Scientists celebrate first Maugean skate hatchling born from a captive-laid egg
Scientists working to conserve the endangered Maugean skate are celebrating the first skate to hatch from an egg laid in captivity.
Fears for threatened species as century-old red gums illegally felled for firewood
Authorities say people cutting down trees illegally are putting themselves at great risk while also destroying prime animal habitat.
The plight of the pig-nosed turtle, one of the unlucky 13 added to Australia’s threatened species list
Australia’s unique biodiversity is under siege. The national list of species threatened with extinction is growing, with eight animals and five plants added just last month.
Among them is the pig-nosed turtle, a peculiar creature found in catchments of the Northern Territory. Once teeming with life, these seasonal floodplains are now fragmented and degraded from land clearing, water extraction and feral animals.
The crisis facing the pig-nosed turtle is a microcosm of the broader challenges confronting Australia’s wildlife. A staggering 2,224 species and ecological communities are currently threatened with extinction, with turtles among the most vulnerable.
The survival of the pig-nosed turtle and countless other species depends on our ability to act decisively. By prioritising environmental protection and making sustainable choices, we can ensure a future in which Australia’s unique biodiversity thrives.
More endearing features of the pig-nosed turtle
The pig-nosed turtle is the last of its kind. It is the only remaining species in its family.
The species is found in the tropical northern rivers of Australia and the southern rivers of New Guinea.
Its peculiarities are not confined to its strange nose. The top of its shell is covered with skin, which means it is more delicate than most turtles. It can even get sunburnt.
Most freshwater turtles simply have paws with webbed fingers, whereas sea turtles have flippers with fused bones. But pig-nosed turtles are different again, with flippers mostly made of elongated fingers. This makes them the bats of the turtle world.
Mother turtles lay eggs in the sandy bank beside the water and then leave them alone. When the water level rises and the eggs are swamped, the baby turtles hatch out explosively.
Species such as these unique turtles are culturally important and have been part of First Nations culture for thousands of years. So their decline represents a loss not just for the environment but also for Australia’s cultural heritage.
Turtle troubles
In the Northern Territory, pig-nosed turtle populations have very low genetic diversity. This makes them highly susceptible to threats such as diseases.
Their range is already restricted to relatively few locations, leaving them more at risk from disturbances.
Along with climate change, damage to nesting areas by Asian water buffalo and cattle, and the possible future threats of disease and water extraction, these factors all contributed to the new listing of pig-nosed turtles as vulnerable to extinction.
Climate change has already altered flood patterns, contributing to a decline in habitat quality. But it threatens to make the turtle’s existence even more perilous in the future, because temperature during egg incubation determines a hatchling’s sex. If it’s too warm, they all become female.
We have previously reported on the threatened species listing process including particular challenges for freshwater turtles in Australia. We noted the pig-nosed turtle’s dependence on continuous water flows, even in the dry season. This is threatened by development of Australia’s northern rivers.
Until recently, Australia recognised eight (32%) of its 25 freshwater turtle species as threatened with extinction. But we believe almost half (48%) of all Australian freshwater turtle species now meet the criteria for listing as threatened with extinction under Commonwealth legislation.
Unfortunately there are some species for which no scientific research has been done, and others for which we simply don’t have enough data to evaluate their status adequately. So the true number of threatened species could be greater still.
Conservation efforts undone by weak environmental laws
Citizen science initiatives such as the 1 Million Turtles Community Conservation Program show that Australians care deeply about turtles and are willing to contribute to their survival.
People all over Australia are rescuing turtles from roads and creating islands to protect turtle eggs from foxes. Building on this enthusiasm, we can create a powerful movement to protect these iconic animals.
But the progress of conservation programs can be easily undone if we don’t put better legislation in place to protect our wildlife.
How we can turn things around
Australia has the worst mammal extinction record in the world. We cannot afford to repeat this mistake with our turtles, frogs or other unique wildlife. And yet the number of threatened species continues to grow, pushing us further from the “zero extinctions” goal.
The pig-nosed turtle was added to the threatened species list along with three freshwater fish, three lizards, one frog, one rainforest tree, two flowering shrubs, a daisy and an orchid species. That brings the total to 661 animals, 1,457 plants and 106 ecological communities.
Current environmental laws are clearly inadequate. Tougher penalties for habitat destruction, more investment in conservation, and greater efforts to tackle climate change will be crucial if we are to halt and reverse species decline.
Australia has an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to protecting natural and cultural heritage. This will require a collaborative effort involving governments, scientists, Indigenous communities and the public. It’s not too late for our beloved pig-nosed turtle, but the window of opportunity is closing.
Deborah Bower receives government funding from New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and the Commonwealth. She is employed by the University of New England and a principal investigator of the 1 Million Turtles citizen science program.
Carla Eisemberg receives funding from the Commonwealth and Northern Territory Government.
Ricky Spencer receives funding from ARC, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, WIRES and Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife
NZ is running out of gas – literally. That’s good for the climate, but it’s bad news for the economy
The coalition government recently announced its plan to reverse a ban on new oil and gas exploration to deal with an energy security challenge brought on by rapidly declining natural gas reserves.
But this assumes, rather optimistically, that repealing the ban will prompt companies to invest in new gas fields.
In practice, those companies will be carefully considering whether there is anyone to sell their gas to, or whether a future government could change the rules again.
Investors don’t love political volatility or market risk, and New Zealand currently has both.
The coming gas crunch
Modelling by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) suggests the ban repeal would result in an additional 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted by 2035.
This estimate is based on an assessment of climate impacts resulting from the policy reversal, compared to a baseline.
The usual baseline used for such assessments was set in 2022 by the Climate Change Commission. But the government argued it was already out of date and instead proposed a different one, with 15% fewer emissions from gas, because the country is running out much faster than expected.
In one sense, New Zealand is perpetually running out of gas. Energy companies estimate how much is left underground and how long that resource will last. At the same time, they are drilling new development wells – $350 million worth between 2016 and 2020 – which adds more gas to the reserves and pushes out the ultimate end date.
What has changed is that all the extra drilling hasn’t turned up much extra gas in the past few years. This is despite record amounts spent on new wells – nearly $1.3 billion between 2020 and 2024. Energy companies now think there’s less gas than previously thought.
It seems the end date is much closer, which is why the government has shifted to a new baseline to reflect less gas (and lower emissions). This is a good result for the climate – but it might not be great for New Zealand’s economy in the near term.
When gas runs low
As an island nation, New Zealand can’t easily import more gas from overseas. There is no pipeline to Australia, and liquefied natural gas terminals are expensive to build.
Macroeconomics tells us that when a resource becomes scarce in a closed market, the following things happen.
First, with a fixed amount of gas to go around, its use has to be prioritised. This means some users might miss out. As it happens, the government has been struggling to renew a contract to supply schools, prisons and hospitals with gas.
Second, when a resource becomes scarce, its price tends to rise. This tracks with the experience of Pan Pac, a forestry owner and processor in Hawkes Bay which reported a three-fold increase in gas costs, from $3 million a year to potentially $9 million at current prices.
Now, some would say the cure for high prices is exactly that: high prices. A gas crunch could ultimately shift demand to other sources such as heat pumps for home and industry. Some of this was subsidised through the previous administration’s Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry Fund.
But until the switch happens, resource scarcity means you can’t produce as many goods, and this could have an effect on GDP. Methanex, a major exporter of methanol produced from natural gas, is a key concern here. Less methanol would mean fewer exports and, potentially, job losses.
Methanex is already operating at reduced capacity, and it recently initiated high court proceedings against Nova Energy, which uses natural gas to produce electricity. Nova cut gas supply to Methanex and the companies disagree on whether their contract allows for this.
Tough decisions ahead
A new gas field could take a decade or longer to find, develop and bring online. At the same time, if there are no new reserves (regardless of whether the government goes through with the repeal of the ban), we can expect gas supply to drop to half within six years, according to MBIE forecasts.
This means there might not be enough gas to simultaneously maintain synthetic (ammonia-based) fertiliser production, peak electricity generation and methanol exports. What should get prioritised?
Ammonia is essential to the farming sector and food production. In the future, we might replace natural gas used to make ammonia with green hydrogen produced from ultra cheap solar. But that’ll take investment and intention.
Methanex exports are worth $800 million a year and the company is a significant contributor to the economy. A transition to a green methanol industry is possible, but would need a huge amount of green hydrogen (made using renewable energy) and green carbon dioxide (sourced from biomass or direct air capture).
This would be transformative to the economy but also take a lot of financial support.
Lastly, we burn a lot of gas to keep heat pumps running in winter when hydro lakes are low. And we almost ran out earlier in the year.
A future energy system with abundant solar, grid-scale batteries and smarter use of hydro storage might avoid this as gas is phased out. The problem is that these solutions cost a lot of money and take time to implement. New Zealand apparently doesn’t have much of either.
David Dempsey receives science funding from MBIE to work on topics related to the energy industry.
Jannik Haas receives science funding from public institutions like MBIE to work on topics related to energy systems and holds clean energy stocks.
Rebecca Peer receives science funding from MBIE to research topics related to energy transitions and future energy systems.
Bathroom fans and sliding glass doors: new research shows how those cold draughts sneak into your home
Winter is now well upon us, and many of us – especially those living in old homes – are discovering just how draughty they are. In fact, Australia has some of the least air-tight homes in the world.
But there’s good news. New research by CSIRO, which I led, shows Australia’s newly built homes are far less permeable than they used to be.
We tested the air-tightness of 233 new dwellings in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Adelaide, and found a significant improvement compared to homes built nine years ago. We also identified where most leaks occur.
Our results show a few simple steps – which we outline below – can dramatically improve the energy performance of a home, and ensure occupants don’t shiver through winter unnecessarily.
What exactly is air-tightness?
Air-tightness refers to the amount of air filtering uncontrolled into or out of a building – such as through gaps or cracks in floors, ceilings and walls, or around windows and doors.
The level of air-tightness is especially important when a home is heated or air-conditioned. The more draughty a building, the greater the energy required to maintain the internal temperature. This can lead to higher energy bills.
In fact, air leaks can cause 15?25% of winter heat loss in buildings.
Draughty homes can also let in dust, pollen and pollutants, affecting the health of occupants. Conversely, a building that is too air-tight – in other words, poorly ventilated – can also lead to problems such as condensation and mould.
Ideally, a building should find the right balance between air-tightness and controlled ventilation.
What we did
We wanted to determine air-tightness levels in new dwellings. They had to be less than four years old and built using typical techniques – which excluded the use of alternative construction materials such as straw bales.
CSRIO commissioned air tightness tests on 105 apartments and 128 detached houses. Before a dwelling was tested, systems such as air-conditioning and extraction fans were turned off. Doors, windows and closable vents were shut.
A fan was used to adjust air pressure inside each dwelling to a set level, ensuring consistency with all homes being tested. Then air flow in and out of the home was measured using specialised equipment.
We then compared the results to similar air-tightness testing CSIRO undertook on 129 new homes in 2015.
What we found
Overall, we found a 65% improvement in the air tightness of newly constructed dwellings in Australia.
In particular, new apartments were well-sealed and recorded the lowest overall average air leakage. Single-storey houses were the next best performing, followed by two-storey houses.
We expected that as dwellings got larger they would become less air-tight, because the increased area creates more opportunity for leaks. The average results show this was generally true.
However, some large homes were very air-tight, while some small homes were leaky.
Although new homes are much less permeable than older homes, air leaks still exist. In two-thirds of apartments and houses, bathroom fans were identified as a leakage point, while sliding glass doors were an issue in 63% of apartments.
Sliding doors were also a major issue in half the houses tested. But the biggest issue in houses was poor or missing door seals. This was identified in 65% of houses tested.
These sources of leaks are also common in older homes.
A few simple tips
There are simple ways to rectify leaks in both new and old homes.
Hoods can often be fitted to existing exhaust fans to stop air passing through unintentionally. Or the fan can be swapped out for one fitted with a “damper”, which closes the fan when it’s not in use.
Sealants can be used to fill gaps in walls, and sealing strips can be fitted around doors and windows. Even the classic door snake will help stop draughts under the door.
Our report also makes the following recommendations:
- air tightness standards to be incorporated into the building code
- a requirement for continuous mechanical ventilation in new dwellings, especially apartments
- the use of “building wraps” – layers of material that seal homes from water and air
- more specific air-tight specifications in the national energy star-rating tool
- develop relevant education resources for the building industry.
Overall, our research shows the air-tightness of new Australian homes is the best it’s been. This is great news.
The above recommendations, if adopted, would help ensure even more Australians enjoy comfortable homes that require less energy and money to run.
Michael Ambrose received funding from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to undertake this research project,