Millions of plastic bags left in stockpiles rather than being recycled

RED-FACED

Tons of of thousands and thousands of plastic luggage dropped at Coles and Woolies for recycling have been secretly stockpiled in warehouses, The Age reviews. Melbourne-based REDcycle claims to gather as much as 5 million plastic luggage, pet meals luggage, ice cream wrappers, bubble wrap and frozen meals packaging a day from 2000 supermarkets throughout Australia within the nation’s largest plastic recycling roundup — however it has collapsed. Woolies apologised to clients yesterday, and Coles wouldn’t say when it came upon REDcycle wasn’t recycling. So why did this occur? The pandemic. REDcycle informed the paper three corporations that recycle the plastic for it aren’t doing so anymore.

Talking of the pandemic, we’re about to start out a brand new COVID wave in Australia due to the Omicron variant often known as XBB, chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly says. XBB originated in Singapore, information.com.au reviews, and is supposedly immune to vaccines — it’s been present in NSW, Victoria and WA to date. Kelly says to be alert, not afraid, including that it would burn out shortly like different variants. It comes as simply 31.1% of eligible Australians (over 30 until you’re immunocompromised) are vaccinated with the fourth jab, The West ($) reviews. It’s a little bit of an issue — many individuals had their booster greater than 5 months in the past, which implies the efficacy is waning. Curiously, as ABC reviews, simply 69.2% of us acquired a 3rd dose, whereas solely 24.4% of Australians acquired a fourth. And there’s extra to return — the Herald Solar reckons that ATAGI will “nearly definitely” advise fifth doses in January.

BLUE + GREEN = TEAL

The Victorian Liberals are getting determined. The Australian ($) reviews they’re discussing preferencing the Greens over Labor in key seats akin to Richmond (held on a 5.9% Labor swing) and Northcote (1.7%) in an effort to nab some decrease home seats and upend the Labor majority. However some Labor of us are reportedly speaking about placing a cope with the Libs in opposition to a standard rising enemy: these blasted teals. Teals are operating in Kew (4.5% Liberal swing) and Hawthorn (0.4% Labor), however Labor won’t wish to upset them, contemplating it would want to barter with them if it loses its majority. In the meantime, South Australian Liberal Senator Alex Antic — who this Worm editor notes is aptly named — has accused the ABC of grooming children, Sky Information reviews. Antic used Senate estimates to harangue ABC boss David Anderson about an episode of Play Faculty Story Time learn by well-known drag queen Courtney Act. Anderson was like, get a grip — the episode is a few woman selecting to put on a go well with as an alternative of a costume.

To a different Liberal now and a former federal defence minister and deputy chief of the Liberals, Peter Reith, has died aged 72. Reith was the member for Flinders almost constantly from 1982 till 2001, and served underneath Malcolm Fraser, Andrew Peacock, John Hewson, Alexander Downer and John Howard, Guardian Australia reviews. Reith had Alzheimer’s illness, his household stated, and died peacefully yesterday afternoon. He was not with out controversy — Reith was a key determine within the 1998 waterfront dispute the place a stevedoring enterprise sacked its whole union workforce and employed a non-union one — and the Howard authorities backed the choice. A Senate committee additionally discovered Reith “intentionally deceived the nation” by claiming youngsters have been thrown overboard within the 2001 scandal, because the ABC reviews, and never correcting the report when it grew to become obvious they weren’t. Howard remembered Reith as a “pricey good friend” and a “nice political colleague”, as The Oz ($) reviews, whereas Opposition Chief Peter Dutton known as him a “stalwart” for the Liberal Celebration.

TOO MUCH INFORMATION

The Andrews authorities despatched Victorians’ COVID contact-tracing knowledge to our crime authority within the hope a knowledge mining platform may resolve thriller instances, Guardian Australia reviews. The platform known as Palantir and was based by considered one of former US president Donald Trump’s largest donors, a tech billionaire named Peter Thiel. The Well being Division experimented with Palantir, which was put in on the Australian Prison Intelligence Fee’s server, however finally constructed one thing in-house as an alternative. A well being spokesperson informed the paper the info used was de-identified, however an knowledgeable stated that’s an oxymoron — she argued it’s straightforward to re-identify it utilizing the info. Apart from, as one other identified, Victorians didn’t conform to it.

Talking of a potential undesirable ID — College of Sydney scholar Freya Leach reckons the regulation college used her first title on objective in an project query to disgrace her, the SMH reviews. The query is a homicide state of affairs the place a personality named “Freya” kills somebody in a hit-and-run, earlier than having unprotected intercourse as a HIV-positive individual and dying after being pushed from a window. Cripes. The regulation college says it’s a coincidence, stating the title Freya has been utilized in earlier years — however Leach says it’s as a result of she’s on the “College of Sydney Conservative Membership govt and am concerned within the NSW Liberal Celebration”, and was lately known as a “parasite” after asking members of the Socialist Different who Zoom-bombed an internet class to depart.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE

Some wintry nights, Rod Keogh lies looking at his ceiling with a faint smile on his face as haunting vocalisations weave their approach by the darkness. Different occasions it’s extra like listening to automobile doorways bang shut all evening. Within the turquoise seashore simply exterior his door in South Australia’s distant Fowlers Bay, a jumble of child whales study essential survival expertise every year from their mums, like breaching, slapping fins and feeding, earlier than they head south. Keogh and spouse Simone have lived within the remoted spot since 2008 — the pair, who had figured it was time for a sea change, have been inspecting a double-storey residence simply close to the sand after they noticed a whale enjoying within the seashore waters by one of many home windows. “We purchased it just about the identical day,” Keogh tells ABC.

Fowlers Bay is definitely the most important nursery for southern proper whales in Australia, and the couple has run whale-watching excursions in winter ever since. And there’s loads to see. Like new human mums, whale mums prefer to get collectively to commerce baby-wrangling secrets and techniques and assist one another. “Principally the boys are cruising the coast in search of companions and the mums are in search of moms’ teams,” whale knowledgeable Claire Charlton stated (somebody get these whales a replica of The Feminine Eunuch). It wasn’t all the time so peaceable — within the 1800s, looking almost worn out the native inhabitants, and Keogh has turn into considerably of an unofficial guardian because the numbers recuperate just a little extra every year. “There’s not many individuals that know these whales so intimately as what Rod does,” Charlton continues. “The whales really feel secure there.” However Keogh says he doesn’t actually understand how he ended up there. He simply has this sense that it’s important to share the significance of whales, not just for our ecosystem however for our personal private sense of surprise and awe. “While you acquired a present like this,” he says, “you’ve acquired to provide it to others.”

Hoping one thing strikes you right this moment in some small approach.

Ed be aware: in yesterday’s Worm we reported that Australia was reopening 100 coalmines. This could have learn that India was reopening 100 coalmines.

SAY WHAT?

[We’re] behaving like a soccer crew that gained a premiership a few years in the past. And now we’re not turning as much as coaching. We’ve acquired one other season to play but. And if individuals don’t flip up for coaching, then everyone knows which approach it’s going to go.

Andrew Miller

The Australian Medical Affiliation’s WA spokesman and previous president tried to provide it to us in a language we may perceive — go get your third vaccination, of us. Solely two-thirds of eligible Australians have to date, and there’s a brand new COVID wave on the best way, in line with CMO Professor Paul Kelly.

Whereas Australia burned, Google took fossil gas cash to unfold misinformation about local weather change

“A assume tank funded by fossil-fuel corporations used Google commercials to focus on individuals looking for details about Australia’s bushfires throughout bushfire season, with messages casting doubts on the hyperlink between local weather change and pure disasters, a brand new report has discovered.

“The messages have been a part of greater than $400,000 in adverts purchased by a gaggle denying local weather change, regardless of Google’s coverage prohibiting local weather misinformation in promoting … [International non-profit Centre for Countering Digital Hate] concluded that half the US$23.7 million spent on Google search adverts was focused at individuals looking for environmental sustainability phrases akin to ‘web zero’.”

Unique! Soiled Dan’s dastardly deeds that Information Corp’s not but nailed

“With the Victorian election solely weeks away, ’embattled’ Premier Dan Andrews is underneath intense scrutiny from sections of the media about [checks notes] some veranda steps and a 10-year-old automobile crash he wasn’t concerned in. However may there be worse to return? Crikey satirist Tom Pink has the within skinny on the rising listing of the premier’s previous indiscretions.

“In September 2006, Andrews was let into merging visitors on the nook of Metropolis Street and Energy Road in Southbank by a well-meaning motorist, Rhys Cooker. Nevertheless, after taking full benefit of Cooker’s civility, the premier apparently failed to provide the ‘thanks’ wave. Cooker claims the snub left him feeling soiled, despondent and nugatory.”

Morrison’s a hypocrite on secrecy, however assaults on him undermine transparency

“Morrison’s many critics have been cock-a-hoop on platforms like Twitter. The truth that this associated to Morrison’s absurd vainness mission with Information Corp staffers Simon Benson and Geoff Chambers made it all of the extra satisfying. The truth that that vainness mission had blown up in his face, with the ability of a New Yr’s Eve fireworks show, over the revelation of his many secret ministries, was even higher.

“It is a entire luxurious meal of schadenfreude. Bother is… what precisely has Morrison performed fallacious? Certain, he misled his colleagues and so forth and so forth, however in revealing what he revealed to Benson and Chambers what did he do fallacious? He broke no legal guidelines, as Dreyfus’ letter makes clear.”

READ ALL ABOUT IT

Pakistan journalist killed in Kenya was ‘focused’, says official (Al Jazeera)

French cardinal’s admission renews scrutiny of church sexual abuse (The New York Instances)

Europe has ‘warmest October on report’, EU earth program says (EuroNews)

Qatar World Cup ambassador says homosexuality is ‘injury within the thoughts’ (Reuters)

Pelosi speaks out following violent assault on husband (CNN)

Trudeau accuses China of ‘aggressive’ election interference (BBC)

NZ is ‘60% on the best way to wage-price spiral creating hyperinflation’ (Stuff)

Leslie Phillips: Carry On and Harry Potter star dies aged 98 (BBC)

Norwegian princess quits royal duties to work with ‘shaman’ fiance (The Guardian)

THE COMMENTARIAT

Nobody compelled Republicans to do any of this stuff — Jamelle Bouie (The New York Instances): “And but a lot of the dialog in regards to the fashionable Republican Celebration assumes the other: that Republican politicians are impossibly sure to the wants and wishes of their coalition and unable to withstand its calls for. Many — too many — political observers converse as if Republican leaders and officers had no alternative however to simply accept Donald Trump into the fold; no alternative however to apologise for his each transgression; no alternative however to humour his try and overturn the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election; and now, no alternative however to embrace election-denying candidates across the nation.

“However that’s nonsense. For all of the pressures of the bottom, for all of the concern of Trump and his present for ridicule, for all of the calls for of the donor class, it is usually true that at each flip Republicans in Washington and elsewhere have made an lively and affirmative option to embrace the worst parts of their celebration — and jettison the norms and values that make democracy work — for the sake of their slender political and ideological goals. These goals, for what it’s price, are nothing new. To the extent that the Trump-era Republican Celebration has an agenda, it’s what it has all the time been: to be a handmaiden to the whole domination of capital, to facilitate the upward redistribution of wealth and to strengthen hierarchies of sophistication and standing.”

Are we lastly performed with body-shaming? Gen Z provides us a glimmer of hope — Genevieve Novak (the SMH): “Recall the grocery store checkout propaganda of the early ’00s: block letters spelling out an actress’ descent into oblivion for reaching a wholesome BMI, the snark of a kid actor who took weight-reduction plan too far. Cellulite circled, crash diets publicised, frail our bodies ridiculed, mushy our bodies gagged at. This was regular, accepted, inspired. I don’t know once we determined sufficient was sufficient. Perhaps the Kardashians confirmed up and disrupted a decade of maximum thinness. Perhaps mainstream media lastly acquired various sufficient to drown out the unforgiving uniformity of Eurocentric magnificence beliefs. Tendencies come and go, and ladies’s our bodies aren’t any exception. Teachers draw traces between occasions of useful resource shortage and the choice for fuller our bodies versus occasions of loads when thinner our bodies denote entry to wholesome produce and an extra of time to spend on the gymnasium.

“The state of the world is a information to how you have to be residing. As low-rise denims, micro-mini skirts and crop tops return to our shiny pages, I sense that point could also be operating out on curvier our bodies, and the heroin-chic beliefs are returning to the highlight. Hemlines shorten, pants decrease within the rise. The Hadids shrink. The Kardashians get sucked out what they simply paid to have injected in. We reward Insurgent Wilson for her weight reduction and Twitter shames Magda Szubanski for speaking about well being. New folklore is that celebrities are taking diabetes medicine for fast and excessive weight reduction. The cycle continues.”

HOLD THE FRONT PAGE

WHAT’S ON TODAY

On-line

• Crikey’s David Hardaker is among the many consultants who contributed to tonight’s episode of Underneath Investigation with Liz Hayes which delves into the alleged abuse of weak girls by the hands of the Esther Basis. You’ll be able to stream it on-line, and take a look at Hardaker’s award-winning protection right here.

Eora Nation Nation (often known as Sydney)

Kulin Nation Nation (often known as Melbourne)

• Pulitzer prize-winning creator Andrew Sean Greer and author Benjamin Legislation will chat about discovering pleasure once we want it most, as a part of the Wheeler Centre’s Spring Fling collection and held at The Capitol.

• Grattan CEO Danielle Wooden and coverage specialists will chat in regards to the Victorian election and the large points, in an occasion on the State Library Convention Centre.

Ngunnawal Nation (often known as Canberra)