Daily Links Jun 27

“Most  Australians want renewables to be primary source”. They want marriage equality and dying with dignity options too. The LNP’s purging of moderates, starting under Howard, and their preselection processes dominated by the hard right have put paid to responsive government.

Today’s Celebration
Anniversary of the Amir’s Succession  Qatar
Independence Day        Djibouti
Memorial Day for War Martyrs    Vietnam
Our Lady Perpetual Saviour      Haiti
More about Jun 27         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_27

Climate Change
Rising seas could result in 2 billion refugees by 2100
In the year 2100, 2 billion people � about one-fifth of the world�s population � could become climate change refugees due to rising ocean levels. Those who once lived on coastlines will face displacement and resettlement bottlenecks as they seek habitable places inland, according to Cornell University research.
http://www.enn.com/climate/article/51644

Europe doesn�t need American climate scientists. It needs American climate data.
The global scientific community is actively recruiting American researchers and hoping the Trump administration keeps operating vital satellite networks.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/2460133000468984830

More killer hail coming unless we curb global warming
Extreme hail storms can be a threat to life and property. If we carry on polluting the planet we’ll have to face more of them, warns physicist Raymond Pierrehumbert
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2138693-more-killer-hail-coming-unless-we-curb-global-warming/

Contributions to sea-level rise have increased by half since 1993, largely because of Greenland�s ice
http://theconversation.com/contributions-to-sea-level-rise-have-increased-by-half-since-1993-largely-because-of-greenlands-ice-79175

How oil made Donald Trump turn his back on Paris climate accord.
Robert Delaney, South China Morning Post
Trump�s game is clear. Efforts to stymie climate action stem less from uncertainty around climate science and more from self-preservation
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/2206158589390239421

Three marches: How, why front-page coverage varied.
Michael Svoboda Yale Climate Connections
How would you explain why the People’s Climate March gathered so much less front-page coverage than the March for Science and Women’s March?
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/2206158589390240384

National
Watchdog to keep eye on stability
Renewables generators face tougher checks to ensure they are not undermining the stability of the electricity network.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/energy-watchdog-to-keep-closer-eye-on-renewables-effect-on-stability/news-story/09377d621097840a062336cb255013d4

Most Australians want renewables to be primary energy source, survey finds
Climate Institute survey points to overwhelming frustration with government�s inaction and lack of leadership on clean energy
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jun/27/most-australians-want-renewables-to-be-primary-energy-source-survey-finds

Devil�s in detail, but Finkel may have gotten it just about right
Keith Lovegrove
Let’s forget about coal: Finkel’s Clean Energy Target should be designed to encourage a good mix of zero emissions dispatchable solutions including solar thermal and …
http://reneweconomy.com.au/devils-detail-finkel-may-gotten-just-right-23769/

Our love affair with digging holes is only just getting started
Tosh Szatow
Australia is the only country that you could throw a wall around and still have all the materials you need � cobalt and graphite and lithium � for battery storage.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/our-love-affair-with-digging-holes-is-only-just-getting-started-42432/

Bills have become centre of the energy discourse galaxy in Australia
Ketan Joshi
Reality is boring: new technology gets cheap, simple and, increasingly, fit for purpose. There�s nothing magical, mystical or fantastical about this.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/bills-become-centre-energy-discourse-galaxy-australia-24571/

Victoria
Victoria�s $1.6b regional rail bonanza
TRAIN commuters will get extra services, upgraded stations and faster trips thanks to a long-awaited $1.6 billion injection into Victoria�s ageing regional rail network.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victoria-regional-rail-to-get-16b-injection/news-story/4d1f74b85c19c8ca3c4222a7daac6556

Cyclists using mobile phones will cop fines
CYCLISTS caught using a mobile phone while riding will be hit with on-the-spot fines in Victoria from this weekend.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/cyclists-talking-on-mobile-phones-to-be-hit-with-476-onthespot-fines/news-story/ac017a099db5f6710188e4c50574a28a

Cancer compo for forest firefighters
MORE than 1000 firefighters who work for the environment department could be given presumptive rights for cancer compensation before the CFA and MFB.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/forest-firefighters-could-get-cancer-compo-before-cfa-and-mfb-staff/news-story/1a44dd16a7e6029f35ad088e006517b2

New South Wales
100 great whites tagged in NSW shark tracking program
Researchers on the NSW north coast conducting the world’s only great white shark tracking and tagging program have just recorded their 100th shark.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-26/nsw-government-researchers-tag-100th-great-white-shark/8651842

Sunraysia solar farm, largest in NSW, gets planning approval
A 200MW solar farm near Balranald in western NSW will be largest, and one of 27 large scale solar projects planned or under construction in …
http://reneweconomy.com.au/sunraysia-solar-farm-largest-in-nsw-gets-planning-approval-64560/

Bidding war intensifies for Rio Tinto’s NSW coal mines
Rio Tinto’s sale of its Hunter Valley mines has become more complicated now that Glencore has made a higher offer, which runs the risk of offending China.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-26/glencore-ups-bid-for-rio-tinto-mines-in-hunter-valley/8651154

Queensland
Reef is on the money
FAR North tourism industry leaders believe the Great Barrier Reef�s $56 billion price tag will become a powerful lobbying tool for years to come.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/56-billion-reef-valuation-to-hold-valuable-political-clout-fnq-tourism-experts-say/news-story/62ba7e9dc5cbf9e122c9be46553f671b

Attitudes vital as funding
FAR North leaders have held off announcing more funds for the Great Barrier Reef in light of the Deloitte Access Economics report into its economic value.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/warren-entsch-bob-manning-shy-away-from-announcing-more-reef-funds/news-story/df35b7257dc573e4053907eb751773e6

Australian coal better for reef: Frydenberg
The Environment Minister says Australian coal is better for the barrier reef because it produces less CO2.
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/federal/2017/06/26/australian-coal-better-for-reef–frydenberg.html

South Australia
S.A. to announce storage winner, delays EST mechanism
Results for South Australia�s battery storage tender expected in next week, as state government delays introduction of energy security target and may drop it altogether. Meanwhile, Victoria reports �strong� response for its battery storage tender.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/s-a-to-announce-storage-winner-delays-est-mechanism-90344/

River plan failure claim wrong, says Minister
A GROUP of eminent scientists say the Murray-Darling Basin Plan is set to fail � but an SA Senator has hit back, calling their report �mischievous�.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/wentworth-report-on-the-murraydarling-basin-plan-condemned-by-senator/news-story/e35636b37e8a0a423e3d675c9e154785

Tasmania
Cabinet�s call on West Coast wind farm deal
A power supply deal needed to underpin a $270 million West Coast wind farm development will be considered …
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/4752031/cabinets-call-on-west-coast-wind-farm-deal/?cs=5312

Western Australia
Cheeky fox suspected to be contributing to BOM rain gauge
A West Australian farmer who collects rainfall data for the Bureau of Meteorology suspects his recorded precipitation is not just falling from the sky.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-06-26/fox-suspected-contributing-wa-farmer-rainfall-data/8647908

Ord Valley farmers angry over government water cuts
Farmers in the Ord Valley are in disbelief after losing their court battle against the WA Government to keep their current water allocation.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-06-26/ord-farmers-hung-out-to-dry-by-government-water-cuts/8649906

Sustainability
Microplastics from the washing machine
The presence of microplastics in our wastewater can be attributed primarily to two factors. Firstly, many cosmetic products, such as toothpaste, creams, shower gels, and peelings, contain tiny pieces of plastic in order to achieve a mechanical cleaning effect. Secondly, microplastics are washed out in the process of washing polymer textile clothing, and thus they enter our environment via wastewater.
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/51645

Light penalties and lax oversight encourage weak safety culture at nuclear weapons labs.
Explosions, fires, and radioactive exposures are among the workplace hazards that fail to make a serious dent in private contractor profits.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/2460133000468984836

Solar accounts for 2.2 per cent of US electricity generation in April
Solar power accounts for 2.2 per cent of total generation in the US in April, a jump of 63% over the previous year.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/solar-accounts-2-2-per-cent-us-electricity-generation-april-44270/

A campaign to eliminate plastic straws is sucking in thousands of converts.
Why single out pollution as small and slim as a drinking straw? Americans use half a billion straws every day.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/2460133000468984829

Meet the people on the front lines of America�s coal wars.
As the coal industry falters and alternative energy gains steam, hear the voices from all sides of the debate
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/2206158589390240382

Living near noisy roads could make it harder to get pregnant
Women who live near noisy roads are more likely to take 6 to 12 months to get pregnant, even when factors like poverty and pollution are taken into account
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2138459-living-near-noisy-roads-could-make-it-harder-to-get-pregnant/

Air pollution casts shadow over solar energy production
Hardest-hit areas are big solar investors: China, India, Arabian peninsula
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/du-apc062617.php

Ten million tons of fish wasted every year despite declining fish stocks
Industrial fishing fleets dump nearly 10 million tonnes of good fish back into the ocean every year, according to new research.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/uobc-tmt062617.php

Hydraulic fracturing rarely linked to felt seismic tremors
Researchers find only one hydrocarbon-producing area where production is linked to increased seismic activities at the regional scale
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/uoa-hfr062617.php

Logically, how is it possible to use more resources than Earth can replenish?
Bonnie McBain, University of Newcastle
You may have seen reports that humans use more resources than the Earth can produce � but, logically, how is that possible? A bathtub can help explain.
http://theconversation.com/logically-how-is-it-possible-to-use-more-resources-than-earth-can-replenish-79743

Nature Conservation
Panda love spreads to benefit the planet
Loving pandas isn�t just a feel-good activity. Recent Michigan State University (MSU) work shows China�s decades of defending panda turf have been good not just for the beloved bears, but also protects habitat for other valuable plants and animals, boosts biodiversity and fights climate change.
http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/51641

Biodiversity Loss from Deep-Sea Mining Will Be Unavoidable
Biodiversity losses from deep-sea mining are unavoidable and possibly irrevocable, an international team of scientists, economists and lawyers argue.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170626124544.htm

Predicting future outcomes in the natural world
A study reveals how computer-based modeling can help researchers predict the optimal outcome to save natural habitats from invasive plants
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-06/uom-pfo062617.php

Forest fire in Spain threatens UNESCO World Heritage site
A forest fire in southern Spain threatens a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its biodiversity and endangered species.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-26/forest-fire-in-spain-threatens-unesco-world-heritage-site/8650812

Hot Cities Spell Bad News for Bees
A new study from North Carolina State University finds that common wild bee species decline as urban temperatures increase.
http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/51636

Deforestation in Amazon basin could disrupt the distant rainforest by remote climate connection
The ongoing deforestation around the fringes of the Amazon may have serious consequences for the untouched deeper parts of the rainforest.
http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/51635

CSIRO’s breakthrough technology to help combat illegal fishing trade
Australian scientists develop world-first surveillance technology to combat the global illegal fishing trade, which has been estimated at being worth $US23 billion.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-26/csiro-partners-with-indonesia-to-fight-illegal-fishing/8650942

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