Climate models underestimate economic damages and overestimate policy costs
The models that inform climate policymaking are fatally flawed.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/6/8/17437104/climate-change-global-warming-models-risks
Today’s Celebration
National Day – Libya
Our Lady of the Chapel – Spain
King Kamehameha Day (Hawaii) – United States of America
Laylat al Qadr – Islam
Queen’s Birthday Holiday – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Official_Birthday#Australia
World Meat Free Day – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/world-meat-free-day/
Infant Mental Health Awareness Week – http://www.aaimhi.org/events-and-training/imh-awareness-week-2018/
International Men’s Health Week – http://www.menshealthweek.org.au/En/Default.aspx
More about Jun 11 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_11
Climate Change
Climate models underestimate economic damages and overestimate policy costs
The models that inform climate policymaking are fatally flawed.
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2018/6/8/17437104/climate-change-global-warming-models-risks
UA oceanographer part of study that modifies views on Southern Ocean’s climate role
A group of scientists has new findings suggesting the Antarctica’s Southern Ocean – long known to play an integral role in climate change – may not be absorbing as much pollution as previously thought.
https://tucson.com/news/local/ua-oceanographer-part-of-study-that-modifies-views-on-southern/article_d170162d-5872-59b1-82a7-9c51bd490986.html
Six of the G7 commit to climate action. Trump wouldn’t even join conversation
Trump skipped the formal climate discussions, had the U.S. negotiators promote fossil fuels instead, and then renounced the group’s official communique.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10062018/g7-summit-climate-change-communique-trump-allies-estranged-germany-france-canada
National
Price and range holding back electric cars – Frydenberg
The cost of electric vehicles (EV) and a lack of charging infrastructure are behind Australia’s relatively slow take-up of the cars not a lack of taxpayer-funded incentives, the federal government has argued as international research shows subsidies are the best way to fuel the transition away from fossil fuels.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/price-and-range-holding-back-electric-cars-frydenberg-20180608-p4zkfr.html
LNG market in delicate balance: WoodMac [$]
Australian LNG exporters should escape the feared glut in supply this year, saved by record demand in China, but may need to brace for a price drop in 2019.
https://www.afr.com/business/energy/gas/lng-outlook-firms-for-2018-dip-still-seen-next-year-20180607-h114na
Free coffee! All you’ve got to do is fill a bucket with rubbish from the beach
Caffeine-cravers are being given the chance to fuel their addiction for free, with some cafes along Australia’s east coast offering free coffee for anyone who picks up a bucket’s worth of rubbish from the nearby beaches.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-10/free-coffee-for-bucket-of-rubbish-queensland-beach/9853048
‘Australia doesn’t realise’: worsening drought pushes farmers to the brink
Liverpool plains farmer Megan Kuhn says cows are being slaughtered because there is no way of feeding them after years of extreme weather.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/10/australia-doesnt-realise-worsening-drought-pushes-farmers-to-the-brink
Green groups fear new spy laws [$]
Leading green groups fear their international lobbying could expose them to espionage charges.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/national-security/green-groups-fear-new-laws-open-them-to-spy-charges/news-story/e4fb5448b28160d06fbe72019e97b13e
Victoria
On the scent: The border collies helping to save Australia’s threatened species
Rubble and Uda are classic working dogs, but these pooches have never have never herded a single sheep. They have a very different calling as conservation detection dogs, employed to sniff out some of Australia’s most elusive and endangered creatures.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-10/frog-detection-dog-program/9848392
Rare birds versus horse trainers: The battle for Warrnambool’s beaches
Horse trainers attribute the beaches of the south-west to their success – but environmentalists say they are destroying habitat of endangered hooded plovers.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/rare-birds-versus-horse-trainers-the-battle-for-warrnambool-s-beaches-20180603-p4zj6m.html
‘Greedy employers’: Fight threatens state’s biggest transport project
A row over the West Gate Tunnel project may become a serious headache for the Andrews government as Victorian election looms.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/west-gate-tunnel-project-embroiled-in-industrial-relations-stand-off-20180610-p4zknx.html
Melbourne suburbs that can breathe easier [$]
Melburnians in one exclusive bayside suburb are sniffing some of the state’s cleanest air, with some outer suburbs not far behind.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/epa-data-reveals-which-suburbs-top-list-for-air-quality-in-victoria/news-story/2d9c76a555f90806affd4c1aa8b30a0f
New South Wales
Toxic foam contamination could impact nine more sites across Canberra
Government briefings reveal potentially-harmful contamination could be spread across up to nine fire stations in the ACT, plus defence and police facilities.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/toxic-foam-contamination-could-impact-nine-more-sites-across-canberra-20180608-p4zkfa.html
Power regulator’s dire warning [$]
The energy market warns of stresses after NSW lost nearly a third of its coal generation capacity, raising threat of blackouts.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/warnings-australia-does-not-have-the-electricity-reserves-for-times-of-need/news-story/984fab41e25398c5701bbf5cf2d65ad2
Outages ‘a result of renewables’ [$]
Renewable energy sources blamed for “hollowing out baseload” power as outages hit and prices soar in lead up to long weekend.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/outages-see-power-prices-hit-the-roof/news-story/38a4236fd9d31e609dc378cf6510509b
Queensland
Anti-Adani protesters target construction firm Wagners over $30m contract
Queensland company contracted to build airstrip for troubled Carmichael coalmine
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/11/anti-adani-protesters-target-construction-firm-wagners-over-30m-contract
LNP would gift state land to council for the Brisbane Metro
A future LNP government would contribute $20 million worth of state government land to get a public transport project moving.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/lnp-would-gift-state-land-to-council-for-the-brisbane-metro-20180608-p4zkek.html
Plan to generate electricity from household waste gathers fresh steam
A $2.5 billion plan is gathering steam among Queensland councils to build between five and eight power plants where biological bugs break down household waste to produce biogas and ultimately electricity.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/plan-to-generate-electricity-from-household-waste-gathers-fresh-steam-20180610-p4zklv.html
Animal collisions spike on Queensland roads
Insurance claims from drivers who have collided with wild animals in Queensland have risen 25 per cent in a year, a national insurer says.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/animal-collisions-spike-on-queensland-roads-20180607-p4zk3f.html
Tasmania
Energy rebate for Tasmanian businesses to be extended in budget
Industrials and commercial energy customers will continue to be eligible for a special rebate, with the state government announcing it will extend its energy bonus scheme into 2019.
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5458373/energy-rebate-for-tasmanian-businesses-to-be-extended-in-budget/?cs=95
Tourism operators log fears over export plan [$]
Tourism operators in Dover fear their views are being ignored in the fish versus chips debate in the municipality.
https://www.themercury.com.au/news/politics/tourism-operators-log-concerns-about-southwood-fibre-woodchip-export-plan-near-dover/news-story/18e165e42f5926079428fd199758b323
Sustainability
China’s dramatic solar shift could take sting out of Trump’s panel tariffs
Analysts expect solar panel costs to drop by a third. That could be a lifeline for U.S. developers, who sidelined billions of dollars in projects over the tariffs.
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08062018/china-solar-subsidies-panel-prices-cancel-trump-tariffs-impact-energy-analysts-bnef-seia
In the Trump Administration, science is unwelcome. So is advice.
As the president prepares for nuclear talks, he lacks a close adviser with nuclear expertise. It’s one example of a marginalization of science in shaping federal policy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/09/climate/trump-administration-science.html
Charles Mann: ‘The relationship between population and consumption is not straightforward’
The science journalist’s new book boils decades of environmental debate down to the starkly contrasting approaches of two key figures
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/10/charles-mann-book-wizard-prophet-interview
Our plastic pollution crisis is too big for recycling to fix
Annie Leonard
Recycling alone will never stem the flow of plastics into our ocean. We must address the problem at the source.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/09/recycling-plastic-crisis-oceans-pollution-corporate-responsibility
Now for something completely different …
Congratulations to these people awarded Queen’s Birthday honours for work on the environment:
Rose Amal (AC}
Dawn Fraser (AC)
Christine Anne Milne (AO)
Jennifer Mragaret Kee (AO)
Kenneth Hohn Maher (AO)
Kenneth Curt Jenner (AC)
Micheline Nicole Jenner (AM)
Godfrey allan Letts (AM)
Geoffrey Arthur Williams (AM)
David Charles Goldney (AM)
Marie Louise Sylvan (AM)
Susan Zicky-Woinarski (AM)
John Richard Asquith (OAM)
Dene Desmond Cordes (OAM)
Norman Peter Curtis (OAM)
Richard John Fuller (OAM)
Maria Anna Hitchcock (OAM)
Natalie Anne Kyriacou (OAM)
Dean Nicolle (OAM)
Margaret Ellen Ning (OAM)
Alison Lee Russell-French (OAM)
Kenneth Shingleton (OAM)
Paul Frances Maguire (PSM)
David Thomas Woods (PSM)
Raymond John Masini (PSM)
(Apologies to any I may have missed)
Maelor Himbury