Is it too late to save the world?
Jonathan Franzen
As the ice shelves crumble and the Twitter president threatens to pull out of the Paris accord, author Jonathan Franzen reflects on the role of the writer in times of crisis.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/04/jonathan-franzen-too-late-to-save-world-donald-trump-environment?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco
Today’s Celebration
Bonfire Night (Guy Fawkes Day) United Kingdom
Colon Day Panama
Cry of Independence Day El Salvador
International Volunteer Managers Day http://volunteermanagersday.org/
World Tsunami Awareness Day http://www.unisdr.org/2016/tsunamiday/
Orphan Sunday https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/orphan-sunday/
Zero Tasking Day https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/zero-tasking-day/
More about Nov 5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_5
Climate Change
What do Jellyfish teach us about climate change?
John Abraham
A new study shows that the biological effects of two ecosystem changes can be greater than their individual impacts
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/nov/03/what-do-jellyfish-teach-us-about-climate-change
Is it too late to save the world?
Jonathan Franzen
As the ice shelves crumble and the Twitter president threatens to pull out of the Paris accord, author Jonathan Franzen reflects on the role of the writer in times of crisis.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/04/jonathan-franzen-too-late-to-save-world-donald-trump-environment?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco
Victoria
Predicted West Gate Tunnel pollution seriously under-estimated, expert warns
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/predicted-west-gate-tunnel-pollution-seriously-underestimated-expert-warns-20171103-gzesbb.html
ACT
Renters call for landlords to go green
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberras-rental-property-landlords-need-incentives-to-install-solar-panels-20171104-gzex8o.html
Calls for bike-sharing service to be set up in Mitchell
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-bikesharing-should-be-set-up-in-mitchell-traders-association-argues-20171102-gzdczu.html
Queensland
Palaszczuk’s Adani loan veto decision ‘jeopardises mine project’
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision to not support a concessional Federal Government loan for the Adani coal mine could halt the multi-billion-dollar project, Northern Australia Minister Matt Canavan says.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-04/palaszczuks-adani-loan-veto-decision-jeopardises-mine-project/9118054
Projects pounded by Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Adani backflip
THE Government’s Adani backflip has the possibility of knocking over other major projects for north Queensland.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-election-2017/projects-pounded-by-annastacia-palaszczuks-adani-backflip/news-story/2f79ff77f21ee779df4037821864b3f2
Labor to reintroduce tree clearing laws
A re-elected Palaszczuk Labor government would reintroduce its tree-clearing legislation as well as offer “green bonds” to farmers.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/labor-to-reintroduce-tree-clearing-laws-20171104-p4ywt4.html
Nicholls pledges $1m to pipeline fund
THE LNP has continued their pitch to rural Queensland, promising money towards a water pipeline in the Lockyer Valley.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-election-2017/queensland-election-2017-rolling-coverage-of-the-campaign/news-story/75b4fa154f785c57fe2f2bb10cdcfc80
More coral bleaching feared for Great Barrier Reef in coming months
The next event, if it occurs, may not be as damaging as the previous two, but could ruin the chances of coral recovery
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/03/more-coral-bleaching-feared-for-great-barrier-reef-in-coming-months
Adani conflict of interest claim will be ‘severe test’ of Palaszczuk leadership
Chris O’Brien
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk must dig deep if she is to stay on the course that Labor strategists had set of daily policy pitches and smiling campaign appearances, while also facing another barrage of questions about the Adani mess.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-04/lnp-alp-election-analysis-queensland-adani-conflict/9117562
South Australia
Liberals reveal plan to fix South Australia’s ‘broken’ Natural Resources Management scheme
THE Liberal Party will appeal to ratepayers slugged millions of dollars in increased land taxes when it unveils a plan today to cap the Natural Resources Management Levy.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/liberals-reveal-plan-to-fix-south-australias-broken-natural-resources-management-scheme/news-story/4b4ee868e9b3a1d950640ccfd78eca2d
Adelaide Metro data reveals which bus, train and tram services are likely to run late
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/adelaide-metro-data-reveals-which-bus-train-and-tram-services-are-likely-to-run-late/news-story/30e51dca8192bfa39cac2f12d49a5a55
SA’s giant infrastructure wishlist: Adelaide Airport, outback roads and rail line to Aldinga among Canberra cash request
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sas-giant-infrastructure-wishlist-adelaide-airport-outback-roads-and-rail-line-to-aldinga-among-canberra-cash-request/news-story/c8ad32a8c8e67ac0c84e5745d7d5e917
Tasmania
Labor candidate Joanna Siejka leads the Pembroke by-election
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/5034544/labor-candidate-joanna-siejka-leads-the-pembroke-by-election/?cs=95
Pile-up alarm over war on soft plastic
Record numbers of Tasmanians are joining the war on waste, with soft plastic for recycling piling up at supermarkets where disposal rates have spiked massively.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/pileup-alarm-over-war-on-soft-plastic/news-story/92dd954af89c42659784a26379b95b40
Farming to save wild brumbies
An organic farming couple in the Huon Valley is not only saving plants with a history, but also wild horses.
http://www.themercury.com.au/lifestyle/tasmanian-organic-farmers-working-to-save-the-wild-brumbies/news-story/e168846997dfcf7b0af0ef1877ceb82f
Northern Territory
Aboriginal rangers unite to protect Australia’s largest wooded swampland
More than 20 Aboriginal clans in the Northern Territory band together to create a 10-year plan to manage Australia’s largest wooded swampland and other pristine environments.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-04/aboriginal-rangers-unite-protect-australias-largest-wooded-swamp/9117834
Western Australia
Coral bleaching badly affected reefs of Kimberley, study finds
Up to 80% of Kimberley’s inshore reef bleached in El Niño heatwave of 2016, with about 29% of the coral at Rottnest, off Perth, also affected
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/04/coral-bleaching-badly-affected-reefs-of-kimberley-study-finds
Sustainability
The New Coal Crisis
By loosening environmental regulations, Trump risks making a serious public-health hazard critical.
https://newrepublic.com/article/145425/new-coal-crisis-loosening-environmental-regulations-trump-risks-making-health-hazard-critical
One woman’s crusade to help stop the tsunami of plastic suffocating our planet
Lainie Anderson
Why does everything (right down to individually peeled oranges) need to be surrounded in plastic these days?
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/lainie-anderson-one-womans-crusade-to-help-stop-the-tsunami-of-plastic-suffocating-our-planet/news-story/037e89cc10c89ea7ffef46ad8e095140
Nature Conservation
‘For us, the land is sacred’: on the road with the defenders of the world’s forests
A busload of indigenous leaders have been crossing Europe to highlight their cause before the start of UN climate talks in Bonn
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/04/bonn-climate-conference-on-the-road-with-defenders-of-the-forest
Why are talks over an East Antarctic marine park still deadlocked?
Cassandra Brooks University of Colorado
https://theconversation.com/why-are-talks-over-an-east-antarctic-marine-park-still-deadlocked-86681
Maelor Himbury