Daily Links Aug 3

Climate shifts aren’t limited to the weather.
Thomas L. Friedman New York Times
Globalization and technology are changing the world, too
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-3246038150322346369

Holding back the flood
Natalie Kotsios
THE politics of the Murray Darling Basin are muddying the waters of progress
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/opinion/murray-darling-basin-politics-holdingbacktheflood/news-story/c0cefdad252ad6d6e65d82a11d38f8af

Australia solar market heads for 12GW by 2020
Australia’s installed solar PV capacity set to double in three years, according to latest APVI data, as the big solar market gears back up.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-solar-market-heads-12gw-2020/

Australia needs more climate scientists ‘to avoid expensive mistakes’
Top scientists recommend an overhaul of the nation’s climate research system after a review finds a critical lack of staff in key areas like climate modelling.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-03/australia-needs-more-climate-scientists-review-urges/8767004

Cut power prices or ‘go bust’
Our biggest coal miner and copper producer, Glencore, has called for the abolition of the renewable energy target.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/cut-power-prices-or-business-will-go-bust-says-glencore-boss/news-story/b28a07b4b450d828d5da39b5622bf261

Uproar as recalls roll on
FARMERS across Australia have watched their crops die after unwittingly spraying herbicide contaminated with glyphosate.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/contaminated-herbicide-uproar-as-recalls-roll-on/news-story/3acaf66e033026f6441303ed6b602520

Gene technology trap for mice
A NEW type of gene technology could be the answer to eradicating mice, which have caused millions of dollars in crop losses this year.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/eradicating-mice-gene-technology-being-developed-as-crop-losses-mount/news-story/f49e3e8de80275b78151b38c5e909c73

US warned Australia over toxic firefighting chemical 17 years ago
Environmental authorities cited ‘severe, long-term consequences’ to human health over chemical used at defence bases, fire stations and airports
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/03/us-warned-australia-over-toxic-firefighting-chemical-17-years-ago

‘Thousands’ of pumped hydro opportunities in Australia
Mountains along Australia’s eastern seaboard are brimming with opportunities for the construction of pumped hydro systems that could help secure the country’s energy system, ANU researchers say.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-03/pumped-hydro-thousands-of-opportunities-australia/8768450

The Murray-Darling furore epitomises the failure of right-wing politics
Guy Rundle
This is what we are up against: not the Thatcherites of old, confident in their own virtues, but a defeated, discredited, broken political movement, resentful of the changing nature of Western life.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/08/02/rundle-the-murray-darling-furore-epitomises-the-failure-of-right-wing-politics/

Barnaby shows Coalition’s apathy to Murray-Darling water theft
Peter Boyer
Barnaby Joyce’s boasts about Murray-Darling water theft epitomise the Turnbull Government’s apathy and policy ineptitude.
https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/barnaby-shows-coalitions-apathy-to-murray-darling-water-theft-,10564

Murray-Darling scandal must not flow to disaster
SMH editorial
We trust it all comes out in the wash of reviews of investigations, but non-compliance should not become an excuse to abandon the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/we-should-refrain-from-converting-murraydarling-water-scandal-into-a-disaster-20170802-gxno98.html

‘Tax returns for water’: satellite-audited statements can save the Murray-Darling
Jason Alexandra, RMIT University and Paul Martin, University of New England
Allegations of water theft have thrown the Murray-Darling Basin Plan into crisis. The solution could involve users declaring their annual water use, subject to random audits – like a tax return.
http://theconversation.com/tax-returns-for-water-satellite-audited-statements-can-save-the-murray-darling-81833

Have we passed peak car (ownership)?
Alan Davies
Australian city dwellers have passed peak travel (kilometres per capita) but it seems they haven’t passed peak car ownership or peak parking
https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2017/08/02/passed-peak-car-ownership/

Batteries included? Buy some candles
Terry McCrann
THE boss of Glencore coal has indirectly put his finger on what Tesla’s mega-battery will do for consumers — keep the lights on long enough for you to root around to find some candles.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/terry-mccrann/what-teslas-megabattery-will-do-for-customers-in-south-australia/news-story/fa9ef59356432e19e25f0bd3644e313f

Feral pigs could spread FMD ‘1000 times faster’
FERAL pigs that roam major parts of Victoria’s public lands could spread foot and mouth disease “1000 times” faster than sheep and cattle if there was an outbreak.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/feral-pigs-could-spread-foot-and-mouth-disease-1000-times-faster/news-story/9c52de5fc51ac59f900a52c69442ddee

Time to end moratorium on conventional gas
Ian Smith
THE moratorium on conventional gas exploration needs to be lifted and lifted now, not in 2020
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/opinion/conventional-gas-exploration-time-to-end-moratorium/news-story/852a8f0ede8ef1cd395df73b424e2b91

Approval of Springvale mine extension overturned in court
NSW Government approval for the expansion of a coalmine environmentalists say would have contaminated Sydney’s water supply is overturned in court.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-02/springvale-mine-extension-blocked-in-court/8766742

Coal fuels Glencore purchase
Asian demand is behind Glencore’s decision to grab a 49 per cent stake in the Hunter Valley Operations coal complex.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/coal-fuels-glencore-purchase/news-story/0d71522cabb9731c845a96fc4c9a7172

More questions for embattled minister
Primary ­Industries Minister Niall Blair recently changed laws to give himself discretionary powers to pardon irrigators who have broken the law by committing illegal works to harvest floodwaters
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/barwon-darling-water-sharing-plan-minister-niall-blairs-water-woes-continue-with-laws-to-pardon-illegal-flood-works/news-story/4a325b044f05a401bc0251f1d3f9a6dc

Mining lobbyists deny urging Great Barrier Reef experts to ignore climate change
The Queensland Resources Council disputes documents that say they urged experts not to consider climate change while planning the response to coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-02/lobbyists-deny-urging-reef-experts-to-ignore-climate-change/8766412

Call for calm in Oakey mine action
OAKEY businesses are calling for calm after threats of boycotts and acts of intimidation over support for the Acland coal mine expansion.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/oakey-businesses-owners-threatened-with-boycotts-have-called-for-calm/news-story/1c854274a6ccc7dc5b50c610245a6bad

Meet the crusader who ‘saved our Spit’
HE’S a greenie actor and onetime AFL ambassador who led the successful campaign against a $3 billion casino resort on the Southport Spit. Just don’t ask him about a tilt at politics.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/confidential/save-our-spit-alliance-president-rules-out-running-for-parliament/news-story/d43d35d4ac0e36f5b6f6f1a4a6c407ec

Joyce to push ‘clean coal’ message
A NEW clean coal power station and moving government departments to regional Queensland will be on the agenda when Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce visits Rockhampton.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/deputy-prime-minister-barnaby-joyce-to-push-for-clean-coal-power-station-on-rockhampton-visit/news-story/341ace11515ee128319021bae0278829

Gordon’s dam angry
COOK MP Billy Gordon has labelled the Palaszczuk Government’s decision to release hundreds of tonnes of water from Lake Tinaroo as “ludicrous” and unfair to local farmers.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/cook-mp-billy-gordon-labels-decision-to-release-tinaroo-water-as-ludicrous-and-unfair-to-farmers/news-story/c6d8228668ff9facb49d104f8f9d8360

Adani says it might not need $1 billion in federal cash to fund Carmichael mine
Adani Australia says the loan it is seeking from the Federal Government for its proposed Carmichael coal project could be less than half of the reported $1 billion, saying it is yet to finalise the financial arrangements.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-02/adanis-carmichael-loan-could-be-under-half-of-reported-$1b/8767180

Taking on Adani is not just about climate change. It’s taking back power from corporate plutocracy
Sebastian Job
The Adani Group almost seems like a crudely drawn corporate villain. And we should be thankful for the chance to reclaim the fight
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/02/taking-on-adani-is-not-just-about-climate-change-its-taking-back-power-from-corporate-plutocracy

How Holden’s closure will help ease SA’s energy demand
The economic and employment impacts of Holden’s closure are already being felt, but the carmaker’s exit will also drive down power consumption and reduce the risk of blackouts.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-02/how-holden-closure-will-help-ease-energy-demand/8765828

Petuna looks to expand fish farming into north-west Tasmania
The Tasmanian Government expects there will be strong community support for introducing fish farming to the state’s far north west.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-02/tasmania-fish-farm-expansion-earmarked-for-north-west/8767052

Exclusion the best solution
WILDLIFE may be taking advantage of Tasmanians’ gardens, but experts say there are solutions close at hand.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/tasmanian-gardeners-outsmart-wallabies/news-story/a14b6a33c08668c10c72fea9eb4a0b3a

Mining industry could ‘go out the back door’ within a decade, expert says
A Tasmanian mining expert raises concerns about the future of the industry in the state, saying it could end in the next 10 years if the current trends continue.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-02/minings-days-are-numbered-in-tasmania-says-geologist/8765002

Old-growth trees to be ‘woodchipped, wasted’ under specialty timber access plan
Tasmania’s Wilderness Society is warning six out of every 10 trees cut down as part of a state government plan to unlock special species timber will be unusable.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-02/warning-over-specialty-timber-plan/8765794

Our plan for water has not been bested
Peter Gutwein
Only the Liberals have a vision of the way forward.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/talking-point-our-plan-for-water-has-not-been-bested/news-story/bb600c3769c1f2c5947c1cd56059cec6

Big day for fish farmers
Mercury editorial:
BY any measure, yesterday was a landmark day for the state’s aquaculture industry.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/editorial-big-day-for-fish-farmers/news-story/13622ca41c7d0b4211bebbdb3d9df1ca

Minister stays quiet on croc safaris
FEDERAL Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg has continued to ignore calls from the NT Government and lobby groups to consider introducing crocodile safaris in the Top End
http://www.ntnews.com.au/business/federal-environment-minister-josh-frydenberg-stays-quiet-on-nt-crocodile-safaris/news-story/79dd8a7bae3a2002873606e36b01bc60

Industry urges full steam ahead for Kwinana outer harbour
Industry representatives are urging the WA Government to proceed quickly with the construction of a new outer harbour at Kwinana to take pressure off Fremantle Port, but a taskforce to plan the project has yet to be announced.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-03/push-for-fremantle-outer-harbour-after-roe-8-scrapping/8764960

Roe 8 is gone but the traffic snarls remain, so what is being done?
Traffic congestion continues to plague the roads leading to Fremantle Port. After the axing of the Roe 8 highway extension, critics say major road upgrades are urgently needed.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-02/with-roe-8-axed-how-will-perth-congestion-problems-be-solved/8761164

The EV bandwagon is accelerating, but is it unstoppable?
There are plenty of reasons to criticize the 2040 bans laid out by France and the U.K. But we can now envision a future dominated by electric vehicles, and it is time to join the bandwagon and work towards that goal.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/the-ev-bandwagon-is-accelerating-but-is-it-unstoppable-95295/

What you should do with expired and unwanted medicines
Not only are out-of-date and no-longer-required pharmaceuticals taking up space in your home, they are also potentially dangerous.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-02/how-and-why-you-should-dispose-of-expired-and-unwanted-medicines/8763822

BPA breakthrough: New treatment takes controversial chemical out of water.
Researchers report rapid removal of BPA from water using green chemistry.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2017/august/bpa-breakthrough-new-treatment-takes-controversial-chemical-out-of-water

If everyone ate beans instead of beef.
With one dietary change, the U.S. could almost meet greenhouse-gas emission goals.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-3246038150322345206

The truth about cats’ and dogs’ environmental impact
UCLA researcher finds that feeding pets creates the equivalent of 64 million tons of carbon dioxide a year
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/uoc–tta080217.php

Millions may face protein deficiency as a result of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions
Human-caused carbon dioxide emissions lower the nutritional value of staple crops, increasing the risk for dietary deficiencies among the world’s most vulnerable people.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/htcs-mmf072817.php

The renewables reality: clean energy hasn’t risen for 25 years
Big countries are already cutting back on support for solar and wind. They should be doing the opposite, or else the renewable revolution will falter
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23531373-400-the-renewables-reality-clean-energy-hasnt-risen-for-25-years

Solar is now the most popular form of new electricity generation worldwide
Andrew Blakers, Australian National University
Solar PV and wind energy have overtaken coal as the leading sources of new electricity generation worldwide, with falling prices and new storage technologies making clean energy ever more attainable.
http://theconversation.com/solar-is-now-the-most-popular-form-of-new-electricity-generation-worldwide-81678

How to save your sperm.
Evan Hepler-Smith
Is humanity killing itself off? In a study published last week, a team of epidemiologists found that sperm counts among men in the United States, Europe and Australia have declined by more than 50 percent between 1973 and 2011.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/opinion/sperm-count-decreasing-west.html

Failing nuclear power is good for coal, bad for earth.
Eric Roston
Painful economics are killing an industry that’s seen as integral to the fight against climate change
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-01/failing-nuclear-power-is-good-for-coal-bad-for-earth

Germany’s transition from coal to renewable energy offers lessons for the rest of the world.
Emma Bryce Ensia
The country’s decades-long shift from industrial mining to clean energy has brought both challenge and opportunity.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-3246038150322345878

Gulf of Mexico ‘dead zone’ is the largest ever measured
Scientists have determined this year’s Gulf of Mexico “dead zone,” an area of low oxygen that can kill fish and marine life, is 8,776 square miles, an area about the size of New Jersey. It is the largest measured since dead zone mapping began there in 1985.
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/52042

Climate change is the leading cause of moose and loon population decline in New Hampshire.
Climate change, which is causing rising temperatures, increased severe weather events, and shrinking habitats, negatively impacts the moose and loon populations of New Hampshire more than any other factors.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-3246038150322346392

Climate Change Could Put Rare Bat Species at Greater Risk
An endangered bat species with a UK population of less than 1,000 could be further threatened by the effects of global warming, according to a …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170802092722.htm

Changes in Biodiversity: Better Assessment
Assessing the state of an ecosystem solely on the basis of short-term changes in the number of different species it contains can lead to …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170802103037.htm

Historical Wildlife Trends Reliable for Predicting Species at Risk
Scientists have shown that using historical wildlife data provides a more accurate measure of how vulnerable certain species might be to extinction from climate ..
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170802103042.htm

Financial incentives could conserve tropical forest diversity
In a first of its kind study, Mizzou researchers find landowners receiving payments are decreasing deforestation, maintaining biodiversity
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-08/uom-fic080217.php

Deforestation may soar now Colombian civil war is over
Now that the 52-year Colombian conflict that killed tens of thousands of people is over, the country’s forests are once more under threat
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2142666-deforestation-may-soar-now-colombian-civil-war-is-over/