#loggingimpacts — Public Fediverse posts

Study finds Tasmanian native forest logging increases potential for more severe bushfires

"Logging worsens bushfires because regrowth eucalyptus trees are highly flammable in comparison to mature trees, which act as "green fire breaks...A fire expert says mature forests can "act as a buffer" to slow bushfires, whereas regrowth eucalypts are more flammable."

"The study has found around a fifth of Tasmanian tall wet forest is regrowth under 40 years old, largely a result of intensive logging and recent fires."

"Professor Bowman said this raised concerns around community safety and the sustainability of the state's timber industry."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-10/bushfire-risk-worsened-by-regrowth-after-logging-study-finds/106546528

Landscape-scale experimental proof that tall wet Eucalyptus regrowth burns more severely than mature forest >>
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae4d62
#bushfires #LoggingImpacts #NSWLogging #LoggingIndustry #BellingenLogging #FCNSW #risks #harm #forests #biodiversity #CommunitySafety #Bellingenshire #RegrowthHazard

Australia’s alpine ash forests are now officially endangered.

"Intensifying fire seasons are threatening this balance to the extent the Federal Government has just officially listed this forest type as an endangered ecosystem. This means these forests face a high risk of collapse or extinction. "

"It is also an important part of First Nations cultural landscapes – in north-east Victoria, the Taungurung people harvested Bogong moths (or Deberra) when the moths migrated to mountain forests where alpine ash is a key part of the landscape. " >>
https://theconversation.com/australias-alpine-ash-forests-are-now-officially-endangered-can-we-save-them-279099

Image: Eugène von Guérard, Warrenheip Hills near Ballarat, 1854 "The name "Warrenheip" is derived from the Aboriginal word "warrengeep," meaning "trees on mountain top" or "emu feathers on top".
https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/essay/a-brush-with-fidelity-three-works-by-eugene-von-guerard/

#AlpineAsh #BogongMoths #LeadbeatersPossums #GreaterGliders #LoggingImpacts #Bushfires #extinction #ecosystem #collapse #biodiversity #FossilFuel #climate #IndigenousPeoples

It is the Australian story for biodiversity:
"The swift parrot’s distinctive call was recorded dozens of times in a patch of Tasmanian forest. Then the forest was logged" >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/06/the-swift-parrots-distinctive-call-was-recorded-dozens-of-times-in-a-patch-of-tasmanian-forest-then-the-forest-was-logged

#Biodiversity #birds #wildlife #SwiftParrot #loggingImpacts #forestry #ClearFelling #extractivism #harm #governance

A deluge of timber: From vanishing forests to deadly disasters
"Mysterious sea of logs hit ‘powerless communities’ the hardest."

"From vanishing forests to deadly disasters Houses were swept away and large logs came with the flood, crashing into homes and carrying them off. We don’t exactly know where the logs came from … there is a palm oil plantation upstream, it’s several thousand hectares.”

"And those who suffer most are not the perpetrators or the investors. It’s the powerless communities,” Muhadi Bukhari said. Another Indonesian environmental NGO, Wahli, described the disaster not just as “nature’s fury” but one that was “amplified by decades of deforestation”. >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-05/sumatra-floods-disaster-reforestation-climate/106443342
#deforestation #LoggingImpacts #floods #plantations

We have the proof that logging makes Tasmania’s forests more flammable
Lots of regrowth, lots more fire

"Regrowth does indeed burn more intensely than mature forests. Some experts suggested forests regrowing from logging were a key factor in the huge area burned during the notorious 2019–20 fire season, though others have disputed this."

"Recent research has shown commercial thinning of regrowth in Tasmania doesn’t reduce the risk of fire, because bark, limbs and smashed trunks left after logging act as fuel." >>
https://theconversation.com/we-have-the-proof-that-logging-makes-tasmanias-forests-more-flammable-279103

Landscape-scale experimental proof that tall wet Eucalyptus regrowth burns more severely than mature forest >>
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae4d62
#bushfires #loggingimpacts #FCNSW #forests #WetEucalyptus #forestry #thinning #NSWlogging #BellingenLogging #harm

We have the proof that logging makes Tasmania’s forests more flammable
Lots of regrowth, lots more fire

"Regrowth does indeed burn more intensely than mature forests. Some experts suggested forests regrowing from logging were a key factor in the huge area burned during the notorious 2019–20 fire season, though others have disputed this."

"Recent research has shown commercial thinning of regrowth in Tasmania doesn’t reduce the risk of fire, because bark, limbs and smashed trunks left after logging act as fuel." >>
https://theconversation.com/we-have-the-proof-that-logging-makes-tasmanias-forests-more-flammable-279103

Landscape-scale experimental proof that tall wet Eucalyptus regrowth burns more severely than mature forest >>
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae4d62
#bushfires #loggingimpacts #FCNSW #forests #WetEucalyptus #forestry #thinning #NSWlogging #BellingenLogging #harm

We have the proof that logging makes Tasmania’s forests more flammable
Lots of regrowth, lots more fire

"Regrowth does indeed burn more intensely than mature forests. Some experts suggested forests regrowing from logging were a key factor in the huge area burned during the notorious 2019–20 fire season, though others have disputed this."

"Recent research has shown commercial thinning of regrowth in Tasmania doesn’t reduce the risk of fire, because bark, limbs and smashed trunks left after logging act as fuel." >>
https://theconversation.com/we-have-the-proof-that-logging-makes-tasmanias-forests-more-flammable-279103

Landscape-scale experimental proof that tall wet Eucalyptus regrowth burns more severely than mature forest >>
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae4d62
#bushfires #loggingimpacts #FCNSW #forests #WetEucalyptus #forestry #thinning #NSWlogging #BellingenLogging #harm

We have the proof that logging makes Tasmania’s forests more flammable
Lots of regrowth, lots more fire

"Regrowth does indeed burn more intensely than mature forests. Some experts suggested forests regrowing from logging were a key factor in the huge area burned during the notorious 2019–20 fire season, though others have disputed this."

"Recent research has shown commercial thinning of regrowth in Tasmania doesn’t reduce the risk of fire, because bark, limbs and smashed trunks left after logging act as fuel." >>
https://theconversation.com/we-have-the-proof-that-logging-makes-tasmanias-forests-more-flammable-279103

Landscape-scale experimental proof that tall wet Eucalyptus regrowth burns more severely than mature forest >>
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae4d62
#bushfires #loggingimpacts #FCNSW #forests #WetEucalyptus #forestry #thinning #NSWlogging #BellingenLogging #harm

We have the proof that logging makes Tasmania’s forests more flammable
Lots of regrowth, lots more fire

"Regrowth does indeed burn more intensely than mature forests. Some experts suggested forests regrowing from logging were a key factor in the huge area burned during the notorious 2019–20 fire season, though others have disputed this."

"Recent research has shown commercial thinning of regrowth in Tasmania doesn’t reduce the risk of fire, because bark, limbs and smashed trunks left after logging act as fuel." >>
https://theconversation.com/we-have-the-proof-that-logging-makes-tasmanias-forests-more-flammable-279103

Landscape-scale experimental proof that tall wet Eucalyptus regrowth burns more severely than mature forest >>
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae4d62
#bushfires #loggingimpacts #FCNSW #forests #WetEucalyptus #forestry #thinning #NSWlogging #BellingenLogging #harm

Small persistent humid forest clearings drive tropical forest biomass losses

"Tropical forests store about half of the global forest above ground carbon (AGC), yet extensive areas are affected by disturbances, such as deforestation from agricultural expansion and degradation from fires, selective logging, and edge effects...Findings highlight the disproportionate impact of small clearings on tropical carbon losses, suggesting the need to curb land-use changes and protect young and recovering forests."
>>
Xu, Y., Ciais, P., Santoro, M. et al. Small persistent humid forest clearings drive tropical forest biomass losses. Nature 649, 375–380 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09870-7 (paywall)
#Deforestation #Climate #LoggingImpacts #degradation #FCNSW #NSWLogging #PostHarvestBurn #DeliberatelyBurningAForest #EPA #MicroClimate #bushfires #NativeForests #AGC #BookkeepingApproach #ESA #TropicalForests #biodiversity

Large-scale mechanical thinning of biodiversity
Forests as machine-accessible landscapes

""Large-scale mechanical thinning operations are essentially a waste of money. At worst, they degrade forests, making them more flammable, eroding habitat, compromising water security and compacting soils."
>>
https://theconversation.com/victorias-mountain-ash-forests-naturally-thin-their-trees-so-why-do-it-with-machines-268201
#loggingImpacts #NSWLogging #thinning #Biodiversity #wildlife #machines #FossilFuel #climate #nativeforests #destruction #loggingIndustry #extractivism

Large-scale mechanical thinning of biodiversity
Forests as machine-accessible landscapes

""Large-scale mechanical thinning operations are essentially a waste of money. At worst, they degrade forests, making them more flammable, eroding habitat, compromising water security and compacting soils."
>>
https://theconversation.com/victorias-mountain-ash-forests-naturally-thin-their-trees-so-why-do-it-with-machines-268201
#loggingImpacts #NSWLogging #thinning #Biodiversity #wildlife #machines #FossilFuel #climate #nativeforests #destruction #loggingIndustry #extractivism

Large-scale mechanical thinning of biodiversity
Forests as machine-accessible landscapes

""Large-scale mechanical thinning operations are essentially a waste of money. At worst, they degrade forests, making them more flammable, eroding habitat, compromising water security and compacting soils."
>>
https://theconversation.com/victorias-mountain-ash-forests-naturally-thin-their-trees-so-why-do-it-with-machines-268201
#loggingImpacts #NSWLogging #thinning #Biodiversity #wildlife #machines #FossilFuel #climate #nativeforests #destruction #loggingIndustry #extractivism

Large-scale mechanical thinning of biodiversity
Forests as machine-accessible landscapes

""Large-scale mechanical thinning operations are essentially a waste of money. At worst, they degrade forests, making them more flammable, eroding habitat, compromising water security and compacting soils."
>>
https://theconversation.com/victorias-mountain-ash-forests-naturally-thin-their-trees-so-why-do-it-with-machines-268201
#loggingImpacts #NSWLogging #thinning #Biodiversity #wildlife #machines #FossilFuel #climate #nativeforests #destruction #loggingIndustry #extractivism

Large-scale mechanical thinning of biodiversity
Forests as machine-accessible landscapes

""Large-scale mechanical thinning operations are essentially a waste of money. At worst, they degrade forests, making them more flammable, eroding habitat, compromising water security and compacting soils."
>>
https://theconversation.com/victorias-mountain-ash-forests-naturally-thin-their-trees-so-why-do-it-with-machines-268201
#loggingImpacts #NSWLogging #thinning #Biodiversity #wildlife #machines #FossilFuel #climate #nativeforests #destruction #loggingIndustry #extractivism

Roadless area conservation: No roads, no extractive activities

Trump pushes to allow new logging in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest
* "The move would affect more than half of the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest, opening it to potential logging, energy and mining projects. It would undercut a sweeping Clinton administration policy known as the “roadless rule,” which has survived a decades-long legal assault." >>
https://geosinstitute.org/past-initiative-forest-legacies/tongass/trump-pushes-to-allow-new-logging-in-alaska-s-tongass-national-forest/

* "Roadless area conservation is a conservation policy limiting road construction and the resulting environmental impact on designated areas of public land...In 'Industrial Tourism and the National Parks': Abbey describes road construction as "unnecessary or destructive development" and the loss of wilderness as a consequence of what he called "industrial tourism", where once-secluded natural areas become popularized and degraded." >>
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roadless_area_conservation

* What Is the Roadless Rule? "Enacted in 2001, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Roadless Rule) designated forests across the country as “inventoried roadless areas,” prohibiting the building of — you guessed it, new roads — but also logging and other harmful industries on these lands." >>
https://environmentamerica.org/articles/what-is-the-roadless-rule-and-why-should-you-care-about-it/
#forests #biodiversity #rainforest #roads #harm #extractivism #roadless #conservation #LoggingImpacts #mining #tourism #BellingenLogging #GlenifferRoad #NSWLogging #RoadlessRule

Crime against wildlife is surging in Australia
Flogging off native animals and plants

" Around the world, wildlife and environmental crime is surging. It is estimated to be the fourth largest organised transnational crime sector, and to be growing at a rate two to three times faster than the global economy."

"This is a considerable problem, because Australia has unique and endemic wildlife species, high extinction rates, and is a country that is difficult to police due to its sheer size and vast remote areas. Our new, Australia-first study addresses this knowledge gap."

"We don’t understand the full extent and impact of these crimes in Australia, but we do know they can be disastrous. Wildlife trafficking and illegal trade erodes biodiversity through the removal of native species from their habitats. It also fuels the spread of invasive species, parasites and diseases."

"Over half of the environmental crimes (61.3%) occurred in outer regional and remote areas of Australia. "
>>
https://theconversation.com/crime-against-wildlife-is-surging-in-australia-these-4-reforms-can-help-tackle-it-273006
#Biodiversity #extractivism #CITES #monetisation #TakeCulture #WildlifeTrafficking #crime #loggingImpacts #deforestation #LandClearing #ecosystems #destruction #Trade #pets #consumption #NativeSpecies #flora #reptiles #birds #extinction #WEC #fishing #harm #exploitation

Gentle logging certification

"Our analyses indicate that logging operations are compromising Australia's intention to meet its conservation goals...Our findings highlight the need for urgent reform in Australia's certification schemes and the importance of a significant expansion in protected areas." Professor David Lindenmayer

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-05/sustainable-timber-certification-concerns/105904122
#biodiversity #logging #LoggingImpacts #conservation #climate #NSWLogging #plantations #expansion

Australia has new laws to protect nature. Do they signal an end to native forest logging?

"There is a straightforward way to avoid the ecological, administrative, and financial problems created by native forest logging – stop it altogether. The evidence shows ending native forest logging would deliver significant benefits for biodiversity, forest ecosystems, and reduce fire risks."
>>
https://theconversation.com/australia-has-new-laws-to-protect-nature-do-they-signal-an-end-to-native-forest-logging-271203
#NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #BAU #EPBCact #Biodiversity #conservation #governance #PoliticsOfUnsustainability #harm #thinning #LoggingIndustry #bushfires #risks

Australia has new laws to protect nature. Do they signal an end to native forest logging?

"There is a straightforward way to avoid the ecological, administrative, and financial problems created by native forest logging – stop it altogether. The evidence shows ending native forest logging would deliver significant benefits for biodiversity, forest ecosystems, and reduce fire risks."
>>
https://theconversation.com/australia-has-new-laws-to-protect-nature-do-they-signal-an-end-to-native-forest-logging-271203
#NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #BAU #EPBCact #Biodiversity #conservation #governance #PoliticsOfUnsustainability #harm #thinning #LoggingIndustry #bushfires #risks

Australia has new laws to protect nature. Do they signal an end to native forest logging?

"There is a straightforward way to avoid the ecological, administrative, and financial problems created by native forest logging – stop it altogether. The evidence shows ending native forest logging would deliver significant benefits for biodiversity, forest ecosystems, and reduce fire risks."
>>
https://theconversation.com/australia-has-new-laws-to-protect-nature-do-they-signal-an-end-to-native-forest-logging-271203
#NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #BAU #EPBCact #Biodiversity #conservation #governance #PoliticsOfUnsustainability #harm #thinning #LoggingIndustry #bushfires #risks

Australia has new laws to protect nature. Do they signal an end to native forest logging?

"There is a straightforward way to avoid the ecological, administrative, and financial problems created by native forest logging – stop it altogether. The evidence shows ending native forest logging would deliver significant benefits for biodiversity, forest ecosystems, and reduce fire risks."
>>
https://theconversation.com/australia-has-new-laws-to-protect-nature-do-they-signal-an-end-to-native-forest-logging-271203
#NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #BAU #EPBCact #Biodiversity #conservation #governance #PoliticsOfUnsustainability #harm #thinning #LoggingIndustry #bushfires #risks

Australia has new laws to protect nature. Do they signal an end to native forest logging?

"There is a straightforward way to avoid the ecological, administrative, and financial problems created by native forest logging – stop it altogether. The evidence shows ending native forest logging would deliver significant benefits for biodiversity, forest ecosystems, and reduce fire risks."
>>
https://theconversation.com/australia-has-new-laws-to-protect-nature-do-they-signal-an-end-to-native-forest-logging-271203
#NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #BAU #EPBCact #Biodiversity #conservation #governance #PoliticsOfUnsustainability #harm #thinning #LoggingIndustry #bushfires #risks

Degradation caused by human activities:
"Indonesian environmentalists blame rapid forest loss in Sumatra for severity of deadly floods."

"Environmental groups say the government is hypocritical and partly to blame for the destruction, given its approval of mining and logging permits. Environmentalists want an official audit of land use in Sumatra and other Indonesian islands, saying extractive industries combined with disasters could produce more devastation."

"...The floods and landslides that have devastated parts of Sumatra have been made worse by extensive deforestation driven by the approval of hundreds of extractive permits... Deforestation and mining activities in Sumatra had intensified the effects of the disaster and led to more deaths."

"Data from the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry showed in Sumatra there were at least 1,907 active mining permits covering a total area of almost 2.5 million hectares."
>>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-04/why-is-indonesia-the-most-severly-affected-by-cyclone-senyar/106095614
#floods #landslides #diy #extractivism #deforestation #mining #energy #LoggingImpacts #PulpPaper #EU #EudR #forests #climate #plantations #extractivism #biodiversity #governance #IndoPacific

Low fire risk landscapes
Challenging the norm of prescribed burning

* "Research shows long-unburnt forests act to limit fire without human intervention – even as the climate changes."

"Would it be worth removing the short-term defence of prescribed burning to bring forests back to a less flammable state?"

"In our new study, we examined whether phasing out prescribed burning could help Australian forests endure climate change. The answer was clear: it’s entirely possible to stop the cycle of fire feeding more fire, and help forests endure new climatic conditions."
>>
https://theconversation.com/in-1939-a-royal-commission-found-burning-forests-leads-to-more-bushfires-but-this-cycle-of-destruction-can-be-stopped-269099

* Are the alternative ecosystem states produced by positive fire-flammability feedbacks reversible? Philip J Zylstra and David B Lindenmayer 2025 Environ. Res. Lett. 20 124037DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/ae18e7
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae18e7
#fires #bushfires #Megafires #PrescribedBurning #BritishColonialism #pastoralism #loggingImpacts #climate #GHG #forests #destruction #biodiversity #ecosystems #conservation

An intact Great Koala National Park reduces fire risks

Some mainstream media, politicians and the logging industry see Australian flora and fauna as one big ' firebomb' that needs logging urgently.

"...A logged forest is at much greater risk of burning at higher severity than intact forests that have not been logged. Logged forests are at significantly greater risk of high-severity wildfire than intact (unlogged) forests." David Lindenmayer, Ecologist
>> (paywall)
https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-great-national-koala-park-is-not-a-firebomb-it-s-the-opposite-20251113-p5nf1u.html
#BushFires #deforestation #landclearing #biodiversity #ThegreatKoalaNationalPark #NSWLogging #LoggingImpacts #fires #VestedInterests #LoggingIndustry #BellingenLogging #BellingenShire #risks

"New data has pointed to the "systemic" under-reporting of greater glider dens within areas earmarked for logging in New South Wales, which scientists say could result in localised extinctions."

"Environment groups say the new rules have allowed Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW), a state government-owned logging company, to survey less of the forests they plan to log, which has resulted in the number of greater gliders being severely underestimated."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-21/environment-groups-decry-greater-glider-survey-results/106017274

Century-old trees critical to greater gliders >>
https://au.news.yahoo.com/late-night-discovery-in-bushland-sparks-fears-for-rare-aussie-animal-epic-failure-033852924.html
#biodiversity #gliders #nswLogging #LoggingImpacts #wildlife #extinction #FCNSW

Animal friendly infrastructure - Road ecology

"Some 40 million miles of roadways encircle the earth, yet we tend to regard them only as infrastructure for human convenience. While roads are so ubiquitous they’re practically invisible to us, wild animals experience them as entirely alien forces of death and disruption. , the harms of highways extend far beyond roadkill. "
Ben Goldfarb, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet >>
https://www.bengoldfarb.com/crossings

Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future of Our Planet with Ben Goldfarb >>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVkw0fOslck
#biodiversity #wildlife #habitat #roads #highways #NegativeExternalities #Infrastructure #cars #vehicles #crashes #liability #tyres #RoadEcology #RoadKill #signage #fencing #weeds #pollution #LoggingImpacts #mobility #animals #MigratorySpecies #access #barriers #FreewayWalls #crossings #ExtinctionCrisis

Australia's new national environmental standards

"Former ACCC chair condemns proposed exemption allowing minister to approve projects that don’t comply with law. Samuel, who led a 2020 review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, also argued a loophole that effectively exempts native forest logging from the laws “shouldn’t be there”.

“Logging operations should be subject to the same rules as mining, agriculture, urban development and so on." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/14/graeme-samuel-calls-for-labor-to-ditch-national-interest-workaround-for-environment-laws

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act)
The problem of ministerial discretion and “national interest” exemptions. >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115528660854362227

Authoritarianism—but make it look like the rule of law. >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115528971744822369

#EPBCAct #biodiversity #NationalInterest #law #exemption #MinisterialDiscretion #FastTrackApprovals #VestedInterest #ParliamentaryScrutiny #EnvironmentalLaw #conservation #regulation #governance #democracy #NSWLogging #landclearing #DualState #lawlessness #authoritarianism #LawGuardrails #normalcy #EmergencyPowers #NationalInterest #legitimisation #exemption #constitution #state #governance #LoggingImpacts

Australia's new national environmental standards

"Former ACCC chair condemns proposed exemption allowing minister to approve projects that don’t comply with law. Samuel, who led a 2020 review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, also argued a loophole that effectively exempts native forest logging from the laws “shouldn’t be there”.

“Logging operations should be subject to the same rules as mining, agriculture, urban development and so on." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/14/graeme-samuel-calls-for-labor-to-ditch-national-interest-workaround-for-environment-laws

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act)
The problem of ministerial discretion and “national interest” exemptions. >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115528660854362227

Authoritarianism—but make it look like the rule of law. >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115528971744822369

#EPBCAct #biodiversity #NationalInterest #law #exemption #MinisterialDiscretion #FastTrackApprovals #VestedInterest #ParliamentaryScrutiny #EnvironmentalLaw #conservation #regulation #governance #democracy #NSWLogging #landclearing #DualState #lawlessness #authoritarianism #LawGuardrails #normalcy #EmergencyPowers #NationalInterest #legitimisation #exemption #constitution #state #governance #LoggingImpacts

Australia's new national environmental standards

"Former ACCC chair condemns proposed exemption allowing minister to approve projects that don’t comply with law. Samuel, who led a 2020 review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, also argued a loophole that effectively exempts native forest logging from the laws “shouldn’t be there”.

“Logging operations should be subject to the same rules as mining, agriculture, urban development and so on." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/14/graeme-samuel-calls-for-labor-to-ditch-national-interest-workaround-for-environment-laws

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act)
The problem of ministerial discretion and “national interest” exemptions. >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115528660854362227

Authoritarianism—but make it look like the rule of law. >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115528971744822369

#EPBCAct #biodiversity #NationalInterest #law #exemption #MinisterialDiscretion #FastTrackApprovals #VestedInterest #ParliamentaryScrutiny #EnvironmentalLaw #conservation #regulation #governance #democracy #NSWLogging #landclearing #DualState #lawlessness #authoritarianism #LawGuardrails #normalcy #EmergencyPowers #NationalInterest #legitimisation #exemption #constitution #state #governance #LoggingImpacts

Australia's new national environmental standards

"Former ACCC chair condemns proposed exemption allowing minister to approve projects that don’t comply with law. Samuel, who led a 2020 review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, also argued a loophole that effectively exempts native forest logging from the laws “shouldn’t be there”.

“Logging operations should be subject to the same rules as mining, agriculture, urban development and so on." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/14/graeme-samuel-calls-for-labor-to-ditch-national-interest-workaround-for-environment-laws

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act)
The problem of ministerial discretion and “national interest” exemptions. >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115528660854362227

Authoritarianism—but make it look like the rule of law. >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115528971744822369

#EPBCAct #biodiversity #NationalInterest #law #exemption #MinisterialDiscretion #FastTrackApprovals #VestedInterest #ParliamentaryScrutiny #EnvironmentalLaw #conservation #regulation #governance #democracy #NSWLogging #landclearing #DualState #lawlessness #authoritarianism #LawGuardrails #normalcy #EmergencyPowers #NationalInterest #legitimisation #exemption #constitution #state #governance #LoggingImpacts

Australia's new national environmental standards

"Former ACCC chair condemns proposed exemption allowing minister to approve projects that don’t comply with law. Samuel, who led a 2020 review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, also argued a loophole that effectively exempts native forest logging from the laws “shouldn’t be there”.

“Logging operations should be subject to the same rules as mining, agriculture, urban development and so on." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/14/graeme-samuel-calls-for-labor-to-ditch-national-interest-workaround-for-environment-laws

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act)
The problem of ministerial discretion and “national interest” exemptions. >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115528660854362227

Authoritarianism—but make it look like the rule of law. >>
https://mastodon.au/@Bellingen/115528971744822369

#EPBCAct #biodiversity #NationalInterest #law #exemption #MinisterialDiscretion #FastTrackApprovals #VestedInterest #ParliamentaryScrutiny #EnvironmentalLaw #conservation #regulation #governance #democracy #NSWLogging #landclearing #DualState #lawlessness #authoritarianism #LawGuardrails #normalcy #EmergencyPowers #NationalInterest #legitimisation #exemption #constitution #state #governance #LoggingImpacts

Why roads are so dangerous
Avoid the first cut into a forest...

"The first road made into a wilderness area is often the most dangerous. Following the first cut, a host of changes often become unstoppable."
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwwlxlMoVVQ

Conserving Tropical Forests in a Rapidly Changing World, Bill Laurance
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFrSpk--QmU
#LoggingImpacts #NativeForests #deforestation #fragmentation #biodiversity #wildlife #NSWLogging #BellingenLogging #SaveTuckersNob #TheGreatKoalaNationalPark #roads #climate

The nature reform bill: “riddled with loopholes that would enable rampant deforestation and species extinctions to continue at pace”.

"Ken Henry warns Labor’s nature laws ‘are worthless’ unless minister tightens ‘national interest’ exemptions. Every project developer is absolutely convinced that their project is in the national interest... Henry said the vague drafting of the “national interest” exemption and the failure to close loopholes for native forest logging and land clearing were problems that needed to be fixed."
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/30/ken-henry-warns-labors-nature-laws-are-worthless-unless-minister-tightens-national-interest-exemptions

Labor’s environmental law overhaul: a little progress and a lot of compromise
https://theconversation.com/labors-environmental-law-overhaul-a-little-progress-and-a-lot-of-compromise-268198
#EPBCAct #exemptions #NationalInterest #deforestation #LandClearing #FastTrackApprovals #NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #climate

The nature reform bill: “riddled with loopholes that would enable rampant deforestation and species extinctions to continue at pace”.

"Ken Henry warns Labor’s nature laws ‘are worthless’ unless minister tightens ‘national interest’ exemptions. Every project developer is absolutely convinced that their project is in the national interest... Henry said the vague drafting of the “national interest” exemption and the failure to close loopholes for native forest logging and land clearing were problems that needed to be fixed."
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/30/ken-henry-warns-labors-nature-laws-are-worthless-unless-minister-tightens-national-interest-exemptions

Labor’s environmental law overhaul: a little progress and a lot of compromise
https://theconversation.com/labors-environmental-law-overhaul-a-little-progress-and-a-lot-of-compromise-268198
#EPBCAct #exemptions #NationalInterest #deforestation #LandClearing #FastTrackApprovals #NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #climate

The nature reform bill: “riddled with loopholes that would enable rampant deforestation and species extinctions to continue at pace”.

"Ken Henry warns Labor’s nature laws ‘are worthless’ unless minister tightens ‘national interest’ exemptions. Every project developer is absolutely convinced that their project is in the national interest... Henry said the vague drafting of the “national interest” exemption and the failure to close loopholes for native forest logging and land clearing were problems that needed to be fixed."
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/30/ken-henry-warns-labors-nature-laws-are-worthless-unless-minister-tightens-national-interest-exemptions

Labor’s environmental law overhaul: a little progress and a lot of compromise
https://theconversation.com/labors-environmental-law-overhaul-a-little-progress-and-a-lot-of-compromise-268198
#EPBCAct #exemptions #NationalInterest #deforestation #LandClearing #FastTrackApprovals #NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #climate

The nature reform bill: “riddled with loopholes that would enable rampant deforestation and species extinctions to continue at pace”.

"Ken Henry warns Labor’s nature laws ‘are worthless’ unless minister tightens ‘national interest’ exemptions. Every project developer is absolutely convinced that their project is in the national interest... Henry said the vague drafting of the “national interest” exemption and the failure to close loopholes for native forest logging and land clearing were problems that needed to be fixed."
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/30/ken-henry-warns-labors-nature-laws-are-worthless-unless-minister-tightens-national-interest-exemptions

Labor’s environmental law overhaul: a little progress and a lot of compromise
https://theconversation.com/labors-environmental-law-overhaul-a-little-progress-and-a-lot-of-compromise-268198
#EPBCAct #exemptions #NationalInterest #deforestation #LandClearing #FastTrackApprovals #NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #climate

The nature reform bill: “riddled with loopholes that would enable rampant deforestation and species extinctions to continue at pace”.

"Ken Henry warns Labor’s nature laws ‘are worthless’ unless minister tightens ‘national interest’ exemptions. Every project developer is absolutely convinced that their project is in the national interest... Henry said the vague drafting of the “national interest” exemption and the failure to close loopholes for native forest logging and land clearing were problems that needed to be fixed."
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/30/ken-henry-warns-labors-nature-laws-are-worthless-unless-minister-tightens-national-interest-exemptions

Labor’s environmental law overhaul: a little progress and a lot of compromise
https://theconversation.com/labors-environmental-law-overhaul-a-little-progress-and-a-lot-of-compromise-268198
#EPBCAct #exemptions #NationalInterest #deforestation #LandClearing #FastTrackApprovals #NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #climate

New national environmental standards ?

"ACF warns weak nature laws risk repeating decades of destruction. As it stands, this draft bill has too many loopholes that benefit big polluters and bulldozers. This is the biggest nature law reform in a generation, and Parliament has to get it right.”

" ACF is calling on the government to ensure the reforms:

Close loopholes that allow deforestation and habitat destruction to continue .

Establish an independent regulator to enforce the rules without political interference .

Set clear national standards to protect and restore nature, and
Require decision-makers to consider climate harm in every decision. "
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https://www.acf.org.au/news/acf-warns-weak-nature-laws-risk-repeating-decades-of-destruction
#biodiversity #EPBCAct #law #nature #NativeForests #LoggingImpacts #exemption #NationalInterest #climate #harm #FossilFuels #deforestation #mining #extractivism #LandClearing

Biodiversity is in catastrophic decline. Here are three ways to ensure Australia’s conservation law actually works

"The commonwealth bureaucracy has failed to enforce the existing laws."

"The exemption for native forest logging should have been phased out. Instead, it was extended."

"The highest priority for the reforms must be to ensure land-clearing is properly regulated."
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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/28/australia-conservation-law-biodiversity-decline
#biodiversity #NativeForests #NSWLogging #LoggingImpacts #EPBCAct #extractivism #deforestation #LandClearing #conservation #regulation

Deforestation and no regeneration

"If you go down to the forests today, you’re in for a big surprise (mass deforestation) .
The forest has failed to regenerate after being logged. More and more logged areas no longer support trees where they once did."

"Forests that have not regenerated after logging represent a clear form of deforestation. Deforestation is a major global issue driving both escalating climate change and biodiversity loss. This is why Australia signed international agreements to both halt deforestation and to prevent biodiversity loss. And yet, this problem is evident in our own backyard."
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https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/10/if-you-go-down-to-the-forests-today-youre-in-for-a-big-surprise-mass-deforestation/

Deforestation harms profits

"Global investors managing over $3 trillion in assets called on governments on Monday to stop and reverse deforestation and ecosystem degradation by 2030, in a statement signed ahead of a U.N. climate conference. As investors, we are increasingly concerned about the material financial risks that tropical deforestation and nature loss pose to our portfolios. Deforestation undermines the natural systems that global markets rely on - from climate regulation to food and water security."
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https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/investors-managing-3-trillion-assets-urge-countries-stop-deforestation-2025-10-20/
#biodiversity #deforestation #LoggingImpacts #NSWLogging #loggingIndustry #BellingenLogging #climate #NativeForests #TheGreatKoalaNationalPark #degradation #ClimateBreakdown #Australia #governance #EcosystemDegradation #extractivism

Labor is close to a deal on environmental law reforms.
There are troubling signs these will fall short.
No more logging loopholes?
No New Extinctions?
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https://theconversation.com/labor-is-close-to-a-deal-on-environmental-law-reforms-there-are-troubling-signs-these-will-fall-short-267102
#Biodiversity #EPBCAct #EPA #destruction #law #FossilFuels #GHG #climate #LoggingImpacts #LandClearing #extinctions

Stopping deforestation and ecosystem harm
Traceability for deforestation-linked commodities

Deforestation-free Europe wants to keep deforestation-linked commodities such as cattle, wood and cocoa out of the market.
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https://theconversation.com/from-beef-to-timber-a-new-era-of-labels-will-reveal-where-your-shopping-comes-from-265083
#deforestation #biodiversity #climate #regulation #SupplyChains #EUDR #DueDilligence #cattle #meat #beef #livestock #LoggingImpacts #NSWLogging #timber #traceability #harm #Australia #EU

Bushfire smoke from burning forests kills and damages the economy

"Wildfire smoke is expected to kill as many as 1.4 million people globally each year by the end of the century if planet-heating emissions are not curbed, according to a study published on Thursday. Breathing in smoke from burning forests is thought to be about 10 times more toxic than inhaling other air pollution given off by the burning of fossil fuels, with scientists recently warning the impact of this pollution has been severely underestimated in terms of its impact upon our health."
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https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/18/wildfire-smoke-global-deaths-2050

Wildfire smoke exposure and mortality burden in the US under climate change
"The mortality burden in the US due to wildfire smoke fine particulate matter (PM2.5) under climate change. When monetized, climate-driven smoke deaths result in economic damages that exceed existing estimates of climate-driven damages from all other causes combined in the US. Our research suggests that the health impacts of climate-driven wildfire smoke could be among the most important and costly consequences of a warming climate in the US."
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https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09611-w
#smoke #health #OneHealth #bushfires #pollution #costs #FossilFuels #climate #mortality #air #forests #fires #NSWLogging #LoggingImpacts #BellingenShire #FCNSW #plantations

The destruction of koala habitat shows ‘total failure’ of nature laws

"More clearing of koala habitat has been approved under Australia’s nature laws in 2025 so far than in any other year since the marsupial was listed as a threatened species, according to an analysis by the Australian Conservation Foundation.The very law meant to protect nature is so poorly enforced that it has failed to stop nearly 2.3m hectares of likely koala habitat from being bulldozed and cut down."

"The analysis found native forest logging, particularly in NSW, was also contributing to koala habitat loss, with 391,170 ha of likely koala habitat destroyed by logging operations over the 12-year period."
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/07/loss-of-koala-habitat-shows-total-failure-of-nature-laws-conservationists-say
#EPBCAct #biodiversity #nature #laws #governance #enforcement #failure #extinction #harm #NSWLogging #BellingenLogging #EndangeredSpecies #conservation #LandClearing #deforestation #koalas #decline #LoggingImpacts #TheGreatKoalaNationalPark

Logging NSW mid-north coast biodiversity in the plantationocene ( The Great Koala National Park )

'The NSW government has imposed a temporary moratorium on timber harvesting within the boundary from Monday, but harvesting in plantations will continue."

"Koalas on track to be extinct in the wild across NSW by 2050."
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-07/great-koala-national-park-to-go-ahead-on-nsw-mid-north-coast/105743430
#biodiversity #Plantationocene #TheGreatKoalaNationalPark #MidNorthCoast #LoggingImpacts #FCNSW #koalas #gliders #Gumbaynggirr #Dunghutti #NSWLogging #GaggingSci #plantations

Damaging the habitat of a threatened species

"Remember, it's taxpayers paying the fines."

"Conservationists have called for an end to native forest logging after crucial endangered Southern Greater Glider habitat was allegedly destroyed illegally.The case will be heard in the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales in October. "
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-29/forestry-corporation-nsw-charged-by-epa-tallaganda-state-forest/105711516
#FCNSW #breaches #NSWLogging #biodiversity #gliders #harm #NSW #LoggingImpacts

The “final straw” for logging in NSW

"A timber harvesting company owned by an Australian state government is facing 29 charges in the Land and Environment Court. It's understood the matter relates in part to the death of an endangered greater glider at Tallaganda State Forest, near Canberra, which was found near a logging site in 2023."

“Australia is the only wealthy nation still cutting forests down at scale. Eastern Australia remains a global deforestation front, and much of that is driven by logging in NSW. Western Australia and Victoria shut down their native forest logging."
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https://au.news.yahoo.com/29-charges-laid-after-rotting-discovery-near-worksite-in-state-forest-070857344.html
#deforestation #LoggingImpacts #FCNSW #NSWLogging #BiodiversityCrisis #gliders #governance

Environmentalist Mark Graham barred from Forestry Corp offices after protest

"Justice Richard Weinstein granted bail on the condition that Mr Graham not travel within half a kilometre of the Forestry Corporation offices."

"Justice Weinstein remarked that a Forestry Corporation vehicle was akin to "a red flag to a bull" for the defendant. It's a very volatile situation up there."

"Mr Graham will return to Coffs Harbour Local Court on September 17."
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-20/environmentalist-mark-graham-bail-coffs-harbour/105587574
#LoggingAndLandclearing #NSWLogging #LoggingImpacts #biodiversity #CoffsHarbour #climatedisruption #ProtectProtest