Queensland industrial hemp farmers form association

Queensland’s industrial hemp farmers have formed a hemp growers association, known as iHemp Queensland.

iHemp Queensland is the final member to join the Australian Hemp Council, a national organisation with representatives from each state and the Northern Territory that gives its members a national unified voice. 

In-door air quality needs revaluation in light of pandemic

Queensland University of Technology air quality expert, Lidia Morawska, has led a group of nearly forty researchers from 14 countries calling for the World Health Organisation to extend its indoor air quality guidelines to include airborne pathogens and the need to control airborne transmission of infections. 

Illegal tree poaching on the rise in Canada

Local officials on central Vancouver Island in Canada say at least 100 valuable trees have been illegally chopped down by poachers since January.

A local to the area, Larry Pynn, says the current two hundred Canadian dollar fine for removing the wood is no deterrence, considering the raw wood of each tree is worth close to a thousand Canadian dollars.

Moreton Island to return to traditional owners

Queensland Parliament has passed legislation that will return Mulgumpin -- also known as Moreton Island -- to traditional owners in a sixteen million dollar four-year deal.

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon says passing the legislation is a step in the ongoing recognition of Quandamooka people’s rightful ownership of the land.

Palestine rally and March to commemorate Nakba day

A Palestine rally will be held in King George Square in Brisbane tonight to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba, the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland.

Yesterday, police applied to a court for the protest not to be authorised. They claimed it was unsafe to conduct a march after dark, and that they had insufficient resources to safely close it.

Missed opportunities to better prepare for COVID-19, panel finds

The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response has found the majority of countries did not respond appropriately to the World Health Organization’s early COVID-19 alert.

A Public Health Emergency of International Concern, known as a PHEIC, is the highest global alert the WHO can issue, which was announced 30 January 2020.