Climate change: Are trees the answer?

 

China’s great green wall (LINK), is a 50 year project in which they hope to plant 88 billion trees. In North Africa, attempts are being made to stop the advancing Sahara and Sahel deserts (LINK), by planting trees in a corridor from Senegal to Djibouti, stretching almost 8000km through eleven countries. Pakistan is planting 10 billion trees by 2023 (LINK), to mitigate the effects of climate change and soil erosion.

 

There are many more worldwide examples – everyone it seems, loves trees. Large companies like Shell and Nestles are planting trees to offset their carbon dioxide emissions.

 

 NASA estimates there are 3 trillion trees on the planet at present and despite the above examples, the net loss of trees globally, continues. Around 50,000 sq km of the world’s forests have been cleared each year for the last decade. We are still removing trees at a faster rate than we are planting them and Australia is up there with the worst of them!

 

A logging coupe at Neerim East

The science has been saying for some time now, that to avoid the worst effects of global warming we need to limit the rise in global temperature to around 1.5⁰C to 2⁰C. To achieve this, we have to radically curb our emissions as well as remove billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

 

A best guess is that trees could remove about one quarter of the CO₂.

 

Many both small and large tree planting projects have failed. Poor choice of locality, lack of follow up and poor public acceptance are fairly common reasons and now experts are telling us that as the planet heats up, plants appear to be absorbing carbon dioxide less efficiently.

 

Studies show that natural forests can capture more than 40 times more carbon dioxide than a mono-plantation of similar size. Given how little that many tree plantations contribute to biodiversity, the advice from scientists now is that we should be concentrating on protecting our natural forest areas more stringently and where sites are suitable, rather than planting trees, natural regeneration be encouraged.

Natural regeneration Roberts Ct Drouin

 

Apart from all of the above, trees alone are never going to be the answer to global warming, we have to cut our emissions.

 

 

 

 

“The EPBC Act is ineffective”

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, LINK, is Australia’s principal environmental law.

 EPBC Act – Frequently Asked Questions, LINK.

A recent review of the act, LINK, led by Professor Graeme Samuel in consultation with scientists, legal experts, industry and conservationists was concluded in October last year and released by the Government on 28^th January.

Drouin development!

 

The review concludes that urgent changes are required.

Graceful Sun-orchid ('Rare')

 

Some extract statements from the review include:

·       “Australia’s natural environment and iconic places are in an overall state of decline”.

·       “The environmental trajectory is currently unsustainable”.

·       “… the environment has suffered from 2 decades of failing to continuously improve the law…”.

·       “Decision-makers, proponents of development and the community do not have access to the best available data, information and science”.

·       “Given the current state of Australia’s environment, broad restoration is required to address past loss, build resilience and reverse the current trajectory of environmental decline. Restoration is necessary to enable Australia to accommodate future development in a sustainable way”.

·       “The EPBC Act is ineffective. It does not enable the Commonwealth to effectively protect environmental matters that are important for the nation. It is not fit to address current or future environmental challenges”.

·       “The community and industry do not trust the EPBC Act and there is merit in their concerns”.

·       “There are fundamental shortcomings in the interactions between Regional Forest Agreements, (RFAs) and the EPBC Act”.

·       “Despite its purpose, the EPBC Act does not facilitate the maintenance or restoration of the environment. The current settings cannot halt the trajectory of environmental decline, let alone reverse it”.

·       “Immediate changes are required to the environmental offsets policy to ensure that offsets do not contribute to environmental decline”.

Gully Grevillea ('Vulnerable' & 'Threatened')

 

Hardly a glowing report it has to be said.

Southern Brown Bandicoot ('Endangered' & 'Threatened')

 

The review makes 38 recommendations LINK, but the response by Federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, LINK to the interim report back in July last year, before the release of the final report, is a bit worrying.

Powerful Owl ('Vulnerable' & 'Threatened')

 

Let’s hope someone is listening! 

Purple Diuris Orchid ('Vulnerable' & 'Threatened')

 

 

Victorian 2021 duck hunting season shortened

The Victorian Game Management Authority has just announced that the Victorian 2021 duck hunting season will start on 26^th May and run for 20 days. Shooters are limited to two ducks per day.

More than 60,000 ducks were killed in Victoria last year, during a season that was shortened due to dry conditions, bushfires and low population numbers. During the 2019 season, the RSPCA estimated that more than 62,000 ducks and other non-game birds were wounded and not killed outright.

This year, shooters in Victoria are prohibited from killing the Blue-winged Shoveler anywhere in the state. They also are prohibited from hunting Grey Teal and Chestnut Teal north of the Princes Freeway/highway. Grey Teal numbers are low in these areas but are higher in the coastal wetland areas. Female Chestnut Teal look very similar to Grey Teal.

Recreational duck hunting is permitted in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory and is banned in NSW, Queensland and WA.

All hunters are required to pass a Waterfowl Identification Test before obtaining a Game Licence to hunt ducks in Victoria (LINK).

The Victorian Nationals are currently conducting an on-line petition to “…to urge the Minister to stand with Victoria’s legitimate, law-abiding hunters against the lies and declare a full duck hunting season in 2021.” (LINK)

‘Sporting Shooter’ (LINK), calls a recent ABC News article (LINK). fake news.