Victoria braces for worst fire conditions since Black Summer bushfires

Victoria braces for worst fire conditions since Black Summer bushfires
Victoria is facing the worst fire-risk day since the Black Summer bushfires, as a catastrophic fire danger warning has been issued for the state’s north-west ahead of very hot and windy forecast conditions on Tuesday.

The good news: 25 Australian birds are now at less risk of extinction. The bad news: 29 are gone and 4 more might be
Extinction risks had reduced for 25 bird species and subspecies in at least one of the decades between 1990 and 2020. Nine of these would have gone extinct if not for hard work and expertise to prevent it happening. 

First Peoples’ land overlaps with 130 imperilled bird species – and this knowledge may be vital to saving them
More than 200 Australian bird species are threatened with extinction. Our analysis found 64% of these, or about 130 species, occur on lands and waters to which First Peoples’ groups have a legal determination.

Disaster management needs more forethought to avoid ‘polycrisis’, government hears
Disaster-management organisations have told the government to switch gears from response to resilience as a matter of priority. Climate change will likely make future disasters more frequent and more severe. Experts predict that as well as fire and floods, biosecurity will become a mounting challenge as pest species migrate.

US weather agency on La Niña watch but BOM says climate pattern not guaranteed
The last "triple dip" La Niña in Australia — between 2020 and 2022 — contributed to billions of dollars in damage from flooding and extreme rain across much of eastern Australia. For Australians already grappling with a summer that has defied expectations, the news we could face La Niña again so soon may spark fears about the year ahead.

Truth behind viral photo of 'diesel-powered' EV charger
Government officials have again debunked a viral image of an allegedly diesel-powered electric vehicle charging station in remote central Australia, revealing the prototype has only provided renewable energy to vehicles.

The Australian water industry is undergoing profound change
On the coasts—where 80% of us live—surface water sources still rule. For inland Australia, groundwater remains king. But such well-drawn lines are blurring under climate change - right now, the Australian water industry is undergoing profound change.