Daily Links Jun 14

Decades of satellite monitoring reveal Antarctic ice loss
Scientists from the University of Maryland, the University of Leeds and the University of California, San Diego, have reviewed decades of satellite measurements to reveal how and why Antarctica’s glaciers, ice shelves and sea ice are changing. Their report, published in a special Antarctica-focused issue of the journal Nature on June 14, 2018, explains how ice shelf thinning and collapse have triggered an increase in the continent’s contribution to sea level rise.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/uom-dos061318.php

Are courts the new front line for climate justice?
In the US alone, 14 climate lawsuits against companies are going through the courts, all of which were filed over the past year
http://news.trust.org//item/20180613090048-jkx8h/

Carbon farming works. Can it scale up in time to make a difference?
The knowledge and tools to sequester carbon on farmland have blossomed rapidly in California; now farmers and ranchers just need funding to make it happen.
https://civileats.com/2018/06/12/carbon-farming-works-can-it-scale-up-in-time/

Climate positive, carbon neutral, carbon negative: What do they mean?
A quick guide to understanding popular sustainability jargon.
https://www.fastcompany.com/40583176/climate-positive-carbon-neutral-carbon-negative-what-do-they-mean

Have international climate negotiations outlived their usefulness?
When I talk about the climate process to the uninitiated, they always insist that there has to be a better way. The trouble is, there may not be.
https://psmag.com/environment/have-international-climate-negotiations-outlived-their-usefulness

Climbing high peaks becoming very dangerous due to climate change
Mountaineers are at the forefront of facing the brunt of climate change and it is getting more difficult and dangerous to scale peaks above 8,000 metres, says mountaineer Arjun Vajpai.
https://www.newkerala.com/news/read/9199/climbing-high-peaks-becoming-very-dangerous-due-to-climate-change-mountaineer-arjun-vajpai.html

Climate change raises the bar for disaster resilience
Vinod Thomas
Disaster risk management has always been a high priority in Southeast Asia, but climate change is making the problem all the more urgent and challenging.
http://www.eco-business.com/opinion/climate-change-raises-the-bar-for-disaster-resilience/

How to foster famine
Viv Forbes
Today’s warm climate is very farm-friendly and tends to have most effect on the cold lands of the northern hemisphere, thus increasing the acreage and productivity.
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=19789

Trusting the government to protect civil liberties? That’s a sick joke
We asked five non-government organisations to explain what their major concerns were regarding new foreign interference and espionage laws
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/13/trusting-the-government-to-protect-civil-liberties-thats-a-sick-joke

Labor’s Butler on why right wingers see EVs as leftist conspiracy
An increasingly change-averse political right wing is driving transport to the front line of Australia’s climate wars. Labor’s Mark Butler on why it’s time for Australia to embrace EV transition, or risk becoming another Cuba, a living museum for petrol and diesel cars.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/whats-behind-scare-campaign-on-rooftop-solar-blackout-threat-78729/

Carbon dioxide emissions intensity for new Australian light vehicles 2017
National Transport Commission
This report has found that in 2017 Australia achieved a small annual reduction in carbon emissions intensity from new vehicles when compared to the results achieved in 2016.
http://apo.org.au/node/175906

Are solar panels a middle-class purchase? This survey says yes
New research suggests households most likely to join in the solar spree are affluent enough to afford upfront investment, but not so wealthy to not
https://reneweconomy.com.au/are-solar-panels-a-middle-class-purchase-this-survey-says-yes-68154/

Rail access improves liveability, but all regional centres are not equal
Melanie Davern et al
Regional areas are expanding, and yet not enough attention is being paid to improving rail access to capital cities. This affects the liveability of the areas.
http://theconversation.com/rail-access-improves-liveability-but-all-regional-centres-are-not-equal-96462

Tesla Powerpacks arrive for next big battery at Victoria solar farm
First of 400 Tesla PowerPacks arrive at site of 25MW/50MWh Gannawarra Energy Storage System, to store power from 60MW solar farm.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-powerpacks-arrive-for-next-big-battery-at-victoria-solar-farm-30309/

Could this be the solution to eagle death problem? [$]
A farm group has come up with an answer to end the recent spate of eagle deaths, saying the poisoning of 136 wedge-tailed eagles in East Gippsland cannot be justified.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/wedgetailed-eagles-call-for-action-as-vff-condemns-poisoning/news-story/5d8a972e4dc83a847f2d9f2c56f9b6c3

Real question we need to ask about eagle deaths [$]
Ed Gannon
The discovery of dead wedge-tailed eagles has raised many questions about the predators and their relationship with farmers. But there is a greater question about this issue that isn’t being asked.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/the-real-question-we-need-to-ask-about-wedgetailed-eagle-deaths/news-story/bad6f4fce0a5d5dc2ee6c7182ce61249

Mass slaughter of wedge-tailed eagles could have Australia-wide consequences
Simon Cherriman, Murdoch University
The poisoning of dozens of wedge-tailed hawks in Victoria could affect the entire wild population.
http://theconversation.com/mass-slaughter-of-wedge-tailed-eagles-could-have-australia-wide-consequences-98011

Opal fares to rise at rate of inflation next month
Fares for NSW’s Opal ticketing system will rise by 2.2 per cent next month, while the cost of all-day travel for seniors on the public transport network will remain unchanged.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/opal-fares-to-rise-at-rate-on-inflation-next-month-20180613-p4zl44.html

Evoenergy to pay fine over power supply cuts to life support customers
Evoenergy paid a $20,000 fine after it failed to give enough notice to four Canberra customers running life support systems of a cut in their power supply.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/canberra-news/evoenergy-to-pay-fine-over-power-supply-cuts-to-life-support-customers-20180613-p4zl92.html

LNP prepares for non-coal future [$]
Deb Frecklington is paving the way for a ­“a future without coal” in Queensland.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/deb-frecklington-gives-nod-to-green-energy-in-queensland/news-story/e31d5edf33de6c9c3a6861594bdd9e5b

Acland mine expansion versus human health
Queensland investigating claims that mining company New Hope may have circumvented due process by expanding stage 2 operations at its New Acland coalmine without approval.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/acland-mine-expansion-versus-human-health-36519/

11,500-strong dolphin petition handed to Parliament [$]
Our Protect our Dolphins petition — calling for a 10-knot speed limit in the Port River — has been handed to State Parliament with a whopping 11,500 signatures.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/west-beaches/11500strong-petition-for-a-10-knot-speed-limit-in-the-adelaide-dolphin-sanctuary-handed-to-sa-parliament/news-story/a909b9b4e4fbe55d963810d588d5f53d

‘China sword’ recycling ban could cost another $1m [$]
The so-called ‘China-sword’ could mean it costs an extra $1 million a year to sort and process kerbside waste across the southwest.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/west-beaches/china-sword-recycling-ban-could-cost-another-1m-across-adelaides-southwest-as-visy-flags-new-fees/news-story/e79c69a94e10bf3c98e7026dd6dd79a9

Hopes river fix pledge will finally shore up
Examiner editorial
Among the $249-plus million allocated to Northern and North-Eastern projects is $31.4 million for the first round of works on the clean up of the Tamar River.
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5466505/hopes-river-fix-pledge-will-finally-shore-up/?cs=97

Seawater yields first grams of yellowcake
For the first time, researchers have created five grams of yellowcake — a powdered form of uranium used to produce fuel for nuclear power production — using acrylic fibers to extract it from seawater.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/dnnl-syf061318.php

Plastic pollution: Has our action come too late?
With plastic now being found in Antarctica’s pristine waters, has action come too late?
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12069749

Trump wants to bail out coal and nuclear power. Here’s why that will be hard
Over the past decade, coal has been pushed off the power grid by competition from cheap natural gas, state efforts to boost renewable energy and stricter pollution rules.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/13/climate/coal-nuclear-bailout.html

It’s time to stop giving more rights to global corporations
Patricia Ranald
New research that shows that increased market power of global corporations is driving global income inequality.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/it-s-time-to-stop-giving-more-rights-to-global-corporations-20180611-p4zkrq.html

The human footprint … It’s bad on all accounts …
Ted Mead
Regardless of what ethnic background we come from there is one consistent belief amongst us all, and that is there are too many of us on the planet now.
http://tasmaniantimes.com/index.php?/weblog/article/the-human-footprint-…-its-bad-on-all-accounts-/

Bike-share can save our cities—if we let it
Eben Weiss
The problem isn’t dockless bikes. It’s dockless cars.
https://www.outsideonline.com/2318506/bike-share-can-save-our-cities-if-we-let-it

Coral reefs losing ability to keep pace with sea-level rise
Many coral reefs will be unable to keep growing fast enough to keep up with rising sea levels, leaving tropical coastlines and low-lying islands exposed to increased erosion and flooding risk, new research suggests.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/uoe-crl061118.php

How coral reefs can help us endure climate change
Not only can coral reefs buffer humans from disasters, but protecting them is 15 times cheaper than building sea walls.
https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/how-coral-reefs-can-help-us-endure-climate-change

Seeking new relationships with invasive species
With summer nearly here in North America, we often hear about invasive plants popping up in undesirable locations, ‘colonizing’ different areas. But what if we shifted how ‘non-native’ species are perceived? A Dartmouth study with two indigenous nations provides new insight into how the concept of ‘native’ species is associated with colonialism, and how such framing runs counter to the lenses through which many indigenous peoples view their relationship with the world.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/dc-snr061318.php