Daily Links Mar 11

World leaders must keep ‘closer eye’ on climate change – Ban Ki-moon
World leaders must show renewed political commitment to tackling climate change, says the former U.N. secretary general.
http://news.trust.org/item/20180308134348-bn8pa/

9 questions about climate change you were too embarrassed to ask
Basic answers to basic questions about global warming and the future climate.
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/6/1/15724164/9-questions-climate-change-too-embarrassed-to-ask

Cladding ban on high-rise towers in Victoria [$]
Flammable cladding will be outlawed in the bid to keep high-rise residents safe in Victoria, according to the state government.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/flammable-cladding-will-be-banned-on-highrise-buildings-in-victoria-says-planning-minister/news-story/cb4e99878a062c74e86a810da3a981cf

Labor fiddled with factions while the Land of Tofu burned
Jake Niall
In 2007, Batman was the safest Labor seat in Australia, held by a landslide-proof 76-24 against the Liberals. On March 17, when we, the burghers of Batman, cast our vote in a byelection caused by a citizenship malfunction, it’s close to an even money chance that the fortress will fall.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/labor-fiddled-with-factions-while-the-land-of-tofu-burned-20180309-p4z3o0.html

What happens when you fall hard for the famous
Sian Prior
My love-object first hit the headlines a couple of decades ago when former premier Jeff Kennett dismissed it as a “trumped up corella”. The orange-bellied parrot (its real name) was getting in the way of Kennett’s plan to move a chemical storage facility to Point Lillias, near Geelong.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/shuffling-a-magical-mystery-tour-of-music-20180302-h0wxke.html

Sydney share bikes aren’t just ugly – they’re sinister
Elizabeth Farrelly
These companies don’t care about the cost of replacing a trashed bike when they are getting something far more valuable from us every day.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/sinister-and-secretive-data-harvesters-taking-sydney-for-a-ride-20180308-p4z3i8.html

Shorten’s Adani mine backflip could cost him [$]
Annika Smethurst
As Labor desperately tries to out-Green the Greens in next weekend’s by-election, the Coalition has again pounced, this time on Bill Shorten’s shifting stance on the proposed Adani coalmine
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/annika-smethurst-bill-shortens-backflip-on-adani-mine-could-cost-him/news-story/795f55b92ee178f0b216d27e1ace822c

Locals lose $700m wind farm battle [$]
A sprawling multimillion-dollar wind farm project can be built despite “substantial” local opposition including from the AFL’s boss, the state’s development court has ruled.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/wind-farm-for-mt-lofty-ranges-to-go-ahead-despite-local-opposition-including-afl-boss-gillon-mclachlan/news-story/e5d8f3097f23efddf382f976285e5355

Police charge alleged arsonist over two bushfires
http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/police-charge-alleged-arsonist-over-two-perth-bushfires-20180310-h0xaj3.html

Meet the Singaporean businessman transforming the Pilbara
When Pardoo Station in Western Australia’s Pilbara changed hands two years ago, few could imagine the radical change the new owner had planned. Millions of dollars have been spent tapping into a “hidden underground” water supply to transform the arid country into a series of lush, green oases.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-11/meet-the-singaporean-businessman-transforming-the-pilbara/9526810

Green power and water recycling: be switched on by switching off
Each Australian uses an average of 100,000 litres of water a year, and our electricity use is extreme. Our series Life Swaps looks at ways to reduce the load
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/mar/10/green-power-and-water-recycling-be-switched-on-by-switching-off

How do we reduce food waste? Think like granny
Before health buzzwords and supermarket chains, our grandparents were the masters of reducing food waste not because it was fashionable, but because it was necessary.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-10/what-our-grandparents-can-teach-us-about-reducing-food-waste/9531092

Scientists seek public’s help to map plastic on UK beaches
Project hopes to get more than 250,000 drone images tagged by members to improve understanding of plastic pollution.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/09/scientists-seek-publics-help-to-map-plastic-on-uk-beaches

The bright future of solar power
Solar is booming. Solar power is now cheaper than coal in some parts of the world, and generating power from the sun is likely to be the lowest-cost energy option globally in less than ten years, according to Bloomberg. In many places around the world, solar is already the lowest-cost option.
https://www.greenamerica.org/new-green-tech-promise-and-pitfalls/bright-future-solar-power

Going beyond green buildings to climate justice
Student-led town hall sets agenda for climate change and justice in UBC’s future.
https://thetyee.ca/News/2018/03/09/Beyond-Green-Buildings-Climate-Justice/

Green organizations are dropping the ball on inclusion
A new report finds that a startling number of environmental and conservation organizations aren’t making efforts to report on internal diversity or actively pursue inclusion.
https://www.outsideonline.com/2286056/green-organizations-dont-care-about-inclusion

Trash islands are still taking over the oceans at an alarming rate
With more than 90 percent of the world’s plastic going unrecycled, garbage patches the size of Mexico are cropping up around the world. Can they ever be cleaned up?
https://psmag.com/environment/trash-islands-taking-over-oceans