Australia's environment in 'shocking' decline, report finds - BBC News

Australia's environment is in a shocking state and faces further decline from amplifying threats, according to an anticipated report.

The survey of Australia's ecological systems - conducted every five years - found widespread abrupt changes.

These can be blamed on climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and mining, it said.

Australia has vowed to cut carbon emissions by 43% on 2005 levels by 2030.

#Australia #BBCNews

[Giselle-gxiz]

Shocking!!?! Seriously? Like we haven’t been warned about this since at least the past 60 years if not more?

[stanleyzac]

I squirelled away cash for a rainy day, but with inflation pouring down, it feels more like a leaky bucket. Saving for retirement seems impossible if my money keeps losing value faster than I can earn it.

[tayloreverard]

What politics has forgotten is that climate doesn't exist on the cyclical economic system. This isn't a climate recession that will bounce back with some smart policy. It's forever. Every human alive and born for at least the next 100 years will live their whole life "in a climate crisis". Agree completely with her use of the word shame.

[danielwhyatt]

The 2019 to 2020 Australian wildfire still sticks vividly in my mind as I’m sure it does everyone else’s. Covid quickly took over the news for the whole world and rightly so, but what happened in Australia should’ve been enough to bring real change. And yet our leaders still want to drag their feet, even with what is happening in Ukraine. They are always too slow to act, never willing to make proper big compromises and this is the end result. We need to bring about systemic change and it needs to have happened yesterday.

[mrAZcardinal]

This breaks my heart. Truly does. Something about the uniqueness of Australia's ecosystems that holds a special place in many hearts- even in those who haven't even been to Australia.

[emiliobello]

Terrible news for Australia. Australian wildlife is very rich

[bernard]

Sadly Environment Minister Plibersek said ‘coal has always been important part of our economy’ and ‘we are not responsible for how other countries use our coal’. What a huge disappointment.

[DutchDouchebag]

I feel like we should hold climate change deniers responsible up till a certain degree.
This has been a matter that concerned all of us and required all of us to improve things but that was made impossible by the deranged lunatics that didnt believe in climate change and now complain that its too hot out.

[gdewyg]

Sympathy to all affected innocent animals. They too deserve life

[LeafofLifeWorld]

Not just coal and gas, the vast cattle farms, monocultures, what about those? Come on guys, you've been doing permaculture over there for years but you need to make it nation wide initiative if you want to protect these animals.

[ytt]

Did we really need to wait 5 years for a report to know that it's all getting real bad real fast?

[malcolmhardwick]

Things should have been done in 60s and 70s but money making gets in the way. By the time any government does anything meaningful it'll be too late anyway.

[MrBrettrx]

She's being misleading. It's the deforestation that has caused this. When they deforested most of the Island the weather patterns completely changed and the place turned into mostly desert. No trees=no rain

Just 50% of Australia’s forests and bushlands remain intact compared with pre-European arrival. The other 50% has been either permanently destroyed and replaced with another land use or is classed as degraded forests and bushlands—most of which was previously cleared but now regrowing vegetation of different ages.

Australia has lost 27% of our rainforest, 19% of open forest, 11% of woodland forest and 28% of mallee forest since 1750.

Australia is the worst offending country in the world for mammal extinctions.

Fifty-five wildlife species plus 37 plant species have gone extinct in Australia.

The greatest threat to koalas in Queensland and New South Wales is habitat loss.



Our 2019 analysis found that 73% of all deforestation and land clearing in Queensland is linked to beef production.

Between 2018 and 2019, over 92, 718 hectares of koala habitat was cleared in Queensland in just one year. And around 73, 285ha of that—or a whopping 80%—was destroyed for beef production.

Carbon emissions released by land clearing across Australia are equivalent to about a third of the total emissions released by all of the coal-fired power stations in the country. Once native forest logging emissions are included, this is equivalent to at least half the carbon pollution of all Australian coal-fired power stations.

Globally, new international agreements and corporate commitments to deforestation-free commodity supply chains will place increasing demand on Australia’s soft commodity sectors to transition to sustainable practices.

[loveanimals]

Amimal agriculture is the biggest problem, how long will it take for us to wake up? Science has told us this for years, we need to start listening!

[poulthomas]

How can you be approving coal plants at this point? That is literally insane.

[Lily-wjrb]

Ironic considering australia has the largest agricultural industry in the world. Its cause and effect. She states problem is renewable energy, as the real issue is too profitable to be confronted.

[marianasalles]

Australia is having a bad government and in general Australians don’t care. Such a precious country. Peoples greediness is higher then protecting, preserving species and environment

[s.d.c]

If we continue on this path to extinction it's only a matter of time till we are on that path ourselves.
Every forest doesn't have to become a parking lot.

[TheCommunicationCoach]

1:23 The deer stuck in and dying in the mud. Utterly heartbreaking.

[ReviewBoard-uynv]

Australia has amazing environmental engineers and yet the government does nothing. We need water capturing and permaculture techniques to re- green ALL areas, including deserts as they are doing to much success in Asia & Africa. This will help in creating microclimates, rebuild the water table, and decreasing the coming food & water scarcity crisis. 90% live only on the coast because the rest is too hot. Seaweed farms, solar power, re-greening desert land, using Purdue University reflective white paint in concrete areas, etc will drastically change temperatures. Small steps for big change