What gas shortage? Fossil lobby warns of blackouts, but Australia has 6x more gas than it needs

Australia has six times as much uncontracted gas – that is, gas available for use right now – than the potential shortfall predicted by the energy market operator, according to The Australia Institute research director Rod Campbell.

Campbell’s reminder not to panic about gas shortages comes as industry lobby group Australian Energy Producers threatens an economic crisis and a reversion to 19th century energy technology if it isn’t allowed to open up new gas fields in Australia.

The latest scare campaign claims that a ban on new investment in gas extraction would “trigger ‘major economic disruption’ on both coasts of Australia… lead to manufacturers closing… electricity generation would be interrupted within two years, risking blackouts and soaring emissions as coal and diesel replace gas.”

Campbell says the claims mustn’t be taken at face value.

“The problem is exports and getting the right amount of gas to the right place at the right time. It’s not about ‘do we need more gas projects, do we need to panic, are the lights going out’. There’s loads of gas, we just need some clear thinking about how to get it where it needs to go,” he says.

“It’s situation-normal for the gas industry to claim the lights are going out. They’ve been crying wolf for a very long time but the fact is Australia is producing more gas than ever before and the gas industry is as voracious as ever before in wanting to make as much money as possible, and to hell with Australian consumers and the global climate.

Fungi to the rescue: South African scientists use innovative approach to protect apple trees

Gardeners the world over dread the appearance of aphids on their plants. There are around 4,000 species of these sap-sucking insects and about 250 are pests that can wreak havoc on crops in a garden or orchard.

One of them is the woolly apple aphid (Eriosoma lanigerum). As its name suggests, this aphid attacks apple trees and is recognisable by the white, waxy excretions that cover and protect the insects.

The aphid is native to the US and can be found throughout the world wherever apples are cultivated. It was first identified in South Africa in 1895 and has, over time, become a serious pest of apples.

The aphids infest apple trees through the plants’ root systems and above-ground growth. The colonies cause abnormally large swellings on apple roots, impeding the flow of nutrients and water throughout the plant. If the infestation is not controlled, a tree’s buds, shoots and fruit-bearing wood can be entirely destroyed. The mother insect on the roots produces live young called crawlers, which migrate from the roots to above-ground parts of the apple tree. Young trees and new cultivars of apples are especially vulnerable.

In 2023, South Africa produced 1.3 million tonnes of apples, with 544,759 tonnes exported. Apple cultivation covers over 25,000 hectares; the primary growing area of 15,000 hectares is located in the Western Cape province, particularly in the Ceres and Groenland regions. The estimated value of apple production in 2023 was R8,794 (about US$490) per tonne.

The most common method of controlling woolly apple aphid infestations in orchards has, for the past several decades, involved applying high doses of chemical insecticides. Many apple growers globally, including South African producers, have reported that the insects seem to have become resistant to these insecticides. This, along with concerns about the harmful effects of chemicals on the environment, has led scientists to look for new insect control methods.

We are biologists at Stellenbosch University’s Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, conducting research on insect-killing fungi and nematodes to control pest insects. In a recent academic article we examined whether entomopathogenic fungi could help to keep South Africa’s apple trees safe from woolly apple aphid. These fungi are naturally found in all soils in low numbers, where they keep insect populations under control.

We wanted to know whether the fungi could be used for biocontrol, an approach that involves using living organisms to control pests. The results were clear: three of the six fungi species we tested were extremely fast and effective at infecting and destroying woolly apple aphids.

‘Pirate birds’ force other seabirds to regurgitate fish meals. Their thieving ways could spread lethal avian flu

It’s not easy finding food at sea. Seabirds often stay aloft, scanning the churning waters for elusive prey. Most seabirds take fish, squid, or other prey from the first few metres of seawater. Scavenging is common.

But there are other tactics. Frigatebirds, skuas, and gulls rely on the success of other seabirds. These large, strong birds chase, harry, and attack their targets until they regurgitate or drop the prey they’ve just caught. They’re the pirates of the seabird world, stealing hard-earned meals from other species. This behaviour is known as kleptoparasitism, from the Ancient Greek word kléptēs, thief.

The strategy is brutal, effective, and a core behaviour for these important seabirds. But as our new research shows, it comes with major risks for the thieves. The new strain of avian flu is killing birds by their millions – and we found kleptoparasitism could spread the virus very easily.