There she blows: Mega Southern Ocean wind farm zone unveiled

There she blows: Mega Southern Ocean wind farm zone unveiled
About 200 kilometres of Southern Ocean coastline could be unlocked to become an offshore wind farm zone stretching from Warrnambool in Victoria to Port MacDonnell in South Australia – potentially creating 3000 ongoing jobs in the region. Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the proposed zone would apply to 5100 square kilometres offshore, including near Portland, which is home to one of the country’s largest smelters and draws on significant amounts of electricity.

Football pitch of tropical forest lost every 5 seconds
Earth lost an area of carbon-absorbing rainforest larger than Switzerland or the Netherlands in 2022, most of it destroyed to make way for cattle and commodity crops, an analysis of satellite data released Tuesday revealed. That is nearly a football pitch of mature tropical trees felled or burned every five seconds, night and day, and 10 percent more than the year before, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI). 

Uber backs pollution caps to slash electric car costs in Australia
Ride-hailing giant Uber says Australian drivers are at risk of being left among the last in the world to be able to buy an electric car for the same price as a petrol car unless stronger rules force manufacturers to boost imports of greener models.Australia is the only developed country apart from Russia that does not impose mandatory pollution caps, which has contributed to carmakers supplying fewer electric vehicles domestically in favour of higher-polluting models that they are unable to sell elsewhere.

PwC walks back report used to claim Australia’s nature repair market could be worth $137bn
PwC has walked back a report used to claim the nature repair market could be worth $137bn, accepting it measures “indirect spending towards biodiversity” but the amount spent on “threatened species conservation, with clear outcomes, is likely much less”. The consultancy firm made that submission to a Senate inquiry examining the Albanese government’s nature repair market bill in response to a critique of the report from progressive thinktank the Australia Institute.

Authorities investigate spill that left birds covered in oil south of Perth
WA's environmental watchdog is looking for a potential culprit behind an engine oil spill which is impacting and killing birds in Perth's southern waterways. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) was first contacted by WA Seabird Rescue last month, with reports of oil-covered birds – mainly pelicans – spotted in multiple locations. At least 10 birds have since been found dead and dozens of impacted pelicans were rescued and taken to WA Wildlife in Bibra Lake for treatment.

Scientists researching cloud brightening in bid to cool Great Barrier Reef to present findings
Queensland scientists who have been altering clouds with tiny particles to try and limit the effects of global warming are presenting their findings for the first time at a milestone conference in Brisbane this week. The International Conference on Nucleation and Atmospheric Aerosols (ICNAA) will be looking at climate change and interventions, including cloud brightening. Cloud brightening is where clouds are modified to become more reflective, and last longer.

Earth's Jet Streams Look as Chaotic as a Van Gogh Right Now, And That's a Big Problem
The currents of air that wrap around our planet are becoming unrecognisable to climate scientists. Some have even compared the chaotic pattern of the jet streams to a Van Gogh painting. The southern part of the jet stream over North America has completely broken apart and is currently trapped in a vicious revolution that has triggered an off-the-chart heatwave.

BHP chief warns race for green metals needs more than subsidy ‘sugar hit’
BHP, the largest Australian miner, says the Albanese government doesn’t need to match the United States’ “sugar hit” of huge subsidies to boost critical minerals, but has fired fresh warnings over regulatory interventions that risk making the country less attractive to investors. Speaking at a global mining conference in Brisbane, BHP chief executive Mike Henry said there was growing awareness worldwide of the enormous opportunities presented by booming demand for commodities such as copper and nickel that will be needed to build green infrastructure and electric cars in the race to reach “net-zero” emissions.

Jumbo problem: Sri Lanka's battle with plastic pollution
Heart-wrenching images of revered elephants and cattle eating plastic in Sri Lanka have prompted politicians to toughen pollution laws, but sceptical conservationists warn past bans were repeatedly ignored. After an estimated 20 elephant deaths and countless other wild animals perishing due to single-use plastics in the past decade, officials say a law banning many such items is expected to come into force within weeks.

Synergy to pay $30 million market fine to its customers
West Australian households will benefit from Synergy agreeing to pay $30 million to settle a finding that it manipulated the state’s energy market in 2016 and 2017 to boost revenue. At the heart of the dispute is Synergy’s 2011 contract to buy gas from Chevron’s Gorgon project.