Residents in California will now have the option for their remains to be used compost as soon as 2027 under a new law to tackle… climate change?

Apparently it’s an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation, which releases about 360,000 metric tons of this greenhouse gas emitted in the US each year.

“Wildfires, extreme drought, record heat waves remind us that climate change is real and we must do everything we can to reduce methane and CO2 emissions,” the California lawmaker who drafted the human composting bill Cristina Garcia tweeted.

It’s not the first state to legalise the process either. 

Washington became the first state to legalise human composting in 2019, followed by Colorado and Oregon in 2021, with Vermont legalising the practice in June 2022.

In case you were wondering, a human body can be composted into a nutrient rich soil in about 30 days, plus another two to six weeks of ‘curing’ and then it can be used just like any other form of compost.

You could throw Granny on the flower bed or even donate her to be spread in her favourite conservation area.

We’d probably draw the line at using it on the veggies though, cos that’s a slippery slope to a Soylent Green situation.

 

TO MARKETS

The ASX 200 is trading up 0.18% at lunch today, with 6 out of 11 sectors in the green.

Materials and Energy were leading the charge, up 1.92% and 1.39% respectively.

Commsec senior economist Ryan Felsman says petrol prices are set to increase by at least 22 cents per litre from Thursday when the fuel excise is fully re-instated for Australian motorists.

So, better fuel up now, because this new excise will be indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) at 46 cents per litre. 

Looking ahead, the ABS has indicated they will be releasing the monthly CPI indicator for July and August earlier than planned – this Thursday to be precise. 

Previously they had intended to release those figures together with the Q3 22 quarterly CPI, scheduled for 26 October, and this change means that updated inflation figures will be available ahead of the RBA’s October Board meeting. 

NOT THE ASX

Global oil prices fell by around 2.5% yesterday to nine-month lows, with the Brent crude price falling by US$2.09 as traders monitor the path of Tropical Storm Ian off the coast of Florida.

And should Ian develop into a hurricane – just like your Uncle Ian after a few too many beers at Christmas – this will impact crude supply in the Gulf of Mexico.

Chinese shares ended mixed yesterday amid worries over the government’s prolonged zero-Covid policy. 

The yuan’s movements will be closely watched after the PBOC said Monday that it would reimpose the 20% risk reserve requirement ratio for FX derivative sales, with effect from September 28. 

“The move likely signals the PBOC’s discomfort with the recent rapid depreciation of the CNY amid continued strengthening of the USD,” Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note.

In London, the FTSE 100 retreated 0.7% despite the sterling’s slump following Friday’s controversial UK government budget statement.

“Talk of an emergency Bank of England hike is now widespread,” IG analysts said.

The pound sterling may struggle to recover meaningfully against the dollar until the US currency’s rally loses steam, Societe Generale says. 

 

ASX SMALL CAP WINNERS

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks for September 27 [intraday]:

Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:

Code Company Price % Volume Market Cap
DUN Dundasminerals 0.65 53% 2,506,010 $16,462,612.58
ARE Argonaut Resources 0.0015 50% 4,000,000 $5,428,537.94
MGA Metalsgrovemining 0.155 48% 3,765,493 $3,780,052.50
BTR Brightstar Resources 0.022 38% 1,162,546 $10,349,773.90
MGG Mogul Games Grp Ltd 0.002 33% 116,024 $4,895,161.81
RAS Ragusa Minerals Ltd 0.41 28% 11,228,873 $41,166,101.76
AHN Athena Resources 0.01 25% 1,468,014 $6,503,740.46
CY5 Cygnus Gold Limited 0.26 24% 150,114 $30,908,916.15
YPB YPB Group Ltd 0.006 20% 166,666 $2,032,730.77
EEL Enrg Elements Ltd 0.027 17% 18,518 $21,344,042.64
G1A Galena Mining 0.17 17% 66,107 $88,972,776.19
ROO Roots Sustainable 0.0035 17% 835,114 $2,248,898.06
SRZ Stellar Resources 0.014 17% 369,210 $11,582,371.51
CBL Control Bionics 0.18 16% 50,863 $7,801,290.43
FEG Far East Gold 0.7 16% 169,807 $73,832,512.05
WR1 Winsome Resources 0.31 15% 381,293 $36,480,778.38
ADD Adavale Resource Ltd 0.032 14% 651,728 $13,003,241.08
MHC Manhattan Corp Ltd 0.008 14% 2,854,436 $10,683,950.85
RBR RBR Group Ltd 0.004 14% 852,871 $4,506,671.21
CBY Canterbury Resources 0.04 14% 25,000 $4,311,948.55
TLG Talga Group Ltd 1.35 14% 514,901 $361,394,805.02
UUL Ultima Utd Ltd 0.076 13% 470,802 $4,911,604.11
CUF Cufe Ltd 0.017 13% 430,254 $14,491,685.48
WEC White Energy Company 0.395 13% 51,304 $14,199,251.85
NOX Noxopharm Limited 0.22 13% 186,911 $56,986,400.25
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Leading the pack today is embattled junior Argonaut Resources (ASX:ARE) which has filed an appeal against a South Australian Supreme Court judgment which set aside an Aboriginal Heritage Act authorisation for exploration works at the Murdie project in South Australia.

Metals Grove Mining (ASX:MGA) has identified “significant lithium pegmatite potential” at the Upper Coondina project in the Pilbara.

“Given this project has never been systematically explored for lithium, we continue to be highly encouraged by these early works,” MD Sean Sivasamy said.

“Importantly, data obtained from the mapping program, and other pre-drilling works completed at site, will be used to develop priority drill targets ahead of planned maiden drill program in Q4. 

Brightstar Resources (ASX:BTR) has hit high-grade gold at its Alpha project in WA, including 2m at 11.3g/t from 88m including 1m at 21.4g/t from 88m. 

And that’s not the end of the lithium news. Ragusa Minerals (ASX:RAS) is currently prepping to drill its NT lithium project for the first time next week. Additional lithium targets have also been identified and Cygnus Gold (ASX:CY5) has acquired another 30km of prospective lithium strike around the Pontax project, located in the James Bay province of Canada.

 

ASX SMALL CAP LOSERS

Code Company Price % Volume Market Cap
1CG One Click Group Ltd 0.019 -53% 2,171,461 $23,714,319.48
LNU Linius Tech Limited 0.003 -25% 7,985,250 $9,255,465.25
NZS New Zealand Coastal 0.003 -25% 295,982 $4,508,020.12
CYM Cyprium Metals Ltd 0.063 -20% 8,677,363 $57,685,665.70
ADR Adherium Ltd 0.005 -17% 263,000 $15,371,099.20
OAR OAR Resources Ltd 0.005 -17% 1,791,826 $13,026,227.39
DLT Delta Drone Intl Ltd 0.011 -15% 750,000 $3,898,521.90
W2V Way2Vatltd 0.034 -15% 92,072 $7,113,767.76
LSR Lodestar Minerals 0.006 -14% 13,783,811 $12,169,061.44
TKL Traka Resources 0.006 -14% 815,238 $4,821,421.93
AQC Auspaccoal Ltd 0.425 -14% 176,194 $24,989,980.95
NIM Nimyresourceslimited 0.3 -13% 212,519 $18,652,246.64
RVS Revasum 0.1 -13% 35,680 $12,180,415.21
IS3 I Synergy Group Ltd 0.04 -13% 100,067 $12,349,225.60
VKA Viking Mines Ltd 0.007 -13% 476,000 $8,202,067.45
FSG Field Solu Hldgs Ltd 0.105 -13% 4,344,100 $91,648,992.60
INL Innlanz Limited 0.044 -12% 62,550 $15,663,180.40
HPP Health Plant Protein 0.075 -12% 834,829 $10,439,762.73
TG1 Techgen Metals Ltd 0.15 -12% 105,967 $7,515,430.72
GSN Great Southern 0.03 -12% 1,726,447 $18,921,994.40
ESR Estrella Res Ltd 0.0115 -12% 5,934,681 $17,257,050.11
PRS Prospech Limited 0.031 -11% 155,000 $2,281,335.18
SKO Serko 2.71 -11% 7,759 $366,084,713.12
EQS Equitystorygroupltd 0.066 -11% 92,574 $2,271,059.26
CSE Copper Strike Ltd 0.125 -11% 16,833 $18,515,173.74
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