Daily Links Feb 15

Intelligence agencies warn of climate risks in worldwide threat assessment
While top Trump administration officials deny climate change, the intelligence agencies warn global warming can fuel disasters and violent conflicts.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13022018/climate-change-conflict-disasters-worldwide-threat-assessment-intelligence-agencies-refugees

What it’s like to run a country that could be destroyed by climate change
Gaston Browne, Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister, was forced to watch as a third of his country became uninhabitable after Hurricane Irma.
https://www.vox.com/world/2018/2/13/17003008/climate-change-antigua-barbuda-gaston-browne

Good news: There’s more coverage of climate change. Bad news: It’s because of Trump
News shows are still giving scientists short shrift.
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/02/good-news-theres-more-coverage-of-climate-change-bad-news-its-because-of-trump/

‘I’m just more afraid of climate change than I am of prison’
How a group of five activists called the Valve Turners decided to fight global warming by doing whatever it takes.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/magazine/afraid-climate-change-prison-valve-turners-global-warming.html

Small Lakes and Temporary Ponds Release CO2 Into the Atmosphere Even When They Are Dry
Temporary lakes and ponds emit CO2 all year –- even when they are dry — and dry areas actually emit a larger amount of …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180214100305.htm

Does climate change cause more war? A new paper raises doubts
A new paper questions the growing body of evidence that weather fluctuations can prompt wars, but researchers have doubts about its value.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/02/does-climate-change-cause-more-war/553040/

This book ranks the top 100 solutions to climate change. The results are surprising
A chat with Paul Hawken about his ambitious effort to “map, measure, and model” global warming solutions.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/5/10/15589038/top-100-solutions-climate-change-ranked

Risk of extreme weather events higher if Paris Agreement goals aren’t met
The individual commitments made by parties of the United Nations Paris Agreement are not enough to fulfill the agreement’s overall goal of limiting global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/su-roe020918.php

11 takeaways from the draft UN report on a 1.5C global warming limit
Megan Darby
UN draft report says missing 1.5C warming target will multiply hunger, migration and conflict, but staying under will require unprecedented global cooperation.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/11-takeaways-draft-un-report-1-5c-global-warming-limit-37526/

Battery storage leaves fossil fuels and regulators in state of inertia
The brain cells are working overtime at the headquarters of network owners, grid operators, generators, and regulators. Thanks to battery storage, Australia’s electricity grid is about to make the leap from analogue to digital, and everyone is scrambling to keep up.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/battery-storage-leaves-fossil-fuels-and-regulators-in-state-of-inertia-57198/

Governments urged to help boost electric vehicle sector
Australia can transition to electric vehicles, but it needs government policy to build a foundation for the sector’s growth.
https://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/governments-urged-to-help-boost-electric-vehicle-sector-20180213-p4z056.html

Tax breaks call to keep coal firing
The head of the IEA has called on Australia to follow the US lead and provide tax subsidies for carbon-capture technology.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/climate/tax-breaks-call-by-iea-to-keep-coal-firing/news-story/69aa825007db5529cb276397ee585b92

The political cost of climate flip-flopping for fickle pollies
John Quiggin
Malcolm Turnbull’s position on climate change has undergone a remarkable range of gyrations. The same is true of Queensland Labor. Such flip-flopping always comes at a price.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/02/14/the-political-cost-of-flip-flopping-on-climate-change-policy/

If a regulator needs to go, it should be AEMC, not AEMO
Steve Blume
The problem in Australia’s energy market is that – uniquely in the world – we have separate rule making and operating statutory bodies. Only one of them is based in reality.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/if-a-regulator-needs-to-go-it-should-be-aemc-not-aemo-11468/

Wild dog warning
Wild dogs have been found within 1km of urban areas and could potentially transfer diseases and parasites to humans and livestock.
https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/wild-dogs-shown-to-be-a-health-risk-to-livestock-pets-and-humans/news-story/9c57ea7ccbc0509659fb8394c645bf9e

Vic honeyeater bird staving off extinction
Victoria’s helmeted honeyeater bird has recorded a bumper breeding season, with 61 babies born so far.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/vic/a/38944211/vic-honeyeater-bird-staving-off-extinction/

Almost $6b revenue, but CityLink operator pays no tax
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/almost-6-billion-revenue-but-citylink-operators-pay-no-company-tax-20180214-p4z0ci.html

Follow the money: Liberals want to know where CityLink tolls go
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/follow-the-money-liberals-want-to-know-where-citylink-tolls-go-20180214-p4z0b4.html

Which line’s worst when it comes to train cancellations
The politically sensitive Frankston line has emerged as one of the state’s most cancelled train lines.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/when-it-comes-to-train-cancellations-frankston-line-fares-the-worst-20180214-p4z0bm.html

More St Kilda Rd trees get the chop
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/st-kilda-rds-landmark-trees-to-make-way-for-metro-tunnel/news-story/f46a66d9c028877fd3eb50f8b17d95ba

‘Too late’ to escape bushfire
The whole of New South Wales is on high alert after a number of out-of-control bushfires burn across the state, with some residents being told it’s “too late to leave”.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/state-on-high-bushfire-alert-as-residents-near-singleton-bunker-down/news-story/3c21464c240a716811500ce36a48317f

SMART drumlines capture dozens of great white sharks during trial
A six-month trial of SMART drumlines along the New South Wales Mid North Coast shows the devices are “removing the threat of great white sharks from popular beaches” and protecting swimmers, researchers say.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-14/smart-drumlines-trial-see-dozens-of-great-white-sharks-captured/9448094

Dead turtles, pelicans and hundreds of rotting fish in Sydney lagoon
The shoreline of Bushells Lagoon in north-western Sydney is littered with rotting dead fish, eels, turtles and pelicans, prompting local authorities to review water management strategies.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-14/hundreds-of-dead-rotting-fish-washed-up-in-sydney-lagoon/9444912

Carnegie’s EMC wins tender to build solar farm in NSW “coal city”
A 5MW solar farm planned for the site of a former rubbish dump, in the former New South Wales coal hub of Newcastle, will soon be underway, after the job to design and build the council-backed project was awarded to Carnegie Clean Energy.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/carnegies-emc-wins-tender-to-build-solar-farm-in-nsw-coal-city-97979/

Sydney’s ‘complex and tangled’ rail network vulnerable, report finds
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-s-complex-and-tangled-rail-network-vulnerable-report-finds-20180214-p4z0b1.html

Renewables power ‘competitive’
Orora says it is facing up to $16 million in “headwinds” from rising electricity prices in NSW.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/renewable-power-competitive-for-orora/news-story/1cc22761d9986295d90ca6ab6b776ce0

Labor shouldn’t toughen its stance on Adani coalmine, CFMEU head warns
Tony Maher says there is no point in winning the Melbourne seat of Batman while losing seats in central Queensland
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/feb/15/labor-shouldnt-toughen-its-stance-on-adani-coalmine-cfmeu-head-warns

Adani still has special royalty deal
The Qld government will still offer a generous royalty deal for Adani’s mega-mine although it opposes special treatment for the controversial project.
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/adani-to-still-receive-special-royalty-deal-from-the-qld-government-20180214-h0w29k

Former Queensland Coalition MP pushing coal propaganda
A website and Facebook page called “Energy in Australia” has emerged over recent months. If you ever wanted an example of “fake news” loaded with myths masquerading as facts, here it is.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/former-queensland-coalition-mp-pushing-coal-propaganda-79894/

Risen Energy buys 120MW solar project near Toowoomba
A 121MW solar project approved for construction west of Toowoomba, in Queensland, is expected to be completed by the end of the year, after being bought by the Australian arm of China-based renewables company, Risen Energy.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/risen-energy-buys-120mw-solar-project-near-toowoomba-98243/

Queensland accepts court block on New Acland coalmine expansion
The state government refuses to provide an environmental licence to allow New Hope to expand mining to the Darling Downs
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/14/queensland-accepts-court-block-on-acland-coalmine-extension

Authorities urge public not to touch water in parts of Brisbane River
Authorities are urging the public to avoid touching water in parts of the Brisbane River after toxic chemicals seeped into sediment at West End.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/video/watch/38926623/authorities-urge-public-not-to-touch-water-in-parts-of-brisbane-river/

11th hour bid to save Black Swan Lake
Environment lawyers are warning the Gold Coast Turf Club that residents will launch legal action in a last-minute bid to stop all of Black Swan Lake being filled in.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/black-swan-lake-legal-stopper-and-residents-threaten-turf-club/news-story/f3dd9a9e7a26b9b8b2d7421b040c6979

Censure of professor silences debate
Matthew Lesh
How free is free speech? Not very, if a case playing out in Queensland where a professor has been silenced from speaking in his own field is anything to go by
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/censure-of-professor-peter-ridd-over-comments-of-scientific-integrity-a-troubling-development/news-story/554d1e5dedaaab9aee9633e4829b224b

Don’t walk from basin plan, SA urges state counterparts
As NSW announces its preparing to withdraw from the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, SA’s Water Minister says the Federal Government should threaten to withhold funding to stop upstream states walking away.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-15/murray-darling-basin-plan-changes-blocked/9448280

Equis gets finance for 127MW solar farm in South Australia
Giles Parkinson Equis Energy to begin construction of 127MW solar farm in South Australia, and looks to add 111MW stage 2 and 100MWh of battery storage.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/equis-gets-finance-127mw-solar-farm-south-australia-55308/

How Labor’s energy spending spree has electrified the South Australian election
Labor’s energy spend may be the most popular thing an unpopular government has done
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/feb/15/how-labors-energy-spending-spree-has-electrified-the-south-australian-election

Clean energy to power the grid
Australia could reach 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030 without significant new storage given the projects in the pipeline in the state, a new report shows.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/clean-energy-to-power-the-grid/news-story/5629892dcf075ee1d7adc2b9121aae77

Transparency key to trust
Mercury editorial
Treasurer and State Growth Minister Peter Gutwein surely should have acted with quite a bit more caution when signing off on the first physical works related to the cable car for kunanyi/Mt Wellington.
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/opinion/gutweins-own-goal-on-mountain-cable-car-a-blow-to-trust-in-government-at-worst-possible-time/news-story/ba1ea68f43fd312592b0ea311d2b4996

Drought could leave Darwin ‘waterless’: report
A lack of a desalination plant could leave Darwin waterless in the face of an extended drought, according to a report from a climate change consultancy firm
http://www.ntnews.com.au/lifestyle/drought-could-leave-darwin-waterless-report/news-story/34f53da27c5fb28939e46b9ad0ea149d

Transport costing Darwinites $15,370 a year
The average Darwin household is spending $15,372 on transport costs per year, which accounts for 12.4 per cent of household income, according to latest Australian Automobile of the NT data
http://www.ntnews.com.au/business/transport-costing-darwinites-15370-a-year/news-story/d7761dc281538558560f9361ff60bba9

Water boss admits we’re being ripped off by bills
The head of the Water Corporation has acknowledged households may be paying too much for their water bills after years of big price rises by successive State governments.
https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/water-boss-admits-were-being-ripped-off-by-bills-ng-b88745083z

Is Perth really running out of water? Well, yes and no
Don McFarlane, University of Western Australia
https://theconversation.com/is-perth-really-running-out-of-water-well-yes-and-no-90857

Pesticides: Does the EU let industry write its own rules?
An NGO says 90 percent of EU tests determining which pesticides are safe come from the industry. But critics say the campaigners are distorting data to whip up panic.
http://www.dw.com/en/pesticides-does-the-eu-let-industry-write-its-own-rules/a-42564258

Germany considering free public transportation to take on air pollution
Facing EU penalties over poor air quality, Germany has said it wants to test free public transport in five cities. Bonn and Essen are among the cities to serve as testing ground for the new project.
http://www.dw.com/en/germany-considering-free-public-transportation-to-take-on-air-pollution/a-42574053

The clothing industry is set to consume a quarter of the global carbon supply by 2050
What would it take to make the fashion industry truly sustainable?
https://www.thenation.com/article/the-clothing-industry-is-set-to-consume-a-quarter-of-the-global-carbon-supply-by-2050/

White shoes for the fall must be fashion’s way of telling us our planet is doomed
White shoes and sheer white dresses for autumn: harbinger of a beautiful apocalypse.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/02/10/white-shoes-for-the-fall-must-be-fashions-way-of-telling-us-our-planet-is-doomed/?utm_term=.09a400d3ecf2

South Africa declares drought a national disaster
South Africa has declared a national disaster over the drought afflicting southern and western regions including Cape Town, though the city pushed back its “Day Zero”, the date when its taps are expected to run dry.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-drought-dayzero/south-africa-declares-drought-a-national-disaster-idUSKBN1FX1BI

Express delivery: Use drones not trucks to cut carbon emissions, experts say
Research shows drones can deliver certain items faster and with less environmental impact than trucks – but there are drawbacks.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/13/drones-trucks-climate-change-carbon-emissions

Big batteries are taking a bite out of the power market
Giant batteries charged by renewable energy are beginning to nibble away at a large market: The power plants that generate extra surges of electricity during peak hours.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/big-batteries-are-taking-a-bite-out-of-the-power-market-1518431400

A powerful mix of solar and batteries is beating natural gas
Natural gas is getting edged out of power markets across the U.S. by two energy sources that, together, are proving to be an unbeatable mix: solar and batteries.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-12/a-powerful-mix-of-solar-and-batteries-is-beating-natural-gas

In Iran, environmentalists now seen as spies
A broad feud over the country’s direction between hard-liners and moderates under President Rouhani is expanding into the environment, as water shortages loom.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/world/middleeast/iran-environmentalists-spies.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2Ftodays-new-york-times

Solar power push lights up options for India’s rural women
From cash to buy bicycles to jobs that avoid early marriage, solar mini-grid power is giving Uttar Pradesh women choices
http://news.trust.org/item/20180212081551-6txt8/

More than a well-balanced breakfast: Scientists use egg whites for clean energy production
Eggs may soon fuel more than people in the morning. Researchers from the Osaka City University in Japan have developed a way to potentially use egg whites as a substrate to produce a carbon-free fuel.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/ocu-mta021418.php

Problems With Herbicide-Resistant Weeds Become Crystal Clear
Herbicide-resistant weeds are threatening food security, but researchers are one step closer to a solution after a new discovery. They have now uncovered how penoxsulam, the active ingredient in the …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180214093859.htm

Turning background room temperature heat into energy
University of Tsukuba-based researchers make a battery driven by differences in temperature and capable of recovering background heat energy slightly at above room temperature
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-02/uot-tbr021418.php

Solar plus storage beats out “cheap” gas to serve evening peaks
First Solar bid for solar and storage peaking power plant in Arizona beats out “cheap” gas and sets new milestone for dispatchable renewables.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/solar-plus-storage-beats-out-cheap-gas-to-serve-evening-peaks-78408/

Peru moves to protect ‘one of the last great intact forests’
While the United States may be weakening protections for wilderness, the creation of Yaguas National Park protects millions of acres from development and deforestation.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/14/science/peru-yaguas-national-park.html

How one vital coastal ecosystem is expanding with climate change
Tropical coastal mangroves are increasingly found in the world’s temperate zones. Samantha Chapman, a biologist at Villanova University, explains how her research has documented their dramatic growth into Florida’s salt marsh turf and why that raises questions about the future of coastlines.
https://www.newsdeeply.com/oceans/articles/2018/02/13/how-one-vital-coastal-ecosystem-is-expanding-with-climate-change

A nearly invisible oil spill threatens some of Asia’s richest fisheries
Caused by a fiery collision in the East China Sea, the spill has created an environmental disaster that has tested China’s ability to lead.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/12/world/asia/china-condensate-oil-spill-tanker-cleanup.html?rref=collection%2Fissuecollection%2Ftodays-new-york-times

‘Excess Emissions’ Make Significant Contribution to Air Pollution
A study shows that excess emissions — which occur with plant shut-downs, start-ups and malfunctions, and not just in connection with natural disasters — can make serious contributions to overall ..
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180214093833.htm

Earthquakes Continue for Years After Gas Field Wastewater Injection Stops, Study Finds
Shutting down oil and gas wastewater injection wells may not stop human-induced earthquakes quickly, say seismologists.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180213145820.htm

Carefully Managed Fire Can Promote Rare Savanna Species
In the first continent-wide study of the effects of fire on bird and mammal diversity in the African savanna environment, researchers have found that increasing …
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180214093844.htm

Zinke ties National Parks fixes to oil, gas profits on public lands
The Interior Department plans to expand energy development on public lands and offshore to pay for the National Parks’ maintenance backlog.
https://www.opb.org/news/article/national-parks-fixes-zinke-oil-gas/

The surprising ways tigers benefit farmers and livestock owners
A new study finds that the often-feared big cats actually help keep crops and domesticated animals safe from other threats.
http://therevelator.org/tigers-benefit-farmers/

Marine scientists urge protection for endangered shellfish reefs
Shellfish reefs, formed by oysters or mussels in or near estuaries, have declined by up 99% since British colonisation
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/feb/15/marine-scientists-urge-protection-for-endangered-shellfish-reefs