Plastic pollution on Australian coastlines drops 39 per cent in a decade
The new study by the CSIRO found polystyrene and cigarette butts are some of the most commonly found items in the environment.
What Donald Trump’s dramatic US trade war means for global climate action
US President Donald Trump’s new trade war will not only send shockwaves through the global economy – it also upsets efforts to tackle the urgent issue of climate change.
Trump has announced a minimum 10% tariff to be slapped on all exports to the United States. A 34% duty applies to imports from China and a 20% rate to products from the European Union. Australia has been hit with the minimum 10% tariff.
The move has prompted fears of a global economic slowdown. This might seem like a positive for the climate, because greenhouse gas emissions are closely tied to economic growth.
However, in the long term, the trade war is bad news for global efforts to cut emissions. It is likely to lead to more energy-intensive goods produced in the US, and dampen international investment in renewable energy projects.
How does global trade affect emissions?
Traditionally, growth in the global economy leads to greater emissions from sources such as energy use in both manufacturing and transport. Conversely, emissions tend to fall in periods of economic decline.
Trade tensions damage the global economy. This was borne out in the tariff war between the US and China, the world’s two largest economies, in 2018 and 2019.
Trump, in his first presidential term, imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of imports from China. In response, China introduced or increased tariffs on thousands of items from the US.
As a result, the International Monetary Fund estimated global gross domestic product (GDP) would fall by 0.8% in 2020. The extent of its true impact on GDP is difficult to determine due to the onset of COVID in the same year.
However, Trump’s tariff war is far broader this time around, and we can expect broadscale damage to global GDP.
In the short-term, any decline is likely to have a positive impact on emissions reduction. We saw this effect during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global production and trade fell.
But unfortunately, this effect won’t last forever.
Domestic production isn’t always a good thing
Every country consumes goods. And according to Trump’s trade plan, which aims to revive the US manufacturing base, the goods his nation requires will be produced domestically rather than being imported.
Unfortunately, this US production is likely to be inefficient in many cases. A central tenet of global trade is that nations focus on making goods where they have a competitive advantage – in other words, where they can manufacture the item more cheaply than other nations can. That includes making them using less energy, or creating fewer carbon emissions.
If the US insists on manufacturing everything it needs domestically, we can expect many of those goods to be more emissions-intensive than if they were imported.
Renewable energy slowdown?
Globally, investment in renewable energy has been growing. The US trade war jeopardises this growth.
Renewable energy spending is, in many cases, a long-term investment which may not produce an immediate economic reward. The logic is obvious: if we don’t invest in reducing emissions now, the economic costs in the future will be far worse.
However, the US tariffs create a new political imperative. Already, there are fears it may trigger a global economic recession and increase living costs around the world.
National governments are likely to become focused on protecting their own populace from these financial pressures. Business and industry will also become nervous about global economic conditions.
And the result? Both governments and the private sector may shy away from investments in renewable energy and other clean technologies, in favour of more immediate financial concerns.
The COVID experience provides a cautionary tale. The unstable economic outlook and higher interest rates meant banks were more cautious about financing some renewable energy projects.
And according to the International Energy Agency, small to medium-sized businesses became more reluctant to invest in renewable energy applications such as heat pumps and solar panels.
What’s more, the slowing in global trade during the pandemic meant the supply of components and materials vital to the energy transition was disrupted.
There are fears this disruption may be repeated following the US tariff move. For example, the duty on solar products from China to the US is expected to rise to 60%, just as demand for solar energy increases from US data centres and artificial intelligence use.
Few nations can afford to impose retaliatory tariffs on US imports.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, for example, said Australia would not follow suit, adding the move would be “a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth”.
China, however, can be expected to return fire. Already it has halted imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US for 40 days – a move attributed to trade tensions.
This may seem like good news for emissions reduction. However, China, like all other nations, needs energy. With less gas from the US, it may resort to burning more coal – which generates more CO? when burnt than gas.
An uncertain time
Free global trade has worldwide benefits. It helps reduce poverty and stimulates innovation and technology. It can improve democracy and individual freedoms.
And, with the right safeguards in place, global trade can help drive the clean energy transition. Global trade improves efficiency and innovation and technology. This is likely to benefit innovation in clean energy and energy efficiency.
Trump’s tariff war weakens global trade, and will slow the world’s progress towards decarbonisation. It is a most uncertain time – both for the world’s economy, and its climate.
Rakesh Gupta does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Plea for federal funds to grow community trust in renewable zones
Locals in renewable energy hotspots say they have been forced to create their own information groups to address concerns about the rapid energy transition and want the government to pitch in.
Scientists worked with Warlpiri to track down bilby poo – and uncover clues to help conserve these iconic animals
The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals — and the last surviving bilby species. Once found across 70% of Australia, its range has contracted by more than 80% since European colonisation.
Today, these nocturnal marsupials, still culturally significant to many Indigenous peoples, are restricted to remote deserts. They face an ongoing threat of extinction.
Local elders, Indigenous rangers and scientists hold valuable knowledge about bilby populations, the threats they face, and strategies needed to sustain them into the future.
Our new study, published today in Conservation Science and Practice, reveals how collaboration between scientists and Indigenous land managers can help yield new and vital information.
In the field, we used two methods – one based on Warlpiri knowledge and one based on standard scientific protocols – to locate bilbies and collect scat (poo) samples in the North Tanami Indigenous Protected Area in the Northern Territory.
By drawing on Warlpiri tracking expertise and Western scientific methods, we uncovered crucial information on bilby populations that could help conserve these rare creatures.
Understanding bilby numbers is important – but hard
Bilbies turn over tonnes of soil each year, helping to improve soil health, help seeds germinate and enhance water infiltration. Their deep, complex burrows also provide shelter for other species.
They’re crucial to the health of desert ecosystems; protecting bilbies means protecting the web of life they support.
To do this, we need to know more about:
- how many bilbies there are
- how they respond to land management techniques such as planned burning
- how they respond to threats such as feral predators.
Yet, bilbies are notoriously difficult to monitor directly via live capture. They’re nocturnal, shy and solitary. And they inhabit vast landscapes, making it very hard to estimate population numbers.
Luckily, the tracks, diggings and scats bilbies leave behind provide ample clues. DNA from scat (if it can be found) can be used to estimate how many bilbies are present in a particular area.
Systematic ecological surveys, often used to monitor wildlife, can be rigid and expensive, especially in remote regions.
We need flexible methods that align with local knowledge and the practical realities of monitoring bilbies on Country.
A new approach to monitor and manage bilbies
We tested two methods of locating bilby scat for DNA analysis.
The first was systematic sampling. This is a standard scientific approach where fixed lengths of land were walked multiple times to collect scat.
This ensures sampling effort is even over the search area and comparable across sites. However, like most species, bilby distribution is patchy, and this approach can lead to researchers missing important signs.
The second method was targeted sampling, guided by Warlpiri knowledge, to search in areas most likely to yield results.
This allowed the search team to focus on areas where bilbies were active or predicted to be active based on knowledge of their habits and food sources.
Altogether, we collected more than 1,000 scat samples. In the lab, we extracted DNA from these samples to identify individual bilbies. These data, combined with the location of samples, allowed us to estimate the size of the bilby population.
We then compared estimates that would have been derived if we had only done systematic or targeted sampling, or both, to assess their strengths and limitations for monitoring bilby populations.
What we found
We identified 20 bilbies from the scats collected during systematic surveys and 26 – six more – from targeted surveys. At least 16 individual bilbies were detected by both methods. In total, we confirmed 32 unique bilbies in the study area.
When it came to population estimates – which consider how many repeat captures occur and where – combining data from both types of surveys produced the most accurate estimates with the least effort.
Targeted sampling tended to overestimate population size because it focused on areas of high activity. Systematic sampling was more precise but required greater effort.
Combining both approaches provided the most reliable estimates while saving time.
What this means for conservation
Our research highlights how collaboration that includes different ways of knowing can improve conservation.
By adapting standard on-ground survey techniques to include Warlpiri methods for tracking bilbies, we produced better data and supported local capacity for bilby monitoring.
Elders also had opportunities to share tracking skills with younger people, helping keep cultural knowledge alive.
Conservation programs often rely on standardised ecological monitoring protocols – in other words, doing things much the same way no matter where you’re working.
While these protocols provide consistency, they are rigid and don’t always yield the best results. They also fail to incorporate local knowledge crucial for managing species like the bilby.
Our approach shows how integrating diverse ways of working can deliver more inclusive and effective outcomes, without compromising data reliability.
A path forward
Bilbies face ongoing threats including:
- introduced predators (particularly foxes)
- habitat degradation and
- inappropriate fire regimes.
Their future depends on collaborative efforts that draw on scientific and Indigenous and local knowledges.
This study provides an example of how such partnerships can work – not just for bilbies, but for other species and ecosystems.
As Australia confronts biodiversity loss, this research underscores the importance of listening to those who know Country best.
By valuing and respecting local expertise, we can build a stronger future for bilbies and the landscapes that are their home.
Hayley Geyle is employed by Territory NRM, who receives funding for threatened species projects from the Australian government through the Natural Heritage Trust. She also works on the Digital Women Ranger project. She is affiliated with Territory NRM and the Northern Institute (Charles Darwin University).
Cathy Robinson is employed at CSIRO and is Group Leader in the Agriculture and Food Sustainability Program and Research lead for the Digital Women Ranger Program which is supported by the Telstra Foundation. Cathy is also an Adjunct Professor at Charles Darwin University, Chair of IUCN Australian Expert Advisory Panel for the Green List, and Executive Advisor for the Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership at the University of Queensland.
Christine Schlesinger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Helen Wilson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Vandalism of ancient Indigenous cave art prompts $400k protection plan
After trespassers vandalised Koonalda Cave on the Nullarbor Plain a round-the-clock surveillance system was installed to help protect the nationally significant heritage site.