdon and Elsa Dominish
The Conversation
29 June 2023
We are seeing the biggest changes in our energy and transport systems since industrialisation. By 2026, global renewable energy generation is expected to match total fossil fuel and nuclear output. Building the wind and solar farms, batteries and electricity networks we need to run our system on renewables will use a huge array of mined minerals, known as “transition minerals”.
Destruction of world’s pristine rainforests soared in 2022 despite Cop26 pledge
Patrick Greenfield
The Guardian
28 June 2023
An area of primary rainforest the size of Switzerland was felled last year suggesting world leaders’ commitment to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 is failing
The false security of offsetting
Peter Boyer
South Wind
27 June 2023
If you really want to know whether the human race is taming the climate monster, ignore rooftop panels installed, trees planted, or new laws passed. All you need to know is the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.
We don’t have to be overwhelmed by climate anxiety. Feel the pain, then act
Susie Orbach
The Guardian
26 June 2023
We might be scared and not know what to do. But as a new film reveals, that can help
Inside Charm Industrial’s multimillion-dollar bid to remove CO2 with plants
Maria Gallucci
Canary Media
25 June 2023
The high-flying startup claims to have locked away more carbon than any other venture by turning plant waste into crude-like oil and injecting it underground.
Graham Readfearn
The Guardian
24 June 2023
Poll also reveals increasing cynicism over environmental claims made by companies
Ecological tipping points could occur much sooner than expected, study finds
Jonathan Watts
The Guardian
23 June 2023
Amazon rainforest and other ecosystems could collapse ‘very soon’, researchers warn
‘A green transition that leaves no one behind’: world leaders release open letter
The Guardian
22 June 2023
Rishi Sunak, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron and other international leaders address development needs
Steve Turton
The Conversation
21 June 2023
Recent spikes in ocean heat content and average global air temperature have left climate scientists across the world scrambling to find the cause.
Australians far less aware of biodiversity loss than climate crisis, research finds
Lisa Cox
The Guardian
20 June 2023
But a majority of Australians think more money should be spent on the environment
Adam Morton
The Guardian
19 June 2023
Grattan Institute analysis recommends governments help households transition to electric, and ban new gas connections for homes and businesses
Oliver A.H. Jones
The Conversation
18 June 2023
In the 19th century, many of Australia’s urban creeks and rivers were in poor shape. Melbourne’s major river, the Maribyrnong, was full of waste from abattoirs, tanneries and factories.
Only about 5% of the substances listed in the industrial chemical inventories of Europe, China, and the United States have been analyzed to see if they are in the environment, according to this review covering chemicals produced in the past 50 years. Pharmaceuticals and pesticides, however, are more widely measured.
For my next trick … COVID data nerds have found a new enemy to crunch
Juliette O’Brien
The Age
16 June 2023
COVID is over, I hear you say (or the first-time universal shock of it is). I get it. So why bother talking about these lessons? Because COVID was a hothouse for learning the best ways to measure and communicate data that is in the public interest. One area where we must heed these lessons is climate change.
Climate blind spot: Report calls for new focus on renewable heat and fuels
Joshua S Hill
Renew Economy
15 June 2023
New report from REN21 warns that a failure to evolve renewable heat and fuels is prolonging reliance on coal, gas, oil and nuclear.
Solar pushes global grid to “cascading tipping points”, and puts science targets within reach
Joshua S Hill
Reney Economy
14 June 2023
The surge in global solar investments is creating cascading tipping points for the global grid, and even putting science based climate targets within reach.
An urgent reminder of why we need new national nature laws
Jenita Enevoldsen
The Canberra Times
13 June 2023
On the same day that the state of Victoria announced native forest logging would end within a year, the Northern Territory government officially rolled out the red carpet to large-scale cotton irrigators and beef producers, to expand land clearing and deforestation across 100,000 hectares.
Look out! Here come The Elders…
Julian Cribb
Perrls and Irritations
12 June 2023
There is rising wrath, out there in Elderland. The Elders, it seems, are no longer happy to look on as a bunch of corporates and their political stooges pillage the planet and lay waste their grandchildren’s future. With growing resolve, resources and organisation, older people are fighting back.
Finally, some seriously good news on climate. And some not so good
Nick O’Malley
The Age
11 June 2023
2023 might prove to be the year in which the world began deploying clean energy technology at a pace fast enough to meet the climate change threat.
Scopes of emissions as greenhouse carbon gas calculation. Companies, industries and cities pollute air directly or indirectly. Diagram with sectors and examples. Cartoon flat vector illustration
It’s time for a climate test before approving large projects
Ralph Evans
Pearls and Irritations
10 June 2023
As a major exporter of fossil fuels, Australia has a hand in emissions several times larger than those we generate here. To avoid climate catastrophe, all greenhouse emissions must be cut, fast. It is time to introduce a test of the impact on the global climate before big new projects are approved.
Peter Burnett
The Conversation
9 June 2023
Victoria recently announced an end to native forest logging in December 2023, six years earlier than previously announced. Western Australia is ending it from January 2024. The Greens and independent federal MPs are now calling on the Albanese government to end native forest logging nationally.
World Oceans Day underscores need to protect ‘the foundation of life’
Over a third of global fish stocks are being harvested at unsustainable levels – just one example of how human activity is harming oceans, which cover more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface.
UN News
8 June 2023
Ang Li et al
The Conversation
7 June 2023
Australia, the world’s driest inhabited continent, is particularly vulnerable to climate-related disasters such as droughts, bushfires, storms and floods. In 2020, we were one of the top ten nations in the world for economic damage caused by disasters.
Climate change: How is my country doing on tackling it?
Find out how the world’s major economies are doing on cutting their emissions and what lies ahead.
Jana Tauschinski
BBC News
6 June 2023
The earth has Bipolar Disorder: as do we
Julian Cribb
Perals and Irritations
5 June 2023
World Environment Day – June 5 – demands some sober reflection about the mess we humans have got ourselves into. And how the hell we get out.
 Electrify Everything!
Port Phillip Council Staff The City of Port Phillip’s Sustainability NEWSLETTER has news of their campaign to electrify your home. I did this years ago when we had a gas leak. The quote to run a new gas pipe from the front of our house to the kitchen at the back was astronomical. So we went ELECTRIC. With only 4 SOLAR PANELS energy costs are now just $2 a day. This is something everyone can do! Is your council helping you? |
We asked an AI chatbot how to fight the extinction crisis
John R. Platt
The Revelator
3 June 2023
Algorithms alone can’t save endangered species. For that you need people who care and who act.
The federal budget: what planet does Labour live on?
Jeremy Webb
Pearls and Irritations
2 June 2023
It’s astonishing now that the analytical dust has settled on the budget that out of 57 leading Australian economists, most have given it top marks. What planet we may ask do they – and the Labour Government – live on? Not one critically endangered by climate change and a catastrophic decline in biodiversity which collectively pose an unprecedented threat to our (not to mention the world’s) wellbeing and prosperity.
‘At risk of destabilising the entire planet’: Report lays down boundaries for ‘safe and just’ future
Nick Kilvert
ABC News
1 June 2023
We are “destabilising the entire planet” warn an international team of scientists, who outline the planetary boundaries we need to stay within in order to provide a “safe and just” future.
Rachel Withers
The Monthly
31 May 2023
The right to peaceful protest is important – no ifs, no buts
By 2100, farm numbers will halve and farm size will double
Emma Bryce
Anthropocene
30 May 2023
“This world in which significantly fewer large farms replace numerous smaller ones carries major rewards and risks for the human species and the food systems that support it,” the new study says.
3 little-known reasons why plastic recycling could actually make things worse
Pascal Scherrer
The Conversation
29 May 2023
This week in Paris, negotiators from around the world are convening for a United Nations meeting. They will tackle a thorny problem: finding a globally binding solution for plastic pollution.
In the eye of the hurricane, can we find truth?
Richard Eckersley
Pearls and Irritations
28 May 2023
To survive this critical century, we need to know the truth about it.
The trillion-dollar auction to save the world
Gregory Barber
WIRED
27 May 2023
Ocean creatures soak up huge amounts of humanity’s carbon mess. Should we value them like financial assets?
Toxins hidden in plastics are the industry’s dirty secret – recycling is not the answer
Charlotte Lloyd
The Guardian
26 May 2023
We need to know more about what goes into plastics in the first place and better regulation of how recycled products are used
Recycled plastic can be more toxic and is no fix for pollution, Greenpeace warns
Damien Gayle
The Guardian
25 May 2023
Campaign group says plastics are incompatible with circular economy as countries prepare for treaty talks
David Lindenmayer and Chris Taylor
The Conversation
24 May 2023
By the end of the year, Victoria’s trouble-plagued native forest industry will end – six years ahead of schedule. The state’s iconic mountain ash forests and endangered wildlife will at last be safe from chainsaws. And there will be no shortage of wood – there’s more than enough plantation timber to fill the gap.
Annabelle Workman and Kathryn Bowen
The Conversation
23 May 2023
Two billion people, including many Australians, will find themselves living in dangerously hot places this century if global warming reaches 2.7℃, research released today reveals.
91% deaths of preterm babies due to air pollution occur in low and middle-income nations
Team MP
Millennium Post
22 May 2023
High income countries make the greatest contribution to climate change but the people who have contributed least to the crisis are the most hit, with 91 per cent deaths of preterm babies related to air pollution occurring in low and middle income nations, says a report by UN agencies.
New high risk, high reward studies will tackle key unanswered questions about our planet
Sophie Docker
Eureka Alert
21 May 2021
NERC has invested £25 million in a host of high risk, high reward research projects to tackle critical environment challenges. The 44 projects cover the full spectrum of environmental science including geology, atmospheric science, biodiversity and ecology.
Fossil fuel firms owe climate reparations of $209bn a year, says study
Nina Lakhani
The Guardian
20 May 2023
Groundbreaking analysis by One Earth is first to quantify economic burden caused by individual companies
Saving humanity: here’s a radical approach to building a sustainable and just society
Mark Diesendorf
The Conversation
19 May 2023
Collectively we are driving Earth and civilisation towards collapse. Human activities have exceeded planetary boundaries. We are changing the climate, losing biodiversity, degrading land, contaminating freshwater, and damaging the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles upon which we all depend.
Why government action to thwart neo-Nazi groups is far more difficult than it appears
Greg Barton
The Conversation
18 May 2023
Hate and prejudice hold no place in our community and we will not tolerate any offensive and abhorrent anti-social behaviour. This statement by a Victoria Police spokeswoman could not have been clearer. Hate and prejudice are most certainly not welcome in one of the world’s most diverse and successful multicultural communities.
Tristan Edis
The Guardian
17 May 2023
Taking on vested interests and mandating housing energy ratings and minimum standards are far more important steps
How to tackle climate change? A new book has answers
Susamma Joy Kurian
THE WEEK
16 May 2023
Anilla Cherian, an independent global climate change and clean energy expert, looks at why we have found little success so far in her new book—Air Pollution, Clean Energy and Climate Change. The book argues that while the link between the three is well-established, there is no integrated approach to tackle the same; it is all happening in silos.
Nuremberg trials for imperiling mass extinction of species
Andrew Glikson
Pearls and Irritations
15 May 2023
While “leaders” fail to protect the people from global warming and nuclear war, they have succeeded splendidly in hiding the truth through the denial of climate change, accounting tricks and claims of reduction in domestic emissions, while in fact opening new coal mines, oil wells and fracked coal seams, exporting hydrocarbons through the entire global atmosphere.
AFP (American Family Publishers) News Agency
ABC News
14 May 2023
Once trusted faces on the news, meteorologists now brave threats, insults and slander online from conspiracy theorists and climate change deniers who accuse them of faking or even fixing the weather.
Societal cost of ‘forever chemicals’ about $17.5tn across global economy – report
Tom Perkins
The Guardian
13 May 2023
Chemicals yield profit of about $4bn a year for the world’s biggest PFAS manufacturers, Sweden-based NGO found
Andrew Blakers
The Conversation
12 May 2023
Last year, the world built more new solar capacity than every other power source combined.
Sarah Bekessy et al
The Conversation
11 May 2023
The Albanese government has made bold environmental promises over the last year. Given the parlous state of nature in Australia, these commitments are important.
‘Regenerative agriculture’ is all the rage – but it’s not going to fix our food system
Anja Bless
The Conversation
10 May 2023
Decades of industrial agriculture have caused environmental and social damage across the globe. Soils have deteriorated and plant and animal species are disappearing. Landscapes are degraded and small-scale farmers are struggling. It’s little wonder we’re looking for more sustainable and just ways of growing food and fibre.
We need 100 million new electric machines, and we’ve got 17 budgets to get it right
Giles Parkinson
Renew Economy
9 May 2023
In the race to a renewable grid, the household and the energy decisions made there often get overlooked. This needs to change – and fast.
Learn more about Saul Griffith by reading the following ABC article and viewing the half hour video at the very top of the page.
Fake Reform: Jim Chalmers’ itsy-bitsy tax “hit” is a gift for foreign fossil fuel giants
Michael West
Michael West Media
8 May 2023
Jim Chalmers long-awaited tweaks to the PRRT are the itsy-bitsyist “reforms” about, the equivalent of recycling old Christmas presents with a bright new bow.
Australia needs a more sustainable approach to fashion
SMH editorial
Sydney Morning Herald
7 May 2023
Disposable fashion is imposing a big cost on the Australian economy and the environment. The industry and consumers now demand a more sustainable business model.
The market won’t restore Australia’s degraded ecosystems. Labor needs to get its priorities straight
Adam Morton
The Guardian
6 May 2023
Change will only come when protecting our unique wilderness comes over other considerations. There are concerning signs the Albanese government is not on board
Archie Chapman
The Conversation
5 May 2023
There were an estimated 100 million individual solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in Australia at the end of 2022. We estimate this number will likely grow to over 2 billion if we are to meet Australia’s 2050 net-zero emissions target. This growth means Australia is facing a 450,000-tonne mountain of used PV panels by 2040.
A year after “climate election”, Australian fossil fuel subsidies hit record $57 billion
Amalyah Hart
Renew Economy
4 May 2023
New report says fossil fuel subsidies to hit record $57 billion, just a year after so-called “climate election”.
George Monbiot
The Guardian
3 May 2023
How has Costa Rica managed to restore its natural wonders, while big, rich nations fail? By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 21st April 2023 One of the world’s greatest environmental heroes doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page. Though he has done more to protect the living planet than almost anyone alive, his name is […]
An epic global study of moss reveals it is far more vital to Earth’s ecosystems than we knew
David John Eldridge and Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
The Conversation
2 May 2023
Mosses are some of the oldest land plants. They are found all over the world, from lush tropical rainforests to the driest deserts, and even the wind-swept hills of Antarctica.
Drone seeding and E-seeds sound exciting, but ecosystem restoration needs practical solutions
Simone Pedrini et al
The Conversation
1 May 2023
A drone drops a small wooden projectile with three spiral tails and a seed mounted on the tip. It gently lands on the bare ground and sits there, exposed to the elements, until it rains. Then, the moisture penetrates the wood fibres, and the spiral tails start twisting, slowly pushing the seed into the ground, where it will germinate.
6% of nations provide for citizens in just, sustainable manner
Yazeed M. Aleissa & Bhavik R. Bakshi
One Earth
30 April 2023
Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed a framework for quantifying how well countries around the world are doing at providing adequate food, energy and water to their citizens without exceeding nature’s capacity to meet those needs.
Why Australia needs to change its thinking on growing the economy
Ian Lowe
The Age
29 April 2023
There are two groups who are critically affected by what we do to the natural environment but cannot possibly reflect their wishes in the market: all future generations, and all other species.
What is the global stocktake of climate action and why does it matter?
Matteo Civillini
Climate Home News
28 April 2023
As governments signed up to the Paris agreement in 2015, they committed to officially checking in at the end of 2023 on how the fight against climate change is going. This health check is known as the global stocktake and work toward it began at Cop26 in Glasgow in 2021.
EPA report details the ways climate change endangers children
Joseph Ostapiuk
silive.com
27 April 2023
Climate change will spur cascading risks to children in the coming decades as a warming planet stunts learning, threatens physical health and upends housing security, a new Environmental Protection Agency report found.
Jessica Walsh et al
The Conversation
26 April 2023
Australia’s woodland birds include colourful parrots, flitting honeyeaters, bright blue fairywrens and the unassuming “little brown birds”. Some, such as willie wagtails, laughing kookaburras and rosellas are found in urban gardens. Others, such as swift parrots and regent honeyeaters, are exceptional rarities for which bird enthusiasts spend days or weeks searching.
Climate isn’t a distraction from the military’s job of war fighting. It’s front and centre
Matt McDonald
The Conversation
25 April 2023
It was pitched as the “most significant” shift in Australia’s armed forces in decades. And among the headline announcements, climate change was recognised as an issue of national security.
How is climate change affecting nutrients in plants?
Amber Dance
Knowable Magazine
24 April 2023
Higher levels of carbon dioxide are changing micronutrients in grasses, trees and even kelp. What does that mean for animals higher up the food chain?
The climate and biodiversity crises are not two separate things
Friedrich-Alexander
Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
EurekAlert!
23 April 2023
An unprecedented and continuing loss of biodiversity has been sparked by anthropogenic climate change together with the intensive use and destruction of natural ecosystems. However, since the public often views the climate crisis and the biodiversity crisis as two separate catastrophes, an international team of researchers including paleontologist Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kiessling from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) calls for adopting a new perspective: In their review study just released in the journal “Science”, they recommend protecting and restoring at least 30 percent of all land, freshwater and marine zones, establishing a network of interconnected protected areas, and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between institutions.
When climate despair spills over into righteous violence, can that ever be right?
Natasha Walter
The Guardian
22 April 2023
The film How to Blow Up a Pipeline makes a case for using sabotage, but hope remains that we can build rather than destroy.
Why the food system is the next frontier in climate action
Daniel O’Brien and Devan Crane
Yale Climate Connections
21 April 2023
According to a recent study, virtually all paths to a net-zero-emissions food system rely on consumers in high-income countries shifting to a more plant-forward diet.
Biodiversity targets may be slipping out of reach – study
Helen Briggs
BBC news
20 April 2023
Ambitious targets to halt the decline in nature may already be slipping out of reach, research suggests.
Electric vehicle strategy released with major focus on increasing affordability and supply of EVs
Georgia Hitch
ABC News
19 April 2023
The federal government has released its first electric vehicle strategy and outlined how it plans to remove barriers to buying and increase the uptake of EVs.
Yolanda Lee Waters and Angela Dean
The Conversation
19 April 2023
Promoting small actions, such as reducing plastic use, can be a useful entry point for other actions around climate change. It’s an example of ‘positive spillover behaviour’.
Climate change threatens insects — and us
Tara Lohan
The Revelator
17 April 2023
Researchers warn we risk losing a sustainable future if we don’t take action to conserve insects and address climate change. They also offer solutions.
Living with density: will Australia’s housing crisis finally change the way its cities work?
Elias Visontay
The Guardian
16 April 2023
Experts agree medium- and high-density development in established suburbs is an essential part of making housing more affordable. But the opposition from existing home owners is fierce
Gas can’t compete with wind, solar and storage, even in world’s biggest market
Giles Parkinson
Renew Economy
15 April 2023
Latest cost assessment from Lazard shows that wind, solar and storage win against gas in every metric – including firming – in world’s biggest market.
World’s ocean surface temperature at all-time high
Oceanographic
14 April 2023
The data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has found that the average ocean temperature has been around 21.1C since the beginning of April 2023. This exceeds the highest average temperature that was 21C in 2016. Experts warn that this will lead to an increase in marine heatwaves around the world.
For a 1.5°C aligned electricity sector we need capital – and for capital, we need policy
Tim Buckley
Renew Economy
13 April 2023
Australian governments must do all they can to crowd-in private capital at the scale and speed required to deliver on our energy and climate objectives.
Crisis? What crisis? Media failing to convey the urgency of the climate emergency
Paul Virgo
Inter Press Service
12 April 2023
If an alien landed on Planet Earth today and started watching television and reading the newspapers, it would probably not realize that humanity and the natural world face an existential threat – one that has taken us into the Sixth Mass Extinction, is already devastating the lives of many, especially in the Global South, and is set to hit the rest of us soon.
Nature is in crisis. Here are 10 easy ways you can make a difference
Matthew Selinsk et al
The Conversation
11 March 2023
Last month, Sir David Attenborough called on United Kingdom residents to “go wild once per week”. By this, he meant taking actions which help rather than harm the natural world, such as planting wildflowers for bees and eating more plant-based foods.
Moving towards 3 degrees of warming — the phasing out of coal is too slow
Jessica Jewell
Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden)
10 April 2023
The use of coal power is not decreasing fast enough. The Paris Agreement’s target of a maximum of 2 degrees of warming appear to be missed, and the world is moving towards a temperature increase of 2.5 — 3 degrees. At the same time it is feasible to avoid higher warming.
Carbon Capture Just Got A Whole Lot Cheaper
Will Lockett
Medium.com
9 April 2023
New technology from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is utterly revolutionary.
Hugh Possingham
The Conversation
8 April 2023
Australia has embarked on an experiment to create a market for biodiversity. No, we’re not talking about buying and selling wildlife, although, sadly, there is a black market for that. This is about repairing and restoring landscapes, providing habitat for threatened species and getting business and philanthropy to help pay for it.
Rebecca Pears
The Conversation
6 April 2023
Old tensions emerged between green groups en route to the hard-fought Labor-Greens deal over the safeguard mechanism industrial emissions policy.
Revealed: UAE plans huge oil and gas expansion as it hosts UN climate summit
Damian Carrington
The Guardian
6 April 2023
UAE’s fossil fuel boss will be the president of Cop28, making a mockery of the summit, say campaigners
Jacqueline Peel and Zoe Nay
The Conversation
4 April 2023
The United Nations has just backed a landmark resolution on climate justice.
How to tackle climate change, according to math
Bill McKibben
Rolling Stone
3 April 2023
It’s our last shot to save the planet, and these are the numbers that could change the end of the story.
ABC News
2 April 2023
Without billions of dollars more to feed millions of hungry people, the world will see mass migration, destabilised countries, and starving children and adults in the next 12 to 18 months, the head of the Nobel prize-winning UN World Food Program says.
Wikipedia has a climatetech problem
Mike Munsell
Canary Media
1 April 2023
Millions rely on Wikipedia, but its entries can be outdated or incomplete, especially on climate topics — and that’s where you come in.
Prianka Srinivasan, Fred Hooper and Melissa Maykin
ABC News
31 March 2023
A landmark resolution by Vanuatu law students and its government to get climate change to the world’s highest court has been adopted by the United Nations, in a bid to clarify if states are responsible for preventing climate harm.
Global energy transition “off-track” and needs $US35 trillion by 2030
Joshua S Hill
Renew Economy
30 March 2023
“The stakes could not be higher.” IRENA declares global energy transition “off-track” and in need of massive investment by 2030 to be successful.
Safeguard mechanism still leaves Australia with a big methane problem
Annika Reynolds & Chris Wright
Renew Economy
29 March 2023
Australia has been left in the dark about the scale of the methane pollution from its energy sector, and Safeguard reforms do little to pull back the curtains.
2022 was a good year for nature in Australia – but three nasty problems remain
Albert Van Dijk et al
The Conversation
28 March 2023
A new report card on Australia’s environment reveals 2022 was a bumper year for our rivers and vegetation – but it wasn’t enough to reverse the long-term decline in plant and animal species.
Albanese is just pretending to be tough on emissions
Ross Gittins
The Age
27 March 2023
Labor talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk. Last week’s ‘‘final warning’’ from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – and the Albanese government’s refusal to be moved by it – should be a gamechanger in our assessment of Labor’s willingness to do what must be done.
Australia’s climate targets could go up in smoke amid planned increase in coal, gas use: report
Su-Lin Tan
Pearls and Irritations
27 March 2023
New research shows 116 new government-approved fossil fuel projects due to start before 2030 will emit 4.8 billion tonnes of emissions by then. That amount is vastly more than proposed reduction in emissions; ‘clearly, Australia’s climate policies are not working’
Labor promised a lot during the election. Here’s what you should expect to see
Anthony Segaert
The Sydney Morning Herald
26 March 2023
Here’s everything we know about the major policies unveiled by Chris Minns and Labor during the campaign, and what you can expect from them in government.
While you fight climate wars, we lose the climate battle
Penny Sackett and Chris Barrie
The Age
25 March 2023
The real climate war threatens our lives and livelihoods. It must swiftly and unilaterally end. Nature will not negotiate.
“Criminally irresponsible:” Report finds methane bomb buried in Safeguard design
Amalyah Hart
Renew Economy
24 March 2023
Report says methane emissions from fossil fuel facilities will make up about 70% of total emissions budget covered under Safeguard Mechanism, raising new questions over its integrity.
10 Big Findings from the 2023 IPCC Report on Climate Change
Sophie Boehm and Clea Schumer
World Resources Institute
23 March 2023
March 20 marked the release of the final installment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), an eight-year long undertaking from the world’s most authoritative scientific body on climate change. Drawing on the findings of 234 scientists on the physical science of climate change, 270 scientists on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability to climate change, and 278 scientists on climate change mitigation, this IPCC synthesis report provides the most comprehensive, best available scientific assessment of climate change.
New IPCC report shows Labor’s approach is deadly and reckless
Ketan Joshi
Renew Economy
22 March 2023
The Labor party has manufactured a widespread delusion that climate action can be left to later. What will it take to break through the fog of denial?
This decade last chance to avert climate catastrophe
Miki Perkins and Nick O’Malley
The AGE
21 March 2023
Humanity has a last-ditch chance to make meaningful cuts to greenhouse gases and secure a habitable future for life on Earth, the final instalment of the definitive report on the climate crisis says, and our actions this decade will have profound consequences for thousands of years.
Flood and heat: why millions of fish are dying in western NSW
Graham Readfearn
The Guardian
21 March 2023
How did the latest mass fish kill happen? How does it differ from previous events and how can we stop it happening again?
To all who care about humanity’s and the planet’s future
Joseph Camilleri et al
Pearls and Irritations
20 March 2023
Humanity has reached a tipping point. It is time for governments, international institutions and people everywhere to take stock and act with renewed urgency.
‘A wake-up call’: total weight of wild mammals less than 10% of humanity’s
Robin McKie
The Guardian
19 March 2023
From elephants to tigers, study reveals scale of damage to wildlife caused by transformation of wildernesses and human activity
What can we expect from the final UN climate report? And what is the IPCC anyway?
Nerilie Abram
The Conversation
18 March 2023
After all the talk on the need for climate action, it’s time for a reality check. On Monday the world will receive the latest United Nations climate report. And it’s a big one.
There is no “gas shortage,” just a shortage of ethics and integrity from the gas cartel
Tim Buckley
Renew Economy
17 March 2023
We know the solution to the energy crisis, and it is not to pander to demands from the war-profiteering gas cartel to create new supply.
Ian Lowe
The Conversation
16 March 2023
Within ten years, Australia could be in possession of three American-made Virginia-class nuclear submarines under the AUKUS agreement with the United States and United Kingdom. The following decade, we plan to build five next-generation nuclear submarines.
Where will Australia dump its waste from the AUKUS nuclear submarines?
Nabil Al Nashar
ABC News
15 March 2023
As part of the AUKUS deal, Australia must manage all radioactive waste generated by the submarines on Australian soil. What are the types of waste and where will it be disposed of?
I’ve watched the Murray-Darling for 30 years and I’ve never seen carp numbers like this
Adam Kerezsy
The Guardian
14 March 2023
The great flood of late 2022 changed the ecology of the basin’s rivers, and not in a good way
Voting teal is all very well but curbing our lifestyles to save the planet is crucial
Conal Hanna
The Guardian
13 March 2023
Voting teal is all very well but curbing our lifestyles to save the planet is crucial
How the NSW government acted for climate at the expense of the environment
Nick O’Malley and Laura Chung
The Age
12 March 2023
Conservationists fear the need to negotiate with the Nationals has hampered the Liberals’ ability to deliver better outcomes.
How PR and the fog of corporate disinformation has governments paying to burn the planet
Grant Ennis
Michael West Media
11 March 2023
Public relations is at the core of coal and gas industry influence which has governments actually incentivising the burning of the planet. Ending subsidies and lifting the price of emissions is the simplest and most effective way to transform to a clean energy world
A tonne of fossil carbon isn’t the same as a tonne of new trees: why offsets can’t save us
Wesley Morgan
The Conversation
10 March 2023
This week, the Albanese government is attempting to reform the safeguard mechanism to try to make it actually cut emissions from our highest polluting industrial facilities.
Carbon credits and offsets – What’s the scam?
Kim Wingerei
Michael West Media
9 March 2023
As the Labor Government seeks to get the “Safeguard Mechanism” through Parliament, the opposition to it is getting louder both inside and outside of Parliament. It’s complicated, they say. Or is it?
How saving the rainforests could prevent the next pandemic
Reporter – Caroline Chen
Photographer – Kathleen Flynn
ProPublica
8 March 2023
They set out to save rainforests — and stumbled upon a way to help prevent the world’s next deadly pandemic.
UN takes step toward new way of tracking greenhouse gases
Agence France-Presse
Environmental Health News
7 March 2023
The United Nations announced Monday that it had taken a significant step towards trying to fill a key gap in the fight against climate change: standardized, real-time tracking of greenhouse gases.
To defeat climate change, Australia must do the impossible
Alan Kohler
The New Daily
6 March 2023
The argument between Labor and the Greens about new gas projects is strange and pointless. New projects must be included in the government’s emissions reduction target, which doesn’t change.
‘Let’s get real’: scientists discover a new way climate change threatens cold-blooded animals
Lesley Alton and Vanessa Kellermann
The Conversation
5 March 2023
All animals need energy to live. They use it to breathe, circulate blood, digest food and move. Young animals use energy to grow, and later in life, to reproduce.
10 of the best climate change documentaries to see in 2023
Daisy Simmons
Yale Climate Connections
3 March 2023
What happens when you watch 20 or so documentaries that grapple with climate change and its many impacts — all in a row? I set out to find out at the 21st annual Wild and Scenic Film Festival, held in February in Nevada County, California.
Deflecting sun’s rays to cool overheating Earth needs study, scientists say
Oliver Milman
The Guardian
2 March 2023
More than 60 US scientists, including James Hansen, renowned former Nasa climate researcher, sign open letter
Fossil fuels kill more people than Covid. Why are we so blind to the harms of oil and gas?
Rebecca Solnit
The Guardian
1 March 2023
Were we able to perceive afresh the sheer scale of fossil fuel impact we might be horrified, but because this is an old problem too many don’t see it as a problem
Listen: There’s no shortage of climate solutions — here’s how to tell which ones are legitimate
Eyder Peralta
UPR
28 February 2023
Some ideas to combat climate change are more realistic, and readily available, than others. We’ll highlight some rules of thumb for telling what’s what.
Lessons from evolutionary psychology
Robert Clark
Spectator Australia
27 February 2023
Some of the response to climate change concerns seems driven by emotion more than by reason, and especially to be driven by tribalism. It would be unbearably humiliating if those insufferable, Woke, politically correct leftists were actually right about something.
Want to live life with less plastic? You’re not alone and we need to make it easier
Rob Raven et al
ABC News
26 February 2023
Transitioning to low waste living requires changes in household consumption and waste management practices but research shows making changes and sticking to them is not easy. If the transition to a circular economy is to be successful, it needs to be planned from the perspective of everyday life within households.
Emily Harwitz
Haki Magazine
25 February 2023
Fear leads to anger … anger leads to hate … hate leads to suffering.
Gas industry still talking garbage about big batteries, knowing they will kill its dirty cartel
Giles Parkinson
Renew Economy
24 February 2023
The gas industry is sprouting utter nonsense about big batteries – a technology it knows will kill its dirty cartel in no time at all.
Today’s climate activist ‘criminals’ are tomorrow’s heroes: silencing them in court is immoral
George Monbiot
The Guardian
23 February 2023
It’s not ‘the whole truth and nothing but the truth’ if campaigners cannot explain their motivations to a jury.
Julian Cribb
Pearls and Irritations
22 February 2022
Among the world’s many pressing needs, the most urgent of all is a plan for human survival. And Australia should be the country to lead its creation.
Australian states among world’s most at risk from climate change, extreme weather
Amalyah Hart
Renew Economy
21 February 2023
New report ranking the climate risk of every state, province and territory in the world puts parts of Australia in the top 10 per cent.
One in five developments threatening koala habitat are renewable energy projects
Mike Foley
The Age
20 February 2023
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek faces hard decisions as the government balances competing environmental aims of lowering carbon emissions and avoiding extinctions.
Minimalism is synonymous with wellbeing. Is less really more? Here’s what the research says
ABC News
19 February 2023
“The less you have, the less you have to worry about,” according to Buddha. But beyond the most recent minimalism trend, how is living with less linked to wellbeing?
We found 29 threatened species are back from the brink in Australia. Here’s how
John Woinarski et al
The Conversation
18 February 2023
Australia’s natural world is in deep trouble. Many of our species are getting rarer. Some are now perilously close to extinction, while entire ecosystems face collapse.
World risks descending into a climate ‘doom loop’, warn thinktanks
Damian Carrington
The Guardian
17 February 2023
Report says simply coping with escalating impacts of climate crisis could override tackling root cause
Rising seas threaten ‘mass exodus on a biblical scale’, UN chief warns
Damian Carrington
The Guardian
16 February 2023
António Guterres calls for urgent action as climate-driven sea level rise brings a ‘torrent of trouble’ to almost a billion people,
Labor isn’t rising to the climate occasion – their own projections prove it
Ketan Joshi
Renew Economy
15 February 2023
The Labor government wants to keep climate a quiet issue. But their latest projections show how dire the situation is.
Think plastic pollution is your own fault? That’s rubbish
Marcus Strom
The Age
14 February 2023
Rather than tackle polluting corporate giants, individuals are asked to “do their bit”. The result? People feel powerless and greenwashed corporations continue to trash the planet.
Imagining a world without fossil fuels
Kiley Bense
Inside Climate News
13 February 2023
Mark Stoll’s new book “Profit” describes how capitalism and its spawn, consumerism, fuel climate change and environmental degradation. “The environment,” he writes, “can no longer bear the cost.”
Long-term bush recovery at stake as fire burns through UNESCO-listed biosphere
John Dobson and Louise Miolin
ABC News
12 February 2023
A Western Australian botanists says some native plants in the Fitzgerald River National Park are not rejuvenating from historical bushfires, and believes more research is required into the impact of all fires, including prescribed burns.
More than 10 per cent of Australians deny climate change will harm them in their lifetime
Mike Foley
WAtoday
11 February 2023
A global survey shows people in poorer nations are more likely to view climate change as an imminent risk.
Justine Bell-James
The Conversation
10 February 2023
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has formally rejected mining magnate Clive Palmer’s proposed Central Queensland Coal Project. Her decision was based on the risk of damage to the Great Barrier Reef, freshwater creeks and groundwater.
Pollution and climate change set stage for rise in antimicrobial resistance
John Cannon
Mongabay
9 February 2023
A new report from the United Nations Environment Programme illustrates the role that pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss can play in the development of antimicrobial resistance.
We don’t need ‘miracle’ technologies to fix the climate. We have the tools now
Mark Z Jacobson
The Guardian
8 February 2023
Wind, water and solar energy is cheap, effective and green. We don’t need experimental or risky energy sources to save our planet
Turn this old house into your clean-energy dream home
Alison F. Takemura
Canary Media
7 February 2023
How can you make a home more climate-friendly and more comfortable? Here’s the technology you need, plus the steps to get you there.
Single-use plastics surge globally by one kilogram per person
Nick O’Malley
The Age
6 February 2023
The world’s addiction to single-use plastics is growing worse by the year, with 139 million tonnes consumed in 2021, up from 133 million tonnes in 2019.
Protected areas fail to safeguard more than 75% of global insect species
Science Daily
5 February 2023
Insects play crucial roles in almost every ecosystem — they pollinate more than 80% of plants and are a major source of food for thousands of vertebrate species — but insect populations are collapsing around the globe, and they continue to be overlooked by conservation efforts. Protected areas can safeguard threatened species but only if these threatened species actually live within the areas we protect. A new study found that 76% of insect species are not adequately covered by protected areas.
Kristina Marusic
Environmental Health News
4 February 2023
Exposure to air pollution has a significant impact on rates of cancers typically associated with smoking, according to a recent study.
What Lego—yes, Lego—can teach us about avoiding energy project boondoggles
Dan Gearino
Inside Climate News
3 February 2023
A new book looks at why big projects fail and finds that solar, wind and transmission lines are some of the best kinds of big projects, while nuclear power is among the worst.
Fossil giants tipped funds into major parties, but then the climate movement fought back
Michael Mazengarb
Renew Economy
2 February 2023
While data shows the fossil fuel industry yet again pouring money into Australia’s major parties, the 2022 federal election changed the political donations game.
To best fight climate change, ‘blue carbon’ habitats must first survive it
Sylvia Troost & Alex Clayton
PEW
1 February 2023
In what’s becoming a distressingly familiar scenario, the scientific evidence that a natural ecosystem can help fight climate change is building just as that same habitat faces increasing threats from a warming planet.
Efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss are inseparable as new mass extinction looms
David Dodwell
Pearls and Irritations
31 January 2023
Recently, I had a catch-up conversation on climate change and November’s UN climate change conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh with one of Hong Kong’s most conscientious students of the subject.
Toxic pollutants can build up inside our homes. Here are 8 ways to reduce the risks
Mark Patrick Taylor et al
The Conversation
30 January 2023
We know everything in our homes gathers dust. What you probably don’t know is whether there are toxic contaminants in your house dust, and where these might come from.
No sunlight, no soil – no worries as vertical farming looks stacked with promise
Donna Lu
The Guardian
29 January 2023
Stacked Farm can produce perfect-looking strawberries, tomatoes and baby cos all year round. But will high energy inputs be its achilles heel?
Miki Perkins
The Age
28 January 2023
How urgently we respond to the climate crisis this decade will change will be hugely consequential for thousands of years to come. Here’s what Australia needs to do.
When will we hit peak fossil fuels? Maybe we already have
Dan Gearino
Inside Climate News
27 January 2023
Kingsmill Bond, energy analyst and author, describes the circumstances that hastened the transition of the electricity sector—plus four reasons he’s optimistic about our planet’s future.
Doomsday Clock is the closest it has ever been to midnight (23s video)
ABC News
26 January 2023
Atomic scientists have set the “Doomsday Clock” closer to midnight than ever before.
Coal states miss out on benefits of cheap wind and solar, pay twice the price of power
Giles Parkinson
Renew Economy
25 January 2023
States most dependent on fossil fuels hit by surging prices, despite lowest ever coal output, the lowest gas generation for 18 years, and record wind and solar.
Bei Cui et al
The Conversation
24 January 2024
At the end of last year, the world’s average price to emit one tonne of greenhouse gases was around US$5.29 (AU$7.77). For pricing to work as we want – to wean us off fossil fuels – it needs to be around $75 by the end of the decade, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Air quality can affect health. Climate change is worsening both
Jan Ellen Spiegel
Stamford Advocate
23 January 2023
While heat is well-understood as a consequence of climate change, air quality is both cause and effect when it comes to the nexus with climate change
We are at war, with no strategy adequate to the challenge
Andrew Gaines
Pearls and Irritations
22 January 2022
Unlike the Ukraine war, the war I am referring to is not a military war; it’s our battle for planetary health, and we have no strategy adequate to the challenge.
Salt marsh microbes threaten to reshape the atmosphere
Christian Elliott
Haki Magazine
21 January 2023
Turf wars between microbes dictate how much carbon salt marshes store and how much methane they pump into the air.
Financing 1.5°C: Six trends to watch in 2023
Elizabeth Harnett, Ella Warshauer
RMI
20 January 2023
We expect six key trends to inform financial institutions’ climate strategy design, implementation, and reporting this year.
Humanitarian experts report ‘cascading crises’ as climate, health emergencies soar
Mactilda Mbenywe
Mongabay
19 January 2023
Globally, humanitarian aid workers are facing complex climate and health crises that require urgent adaptations within a shrinking humanitarian space, according to a recent piece in the Lancet.
The right words are crucial to solving climate change
Susan Joy Hassol
Scientific American
18 January 2023
Speaking to people’s priorities can build the will needed to implement climate solutions.
‘We need a polluter pays policy’
Emily Beament
Ecologist
17 January 2023
Requiring fossil fuel companies to pay to clean up their carbon emissions could help curb dangerous global warming at a relatively affordable cost, a study says.
Calls grow for war on millions of feral deer
Cassandra Morgan
The New Daily
16 January 2023
Wild deer are running rampant in Victoria and Tasmania, destroying crops and natural habitats and prompting calls to change local laws and allow the animals to be classified as pests.
Many Australian beaches are disappearing before our eyes. So what’s the solution?
Evelyn Leckie
ABC News
15 January 2023
For decades, residents along a section of suburban Australian coastline have witnessed their beach dissolve before their eyes, sometimes literally dropping into the sea. It’s a problem that is also confronting coastal towns throughout the country — and the world — as sea levels continue to rise.
Climate change tops World Economic Forum’s agenda – podcast
Omoh Bello
SBS News
14 January 2023
With the annual World Economic Forum set to meet in Davos, a new report indicates climate change tops the list of long term global economic challenges.
6 reasons 2023 could be a very good year for climate action
Wesley Morgan
The Conversation
13 January 2023
Many people think of the annual UN climate talks as talkfests which achieve only incremental change, at best. Activist Greta Thunberg has described them as “blah blah blah” moments – grossly inadequate and too often hijacked by fossil fuel producers who would like the world to keep buying their main exports.
How can the law account for the value of natural places?
Nanda Jarosz
The Conversation
12 January 2023
In November 2022, the Australian government made a commitment to legislate new protections of Indigenous heritage sites. The decision was made in response to recommendations passed down by a joint parliamentary committee investigation into Rio Tinto’s destruction of an Aboriginal sacred site at Juukan Gorge in 2020.
Reduce consumption, or face reality of civilisational collapse
Mark Diesendorf
Pearls and Irritations
11 January 2023
An important debate is developing in Pearls and Irritations on the need to reduce consumption.
Are Electric Vehicles Really The Future?
Dr Stuart Woolley
Medium.com
10 January 2023
Well, maybe, but not in the way you think.
How climate change is affecting what’s on the shelves at your local supermarket
Aleisha Orr
SBS News
9 January 2023
Despite advances in technology and infrastructure, transport supply chains have begun to face new challenges in getting groceries to consumers.
Will prospects for long-term human survival improve in 2023?
Bob Douglas
Pearls and Irritations
8 January 2023
What can we expect in 2023 about future human prospects? Will current threats to long-term human survival, continue to increase or will they begin to diminish as a consequence of responses to current threats?”
Activists fight back after being SLAPPed with lawfare tactics
Isabella Kaminski.
Independent Australia
7 January 2023
The use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation to intimidate campaigners is a global trend, but activists are taking a stand.
Can we restrain our excessive consumption to arrest climate change?
Nigel Barber
Psychology Today
6 January 2023
As affluence grows globally, people spend more. Money spent is roughly equivalent to carbon pollution and climate change. Can the urge to splurge be brought under control? Or, is it terminal?
‘Boys will be boys’: why consumers don’t punish big polluters for greenwashing lies
Adam Austen Kay
The Conversation
5 January 2023
Stigma is an awful burden for business. But what if – for some companies – stigma is an asset?
John R. Platt and Tara Lohan
The Revelator
4 January 2023
This will be a critical year for several endangered and threatened species, as well as a time of opportunity for others.
Ways to keep your house cool during summer’s heat that doesn’t cost a fortune
Emma Wynne
ABC Yours Newsletter
3 January 2023
Short of blasting the air conditioner (and coping with the subsequent bill), people can make small changes around their homes to keep the inside temperature down.
2022, a year staring at the apocalypse
Farhana Haque Rahman
The Manila Times
3 January 2023
A year that started with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and is ending with famine in Africa, while still spreading death and misery through an enduring pandemic and a deteriorating climate crisis — 2022 has been an apocalyptic warning of the frailty of our planet and the woeful shortcomings of humankind.
There was a break from Climate Change articles until 3 January 2023.
Instead there were short, daily articles that may be of interest to you.
The Future of AI, According to Human History
Alan Trapulionis
Medium.com
2 January 2023
“…Humanity will create something more powerful than itself. When you have something that understands you better than you understand yourself, then you’re useless. Anything you can do, this system can do better.” Yuval Noah Harari
The 24 Questions That Can Warn You of Declining Brain Health
Alexa V.S.
Medium.com
1 January 2023
How to know if your brain might be suffering from cognitive decline, and what to do about it?