Aussie Enviro

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/22252156

Seabirds have been fishing plastic from the ocean and feeding it to their chicks, researchers say. One bird was found to have ingested nearly 800 pieces.

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cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/38011266

Sydney (AFP) – A vast bloom of toxic algae is killing more than 200 species of marine life off the southern coast of Australia, scientists and conservation groups say.

The algae -- Karenia mikimotoi -- appeared in waters around South Australia state in March, causing mass deaths in species including sharks, rays, crabs and octopuses.

"There are carcasses littering beaches," said Brad Martin, a manager of the non-profit fish conservation group Ozfish.

"It is common for our volunteers to say: 'We walked for one kilometre along the beach and saw 100 dead rays and other marine life'," he told AFP.

Beaches on wildlife-rich tourist draws such as Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula and Fleurieu Peninsula have been affected.

The bloom stretches across 4,400 square kilometres (1,700 square miles), Martin said -- an area larger than Japan or Germany.

Karenia mikimotoi has been detected around the world since the 1930s, including off Japan, Norway, the United States and China where it has disrupted local tourism and fishery industries, causing millions of dollars worth of damage.

But Martin said South Australia had not previously experienced a toxic algae bloom of this scale or duration.

The South Australian government said the event is thought to have been driven by a marine heatwave, as well as relatively calm marine conditions.

Marine biologist Shauna Murray, who identified the algae species for the authorities, said it damages the gills of fish and prevents them from breathing.

"It is not pleasant," said Murray, from the University of Technology Sydney.

"It will probably take some time for the ecosystem to recuperate."

While conditions usually ease towards the end of April, there had been no relief yet, South Australian Environment Minister Susan Close said this month.

"We need a big change in weather to break this thing up -- there is nothing we can do to precipitate this," she told national broadcaster ABC.

In the meantime, South Australian authorities have urged beachgoers to avoid swimming in water that is discoloured or foamy, warning that it can irritate the skin and affect breathing.

Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and duration of marine heatwaves across Australia, which significantly affects marine ecosystems.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/43558961

The world has been gripped by the case of Australian woman Erin Patterson, who was charged with the murder of three people after allegedly serving them a lunch of beef wellington containing poisonous death cap mushrooms (Amanita phalloides).

A new element of the sensational story emerged in court this week, when prosecutors reportedly alleged Patterson used iNaturalist to locate and visit places where death cap mushrooms were known to grow.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21579593

The head of research at the fossil fuels campaign group Lock the Gate Alliance, Georgina Woods, said global heating caused by burning fossil fuels was “already affecting Australian businesses, community wellbeing, household bills and national security” and damaging “our extraordinary natural heritage”.

Gavan McFadzean, from the Australian Conservation Foundation, said the country’s thermal coal exports were an “appalling contribution” to the climate crisis and a “major handbrake” on global efforts to cut emissions. He said the major parties were running on a “unity ticket” of trying to get the Australian public thinking “there’s nothing to see here”.

As Thoreau pointed out long ago, what use a home with no livable planet. :(

Both major parties have argued that there remained a global market for fossil fuels and if Australia reduced its sales they would just be replaced by coal and gas from other countries in a way that would lead to no overall gain but would hurt parts of the local economy.

This is like arguing if we don't sell weapons to Russia, North Korea will and then being ok with that.

I get it's the "drug dealer problem" but neither the LNP or the ALP would suggest dealers are ok ?

Vote Green

Communication breakdown The Community Engagement Review into the renewable energy sector by the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner found 92 per cent dissatisfaction with how project developers engaged the local community.

It pointed to poor practices in the sector, sparking negative experiences and community pushback.

There is a notable tension between community engagement efforts and the rigid policy frameworks that shape renewable energy development.

It can mean communities are consulted, but their input is sidelined because of policy restrictions and that leads to distrust and perceptions of an unfair or tokenistic process.

Genuine community fears can also be exploited by vested interests and misinformation actors promoting questionable claims to fuel community resistance and backlash.

Never noticed this interactive heat map on the CC website before. Could be a good referral tool if you need to look up an example quickly.

Many respondents said their views could shift if they saw real, meaningful action – especially from governments and big business. Some wanted proof that Australia is taking climate change seriously. Others said action would offer hope or reduce their anxiety.

Even some sceptical respondents said coordinated, global action might persuade them

This part of the research is actually quite interesting. Its the bandwagon effect, people concluding, "everyones heading that way, must be for a reason."

Its all the more reason to keep the pressure against the propaganda from the likes of Koch, Rhinehart or Palmer, et al.

You never know, the mass of action from others could convince these people, with their deep vested interests, of their own folly.

Evapotranspiration - Wikipedia

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21256693

archived (Wayback Machine)

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21183236

The last of 75 turbines has been installed at the biggest wind project yet built in South Australia which will help edge the state closer to its 2027 target of reaching 100 per cent net renewables.

The 412 megawatt Goyder South wind project, near Burra, is being built by Neoen Australia and is also the largest wind project in its 10 GW of renewable energy projects currently operating, under construction or in development.

The Goyder renewable energy zone is expected to be one of the biggest renewable energy hubs in the world, combining multiple gigawatts of wind, solar and battery storage – with the final capacity likely to depend on the success of new green industries in the state, and its green hydrogen prospects.

The river’s health has been suffering, with a number of harrowing mass fish deaths events taking place in recent years.

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

Interesting example of how drone technology is being used to increase data collection in environmental surveying.

Not sure what the thing is with the federal LNP seat? Qld just voted in a majority LNP state Government and kicked the few Greens that were in parliament, safe to say they don't really give a care about the reef, like most of Australia and most of the world.

Ironically the new QLD LNP government has been dealing non stop with climate change enhanced disasters since they came to power, Leopards literally eating voters faces I guess ?

The Great Barrier Reef is suffering its second bleaching event in as many years, with the marine park authority reporting corals in distress due to an underwater heatwave stretching 1300 kilometres from Townsville to Cooktown.

Mass coral bleaching has occurred on the Great Barrier Reef in 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024 and now 2025

Sobering to remember the first every recorded mass bleaching was only back in 1998, nothing beore that