Environment

Wallabies star David Pocock and his wife say they have decided they will not be having children because they are bad for the environment. The 31-year-old Australian football star and his wife Emma said they have spoken about the subject a lot and decided they would rather save the planet. The couple expressed their desire to fight for the planet in their brand new self-published book In Our Nature, the Daily Telegraph reported.  Wallabies star David Pocock and his wife Emma (pictured together) say they have decided they will not be having children because they are bad for the environment 'It is a decision you can't make lightly, whether or not you want to have kids,' Pocock said.  'I guess even if you look at it just in terms of an ecological carrying capacity, to take the emotional side out of it, we are way over carrying capacity at the moment.' Mrs Pocock said the couple had chosen to put their energy into conservation of the environment rather than being parents. … [Read more...] about Wallabies star David Pocock and wife Emma vow not to have children because ‘they are bad for the environment’ – after refusing to marry until same-sex marriage was legalised

For two weeks at the end of every year, the world’s governments meet to work on a global response to climate change. This year is the 25th meeting of what is known as the conference of the parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Those who attend know it as COP, or COP25. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s talks, which started on Monday in Madrid, and what they could mean for Australia. What is Australia’s status at the UN climate talks? There are nearly 190 countries represented at the UN climate talks and, contrary to some perceptions, Australia is not just a bit player. Under UN greenhouse accounting, Australia is responsible for about 1.3% of annual pollution, which places it 16th on a ladder of polluting nations. It emits more each year than 40 countries with larger populations, including G7 members Britain, France and Italy. On other measures Australia performs worse. It emits more per person than any other … [Read more...] about UN climate talks: what’s on the agenda in Madrid and what it means for Australia

Adani will not be allowed to dig any coal from its Carmichael mine until it gets further federal government approval – despite the Coalition’s pre-election green light for parts of the project. With Adani’s controversial project looming as a central issue in the federal election campaign, the Coalition made political capital in Queensland out of the decision in April by former environment minister Melissa Price to approve Adani’s groundwater management plans. But key scientific work related to groundwater research still needs to be signed off by Price’s successor, Sussan Ley, before the company can extract any coal. This point was made by Price in her April announcement, but it was quickly overshadowed by the election and subsequent pressure on the Queensland Labor government to finalise some of its state approvals. The scientific work required is two research plans associated with the Great Artesian Basin that will also need to address some of the … [Read more...] about Adani still needs further federal approval despite pre-election green light

The federal government will have to reassess water infrastructure for Adani’s Carmichael coalmine after conceding in a legal challenge that was lodged with the federal court. The Australian Conservation Foundation has succeeded in its appeal against the government’s assessment of Adani’s north Galilee water scheme, with the federal government admitting it failed to properly consider public responses to the proposal and even lost some submissions. The new environment minister, Sussan Ley, will now have to reconsider the proposal, which would see a 100km-long pipeline constructed to transport 12.5bn litres of water a year from the Suttor river and Burdekin basin. The project would also expand an existing 2.2bn-litre dam to 10bn litres. The government will need to reopen the project for public comment. While the decision is a win for the environment movement in its fight against the project, it will not prevent Adani from commencing preliminary construction at the mine … [Read more...] about Adani coalmine: minister loses legal challenge on water pipeline assessment

Australia will not commit to larger carbon emissions reductions above its Paris agreement target, despite a coalition of former allies and Pacific neighbours urging greater cuts. In Paris in 2015 Australia was a part of a bloc of countries called the “High Ambition Coalition”, which includes the UK, the EU, New Zealand, the Marshall Islands and Fiji. Australia is outside that bloc now. On Wednesday, 27 countries and the EU in the High Ambition Coalition called for significantly increased targets for carbon emissions reductions by 2030, in response to a dramatic 1.5C warming report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that has dominated negotiations in Poland this week. “We call on other governments … to join us in striving to step up ambition by 2020 in response to the special report on 1.5C,” it said. The environment minister, Melissa Price, gave Australia’s formal address to the UN climate talks on Wednesday, saying Australia would … [Read more...] about Australia turns back on allies as it refuses to cut emissions above Paris pledge

Australia appears likely be allowed to exploit a controversial climate loophole, using carryover carbon credits from the Kyoto protocol to meet its Paris agreement targets. New Zealand has already ruled out using the carryover credits, saying it would discourage other countries from the practice. Australia’s environment minister, Melissa Price, said Australia would meet its Paris commitment of a 26% to 28% carbon emissions reduction – “equivalent to a halving of emissions per person” – but would not comment on whether the government would use carryover credits from Kyoto to reach that target. New Zealand’s climate change minister, James Shaw, said this week the practice of claiming credits was not in the spirit of the Paris agreement, and “we would discourage any country from using [it]”. He has previously described the practice as “dodgy accounting” and like “trying to have two meals for the price of one”. The use … [Read more...] about Australia likely to use controversial Kyoto loophole to meet Paris agreement