Daily Links Sep 22

14 states: We’re on track to meet Paris climate goals, despite Trump.
The U.S. Climate Alliance members, including California and New York, represent more than a third of the U.S. population.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-4057999804430503853

How can US states fight climate change if Trump quits the Paris accord?
How much can states really do on climate by themselves, without help from the federal government?
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-6766923627212615439

Debunking climate change deniers’ claims about plants.
Some climate deniers claim carbon dioxide is good for plants, and plants are good for people, so we should aim to pump even more CO2 into the atmosphere than we already are.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-4057999804430503833

‘UN reformer’ Guterres must do more on climate change.
Camilla Born Climate Home
Climate change risks are global and intersecting, so why doesn’t the UN do more to treat them that way?
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-6766923627212615422

When media sceptics misrepresent our climate research we must speak out
Myles Allen and Richard Millar
Our climate paper underlined that strong action towards the 1.5C Paris goal is perhaps more valid than ever, but reading some of the media coverage you might think the opposite was true
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/21/when-media-sceptics-misrepresent-our-climate-research-we-must-speak-out

Giant salt-resistant goldfish found in rivers prompt biologist’s warning
Dumped pet goldfish are found in Australian estuaries, prompting fears the fish — which are highly adaptive and can grow to 2 kilograms — could make their way into connected river systems and kill off native species.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-21/mutant-salt-resistant-goldfish-leave-river-take-over-world/8966776

Children’s author who witnessed Hiroshima bombing urged Turnbull to sign nuclear treaty
Best-selling children’s author and Hiroshima bombing survivor Junko Morimoto urged the Prime Minister to sign a treaty banning nuclear weapons before her death today.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-21/junko-morimoto-urged-turnbull-to-sign-nuclear-weapons-ban-treaty/8969046

Scientists and Farmers Work Together to Wipe out African Lovegrass
New research and collaboration could lead to the eventual eradication of the highly invasive African lovegrass threatening pastures and native grasslands Australia-wide.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170921101741.htm

PM to pull trigger on gas giants
Malcolm Turnbull says the government will pull the trigger to enforce export limits on east coast gas, prompting protests from LNG giants.
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/gas-industry-protests-as-malcolm-turnbull-puts-his-finger-on-the-trigger-20170920-gylnmj

‘Too late to stop blackouts’
Brickworks boss Lindsay Partridge has slammed the government for failing to address Australia’s energy crisis.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/energy-crisis-too-late-to-stop-power-outages-now-brickworks/news-story/49f1d823546c00609147f8bbc8a138c1

Energy bills double Canada’s
Australians are paying twice as much as Canadians for electricity and 60 per cent more than Americans.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/australian-electricity-bills-double-those-of-canada/news-story/d14285dabf1a797bc7ca463e4f71857d

Pollies in gun over energy
MORE than 500 farmers have signed an open letter to rural and regional MPs “deeply concerned by the anti-renewables policies and rhetoric” they say they are hearing from the Australian Parliament.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/politics/renewable-energy-politicians-in-gun-over-energy/news-story/fc929270528f621eef9b3c9e4210a3a6

Where will Abbott’s disruptions end?
Michelle Grattan
The more Tony Abbott’s anti-renewable energy position gets traction, the worse the policy problem for Malcolm Turnbull and his Government. It raises the question: how can it go on without blowing up? 
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-21/tony-abbotts-anti-renewable-energy-campaign-pain-for-turnbull/8966968

Review of historic stock routes may put rare stretches of native plants and animals at risk
Luke S. O’Loughlin et al
Australia’s iconic stock routes are now public land, used for everything from conservation to recreation. A government review may change that.
https://theconversation.com/review-of-historic-stock-routes-may-put-rare-stretches-of-native-plants-and-animals-at-risk-84049

Want energy storage? Here are 22,000 sites for pumped hydro across Australia
Andrew Blakers, Australian National University; Bin Lu, Australian National University, and Matthew Stocks, Australian National University
Electricity storage is vital to the stability of a renewable energy grid. The world’s favourite form of storage is pumped hydro – and researchers have located thousands of candidate sites.
https://theconversation.com/want-energy-storage-here-are-22-000-sites-for-pumped-hydro-across-australia-84275

More than 1,200 scientists urge rethink on Australia’s marine park plans
Jessica Meeuwig, University of Western Australia
Australia’s reputation as a global leader in marine conservation is being put at risk by plans to strip back sanctuary areas within marine parks, say scientists from around the globe.
https://theconversation.com/more-than-1-200-scientists-urge-rethink-on-australias-marine-park-plans-84366

Paying twice, and more – why renewables are a luxury good
Graham Young
But renewables are in fact more expensive, and if you want to cure high prices, the last thing you would do is dose up on the problem.
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=19302

Export controls on gas almost certain
Matthew Stevens
To say that Australia’s east coast gas exporters were a bit surprised to hear from Rod Sims stands a lesson in understatement.
http://www.afr.com/business/gas-markets-are-now-almost-certain-to-be-hit-with-export-controls-20170921-gym555

Inside the terrifying mind of Tony Abbott
Bernard Keane
https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/09/21/keane-inside-the-terrifying-mind-of-tony-abbott/

Consumer must be at forefront in gas crisis
Courier Mail editorial
WHEN a system is broken, Australians want solutions, not political grandstanding and point scoring.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/editorial-consumer-must-be-at-forefront-in-australias-gas-supply-crisis/news-story/9ba3830842cf05dc645c81dbec96db19

Fed Square’s censorship of Adani protesters is bad news for Vic Labor
Guy Rundle
The management of Federation Square’s decision to censor a political rally held by the “Stop Adani” movement will hurt Labor in Victoria.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/09/21/fed-squares-censorship-of-adani-protesters-is-bad-news-for-vic-labor/

Pumped hydro project that reuses old goldmine expected to win federal funding
Combined solar and pumped hydro generator set to provide quarter of shortfall from Liddell power station’s closure
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/21/pumped-hydro-project-that-reuses-old-goldmine-expected-to-win-federal-funding

New deputy lord mayor Jess Miller’s vision for Sydney in 20 years
Jess Miller
We’ve recognised the value of all of our spaces and rooftop are covered with gardens, play spaces, or solar panels. New species of birds have returned to the high density urban environment.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/new-deputy-lord-mayor-jess-millers-vision-for-sydney-in-20-years-20170921-gyltfz.html

ActewAGL set to chop all overgrown trees near powerlines
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/actewagl-set-to-clear-trees-from-powerlines-in-national-parks-private-land-20170921-gylray.html

PM uses visit to plug power price policy
THE Turnbull Cabinet has led a power blitz across the state as senior ministers pushed its energy price message from Mount Isa to Logan.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/turnbull-cabinet-leads-power-blitz-across-queensland/news-story/b9f27904456114c3450d88ed5797fa32

Monster croc shot in central Queensland
A 5.2-metre crocodile has been shot and killed in a central Queensland river, prompting warnings residents can now expect “increased aggressive activity” by any others in the area.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/monster-croc-shot-in-fitzroy-river-in-central-queensland/news-story/97302222ada7bfe7ae78dd5410bd149d

Energy farm gets nod
PLANS for a major solar energy farm southwest of Mareeba have been given the green light by Mareeba Shire Council.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/solar-energy-farm-to-shine-bright-southwest-of-mareeba/news-story/bed19db6610685a3efbba61c0ecc49ee

Residents stop $6.5m coastal path plan
RESIDENTS have won their fight to block a $6.5 million walking and cycling path along one of Adelaide’s best known coastal stretches.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/west-beaches/supreme-court-rules-unlawful-charles-sturt-councils-coast-park-plan-along-tennyson-dunes/news-story/53af6d7e49cdb6ceb0fede69fb00d21a

Whyalla’s not a ghost town, it’s the centre of a green industrial revolution
Giles Parkinson
Garnaut says renewables will cut energy costs to Whyalla steelworks by at least a third, and outlines plans for large scale solar, rooftop solar and pumped hydro and battery storage.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/whyallas-not-a-ghost-town-its-the-centre-of-a-green-industrial-revolution-88548/

Green stoush over salmon
ENVIRONMENT Tasmania has criticised the Greens’ decision to vote for a controversial new fish-farming law that attracted rare tripartite support.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/environment-tasmania-criticises-greens-over-new-salmon-law-support/news-story/695e96183f9f72e1a6ebea2ebc0f667c

Next steps for Hydro
Mercury editorial
IS pumped hydro a genuine game changer for Tasmania, both in terms of energy security and economic terms?
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/next-steps-for-hydro/news-story/a147e0041af9712fee88708b36ee0f92

The world is running out of antibiotics, WHO says.
Too few new antibiotics are under development to combat the threat of multidrug-resistant infections, according to a new World Health Organization report published Tuesday
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212615431

The next Standing Rock showdown could be over nuclear waste.
As the Trump administration moves forward on a waste site at Nevada’s Yucca Mountain, local tribes are ready for the fight.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-4057999804430503846

‘Hand-to-hand combat’ on nuke incentives.
Nuclear advocates, already facing strong headwinds from a powerful oil and gas lobby, are pinning their hopes on the Trump administration and a key Georgia Republican for new lifelines
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-6766923627212615449

Researchers set time limit for ultrafast perovskite solar cells
Researchers have quantified the astonishingly high speeds at which future solar cells would have to operate in order to stretch what are presently seen as natural limits on their energy conversion efficiency.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/sjcu-rst092117.php

New Biomaterial Could Replace Plastic Laminates, Greatly Reduce Pollution
An inexpensive biomaterial that can be used to sustainably replace plastic barrier coatings in packaging and many other applications has been developed by researchers, who …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170920144704.htm

Developing countries can prosper without increasing emissions
Meg Argyriou, ClimateWorks
What do China, India, South Africa and Mexico have in common? They all reduced the carbon intensity of their economies without sacrificing economic growth. Other developing nations can do the same.
https://theconversation.com/developing-countries-can-prosper-without-increasing-emissions-84044

Fossil fuel expansion crushes renewables.
Barry Saxifrage National Observer
Renewables are rising, but fossil fuels are rising even more.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-4057999804430503834

The Paris agreement dispute is a distraction. The real battle is playing out in the EPA.
Kate Aronoff The Intercept
Members of the Trump administration are quietly unraveling a slew of policies, precedents, and regulations in ways that could make it much more difficult to plan for a low-carbon future after they’re gone.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-4057999804430503852

Going Diving in the Tropics? Don’t Eat the Reef Fish!
Reducing tourist consumption of reef fish is critical for Palau’s ocean sustainability, finds a new study that suggests other small island nations might also consider …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170921090248.htm

WWF and UCF study wildlife rangers, what motivates them?
Wildlife rangers are on the front lines protecting our most iconic species — tigers, elephants, gorillas and many others. But their challenges involve more than confrontations with wild animals and poachers.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/uocf-wau092117.php