A digest of interesting news about climate change from around the world, compiled by us.
'Plastics' Made from Vegetable Waste
From waste to wrap, company transforming potato scraps into eco-friendly cling wrap. (ABC Australia) >
Extreme Heatwaves: Surprising Lessons from the Record Warmth
'Climate scientists have long warned that heatwaves will strike more frequently and with higher temperatures as the world warms. But the future has arrived faster than researchers had feared, particularly in Western Europe, which is a hotspot for heatwaves, according to research published last month1. These aren’t just more and more-powerful heatwaves — they are record-shattering heatwaves that have defied expectations derived from climate models.' (Nature news journal) >
Black Summer by Michael Rowland
'...loss, courage and community from the 2019-2020 bushfires' ... 'The bushfires that burnt across Australia from June 2019 to February 2020 were unprecedented. By the time the rains came, they had devoured more than 18 million hectares of bush and farm land, destroyed nearly 3000 homes, claimed the lives of 33 people, killed about a billion animals and driven more to the brink of extinction. The heartbreak, pain, loss and uncertainty were felt far and wide. These were fires that burnt in every state and affected all Australians, directly or indirectly.' (Publisher ABC Books, ISBN: 9780733341328) >
Maintaining Soils Sustainably
Ground truth: CSIRO launches national data and information tool for soil. The Australian National Soil Information System will be a valuable tool for farmers, policy makers and researchers in sustainably managing our soils. (CSIRO, Canberra) >
Drought-resilient Saltbush
Drought-resilient shrub goes east to support farmers in dry times. The elite variety of saltbush was developed over 15 years and will help farmers through poor seasons, building their resilience to drought. (CSIRO, Canberra) >
CLIMATE CHANGE and the JET STREAM
Research Links Climate Change to Lazier Jet Stream, Leading to Extreme Weather. Article (Columbia Climate School, Columbia University, New York) >
Fossil Fuel GreenWashing
'The Climate Council is calling on the Australian Parliament to crack down on the shonky climate claims made by fossil fuel giants. In a submission to the Senate inquiry on greenwashing, released today, the Climate Council has named and shamed 10 fossil fuel corporations’ dubious climate plans.' (Climate Council is Australia) >
Australia’s Emissions Reduction Targets
Submission to the Climate Change Authority on setting, tracking, and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets. (The Centre for Policy Development, Melbourne) >
Business Case for Climate Change
It’s Time to Fix the Hole in the Business Case for Climate Change. 'Serious change begins with voluntary choice, But mandatory targets lend a stronger voice, We need both to create lasting change.' (Anthony Garnaut, ZEN Energy) >
Heat-related Mortality in Europe 2022
'Globally, the last 8 years have been the warmest on record, and 2022 was the fifth warmest year. In this context, Europe emerges as a major climatic hotspot, given that warming since preindustrial levels is almost 1?°C higher than the corresponding global increase, and higher than in any other continent6. Moreover, climate change projections for the continent indicate that temperatures, and their health impacts, will rise at an accelerated rate unless strong mitigation and adaptation actions are put in place.' (Nature Medicine journal) >