Daily Links May 10

These people want you to know climate change isn’t just for liberals.
These conservative and religious voices work to get their communities on board
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361626359

A parable from down under for US climate scientists.
Politics intruded on climate science in Australia. The scientists fought back, led by John Church, a leading world expert on sea level rise.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361627345

Trump delays decision on Paris climate deal
President Donald Trump delayed a decision to honor or walk away from the Paris climate accord until he returns from Europe late this month, leaving global partners in limbo Tuesday.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/05/10/trump-delays-decision-paris-climate-deal

Climate change laws exceed 1,200 worldwide, finds LSE study
Legislation is ‘cause for optimism’ as big body of laws is hard to reverse
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/09/climate-change-laws-exceed-1200-worldwide-finds-lse-study

The business case for the Paris climate accord.
George P. Shultz, Ted Halstead New York Times
Remaining in the treaty would spur new investment, strengthen American competitiveness, create jobs and ensure access to global markets.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-995200128361627349

The great climate silence: We are on the edge of the abyss but we ignore it
Clive Hamilton
After 200,000 years of modern humans on a 4.5 billion-year-old Earth, we have arrived at new point in history: the Anthropocene. The change has come upon us with disorienting speed. It is the kind of shift that typically takes two or three or four generations to sink in.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/the-great-climate-silence-we-are-on-the-edge-of-the-abyss-but-we-ignore-it-20170509-gw0ro2.html

Got leftovers? Cook at work and save on waste
A new initiative is encouraging workplaces to pool their leftovers to avoid food wastage and cook lunchtime feasts in the office kitchen.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-09/cook-at-work-to-wage-a-war-on-waste/8506486

Australia installs 71MW solar in April, continues record start to year
Rooftop solar installations in Australia continue record-breaking trend in first four months of 2017, with WA the biggest mover.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-installs-71mw-solar-in-april-continues-record-start-to-year-29974/

Iron ore, coal prices ‘unsustainable’
Iron ore prices are forecast to fall this year, but rising coal prices have led to an upgrade in commodity forecasts.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/budget-2017/budget-2017-high-iron-ore-coal-prices-not-sustainable/news-story/eb8073c313596750b1bef1d987f3682c

How inland rail is to be funded
THE ambitious inland rail project has received a firm commitment from the Federal Government in the form of $8.4 billion.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/budget-2017-how-inland-rail-project-is-to-be-funded/news-story/1a743b842ed73d84aeb172fee603583e

Landcare funding locked in to 2023
BUDGET 2017: LANDCARE’s future is secure with the Federal Government promising $1.1 billion to the program over the next seven years.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/budget-2017-landcare-funding-locked-in-to-2023/news-story/070ee82e2d7640d167231a92b5b38719

Snowy Hydro buyback talks underway
A FEDERAL buyback of the Snowy Hydro scheme is the big idea at the centre of budgeted energy measures but there’s little money to back it up.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/budget-2017-government-in-talks-for-snowy-hydro-buyback/news-story/f1143e94e3e910218c7f9885a963b16c

Rail focus to bring hope to fast-train enthusiasts
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/business/federal-budget/federal-budget-2017-fastrail-projects-on-commonwealth-infrastructure-agenda-20170508-gw09g6.html

More tracking needed
BETTER forecasting of mouse plagues is lacking one vital ingredient: data.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/mice-plague-more-tracking-needed/news-story/3a908d249eed18b02fa12f98effd106b

Achieving our 2030 emissions reduction target: it’s all about energy
Gordon Weiss
Australia’s energy sector must be the source of the bulk of emissions reductions achieved through to 2030 if we are to reach our national target.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/achieving-2030-emissions-reduction-target-energy-67589/

Coalition backtracks on Paris deal, ABC cuts corners on energy
Giles Parkinson
Coalition appears to be rapidly backtracking on Paris climate treaty as ABC’s Four Corners falls into the same trap of relying too heavily on lobbyists. They interviewed the wrong people.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/coalition-backtracks-on-paris-deal-abc-cuts-corners-on-energy-60654/

Budget 2017: government goes hard on gas and hydro in bid for energy security
Hugh Saddler, Australian National University; Alan Pears, RMIT University; Roger Dargaville, University of Melbourne, and Tony Wood, Grattan Institute
The federal budget will pump A$90 million into boosting domestic gas production, as well as investing in pumped hydro and measures to monitor energy prices.
http://theconversation.com/budget-2017-government-goes-hard-on-gas-and-hydro-in-bid-for-energy-security-77398

State shortchanged in $75b road and rail spending spree
http://www.theage.com.au/business/federal-budget/budget-2017-victoria-shortchanged-in-75b-infrastructure-spending-spree-20170509-1nxxv0.html

More V/Line trains, but what of a ‘regional rail revival’?
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victorian-regions-get-vline-services-boost-but-rail-revival-still-hinges-on-federal-funding-20170509-gw0owu.html

Urban forest in the sky planned for CBD
A THREE-storey high “urban forest in the sky” will feature in the redevelopment of a Melbourne CBD landmark.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/landmark-redevelopment-three-storey-urban-forest-planned-for-melbournes-celtic-club-site/news-story/bab471d6c84338fab474f5a9eac2c77c

Modern day mining contributing to Broken Hill lead problem: research
There is solid proof for the first time that current mining operations at Broken Hill in far west New South Wales are responsible for lead contamination, researchers say.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-09/mining-contributing-to-broken-hill-lead-problem-research-shows/8507160

No train, no gain at Sydney’s second airport
Tourism and business groups say they are disappointed the Turnbull Government did not announce fund plans for a train link to Sydney’s second airport at Badgerys Creek in last night’s federal budget
http://www.abc.net.au/news/story-streams/federal-budget-2017/2017-05-10/federal-budget-2017-sydney-second-airport-train-gets-no-funds/8511702

Liberals, Greens probe Land Development Agency split
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/liberals-greens-probe-land-development-agency-split-20170508-gw0jdq.html

Is this really needed to get back on track?
IT WAS a recommendation of the inquiry into Queensland’s rail fail. But public transport activists say it’s “unnecessary fluff”.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/queensland-rail-fail-citytrain-response-unit-draws-derision/news-story/294aca809abbe02c6f613f04ee2ef9ec

Ratepayers cover cost of protest signs
A BRISBANE Greens councillor has come under fire for using ratepayer money to campaign against a major road upgrade in his ward.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/ratepayers-cover-cost-of-protest-signs-ordered-by-gabba-ward-councillor-jonathan-sri/news-story/f4e302b32701c13468893109793a1dcb

Federal Budget 2017: What’s in it for Queensland
QUEENSLAND won’t see a cent of Commonwealth money towards its Cross River Rail project until at least 2019, in a snub that will infuriate the State Government.
http://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/federal-budget-2017-whats-in-it-for-queensland/news-story/46abbeced31eb1d9d079e74dab46993c

Native animals reclaim forest
IN the rainforest clad hills south of Cairns, creatures not seen in years are returning.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/aerial-baiting-begins-again-in-cairns-amid-signs-crazy-ant-war-is-being-won/news-story/ce5d1ea30d5c87551decdae94dae61c6

Council and State Government battle over Brisbane ‘mega suburb’
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/council-and-state-government-clash-over-upper-kedron-neighbourhood-plan-20170509-gw0yo4.html

Engineer slams govt plan to give dam owners new powers over target levels
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/engineer-slams-qld-govt-plan-to-give-dam-owners-new-powers-over-target-water-levels-20170509-gw0xr1.html

AGL slams blackout review
The energy giant has issued a withering assessment of AEMO’s probe into last September’s devastating SA blackout.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/agl-lashes-blackout-reports-by-the-australian-energy-market-operator/news-story/c0ca099d045769658f18c805a8d6e593

ScoMo’s light touch: How the Budget affects SA
CASH will be splashed on big energy projects the Coalition hopes will keep the lights on in SA, as it also hints at a boost for Adelaide’s tram network.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/jobs/federal-budget-2017-energy-investment-has-big-implications-for-sa-and-the-next-state-election/news-story/50565bf91d16380802f76933526351e0

Sunny forecast for Port Augusta solar jobs
A SOLAR thermal energy plant at Port Augusta was given a huge boost in the Federal Budget with a commitment of up to $110 million, while another announcement has big implications for Moomba.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/jobs/federal-budget-2017-port-augusta-solar-thermal-plant-gets-major-investment-boost/news-story/2c55e8aa3ba3929d1e118daf1eeefc93

Arrium poised for big win from rail project
WHYALLA steelmaker Arrium is poised to win big from the construction of a $8.4 billion inland railway line as part of an ambitious increase in federal infrastructure spending.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/jobs/federal-budget-2017-arrium-poised-to-win-big-from-construction-of-1700km-railway-line-as-part-of-a-75-billion-infrastructure-boost/news-story/fb0f7384236978156bbc837448b55043

PowerWater outsmarted in $50m gas deal
TERRITORIANS have been left with $50 million of gas they will not use after the Power and Water Corporation was outsmarted in a supply deal
http://www.ntnews.com.au/business/powerwater-outsmarted-in-50m-gas-deal/news-story/fc86307dc679039f747f0ea05de17578

Bill for scrapping Roe 8 to top $45m
The abandoned Roe 8 project will cost WA taxpayers more than $45 million, the State Government has revealed.
https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/bill-for-scrapping-roe-8-to-top-45m-ng-b88470816z

Majority of Superfund sites near low-income housing.
About 70 percent of the country’s contaminated sites are near low-income housing, two federal agencies have found.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361626351

Study: To beat science denial, inoculate against misinformers’ tricks.
A new study finds that explaining the techniques of science denial makes people resistant to their effects.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361627380

Study investigates collapse of natural or social systems
Numerical simulations of tipping points provide a better understanding of the characteristics of the point of no return and what happens to a system after a occurrence
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/fda-sic050917.php

Right R&D investments are ‘good bets’ for both climate and economies, say researchers
Investing in new ways of utility-scale electricity storage and capturing carbon to store underground should be a priority for governments aiming to meet the greenhouse gas and ‘green energy’ targets set out in the Paris Agreement despite shrinking research and development budgets, suggests a new paper published today in Nature Energy
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/uoc-rri050817.php

Experiments show that a few self-driving cars can dramatically improve traffic flow
The presence of just a few autonomous vehicles can eliminate the stop-and-go driving of the human drivers in traffic, along with the accident risk and fuel inefficiency it causes, according to new research.
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/51214

Death spiral for cars. By 2030, you probably won’t own one
By 2030, you probably won’t own a car, but you may get a free trip with your morning coffee. Transport-As-A-Service will use electric vehicles and will upend two trillion-dollar industries. It’s the death spiral for cars.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/death-spiral-cars-2030-probably-wont-one-93626/

New Mexico’s largest electricity provider proposes going 100% coal-free
US utility that’s been powering its customers with coal for half a century has decided the best version of its future self is entirely coal-free.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/new-mexicos-largest-electricity-provider-proposes-going-100-coal-free-19433/

No radiation released in tunnel collapse
No one was injured and no radiation released when part of a tunnel carrying rail cars full of nuclear waste collapsed in the northwest of the US.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/nuke-site-collapse-larger-than-expected/news-story/843ad4799702e77afc8753495d5fffd1

Unviable economics of nuclear power catches up with Cameco
Jim Green
Multinational uranium producer Cameco is battling a uranium downturn, the tax office, disinterested customers and Traditional Owners.
https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/unviable-economics-of-nuclear-power-catches-up-with-cameco,10275

The human ecological predicament: Wages of self-delusion.
William E. Rees MAHB
Failure to implement a global sustainability plan that addresses excess consumption and over-population while ensuring greater social equity may well be fatal to the human prospect.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361627342

Do residents of green places live longer?
Alan Davies
It’s arguable whether greener residential areas reduce mortality but there are plenty of other good reasons to promote planting more trees, especially along streets
https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2017/05/09/does-living-in-green-places-extend-lifespans/

Canada’s new marine (less) protected (than it could have been) area.
A string of concessions to the oil and gas and fishing industries has severely weakened the protective value of Canada’s largest planned marine protected area.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361627348

Larger Swaths of Tropical Forest Being Lost to Commercial Agriculture
Larger patches of tropical forest are being cleared in recent years to make way for industrial-scale agriculture, a new study shows. Analysis of deforestation maps shows that …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170509121940.htm

Protecting Life’s Tangled Ecological Webs
Keeping habitats connected, so that species can move in response to environmental change, is crucial to ecosystem …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170509121916.htm

Power Plants Could Cut a Third of Their Emissions by Using Solar Energy
The COMBO-CFB project has developed a new innovative concept to increase solar energy production in the energy system. According to this research, the concept can reduce fuel consumption and …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170509083829.htm

US fishing generated more than $200 billion in sales in 2015; two stocks rebuilt in 2016
Two new reports reveal the nation’s progress in sustainably managing marine resources
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/nh-ufg050917.php

Noise pollution from gas compressors changes abundance of insects, spiders
The relentless roar of natural gas compressors influences the numbers of insects and spiders nearby, triggering decreases in many types of arthropods sensitive to sounds and vibrations, a collaborative Florida Museum of Natural History study shows.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/fmon-npf050917.php