Global impoverishment of natural vegetation revealed by dark diversity - and humans are the reason

"Our activities have become a planet-shaping force, from changing the climate through our emissions to farming 44% of all habitable land. As our footprint has expanded, other species have been pushed to extinction."
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https://theconversation.com/invisible-losses-thousands-of-plant-species-are-missing-from-places-they-could-thrive-and-humans-are-the-reason-252378
#biodiversity #loss #destruction #ecosystems #impoverishment #flora #sprawl #roads #infrastructure #graziers #livestock #LoggingImpacts #pollution #DarkDiversity #extinction

Invisible losses: thousands of plant species are missing from places they could thrive – and humans are the reason

Many native plants are missing from habitats where they should thrive – even in wilder areas. Why? Human actions such as logging, poaching and setting fires.

The Conversation

"The logging industry is finding ways to get around the so-called ban."

"A loophole in the law banning Victoria's native timber harvesting means logging projects can still go ahead as the state government passes project approval responsibility to local councils."

"How could it be that a local council would have the expertise, the biological and ecological expertise, to approve logging in an area? When you log and regenerate an area of native forest … that same area of forest becomes much more flammable for a prolonged period of time," Professor Lindenmayer said. "I don't think that we should be adding that extra fire burden for rural and regional people to have to deal with."
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-03/timber-harvesting-ban-loophole-victoria/105123078
#LoggingIndustry #LoggingImpacts #bushfire #risks #conservation #biodiversity #wildlife #forests #NSWLogging #BellingenLogging #council

Government passes responsibility of approving private native timber logging to councils

The Victorian government has tasked councils with approving native timber logging projects for private land, creating a loophole that allows harvesting despite a statewide ban.

ABC News
Tuckers Nob Compartment 017 - 'plantation' logging is native forest logging

YouTube

Human rights and environmental violations throughout Australian supply chains ?
Creating a mandatory human rights due diligence regime for Australian companies

"We analysed the human rights commitments of 25 of the top companies listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), including some of our largest banks and mining companies."

"We found Australian companies have a long way to go in “knowing and showing” a commitment to respect human rights, suggesting an urgent need for reform...It is clear from our research that many large Australian companies are not operating in line with international standards."

"One response could be for Australia to follow the European Union’s lead and create a mandatory human rights due diligence regime. Australian companies must take proactive steps to comply with international standards. Our findings suggest the government should enact a stronger and broader mandatory human rights due diligence law covering all human rights. "
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https://theconversation.com/some-of-australias-largest-companies-are-failing-to-know-and-show-their-respect-for-human-rights-250055
#HumanRights #ModernSlavery #transparency #DueDilligence #EUDR #SupplyChains #environment #pollution #LoggingImpacts #PayGap #ChildLabour #industry #DoingBusiness #mining #banks #energy #insurance #transportation #telecommunication #media #health #pharmaceuticals #governance

Some of Australia’s largest companies are failing to ‘know and show’ their respect for human rights

The best performing company in our research scored only eight out of a possible 24 points on an internationally-recognised benchmark. The average score was 3.6.

The Conversation

Getting Australia out of climate denial?

Get more sympathetic media coverage by involving the blokes from "resources and economic production, rural and regional areas, masculine norms, and conservative belief systems and politics"
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https://www.nature.com/articles/s44168-025-00217-6

Farmers, investors, miners and parents:
how unconventional climate advocates can reach new audiences "Holdout groups in Australia can include people associated with political conservatism, the business sector, farming, the resource sector, some religious groups and some sports fans."
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https://theconversation.com/farmers-investors-miners-and-parents-how-unconventional-climate-advocates-can-reach-new-audiences-249949
#climate #climatedenial #RealityDenial #extractivism #industry #MasculineNorms #conflict #msm #media #LoggingImpacts #FossilFuels #ClimateBreakdown #ClimateAction

Theorising unconventional climate advocates and their relationship to the environmental movement - npj Climate Action

Environmentalist-identified advocates have contributed to high levels of public support for climate action across countries. However, there remain important holdout constituencies that theory and evidence suggest are less likely to be persuaded by environmentalists, especially constituencies associated with resources and economic production, rural and regional areas, masculine norms, and conservative belief systems and politics. Emerging from these holdout constituencies, though, are some novel advocates for climate action. In this paper we theorise ‘unconventional climate advocates’ as those who combine advocacy for climate action with a social identity that departs from the prototypical environmentalist identity. Using social network analysis we show that unconventional climate advocates in Australia are peripheral to the main environmental movement, that is, the conventional advocates for climate action. We contend that unconventional advocates can broaden the social base of support for climate action, and their independence from conventional advocates – environmentalists – may aid in their efforts.

Nature

Humans are making it increasingly difficult for wildlife to live and reproduce.

Sprawl, accelerated fossil fuel mobility via motor engines and roaming introduced canines makes survival for other than humans risky or impossible. The prosthetic apparatuses of 'man' sends its noisy and polluting tentacles into every nook and cranny where bio-diversity still dwells - 24/7.
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https://theconversation.com/five-ways-humans-have-scuppered-the-love-lives-of-animals-249425
#biodiversity #wildlife #habitat #ecocide #cars #roads #traffic #pets #lawns #machines #pollution #noise #waste #harm #technosphere #HumanDisturbance #extractivism #monoculture #fossilfuels #mowing #deforestation #LoggingImpacts

Five ways humans have scuppered the love lives of animals

Struggling to find love? So is the rest of the animal kingdom.

The Conversation

Logging the great koala national park

"Before the next election round lets make sure The Great Koala National Park is secured. Its the last chance for the survival of our Koala population on the Eastern Seaboard of Australia."
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE7NQbRGZ2U
#biodiversity #FCNSW #NSWLogging #governance #harm #destruction #pinecreek #SaveTuckersNob #wildlife #koalas #TheGreatKoalaNationalPark #LoggingImpacts

Act Now because Koalas can't Scream

YouTube
'Last chance to see' tourism: See rare or endangered species before they disappear
Bird-tracking apps turning sightings into stampedes
Chasing online alerts with a lot of fossil fuel.
"Almost one in six Australian birds are threatened with extinction."
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-15/tourism-industry-twitchers-birdwatching/104919868
#birds #birdwatching #twitchers #overtourism #LoggingImpacts #landclearing #extinction #biodiversity #conservation #TheDrive #SUVs #Fossilfuels #cats #pets
Birdwatching and twitchers pump billions into Australia's tourism industry

Birdwatchers are pouring billions of dollars into Australia's tourism industry every year with calls to capitalise on the country's native species and better promote the pastime.

ABC News

Human-mediated extirpation of wildlife through logging

"Before industrial logging in south-west British Columbia, there were nearly 1,000 spotted owls in the old-growth forests. But they have vanished in recent decades, victims of habitat destruction. Activists have tried in vain to hold the government to account, alleging protected species laws have failed to prevent the extirpation of the owls."

"Efforts to revive the population have failed, with a pair of owls released from the breeding program dying within months. The lone female in the wild is also believed to have died."
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/12/canada-owl-rats-valentines-day

What happened to the Northern Spotted Owl? >>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_spotted_owl
#LoggingImpacts #harm #birds #biodiversity #NativeForests #LoggingIndustry #Wildlife #habitat #destruction #degradation #extirpation #NSWLogging #SaveTuckersNob #koalas #BellingenLogging #SettlerSociety #governance #ecocide

Love rats: Canadians get chance to feed rodents named after old flames to owls

Program is meant to help the endangered northern spotted owl – and it’s only C$5! – but rat lovers are not amused

The Guardian