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”.
Australia
South Australia smashes renewable record using 100% solar and wind for full week
Wind turbines supplied 64.4% of power, while rooftop PV panel generation provided 29.5%, and utility-scale solar averaged 6.2%.
$20 million copyright buyout makes Australian Aboriginal flag free for all
Luritja artist Harold Thomas created the flag in 1970 to represent Aboriginal people and their connection to the land, and it has been an official national flag since the end of the last century.
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.
Queensland passes historic bill legalizing voluntary assisted dying
The Australian state’s new laws — which take effect in January 2023 — allow people 18 and older who are expected to die within 12 months, and who meet strict eligibility criteria, to seek medical assistance to end their lives.
University of Arizona, University of Queensland, and others beat Stanford to 100% clean, renewable electricity
Stanford University recently claimed to be the “first research university to use 100% renewable electricity.” But in fact, many universities around the world have already reached this important milestone.
Australia’s northern hairy-nosed wombats are back from the brink of extinction
The population of Australia’s largest wombat species dipped to as low as 35 in the 1980s. Since then, with the help of predator fencing, habitat management, and more, the population has grown to more than 300.
Solar power in Australia outstrips coal-fired electricity for first time
The national electricity market reached a new milestone on Sunday, with solar power outstripping energy generation from coal for the first time since the market was set up two decades ago.