Daily Links Nov 8

Nicaragua climate politics in hot water over canal plan
Nicaragua was the only one of about 195 countries to reject outright the Paris deal, which it deemed too weak to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius
http://news.trust.org/item/20171106180801-xhbh1

How climate change drives child marriage.
Climate change makes already vulnerable girls even more so. As world leaders gather at the COP23 climate summit in Bonn this week, Lakshmi Sundaram of Girls Not Brides says child marriage must be on the agenda.
https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/11/06/how-climate-change-drives-child-marriage

Syria signs Paris climate agreement and leaves US isolated
Syria’s decision means America will be the only country outside the landmark deal if it follows through with Donald Trump’s vow to leave
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/07/syria-signs-paris-climate-agreement-and-leaves-us-isolated

China, EU step up to fill US climate gap
The United States is becoming isolated in its opposition to international action on climate change and other countries, especially China, are stepping up to fill the gap.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/china-eu-step-up-to-fill-us-climate-gap/news-story/aed0e800e46eab97eab4d0189929e4da

Trump not invited to Paris climate summit
French authorities say President Donald Trump is not among more than 100 world leaders invited to Paris for a climate summit next month.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/trump-not-invited-to-paris-climate-summit/news-story/c9c9bf593afccda1497e952a0f98045b

Understanding the “Emissions Gap” in 5 Charts
Kelly Levin & Taryn Fransen
Five charts that help explain the 2017 emissions gap report from UNEP.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/understanding-emissions-gap-5-charts-96938/

Five things that should happen at the Bonn climate talks but probably won’t
Matthew Paterson & Marc Hudson
This year’s climate talks in Bonn is not expected to be a deal-clinching, make-or-break one like Paris in 2015 or Copenhagen in 2009, but that doesn’t make it insignificant.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/five-things-happen-bonn-climate-talks-probably-wont-94212/

Warmest non El Nino year prediction can’t be ignored
Canberra Times editorial
Humanity is at a watershed where the last best hope for the planet appears to be phasing out fossil fuels in favour of the rapidly evolving renewable energy sector as quickly as possible.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/ct-editorial/worlds-warmest-non-el-nino-year-prediction-cant-be-ignored-20171107-gzgl3p.html

Farms urged to exit the grid
Power companies are offering farmers money to stay off the grid, as Victoria and South Australia face major power shortages this summer.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/power-shortage-farms-urged-to-exit-the-grid/news-story/98109455860877b845f8577e8a7b59a5

BHP opposes Minerals Council of Australia’s war on activist rights
Miner separates itself from call for environmental groups to be restricted to using 10% of funding for advocacy
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/08/bhp-opposes-minerals-council-of-australias-war-on-activist-rights

East coast gas fears resurface
East coast energy buyers are seeing a deterioration in the choice and terms of gas supply offers just weeks after government’s deal with exporters for additional local supplies
http://www.afr.com/business/energy/gas/industrial-energy-users-fear-relief-from-gas-deal-only-shortlived-20171106-gzg8cp

Desalination power outage sparks legal fight
A power outage that interrupted production at Melbourne’s desalination plant is now the subject of legal claims.
http://www.afr.com/business/mining/power-outage-sparks-desalination-claims-20171107-gzgb76

Barriers to prosperity: Red tape and the regulatory state in Australia
Institute of Public Affairs
This paper sets out the size and nature of Australia’s red tape problem and describes the opportunities available to policymakers to boost economic growth without further calls on the Australian taxpayer.
http://apo.org.au/node/118071

Is this the end for big wind and big solar in Australia?
Giles Parkinson
All eyes are on Victoria and the corporate sector for the future of large-scale renewables in Australia. With the renewable energy target now largely met, there is little else on offer for the pipeline of 20GW of wind and solar projects.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/end-big-wind-big-solar-australia-69238/

Clean up order issued for Hume rubbish dump
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/clean-up-order-issued-for-hume-rubbish-dump-20171103-gzedcj.html

Premier acted alone on decision to veto $1 billion Adani rail line loan
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-election-2017/premier-acted-alone-on-decision-to-veto-1-billion-adani-rail-line-loan/news-story/de6ac5a0397e289cf1c563b79b60e5fe

Loans, vetos, Annastacia Palaszczuk and Adani
Here is a guide to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s decision to axe Queensland’s support for the $900 million loan sought by Adani for a rail line.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland-election-2017/loans-vetos-annastacia-palaszczuk-and-adani-20171107-p4ywvp.html

LNP promises electricity rebates for farmers struggling with power cost
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland-election-2017/lnp-pledges-more-than-70-million-for-queensland-farmers-20171107-p4ywvh.html

Hunt for ‘super corals’ aims to help reefs survive
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/hunt-for-super-corals-aims-to-help-great-barrier-reef-survive-climate-change-20171106-gzfjtw.html

Bye Bye Borobi! Developer free-for-all to wipe out Gold Coast koalas in 5 years
The mascot of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games may have a grim future, with experts saying koalas “face extinction” within five years.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/bye-bye-borobi-developer-free-for-all-to-send-gold-coast-koalas-extinct-within-5-years,10905

Do-gooders putting chicks at risk
Cairns wildlife carers are urging anyone who sees a bird’s nest to leave it be and not remove any of the chicks.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns-gone-wild/fnq-wildlife-rescue-volunteers-warnings-in-baby-bird-season/news-story/25f63714cf421b31fe9fba346520914d

Queensland election 2017: Labor may form coalition with Greens
Annastacia Palaszczuk could form minority government with the Greens, who want to take tasers off police, ban coal exports and decriminalise drugs.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-election-2017/queensland-election-2017-labor-may-form-coalition-with-greens/news-story/73b4253096f1cb935828cd68b11cee66

Queensland election 2017: Greens deal risks showing true colours
Courier Mail editorial
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-election-2017/queensland-election-2017-editorial-greens-deal-risks-showing-true-colours/news-story/77254635785f9f3e4f82d877b034a5fa

Fracking report delayed until March
The final report into hydraulic fracturing has been delayed until March next year, the chair of the Scientific Inquiry looking at the process has announced
http://www.ntnews.com.au/business/fracking-report-delayed-until-march/news-story/5b73c7305789dac9e412bdd33af68d2e

Garnaut says WA could be energy superpower
http://www.theage.com.au/business/energy/ross-garnaut-says-wa-could-be-energy-superpower-20171106-gzfw5t.html

Mine job numbers in doubt
Census data has raised doubts about the number of Aborigines employed in Pilbara iron ore mining.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/census-data-shows-mining-jobs-for-aborigines-overstated/news-story/cfafd077ac0b2dd5b30cdc29602ea96e

Developing the science of nature as a public health resource
Before nature can truly be tapped as a public health resource, many critical research questions remain to be answered
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/ehp2613/

Absolutely shocking’: Niger Delta oil spills linked with infant deaths
Babies in Nigeria at double the risk of dying before they reach a month old if mothers lived near the scene of an oil spill before conceiving, study shows.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/nov/06/niger-delta-oil-spills-linked-infant-deaths

Bishops urge Church of England to divest from ExxonMobil over climate change
Group says church should show ‘moral leadership’ in light of claims that the oil giant misled the public over the risks of global warming
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/07/bishops-urge-church-of-england-to-divest-from-exxonmobil-over-climate-change

North Korea’s nuclear test site is ‘a wasteland with deformed babies’
North Korea’s underground nuclear test site has turned the surrounding area to wasteland and caused defects among newborn babies, defectors have reported.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/07/north-koreas-nuclear-tests-turn-area-wasteland-lead-deformed/

Bill Gates and China partner on world-first nuclear technology
http://www.theage.com.au/business/energy/bill-gates-and-china-partner-on-worldfirst-nuclear-technology-20171106-gzfrf0.html

Forget rice, dish up Aztec pigweed to help feed the world
As rising temperatures wreak havoc on farmers worldwide, scientists are seeking new ways to feed a population that is set to boom to 9.8 billion by 2050.
http://news.trust.org/item/20171106155623-ggeod/

Changing where crops are grown could feed an additional 825 million people, study finds
The world could feed an additional 825 million people, produce 10 percent more food calories, and grow 19 percent more protein simply by adjusting what crops are grown where, according to a new study in the journal Nature Geoscience.
http://e360.yale.edu/digest/changing-where-crops-are-grown-could-feed-additional-825-million-people-study-finds

Relocating Bus Stops Would Cut Riders’ Pollution Exposure, Study Finds
Moving bus stops away from intersections would substantially reduce the amount of pollution bus riders breathe, report …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171107113222.htm

Cities Can Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions Far Beyond Their Urban Borders
Greenhouse gas emissions caused by urban households’ purchases of goods and services from beyond city limits are much bigger than previously thought.
http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/53068

To cut pollution, LNG’s a real gas
Liquid natural gas is seen as the next clean, green fuel solution for heavy transport, at least in Europe where last week machinery giant CNH Industrial launched a new natural gas engine.
http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/machine/liquid-natural-gas-engine-launched-in-europe-but-australia-is-way-behind/news-story/1bb440ea5d5f6efb397b4a8a59661976

2 reasons solar is booming in Trump country: Price and energy independence
Here’s how solar companies like Silicon Ranch are helping drive renewable energy expansion in the conservative South ? without saying ‘climate change.’
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06112017/solar-south-trump-country-energy-independence-price-georgia-mississippi-alabama

Western wildfires undermining progress on air pollution
Smoke pollution is leading to serious public health impacts as large wildfires across the American West become more frequent and destructive.
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/report-wildfires-undermining-air-pollution-progress-21753

Farmers must stop antibiotics use in animals due to human health risk, warns WHO
Overuse of antibiotics in animals is contributing to growing drug resistance in humans with serious health implications, says global health body
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/07/farmers-must-stop-antibiotics-use-in-animals-due-to-human-health-risk-warns-who