Daily Links May 12

From the Bonn climate talks: Increasing ambition, inside and out.
The climate talks are already crowded. Do we need more people at the table?
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361623390

Arctic nations may confront US on climate change.
Diplomats from eight Arctic nations are facing a standoff today over the Trump administration’s efforts to downplay the importance of climate change in an Arctic Council ministerial statement marking the end of the United States’ two-year council chairmanship.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-995200128361622270

Trump has been talking to Al Gore about the Paris climate agreement. Seriously.
According to a source close to Gore, the president and the Nobel Prize-winning climate activist spoke by phone about the Paris accord on Tuesday.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-995200128361622265

Irreversible Ocean Warming Threatens the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf
By the second half of this century, rising air temperatures above the Weddell Sea could set off a self-amplifying meltwater feedback cycle under the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170511095035.htm

More errors identified in contrarian climate scientists’ temperature estimates
A new study suggests there are remaining biases in the oft-corrected University of Alabama at Huntsville atmospheric temperature estimates
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/may/11/more-errors-identified-in-contrarian-climate-scientists-temperature-estimates

Christians are putting their money where their morals are on climate change
Neil Thorns
The Trump administration’s attempts to gut climate regulation have pushed climate change back to the top of the news agenda. But away from those headlines, Christian efforts to care for our common home are gathering momentum.
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/christians.are.putting.their.money.where.their.morals.are.on.climate.change/108797.htm

Too much clutter? Not enough community? Buy Nothing could be for you
A social media movement that encourages people to give away unwanted possessions is introducing neighbours while helping to reduce consumption and waste.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-11/buy-nothing-project-communities-turn-to-facebook-to-reduce-waste/8487270

Native Title Act changes stuck amid stand-off between major parties
Native Title Act changes that the Government declared urgent in February will not pass Parliament until at least mid-June, amid a stand-off between the major parties.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-11/native-title-act-changes-wont-pass-until-mid-june/8519174

Renewables policy ‘a scandal’
John Howard says the looming energy crisis is a ‘scandalous policy failure of the first order’
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/renewables-policy-a-scandal-says-john-howard/news-story/0e7dee41c5dd5ebc86b80899c5659844

Tesla’s ‘solar roof’ open for orders – and down payments – in Australia
Tesla opens orders for its much-hyped solar roof, with installations of two varieties of its PV tiles to begin installations in the US mid-year and in Australia in 2018.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/teslas-solar-roof-open-orders-payments-australia-50241/

Australia could follow California and reach climate goals without EIS
Reputex
Australia can achieve its 2030 climate target by relying on energy productivity gains and tighter controls on high emitting industries – and without legislating an EIS.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-follow-california-reach-climate-goals-without-eis-80203/

Budget 2017: No mention, no policy no idea on climate
Kelly O’Shanassy
Not a single mention. Climate change is the biggest social, moral and political issue of our time and yet Treasurer Scott Morrison didn’t utter those words once in his entire Federal Budget speech.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/budget-2017-no-mention-no-policy-no-idea-on-climat,10288

The 2017 budget has axed research to help Australia adapt to climate change
Tayanah O’Donnell, University of Canberra and Josephine Mummery, University of Canberra
The federal government has defunded a national research agency that looks at how best to adapt to climate-related impacts such as floods, droughts and heatwaves – a decision that could cost lives.
http://theconversation.com/the-2017-budget-has-axed-research-to-help-australia-adapt-to-climate-change-77477

The Australian takes another pot-shot at wind farms, and misses again
Giles Parkinson
Article bemoaning foreign wind farm ownership continues paper’s long anti-wind history – and is, once again, a gross distortion of the facts.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/the-australian-takes-another-pot-shot-at-wind-farms-and-misses-again-75887/

Humble plastic bag causing plenty of angst
Matt Johnston
WE all agree the number of discarded plastic bags is a problem but MPs are dithering on who should be responsible for a ban
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/matt-johnston-humble-plastic-bag-is-causing-plenty-of-angst/news-story/2e97cdbf377a824baecaf72fe0786a06

Snowy stake sale set for OK
A Turnbull plan to take control of Snowy Hydro from the states in a multi-billion-dollar deal has support in Victoria.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/snowy-hydro-sale-makes-sense-says-victorian-treasurer-pallas/news-story/7aa8947ad2f3097ad430a186bf75337c

Bin your trash tax, minister tells council
THE City of Yarra council has been told to review its controversial bin tax amid concerns it is using the new levy to dodge state government rate caps.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/bin-your-trash-tax-minister-tells-yarra-council/news-story/468f62436a8aa10ded5d5130c336f34d

Koalas swap island views for tree haven
HUNDREDS of ravenous koalas are swapping seaside views on their island fortress for a tree haven on the Victorian mainland.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/koalas-swap-french-island-views-for-kinglake-tree-haven/news-story/3bca7fdde22bbc89fde136f41c26b83d

Inquiry into Heyfield timber mill closure
THE closure of Heyfield timber mill — and the loss of 250 jobs — will be probed by a parliamentary inquiry as the factory owners indicate they are open to an offer from the Victorian Government.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/heyfield-timber-mill-closure-to-be-probed-in-parliamentary-inquiry/news-story/11439eb38fd3ce12707c6d66a69a3df4

Hikes you can daytrip to in Melb’s east
AUTUMN is the perfect season for a hike, and there are plenty of walks just a stone’s throw from Melbourne. Here are the best hikes you can daytrip to in the leafy
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/melbourne/best-hikes-you-can-daytrip-to-in-melbournes-east/news-story/2290f6eed6d456411285175450e2126b

Ferry dangerous: Yarra rowers at risk if commuter plan makes headway
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/ferry-dangerous-yarra-rowers-at-risk-if-commuter-boat-plan-makes-headway-20170511-gw2ge9.html

Power play for election victory
PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian appears confident she has the next election in the bag with electricity asset sales supercharging the government’s infrastructure program, yesterday warning the Opposition: “You’re stuffed”.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/power-play-for-election-victory-labor-stuffed-by-building-push/news-story/1ae3804d01a967ba522323b4fd4eb5fd

Farmers, green groups vent over ‘tree-killing’ changes
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/tree-killing-farmers-green-groups-fume-over-onerous-landclearing-codes-20170510-gw17k0.html

Labor reassures Adani
Bill Shorten has encouraged Adani not to defer a final investment decision on the Carmichael mine.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/labor-reassures-adani-after-senate-stalls-key-vote/news-story/1226b5fbeb5d6e47aef4c60a81f1cc7d

Adani says $900m loan for Queensland mine project rail line critical
A $900 million federal loan to build a railway line to Adani’s proposed coal mine in central Queensland is now critical to the $21 billion project, the company says, despite previously insisting it did not need the loan.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-11/adani-says-900m-loan-carmichael-coal-mine-rail-line-qld-critical/8517038

Political ploys put mine in jeopardy
THERE are fears the $22 billion Adani coal mine and more than 100 other projects are at risk amid political mind games being played by Labor.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/federal-labor-accused-of-putting-adani-mine-at-risk/news-story/a58685ee366c03da2961d48e61d7b0c7

Threat ‘bigger than the cane toad’ lands in Qld
AN inbound passenger at a Queensland airport has almost caused an environmental catastrophe bigger than that of the cane toad. But how did they not know the offending creature was there?
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-border-security-catches-biosecurity-hazard-toad-inside-passengers-shoe/news-story/911af0c4e813f6842c2b0a63ec4eb8f4

Bats go in one fell swoop
HUNDREDS of flying foxes from the Cairns City camp are now searching for a new home after trees were cleared to make way for a $120 million hotel.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/cairns-trees-cleared-but-anyones-guess-where-bats-will-go/news-story/205175d2d2ead021ee643e6d9f5c01df

Time for end to Adani impasse
Courier Mail editorial
IT IS time for Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to step up to the plate and knock some sense into her federal Labor colleagues.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/editorial-premier-needs-to-seek-end-to-adani-impasse/news-story/de70e27a7890e665ccbdd4fa3081c13c

The inner suburb now being tested for toxic water
UP to 50 soil vapour bores and 20 groundwater monitoring wells will be established in Adelaide’s inner west in a sweeping probe for dangerous levels of a toxic chemical. Here’s the affected area.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/west-beaches/epa-to-test-for-dangerous-chemicals-in-thebarton-amid-groundwater-contamination-fears/news-story/f01921aa5073df593f6ffc830c0d14d9

Labor split over Great Australian Bight oil drilling
Senate committee fails to make official recommendations after South Australia Labor senator, Alex Gallacher, votes with Liberals
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/11/labor-split-over-great-australian-bight-oil-drilling

Councils urge Upper House to block TasWater takeover
Tasmanian councils vote against the Government’s proposed takeover of the water and sewerage sector, but the Treasurer is pushing ahead regardless.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-11/taswater-fight-heats-up-with-councils-voting-against-takeover/8517540

Walkers infecting devils
THE detection of a human-derived parasite in Tasmanian devils has raised questions about the toileting habits of bushwalkers in the state’s wilderness.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/call-for-education-for-bushwalkers-after-research-finds-human-parasites-intassie-devils/news-story/baf34841e5cd1adb67947b2393dd0b6d

Survival of the fittest? Perhaps not if you’re a Tasmanian devil
Konstans Wells et al
It’s the Tasmanian devils that enjoy the highest survival and breeding success who’re more likely to get the fatal facial tumour disease.
http://theconversation.com/survival-of-the-fittest-perhaps-not-if-youre-a-tasmanian-devil-76402

Epic battle over water
Mercury editorial
The battlelines have now been drawn over the future of the state’s water system.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/epic-battle-over-water/news-story/d3c278a2932fb56757a152b60522cb5b

Family of four produces only half a bread bag of rubbish a week
A family dramatically reduces their household rubbish a bread bag a fortnight.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-11/war-on-waste-family-producing-half-a-bread-bag-of-rubbish/8518226

Whitehaven Beach clean-up produces 700 cubic metres of mulch
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/whitehaven-beach-cleanup-produces-700-cubic-metres-of-mulch-20170511-gw2dp5.html

Bats massacred by wind turbines may get reprieve in Sweden.
Halting Swedish wind turbines at still summer nights would save almost all of the tens of thousands of bats killed by the rotating blades every year.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-995200128361622257

A coal comeback? Analysis casts doubt on industry’s chances.
Can coal make a comeback? That’s the title of a new report from Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-995200128361622250

How your suburb can make you thinner.
Inside the new movement to engineer healthier lives for Americans by rethinking the places they live
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361621935

Care about the environment? Get yourself a fancy new .eco website.
Big Room, a Vancouver-based consultancy, and B-corp has created a pathway for the environmental and sustainability-minded: It’s called the Dot Eco Registry
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361622252

Tesla’s solar roof sets Musk’s grand unification into motion.
The pricing of Tesla’s transformative new solar roof is competitive, and it marks the final piece in Elon Musk’s vision for a grand unification of his clean-energy ambitions—combining solar power, home batteries, and electric cars.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-995200128361622264

Six-legged livestock — sustainable food production
Identifying areas of particular high impact is an important step to improving the environmental sustainability of production systems. Insects have been heralded as the foods of the future – and now the first study to measure the environmental impacts and identify hotspots associated with commercial insect production has been published.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/fos–sl-050917.php

South Korea’s new president likely to curb thermal coal imports
South Korea is Australia’s second biggest customer for thermal coal, but election of Moon Jae-In as president raises doubts about future of coal generation in that country.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/south-koreas-new-president-likely-curb-thermal-coal-imports-54886/

“Too much renewables” is a political decision
Craig Morris
While Americans chose to curtail wind and solar rather than conventional energy, the Germans say baseload plants (coal and nuclear) are the problem.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/too-much-renewables-is-a-political-decision-94538/

Life after climate disruption? Future Imperfect Tense
George Parry
Will you ride the tsunami of technology through the jagged reef of climate disruption? To catch it you’ll need to paddle hard now.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/life-after-climate-disruption-future-imperfect-tense-95965/

Sustainable shopping: with the right tools, you can find an eco-friendly car
Anna Mortimore, Griffith University
The Australian market is awash with highly polluting cars. But there are a couple of key resources to help you find the best vehicle that fits your needs.
http://theconversation.com/sustainable-shopping-with-the-right-tools-you-can-find-an-eco-friendly-car-76080

Some Dryland Forests Have Been Hiding in Plain Sight
A new estimate of the extent of dryland forests suggests that the global forest cover is at least 9% higher than previously thought.
http://www.enn.com/climate/article/51239

Three new sub-species of snow leopard discovered
A recent research paper in the Journal of Heredity reveals that there are three sub-species of snow leopard. Until now, researchers had assumed this species, Panthera uncia, was monotypic.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/oupu-tns051017.php