Daily Links Sep 5

Proper carbon tax could wipe billions from polluters’ profits.
To achieve Paris climate agreement’s limit of 2C rise, pricing will have to increase to more than $100 a tonne, claims Schroders.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212644479

Here’s what happens when you try to replicate climate contrarian papers
A new paper finds common errors among the 3% of climate papers that reject the global warming consensus
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2015/aug/25/heres-what-happens-when-you-try-to-replicate-climate-contrarian-papers

Hell hath no fury like Mother Earth scorned.
Amy Goodman Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
Climate denial in the face of Harvey’s devastation is incomprehensible, ignorant and immoral.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212644476

This is why we cannot rely on cities alone to tackle climate change
Brendan F.D. Barrett, RMIT University and Andrew DeWit, Rikkyo University
It’s a good thing that cities aspire to lead the way in acting on climate change in the absence of stronger national action. But a closer look reveals the limitations of current city-based efforts.
https://theconversation.com/this-is-why-we-cannot-rely-on-cities-alone-to-tackle-climate-change-82375

Don’t mention the climate: what’s missing from Houston floods reporting
Andrew Glikson
Media reports like the phrase “once in 50 years” to describe catastrophic weather events. But those events are no longer rare. And we know why.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/09/04/dont-mention-the-climate-whats-missing-from-houston-floods-reporting/

New “ethical” debt fund targets renewables “merchant” market
With $50m in backing from Future Super, new debt fund taps renewable energy “sweet spot” – including small to medium solar projects with no PPAs.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/new-ethical-debt-fund-targets-renewables-merchant-market-44742/

Report points to potential power shortfall
A report to government on securing enough baseload power for future electricity needs is said to warn of a looming gap in the nation’s supplies as coal-fired stations shut down.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/36959184/minister-receives-power-generation-report/

Mineral exploration (other than petroleum)
The trend estimate for total mineral exploration expenditure increased 6.6% ($26.4m) to $428.5m in the June quarter 2017. The largest contributor to the increase in the trend estimate this quarter was Western Australia (up 6.5%, $17.4m). The current quarter estimate is 23.5% higher than the June quarter 2016 estimate.
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8412.0?OpenDocument

Environmental Charities Engaged in Bitter Stand-Off with Mining Lobby Over Advocacy
Environmental charities and the mining lobby are engaged in a bitter stand-off over political advocacy, with the mining sector’s attempt to curtail environmental advocacy undermined by a new report accusing foreign mining companies of lobbying against Australian interests.
https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2017/09/environmental-charities-engaged-bitter-stand-off-mining-lobby-advocacy/

Iron ore aids hydrogen production
An Australian firm wants to be a world leader in producing cheap and clean hydrogen for use in future transport systems globally.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/technology/hazer-group-tests-making-clean-hydrogen-from-iron-ore-methane/news-story/b63e141ef717e216b6604757fc957190

Cannon-Brookes backs energy start-up
Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Brookes has made his latest move in his effort to move the dial on Australia’s energy crisis.
http://www.afr.com/technology/mike-cannonbrookes-leads-4m-round-in-home-energy-fintech-startup-brighte-20170901-gy955h

No more energy deals with the Greens: Labor
Labor says it could never do another deal with the Greens on energy because any new policy must survive a change of government.
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/no-more-energy-deals-with-the-greens-labor-20170903-gya1nw

Woolworths to expand solar use amid soaring costs
http://www.afr.com/business/energy/electricity/woolworths-quadruples-energy-investments-to-offset-soaring-prices-20170903-gya21y

Turnbull commits $100m to secure mining investment
http://www.theage.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/turnbull-invests-100m-to-secure-mining-investment-drive-discoveries-20170902-gy9jjg.html

How Tesla’s big battery can smash Australia’s energy cartel
Giles Parkinson
Regulator report cites seven different occasions where Australia’s big energy players used market power to push up prices nearly 100-fold. No wonder South Australia has pushed for Tesla big battery, which is likely to be able to smash this cartel, despite being derided by the Coalition.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/how-teslas-big-battery-can-smash-australias-energy-cartel-64548/

Know your NEM: Baseload and reliability to take centre stage
David Leitch
No one will be surprised if AEMO projects a potential problem this summer in reports to be released this week.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/know-nem-baseload-reliability-take-centre-stage-51225/

Renewable Energy Market Report: Connection worries force prices up
Marco Stella
The key issue at moment around LGC prices remains the commissioning dates for new fleet of wind and solar generation.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/renewable-energy-market-report-connection-worries-force-prices-71261/

Australia’s hidden environmental crisis
Nick Rodway
The east coast of the continent is considered one of the worst deforestation areas in the world today.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/09/04/australias-hidden-environmental-crisis/

Australia continues rich and time-honoured tradition of swindling East Timor
Damien Kingsbury
Australia’s treatment of East Timor has always been exploitative. Under the Turnbull government, nothing has changed.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2017/09/04/australia-screws-east-timor-yet-again-on-timor-sea-deal/

No To Dick Smith, Yes To Common Good
Stuart Rees
A sustainable and compassionate future requires a major rethink on all the issues we say we hold dear
https://newmatilda.com/2017/09/04/83106/

Out Of Africa: Labor, Libs Help Oz Miners ‘Save’ A Continent And Destroy The World
Lucy Manne
https://newmatilda.com/2017/09/04/africa-labor-libs-help-oz-miners-save-continent-destroy-world/

Houston, we have a problem
Peter Boyer
The Texas floods stole our attention, but there were many other inundated places around the world
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/talking-point-houston-we-have-a-problem/news-story/52aa8ea362f2b1f17ac26b9d4b679bd8

Power station’s parts go on sale
THE Hazelwood power station will this week begin ­auctioning thousands of pieces of equipment and parts including furniture, tools and large machinery.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/hazelwood-power-station-auction-parts-go-on-sale/news-story/91ce94480dca53491f6ccc338bca39b9

More than 5,000 buildings in Victoria ‘may contain non-compliant cladding’
Planning and fire experts say there may be more than 5,000 buildings in Victoria that contain non-compliant cladding, similar to that used on the Grenfell tower in London.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-05/cladding-experts-say-5000-buildings-non-compliant/8870546

West Gate Tunnel doubt: Andrews government tries to keep us in dark
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/labor-uses-east-west-link-precedent-in-bid-to-keep-west-gate-tunnel-report-secret-20170904-gyagej.html

Secrecy around Victoria’s latest toll road plan all too familiar
Clay Lucas
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/secrecy-around-victorias-latest-toll-road-plan-all-too-familiar-20170904-gyanf0.html

Manage Melbourne growth so numbers add up
Shaun Carney
MELBOURNE has come a long way since the dark days of the 1990s but we can’t let growth become a burden
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/victoria-must-manage-melbournes-growth-to-deal-with-social-and-environmental-effects/news-story/2f4f312c761f541fc08da7eede22ef70

Gas crisis spurs more drilling
Exploration drilling among Queensland’s liquefied natural gas producers has sharply increased, according to ABS data.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/east-coast-gas-crisis-spurs-rise-in-exploration-drilling/news-story/d3973658fcd2b3bc2f67173eabdb64d5

Queensland bodies corporate may face multi-million-dollar bills to rip out combustible cladding
Queenslanders living in body corporate-run apartment blocks could be forced to pay for new safety audits and pick up multi-million-dollar tabs for ripping out combustible cladding in buildings previously ticked off as safe.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-05/bodies-corporate-may-have-to-pay-for-cladding-inspections/8871094

Restrictions closer as south-east Queensland water use skyrockets
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/water-restrictions-closer-as-southeast-queensland-water-use-skyrockets-20170904-p4yvq1.html

Powering North Queensland: renewables in coal country
Simon Nicholas
Defying the policy uncertainty that has held back utility-scale solar in Australia, much of the new renewables investment is happening in coal country.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/powering-north-queensland-renewables-coal-country-11725/

Bigger but still livable is doable
Debbie Smith
AS a city we have some big questions to ask. Where will all the new people live and work? How will our critical systems like transport, health and education cope? If we plan carefully we can keep our lifestyle.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/future-brisbane/opinion-population-growth-in-brisbane-means-planning-to-protect-our-lifestyle-and-its-doable/news-story/3693004372c8cc42ab2b2bdd7a8e4d5a

Tasmania fires up gas
Tasmania will fire up its gas power station, apparently to reduce summer imports of power from Victoria.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/tasmania-fires-up-gas-to-save-on-imported-power/news-story/dad4b5460f30c0844d3925b595d3da1a

Hydro set to fire up power station
HYDRO Tasmania will restart operation of the gas-powered Tamar Valley power station in a bid to reduce high-cost Basslink imports at drier times later in the year.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/hydro-set-to-restart-tamar-valley-gasfired-power-station/news-story/9b8acb384b49efdf58976737dab71952

Study links fish farms to spread of antibiotic resistance.
New research that finds a possible link between fish farms and the spread of antibiotic resistance doesn’t surprise marine biologist Inka Milewski
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212644474

Australia-led tidal energy project sets new production records
Australia-founded and managed company Atlantis Resources sets new benchmark for tidal energy with world’s first multi-machine deployment in Scotland.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-led-tidal-energy-project-sets-new-production-records-29054/

“Zero-waste” stores put consumers on frontline in fight against packaging.
According to researchers, humans have produced more than 8 billion tons of plastic since the 1950s, with most of it discarded in landfills or the wider environment, hurting ecosystems and human health.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212644493

Greening China pushes up copper
China’s stricter environmental measures are now rippling through to copper prices.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/greening-china-pushes-up-copper-prices-to-threeyear-high/news-story/ad0d285afdc91d3f27bc382fd9ce5a76

For India, toilets are a (mostly) serious issue.
A new movie, Toilet, a Love Story, has charmed audiences at a time when the government is trying to bring plumbing to the half a billion Indians without it.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212644480

At last! The world’s first ethical guidelines for driverless cars
David Tuffley, Griffith University
The first set of ethical rules on how self-driving cars should operate have been adopted by the German government.
https://theconversation.com/at-last-the-worlds-first-ethical-guidelines-for-driverless-cars-83227

Kim Jong-un’s nuclear ambition: what is North Korea’s endgame?
Nick Bisley
https://theconversation.com/kim-jong-uns-nuclear-ambition-what-is-north-koreas-endgame-83428

Human choices are behind Hurricane Harvey disaster
Nicole Hemmer
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/choices-made-on-the-ground-are-behind-the-disaster-of-hurricane-harvey-20170904-gya60a.html

Reindeer grazing protects tundra plant diversity in a warming climate
Climate warming reduces the number of plant species in the tundra, but plant-eating animals, such as reindeer and voles, can turn this negative effect into something positive.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/uu-rgp090117.php

Will European supermarkets act over Paraguay forest destruction?
No tropical forests anywhere in the world are being destroyed more rapidly than the Chaco stretching across Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay. Not the Amazon in Brazil, nor in Indonesia, Malaysia or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/-6766923627212644502

Universities must act now on sustainability goals
Tahl Kestin et al
Universities can contribute to the goals through education, research, innovation and leadership, but they need to get started now.
https://theconversation.com/universities-must-act-now-on-sustainability-goals-83037