Satellites have detected forest clearing within Triunfo do Xingu this year, an area thats supposed to be a legally protected swath of Amazon rainforest in Brazils northern state of Par.

Home to jaguars, howler monkeys, rare margays, and a wellspring of other diversity, the protected area was created in 2006 as a sustainable use reserve, meaning that within its bounds (an area more than half the size of Belgium) landowners are legally required to keep 80% of their forests intact.

However, despite this requirement, 35%of the primary (or old-growth) forest within the Triunfo do Xingu Environmental Protection Area (APA) was lost between 2006 and 2021 more than 533,000hectares (1.32 million acres), according to satellite data from the University of Maryland (UMD), visualized on the Global Forest Watch platform.

That makes the Triunfo do Xingu APA one of the most deforested slices of the Brazilian Amazon in recent years, putting it in the top three of Brazilslist of most deforested protected reserves.

The highest amount of forest loss since the creation of the protected area occurred in 2020, at almost 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) an area nearly the size of New York City. Although deforestation decreased in 2021, loss that year was still nearly twice the average rate between 2002 and 2021.

Deforestation in the region is largely driven by cattle ranching, according to previous reporting in 2020. In the Amazon, farmers and ranchers use slash-and-burn techniques to clear forest for pasture. In So Flix do Xingu municipality, where the protected area lies, there are nearly 20 times more cattle than people.

The Triunfo do Xingu APA was created to allow some kind of human activity in a sustainable way, Larissa Amorim, a researcher at Imazon, an NGO monitoring the forest clearing, told Mongabay in 2021. But we see that it is not sustainable at all. And the illegal activities that are taking place there end up spilling beyond it.

The Triunfo do Xingu APA was intended to protect wildlife and serves as a buffer for vulnerable surrounding areas, such as the Apyterewa Indigenous Territory and the massive Terra do Meio Ecological Station, but deforestation has spilled over.

[The Terra do Meio Ecological Station] should be completely preserved, Rmulo Batista, a campaigner with Greenpeace Brazil, told Mongabay in 2021. There should be zero deforestation there. But instead, we are seeing rampant forest destruction, which is really worrying.

Forest loss has also encroached into the Apyterewa Indigenous Territory to the northeast, local sources told Mongabay. And to the southeast, forest is being cleared in the Kayapo Indigenous Territory, something we had never seen before, Francisco Fonseca of The Nature Conservancy told Mongabay in 2020.

With this weakening of [Triunfo do Xingu], it has become easier to reach conservation parks, Indigenous territories beyond. It ultimately didnt end up becoming the buffer it was supposed to become.

Though cattle ranching remains the main culprit behind forest loss, the region has also emerged as a center of land grabbing and illegal mining by invaders who are betting on the continued loosening of environmental regulations and enforcement.

We have seen a wave of land grabbing, Fonseca said. The pattern has changed many of these openings are now for speculation only, not for planting or pastures.

Experts say that land grabbers, those who move into an area and clear forest to stake their claim, have been emboldened by the rhetoric and policies of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. In recent years, the government has issued amnesties to land speculators who have invaded conservation units and often then use fire to clear forests on public lands for private agricultural lands.

Protecting Triunfo do Xingu from illegal deforestation and fires has proven extra challenging because it is remote and accessible primarily by boat from the town of So Flix do Xingu. On-the-ground monitoring, control, and the capacity to prosecute those who deforest and set illegal fires has been limited across Brazil, as government agencies and law enforcement that once operated inthe Amazonhave been largely defunded under the current administration. Bolsonaro has also blamed fires on Indigenous and traditional peoples.

In 2021, 3.75 million hectares (9.27 million acres) of tropical primary rainforest were lost across the planet, a rate of about 10 football fields per minute. More than 40% of that primary forest loss last year occurred in Brazil, according to Global Forest Watch.

The main driver is the total lack of environmental policy from this government, said Batista, the Greenpeace Brazil campaigner.People who are disposed to invading are feeling emboldened.

These are regions that have the greatest ecological importance and that must be protected to ensure the integrity of the rainforest as a whole, Batista added. And this is what we are ultimately losing with this surge in deforestation.

Liz Kimbroughis a staff writer for Mongabay. Find her on Twitter@lizkimbrough_

Editors note:This story was powered byPlaces to Watch, a Global Forest Watch (GFW) initiative designed to quickly identify concerning forest loss around the world and catalyze further investigation of these areas. Places to Watch draws on a combination of near-real-time satellite data, automated algorithms and field intelligence to identify new areas on a monthly basis. In partnership with Mongabay, GFW is supporting data-driven journalism by providing data and maps generated by Places to Watch. Mongabay maintains complete editorial independence over the stories reported using this data.

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Pasture replaces large tract of intact primary forest in Brazilian protected area - Mongabay.com

Seattle - What a beautiful close to Saturday. Skies clearing for a gorgeous sunset after highs hit 66! That is exactly where we are supposed to land for this time of year.

The next system moves in late Saturday into early Sunday. Lows will remain warmer overnight in the upper 40s to just over 50 for most areas except for the NW WA Coast where lows land in the mid 40s.

Sunday starts our showery with heavy downpours by late morning up and down the I-5 corridor. Winds will be breezy at times too.

If you plan to head to the Sounders match at Lumen Field dress for showers with some clearing through the match. Look for 1pm kick off temps in the mid 50s as the Rave Green host the Minnesota Loons. #GoSoundersFC

Highs will drop cooler than Saturday, peaking in the low to mid 60s Sunday, with the warmest temps in the foothills of the Cascades. Mountain snow levels rise to near 7,500' too. The Summit at Snoqualmie warms to near 60 under cloudy, rainy skies.

By the time we close out Sunday Seattle could end up with nearly an inch of rain in the bucket between the last three days.

The Pacific will remain active offshore, but at this point we aren't forecasting any systems to move inland Monday and Tuesday. Highs hang in the low 60s, cooler than normal.

The next front moves hits Wednesday, spreading rain and breezy winds across the region yet again. Highs will cool about 10 degrees below average with this system.

The rest of the week looks mostly dry with showers returning late Saturday.

Have a great night! ~ Erin Mayovsky, FOX 13 Forecaster

*Beach Forecast

*Mountain Forecast

*Central WA Forecast

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Sunday sees rain with the return of drier conditions to start the work week. - FOX 13 Seattle

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The government says Victoria needs a ready supply of raw materials as the state grows and embarks on its unprecedented big build of new infrastructure. Victorias population is forecast to reach 10 million before 2050.

After the application was lodged with the council in 2020, Planning Minister Richard Wynne removed the decision from the councils hands and referred it to an independent planning panel. There were about 80 objections on the grounds the plan was inconsistent with the councils biodiversity strategy and its impact on threatened species.

This approval sends a strong signal that the government is putting mining ahead of the environment, and ahead of the people who live near the sand mine, said Catherine Watson, a spokesperson for the Save Western Port Woodlands group, which has 350 members.

The group had presented a petition to parliament with 4000 signatures. Ultimately, it wants the woodlands to be turned into a national park, to be co-managed by the Bunurong Land Council and Parks Victoria.

The planning panel found the native vegetation corridor was likely to be irreversibly damaged by clearing, saying it was critical that ongoing habitat connectivity was provided between the nearby Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve and Grantville Bushland Reserve.

The issue of policy balance has been challenging for the panel, and there is a direct tension particularly between policies relating to extractive industries and native vegetation, the panels report said.

The Westernport Woodlands are home to a number of species like this lace monitor, which is listed as endangered in Victoria.

But the panel also noted the sand resource had been identified as a priority project on the states extractive industry list. Globally, demand for sand is growing because of urbanisation and extraction locations are shifting to fragile environments, such as rivers, coastlines and oceans, which is severely impacting these ecosystems.

Jordan Crook, a nature campaigner with the Victorian National Parks Association, said the decision to sever the Western Port Woodlands with sand mining showed the government did not value Victorias natural resources.

Its death by a thousand cuts for the Western Port Woodlands and the amazing array of plant, animal and fungi species that call it home, he said.

The panel found the company should integrate a biodiversity and vegetation management plan into the site, saying these aspects be resolved before vegetation removal begins.

Proportionately, Victoria is the state with the most cleared native vegetation, according to a report this week from the states auditor -general. Two thirds of Victoria is private land, and 80 per cent of this has been cleared. Illegal land clearing continues to take place across the state, and this undermines the investments in protecting the quality and cover of Victorian native vegetation, the report found.

In a statement, Dandy Premix Quarries said the new permit contained a raft of conditions that comprehensively address all environmental risks associated with the quarry. The business has been in operation since 2013 and is expected to employ 20 people under expanded operations.

In total, Dandy Premix has committed to protecting more than 117 hectares of private, uncleared land that abuts two existing public nature conservation reserves, it said.

An aerial image of the Dandy Premix sand mine, from its application to government. The red lines show where the mine would be extended.

The final approval was shaped by the community feedback, with protections in place to ensure we can maintain access to the these vital resources without compromising the environment, a government spokesperson said.

Cut through the noise of the federal election campaign with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Sign up to our Australia Votes 2022 newsletter here.

Continued here:
Minister backs Western Port woodland clearance to expand sand mine - Sydney Morning Herald

Yellow-throated vireoBlue-eyed vireoRed-eyed vireoWhite-eyed vireo

By Wayne Bierbaum

My favorite time of the year is spring; plants are blooming, fish are starting to spawn, and small birds like warblers are returning from their wintering grounds. This is when the warblers are bedecked in courtship colors and sing their courtship songs. Accompanying the warblers are other small birds like kinglets, gnatcatchers, and vireos.

Quite often a warbler or two will be found in the middle of a flock of kinglets or right next to a vireo. It would seem that the other birds add a layer of protection as the warbler travels, as alarm bells. Warblers are not loud or aggressive around threats but these other birds will call out the danger loudly and send a mobbing call for all birds in the area to come by and yell at the threat. Warblers generally give a sharp and short chipping sound as an alarm.

I was walking through the woods near the Patuxent River and heard a white-eyed vireo loudly squawking at something in a bush. The vireo was joined by blue-gray gnatcatchers and a couple of chickadees. A magnolia warbler was hopping around the outside of the bush but not saying anything. Getting closer, I saw that a large black rat snake coiled in the middle of the bush was the focus of the birds complaints. I doubt that I would have seen the snake without the vireos raspy yelling. As the snake slithered away, the vireo followed it, loudly complaining, until the snake went into a tree hollow.

Vireos are about the size of a small sparrow with shorter, thicker bills than a warbler and are generally a dull gray-green color. The name vireo is from the Latin rootvirtui, which means to be green and verdant. Like warblers, they are mostly insect-eaters. Several species nest in Maryland.

The ones I have encountered are quite vocal but the most common variety is easy to hear but hard to see.

The red-eyed vireo lives deep in the forest at the tops of trees. Their songs are high-pitched and inquisitive like they are askingWho are you?They will come down from the trees to mob a source of danger. Their eyes are very red and they have a white streak on the side of their face.

For me, the next most common is the white-eyed vireo. They seem to live at the edges of woods, ponds, or rivers. They have a loud peculiar call. Their standout feature is their white iristhey truly are white-eyed.

Another less common but loud vireo is the yellow-throated vireo. It is the most brightly colored and possibly the loudest. Unlike the red-eyeds rising inquisitive toned song, the yellow-throated vireo has a short rise and fall tone. Besides the colorful yellow throat, this vireo has white rings around its eyes that cross its nostrils so it looks like it is wearing glasses. The yellow-throated vireo lives in open deciduous forests but requires a larger forest area to breed. Their numbers are declining due to deforestation.

The blue-headed vireo is one of the quieter vireos. It likes to live in areas with evergreens or old deciduous forests. They are more common in western Maryland. Besides having a bluish head, they have even a more pronounced set of white spectacles than the yellow-throated. The blue-headed and white-eyed vireos have more adaptive features than the yellow-throated and their populations have increased despite land clearing.

The last local vireo is the warbling vireo. I have not seen very many of these but they have one of the best singing voices of any forest birdbut when they are angry or mobbing, they have a very harsh, raspy, loud voice. They are said to be tolerant of humans and will nest near houses and parks. But their population is falling because they cluster together during winter in Central America in areas that are under logging stress.

All the vireos are at risk of the nest parasite, the brown-headed cowbird. Cowbirds lay eggs in other birds nests and the hatchlings will push other eggs or babies out of the nest. The vireos that nest deeper in the woods, like the blue-headed vireo, have less of a chance of being a victim of this nest parasite.

Different species of birds alert each other when danger is around. Following the harsh voices of vireos can help you locate a predator or quiet birds like warblers that show up to help the mob.

Read the original post:
The Alarmist Vireo - Bay Weekly

Coffs Harbour City Council Deputy Mayor Dr Sally Townley, Save Nambucca River President Darrell Hughes, Nambucca Valley councillors Cr Susan Jenvey and Cr David Jones, Save Nambucca River publicity officer Elizabeth Newman, NSW Farmers Nambucca River Branch secretary Julie Gooch, local farmer Elaine Ward and group members.

ENVIRONMENTAL scientist Dr Sally Townley addressed the May meeting of the recently formed Save Nambucca River group.

Dr Townley is also the Deputy Mayor of Coffs Harbour City Council, having been elected to this position in 2022, and has been a Councillor in Coffs Harbour since 2012.

Dr Townley spoke to the meeting about the changes in Coffs Coast agriculture over the last fifteen years, especially in the move to high density agriculture like blueberries and cucumbers.

Coffs has seen massive changes in agriculture, and the transition to blueberries and cucumbers (over the last 30 years), and massive land clearing, said Dr Townley.

The transition to hydroponic crops such as cucumber and blueberries has seen the need for increased use of nutrients, pesticides, and water usage.

Illegal water usage in the area, including farmers digging oversized dams, and the overuse of nutrients and pesticides that leach into our river systems, was discussed at the meeting.

The conversion of our landscapes, coupled with water and chemical use for new intensive growing crops has led to massive degradation of our water systems.

When should the right to farm be put before our environment, land and water quality?

Some of the water testing in the Coffs area showed nutrient and pesticide contamination higher in rivers, creeks and lakes than areas in China, said Dr Townley.

Dr Townley advised that the first step for the group would be to lobby Nambucca Council for more extensive water testing.

Coffs Harbour City Council uses Southern Cross University for water testing, with the cost being funded from the environmental levy.

It is difficult to get action against illegal environmental pollution and over water usage, but there is a role for Council to play.

Coffs Council has a million dollar a year environmental levy, which funded Southern Cross University to conduct water studies.

Other than sewage contamination, they tested for nutrients and pesticides, in drinking water on 20 properties, said Dr Townley.

No one sample was above water safety, but its the accumulative effects of contamination that is the issue.

Youre not just drinking the water, youre showering, washing your dishes and clothes, using it on your gardens, this must have an accumulative effect over long periods of use.

Nambucca Valley councillors were invited to the meeting and Crs Susan Jenvey and David Jones were on hand to answer questions from the community.

Cr Susan Jenvey spoke with group members about putting a submission for extended water testing other than sewage contamination to be included in the next Council budget.

Cr David Jones spoke on the effects of erosion from Lanes Bridge after our recent fires and flooding events, and the contribution of these events to the poor water quality of the Nambucca River.

There has been massive erosion from Lanes Bridge sand and gravel has washed down the river.

There are a set of complex issues associated with the river starting from the headwaters creating even more complex situations that flow down to the lower reaches, said Cr David Jones.

Julie Gooch, Secretary for the Nambucca River Branch of NSW Farmers said, What we need is a whole river plan or we wont get anywhere.

The regulations are there, and biosecurity controls are very strict for farmers.

As farmers we need to work together with the community and Council to plan a better future for our river, everyone wants to see better land and water quality.

It was decided that a submission to be made to the Council for water testing other than just sewage contamination, including nutrients, pesticides and trace elements.

Both Crs Jenvey and Jones agreed they would support the community in working for a water quality solution for the Nambucca River.

For more information contact Darrell Hughes at [emailprotected] or https://www.facebook.com/groups/1164455767423178.

By Karen GRIBBIN

Read more from the original source:
Save Nambucca River Groups Meets For May News Of The Area - News Of The Area

Global carbon emissions could be cut by 50% by 2050 if one fifth of the worlds per-capita beef consumption is replaced with the meat substitute.

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Replacing 20% of global beef consumption with a meat substitute within the next 30 years could halve deforestation, according to a new modelling study.

The research, published in scientific journal Nature, found that eating one fifth less beef or swapping it with microbial protein, would cut 50% of carbon emissions associated with deforestation as well as methane emissions, a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, from livestock and cattle raising.

Every year, the world loses about 10 million hectares of forests, with beef farming being the biggest driver of deforestation an estimated 81,081 square miles of forest land is lost annually for meat production, 80% of which occurs in the Amazon. 83% of farmland is also used for livestock and their feed crops, yet the meat and dairy produced accounts for only 18% of the calories consumed by humans. Land clearing also destroys wildlife habitats, threatening global biodiversity.

Experts say we must drive down meat production and consumption drastically to avert a climate crisis. Though more than 100 countries have pledged to stop and reverse deforestation by 2030, destruction rates remain high, especially in the Amazon. However, offering greener, meatless alternatives could help cut down the demand.

The food system is at the root of a third of global greenhouse gas emissions, with ruminant meat production being the single largest source, said Dr Florian Humpender, the studys lead author and a researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany. The good news is that people do not need to be afraid they can eat only greens in the future. They can continue eating burgers and the like, its just that those burger patties will be produced in a different way.

According to Nature, previous research has shown that replacing beef with a meatless alternative called mycoprotein can have beneficial effects on the environment. The microbial protein, which can be produced from a range of microorganisms, including bacteria, is brewed in steel tanks by fermenting a soil-dwelling fungus with glucose and other nutrients as a food source similar to a beer-making process. The end product is a protein-rich food that tastes and feels like meat, and is just as nutritious.

The microbial protein first made its debut in the market in the 1980s in the UK under the brand name Quorn, which has since become the market leader. But there are widely more options available today in many countries.

Researchers calculated that if 20% of the worlds per-capita beef consumption is replaced with the meat substitute, we could reduce methane emissions by 11% and deforestation and associated emissions by 50% by 2050. If we swap out 50% of the beef, that would equal more than 80% reduction in deforestation and carbon emissions, and replacing 80% of beef would eliminate about 90% of forest loss.

However, if the world remains on its current trajectory of production and consumption, or under a business-as-usual scenario, annual deforestation rates would double, as will the methane emissions and agricultural water use.

But the study notes that there will be relatively minor changes in agricultural water use regardless of how much meat substitute we replace as the water required to grow crops for feeding cattle would go towards growing other types of crop.

While the new findings show a pathway in which we can reduce some of the global food productions environmental footprint, Humpender said this alone will not solve the climate crisis.

Microbial protein should not be seen as a silver bullet, he said. But rather as a building block in a large transformation of the whole food and agricultural system, combining it with reductions in food waste, incentives to eat healthier, and de-incentivising the sale of products with high environmental impacts.

You might also like: 5 Sustainable Plant-Based Seafood Companies Leading the Way

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Swapping 20% of Beef with Meat Substitute Could Halve Deforestation: Study - EARTH.ORG

Yesterday, Dhungatti artist Blak Douglas was awarded the 2022 Archibald prize and $100,000 for his work Moby Dickens the largest painting in this years exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW).

Douglas is a six-time Archibald finalist and a 2009 Wynne Prize finalist, renowned for his portraiture of First Nations people. Im making up for lost ground in the failure to memorialise First Nations people, the artist who lives and works on Bundjalung Country in Lismore has said.

In his acceptance speech, Douglas highlighted that this is incredibly historic given that Im the first Koori to paint a Koori to win the Archibald Prize.

This painting represents 20 years of taking the risk of pursuing a dream, Douglas said.

The winning portrait depicts Wiradjuri woman and artist Karla Dickens, knee-deep in muddy flood waters. According to Dickens, it is a homage to each person who has similarly found themselves deep in mud, physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially after the natural disaster that has destroyed so many lives in the Northern Rivers of NSW and beyond.

The monumental work blends elements of realism and graphic styles to create a unique aesthetic. Muddy waters and dark storm clouds extend into the background almost indefinitely, and the daring eyes of Dickens reflect a deep defiance in anger while looking at the face of climate disaster in this country.

The works title is in reference to Herman Melvilles 1851 novel Moby Dick. Here, in Douglas painterly reflection, Karla Dickens represents the storys titular whale who is ready to rip the leg off any fool with a harpoon who dares come too close.

The graphic flat-bottomed clouds in the paintings sky are a recurring political motif in Douglas work. Their flat bases represent what Douglas describes as the false ceiling of government. Additionally, the 14 clouds represent the number of days the rains and floods devastated the Northern Rivers area. Water leaks through the ineffectual buckets in the hands of Dickens, serving as an allegorical representation of the climate crisis slipping through our hands and the nearly insurmountable challenges it poses to communities.

It is gratifying to see the prize be given to not only a First Nations artist and subject, but also a robustly political painting in a time when it is demanded most. Douglas is an undeniable visionary in his artistic practice and philosophy Moby Dickens is set to become an icon of the Archibald for years and decades to come.

Prior to the award announcements, Emma Grey, an ANZ Group Executive, spoke on behalf of ANZ: The Archibald is part of the cultural fabric of this country. ANZ has been a sponsor of the Gallery and presenting partner of the Archibald Prizes for 13 years.

David Gonski, President of Art Gallery of NSW Trust, delivered the awards and emphasised that although [the board of trustees] had many an argument and lots of robust debate all final decisions made about the winners were all done in a unanimous fashion.

The creativity of Australia continues, he declared before announcing the duo Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro as the winners of the $40,000 Sulman Prize for their work Raiko and Shuten-dji.

Healy and Cordeiros winning work is a reimagining of the Japanese folk story of the fight between the warrior Raiko and the demon Shuten-dji. Materiality is perhaps this works most notable aspect, painted on the fuselage the main body of an aircraft of a Vietnam War-era helicopter. Further, the work has pinned threads of jute that extend across the work from a single plait like a web, creating a visually interesting and dimensional facade.

The prize was judged by artist Joan Ross, who said of the collaborative duos work that she immediately felt the dynamism of this work, its curved metal surface, its physical quality and beauty, its conceptual nature.

The $50,000 Wynne Prize was subsequently announced and given to Nicholas Harding for his work Eora who exclaimed that it was quite marvellous and unexpected.

Harding is a 19-time Archibald finalist (winning in 2001), a 9-time Wynne finalist and a 3-time Sulman finalist; this year, his winning work is an oil paint landscape in dominating hues of green and earthy browns. The works leafy imagery is a teeming amalgamation of plant life from the Northern Beaches area and Narrabeen Lakes. Investigating the ways nature has been shaped by colonisation and the impacts of industry land-clearing, Hardings work holds a clear message and is a deserved winner of the prize.

Eora stands as a memorial to how extraordinary the landscape must have been before white people got here and invaded the place and encroached on the landscape itself, Harding has said of his work.

Lastly, the winner of the Wynne Prizes Roberts Family Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Prize was Pitjantjatjara woman Sally Scales painting entitled Wati Tjakura. The vibrant work is a representation of her ancestral family land Aralya in South Australia on Aangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.

The 2022 Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes open to the public today. For further information about the prizes and this years stand-out finalists read Honis analysis here.

The rest is here:
'Incredibly historic': Winners of 2022 Archibald Prizes announced - Honi Soit

The televised debates between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition leading up to the election on 21 May have almost completely ignored climate change and the urgent action that is needed to address it.

In contrast, recent polls have reported that action to address climate change is one of the top three issues for the majority of Australian voters.

In early April, the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres said:

We are on a pathway to global warming of more than double the 1.5C limit agreed in Paris. Some Government and business leaders are saying one thing, but doing another. Simply put, they are lying. And the results will be catastrophic. This is a climate emergency High-emitting Governments and corporations are not just turning a blind eye, they are adding fuel to the flames.

The most comprehensive scientific updates on climate change, its impacts and its solutions were released in 2021 and 2022 in the first three volumes of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Read more

Theres no doubt that human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases have warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Global surface temperature has increased by 1.1C in the most recent decade compared with 1850 to 1900, with larger warming over land than the ocean.

Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere have increased by more than 40 per cent since around 1750 as a result of land clearing and burning fossil fuels, and are now higher than at any time over the last million years.

Australias climate has warmed on average by 1.4C since national records began in 1910, leading to an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events.

A comparison of the observed Australian decadal temperature variations with those simulated by global climate models shows that the observed warming trend can only be explained by human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases.

The IPCC global assessment of the impacts of climate change includes a chapter on Australia and New Zealand.

The associated two-page Fact Sheet for Australasia identifies nine high-confidence key climate risks. These include:

Increase in heat-related mortality for people and wildlife due to heatwaves

Cascading impacts on cities, settlements, infrastructure and services due to wildfires, floods, droughts, heatwaves, storms and sea-level rise

Inability of institutions and governance systems to manage climate risks

Read more

Australia is one of the developed countries most at risk from the adverse impacts of climate change.

The Black Summer bushfires in 2019-20 and the floods in south-east Queensland and New South Wales earlier this year clearly demonstrated the inabilities of governments at national, state and local levels to manage climate risks.

Global surface temperature will continue to increase until at least the mid-century under all emissions scenarios considered.

Global warming of 1.5C and 2C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.

Every tonne of carbon dioxide emissions adds to global warming. Every increase in global warming adds to the changes in the climate system, increasing the frequency and intensity of hot extremes, marine heatwaves, and heavy rainfall.

Even if all countries meet their current emission reduction pledges and targets, global warming is expected to exceed two degrees, with much greater impacts across Australia.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change states that developed countries should take the lead in combating climate change.

But Australia makes a disproportionately large contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. It has only about 0.3 per cent of the global population but contributes about 1.3 per cent of global emissions. It has the highest per capita emissions of any developed country.

Read more

Independent assessment of Australias fair share of global efforts to meet the Paris Agreement targets indicates that Australias emission reductions should be much greater than its current commitments.

They conclude that for Australia to meet its Paris Agreement obligations to limit global warming to 1.5C with a 50 per cent chance, its 2030 target for emission reductions should be 74 per cent relative to 2005 emissions, and net zero emissions by 2035.

The Climate Change Performance Index 2022 ranked Australia last in the world for climate policies, stating that the Australian governments policies are

insufficient for decarbonising the economy, reducing the use of fossil fuels, promoting renewable energy, and setting out how national GHG emissions will be reduced. The government does not have any policies on phasing out coal or gas.

The policies of both the Australian government and the Labor Party Opposition support continued coal mining and increasing natural gas extraction and export, as well as continued government funding for fossil fuel use in Australia.

Because every tonne of carbon dioxide emissions adds to global warming, these policies are choosing to make global warming worse.

Your vote at the national election allows you to make a choice.

You can choose to support rapid and substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and stronger action to adapt to the worsening impacts of climate change.

Or you can choose to make global warming worse.

Banner: Getty Images

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Disconnect: Climate change and the Australian election - Pursuit

Hundreds of Superfund sites face flood risks

Hundreds of the nation's most polluted places are at an increasing risk of spreading contamination beyond their borders as a result of more frequent storms and rising seas. Almost 2 million people live within a mile of these at-risk toxic sites. (Dec. 22)

AP

PLAINFIELD Federal environmental experts in the coming months will put the finishing touches on their latest review of a Plainfield Superfund site now home to an energy plant expected to funnel more than $1 million in tax revenue to the town this year.

The former Gallups Quarry property off Route 12 is one of 14 Superfund sites in New England where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will conduct its mandatory five-year reviews aimed at ensuring previous remediation and ongoing monitoring efforts are paying off.

"Ensuring completed Superfund site cleanup work remains protective of human health and the environment is a priority for EPA," said Deb Szaro, the agencys New England acting regional administrator in a press release."By completing reviews of the cleanups every five years, EPA fulfills its duty to remain vigilant so that these communities continue to be protected."

Superfund sites are polluted locations that require long-term hazardous material clean-up efforts and monitoring. At Gallups Quarry, that pollution took the form of barrels of waste and free-liquid chemicals illegally dumped in the 1970s, according to a 2017 EPA report.

For several months beginning in mid-1977, the owner of the former sand and gravel quarry, once used as an asphalt batching plant by the state Department of Transportation, accepted chemical waste without a permit, prompting the 29-acre property to be placed on the EPAs National Priorities List in 1989.

More: A look behind use of force by Norwich police: What does it mean? How often does it happen?

Chemicals containing volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds and heavy metals were dumped in three areas, including into a seepage bed that was razed during construction of the nearby Plainfield Renewable Energy Plant, a 37.5-megawatt biomass facility that supplies power to Connecticut Light & Power.

In all, more than 1,600 drums, 5,000 gallons of liquid waste and 3,500 tons of contaminated soil were removed by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection beforelong-term monitoring began.

More than 50 contaminants were initially identified on the property and though there is no exposure risk via soil, it was determined the chemicals had the potential of leaching into groundwater.

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According to the 2017 federal report, water - both ground-level and surface - has been sampled yearly since 2009 though a series of monitoring wells with soil samples taken every five years. The sampling is done by a contractor hired by 23 of the 40 potentially responsible parties, or individuals or companies found liable for the contamination.

Dan Keefe, the EPAs Superfund New England section chief, said the monitoring is done with agency oversight to ensure EPAs monitored attenuation approach to the site, or one in which residual chemicals are allowed to break down naturally over time, is occurring.

The other remedy is to institute future land-use restrictions, he said. The biggest risk-reduction there was the removal of the chemicals by the state.

Land-use restrictions were placed on six property parcels to prevent soil disturbance and groundwater is not used as a potable supply.

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EPA has completed four Five-year Reviews for the site, and has determined that the cleanup is protective of human health and the environment, the agency found, according to a January status statement. There is no current use of, or exposure to, site media containing contaminants in excess of the applicable State and Federal standards identified for the site.

John Bryant, EPAs remedial project manager for the Plainfield site, called the initialclean-up a success and various static control measures, including fences and signs were placed throughout the property to prevent unauthorized access.

In January 2014, after a decade of planning, the Plainfield Renewable Energy Plant was fired up on a portion of the quarry land on Mill Brook Road south of the main contamination site the only business operating on the property.

The Class 1 plant, a 12-story building lacedwith conveyors, has the potential to power the equivalent of 37,000 homes using a variety of fuel sources, including construction and demolition wood debris, recycled wood pallets and land-clearing materials.

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First Selectman Kevin Cunningham said since the quarry site is on private property, the town has little to do with the site except tosit back and take in tax revenue.

Officials will let us know when they plan to conduct their reviews, but thats it for us, he said. Its a producer of tax revenue and jobs for the town. And though there are only a few people actually working at the plant, there areother jobs created by the deliveries of materials to the site.

According to the tax collectors office, the plant is due to provide the town this year with roughly $1.4 million in tax revenue from real estate, personal property and other bills.

Keefe said the EPA has been ahead of the curve in the last two decades in pursuing re-use and re-purpose strategies for Superfund sites, like Gallups Quarry.

Whether thats for passive use, like recreation or solar panels, or for more active things, like the bio-mass plant, he said.

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Keefe said the new report, expected to be released in the fall, will incorporate the latest monitoring information, which will be examined for any data trends. He said the five-year reports will continue to be issued in perpetuity.

That happens with any Superfund site on the priority list that doesnt allow for unrestricted access or use, he said.

John Penney can be reached at jpenney@norwichbulletin.com or at(860) 857-6965.

Read more here:
Gallup's Quarry was so polluted the EPA took over. Here's how much it pays Plainfield now. - Norwich Bulletin

The complexity of a proposed new wetland buffers and drainage ordinance came to light during a Jan. 11 Sussex County Council public hearing. Many who testified during the nearly five-hour hearing said there is no reason to make it complicated.

And the hearing is not over. Council voted to continue the public hearing during its Tuesday, Feb. 22 meeting to allow time for more public comment by those who have not testified.

Several former working group members and members of the public suggested council should delete Section 10G of the ordinance allowing developers to take advantage of buffer options.

The section was added by county staff after a council-appointed working group was disbanded. The working group of stakeholders met nine times between February and August 2019 to develop a new draft ordinance, which was presented Sept. 10, 2019, to county council.

Under the section, developers would have several options which could result in buffer widths narrower than what is required under the old ordinance.

Could a buffer be less than what is in code now? asked District 4 Councilman Doug Hudson.

In certain circumstances, the answer is yes, replied county engineer Hans Medlarz.

The incentives in Section 10G are designed to offer developers more flexibility, including conservation easements for off-site property preservation in the same watershed, and to provide more options to developers who preserve existing forests as buffers.

Vince Robertson, assistant county attorney, presented the final draft to council and outlined amendments approved by the planning and zoning commission, which has recommended approval of the ordinance.

Among those amendments are a requirement to indicate walking trails, and what materials will be used, on a subdivision's final site plan, removal of the selective cutting option in buffers but still allowing control of invasive species, and clarifications stating that isolated wetlands are not considered nontidal wetlands, and agricultural ditches are not subject to the ordinance.

Robertson outlined some of the most significant changes to the old ordinance, including wider and new buffers, a more defined list of what can be placed in a buffer, a requirement for a resource maintenance plan, incentives to preserve existing woodlands, and removal of building lot lines in buffers.

Chris Bason, director of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays and a member of the working group, commended county officials for updating the ordinance. He said the new buffer widths and many of the other regulations included in the ordinance will provide more protection for the county's wetlands and waterways.

However, he said, there should be no options available to reduce the width of buffers. In addition, he said, because wooded areas are the best buffers, forests should always be retained, and new forests should be required to be planted where they don't exist in buffers.

He said Section 10G should be eliminated from the ordinance. The options would actually allow for no buffers along tidal waterways in some cases. It's not worth trying to fix this section, Bason said.

Bason said, in comparison, even with the proposed amended ordinance, Sussex County's buffer regulations would not match other jurisdictions, including New Castle and Kent counties, New Jersey, and critical areas in Maryland. For example, he said, those jurisdictions all require forested buffers or revegetated forested buffers along wetlands and waterways. The Sussex ordinance allows for meadow, grassland buffers as well as forested buffers.

He said taking all proposed buffer widths into account, the average minimum buffer width in Sussex County would be 53 feet, compared to 116 feet in the other jurisdictions.

Bason said the ordinance would allow developers to retain an existing forest in a buffer and receive a 50 percent buffer-width reduction and a reduction in a development's perimeter buffer. And retaining a forest connected to but not within a buffer also allows for a 50 percent buffer-width reduction.

I'm trying to understand the need for resource buffer options, said Sussex Alliance for Responsible Growth spokesman Rich Borrasso of Milton, another working group member. It's a solution looking for a problem, he said.

Borrasso said SARG supports the following: removal of Section G; requiring reforesting of all meadow buffers and/or prior forest buffers that have been deforested in the past five years prior to the date of an application; approval of the wetland buffers working group recommended water-resource buffer widths with an exception to allow buffer averaging; establishing criteria for posted signs delineating the upland boundary of buffers that clearly state no clearing or disturbance permitted; and establishing a schedule of financial penalties for cutting and/or removal of trees or shrubs within a buffer, filling or hard-surface construction, and all other violations of non-permitted uses.

Borrasso also said if county officials are serious about preserving forests, a separate study is needed for tree conservation throughout the county.

Carol Stevens of Lewes agreed with the removal of Section 10G. It's wide open to interpretation, with loopholes, she said. In addition, she said, the working group should be reconvened to clean up the proposal.

However, environmental scientist Ed Launay, another working group member, said he supported Section 10G with some changes he has proposed to county staff.

He said regulations pertaining to off-site easement areas and conservation easements need more clarification, including what is prohibited and penalties for violations, who is the designated steward of an easement and what role the county has in the easements.

He said it needs to be made clear that farming activities are prohibited in buffers.

Launay said one of the key goals of the new ordinance is to discourage major alterations to land, including forest clear-cutting, before an application is filed. He said adding larger buffer widths for development where major changes to a parcel occur before an application could dissuade that practice.

In addition, Launay said, the working group's recommendations did not include walking trails in Zone A areas of buffers, and that option should be deleted from the ordinance.

Buffer widths have been increased, and areas not previously protected have been added.

Changes include an increase from 50 feet to 100 feet for tidal water and wetlands buffers, and 30 feet for nontidal wetlands and streams. The county currently does not require buffers along nontidal waters and wetlands.

Under the proposal, a buffer is divided in half Zone A, the area closest to the resource with the most protection, and Zone B. A list is provided for what activities and construction are permitted in each zone.

For example, sewage disposal plants, landfills and waste storage, and amenities such as pools and clubhouses would not be permitted in either zone. Anything not listed in the ordinance is prohibited.

Buffer averaging would be permitted, allowing a developer or landowner to reduce buffer width in one area if an increase in buffer width is provided in another area. Averaging would be permitted only in Zone B.

The proposed ordinance includes:

Property lot lines would no longer be permitted as part of a buffer

Tidal waters and tidal wetlands: 100 feet

Perennial nontidal rivers and streams: 50 feet

Nontidal wetlands: 30 feet

Intermittent streams: 30 feet

Tax ditches: no buffers required

Resource buffer management plans in community covenants

Incentives to allow developers more flexibility in design

Preservation of established native forests and non-forested meadows to eliminate clear-cutting.

A better definition of buffers and their function is included in the new ordinance to enhance water quality, provide habitats, and provide flood mitigation and improved drainage.

Jeff Seemans, a retired Milton landscape architect who was a planner in New Castle County, said the ordinance lacks enforcement and penalties.

He said provisions could be made requiring the delineation of buffers with highly visible signs, and fines could be added with a dollar amount for each square foot of violations of tree clearing, fill-in and construction of hard surfaces within buffers. It needs to be high enough to get somebody's attention, he said, adding that fines in Maryland range up to $10,000 with mitigation at a 4-1 ratio for any disturbance in buffers.

In addition, he said, when a new ordinance is adopted, it should go into effect immediately. If not, there will be a flood of applications, resulting in more lost trees, he said.

THE NUMBERS

On average, 51 percent of forested land on parcels was cleared in developments approved from 2017-19.

From 2010 to 2017, Sussex County had the third-highest number of homes built in a 10-year flood risk zone of any ocean coastal county in the United States.

2021 was a record year for fish kills in the Inland Bays, with 15 recorded resulting in the loss of about 2 million fish, mostly menhaden, due to low dissolved oxygen in waterways.

Source: Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

Read the ordinance at: tinyurl.com/2p9fdrfv.

The rest is here:
Buffer ordinance in hands of Sussex council - CapeGazette.com