Bioeconomy: A global trend?
Several nations are investing in a bio-based economy to slash carbon footprints. At a recent summit, experts point out how more work is needed to realize bioeconomy’s potential as a climate solution.
http://www.dw.com/en/bioeconomy-a-global-trend/a-42070141
Today’s Celebration
Economic Liberation Day Togo
Beer Can Appreciation Day https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/beer-can-appreciation-day/
Talk Like A Grizzled Prospector Day https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/talk-like-a-grizzled-prospector-day/
Belly Laugh Day https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/belly-laugh-day/
More about Jan 24 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_24
Climate Change
Cleaning up air pollution may strengthen global warming
Pollution in the atmosphere is having an unexpected consequence, scientists say—it’s helping to cool the climate, masking some of the global warming that’s occurred so far.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cleaning-up-air-pollution-may-strengthen-global-warming/
How engineering Earth’s climate could seriously imperil life
Seeding the atmosphere with sulfur could keep temperature from rising—but once we stop, the backlash could destroy entire species.
https://www.wired.com/story/how-engineering-earths-climate-could-seriously-imperil-life/
It’s the big new idea for stopping climate change — but it has huge environmental problems of its own
Scientists say burning plants for energy and capturing the carbon, at a large scale, could cross key “planetary boundaries.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/01/22/a-technology-many-hoped-would-fight-climate-change-would-cause-even-bigger-environmental-problems-scientists-say/
France to revise carbon emissions target after missing 2016 goal
France will revise its carbon emissions target by the end of this year to align it with its pledges in the Paris climate agreement after failing to meet the goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in 2016, the ecology minister said on Monday.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-carbon-emissions/france-to-revise-carbon-emissions-target-after-missing-2016-goal-idUSKBN1FB2W0
The climate solution no-one in Davos will be talking about
Ian Lefond and Timmons Robers
At Davos, the world’s economic elite will make much of climate crisis and their desire to green global capitalism; but will ignore one of the most
http://reneweconomy.com.au/climate-solution-no-one-davos-will-talking-10226/
The billionaire’s guide to surviving global warming – with Ian the Climate Denialist Potato
First Dog on the Moon
Here are some things you can do to make climate change even less inconvenient – also fun!
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/22/the-billionaires-guide-to-surviving-global-warming-with-ian-the-climate-denialist-potato
National
Minerals Council steps up coal advocacy despite BHP call for neutrality
MCA publicises report asking governments to commit similar resources to carbon capture and storage as to renewables
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/23/minerals-council-steps-up-coal-advocacy-despite-bhp-call-for-neutrality
Meet the pioneers in the war on waste, creating treasure from trash
From micro-factories to earthships, these pioneers are turning waste into valuable commodities.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-01-24/meet-the-pioneers-in-the-war-on-waste/9329038
Energy operator’s ‘fast change’ scenario to slash emissions
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australias-energy-operator-proposes-fast-change-scenario-to-cut-emissions-by-52-per-cent-by-2030-20180123-h0mp6x.html
Climate science PhDs in hot demand
The ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science says its 100 per cent PhD employment rate is due to its graduate director.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/climate-science-institutes-graduate-director-puts-phds-in-jobs/news-story/32fbb9711bcc05c62410eaafdfcb8842
Australian solar database – 161 projects, and 19GW of capacity
Giles Parkinson and Warwick Johnston
New database launched by RenewEconomy and Sunwiz shows 161 large scale solar projects completed or in the pipeline, representing some 19GW of potential capacity.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/australian-solar-database-161-projects-and-19gw-of-capacity-79494/
Electoral Disclosure and Funding Reform: An Explainer
Seak-King Huang, Principal at Prolegis Lawyers, explains what the proposed Electoral Disclosure and Funding Reform means and why charities and NFPs should be concerned.
https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2018/01/electoral-disclosure-funding-reform-explainer/
Silencing the Poor
Kasy Chambers
By attacking charities and their ability to advocate, we’re creating a society where only those with power and access to start with have the ability to influence policy
https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2018/01/silencing-the-poor/
Australia’s ‘electric car revolution’ won’t happen automatically
Graciela Metternicht and Gail Broadbent
Electric cars might finally be having their moment in Australia, but falling costs alone won’t convert consumer sentiment into actual sales.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/australias-electric-car-revolution-wont-happen-automatically-25319/
No togetherness in Frydenberg’s electric car dreams
Bernard Keane
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/01/23/electric-cars-culture-war-josh-frydenberg/
Don’t shoot the climate change messenger
Emma Johnston and Alex Sen Gupta
Today, when our weather forecasters tell us a heatwave is coming, we can be quietly confident of the time it will arrive and the temperatures that will be reached.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/dont-shoot-the-climate-change-messenger-20180123-h0mpzo.html
Clean cars don’t need subsidies
Australian editorial
Taxpayers’ funds are used too often to try to pick winners.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/editorials/clean-car-subsidy-push-could-cause-electric-blue/news-story/64a7f96563a5ec61a6570b695a8a598d
Victoria
Debate rises over Victorian judiciary attack
The Victorian Bar has become the latest to go on record condemning recent political attacks on the Victorian judiciary, however some in the legal prof…
https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/wig-chamber/22589-debate-rises-over-victorian-judiciary-attack
Young Australian of the Year nominee Georgie Stone has brother Harry’s backing
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/inner-south/young-australian-of-the-year-nominee-georgie-stone-has-brother-harrys-backing/news-story/3bbb63c21f80e44f4cdde75efa021ea2
New South Wales
Kangaroo conundrum: When to cull for conservation?
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/kangaroo-conundrum-when-to-cull-for-conservation-20180119-h0l9mv.html
Queensland
Rangers’ captive audience with Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch
Marine park rangers have told Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch of expanding responsibilities and a workforce stretched thin during a seven-hour tour of the Great Barrier Reef.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/rangers-captive-audience-with-environment-minister-leeanne-enoch/news-story/a6f39f771303f9d95f026c7c1c2bdff9
Cairns Regional Council to tackle JJ Richards missed rubbish collections
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/cairns-regional-council-to-tackle-jj-richards-missed-rubbish-collections/news-story/7a134837b1f705c27674eecba551827c
Indigenous groups call for bigger share of Adani jobs
Traditional owners say they deserve better than Adani’s current promise to hire Indigenous workers for its multi-billion-dollar coal mine in central Queensland.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-24/adani-indigenous-groups-call-for-bigger-share-of-jobs/9353042
Extreme fire risk warning for south Qld
Rural Queensland residents are being urged to take extra care with very high fire danger conditions forecast across the southwest region.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/extreme-fire-risk-warning-for-south-qld/news-story/43613ef71d147e54d689482cae16d705
Palaszczuk to visit outback water projects
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will head further into Queensland’s outback to visit projects aimed at boosting the region’s water security as she continues in her push to win back the bush.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/palaszczuk-to-visit-outback-water-projects/news-story/f66968597b044edef819735b395620b7
South Australia
Brain damage or brain fart? Weatherill targets Xenophon on wind farms
The South Australian Premier takes aim at Nick Xenophon, claiming the state election candidate believes wind turbines cause brain damage, but his opponent hits back with a claim Jay Weatherill “had a bit of a brain fart”.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-23/xenophon-accuses-sa-premier-of-brain-fart-over-wind-farm-comment/9353512
Five years ‘not long enough’ to assess success of SA marine parks
It’s been five years since 83 sanctuary zones were implemented in South Australian waters and proponents say it’s still too soon to judge the results.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-23/sa-marine-parks-fish-stocks-five-year-review/9352074
Tesla big battery moves from show-boating to money-making
The Tesla big battery has shifted from showing off its different capabilities and is now in the business of making money for its owners. Last week’s heatwave and price gyrations presented the perfect opportunity.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-big-battery-moves-from-show-boating-to-money-making-93955/
Port Augusta threatens legal action against EPA and Flinders Power over Bird Lake dispute
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sa-election/port-augusta-threatens-legal-action-against-epa-and-flinders-power-over-bird-lake-dispute/news-story/d67ce6af450e646f40f6a834bcbceaf6
Political point-scoring amid opening of Port Augusta’s $650m solar thermal project office
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sa-election/political-pointscoring-amid-opening-of-port-augustas-650m-solar-thermal-project-office/news-story/e997745384865c3f72d8994e59e11e04
Tasmania
Work on $280 million North-West wind farm expected to be completed by end of 2022
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/work-on-280-million-northwest-wind-farm-expected-to-be-completed-by-end-of-2022/news-story/bcad95abdf0167e7f255df8f6816b9d4
Tasmanian national parks need money — and a plan
Luke Martin
One of the issues awaiting whoever forms government after the state election is the question of funding to properly manage our magnificent world heritage areas and national parks.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/talking-point-tasmanian-national-parks-need-money-and-a-plan/news-story/a60df2d74a77f6b5e56ced2dee1e97ae
Let’s be smart in traffic fix
Mercury editorial
Metro deserves full credit for its innovative approach to combating peak-hour congestion in Hobart.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/editorial-lets-be-smart-in-traffic-fix/news-story/b1ac0794d90f15e2bd4a7b54580b3e82
Sustainability
‘Blended’ finance is key to achieving global sustainability goals, says report
Public and private sector funds must increasingly pool resources to finance larger global sustainability and climate change projects, a new study shows
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/23/blended-finance-is-key-to-achieving-global-sustainability-goals-says-report
Trump’s tariffs on panels will cost US solar industry thousands of jobs
Trump’s decision to impose a 30% tariff will cost the US around 23,000 jobs and risks slowing the growth of clean energy, advocates warn
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/23/donald-trump-tariffs-solar-panels
China support for ‘clean coal’ gives green bonds touch of gray
China is among the global leaders in green bonds and is seeking further means of financing myriad renewable energy, smart tech, clean transport, pollution control, and climate adaptation projects.
https://www.bna.com/china-support-clean-n73014474369/
Here come the megacities
By 2100, at least 10 cities are predicted to have populations over 50 million. How can society keep pace?
http://edge.ensia.com/here-come-the-megacities/#
Mayors of the world’s major cities speak out about air pollution
As part of a new series, mayors from some of the world’s major metropolises told HuffPost about the unique challenges of reducing smog, soot and other pollutants that threaten the safety of their cities.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/air-pollution-mayors_us_5a5cc58ce4b03c418967c611
Hazardous contamination lead battery recycling plants found in seven African countries
An international study has found extensive lead contamination around lead battery recycling plants in Nigeria and six additional African countries.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/01/hazardous-contamination-lead-battery-recycling-plants-found-seven-african-countries-study/
How China plans to feed 1.4 billion growing appetites
As more Chinese crave Western-style diets, the booming nation rushes to industrialize an agricultural economy long built around small farms.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/02/feeding-china-growing-appetite-food-industry-agriculture/
Bioeconomy: A global trend?
Several nations are investing in a bio-based economy to slash carbon footprints. At a recent summit, experts point out how more work is needed to realize bioeconomy’s potential as a climate solution.
http://www.dw.com/en/bioeconomy-a-global-trend/a-42070141
Nature Conservation
Japan to replace whaling mother ship in sign hunts will go on
Officials say they need a faster ship to evade anti-whaling activists
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/23/japan-to-replace-whaling-mother-ship-in-sign-hunts-will-go-on
New global registry of invasive species is ‘milestone’ in protecting biodiversity
New catalogue expected to stand alongside red list as an international means to fight extinction, by helping to stop biological invasions
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/23/new-global-registry-of-invasive-species-is-milestone-in-protecting-biodiversity
These drones plant trees by firing seed pods at the ground
Startups are tapping into the business potential of ecosystem restoration.
https://www.popsci.com/drones-plant-trees
Urban forests add to cities’ health and wealth
Planting more urban forests is a simple way not only to improve the health of a city’s people, but to make them wealthier too.
https://climatenewsnetwork.net/23735-2/
NREL research determines integration of plug-in electric vehicles
An influx of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) charging without coordination could prove challenging to the nation’s electric grid, according to research conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/drel-nrd012318.php
Adding graphene girders to silicon electrodes could double the life of lithium batteries
New research led by WMG, at the University of Warwick has found an effective approach to replacing graphite in the anodes of lithium-ion batteries using silicon, by reinforcing the anode’s structure with graphene girders. This could more than double the life of rechargeable lithium-ion based batteries and also increase the capacity delivered by those batteries.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/uow-agg012318.php
So much depends on a tree guard
Adding protective barriers around street trees could reduce load on city sewers
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/cu-smd012318.php
Woolworths to stop selling pesticide linked to global bee decline
Australian grocery giant will join Bunnings to withdraw Yates Confidor from sale
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/23/woolworths-to-stop-selling-pesticide-linked-to-global-bee-decline
Mesoamerican Reef gets improving bill of health
A recent report tracking the health of the Mesoamerican Reef indicates that conservation efforts might be helping to turn the tide for the reef itself and the people who depend on it.
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/mesoamerican-reef-gets-improving-bill-of-health/
Air quality is leading environmental threat to public health, EPI report shows
Switzerland tops the report while India falls to the bottom tier
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/yu-aqi012218.php
Republicans should take the lead to stop offshore drilling
Bill Bryant
Drilling for every last drop of oil in every spectacular corner of our country is not sustainable; it is not conservative; it should not be Republican.
http://crosscut.com/2018/01/offshore-drilling-republicans-protect-washington-coast-olympic-coast-sanctuary/
The moral value of wilderness
Janna Thompson
Let us imagine that humanity has almost died out and only a few people remain. Out of resentment or despair, the survivors cater to their destructive urges by destroying as much of the natural world as they can. They poison rivers and lakes, drop napalm on forests, set off a few nuclear warheads. They are at ease with their conscience because no one will ever be in the position to use or appreciate the nature they are destroying.
https://theconversation.com/the-moral-value-of-wilderness-90090
Maelor Himbury