Daily Links Sep 27

Climate Change Can Goad Volcanoes Into Life
Geologists have analyzed volcanic data from the Messinian salinity crisis in the Mediterranean Sea, when the Strait of Gibraltar was blocked and the Mediterranean temporarily …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170925111400.htm

A warming Arctic can actually make our winters colder.
Can you say polar vortex?
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-6766923627212607228

A key Antarctic glacier just lost a huge piece of ice — the latest sign of its worrying retreat.
Pine Island glacier is capable of driving 1.7 feet of sea level rise.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-6766923627212607196

Is climate-themed fiction all too real? We asked the experts.
Some works of apocalyptic fiction are starting to feel too close for comfort. We chose seven of them and asked: How likely are they to come true?
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-6766923627212607197

Antarctic sea ice levels hit record low, but experts are not sure why
Unpredictable nature of Antarctic sea ice levels the focus at conference of meteorology experts in Australia this week
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/26/antarctic-sea-ice-levels-hit-record-low-but-experts-are-not-sure-why

Militarism and its contribution to global warming
Geoffrey Murray
Geoffrey Murray reviews Marty Branagan’s Global Warming, Militarism and Nonviolence
https://independentaustralia.net/art/art-display/militarism-and-its-contribution-to-global-warming,10757

Joyce blames greenies for MCA turmoil
Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce has vented his frustration at BHP in the belief it let itself to be hijacked by environmental activism.
http://www.afr.com/news/barnaby-joyce-blames-bhp-and-green-activism-for-minerals-turmoil-20170925-gyopdw

Energy app can slash 30pc from costs
http://www.afr.com/news/ecologic-app-can-slash-30pc-from-household-energy-costs-20170926-gyoyj9

Sonnen waives monthly fees for battery customers in new deal with installers
German battery storage maker sonnen is offering Australian households “free energy” for two years if they have rooftop solar and use an approved installer for one of their battery storage devices.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/sonnen-waives-monthly-fees-for-battery-customers-in-new-deal-with-installers-17322/

Engie offers billion dollar green energy bond
http://www.theage.com.au/business/markets/engie-offers-billion-dollar-green-energy-bond-20170926-gyorr2.html

Murray-Darling Basin Authority knew of allegations of water theft a year before ABC report
Evidence showed that billions of litres of water was taken from the Barwon river but it was rejected as flawed by federal agency
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/27/murray-darling-basin-authority-knew-of-allegations-of-water-theft-a-year-before-abc-report

David Suzuki: Australia’s ‘sickening’ threat to marine reserves undermines global protection
Conservationist and 1,461 other scientists release statement describing Australia’s oceans as a ‘global asset’ that must be protected
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/27/david-suzuki-australia-sickening-threat-to-marine-reserves-undermines-global-protection

The 107,000,000,000,000,000 joules needed to fix energy bill pain
Greg Jennett
The opening of an energy bill unleashes a common and predictable sequence of responses — incandescent rage, disbelief, blame and contemplation of the inevitable question, “when will it stop?”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-26/how-many-joules-does-australia-needed-to-fix-energy-bill-pain/8988874

US fix for our gas ‘train wreck’
Michael Smith
James Fazzino has been warning about Australia’s looming gas train wreck for the past six years.
http://www.afr.com/brand/chanticleer/us-lessons-for-australias-gas-train-wreck-20170926-gyp80s

Origin and Santos: Australia’s bungling Gas Giants
David Leitch
There is no easy answer to Australia’s gas shortfall and high prices – and certainly not Turnbull’s Venezuala-style solution. The best bets might be gas imports, and to build more renewables …
http://reneweconomy.com.au/origin-santos-australias-bungling-gas-giants-40058/

Australia’s coal & CSG delusion
Ian Dunlop
The last few weeks have set new standards for national stupidity, as the government dances to the tune of the fossil-fuel industry, and tries to establish as many new coal,VSG, LNG and oil projects as it can before the shutters come down.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-coal-csg-delusion-65571/

How Australia’s ‘fever swamp’ of climate science denial is pushing a non-scandal about temperatures
Graham Readfearn
Australia’s network of climate science deniers continue to grasp at straws, despite multiple technical inquiries refuting their claims.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-fever-swamp-climate-science-denial-pushing-non-scandal-temperatures-32538/

To avoid crisis, the gas market needs a steady steer, not an emergency swerve
Andrew Hopkins, Australian National University
https://theconversation.com/to-avoid-crisis-the-gas-market-needs-a-steady-steer-not-an-emergency-swerve-84701

Gas crisis: warning! warning! warning! Um, what comes next?
Bernard Keane
Gas companies should be careful – the Prime Minister really will use a gas reservation. He will, you know! Don’t try him! And what does the competition regulator think of all this?
https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/09/26/gas-crisis-warning-warning-warning-um-comes-next/

Gas crisis is partly of the Coalition’s own making
Canberra Times editorial
As far as the current “gas crisis” is concerned the Coalition is a prisoner of its own device.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/ct-editorial/gas-crisis-is-partly-of-the-coalitions-own-making-20170926-gyp6lu.html

Here are five ways to solve the gas crisis, or perhaps not
Cole Latimer
http://www.theage.com.au/business/energy/five-ways-to-solve-the-gas-crisis-or-not-20170926-gyoz6d.html

CSG bans ‘costing consumers’
David Crowe
State curbs on coal-seam gas are costing customers 25 per cent more for their energy.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/state-csg-exploration-bans-costing-consumers-25pc-premium/news-story/402177648ced09b9ff162963d5bc0591

The solution to our absurd gas crisis
Miranda Devine
WINSTON Churchill described an appeaser as “one who feeds a crocodile hoping it will eat him last”.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/the-solution-to-our-absurd-gas-crisis/news-story/c68df84a078f43ca042fa589f2fb813d

Forest park pressure builds
PRESSURE is mounting on the Victorian Government to declare where it stands on a proposal to develop the Great Forest National Park, east of Melbourne.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/great-forest-national-park-pressure-builds/news-story/d2ca1bd2708f842a75ae95ab1890d021

‘Vermin’: Dozens of oBikes pulled from Yarra River
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/vermin-dozens-of-obikes-pulled-from-yarra-river-20170926-gyp1k1.html

Drop the ideology and drill
Herald Sun editorial
PREMIER Daniel Andrews would do well to spend a few cold nights under the blanket on a suburban couch.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/editorial-drop-the-ideology-and-drill/news-story/e4e02b34a1410bfd0ba96a89e2130333

First metro trains arrive for line to Sydney’s north west
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/first-metro-trains-arrive-for-new-83-billion-line-to-sydneys-north-west-20170926-gyost6.html

‘We all made a fracking mistake’
Former NSW premier Bob Carr says it was a mistake for his successors to put strict restrictions on coal-seam gas mining.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/we-all-made-a-fracking-mistake-says-former-premier-bob-carr/news-story/61d321e8c253d01d70b12df3146fac1f

Gas export cap a ‘knee-jerk reaction’
THE Queensland Government says it’s still trying to calculate the possible hit to the state Budget if the Turnbull Government caps gas exports to deal with a looming shortage.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/queensland-treasurer-curtis-pitt-calls-malcolm-turnbulls-proposed-gas-export-cap-a-kneejerk-reaction/news-story/469e7680e7d479499a92f8b914c08c97

One Nation gas works obstacle
One Nation has emerged as a new obstacle to developing vast gas ­reserves in Queensland.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/one-nation-throws-a-spanner-in-the-gas-works/news-story/2391375fe85402944ecf1deb678fffce

$2.5bn on an unnecessary coal-fired power station? That’s good old pork barrelling
Tristan Edis
A commitment to build a coal-fired power station in Townsville makes no environmental or economic sense. But it might just make political sense
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/27/25bn-on-an-unnecessary-coal-fired-power-station-thats-good-old-pork-barrelling

Kick in the gusts as Snowy plugs power gaps
THE Snowy Mountains scheme is being used to keep the power on when the wind isn’t blowing in South Australia as often as every third day, analysis shows.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/snowy-mountains-hydro-filling-power-gaps-during-times-of-wind-energy-production-shortage-in-sa/news-story/684b34a3651e6af9e7edfd3dcad13d7f

How full of sewage is the Tamar River?
The government says 1000 a year, but TasWater says it’s more like 60-90.
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/4949306/how-full-of-sewage-is-the-tamar-river/?cs=95

TasWater hits State’s ‘breathtaking’ claims
THE State Government, TasWater and the Opposition have come up with four competing interpretations of a Productivity Commission report on water reform.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/politics/treasurer-peter-gutwein-welcomes-productivity-commissions-water-reform-report/news-story/a0a4d5da44963a6a51d617e132d67e9a

Funding must match growing fire risk and shrinking workforce
Jan Davis
Climate change, drying soils and more vegetation mean longer bushfire seasons
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/talking-point-funding-must-match-growing-fire-risk-and-shrinking-workforce/news-story/8d19e9e92361c6f9b3f6a6f89804eb9f

Glamorous camping to be pitched on Rottnest Island
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/glamorous-camping-to-be-pitched-on-rottnest-island-20170926-gyowd2.html

WA households could be hit by 15% rise in electricity prices
WA households could be hit with flat electricity price increases of more than 15 per cent over the next three years as the State Government shores up power provider Synergy’s financial position.
https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/wa-households-could-be-hit-by-15-rise-in-electricity-prices-ng-b88611273z

Surprising results: Perth among world’s best cities for driving
It may surprise those who question motorists’ ability to merge, but Perth has been ranked among the top 50 cities in the world in which to drive.
https://thewest.com.au/lifestyle/motoring/surprising-results-perth-among-worlds-best-cities-for-driving-ng-b88609681z

‘Don’t know, don’t tell’: WA species dying out as department fails to do its job
Keith Claymore
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/wa-species-dying-out-as-department-fails-to-do-its-job-20170925-gyoqqe.html

The urbanization of malnutrition.
Rapid urbanization is increasingly shifting the impacts of malnutrition from rural to urban areas. One in three stunted under-five children out of 155 million across the world now lives in cities and towns.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212607215

Sponges, urban forests and air corridors: How nature can cool cities.
As China battles the twin challenges of rapid city growth and extreme weather, it is adopting a new tactic: Turning its cities into giant sponges.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-4057999804430503730

What would an entirely flood-proof city look like?
The wetter the better. From sponge cities in China to ‘berms with benefits’ in New Jersey and floating container classrooms in the slums of Dhaka, we look at a range of projects that treat storm water as a resource rather than a hazard.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212607221

Seaweed-fueled cars? Maybe one day, with help of new tech
Cars and trucks might one day run on biofuel made from seaweed with the help of two technologies being developed at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
http://www.enn.com/energy/article/52652

Are you ready for that jelly? Why it’s time to start eating jellyfish.
There are too many jellyfish in the sea, and the problem is only going to get worse. Is the solution to fry them up and eat them?.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212607222

Stunning tipping points mean coal will never be great again
The global energy industry is experiencing two major tipping points for wind and solar that mean that coal will never be great again, no matter how much Conservative politicians and columnists may wish it to be so.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/stunning-tipping-points-mean-coal-will-never-great-47338/

Energy from evaporating water could rival wind and solar
A vast source of renewable energy has been sitting under our noses. Evaporating water could supply enormous volumes of clean electricity, if we can only harness it.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2148623-energy-from-evaporating-water-could-rival-wind-and-solar/

A cheap pollution sensor will keep you off the dirtiest roads
This wearable device reveals exposure to the three worst pollutants, linking it with online maps to help you avoid poor air, a bit like a Fitbit for pollution
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2148503-a-cheap-pollution-sensor-will-keep-you-off-the-dirtiest-roads/

Fuel-cell cars finally drive off the lot.
While consumers can now buy their own hydrogen-powered vehicles, industry looks to expand the refueling infrastructure and lower the cost of fuel-cell cars.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/-6766923627212609153

Agent Orange Still Linked to Hormone Imbalances in Babies in Vietnam
Could herbicides that were sprayed during the Vietnam War still be causing health …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170926091427.htm

No evidence of hidden hearing loss from common recreational noise
Study finds no evidence of auditory nerve injury or permanent hearing difficulties in young adults after attending a loud event
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/f-neo092617.php

Drought — a cause of riots
A team of economic researchers has highlighted the systematic link between periods of drought and the outbreak of riots in sub-Saharan Africa
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/udg-d-092617.php

UNIST researchers develop wearable solar thermoelectric generator
A recent study, led by Professor Kyoung Jin Choi in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at UNIST has introduced a new advanced energy harvesting system, capable of generating electricity by simply being attached to clothes, windows, and outer walls of a building.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/unio-urd092517.php

David Attenborough on the scourge of the oceans: ‘I remember being told plastic doesn’t decay, it’s wonderful.’
David Attenborough explains why plastic pollution, climate change and overpopulation are problems too urgent to be left to ecologists.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212607225

Self-driving cars could change your life within six years
Tiger Webb and Richard Aedy
Individually owned cars are underutilised and costly. Autonomous vehicles are already in use in Australia. We could be on the cusp of the fastest, deepest disruption in transportation history.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-26/self-driving-cars-could-change-your-life-within-six-years/8987628

Puerto Rico: A potential experiment in degrowth?
Erik Assadourian Resilience.org
I’m sure that some will criticize the insensitivity of the timing of this essay. How can you talk about Puerto Rico, climate change, and degrowth at this tragic time?
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212606716

Why the Tesla truck will turn freight industry upside down
Giles Parkinson
Elon Musk prepares to unveil Tesla’s next big thing – the all electric truck. Analysts expect it to be the biggest thing in the trucking industry for decades, and will slash transport costs.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/why-the-tesla-truck-will-turn-freight-industry-upside-down-13500/

Will North Korea sell its nuclear technology?
Daniel Salisbury, Harvard University
Kim Jong Un’s regime has already earned millions from the export of arms, missiles, drugs and endangered wildlife products.
https://theconversation.com/will-north-korea-sell-its-nuclear-technology-83562

Some marine species more vulnerable to climate change than others
Certain marine species will fare much worse than others as they become more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, a new UBC study has found.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/uobc-sms092617.php

Fisheries Sustainability Linked to Gender Roles Among Traders
A new study of fish traders in coastal Kenya shows that women largely occupied fisheries with the lowest profits and are not saving money while working in …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170926115938.htm

The Drying of Peatlands Is Reducing Bird Diversity
The populations of peatland birds in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Estonia and Latvia have decreased by a third during the past three decades, a recent international study …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170926105445.htm

National park ban saved 2m plastic bottles – and still Trump reversed it
Trump administration reversed ban in August despite environmental protest
Activists say plastic is biggest threat to environment after climate change
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/26/national-park-plastics-bottled-water-ban

Brazil backtracks on plan to open up Amazon forest to mining
Campaigners welcome U-turn on Renca reserve but threat still exists as Brazil president has close ties to mining industry
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/26/brazil-backtracks-on-plan-to-open-up-amazon-forest-to-mining

‘I don’t want to imagine a world without giant snakes in it’
Neglected by most conservation groups, the Burmese python has a champion in Shariar Caesar Rahman.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2017/sep/26/burmese-pythons-snakes-bangladesh-tracking-radio-rahman-conservation

Red admiral thrives in butterfly count while whites show decline
A record 60,000 people took part in the Big Butterfly Count but each participant saw on average only 11 butterflies, the lowest since the count began in 2010
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/25/red-admiral-thrives-in-butterfly-count-while-whites-show-decline