Daily Links Jun 13

The fight against climate change: four cities leading the way in the Trump era
New York City, Houston, Miami and San Francisco have all taken steps to mitigate the risks associated with rising sea levels and global temperatures. Are their successes a blueprint for action at the state and local level?
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jun/12/climate-change-trump-new-york-city-san-francisco-houston-miami

Top economists: Carbon price above 40 dollars needed to meet Paris climate goal.
42 countries either have a price on carbon or plan to implement one soon, but most aren’t high enough to keep global warming under 2 degrees, economists say.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/2460133000468973500

US opts out of G7 pledge stating Paris climate accord is ‘irreversible’
US says it will not join other six nations in reaffirming 2015 Paris pact but will take its own action to reduce carbon footprint
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/12/us-opts-out-g7-pledge-paris-climate-accord-irreversible

It’s Hug a Climate Scientist Day. Just remember: no surprise hugs!
First Dog on the Moon
Every 12 June a grateful planet pauses to give thanks to those brave souls who bear the burden of knowing what the rest of us can’t stand to think about
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jun/12/its-hug-a-climate-scientist-day-just-remember-no-surprise-hugs

The crucified creation: A Christian view on the climate crisis
Joshua Searle
Creation is being crucified. The American president’s recent decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Change Agreement is the latest act of violence to be inflicted upon an already tortured creation
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/the.crucified.creation.a.christian.view.on.the.climate.crisis/109850.htm

Finkel fires Coalition coal battle
Hope is fading for an end to the climate wars with Liberal Party conservatives demanding ‘clean coal’ qualify as a low emissions fuel.
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/coal-war-threatens-climate-policy-breakthrough-20170611-gwp3zo

Start-ups say Finkel favours incumbents
http://www.afr.com/technology/startups-say-finkel-review-favours-incumbents-over-innovators-20170609-gwnxcg

Power bills won’t fall $90
The Finkel review’s wager on renewables risks deindustrialising our country.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/judith-sloan/malcolm-turnbull-i-will-bet-you-power-bills-dont-fall-90/news-story/15694be602800f857571a4174cb7e3fa

Back to polls? PM may be forced to call early election
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-may-be-forced-to-call-election-after-just-two-years-of-governing-20170612-gwpgcb.html

Native title roadblock to clear
Native Title Act amendments — needed to secure the $16.5bn Adani coalmine — are expected to pass the Senate today.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/senate-to-amend-native-title-clearing-way-for-adani-mine/news-story/314b12a3838f50a6b6ad76d91640dd2f

What do consumers get out of the Finkel blueprint?
Giles Parkinson
The short answer is, not a lot. Finkel promises savings of $92 a year by 2030, but most customer bills are going to jump $300 a year next month. Nothing much will change until utilities can match the cost of new technologies, rather than hiding behind regulatory barriers.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/what-do-consumers-get-out-of-the-finkel-blueprint-97646/

Finkeling At The Edges: Australia Misses Another Opportunity To Fix Our Energy Policy Chaos
Ben Eltham
The Finkel Review is not the solution to Australia’s energy problems. Is this the moment Australia finally settles the carbon debate?
https://newmatilda.com/2017/06/12/finkeling-at-the-edges-australia-misses-another-opportunity-to-fix-our-energy-policy-chaos/

Harder stance on our waterways could cost us dearly
Stefano de Pieri
Five years ago, after much serious argy-bargy, federal and state governments finally agreed on a comprehensive, $13 billion plan to manage the rivers of the Murray Darling Basin system. It took more than a century to reach a basic consensus on managing a complex water system that had been grossly abused.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/harder-stance-on-our-waterways-could-cost-us-dearly-20170608-gwn3l6.html

Cheaper power or pollie preening?
Terry McCrann
WE can have cheaper electricity and we can have reliable electricity
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/terry-mccrann/cheaper-power-or-more-pollie-preening/news-story/a408a854b2170d2816e2f821ef263911

Households paying price
David Crowe
Tony Abbott has just confessed to slugging Australians with a carbon tax.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/households-paying-price-for-a-decade-of-brinkmanship/news-story/2f332d4ddab9aa1e98bc7a45ac980812

Finkel holds key to vital energy accord
Courier Mail editorial
AUSTRALIA is hurtling towards an energy crisis of it own making. Households and businesses struggling with spiralling power prices may argue we are already there.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/editorial-finkel-holds-key-to-vital-energy-accord/news-story/cf79f9c3746875aa2b8d7ad2420ce1cb

Clean Energy Target fuels optimism … if, if, if
SMH editorial
Australia has lost myriad opportunities, thanks to carbon tax scare campaigns and political self-interest.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/clean-energy-target-fuels-optimism–if-if-if-20170607-gwmwrx.html

Plan is weak but a step in the right direction
Peter Boyer
Peter Boyer finds some merit in the latest proposals for energy policy in Australia.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/talking-point-finkel-plan-is-weak-but-at-least-it-is-a-step-in-the-right-direction/news-story/24b95584be6f28f7fa20d1b694b23b23

A-General to probe unspent landfill tax millions
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/money-pit-auditorgeneral-probes-half-a-billion-dollars-in-unspent-landfill-tax-20170612-gwplbr.html

Glencore set to emerge as Australia’s dominant coal producer with mine buy
http://www.theage.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/glencore-gate-crashes-yancoals-plans-to-buy-up-nsw-coal-assets-20170610-gwoqya.html

Glencore’s $US3.5b coal buy to face competition scrutiny
http://www.theage.com.au/business/china/glencores-us35b-coal-buy-to-face-competition-scrutiny-20170612-gwp8m7.html

‘Sitting ducks’: Santos’ CSG gaps highlighted by farmers, agencies
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/sitting-ducks-santos-csg-gaps-highlighted-by-farmers-government-agencies-20170612-gwp93t.html

The Canberran defending coral reefs from dynamite fishing
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberras-siobhan-heatwole-rehabilitates-coral-reefs-in-indonesia-20170601-gwi5u7.html

Why documents ‘do not exist’ for LDA’s solar farm land purchase
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/land-development-agency-decision-to-buy-williamsdale-land-for-solar-farm-made-with-very-little-documentation-20170531-gwh1o5.html

Going it alone: $2b to get rail on track
THE State Government will signal it is prepared to go it alone on Cross River Rail, in a State Budget announcement today regarding the much vaunted project.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/queensland-budget-2-billion-for-cross-river-rail/news-story/02d5f3cad6d110a955b1ebeb1a782a79

Doubts cast over Adani plans
ADANI plans to produce coal from its central Queensland mine by 2021. But that might be hopeful thinking.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/adani-queensland-mine-doubts-cast/news-story/6948c216246b5a0bdeda76d53e007a61

Push to save walking trail from developers
A POPULAR walking trail with a stunning lookout over Trinity Beach could become lost to urban sprawl.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/cairns-locals-push-to-keep-fnq-walking-trail-away-from-developers/news-story/472ece6f337712f9136e666b7ad72c45

Labor’s ticket to poll hopes
Sarah Vogler
TODAY’S Cross River Rail announcement is a whole lot more than Budget talk.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/opinion-labors-cross-river-rail-announcement-a-ticket-to-poll-hopes/news-story/a8528b551a7b1dce8cf425726eb69429

Wind, not hot air, is the way of the future
Andrew Bray
Tasmania is well-placed for a big boost in wind power generation.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/talking-point-wind-not-hot-air-is-the-way-of-the-future/news-story/402c57996f0112b50015a96fb87c05ed

Oil giants need to invest heavily in renewables by 2035, says analysis
Slowing demand for oil and forecasts of rapid growth in green power pose risk to core business, says analyst
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/12/oil-giants-need-to-invest-heavily-in-renewables-by-2035-analysis-finds

Is biochar a game-changer for sustainable farms?
The jury is still out on the soil amendments, but early field trials suggest that burying charcoal in soil can increase yields, reduce water use, and capture carbon on the farm.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/2460133000468973472

The consequences if the world decided to go meat-free.
It’s World Meat Free Day – but what would actually happen if the whole world suddenly went vegetarian permanently?
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/18530169838857102

Passive housing cuts costs – and global warming.
Buildings which heat and cool themselves – passive housing – save householders money and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/2460133000468973475

When women have land rights, the tide begins to turn.
Women’s secure tenure rights lead to several positive development outcomes for them and their families, including resilience to climate change shocks, economic productivity, food security, health, and education.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/18530169838855352

Evaluating Greenhouse Gas Emissions in an Irrigated Cropping System
New, enhanced-efficiency fertilizer can reduce N2O emissions from irrigated cropping …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170612094052.htm

Researchers find a surprise just beneath the surface in carbon dioxide experiment
This information could prove useful in designing new types of materials to further enhance reactions and make them more efficient in converting carbon dioxide into other products.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/dbnl-rfa060917.php

Ocean plastics from Haiti’s beaches turned into laptop packaging
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2134334-ocean-plastics-from-haitis-beaches-turned-into-laptop-packaging/

A new toolbox for better crops.
Plant scientists are using the gene editing method to make higher-quality, more sustainable agriculture products, but consumer acceptance is not guaranteed
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/2460133000468973482

New-generation material removes iodine from water
Researchers at Dartmouth College have developed a new material that scrubs iodine from water for the first time.
http://www.enn.com/sci-tech/article/51489

Sustainable development goals for are within Europe’s reach, but we need to act better.
Zsuzsanna Jakab Reuters
We must continue to set an example in the advancement towards global goals, minimizing harm to citizens and the environment no matter where it occurs and acting as a catalyst for change by taking action at home
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/18530169838855354

Rubber algae help create first artificial reef in Mediterranean.
Ocean acidification could dissolve natural algal reefs in the Mediterranean Sea – but artificial replacements may keep these ecosystems going.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/2460133000468973483

Cities should be studied as evolutionary hotspots, says biologist.
Animals and birds evolve more quickly in urban environments than in remote habitats, Cheltenham science festival is told.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/18530169838855335

Peatlands, already dwindling, could face further losses
Climate change could damage the fragile zones, causing major carbon emissions.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/miot-pad060817.php

A changing climate affects plankton populations
Based on a broad survey of the seas, researchers from KAUST have developed a model that predicts how climate change might affect these microbial populations
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/kauo-acc061117.php

Worldwide Hotspots for Alien Plants and Animals: Islands and Coastal Regions
The distribution of established alien species in different regions of the world varies significantly.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170612115404.htm