Daily Links Jun 18

Top Post
Better Be Safe Than Sorry: Economic Optimization Risks Tipping of Important Earth System Elements
Optimizing economic welfare without constraints might put human well-being at risk, a new climate study argues.
https://www.enn.com/articles/54714-better-be-safe-than-sorry-economic-optimization-risks-tipping-of-important-earth-system-elements

Today’s Celebration
Evacuation Day – Egypt
International Picnic Day – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-picnic-day/
International Panic Day – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-panic-day/
Refugee Week – http://www.refugeeweek.org.au/
World Continence Week – http://www.continence.org.au/
Thinking of You Week – http://www.thinkingofyouweek.com.au/
More about Jun 18 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_18

Climate Change
Better Be Safe Than Sorry: Economic Optimization Risks Tipping of Important Earth System Elements
Optimizing economic welfare without constraints might put human well-being at risk, a new climate study argues.
https://www.enn.com/articles/54714-better-be-safe-than-sorry-economic-optimization-risks-tipping-of-important-earth-system-elements

National
Australian firms told to catch up on climate change risk checks
New report says Australian companies lag behind international organisations
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/18/australian-firms-told-to-catch-up-on-climate-change-risk-checks

Food swap ‘good excuse’ for people to cultivate real relationships
Backyard gardeners are meeting every month to swap organic fruit and vegetables without their wallet or expensive price tag.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-17/backyard-gardeners-swap-organic-produce-without-the-price-tag/9861402

An unconventional gas boom: the rise of CSG in Australia
In two decades coal seam gas has come to account for 30% of gas production. Here’s how the picture varies state to state
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/datablog/ng-interactive/2018/jun/18/an-unconventional-gas-boom-the-rise-of-csg-in-australia

McDonald’s to replace plastic straws with paper
The fast-food giant is attempting to reduce plastic waste by getting rid of plastic drinking straws.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/mcdonalds-replace-plastic-straws-paper-012754311.html

AGL’s Vesey urges Frydenberg to move beyond the blame game
AGL has called on the government and industry to work together to solve a substantial domestic gas supply shortfall, rejecting claims by Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg that it was to blame for higher prices caused by local supply being moved offshore.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/agl-s-vesey-urges-frydenberg-to-move-beyond-the-blame-game-20180617-p4zm0p.html

‘Protection racket’: Royal Commission, senators to probe water woes
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority has been accused of withholding information about how it manages the nation’s biggest river system as it resists disclosures to the Senate and a Royal Commission.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/protection-racket-royal-commission-senators-to-probe-water-woes-20180617-p4zlzv.html

Absolute rort’: Snowy Hydro seeks to expedite pilot 2.0 project nod
Snowy Hydro has sought fast-track approval for pilot works that would disturb 114 hectares of a national park and excavate about 750,000 cubic metres of rock.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/absolute-rort-snowy-hydro-seeks-to-expedite-pilot-2-0-project-nod-20180617-p4zlz4.html

Industry share back-up burden [$]
The nation’s biggest energy users will be required to use their own back-up power or dial down usage, as part of a NEG plan.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/big-energy-users-to-share-backup-power-burden/news-story/1949792a93c22ed80f7f34b7a9ba0353

Anglo plans coalmine expansion [$]
The new head of Anglo American’s metallurgical coal arm plans to aggressively increase the miner’s Australian operations.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/anglo-plans-aggressive-metallurgical-coal-mine-expansion-in-australian/news-story/958b7fa672f7238567e7b05b0be06357

Extreme pressure is not stopping the National Energy Guarantee
David Crowe
For all the political rhetoric, there is no clear alternative to the National Energy Guarantee.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/extreme-pressure-is-not-stopping-the-national-energy-guarantee-20180617-p4zm0c.html

Time to ban toxic chemicals
SMH editorial
Revelations in Saturday’s Herald of a cancer crisis at a high school in the US have resonated half a world away in Australia with good reason.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/time-to-ban-toxic-chemicals-20180617-p4zm0q.html

Why electric cars should be powering Aussie roads
Graeme McLeay
The uptake of electric vehicles in Australia has been slow. There are a number of reasons for this, including purchase price, lack of available models, range anxiety and an absence of government support.
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5470285/why-electric-cars-should-be-powering-aussie-roads/?cs=97

Victoria
The mysterious migration of giant spider crabs in Melbourne’s bay
Tens of thousands of giant spider crabs are swarming in Melbourne’s Port Phillip Bay as part of an annual migration, but researchers still don’t know where they go once they leave.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-17/the-mysterious-giant-spider-crab-migration-to-melbournes-bay/9863658

The Victorian sites among more than 90 nationwide with toxic contamination
Is Fiskville just the tip of a toxic iceberg? Chemicals found in fire retardant foam have been detected at 18 sites in Victoria – including Essendon and Moorabin airports.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/is-fiskville-the-tip-of-an-iceberg-pfas-detected-across-victoria-20180615-p4zlox.html

Parking needed for dockless bike share to avoid ‘disaster’: expert
The oBike scheme was a disaster in the making, and the only way the model will succeed in Melbourne is if bike parking is provided in and around the city, an internal transport department document advises.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/parking-needed-for-dockless-bike-share-to-avoid-disaster-expert-20180616-p4zlvj.html

Population pressure a fast-growing concern for Victorian voters
Concerns about population growth have risen sharply in recent years, suggesting it could become a political issue.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/population-pressure-a-fast-growing-concern-for-victorian-voters-20180614-p4zlh5.html

ExxonMobil targets gas imports [$]
Oil giant ExxonMobil is considering a Victorian LNG import plant to replace rapidly declining Bass Strait gasfields.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/exxon-mulls-victorian-lng-import-plant/news-story/e3e3e9ec61455585204b2b5ab456b076

New South Wales
‘Like something out of the Jetsons’: driverless cars for Sydney
The government says ‘the future is here’ and it needs to be ready for the huge technology changes.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/like-something-out-of-the-jetsons-driverless-cars-for-sydney-20180617-p4zm0n.html

ACT
ACT govt nets $2m selling contaminated site for child care centre
Authorities say they put “additional protection measures” in place after discovering contamination caused by toxic fire fighting foams and before selling site.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/act-govt-nets-2m-selling-contaminated-site-for-child-care-centre-20180615-p4zlrm.html

Canberrans willing to pay more for energy efficient homes, study shows
Canberrans are willing to pay higher premiums for a property if it is more energy efficient, according to new research.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/canberrans-willing-to-pay-more-for-energy-efficient-homes-study-shows-20180606-p4zjpu.html

ACT treaty needed to right past wrongs made against Indigenous people
Julie Tongs
The response of successive national governments over the last 30 years to calls for a treaty has been disappointing, to say the least.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/act-treaty-needed-to-right-past-wrongs-made-against-indigenous-people-20180613-p4zl5d.html

Queensland
Volunteers have challenge in the bag
You’d be surprised how much rubbish volunteers removed from one of Cairns’ most famously pristine beaches, in just a few hours.
https://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/volunteers-remove-285kg-of-rubbish-from-fitzroy-islands-pristine-beaches/news-story/1f4d4525795429d4b16aeb30dc15e9e6

Regulators at a loss on ‘missing’ toxic water [$]
Environmental regulators appear to have lost track of 60,000 litres of water contaminated with toxic firefighting chemicals after it was removed from Amberley RAAF base west of Brisbane.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/regulators-at-a-loss-on-missing-toxic-water/news-story/29dd72d818c7c35081973da81c23712e

What you need to know as plastic bag ban starts to take effect
Wednesday marks the dawn of a new environmentally friendly era in Queensland.
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/what-you-need-to-know-as-plastic-bag-ban-starts-to-take-effect/news-story/89240ce5526916c5fc77017e62d9f01d

South Australia
Murray-Darling Basin hearings to go public
The Royal Commission into the Murray-Darling Basin will hold its first public hearings in Adelaide on Monday.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/murray-darling-basin-hearings-public-173112814–spt.html

Tasmania
The future of Tasmanian wind power hangs on improving mainland interconnection
As Australia looks to the Snowy Mountains and Tasmania to be the Battery of the Nation, using the island state’s plentiful wind power will be reliant on developing new Bass Strait power cables.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-18/the-future-of-tasmanian-wind-power-hangs-on-interconnection/9878508

Tasmanian tourism will benefit with $800,000 immediately available in 2018-19
The North-West Coast will benefit with $800,000 immediately available in 2018-19 for infrastructure and signage to kick start the state government’s plan to develop Tasmanian driving journeys.
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5472132/regional-tourism-development-plan/?cs=95

Northern Territory
‘Not safe, not wanted’: is the end of NT fracking ban a taste of things to come?
The NT government has lifted its fracking moratorium despite fierce opposition, reflecting the war of attrition being waged by gas companies
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/18/not-safe-not-wanted-is-the-end-of-nt-fracking-ban-a-taste-of-things-to-come

Western Australia
Fine delay for WA plastic bag ban
Retailers will not be fined for handing out single-use plastic bags until 2019, because WA is not ready for next month’s bag ban.
https://thewest.com.au/news/environment/wa-retailers-will-not-be-fined-for-handing-out-plastic-bags-until-2019-ng-b88868701z

Nature Conservation
Where have all our insects gone?
There is a crisis in the countryside – and a massive decline in insect numbers could have significant consequences for the environment
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/17/where-have-insects-gone-climate-change-population-decline?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco

China and India’s border dispute is a slow-moving environmental disaster
Ruth Gamble, La Trobe University
For decades, China and India have clashed over their disputed Himalayan border. This clash is also playing out via a development boom that threatens the health of one of the world’s biggest river catchments.
https://theconversation.com/china-and-indias-border-dispute-is-a-slow-moving-environmental-disaster-97173

Maelor Himbury