Climate protesters suspend themselves above major roads in two capital cities

Climate protesters suspend themselves above major roads in two capital cities
A climate protester has promised “sneaky surprises” while infiltrating the largest coal port in Australia. Grace, from Blockade Australia, made her way inside the Port of Newcastle on Tuesday night in the latest from a series of disruptive protests across the country in recent weeks.The young woman said she was “really scared” but committed to taking action while livestreaming on Facebook.

Renewable energy slowdown keeps power bills high, risking political promises
Power prices are on track to remain stubbornly high for east-coast homes and businesses as new modelling shows renewable energy is being built too slowly to wean Australia off fossil fuels, risking the Albanese government’s key election promises. The government set a target for renewable energy to comprise 82 per cent of the electricity grid as part of its goal to cut emissions by 43 per cent by 2030 – a move it said would displace coal power with cheaper wind and solar and reduce power bills by $275 a year by 2025. Australian Energy Market Operator chief executive Daniel Westerman told the conference that renewable energy “is the cheapest form of new build energy” but projects were not “happening fast enough”

Woodside presses go on $10b Trion Mexican oil project
Woodside has pressed go on its $US7.2 billion ($10.5 billion) Trion oil project off the coast of Mexico as it awaits the backing of state-owned partner PEMEX and Mexican regulators to start drilling. The Perth-based energy major said on Tuesday that its 60 per cent stake in the 100,000 barrels a day oil project, inherited from BHP, would generate a return of more than 16 per cent, with a payback period of less than four years from the expected first production in 2028.

‘Call to action’: One thing Aussies not prepared for
Despite the ongoing impacts of wild weather events across the nation, new research has found nearly two-thirds of Aussie households don’t have plans of action for extreme weather events or other emergencies. NRMA Insurance’s most recent insurance claims data has revealed more than a third of all home claims made nationally this autumn were for severe weather damage. Worryingly, only one-third of Aussies have taken steps to prepare for wild weather over the past three months, while 80 per cent don’t know where to convene should such a crisis occur.

Himalayan glaciers melting 65 percent faster than previous decade: study
Himalayan glaciers providing critical water to nearly two billion people are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warned Tuesday. The glaciers disappeared 65 percent faster from 2011 to 2020 compared with the previous decade, according to a report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). "As it gets warmer, ice will melt, that was expected, but what is unexpected and very worrying is the speed," lead author Philippus Wester told AFP. "This is going much faster than we thought.The

The North Atlantic is experiencing a ‘totally unprecedented’ marine heat wave
Temperatures in parts of the North Atlantic Ocean are soaring off the charts, with an “exceptional” marine heat wave happening off the coasts of the United Kingdom and Ireland, sparking concerns about impacts on marine life. Parts of the North Sea are experiencing a category 4 marine heat wave – defined as “extreme” – according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In some areas, water temperatures are up to 5 degrees Celsius (9 Fahrenheit) hotter than usual. Global oceans have been exceptionally warm for months. April and May saw the highest ocean surface temperatures for those two months since records began in 1850.

Neoen to build mega battery at Collie in West Australia's coal hub
One of the world's biggest renewable energy providers has upped its bet on Australia after receiving approval to build a multi-billion-dollar battery in Western Australia's coal heartlands. Neoen, the French clean energy powerhouse, confirmed it had started construction on one of the country's largest batteries at Collie, a town south of Perth that has long been home to WA's coal-fired power industry.

Australians far less aware of biodiversity loss than climate crisis, research finds
Half of Australians are unaware of the extent of the nature crisis despite agreeing governments need to do more to support the environment, research by the Biodiversity Council suggests. Graeme Samuel, the former competition watchdog head who chaired a 2020 review of Australia’s environmental laws, says a campaign is needed to bring public awareness of biodiversity decline in line with the understanding of the climate crisis.

A white whale has been seen off the QLD coast, could it be Migaloo?
Footage of what appears to be a white whale swimming of the coast of Queensland could be famous white humpback Migaloo whale experts say - or it could be another rare white whale. The whale was heading north when it was spotted from the air near the Whitsundays. The short video was sent to the White Whale Research Centre, which compiles data on Migaloo.

Young investors keen to go green, but don’t always know how
Young investors hoping to make a difference with their money are finding it increasingly difficult to determine if a company’s ethical credentials are genuine despite a significant rise in the number of sustainable investment offerings. An investor study by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) shows that of those who say they are open to environmental, social and governance (ESG) investments and who have invested in the past 12 months, just over half 18 to 24-year-olds did so with ESG factors in mind.