Daily Links Jun 29

Housing and car industries should be ‘ashamed’ of climate record
Failure to build energy-efficient homes and clean cars risks UK missing its carbon targets, says government’s climate adviser
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/28/housing-and-car-industries-should-be-ashamed-of-climate-record

Young will pick up climate change bill, advisers warn
Without action on climate change, the coming generation will pay much more to curb emissions, a UK report says.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44634122

Path to zero emissions starts out easy, but gets steep
Carbon dioxide emissions from human activities must approach zero within several decades to avoid risking grave damage from the effects of climate change. This will require creativity and innovation, because some types of industrial sources of atmospheric carbon lack affordable emissions-free substitutes, according to a new paper in Science from team of experts led by University of California Irvine’s Steven Davis and Carnegie’s Ken Caldeira.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/cifs-ptz062518.php

Heavy-duty emissions must be eliminated to halt climate change, UCI-led review shows
To halt climate change in this century, heavy-duty infrastructure undergirding the world’s major economies must be redesigned — starting now — to add no carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/uoc–hem062218.php

From back office to boardroom: accountants step up in climate risk management
Jayanthi Kumarasiri et al
To properly consider climate risks for their business, directors need the financial expertise of accountants.
https://theconversation.com/from-back-office-to-boardroom-accountants-step-up-in-climate-risk-management-98857

Demand for Australian coal is surging, driven by Asian growth
Demand for Australian coal from Asia is pushing prices up and, according to analysts, the trend is set to continue.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-28/australian-coal-demand-surging-driven-by-asia/9914058

Turnbull refuses to rule out new coal-fired power stations
The Coalition had earlier backed a failed One Nation motion supporting the coal industry
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jun/28/turnbull-refuses-to-rule-out-new-coal-fired-power-stations

Coal the new tobacco, says ex-Rio boss Tom Albanese [$]
Being an ex-CEO can offer the wonderful freedom to say things you’d never get away with in the top job. Which is how we figure the embattled Tom Albanese found himself comparing coal to the addictive habit that gives you lung cancer. 
https://www.afr.com/brand/rear-window/coal-the-new-tobacco-says-exrio-boss-tom-albanese-20180628-h11z2q

Energy retailers brace for ACCC report [$]
Energy retailers are offering more simple “fixed-rate” electricity deals as they brace for a report from the ACCC that is expected to urge tough measures to help customers get a better deal.
https://www.afr.com/news/bracing-for-accc-report-big-energy-retailers-try-simple-fixed-offers-20180628-h11zmb

Snowy 2.0 needs to double or triple in size, hydro chief says
The Snowy 2.0 must be the starting point, not the end of energy storage technology if Australia is committed to decarbonising the economy, energy business heads say.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/snowy-2-0-needs-to-double-or-triple-in-size-hydro-chief-says-20180628-p4zodi.html

Dirty lawn mowers, outboard motors get chop under new emissions rules
From July 1 there will be new laws restricting the types gardening equipment and outboard motors that are available in Australia.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-29/dirty-mowers-and-chainsaw-motors-slashed-under-new-emission-laws/9885250

Murray information arrives – three days late [$]
Critical information about water for the Murray finally arrived on Thursday – but the legislation relating to it was passed on Monday.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/water-plan-a-fraud-on-the-environment-royal-commission-hears/news-story/cfcfdc80837167efca35246c6bdb43aa

Why your rooftop solar is best argument against extending coal
Giles Parkinson
As federal Coalition votes to support One Nation push for new coal generator, the best argument against it may be installing more rooftop solar. If parliamentary democracy can’t deliver rational outcomes, then maybe energy democracy can.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-best-argument-extending-coal-56056/

Australia’s history on climate policy is so awful it makes the NEG look like a victory [$]
Bernard Keane
Australia is headed for a fifth-best climate and energy policy — and we’ll be told it’s a triumph.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/06/28/energy-this-is-what-success-looks-like-in-a-fractured-polity/

The death of single-use plastics – it’s in the bag
Jenna Price
I can’t say I am in a hopeless panic about the restriction on single-use plastic bags by the major supermarkets.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/the-death-of-singleuse-plastics–its-in-the-bag-20180628-h11zhm.html

Why Woolies’ plastic bags backflip is a joke [$]
Susie O’Brien
So Woolworths are giving away bags that are made with more plastic than the single-use ones. Bags that take longer to break down. Bags that are worse for the environment. What a joke, writes .
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/susie-obrien/susie-obrien-why-woolworths-plastic-bags-backflip-is-a-joke/news-story/b5c6b2cb08523d99b2aac2896a6cfe4b

The big fat recycling lie [$]
Jane Fynes-Clinton
The  plastic bag ban isn’t a great victory. It’s a tiny step forward when after decades of lies about recycling, what we really need is huge leaps and bounds.
https://www.couriermail.com.au/rendezview/the-big-fat-recycling-lie/news-story/c7018189a3d00de84132efb678dce12f

‘Worthy of investigation’: Bikes over parking in tourist strips
Major changes are being promised, again, to Melbourne’s streets. Will the latest transport plan be more successful than its predecessors?
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/lygon-street-parking-could-be-swapped-for-bike-lanes-20180628-p4zodp.html

NSW EPA policies outdated: report
A NSW auditor-general report into the Environment Protection Authority has found “gaps” in the regulation of pollution in drinking water catchments.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/nsw-epa-policies-outdated-report/news-story/7c0e1dc89f9a41208395449b519bc762

State ditches plans for WestConnex tunnel sites in Sydney’s inner west
The state’s roads authority has abandoned plans to dig two tunnel entrances in Sydney’s inner west, including one near a primary school, for construction of the final stage of the $16.8 billion WestConnex toll road project following community opposition.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/state-ditches-plans-for-westconnex-tunnel-sites-in-sydney-s-inner-west-20180628-p4zoco.html

Elon Musk turns Sydney transport depot into green energy hub
An industrial-scale Tesla battery has been installed at Sydney’s new Alexandra Canal transport depot in Clover Moore’s renewable energy push.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/elon-musk-turns-sydney-transport-depot-into-green-energy-hub-20180627-p4zo1t.html

Residents want trams, but Graham Quirk says no
Old tram tracks and stops can still be found around Brisbane, and residents want them back, but the lord mayor says trams’ return is unlikely.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/residents-want-trams-but-graham-quirk-says-no-20180627-p4zo46.html

Major study reveals Great Barrier Reef’s 30,000-year fight for survival
A landmark international study, recently published in Nature Geoscience, shows that the Great Barrier Reef has suffered 5 death events in the last 30,000 years.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/uog-msr062818.php

Former SA Water boss to investigate water pricing
The State Government has appointed a former chairman of the board of SA Water to conduct an independent inquiry into the authority’s pricing methods.
https://indaily.com.au/news/local/2018/06/28/former-sa-water-boss-investigate-water-pricing/

EVs go underground, as BHP beats Tesla to the electric ute
BHP transforms a V8 4WD true blue Aussie ute to electric drive to work at it giant underground mine, and cops some flak from the nay-sayers.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/evs-go-underground-as-bhp-beats-tesla-to-the-electric-ute-34832/

At last, the shipping industry begins cleaning up its dirty fuels
By 2020, the global shipping fleet will be required to slash the noxious emissions from thick, sulfur-laden “bunker” fuel, a move that is expected to sharply reduce air pollution and prevent millions of cases of childhood asthma and other respiratory ailments.
https://e360.yale.edu/features/at-last-the-shipping-industry-begins-cleaning-up-its-dirty-fuels

New desalination process could extract vital battery material
Lithium is found in seawater and in some groundwater.
https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/06/27/new-desalination-process-could-extract-vital-battery-material-lithium

Share bikes don’t get cars off the road, but they have other benefits
Dorina Pojani and Jonathan Corcoran
Urban planners often hope bike-share schemes might reduce reliance on cars and help with congestion. But very few of those who use share bikes have switched from driving.
https://theconversation.com/share-bikes-dont-get-cars-off-the-road-but-they-have-other-benefits-98388

There are some single-use plastics we truly need. The rest we can live without
Paul Harvey
Sure, ditch the coffee cups. But don’t say goodbye to these too soon. Lubos Chlubny/Shutterstock.com
https://theconversation.com/there-are-some-single-use-plastics-we-truly-need-the-rest-we-can-live-without-99077

How Mining Can Help Bring Clean Energy Access to the Developing World
Caitlin Bonney, Jessie Lund and Patrick Molloy
It is no secret that the mine of the future must be vastly different than the mine of the past. With increasing fuel prices and social pressures, decreasing ore grades, and more complex energy challenges, mining companies must learn to navigate new terrain if they are to thrive in an ever-changing world.
https://www.rmi.org/news/how-mining-can-help-bring-clean-energy-access-to-the-developing-world/

Renewables for Everyone: Moving Beyond the Fortune 500
Stephen Abbott
Over the past four years, corporate America has emerged as a powerful champion of renewable energy.
https://www.rmi.org/news/renewables-for-everyone-moving-beyond-fortune-500/

If we want to solve complex environmental and social problems, we need to think in terms of systems
Leyla Acaroglu
Understanding how various parts of our world connect will help us shape solutions that don’t just create more challenges.
https://ensia.com/voices/systems-thinking/

Deepwater Horizon disaster altered building blocks of ocean life
Oil spill disaster reduced biodiversity in sites closest to spill, report finds, as White House rolls back conservation measures
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/28/bp-deepwater-horizon-oil-spill-report

A third of all bee species in Ireland could be extinct by 2030
Rapid changes in farming have sounded the death knell for many of our 21 species of bumblebees and 75 species of ‘solitary’ bees
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/a-third-of-all-bee-species-in-ireland-could-be-extinct-by-2030-1.3543104

More than half of Amazonian armadillos carry leprosy
The bacteria that causes leprosy, a chronic disease that can lead to disfigurement and nerve damage, is known to be transmitted to humans from nine-banded armadillos.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/p-mth061918.php

Our planet lost 40 football fields of tree cover every single minute in 2017
Last year, 39 million acres of forest cover was lost from the world’s tropics.
https://www.sciencealert.com/2017-global-forest-watch-report-increase-loss-tree-cover-tropics

The consequences of China’s booming demand for seafood
The country is putting restrictions on its domestic fishing fleet, but its distant water fleet has been growing to compensate.
http://www.ehn.org/the-consequences-of-chinas-booming-demand-for-seafood-2582171556.html

Where is the action to save Wood Buffalo National Park?
Wood Buffalo is heading for the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. Parks Canada has a looming deadline, but local First Nations doubt they can meet it
https://thenarwhal.ca/where-action-save-wood-buffalo-national-park/

Marine Protected Areas Often Expensive and Misplaced
Many marine protected areas are often unnecessarily expensive and located in the wrong places, an international study has shown.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180628105022.htm

Global surface area of rivers and streams is 45 percent higher than previously thought
Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Texas A&M University used satellite images, on-the-ground measurements and a statistical model to determine how much of the earth is covered by rivers and streams.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-06/uonc-gsa062718.php

What’s Giant Panda Conservation Worth? Billions Every Year, Study Shows
In China, the giant panda is clearly a cultural icon. And yet panda conservation, and the panda itself, is often criticized because of the associated cost.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/06/180628120114.htm

Biodiversity is the ‘infrastructure that supports all life’
Dr Cristiana Pasca Palmer, UN assistant secretary general and executive secretary of the convention on biological diversity, discusses Half Earth, a future biodiversity agreement and where to find the money to save life on Earth
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2018/jun/28/biodiversity-is-the-infrastructure-that-supports-all-life

Why are we still eating food that contains palm oil? [$]
Rachel Lowry
IN 2009, a picture of a mother orang-utan, looking defeated while holding her infant among a cleared and burnt landscape, sat above my desk as I placed calls to all major food manufacturers across Australia.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/rendezview/why-are-we-still-eating-food-that-contains-palm-oil/news-story/a771c430677283fb2ef819662ee297ce