NEW BIODIVERSITY LAWS THREATEN WESTERN NSW KOALAS

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW (NCC) is concerned that the NSW Government’s recently released proposed Biodiversity Conservation legislation will lead to further loss of koalas in western NSW.

The increase in land clearing resulting from this weakening of native vegetation protection laws, plus the impact of climate change, are seen as likely to lead to koala extinction in the west of the state.

NCC CEO Kate Smolski said, “Land clearing is one of the biggest threats to our koalas in NSW, particularly in the state’s western regions where its habitat has become severely fragmented by more than 200 years of tree-clearing.”

She has called on Premier Baird to go back to the drawing board on the legislation if he wants to ensure the koala’s long-term survival.

Concerns about the survival of the koala in NSW and Queensland led to its listing as vulnerable under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act in 2012.

There is good reason for this concern.  On the east coast koala numbers declined more than 40% between 1990 and 2010.   In the west, in the Pilliga Forest for example, an area that was formerly a stronghold for the species, a 2013 survey found that the population had crashed by 75% in 10 years.  So that population is now considered highly endangered.

Key threats to koala survival are habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, predation from dogs, vehicle strike, disease, drought, climate change and inbreeding.

Koalas are not the only species under threat from these new laws.   Many other fauna and flora species will suffer if there is a return to broadscale land clearing.

The NCC is calling for improvements in the proposed legislation to safeguard the future of the natural environment. 

One of these improvements is ruling out clearing bushland that is critical habitat for threatened wildlife.

Another is development of a scheme to pay “cash for compensation” to support farmers who protect wildlife, healthy soils and pure water supplies.

And another is comprehensive mapping of the state’s 1500 vegetation communities.

Submissions can be made on the proposed legislation until 28 June.

-          Leonie Blain

 This  post originally appeared in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on 23rd May, 2016. 

REWEAVERS AWARDS HONOUR THREE CLARENCE VALLEY WOMEN

 On Friday June 3 the Clarence Valley’s contribution to World Environment Day (June 5) was held in Grafton.  Nearly 50 people attended the ninth annual ReWeavers Dinner in which three people – Leonie Blain and Sharon Lehman of Grafton and Helen Tyas Tunggal of Angourie – were honoured for their outstanding contributions to our Earth Community.

 

Leonie’s early work included the Daishowa pulp mill and Regional Water Supply campaigns.  More recently she has been involved in the unconventional gas-mining campaign and climate change issues.  Leonie was a foundation member of the Clarence Valley Conservation Coalition and has been secretary since 1991.  One spokesman stated, “This group’s existence would have terminated long ago except for Leonie’s efforts.”  She is also an active member of many local committees such as Council’s Climate Change Community Advisory Committee.

Sharon came to the Clarence 22 years ago and has been very much involved in searching for ways to make environmental education and communication more effective.  She has a very strong sense of wholeness and the social aspect of our Earth Community is very important to her.  Three major projects she has initiated are Waste Not Want Not, Clarence Valley Conservation in Action and Hands on Nature.  Her work illustrates many aspects of the Earth Charter, one of the world’s great Earth Community documents.

Helen as principal of Harwood Island Public School led the development of the school as a centre of excellence in environmental education.  Over the past 25 years Helen has continued to refine the Learnscapes Planning and Design Process, developed the Clarence Water ambassador education program, written the Kidsgrow school gardening resources and received the 2007 NSW Environmental Educator of the Year award.  She has been a long-serving member of local environment groups including Valley Watch and Angourie Coastcare.

The ReWeavers Certificates were presented by Alan Jeffery, Regional Manager, North Coast NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Alan Jeffrey, Helen Tyas Tunggal, Leonie Blain, Sharon Lehman.

OIL BUSINESS LIQIUDITY PROBLEMS A PLUS FOR CLIMATE ACTION

With senior Australian Government politicians still questioning the degree to which human generated emissions are contributing to climate change, we have every right to be concerned about the Government's commitment to the Paris climate change agreement.

However, there is encouraging news from around the globe. A combination of individual actions, efficiency measures, and businesses prepared to jump on the renewable energy bandwagon, has reportedly seen the total value of energy generated by fossil fuels plummeting by more than half in just 20 years.

Also, when oil prices climbed above US$70 a barrel, the industry borrowed heavily, but the subsequent price plunge has made it virtually impossible to repay those debts. A conservative estimate of industry debt of US$2.5 trillion has led Deloitte Financial Services to predict that at least 35% of the world's independent oil companies will declare bankruptcy by the end of 2016.

Last November, climate analyst, Carbon Tracker, was ridiculed by the fossil fuel industry over predictions that six of the world's largest energy companies, Royal Dutch Shell, Peabody Energy, Glencore, Coal India, and Exxon Mobil were “over-exposed” to debt.  In February, Peabody declared itself bankrupt, and is unlikely to be the last.

The fossil fuel industry is facing serious liquidity problems, and there is little doubt that the profitability crisis facing many companies is the result of an inevitable transition to renewables.

Texas A&M University researchers claim that by 2050 fossil fuels and nuclear power will become obsolete as viable energy sources due to increasing costs. More importantly, they claim that 50% of remaining fossil fuels must remain unburned if global temperature rises are to remain below 2ºC, and to achieve this, and avoid catastrophic climate change, 50% of the world's energy must come from renewable sources by 2028.

That is the challenge we face.

On the positive side solar power production has reportedly doubled every year for the past 20 years, while with every doubling of photo voltaic infrastructure there has been a 22% drop in cost. Amazingly, simple economics may be the world's saviour, and hopefully our Government will play its part.

-          John Edwards

 This  post originally appeared in the VOICES FOR THE EARTH column in The Daily Examiner on 2nd May, 2016.