Daily Links Oct 4

Shunning fossil fuels, 40 Catholic groups seek climate action.
Forty Roman Catholic groups said on Tuesday they were shunning investments in fossil fuels and urged others to follow suit.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/1251925125133574118

Rio Tinto backs China on ETS
China’s adoption of an emissions trading scheme should give others confidence to take action on climate change, says Rio executive.
http://www.afr.com/business/mining/coal/rio-tinto-backs-china-ets-josh-frydenberg-says-it-wont-affect-policy-20171003-gytexf

Win-Win Strategies for Climate and Food Security
Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the agriculture and forestry sectors could lead to increased food prices — but new research identifies strategies that could …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171002084847.htm

Forget the Paris agreement. The real solution to climate change is in the U.S. tax code.
Tim Mcdonnell Washington Post
Hundreds of U.S. oil fields would never go into production without subsidies, a study says
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/1195107355338416641

Graph of the Day: How wind energy trumped Liddell in September
Australia wind farms enjoy record output in September, with average capacity factor of 49.5% – significantly more than the Liddell coal generator.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/graph-of-the-day-how-wind-energy-trumped-liddell-in-september-47953/

We’re at risk of 50C summers, study warns
MELBOURNE and Sydney risk eventually experiencing 50C summer days even if the Paris Agreement global warming cap of 2C is met, a new study warns.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/melbourne-at-risk-of-50c-summers-study-warns/news-story/e85be1154cc60fe590e758b1c9bf96ec

Reforms to reduce power costs
Consumer groups and the regulator back legislation to scrap a review process that has added $11bn to power bills.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/support-for-reforms-could-help-lower-power-costs/news-story/a18452a8207d55928164914445e214eb

Exporters vow cheap local gas
East coast gas exporters have committed to provide reasonably priced gas to fill any short-term gas shortage.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/exporters-promise-to-supply-cheap-domestic-gas/news-story/ade6d2be05862f214303665f00d3b2ce

China’s emissions trading scheme puts Australian companies on notice
The launch of China’s national carbon market could also harm the competitiveness of Australian products
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/oct/04/chinas-emissions-trading-scheme-puts-australian-companies-on-notice

Greens propose new energy storage target to drive switch to renewables
Policy includes target of 20 gigawatts by 2030, is modelled on the renewable energy target and contains incentives for households and small business
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/oct/04/greens-propose-new-energy-storage-target-to-drive-switch-to-renewables

Hidden benefits of Australia’s coastline: seawater power
http://www.theage.com.au/business/energy/new-study-shows-sea-could-be-sustainable-energy-source-20171002-gyt5uq.html

Miners leave themselves open to corruption, report finds
http://www.smh.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/miners-leave-themselves-open-to-corruption-report-finds-20171003-gythoa.html

AER levels $100,000 in fines over life support power failures
Power companies that cut electricity to people on life support, in breach of supply rules, have been handed fines of $20,000 for each incident.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/energy/aer-levels-100000-in-fines-over-life-support-power-failures-20171003-gytd3t.html

Stuck in traffic? Road congestion in Sydney and Melbourne
Grattan Institute
This report argues that road congestion charges should be introduced in Sydney and Melbourne, as both cities face traffic gridlock in the future unless decisive action is taken to manage congestion.
http://apo.org.au/node/112566

Australian household electricity prices may be 25% higher than official reports
Bruce Mountain
https://theconversation.com/australian-household-electricity-prices-may-be-25-higher-than-official-reports-84681

For whom the bell tolls: cats kill more than a million Australian birds every day
John Woinarski et al
https://theconversation.com/for-whom-the-bell-tolls-cats-kill-more-than-a-million-australian-birds-every-day-85084

Driverless vehicles could bring out the best – or worst – in our cities by transforming land use
Tan Yigitcanlar et al
https://theconversation.com/driverless-vehicles-could-bring-out-the-best-or-worst-in-our-cities-by-transforming-land-use-84127

Trump gives Turnbull blueprint to defend coal and “fight the future”
Giles Parkinson
He may already had one, but prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has just been given a blueprint by the Trump administration on how to protect dirty “baseload” coal, and extend his fight against the energy future.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/trump-gives-turnbull-blueprint-to-defend-coal-and-fight-the-future-23157/

Know your NEM: Gas deal underlines attraction of renewables
David Leitch
Origin gas deal underlines one of the main advantages of renewables: they provide security against rising fossil fuel prices.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/know-nem-gas-deal-underlines-attraction-renewables-70783/

We lose as Pearson leaves
Janet Albrechtsen
Thanks to Brendan Pearson, more people understand that coal-fired baseload power is the key to our living standards.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/janet-albrechtsen/bhp-wins-coal-loses-as-brendan-pearson-leaves-minerals-council/news-story/4a4ddf5646136196386dbaf9e6a1850c

Park not so Great, say Nats
THE Great Forest National Park will not go ahead if the Victorian Coalition is elected next year, Nationals leader Peter Walsh has declared.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/great-forest-national-park-not-so-great-say-nationals/news-story/6bb3ba64c3250f1bf9c201fc494c49b3

Scared into gas ban
VICTORIA’s Coalition was “scared to lose seats” when it called for a 2020 ban on ­onshore conventional gas, the Nationals’ former Upper House leader has said.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/onshore-conventional-gas-victorian-coalition-scared-into-gas-ban/news-story/da9b64122ec070cffbedd5569c98b9fd

Re-used car batteries to power homes
A MELBOURNE start-up business will launch groundbreaking technology to re-purpose used car batteries for use as behind-the-meter household energy storage.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/used-car-batteries-set-to-store-solar-power-for-new-generation-of-homes/news-story/42dcf0dadbeb365bd387b8a4c01f7102

Is this the end for BRT in Doncaster?
Alan Davies
The Victorian Government won’t say why it’s turned down a proposal from a private company to build a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system from Doncaster to the city centre
https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2017/10/03/end-brt-doncaster/

Queensland Government, local businesses defend Adani amid serious allegations
The Queensland Government and business groups are defending the proposed Carmichael coal mine despite damning allegations aired last night against the company behind it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-03/queensland-government-defends-adani-amid-damning-allegations/9010532

Gas controls raise world LNG prices
Asian LNG spot prices have spiked 35pc in the past month as the prospect of Queensland’s LNG exporters selling all their surplus gas at home bites.
http://www.afr.com/business/energy/gas/lng-prices-surge-as-asia-banks-on-queensland-selling-surplus-gas-at-home-20171003-gytbnv

Green light for yellow bikes
IT’S the yellow bicycle-share sensation that has been a success at every destination it’s landed — The Chinese start-up hopes Adelaide is next.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/chinese-bikeshare-company-ofo-launches-in-adelaide/news-story/63e4a05d1733e4f2bd58239b1deffc30

Oldest known orange-bellied parrot surprises researchers with return home
A nine-year-old orange-bellied parrot that was hatched in southern Tasmania and has crossed Bass Strait about 20 times, defies the odds to make it back and hopefully boost the species’ chance of avoiding extinction.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-03/oldest-orange-bellied-parrot-back-for-breeding/9011536

Mining rehabilitation to be scrutinised
A parliamentary inquiry on mining rehabilitation will be heard in Burnie next week.
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/4963278/mining-rehabilitation-to-be-scrutinised/?cs=95

Hot or not, UV is already a danger
TASMANIA may not be in the full swing of summer just yet but UV protection is already necessary, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
http://www.themercury.com.au/lifestyle/hot-or-not-bureau-of-meteorology-says-uv-is-already-a-danger/news-story/c7e8ab3a60809c9c1f8525d2a06a41ec

Licence system a step towards better fish farm regulation
Cassy O’Connor
There are better ways to address the plastic curtain
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/talking-point-licence-system-a-step-towards-better-fish-farm-regulation/news-story/ecfc3216872a379876202aa3f67aa354

Trump may have found paths to save coal and hobble clean energy.
President Donald Trump may soon have a chance to prove wrong the notion that economics will kill the U.S. coal industry and keep clean energy thriving.
http://www.dailyclimate.org/t/1195107355338416657

How humans are causing deadly earthquakes.
Mining, dam building, and fracking are among the causes.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/1195107355338416662

NREL, Johns Hopkins SAIS Develop Method to Quantify Life Cycle Land Use of Electricity from Natural Gas
A case study of the Barnett Shale region in Texas, where hydraulic fracturing was first implemented, for the first time provides quantifiable information on the life cycle land use of generating electricity from natural gas based on physical measurements instead of using assumptions and averages that were previously used for evaluation.
http://www.enn.com/energy/article/52740

Using outer space to help cool buildings on Earth.
Using a phenomenon known as radiative sky cooling, a team of Stanford researchers has developed rooftop panels that could be used to passively cool buildings
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/1195107355338416650

New Efficient Catalyst for Key Step in Artificial Photosynthesis
Chemists have designed a new ‘single-site’ catalyst that speeds up the rate of a key step in artificial photosynthesis
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171003111122.htm

Why eating grass-fed beef isn’t going to help fight climate change.
Environmentally friendly beef is a myth, according to a new report.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/1251925125133574129

Ban of herbicide could benefit agriculture prices.
Shelley Goldberg Bloomberg View
A debate over the weed killer dicamba could end up limiting the use of agriculture herbicides and result in winners and losers among chemical companies and farmers.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/t/1251925125133574140

Durian industry could suffer without the endangered fruit bat
Scientists have discovered that Southeast Asia’s endangered fruit bats – commonly known as flying foxes – play an important part in the pollination of the iconic and economically important durian tree.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-10/uon-dic100317.php

Footage shows young elephants being captured in Zimbabwe for Chinese zoos
Rare footage of the capture of wild young elephants in Zimbabwe shows rough treatment of the calves as they are sedated and taken away
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/03/exclusive-footage-shows-young-elephants-being-captured-in-zimbabwe-for-chinese-zoos