Daily Links Jan 12

Where’s the proof climate change causes the polar vortex?
Merrill Matthews
Today, the “polar vortex” meteorological phenomenon has become one more pawn in the climate change debate.
http://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/368355-wheres-the-proof-climate-change-causes-the-polar-vortex

Business to fight big energy slug
Manufacturers have seen little relief from sharp hikes in electricity and gas prices, with some facing a potential tripling in electricity charges this year.
http://www.afr.com/business/manufacturing/more-energy-price-hikes-on-the-way-as-industrial-users-sweat-20180109-h0fym5

‘That is true’: Frydenberg concedes Australia’s emissions rose in 2017
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/climate-change-josh-frydenberg-concedes-australias-carbon-emissions-rose-in-2017-20180111-h0gmtp.html

Dark future: Australia has ‘missed the boat’ on nuclear power
http://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/australia-has-missed-the-boat-on-nuclear-power-20180111-p4yyeg.html

Forget Paris: Australia needs to stop pretending we’re tackling climate change
Nick Kilvert
As the Bureau of Meteorology confirms another record-breaking year for temperatures in Australia, where is the urgency in our climate policy?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-01-11/record-heat-bom-paris-targets/9310996

Banning plastic bags and building hydro-electricity schemes
Mike O’Connor
An environmental catastrophe has been averted and for this we must thank a request by Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson that plastic water bottles at senate hearings be banned
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/opinion-banning-plastic-bags-and-building-hydroelectricity-schemes-are-meaningless-gestures/news-story/bf6e958500074f0cb87bca545153c5d3

The global warming experiment we conduct at our peril
SMH editorial
The warming showing up in the averages at home and abroad is worrying enough.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/the-global-warming-experiment-we-conduct-at-our-peril-20180111-h0gmlo.html

PM lets Abbott sap his energy
Mark Butler
Industry knows we need to flick the switch to renewables, but politics holds us back.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/turnbull-lets-abbott-sap-his-energy-as-we-strive-for-a-clean-future/news-story/2f9ade27b7196fadb2028fd4e78bfcad

Why Sydney’s transport is doomed to fail its users
Michiel Bliemer
Sydneysiders could be forgiven for asking why they don’t have a subway like Paris or London, but that’s not the answer. Sydney’s transport problems are more complicated than that.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-11/sydney-rail-chaos-public-transport-nsw-subway-metro/9319908

Parliament to pump Lake Burley Griffin for water supply
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/parliament-house-to-pump-lake-burley-griffin-for-water-supply-in-5m-project-20180111-h0goo2.html

Fisheries officers remind cockle collectors of bag limits, after issuing 14 expiations
Recreational fishers are being reminded to obey pipi bag limits, after more than 14000 illegally caught cockles had to be returned to the ocean.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/fisheries-officers-remind-cockle-collectors-of-bag-limits-after-issuing-14-expiations-including-for-3900-pipi-found-in-one-car/news-story/1c753d6f0c1b259842b746296b392291

Labor and Liberal both welcome short-term population growth plan
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/labor-and-liberal-both-welcome-shortterm-population-growth-plan/news-story/fa929d0349a9b8b70aca7ce20fdbbd82

Snowy’s SA diesel plans go awry
Snowy Hydro has criticised a regulatory decision that blocks its plan to shift diesel generating units into SA to provide a more secure power supply.
http://www.afr.com/business/energy/electricity/snowy-hydros-plan-to-boost-generation-in-sa-thwarted-by-rule-change-20180109-h0fyn3

After an uncertain start, U.S. offshore wind is powering up
After years of delays, the U.S. offshore wind industry is finally gaining momentum, with new projects being planned along the Atlantic coast. So far, the Trump administration seems to be regarding offshore wind as one form of renewable energy it can support.
http://e360.yale.edu/features/after-an-uncertain-start-u-s-offshore-wind-is-powering-up

Dropping Florida from offshore drilling opens legal cracks in Zinke’s plan
The Trump administration wanted to open 90 percent of the U.S. coasts to offshore drilling. But with state opposition and potential legal challenges, can it succeed?
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10012018/trump-offshore-oil-drilling-leases-florida-legal-questions-zinke-california-new-york-oregon

Paul Fenn wants to give your electric company the boot
He’s spent a quarter century advocating for making power a local matter. Now communities that want more renewable energy can buy their own.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-09/paul-fenn-wants-to-give-your-electric-company-the-boot

Urban farms ‘critical’ to combat hunger and adapt to climate
They may look small scale, but rooftop farms, vertical gardens and allotments could prove crucial in fighting hunger in urban areas, researchers said Wednesday.
http://news.trust.org/item/20180111102522-tb51m/

Study: Amazon dams are disrupting ecologically vital flood pulses
Flood pulses, important to Amazon basin aquatic and terrestrial ecology, are being severely impacted by both large and small hydropower dams.
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/study-amazon-dams-are-disrupting-ecologically-vital-flood-pulses/

Big oil wary of Trump’s free rein
Donald Trump has fired the starting pistol, but don’t expect a race offshore from Big Oil companies.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/trumps-free-rein-on-offshore-drilling-fails-to-lure-big-oil/news-story/964095af95b4470affaf81bf328893aa

Students more engaged and attentive following outdoor lesson in nature
Following an outdoor lesson in nature, students were more engaged with their schoolwork, and their teachers could teach uninterrupted for almost twice as long.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/f-sme011118.php

Energy policy should focus on climate
Bloomberg editorial
Supporting coal makes no sense, but nuclear power should stay in the picture.
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-01-10/energy-policy-should-focus-on-climate

Sustainable shopping: is it possible to fly sustainably?
Andrew Glover RMIT University
https://theconversation.com/sustainable-shopping-is-it-possible-to-fly-sustainably-88636

Hiding from a warmer climate in the forest
When studying the effect of climate change on biodiversity, it is important to consider the climate near the ground (microclimate) which a plant or an animal actually experiences.
http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/53626

The ecological costs of war in Africa
When Josh Daskin traveled to Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park in 2012, its iconic large animals were returning from the brink of extinction.
http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/53620

Maintaining tiger connectivity and minimizing extinction into the next century
A recent study finds that protecting corridors is critical to preserving genetic diversity in tigers, and minimizing extinction
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/ncfb-mtc011118.php

New Hope for Critically Endangered Myanmar Snub-Nosed Monkey
Eight years after the discovery of a new primate species in Myanmar, scientists have released a new report revealing how the ‘snubby’ …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180111090700.htm