Aussie Enviro

Be your own conservationist. A great project to do with kids. If you have a backyard, whether you're a home owner or renter, a lizard lounge 🦎 is easy to set up and requires little to no maintenance depending how basic or elaborate you want it to be. There's lots of videos online but here's two:

BASIC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcoLRdVGnLg&t=1s

DELUXE: https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/how-to/lizard-lounge/10930978

"The federal government has struck a ‘deal’ with Alcoa that allows the mining giant to continue clearing the Northern Jarrah Forest, despite findings that it illegally destroyed habitat for nationally protected species between 2019 and 2025.

Under the agreement, Alcoa will pay $55 million through ‘enforceable undertakings’—an outcome the federal government is claiming as “the largest conservation-focused commitment of its kind.”

In reality, by not prosecuting Alcoa, the government has essentially handed the US-mining giant a “Get Out of Jail Free” card—transforming what should have been a massive regulatory breach into a strategic endeavour."

https://wilderness.org.au/news-events/regulatory-hall-pass-55-million-payment-lets-alcoa-continue-clearing-endangered-northern-jarrah-forest

Anyone surprised?

• The lemuroid ringtail possum is one of 34 species that have just been added to Australia's threatened species list.
• Researchers say the scale and pace of man-made climate change has made it nearly impossible for species to adapt to changes.

Considering we need 100% of nature to live (just start with air), one per cent doesn't seem a lot to ask.

Seeing as the number of threatened species keeps ramping up, let's get to know who they are and do what we can to protect them and their habitats. For example, Greater Gliders need tree hollows for shelter and procreation (in fact, many Australian marsupials, birds and some reptiles require hollows). Hollows take over one hundred years to form in older growth trees but we're still logging native forests and cutting down large, mature trees for cattle grazing and also mining, urbanisation and other development. Wherever you are, encourage your relatives, neighbours, councils, etc, to save large trees because of the important habitat the provide AND because they cool the local ambience which is what WE also need as the climate warms up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6g48VFPqqU

I've noticed that folks on this page seem to enjoy topics more focused on environment-related technology and the related political state of play, both of which are really important. This appeals intellectually but there's not enough practical info, imo, on what we can do as individuals and communities to protect native habitats, plants and animals in cities and in regional areas and on keeping a can-do and hopeful state of mind.

What do the admins think? What do others think?

"Australia's government was required to identify spending that could be harmful to biodiversity by the end of 2025 — but still has not made any figures public.

In the meantime, a team of researchers has found that more than $26 billion of federal government incentives [mostly related to mining and fossil fuels] could be harmful to Australia's animals, plants, fungi and other living organisms.

A federal government report detailing progress on meeting biodiversity targets is due by February 28."

However, "less than $1 billion is being spent a year on biodiversity.

"So we're spending 25 times more on undermining nature than protecting and serving it."

Looks like our governments want to destroy what makes Australia, Australia, and help instead to make it a denuded quarry. 😡

**See comments for an action you can take. **

During Australia’s unprecedented heatwave in late January, air temperatures reached 50°C in inland South Australia.

Days of sustained heat and hot nights did real damage. A flying fox colony was all but wiped out in South Australia, while Western Australian mango growers suffered major crop losses as fruit literally boiled.

These increasingly extreme heatwaves are now posing a real threat to the crops and livestock on which we rely, as well as Australia’s wildlife and ecosystems.

But in coming decades, intensifying climate change will push summer temperatures beyond the records set this summer.

Everything in Australia has to cope with heat. But the continent’s wildlife and peoples are not prepared for the heat to come,

Welp, it is why we moved to Tassie 3 years ago. Met a guy 2 days ago from Townsville who said him and his family had enough and were in the process of moving down, the heat/humidity were unbearable back in T'ville.

If you're from Victoria, have or know children or teenagers who are (or could become) interested in taking part in biodiversity projects, have a look at this resource. Also pass it on to family, friends, teachers, schools, youth groups, etc. Young people's involvement in nature-related projects is great for their physical and mental health, for future interest and even career choices and of course helps to develop their relationship to the earth.

Trees "pull carbon dioxide out of the air, release the oxygen we breathe, and help combat climate change."

But wait, there's more

"Now, for the first time... research has uncovered [that] the hidden world of the tiny organisms living in the bark of trees... are quietly helping to purify the air we breathe and remove greenhouse gases.

These microbes “eat”, or use, gases like methane and carbon monoxide for energy and survival. Most significantly, they also remove hydrogen, which has a role in super-charging climate change.

All the more reason for planting trees wherever needed.

We can learn a great deal from how China has stopped a lot of desertification. In our fragile continent and our obsession with cattle grazing we have destroyed a great deal of already vulnerable land. We need to get serious about restoring at least some of what we have devastated. It would also help in saving carbon from going into the atmosphere. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f6BXUXcCxw

If you've ever been caught in a conversation (or to be prepared for one) in which people throw in your face how renewable energy is just as bad as fossil fuel energy because of the mining that is required, here's an article that might help you stop the facile nonsense in its tracks. https://www.lyrebirddreaming.com/post/fossil-fuels-dig-far-more-than-renewables

The federal government is opening vast new areas of ocean off Victoria and Lutruwita / Tasmania for oil and gas exploration. New oil and gas projects threaten precious marine environments, World-Heritage coastline, and beloved surf beaches.

The consultation period ends on 19 Feb to open this area as a new frontier for seismic blasting and gas drilling. The Wilderness Society will be making a submission.

Add your name to protect oceans, coasts, communities and the climate from new oil and gas. Protect these wild oceans that are home to whales, seals, dolphins, seabirds, seaweeds, sponges, crustaceans and many other globally unique species. https://wilderness.good.do/oilandgassubmission2026/newgasfeb2026/..

Conservationists estimate coal exported from expanded mine to release CO2 equivalent of about half Australia’s annual carbon footprint

FFS voters, reap what you sow I guess, an unlivable biosphere :(

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/11/point-of-no-return-hothouse-earth-global-heating-climate-tipping-points

Point of no return: a hellish ‘hothouse Earth’ getting closer, scientists say

Our echidnas never cease to make us smile, especially when romance (and lots of walking) is in the air. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n55y_s1haEM&list=PL0cavlVRdTzO3i33eYNhEFv4ekWsxTb6a

Getting involved in a citizen science project is one way of countering the sense of helplessness we may feel about the environmental challenges we face. Citizen science is not just a hobby either. Scientists cannot do all the work that needs to be done by themselves so everyday people's contribution accounts for a lot.

This is just one example. Bogong moth populations have crashed in recent years. Get involved in recording observations and tagging. If you have kids, get them out and get them involved.

Even though most Bogongs spend the summer in just the highest parts of Australia’s South Eastern mountains, Bogong moths breed in and fly over vast areas of Australia every year including Boorloo / Perth, Adelaide, Naarm / Melbourne, Lutruwita / Tassie, southern Queensland, and basically all of NSW!

"Bogong moths are important to First Nations peoples...

Bogong moths are important flower-visitors along their migratory paths and in the Alps

Bogong moths provide critical nutrients in the Australian Alps to various predators...

Bogong moth over-summering habitats are declining in quality because they are increasing in temperature and they are no longer using some of their most northerly sights for the whole summer. "

For more details: https://www.bogong.org/

The world is closer than thought to a “point of no return” after which runaway global heating cannot be stopped, scientists have said.

Even in bere I see it in here idten, defending the indiefensible.

Continued global heating could set irreversible course by triggering climate tipping points, but most people unaware

Deliberate ignorance is not an excuse. Can't even be assed voting Green at the voting booth to move the overton window.

I used to think the top global environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address these problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy, and to deal with these we need a spiritual and cultural transformation, and we scientists don't know how to do that." -James Speth

"... More than half of Australia’s marine parks are open to damaging activities like industrial fishing, drilling for fossil fuels, and seismic blasting [but] a rare opportunity to change that is rapidly approaching.

Marine sanctuaries, acting like national parks in the ocean, are a type of marine park that fully protects marine life.

“The oceans can recover faster than we ever imagined. … It can bounce back to life. … If left alone, it may not just recover, but thrive beyond anything anyone alive has ever seen.” – Sir David Attenborough

**The Australian Government is about to review the national network of marine parks in our offshore waters. This only happens once every 10 years! We must seize this opportunity to expand marine sanctuaries, protecting marine life and habitats. **

That’s where you come in. Our elected representatives will only improve marine sanctuary protections if they hear strong support...

Use our quick online form to send a message to your local MP" https://www.marineconservation.org.au/actions/marine-parks-reviews/