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‘The water was stained with his blood’: the 1920s shark fatalities that shook Sydney
A young surf lifesaver killed during a crowded carnival was one of 10 people who lost their lives during the city’s ‘shark era’
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A “catastrophic” shark attack that claimed the life of a Sydney swimmer on Wednesday was the city’s first fatality in 60 years – but it was far from unprecedented.
A century ago, Sydney experienced a spate of deadly encounters that continued for a decade and left authorities scrambling for answers.
Continue reading...On coal plant closures, the energy industry has learned to keep Angus Taylor out of the loop
The shift to a grid that runs on renewables is a manageable transformation, but the federal government’s approach still frustrates
Angus Taylor was refreshingly upfront on Thursday about the extent to which he was sidelined from a major decision affecting the future of Australia’s electricity grid.
Speaking to Ray Hadley on Sydney’s 2GB, the federal energy minister said he did not find out about Origin Energy’s decision to shut Australia’s biggest electricity generator, the Eraring coal-fired power plant, seven years earlier than scheduled until the night before.
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Continue reading...Flip out: swimming with seals at Montague Island on the NSW south coast – in pictures
Montague Island (known as Barunguba to the local Yuin people) off Narooma is teeming with wildlife. Guardian Australia photographer Jessica Hromas travelled there to document the unique environment, home to hundreds of Australian and New Zealand fur seals as well as sea lions and more than 90 bird species
Continue reading...Poorest Londoners most at risk from toxic air, Sadiq Khan says
The mayor was joined by Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah at the Clean Air summit, who urged leaders ‘to be bold’
Air pollution is a social justice issue, the mayor of London has said, as he convened a summit of regional and national health leaders to tackle toxic emissions that are damaging the health of Londoners.
“For me the issue is very simple: it’s one of social justice,” Sadiq Khan said, opening the meeting at the Royal College of Physicians in London. “It’s the poorest people, least likely to own a car, least likely to cause the toxic air problems, who are most likely to suffer the consequences.”
Continue reading...Air pollution may affect sperm quality, says study
Research into samples of 30,000 men in China suggests ability of sperm to swim in right direction could be affected
Air pollution may affect semen quality, specifically sperm motility — the ability of sperm to swim in the right direction — according to a new study analysing the sperm of over 30,000 men in China.
The research, published today in the journal JAMA Networks, also suggests that the smaller the size of the polluting particles in the air, the greater the link with poor semen quality.
Continue reading...UK green economy has failed to grow since 2014, official figures show
Office for National Statistics finds ‘no significant change’ in turnover and jobs in low-carbon and renewable energy sector
The UK’s low-carbon and renewable energy economy has failed to grow since 2014, according to official data showing a fall in the number of green jobs.
In a blow to the government’s pledge to boost net-zero employment opportunities, the Office for National Statistics said its latest figures, covering 2020, showed “no significant change” in turnover and job numbers in the sector compared with six years earlier.
Continue reading...Fish love songs and fighting talk: underwater sound library to reveal language of the deep
Scientists plan a vast global store of aquatic noises to help monitor marine life, identify species – and even uncover regional dialects
From the “boing” of a minke whale to the “drum” of a red piranha, scientists are documenting more sounds in our world’s oceans, rivers and lakes every year. Now, a team of experts wants to go a step further and create a reference library of aquatic noise to monitor the health of marine ecosystems.
The Global Library of Underwater Biological Sounds, “Glubs”, will include every “thwop”, “muah” and “boop” of a humpback whale as well as human-made underwater sounds and records of the geophysical swirl of ice and wind, according to a paper in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution.
Continue reading...Staff from climate sceptic group recruited by Tory MP behind net zero attacks
Further links emerge between Craig Mackinlay’s Net Zero Scrutiny Group and Global Warming Policy Foundation
A Tory MP who leads a group which campaigns against the government’s net zero measures has recruited two members of staff from a controversial organisation that questions climate science.
After the Guardian revealed links between members of the Net Zero Scrutiny Group, run by the MP Craig Mackinlay, and the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF), further ties between the two organisations have been found.
Continue reading...Air France-KLM expects demand recovery to continue slowly in Q1
China gets ready to shame emitters that failed ETS compliance
Euro Markets: Midday Update
Australia Market Roundup: ACCU price softens further as more projects complete ERF contracts
Klima DAO launches carbon neutral service to boost on-chain offset market
Marine scientists call for calm after swimmer killed by shark in Sydney
Experts say shock at rare shark attack is understandable but no ‘heightened swimming risk’
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Leading shark scientists have called for calm after the tragic death of a male swimmer at a beach in Sydney’s east on Wednesday.
Dr Vanessa Pirotta, a marine predator researcher at Macquarie University, said the incident at Little Beach had shaken the community because of its sheer randomness.
Continue reading...Europe’s fishing industry to battle with conservationists over bottom trawling
New alliance from 14 nations pledges to fight latest EU curbs on ‘indefensible’ practice of scooping up fish from the sea floor
An EU action plan to deal with fishing practices that trawl the ocean floor is set to trigger a row between conservationists and a new industry alliance that says it is fighting for Europe’s culture and identity.
About 32% of Europe’s fish are caught by industrial fishing vessels that rake the sea floor with enormous nets in a process called bottom trawling. Studies indicate that these nets can suck up to 41% of all invertebrate life from the sea floor and cause grave damage to marine environments such as cold water coral reefs and seagrass beds.
Continue reading...Sydney shark attack triggers calls for a cull – but let's take a deep breath and look at the evidence
Australia's largest coal plant will close 7 years early – but there's still no national plan for coal's inevitable demise
Bob Brown Foundation slams Marinus Link as ISP “white elephant”
Australian Greens heavyweights tell AEMO that its assessment of the Marinus Link is “fundamentally flawed” and could hold back development of the NEM.
The post Bob Brown Foundation slams Marinus Link as ISP “white elephant” appeared first on RenewEconomy.
How the solar duck curve gave Australia’s biggest coal generator an early retirement
The solar duck curve and the inflexibility of "baseload" thermal generators have led to the early demise of Australia's largest coal plant.
The post How the solar duck curve gave Australia’s biggest coal generator an early retirement appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Power player accelerates Australia’s coal exit momentum with early closure of 2.9 GW plant
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