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Three Aussie regions set to be unliveable

Three major economic centres are set to become uninhabitable by the end of the century as global temperatures are on track to warm by 2.7C. It is predicted that Broome, Darwin and Port Hedland in WA are to be pushed outside the “human climate niche”, referring to the temperature and humidity conditions in which humans can survive. The destinations are just three of the many northwestern sections of Australia facing “niche displacement” in the next 70 years. New research by The University of Exeter, published in the science journal Nature Sustainability in May 2023, calculates the human cost of climate inaction based on current insufficient policies and government inaction. According to the report, two million people will be living with unprecedented mean average temperatures (MAT) above 29C. MAT >29C is the point at which wellbeing scientifically declines, labour productivity and cognitive ability shrinks, negative pregnancy outcomes are emancipated and mortality rates soar. The report calculates that twenty per cent of Australia, around 374,977 Aussies, will be negatively impacted by the 2.7C temperature increase. Those Australians would join a third of the world’s population, including Africa, South America, and South-East Asia. A 3C warmer temperature in Darwin would mean that for 265 days of the year, temperatures would reach above 35C. At 40C, humidity soars and temperatures become lethal, the Australian Academy of Science reports. The University of Exeter report also explained the effects of a “wet-bulb temperature” where temperature and humidity are combined. In temperatures above 28C (WBT) body struggles to cool itself by sweating, and fails to do so in temperatures above 35C (WBT), which can be fatal. By limiting global warming to 1.5C, which is the goal of the Paris Agreement, 80 per cent of those at risk of rising temperatures would remain in their climate niche. However, scientists warn that a 1.5C will still cause severe and irreversible effects on people, wildlife and ecosystems. Global warming currently sits at 1.2C, but new research from The World Meteorological Organisation suggests there is a 66 per cent chance at least one year in the next five will breach the 1.5C threshold. “Despite increased pledges and targets to tackle climate change, current policies still leave the world on course for about 2.7C end-of-century global warming,” The University of Exeter report said. “These results highlight the need for more decisive policy action to limit the human costs and inequities of climate change.” The report also found the impacts of rising temperatures will not be felt equally, as estimates of the human cost of climate change “tend to be expressed in monetary terms”. “(Estimates) tends to recognise impacts on the rich more than those on the poor (because the rich have more money to lose) and tend to value those living now over those living in the future (because future damages are subject to economic discounting),” the report said. “From an equity standpoint, this is unethical — when life or health are at stake, all people should be considered equal, whether rich or poor, alive or yet to be born.” Image credit: Shutterstock

Domestic Travel

Karl Stefanovic called the “biggest wimp” by camel tour operator

Karl Stefanovic has been called a “wimp” on television during a live cross on Sunrise with weatherman Sam Mac. Sam was interviewing John, a Red Sun Camels tours operator in Broome, Western Australia for the company’s 22nd birthday. The weatherman then asked John to name the “biggest wimp” to ever ride one of the camels and he certainly did not hold back. “You’ve obviously had a lot of TV people, movie people; who’s been the biggest wimp on a camel in 22 years?” Sam asked. “Oh, you’re going to love this... Karl Stefanovic,” John responded. “We did the Today show many years ago. Lisa Wilkinson? Brave as all hell, could do anything. Karl? Nup, big girl with flowers.” “I swear I didn't set that up,”' Sam said. “That's not me trying to have some sort of petty rivalry. His words not mine. And the camels are a great judge of character, I heard. “Nah good on ya Karl.” Images: Sunrise/Today

From the Red Centre to the green tropics, Australia’s Outback presents a palette like no other

By Reader's Digest, in partnership with APT From the sunburnt sands and ochre-hued escarpments of its Red Centre to the lush green rainforests of Tropical North Queensland, Australia’s Outback packs a punch when it comes to the kaleidoscope of colours on show. <a href="https://www.aptouring.com.au/?utm_source=readersdigest&utm_medium=advertorial&utm_content=20200302_outback2020_readersdigest_native&utm_campaign=outback2020">APT</a> has been operating tours in the Outback for more than 50 years, and are experts in tailoring holidays to showcase the best of each magical region. A world of rainforest and reef In Cape Tribulation, rainforest-clad mountains tumble down to meet the coastline, where pure white sands and turquoise waters dazzle. This is the only place on Earth where two World Heritage-listed sites meet – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. The Daintree is the oldest tropical lowland forest in the world and is home to thousands of species of birds, animals and reptiles. Here, giant fan palms, emerald green vines and ancient ferns tangle together, forming a dense rainforest that makes you feel as though you are stepping into Jurassic Park. On tour APT offers an 11-day 4WD adventure through Cooktown & Cape York. Arrive in Cairns and transfer to Port Douglas, where you’ll spend a night at the luxurious Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort. Travel to Mossman Gorge in Daintree National Park and set off on a Dreamtime Gorge Walk. Explore Cape Tribulation and Cooktown then visit Split Rock, an intriguing Indigenous rock art site. Take a helicopter flight into the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve before continuing north to the tip of Cape York. Here, set out on a walk to the tip of the peninsula and enjoy a helicopter flight for an aerial perspective on this incredible landscape. Be moved by the outback’s heart As the light shifts and changes throughout the day, so does the landscape at Uluru – the Outback’s spiritual heart. At sunrise, feel an overwhelming sense of calm as you watch this mighty monolith come to life against a pastel-coloured sky. In the afternoon, Uluru appears as an ochre-brown hue, scored with dark shadows. As the sun begins to set, it bathes the rock in burnt orange, then a series of deeper and darker reds, before it finally fades into charcoal as night falls. Spend a night at the Field of Light and savour dinner under the stars, accompanied by the soothing sounds of the didgeridoo. With Uluru in the background, watch in awe as 50,000 soft lights cover the desert floor behind you. On tour On APT’s 11-day Central to South Explorer tour, start your journey in Uluru, where you’ll embark on a base tour at sunrise and experience a night at the Field of Light. Learn about the history of opal mining in Coober Pedy then travel along the iconic Oodnadatta Track to WIlliam Creek. Take an included scenic flight over spectacular Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre before journeying to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. While here, spend two nights at the Ikara Safari Camp – the perfect base for exploring Wilpena Pound National Park. A winery lunch in Adelaide’s Clare Valley is the perfect ending to your journey. Getting your fill of Lake Eyre Few sights in Australia stir the soul more than that of the normally dry Lake Eyre filling with water and suddenly teeming with life. The lake, properly known as Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, relies on monumental rains in Queensland and the Northern Territory for water to begin to flow into it. Last year saw the lake reach levels unseen for almost half a century, and it is hoped that 2020’s northern monsoon season will see the region once again alive with fish surging through the rivers that feed Lake Eyre, and its surface thronged with an array of birdlife including hundreds of thousands of pelicans. In a land battling drought and bushfires, the vision of water shimmering on the surface of the lake is life affirming. And it is something to be treasured and celebrated, so take this rare chance to go with the flow. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.413612565445px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843793/red-centre-2-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1ef8aa559b194a00b0a26c2255414afe" /> Paradise found amid corals and blooms Stretching over 1,100 kilometres of seemingly untouched coastline, Western Australia’s Coral Coast is a marine paradise like no other. Here, waves lap lazily on pristine white-sand beaches and turtles sweep through sheltered turquoise bays. The crystal-clear waters of Ningaloo Marine Park harbour the world’s largest fringing reef. Beneath the surface, you’ll find dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, and more than 500 species of fish. There’s more to discover on land, where colourful blankets of native wildflowers burst into bloom between August and September along the spectacular Wildflower Way. For a whole new perspective on the region, take to the skies on a helicopter flight over the Dampier Archipelago. The staggering contrast between brilliant white beaches, aquamarine waters, and the rugged red Pilbara landscape is a breathtaking sight – one that can only be experienced from the air. On tour Board the MS Caledonian Sky in Broome and navigate the remote islands of Western Australia’s Coral Coast on a 15-day small ship expedition cruise and 4WD adventure. Discover life below the surface while snorkelling the clear waters of this marine paradise. Disembark in Geraldton and continue the adventure as you explore Kalbarri National Park and the eerie limestone Pinnacles. To finish up your journey, there’s a stay in a luxury eco-tent on the beautiful Rottnest Island. This article originally appeared on <a href="mailto:https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/from-the-red-centre-to-the-green-tropics-australias-outback-presents-a-palette-like-no-other">Reader's Digest.</a> Photos: Reader’s Digest

Domestic Travel

The $6 Kmart gadget that is replacing brooms, mops and vacuum cleaners

Kmart customers are praising a new $6 gadget they say has replaced their mop, broom and vacuum. The cleaning tool is a rubber broom with a squeegee blade that they claim is the next “must have item” from the popular discount store. One customer shared a photo to Facebook group Kmart mums, showing off the results of the rubber broom. <img width="500" height="608" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819471/1_500x608.jpg" alt="1 (163)"/> “Finally got my hands on the Rubber Broom with Squeegee and the results speak for itself! This is our theatre room carpet which is very thick. This broom has picked up more than our vacuum and the carpet looks amazing!! Would recommend it a thousand times over,” she wrote. The mum didn’t appear to be the only happy customer in the group. “Wait until you use it to scrub the bathroom floor... it is quicker and better than any mop,” one woman said. “It is great for cleaning the outside of your windows too, wet, soapy clean with the bristled then squeegee off with a blade.” The brooms are so popular, many customers claimed “it took ages” to get their hands on one as they are often sold out. The gadget also won over pet owners, with some impressed with how well it removed unsightly animal hairs. “It is amazing if you have pets,” one woman said. Another said the broom remarkably removes “everything”, from hair to crumbs and dirt. Some questioned the effectiveness of the broom, before fans swiftly chimed in. Do you own this product? Tell us your thoughts on it in the comments below.

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