Daily Links Sep 20

Could we store carbon dioxide as liquid lakes under the sea?
We need to get carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to slow down climate change, and perhaps deep-sea trenches would be a good place to put it
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2147803-could-we-store-carbon-dioxide-as-liquid-lakes-under-the-sea/

We need to make democracy work in the fight to save the planet
AC Grayling
For centuries, humans have championed the democratic political system. But can it facilitate the radical change needed to stop the potentially annihilating effects of climate change?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/18/we-need-to-make-democracy-work-in-the-fight-to-save-the-planet

Australia’s top 10 solar postcodes, and the top solar locations by state
New data has revealed the latest ranking of Australia’s top 10 solar postcodes, including three new entries from Victoria, and one each from WA and NSW.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-top-10-solar-postcodes-top-solar-locations-state-60359/

Graph of the Day: Live renewable energy share and emissions by state
Two new live graphs show renewable energy share and energy emissions in each state. Rooftop solar is lowering emissions significantly during the day.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/graph-day-live-renewable-energy-share-emissions-state-13835/

BHP considering Minerals Council exit over lobby group’s climate policies
Activist investors are putting BHP’s already testy relationship with the big industry lobbyist under more pressure over climate change policies.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-19/bhp-considering-quitting-minerals-council/8960298

Tony Abbott threatens to cross the floor on energy policy
Tony Abbott has criticised the Turnbull government’s energy policy during an interview with Alan Jones and Peta Credlin.
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/4935891/tony-abbott-threatens-to-cross-the-floor-on-energy-policy/?cs=7

Bill Shorten demands gas market transparency to tackle ‘energy crisis’
Labor leader says Aemo should be given ‘teeth’ to give Australian manufacturers a head start in gas contract negotiations
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/20/bill-shorten-demands-gas-market-transparency-to-tackle-energy-crisis

Murdoch misleads readers about renewable subsidies and Saudi playboys
Giles Parkinson
The Australian’s story linking excessive renewable energy subsidies to the Moree solar farm, a rich Saudi playboy and the singer Rihanna is very interesting. It is also hopelessly wrong (at least on the renewables bit).
http://reneweconomy.com.au/murdoch-misleads-readers-about-renewable-subsidies-and-saudi-playboys-69568/

The one fatal flaw with renewables
Graham Young
IF THEY’RE “cheaper”, then the cure for high electricity prices is more renewables. But renewables are, in fact, more expensive.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/opinion-renewable-energy-sources-are-not-cheaper-alternatives-and-push-up-power-prices/news-story/2ca0688716be5e34db06616ded45e9e4

Energy market is shifting despite politics
Canberra Times editorial
Australians are waiting for their leaders to switch on to the real debate.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/ct-editorial/electricity-market-is-transforming-despite-political-inaction-20170919-gykb95.html

Green dreamers have failed us
Tony Abbott
It can’t be wrong for Australia to exploit resources we happily sell to others.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/green-dreamers-when-ideology-overreaches-reality/news-story/943aaeec3935fa443c14b40c87f9c348

Facts distorted in energy wars
Peter Van Onselen
The debate over renewables and coal is distorted by government intervention and contradictory use of “facts” on both sides.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/peter-van-onselen/no-end-in-sight-to-australias-partisan-energy-wars/news-story/dab58e402fabba784b96b5f79b66beca

Preventing Murray-Darling water theft: a space agency can help Australia manage federal resource
Andrew Dempster
https://theconversation.com/preventing-murray-darling-water-theft-a-space-agency-can-help-australia-manage-federal-resources-83727

Carbon price clouds low power bill claim
A CARBON price of $30-a-tonne was included in modelling the Andrews Government used to claim household power bills would be lower under its new clean energy scheme.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/carbon-price-clouds-andrews-governments-clean-energy-target-bid-claims/news-story/848ab23096536b1af4e902acc6b563ea

Use desal plant in wet years to ward off drought, expert says
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/use-desal-plant-in-wet-years-to-guard-against-next-big-drought-expert-says-20170919-gykiib.html

Charge on to spark up home batteries
THOUSANDS of households are installing solar energy storage battery systems to cut power bills and give electricity companies the “middle finger”.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/solar-storage-home-battery-system-sales-rise-in-wake-of-power-price-hikes-report/news-story/9cfe5ae06757e4b5d97fae16924e00f0

Anti-Adani protest censored by operators of Melbourne’s Federation Square
Operators demand images of newspaper headlines and politicians, and ‘explicitly negative’ environmental messages be removed
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/sep/20/anti-adani-protest-censored-by-operators-of-melbournes-federation-square

How safe is cycling on city roads?
Alan Davies
The likelihood of suffering a serious injury while cycling on urban roads is extremely low, but it seems our tolerance for risk is even lower
https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2017/09/19/safe-cycling-city-roads/

Keeping Liddell power station open ‘a losing battle’, AGL says
The general manager of AGL, which runs the Liddell power station, says it can find better places to invest time, money and resources than Australia’s oldest coal-fired power station.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-19/agl-liddell-power-station-sliding-to-oblivion/8961176

New threat to power supply
Coal-fired power generators are struggling to secure coal supplies for their power plants ahead of summer, with electricity prices set to ri…
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/coal-stockpiles-in-nsw-a-new-headache-for-turnbull-government-20170919-gyk77b

‘Complex and inequitable’ power rebate schemes slammed
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-auditorgeneral-slams-inequitable-electricity-and-gas-rebate-schemes-20170919-gyk8in.html

The $3.6b project that came in from the cold
Matthew Stevens
After nine months on the outer, the $3.6 billion Narrabri coal seam gas project is set to recover its place on Santos’ core project list.
http://www.afr.com/business/the-36bn-santos-project-that-came-in-from-the-cold-20170919-gykl34

Liddell: It would cost $900 million to keep it open another 10 years
Giles Parkinson
Liddell coal generator visit reveals a work-force that wants it to close. Even betting agencies are punting on its closure.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/liddell-it-would-cost-900-million-to-keep-it-open-another-10-years-2027/

Move To The Rear Of The Power Station, Drink From The Renewable Kool-Aid
Geoff Russell
In the debate over keeping the Liddle Power Station open, the numbers just don’t add up. But probably not the numbers you’re thinking.
https://newmatilda.com/2017/09/19/move-to-the-rear-of-the-power-station-drink-from-the-renewable-kool-aid/

Brisbane Airport rolls out massive 6MW solar project
Huge 6MW solar upgrade at Brisbane Airport will supply 18% of electricity needs and save around $1m a year on energy bills.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/brisbane-airport-rolls-massive-6mw-solar-project-69357/

Anti-Adani protesters arrested near Abbot Point
Police arrest 10 protesters they say were blockading a road to the Abbot Point Coal terminal near Bowen, but are happy overall with the peaceful nature of the protest.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-19/anti-adani-protestors-arrested-bowen/8959752

Concerns over ‘asbestos’ in dog park
A POPULAR off-the-leash dog park remains open despite the Brisbane City Council admitting it may have found asbestos spread along the ground.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/concerns-over-asbestos-find-in-brisbane-dog-park/news-story/594de72911709c9017f9ddeafc65ad37

Entsch damning on dam dawdling
LEICHHARDT MP Warren Entsch claims an unspoken no-dam policy within the Queensland Government is robbing the state of an investment mother lode.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/queensland-risks-becoming-poor-cousin-in-naif-funding-race/news-story/82dc683814b4a8a9dd21d06a9b2f88e1

Coal-fired pledge for Qld
Queensland LNP leader would consider diverting taxpayer funds from renewable energy into a privately built coal-fired power station.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/wed-invest-in-coalfired-plant-says-queensland-lnp-leader/news-story/20cff6c0ad81b8d6a85ef6ecb8d4c212

Rally over wombat cull
TASMANIA’S growing band of wombat warriors are preparing to rally in a bid to stop the State Government from issuing permits to shoot any of the marsupials that are healthy.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/wombat-group-to-take-action-in-bid-to-stop-legal-killing-of-healthy-animals/news-story/21641dfe5a15b646c9a1cd88fea90fb9

NT lithium mine moves closer
THE push to build and develop the Northern Territory’s first lithium mine is gaining momentum
http://www.ntnews.com.au/business/nt-lithium-mine-moves-closer/news-story/fe9071bc2a42cbc28bbdb9fe5a741369

In lawsuit, Sierra Club claims US EPA violates information access law.
The Sierra Club sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in federal court on Monday over what it says is the regulator’s failure to respond to information and records requests under transparency laws, court papers show.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212619952

Fluoride exposure in utero linked to lower IQ in kids, study says.
Increased levels of prenatal fluoride exposure may be associated with lower cognitive function in children, a new study says
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212619939

UK oil and gas reserves may last only a decade
The Scottish and UK oil industries are entering their final decade of production, research suggests.
http://www.enn.com/energy/article/52577

Noisy, but that’s not all.
Despite improvements, leaf blowers still emit toxic contaminants such as carcinogenic benzene as well as surprisingly large amounts of other smog-forming chemicals.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-4057999804430503906

Polluters must pick up tab for damage to planet.
Turning the planet’s environmental fortunes around is achievable if businesses, politicians and citizens work towards a common goal, with the biggest polluters picking up the bill, said the United Nations’ environment chief.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212619942

NREL investigates coatings needed for concentrating solar power
Keeping storage tank corrosion rates to a minimum considered vital for use of molten salts
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/drel-nic091817.php

100 percent wishful thinking: The green-energy cornucopia.
Stan Cox Resilience.org
The 100-percent dream has become dogma among liberals and mainstream climate activists. Serious energy scholars who publish analyses that expose the idea’s serious weaknesses risk being condemned as stooges of the petroleum industry or even as climate deniers.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212619456

North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and Australia’s Lucas Heights reactor
Norm Sanders
North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, which now threatens the world, began with a “safe” reactor just like Australia’s Lucas Heights.
https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/north-koreas-nuclear-arsenal-and-australias-lucas-heights-reactor,10725

Tomorrow The World Is Going To Try And Ban Nuclear Weapons. Australia Wants To Keep Them.
Rewena Mahesh
A global push to save the world from a nuclear armageddon has the backing of more than 120 nations. Australia isn’t one of them.
https://newmatilda.com/2017/09/19/tomorrow-the-world-will-adopt-a-treaty-banning-nuclear-weapons-australia-wont-be-there/

Special Protection for Area Exposed by Larsen C Iceberg
An international agreement is now in place to give special protection to the area of ocean left exposed when one of the largest icebergs ever recorded broke free from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in July this year.
http://www.enn.com/sci-tech/article/52568

Why aren’t house sparrows as big as geese?
Researchers manipulated house sparrow size to examine important aspects of evolution
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/nuos-wah091617.php

Extinction: A threat facing many creatures great and small, new research shows.
The world’s growing extinction threats are typically worst for the largest and smallest creatures, a finding that should temper conservation efforts, new research has found
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/extinction-a-threat-facing-many-creatures-great-and-small-new-research-shows-20170918-gyjgnq.html