Communities join forces to say Yes to renewables

From Gippsland to the Illawarra regional communities gather to say Yes to renewables, community power, climate action
Before the first Parliament sitting week of the year, regional communities have gathered around the country sending a strong message that Australians support renewable energy, and want to see stronger action on climate change and new jobs in wind and solar power, Friends of the Earth say.

Will the government's fuel efficiency standard drive up car prices? It depends what road it goes down
The federal government has laid down the gauntlet for a fight on new cars as it seeks to clean up a sector that will soon become the biggest carbon polluter in the country. The government has detailed its proposed carbon emissions standard for car makers, treading a middle path between stringent requirements in the European Union and more lax standards in the United States.

The venomous invader threatening koalas and platypuses
Koalas, platypuses, echidnas, turtles, birds and other native species face a deadly threat if an outbreak of venomous fire ants is not eradicated. The federal Environment Department has told a parliamentary inquiry that fire ants – whose bite can cause severe and, in rare cases, fatal allergic reactions in humans – can injure and kill Australian wildlife.

Study Finds Ocean Heatwaves Could Affect Global Food Supplies
A new study finds that marine heatwaves are changing the base of the marine food chain, disrupting ecosystems and potentially global food supplies. Researchers in the investigation led by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, say their work has global implications.

Women in science, not in silence: pioneering change in the global climate crisis
Climate extremes exacerbate existing inequalities and power dynamics that reinforce restrictive gender norms and stereotypes. It is estimated that 158 million women and girls are pushed into poverty as a direct result of climate change, 16 million more than the total number of men and boys.

New climate disclosure laws improve corporate accountability with loopholes
Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) has welcomed the introduction by the Federal Government of mandatory climate related financial disclosures. Improving financial disclosures will assist investors in understanding how a company is addressing climate change and the risks to a business associated with the climate transition. 

One in five Australians lack ‘basic’ electricity protections against issues such as disconnections during heatwaves
One in five Australians live in areas that lack “basic” consumer electricity protections, new research has found. These include rules against disconnecting customers on life support or during periods of extreme hot or cold temperatures.

Growth in Australian open-cut coalmining raises urgency of methane abatement
Open-cut mines in Australia are responsible for more than half of the total methane emissions from Australian coalmining. However, methane abatement is rarely performed in open-cut coalmines. Underground coalmines represent the “low hanging fruit” for methane abatement in the industry.