Daily LInks Nov 2

The fingerprints of coastal carbon sinks
Improved technique measures carbon storage in wet mangroves
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/asoa-tfo103117.php

Intensifying winds could increase east Antarctica’s contribution to sea level rise
Totten Glacier, the largest glacier in East Antarctica, is being melted from below by warm water that reaches the ice when winds over the ocean are strong — a cause for concern because the glacier holds more than 11 feet of sea level rise and acts as a plug that helps lock in the ice of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/uota-iwc103117.php

To close climate goals gap: drop coal, ramp up renewables — fast, UN says
A new UNEP report shows that the gap between the climate promises countries made at Paris and the emissions cuts needed is larger than previously thought.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/31102017/unep-report-paris-climate-gap-coal-phase-out-renewable-energy-emissions-cuts-needed

Could the Neolithic Revolution offer evidence of best ways to adapt to climate change?
Human behaviour during the last intense period of global warming might offer an insight into how best to adapt to current climate change, a study suggests.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/uop-ctn103117.php

Fossil fuel companies undermining Paris agreement negotiations – report
Report says outcomes of climate negotiations have been skewed to favour biggest corporate polluters
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/01/fossil-fuel-companies-undermining-paris-agreement-negotiations-report

Extreme weather leads to public health crises – so health and climate experts must work together
Aparna Lal, Australian National University and Rebecca Colvin, Australian National University
Extreme weather events are inevitably followed by disease outbreaks. So why not team health professionals with climate experts?
http://theconversation.com/extreme-weather-leads-to-public-health-crises-so-health-and-climate-experts-must-work-together-83783

Network Opportunity Maps to pave way to smart, renewable grid
A web-based interactive map – dubbed the Uber of the electricity market – will help pave the way for a smart and renewable grid.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/network-opportunity-maps-to-pave-way-to-smart-renewable-grid-28692/

The tough choice Australia has to make about coal
A new report has highlighted why Australia needs to change but is this precarious outlook enough to make the country alter its course?
http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/mining/the-tough-choice-australia-has-to-make-about-coal/news-story/da40ba40d656a563cf602304a551b9b3

‘Toxic intervention’: Turnbull slammed over energy crisis
http://www.theage.com.au/business/energy/finkel-review-will-lead-to-energy-sector-nationalisation-economist-says-20171101-gzcibs.html

Calls for NEM 2.0 as Finkel defends his review
http://www.theage.com.au/business/energy/finkel-review-will-lead-to-energy-sector-nationalisation-economist-says-20171101-gzcibs.html

Nuke ban at UN riles miners
The Minerals Council of Australia has slammed the UN for blocking the nuclear ­industry from a clean energy forum.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/nuclear-ban-at-un-summit-riles-miners/news-story/5ad7fd0028f64c9d7eca45749d5ea638

Time for Australia to wake up to scale and pace of clean energy transition
Giles Parkinson
Billionaires get it. A million households get it. And so do thousands of businesses. So why does Australia’s government – and its principal regulators – fail to understand that the way to a cheaper, cleaner and more reliable grid is with more renewables, not less.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/time-for-australia-to-wake-up-to-scale-and-pace-of-clean-energy-transition-49862/

Why do shark bites seem to be more deadly in Australia than elsewhere?
Blake Chapman, The University of Queensland
Fatal shark bites are very rare. But the stats do suggest that the likelihood of an attack proving fatal is higher in Australia – probably because our waters are home to the “big three” dangerous species.
http://theconversation.com/why-do-shark-bites-seem-to-be-more-deadly-in-australia-than-elsewhere-85986

Major tennis centre ‘threatened by North East Link’
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/major-tennis-centre-will-be-demolished-by-north-east-link-route-says-council-20171101-gzcx3w.html

Supreme Court shuts down plan to log untouched forest
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/supreme-court-shuts-down-andrews-government-plan-to-log-untouched-forest-20171101-gzcjtl.html

Alinta set for Loy Yang B victory
Speculation is mounting that Alinta Energy has ousted China Resources in the competition for the power station.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/dataroom/alinta-energy-set-for-loy-yang-b-victory/news-story/0daa5cb6914f828965984a84205bd011

Hurrah, these turbines won’t be blowing in the wind
Terry McCrann
IT’S one small step for the people living around Penshurst in western Victoria, it’s one giant leap for sane people right across Victoria and indeed Australia. The otherwise useless landscape-polluting and bird-slaughtering wind farm proposed for that area has been abandoned.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/terry-mccrann/terry-mccrann-these-turbines-wont-be-blowing-in-the-wind/news-story/c4041cf5e798d84fb064b95f2f41ecba

Lucy Turnbull’s three-city vision conflicts with the reasoning behind WestConnex
Chris Johnson
We need to question whether the three-city, 30-minute commute approach promoted by the GSC aligns with the concept of connecting the west to the jobs-rich east that is the essence of WestConnex.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/lucy-turnbulls-threecity-vision-conflicts-with-the-reasoning-behind-westconnex-20171030-gzbd1s.html

Greens pledge flat $1 fare for Queensland public transport
Adults should pay only a flat $1 fare for public transport in Queensland and people under the age of 18 should travel free, the Greens say, under their state election transport policy.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-01/qld-election-greens-pledge-flat-1-dollar-fare-public-transport/9107922

Greens plan to make mines and developers pay for $1 transport fares
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/greens-plan-to-make-mines-and-developers-pay-for-1-transport-fares-20171101-p4ywr9.html

Firms fear LNP will dump Cross River Rail, damage investor confidence
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/state-election-looms-as-yet-another-referendum-on-cross-river-rail-20171031-p4ywqn.html

Farmers’ fury at plans to re-introduce land clearing bill
Labor has promised to reintroduce land clearing laws if it wins the next election but farming groups were unimpressed.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/farmers-fury-at-plans-to-re-introduce-land-clearing-bill-20171101-p4ywre.html

‘It doesn’t make sense’: Council under fire for pumping $19m into Adani airstrip
Townsville’s Mayor says ratepayers will get value for money when the council funds an airstrip for the proposed Adani coal mine. But the decision has come under fire from locals, who say the company could “afford at least two dozen of them and then gold plate them”.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-01/adani-coal-mine-townsville-city-council-under-fire-over-airstrip/9103492

Downer faces prickly AGM as activists protest Adani
Downer’s AGM will be disrupted by protests against its involvement in Adani’s Carmichael coal mine.
http://www.afr.com/business/downer-edi-faces-prickly-agm-as-activists-protest-adani-coal-mine-contract-20171101-gzcg1r

Palaszczuk refutes claim report backs case for new coal-fired power
Queensland premier refuses to be drawn on reports a Labor candidate said Carmichael coalmine would not proceed
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/nov/01/palaszczuk-refutes-claim-report-backs-case-for-new-coal-fired-power

North Queensland coal plant: What the report really says about prices
http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/coal-plant-only-viable-if-high-electricity-prices-remain-consultants-20171101-p4ywrf.html

‘I’m not ashamed’: Adani exec defends controversial mine
http://www.theage.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/im-not-ashamed-adani-exec-defends-controversial-queensland-mine-project-20171101-gzcpb2.html

Queensland election 2017: Labor candidate ‘undermines’ Adani
A Labor candidate has been caught red-handed unwittingly telling a journalist the Adani coalmine would not go ahead.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-election-2017/queensland-election-2017-labor-candidate-undermines-adani/news-story/41898968e25555e18ec1553138df90e8

Nervous wait for reef weather forecasts
Scientists are nervously awaiting weather forecasts for the Great Barrier Reef, fearing a third consecutive mass coral bleaching event could devastate the natural wonder in coming months.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/scientists-nervously-awaiting-weather-forecasts-for-great-barrier-reef-this-summer-fearing-bleaching/news-story/f7ab6c8ff4380646f2cab309feb4f749

New Vintage eyes Galilee gas
Beach Energy alumni Reg Nelson and Neil Gibbins’s Vintage Energy has inked a $8.5m deal to tap into Galilee Basin gas.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/reg-nelson-and-neil-gibbinss-fledgling-firm-seeks-funds-to-farm-into-galilee-gas/news-story/bb7bebfa744b82622e5d35b57f28a360

Premier’s $134m tourism announcement
Luring cruise ships, direct international flights and the revival of cyclone-damaged Great Barrier Reef resorts are at the heart of a $134 million tourism pledge by the Premier.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/premier-says-a-reelected-labor-government-would-set-aside-25-million-to-rejuvenate-reef-resorts-in-the-wake-of-cyclone-debbie/news-story/5e34fee78b7b9c6d5615497fc5bae246

How you can make your dead body environmentally friendly
A Brisbane-based mathematician is hoping Australians with an eco-friendly approach in life will continue that stance into death, by donating traditional funeral costs, to conservation efforts.
http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/how-you-can-make-your-dead-body-environmentally-friendly-20171101-p4ywrh.html

The Adani problem will haunt Palaszczuk’s election campaign
John Quiggin
Queensland Labor sits in the uncomfortable position of pleasing neither the pro- nor anti-Adani camps
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/01/the-adani-problem-will-haunt-palaszcsuks-election-campaign

The pulp mill is over: State Growth Minister Peter Gutwein
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/5028999/the-pulp-mill-is-over-state-growth-minister-peter-gutwein/?cs=95

Tassie devils get smart – and buffed
Tasmanian devils have finally developed some road sense — but they have also proven you can run 700km and still gain weight.
http://www.themercury.com.au/lifestyle/tasmanian-devils-get-road-smart-while-they-pack-on-the-muscle/news-story/2738a78ca2a8afa29b7ce212cff84dfc

Deadline looms on takeover of water and sewerage
Tony Foster
Tasmanians will pay more under State Government plan to take over TasWater
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/talking-point-deadline-looms-on-takeover-of-water-and-sewerage/news-story/63c4695baabf5a46c1cb786bdc188b2f

A history of disrespect atop the rock
Three Australians are currently facing charges relating to their climb of Uluru last year, and the case is not the only one that has stirred controversy at the sacred site.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-01/uluru-a-history-of-disrespect-atop-the-rock/9107750

Thousands of turtles victims of plastic fishing nets polluting Gulf of Carpentaria
Plastic fishing nets, some the size of football fields, are washing up on Australia’s northern coastline, slowly killing endangered turtles and creating a “global hotspot” for plastic pollution.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-02/plastic-fishing-nets-turtles-australian-coast/9109590

Feral animals pose major threat to Outback, climate change study finds
Australia has lost about 30 mammal species since European arrival
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/uos-fap110117.php

Closing Uluru to climbers the right move
Jill Poulsen
Finally, Uluru has been closed to climbers. Every Territorian, and indeed Australian should be jumping for joy
http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/opinion/jill-poulsen-closing-uluru-to-climbers-the-right-decision/news-story/d41d3e2d1076c81434b8da7e163489d5

Air Pollution is Associated with Cancer Mortality Beyond Lung Cancer
In a new large-scale prospective study led by the Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGlobal), researchers observed an association between some air pollutants and mortality from kidney, bladder and colorectal cancer.
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/53008

Birmingham And East African Partners Lead The Battle On Air Pollution: Urban Africa’s Silent Killer
An alliance of African and British experts are studying the growth of cities in East Africa in a bid to understand how to save lives at risk from air pollution – one of the biggest killers in urban Africa.
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/53010

Rutgers-led research could revolutionize nuclear waste reprocessing and save money
A ‘molecular trap’ for capturing radioactive iodides in nuclear waste
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/ru-rrc103017.php

Discarded Cigarette Butts: The Next High Performing Hydrogen Storage Material?
Discarded cigarette butts are a major waste disposal and environmental pollution hazard. But chemists have discovered that cigarette butt-derived …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/10/171031120514.htm

Exxon will pay $2.5 million for pollution at Gulf Coast plants
In a settlement with the Justice Department and the E.P.A., the company also agreed to spend $300 million to upgrade technology at eight facilities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/31/climate/exxon-fine.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate

How Monsanto captured the EPA—and twisted science—to keep glyphosate on the market
This must read, two-year investigation by Valerie Brown and the late Elizabeth Grossman found “incontrovertible evidence that Monsanto has exerted deep influence over EPA decisions since glyphosate first came on the market—via Roundup—more than 40 years ago.”
http://www.ehn.org/how-monsanto-captured-the-epa-and-twisted-science-to-keep-glyphosate-on-the-market-2504963425.html

11-year old girl creates a device to test for water contamination—wins America’s Top Young Scientist  Challenge
Inspired by the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, Rao created an easier and speedy way to test water for lead.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/uplift/11-year-old-girl-creates-a-kit-to-test-lead_2345730.html

Pesticide residue on fruits and veggies tied to infertility
Women who eat more fruits and vegetables with high levels of pesticide residue may be less likely to get pregnant.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-infertility-pesticides/pesticide-residue-on-fruits-and-veggies-tied-to-infertility-idUKKBN1D02WU

Losses from Northern California wildfires top $3 billion; 14,000 homes destroyed or damaged
California’s insurance commissioner said the wildfires that ravaged wine country this month caused at least $3 billion in insured losses and warned the figure will likely grow as more claims are reported by insurers.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-california-wildfire-insurance-claims-20171031-story.html

US federal trade panel calls for restrictions on imported solar cells — which Trump could soon implement
The ruling advances restrictions on foreign solar panels, and could soon leave the decision in Trump’s hands.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/10/31/federal-trade-panel-calls-for-protections-against-imported-solar-panels-which-trump-could-soon-implement/?utm_term=.2d8672e1c4ec

Nobel laureates demand justice for slain Honduran activist Berta Caceres
Caceres led a decades-long campaign against the construction of the a hydroelectric dam that she said threatened to destroy the livelihoods of indigenous people.
http://news.trust.org/item/20171031174048-5x61c/

Where do 50 million tons a year of toxic e-waste go?
Baher Kamal
Each year, the electronics industry generates up to 41 million tons of e-waste, but as the number of consumers rises, and the lifespan of devices shrinks in response to demand for the newest and best, that figure could reach 50 million tons this year.
https://towardfreedom.com/archives/environment/50-million-tons-year-toxic-e-waste-go/

Higher density in a flood zone? Here’s a way to do it and reduce the risks
Rob Roggema, University of Technology Sydney
A massive residential development in a flood-prone inner-city suburb sounds like a recipe for disaster. But good urban design can deliver higher density and reduce the flood risk.
http://theconversation.com/higher-density-in-a-flood-zone-heres-a-way-to-do-it-and-reduce-the-risks-86608

Climate change could decrease Sun’s ability to disinfect lakes
An increase in extreme rainfall makes it more difficult for UV light to kill pathogens
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/rpi-ccc110117.php

An early Christmas present: Scientists have unwrapped the reindeer genome
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/oupu-aec110117.php

Zebra ‘poo science’ improves conservation efforts
How can Zebra poo tell us what an animal’s response to climate change and habitat destruction will be?
That is what scientists from The University of Manchester and Chester Zoo have been investigating in South Africa.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/uom-zs110117.php

U of G researchers provide fisheries a solution to overharvesting
U of G researchers have developed a model that allows fisheries to net enough to meet rising consumer demand while ensuring adequate income and replenishment of natural stocks.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/uog-uog110117.php

Can corals adapt to climate change?
Cool-water corals can adapt to a slightly warmer ocean, but only if global greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. That’s according to a study published November 1 in the journal Science Advances of genetic adaptation and the likely effects of future warming on tabletop corals in the Cook Islands.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/uoc–cca102717.php

Sea change
The Arctic Ocean is beginning to look and act more like the Atlantic. It’s a shift that threatens to upend an entire food web built on frigid waters.
http://www.biographic.com/posts/sto/sea-change

Corals eat plastic because we’ve made it tasty, study suggests
Plastic trash contains chemicals that trick animals into thinking junk is food, laboratory trials reveal.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/10/30/corals-eat-plastic-because-weve-made-it-tasty-study-suggests/?utm_term=.9ee68f9b1ee6

Climate change could reduce number of valuable Maritime trees, ecologist says
Some of the most lucrative trees in the Acadian forest will start to disappear if nothing is done to halt climate change, says a forest ecologist with Natural Resources Canada.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-acadian-forest-trees-climate-change-anthony-taylor-1.4380349

Colombia’s land battles shatter the peace in Cauca Valley
Pictures
As the peace deal opens up new areas to extractive industries, a long-running fight for land and the environment has erupted anew as indigenous communities try to reclaim their territory
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2017/nov/01/colombias-land-battles-shatter-the-peace-in-cauca-valley-in-pictures