Tasmania is now carbon negative
Researchers concluded the change in carbon footprint could be attributed to the reduction in native forest logging.
Australia
This archive collects solutions-journalism stories and milestones from Australia — covering advances in conservation, public health, Indigenous rights, clean energy, and more. Each entry highlights progress worth knowing about.
New seed-firing drones are planting 40,000 trees every day to fight deforestation
In comparison to traditional methodologies, they are not only 25 times faster, but 80 per cent cheaper, according to developer AirSeed Technologies.
Ingenious electric train fully charges itself by rolling downhill with heavy load
Australian mining company Fortescue is looking to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations by allowing a specially designed electric “Infinity Train” to roll down a hill to recharge its massive batteries.
Humpback whales no longer endangered, Australian officials say
Australia passed an anti-whaling policy in 1979, and the Guardian reports there are now as many as 40,000 individuals alive in the wild, after reaching a low of 1,500 decades ago.
New method allows vaccines to be stored for months without refrigeration
The World Health Organization has estimated that more than 50 percent of vaccines go to waste every year, often due to the challenge in keeping vaccines at stable cold temperatures.
Biggest power plant in coal-reliant Australia to close early
Australia’s largest coal-fired power station will close seven years earlier than planned, as its operator says it is increasingly unable to compete with the “influx of renewables”.
South Australia smashes renewable record using 100% solar and wind for full week
Renewable energy powered all of South Australia for seven straight days at the end of December 2023, the longest 100% clean run the state has ever recorded. Wind turbines did most of the heavy lifting, while rooftop solar on homes across Adelaide and the coast chipped in nearly a third of the total. The Hornsdale Power Reserve, a giant lithium-ion battery built in just 100 days back in 2017, kept everything steady when the wind eased or the sun dipped. Skeptics have long asked whether a modern grid can really run on wind and sun alone, without coal or gas waiting in the wings. South Australia just spent a week answering yes — and other regions are taking notes.
First IVF corals successfully spawn on Great Barrier Reef
According to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, coral IVF uses modern technology to breed and distribute corals so they have the highest chance of survival.
Josh Cavallo becomes the first openly gay male top-level professional soccer player
Although Cavallo was fearful that his coming out would damage the career he’s worked so hard to build up, he felt that he needed to embody his truth for other players who may be “living in silence.”
Australia returns one of world’s oldest rainforests to Indigenous people
As BBC News reports, the historic handoff also includes the Cedar Bay (Ngalba Bulal), Black Mountain (Kalkajaka), and Hope Islands national parks, a combined area of more than 160,000 hectares.