Learning about geoengineering

Climate geoengineering refers to large-scale schemes for intervention in the earth’s oceans, soils and atmosphere with the aim of reducing the effects of climate change, usually temporarily.

Learn more about what is happening and what is proposed from Geoengineering Monitor.

Queensland farmers suspected to have defied tree clearing controls in 'deforestation frenzy’

Queensland farmers are suspected of having defied rare federal government intervention and cleared a large swath of land without commonwealth approval, according to conservationists.

Cleared land on the property.

The native vegetation was in a reef catchment, meaning the clearing could worsen pollution on the Great Barrier Reef. Government-commissioned studies show it provided habitat to several threatened species.

Queensland is experiencing a boom in tree clearing – rates jumped 33% in 2016, in a region that is already considered the only “global deforestation hotspot” in the developed world. About 400,000 hectares were cleared in 2015-16, meaning Queensland now has two-thirds the annual rate of deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon.

Read Michael Slezak’s story on The Guardian - “Queensland farmers suspected to have defied tree clearing controls in 'deforestation frenzy’.”

Malcolm Turnbull rejects Tony Abbott's call for subsidy to keep Hazelwood open

Calls for an extraordinary government intervention to keep the ailing Hazelwood coal power plant open have been rejected by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who said its closure would not affect electricity security.

Hazelwood has a capacity of 1600
megawatts, but rarely runs at
full capacity. 

Former prime minister Tony Abbott and the Australian Industry Group have separately suggested the 53-year-old plant - which is due to shut next week and faces hundreds of millions of dollars in WorkSafe orders -  may need to be kept in operation due to concerns over whether there would be enough electricity to meet peak demand during summer.

Read Adam Morton’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Malcolm Turnbull rejects Tony Abbott's call for subsidy to keep Hazelwood open.”