Daily Links Jan 5

Large Antarctic snowfall increases could counter sea level rise, scientists say
Scientists have documented a trend of increasing snowfall as temperatures rise in one vast region.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/01/03/large-antarctic-snowfall-increases-could-counter-sea-level-rise-scientists-say/

Why so cold? Climate change may be part of the answer
Studies suggest that one factor could be warming in the Arctic, which allows more frigid air to escape southward.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/climate/cold-climate-change.html

It’s Official: 2017 Was the Second Hottest Year on Record
Last year was the second hottest year on record worldwide, behind 2016, according to a European Union climate monitoring program. Global temperatures averaged 14.7 degrees Celsius (58.46°F) — 1.2 degrees C (2.2°F) above pre-industrial times.
http://www.enn.com/sci-tech/article/53572

Will chocolate become extinct due to climate change? Here are the foods we might lose
The future is uncertain for many favorites.
http://www.newsweek.com/chocolate-extinct-climate-change-foods-coffee-avocados-almonds-770098

NASA study: First direct proof of ozone hole recovery due to chemicals ban
For the first time, scientists have shown through direct satellite observations of the ozone hole that levels of ozone-destroying chlorine are declining, resulting in less ozone depletion.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/nsfc-nsf010418.php

New principles to guide corporate investment towards climate goals
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/uoo-npt010418.php

Which works better: climate fear, or climate hope? Well, it’s complicated
Lucia Graves
Communication is everything when it comes to the climate change debate
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/04/climate-fear-or-hope-change-debate

‘Potentially very dangerous’: IPA opposes foreign donation ban and ‘GetUp clause’
Libertarian Institute of Public Affairs joins Labor, Greens and progressive activist group GetUp in opposing changes
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jan/05/potentially-very-dangerous-ipa-opposes-foreign-donation-ban-and-getup-clause

Abbott’s stance on international carbon credits makes ‘no sense’, business says
Australian Industry Group says ruling out use of the credits would push up the cost of meeting emissions targets.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jan/03/abbotts-stance-on-international-carbon-credits-makes-no-sense-business-says

Blackouts feared as heat rises
As temperatures soar this weekend, more than a dozen large-scale ­energy users may be told to power down or off to avoid blackouts.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/big-energy-users-act-to-save-the-grid-from-blackouts-over-summer/news-story/0b422fc11eb362a32384bf2ef5bb5c9b

Environmental watchdog lost its bite under Buffier
James Whelan
During the summer break, Barry Buffier quietly announced his resignation as chief executive and chair of the NSW Environment Protection Authority.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/environmental-watchdog-lost-its-bite-under-buffier-20180104-h0df2w.html

David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II to screen on Australian TV in 2018
Sir David Attenborough rates it the “most magical place on Earth” and soon Australian audiences will get to see it like never before.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/david-attenboroughs-blue-planet-ii-to-screen-on-australian-tv-in-2018/news-story/6cf80debd671aca4bddf60687c88ee75

Queensland coal mining: Billion-dollar projects in pipeline for Surat and Galilee Basins
A race valued at billions of dollars for Queensland has started among a handful of mining companies with the potential to dwarf Adani’s megamine.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-coal-mining-billiondollar-projects-in-pipeline-for-surat-and-galilee-basins/news-story/0dfdab8ef9d4139443f2f096a5ecedc2

Foresight upscales in Australian solar
A funding deal with the Clean Energy Finance Corp has enabled Foresight Solar to finalise the acquisition of three solar projects in Queensland.
http://www.afr.com/business/energy/solar-energy/foresight-solar-buys-qld-projects-after-sealing-55m-debt-deal-20180104-h0ddtu

Tasmanian devil roadkill project reminds drivers to slow down
Becoming roadkill is a major threat to the survival of Tasmanian devils as a species, so do your bit and slow down this summer.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-04/tasmanian-devil-roadkill-project-reminds-drivers-to-slow-down/9303646

The secret life of our cats to be tracked in Tasmania
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/5150696/the-secret-life-of-our-cats-to-be-tracked-in-tasmania/?cs=95

Energy supplement cheques for pensioners are in the mail, says Minister
Energy Minister Guy Barnett has refused to apologise on behalf of the State Government for the late arrival of a 125 energy supplement — a delay which has sparked outraged from Tasmanian pensioners.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/energy-supplement-cheques-for-pensioners-are-in-the-mail-says-minister-guy-barnett/news-story/d72ef97e3e03dc0272edff177243a7e0

Seagulls — they’re everywhere, but it wasn’t always that way
Fifty years ago seagulls were not that common a sight, preferring to hang out in smaller numbers near the coast. These days they’re hard to miss and it’s largely our own fault.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-04/seagull-numbers-swell-because-of-modern-society/9303374

WA’s electricity disconnections increase after rise in energy costs
https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/electricity-disconnections-rise-in-wa-after-power-bill-increases-ng-b88705976z

Trump administration officially scraps Obama-era rules for fracking on federal land
The rules would have, among other things, required companies to disclose the chemicals used in their operations.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-administration-repeals-obama-fracking-rules-f4595696dff7/

Stories to watch in 2018
We asked our reporters to look ahead to the coming year and what stories they’ll be following. Today we look at environmental issues and business trends.
https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2018/01/02/stories-trends-to-watch-2018-part-2/

Beijing meets 2017 air pollution target set under 2013 clean-up plan
China’s smog-prone capital Beijing met its air quality targets last year following a crackdown on polluters and a sustained period of favorable weather, the local environmental agency said in a statement on Wednesday.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-pollution-beijing/beijing-meets-2017-air-pollution-target-set-under-2013-clean-up-plan-idUSKBN1ES0J6

How France became a global leader in curbing food waste
France isn’t an obvious frontrunner in food recovery, but new legislation has helped catapult the nation to the top of the 2017 Food Sustainability Index.
https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2018/0103/How-France-became-a-global-leader-in-curbing-food-waste

As millions go hungry, India eyes ways to stop wasting $14 billion of food a year
India, one of the world’s largest food producers, is trying to tackle waste during production, processing, retailing and consumption.
http://news.trust.org/item/20180104021045-bxcbi/

A floating house to resist the floods of climate change
As major storms become more common, could amphibious architecture keep at-risk neighborhoods intact?
https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/a-floating-house-to-resist-the-floods-of-climate-change

Cleaning up coal: Future or folly?
Is “clean coal” an oxymoron or an innovative energy source that will help us beat climate change?
https://www.alleghenyfront.org/cleaning-up-coal-future-or-folly/

Cookstoves in India cause more pollution: Study
Smoke emitting from traditional cookstoves, widely used in the rural parts of India with cheap biofuels – such as crop chaff or dung – causes a detrimental impact on the country’s environment and people’s health.
https://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-308625.html

Greenie push a boon for miners
Electric cars require more metals such as copper and nickel than conventional vehicles.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/how-the-greenie-push-on-cars-and-energy-is-a-boon-for-miners/news-story/5e7a18c9bc1861ff24bf459ff9835cd6

Abandoned Cornish mine may hold clues to uranium clean-up
For the first time, arsenic has been found to lock up uranium in a mineral.
https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/abandoned-cornish-mine-may-hold-clues-to-uranium-clean-up-/3008478.article

It’s time to heed warnings about humanity’s collision course
David Suzuki
The longer we delay addressing environmental problems, the more difficult it will be to resolve them.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/david-suzuki/humanity-warning-signs_b_13942648.html

Greens should take a lesson from Donald Trump. Here’s why
Patrick Barkham
Alpha males think caring about the environment is too ‘feminine’, research shows. So let’s make saving the planet a bit more macho.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/02/greens-donald-trump-males-environment-planet-macho

Oceans suffocating as huge dead zones quadruple since 1950, scientists warn
Areas starved of oxygen in open ocean and by coasts have soared in recent decades, risking dire consequences for marine life and humanity
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/04/oceans-suffocating-dead-zones-oxygen-starved

Brazil raises hopes of a retreat from new mega-dam construction
Hydropower policy to be rethought in face of environmental concerns, indigenous sensitivities and public unease, says surprise government statement
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/04/brazil-raises-hopes-of-a-retreat-from-new-mega-dam-construction

New technology that could help avert toxicity crisis at Salton Sea
California is embarking on a new plan to head off environmental disaster at the Salton Sea but it depends, in part, on the results of a promising technique to remove toxic selenium from water.
https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/01/04/new-technology-that-could-help-avert-toxicity-crisis-at-salton-sea

Fiji’s coral exporters await clarification after ‘shock’ ban
One of Fiji’s largest coral and rock exporters is left in shock after the island nation’s Government announced a ban on the export of live rocks and corals in a Facebook post.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-04/fijis-coral-exporters-await-clarification-after-ban/9302496

The window for saving the world’s coral reefs is rapidly closing
The world’s reefs are under siege from global warming, according to a novel study published today in the prestigious journal Science
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-01/acoe-twf122917.php

Across the web, and the world, citizens help track wildlife migrations
Thousands of armchair wildlife trackers are helping scientists to trace the movements of animals in real time. Are there downsides to this?
https://undark.org/article/movebank-wildlife-tracking-citizens/

How one island nation is taming tourists
In a world-first initiative, tourists hoping to visit the paradise archipelago of Palau can enter the country only if they agree to one condition.
https://www.ipswichadvertiser.com.au/news/the-island-paradise-of-palau-has-introduced-a-pass/3302676/

In early push into Papua, palm oil firms set stage for massive forest plunder
The clearing of Indonesia’s last untouched swath of pristine forest has begun in earnest, with an area the size of Washington, D.C., razed for just a single oil palm plantation in Papua province, new data show.
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/01/in-early-push-into-papua-palm-oil-firms-set-stage-for-massive-forest-plunder/