Daily Links Jul 21

Coastal cities are already suffering from “climate gentrification”
Climate change will sink cities, but first it will make them expensive.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90204840/coastal-cities-are-already-in-the-grips-of-climate-gentrification

Climate change is beginning to shift planet’s seasons: scientists
Pouring through four decades of satellite data, climate scientists have concluded for the first time that humans are pushing seasonal temperatures out of balance.
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2018/07/20/495674.htm

‘We have to start getting used to it’: Record-breaking temperatures heating up the globe
No better time than during a global heat wave to take a closer look at the world’s changing climate, for which record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather are the “new normal,” experts say.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/climate-change-heat-waves-1.4751633

U.N. pact offers hope to world’s climate migrants
Be it by flood, drought or hurricane, communities at risk of climate displacement have won vital protection after their plight was for the first time recognized in a global pact on migration, campaigners say.
http://news.trust.org/item/20180719154822-ub6go/

Slowing Gulf Stream current to boost warming for 20 years
The Atlantic system that warms the UK is slowing down but this may cause even more heating.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44875508

GOP candidate calls woman ‘naive’ for asking about climate
Body heat is making Earth warmer, and climate change is caused by the planet’s movement toward the sun.
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060089831

Climate change: What will Earth look like if all the ice melted?
Climate change threatens the world’s coastal regions as shown in a dire video revealing what the world would look like if all the ice caps melted.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/991791/Climate-change-melting-ice-what-Earth-look-global-warming

Is the ‘Zero Hour’ youth climate march a turning point, or more of the same?
Marc Hudson
Young activists rallying in Paris before the landmark 2015 climate summit. Julien Odde/Crowdspark/AAP
https://theconversation.com/is-the-zero-hour-youth-climate-march-a-turning-point-or-more-of-the-same-100173

Controversial climate fix poses new question: Is geoengineering playing God?
Rosalie Chan
By now it is abundantly clear that religious groups have taken a stand on the moral necessity of combating climate change.
https://religionnews.com/2018/07/16/controversial-climate-fix-begs-new-question-is-geoengineering-playing-god/

Climate change: The moral case for Christian action
Joseph Sapati Moeono-Kolio
In his 2009 encyclical Caritas in Veritate, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wrote: ‘The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole.’
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/climate-change-the-moral-case-for-christian-actionexecute1/130033.htm

Stop your whining, we’ll be fine [$]
Chris Kenny
Suicide a climate change solution? Oh, please. Outpourings of pessimism and tears shed for the planet ignore human history.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/stop-the-handwringing-humankind-will-adapt-and-prosper/news-story/10b788846558f56ed43daa02ac599918

Plastic alternatives sell out amid bag ban
Businesses say Australian consumers are increasingly looking for plastic alternatives for all kinds of products, including cosmetics and cling wrap.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/plastic-alternatives-sell-out-amid-bag-ban/news-story/bd5ad8de85199e1c5213055beb9e44bf

‘Government should’ve been first’ [$]
ABC presenter Craig Reucassel on the plastic bag ban, a wasted law degreee and how it feels to be TV’s ‘bin guy’.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/weekend-australian-magazine/qa-craig-reucassel-tv-presenter-and-comedian/news-story/87756090e9b9dc129a2aa8e6995d4b50

Could nukes be in Australia’s interest? [$]
We need to do more than just wait to see how much lasting change the Trump presidency does to America.
https://www.afr.com/news/policy/defence/this-is-what-a-youre-on-your-own-bro-foreign-policy-might-look-like-20180719-h12wqw

Networks, grid operators seek more consultation on solar “orchestration” plan
Sophie Vorrath
Industry and consumers have more time to weigh in on how best to “integrate” rooftop solar and battery storage, after a huge response to a consultation paper by AEMO and the ENA.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/networks-grid-operators-seek-consultation-solar-orchestration-plan-42315/

Renewed calls to slow immigration as Australia rushes past 25 million
Rex Drabik
With Australia’s population set to hurtle past the 25 million mark in August there are renewed calls in Canberra for a significant reduction in the country’s sky-high immigration intake.
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=19852

Has AEMO downplayed speed of clean energy transition?
Giles Parkinson
A year ago, Finkel’s modelling was telling us we should keep coal generators operating longer. Now, AEMO is telling us its cheaper to close them and replace with renewables and storage. That’s a big step in 12 months, but AEMO could have gone further.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/has-aemo-downplayed-speed-of-clean-energy-transition-53479/

Minerals Council still dangerously wrong on coal and climate
Ian Dunlop
The Minerals Council report on market demand for Australian coal not only defies economic logic, it ignores climate risk and its impact on MCA’s business, and the business of its members.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/minerals-council-still-dangerously-wrong-on-coal-and-climate-24581/

Double standards on climate risks – Government protects sophisticated investors, not taxpayers
David Barnden
Aussie taxpayers are staring down the barrel of huge financial losses as a result of climate change risks.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/double-standards-climate-risks-government-protects-sophisticated-investors-not-taxpayers-40552/

Coal power has to cover for wind [$]
Terry McCrann
The basic uselessness of wind and solar but especially wind as mainstream electricity generation sources should be obvious.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/terry-mccrann/coal-power-has-to-make-up-for-unreliable-wind/news-story/5dea16a58b1c3db9dd59837edc32aa4d

Australia, this is no way to live [$]
Judith Sloan
It is gradually dawning on Malcolm Turnbull that city life is becoming unbearable. We can’t build our way out of this mess.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/pressure-is-on-as-cities-burst-at-the-seams/news-story/04d316953338bf02de63ce9db75764e2

Tiny angry bird helped by its own call
The call of the Mallee emu-wren is a secret weapon in the race to save Australia’s tiniest bird.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/tiny-angry-bird-helped-by-its-own-call-20180720-56mst.html

Victoria hit hardest by great power rip-off [$]
Electricity businesses are ripping their highest profit margins from Victorian customers, an inquiry has found and Australians are being hit with some of the steepest power prices in the world.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victoria-hit-hardest-as-power-ripoff-laid-bare/news-story/55d8b6ee04d1fe262d6eed35fc390fb8

Nuke spills spur reactor review [$]
Australia’s nuclear safety agency has ordered a review of Lucas Heights nuclear medicine facility after two radiation spills.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/nuclear-radiation-spills-spur-lucas-heights-review/news-story/7c5f0c09e7847d8c0265e86c28d1e796

EPA to monitor air quality in Blue Mountains
How fresh is it really? EPA to monitor Mountains air.
https://www.bluemountainsgazette.com.au/story/5534526/epa-to-monitor-air-quality-in-blue-mountains/?cs=1432

ACT government investigating potential for water trading
The government is spending $120,000 to see if it can contribute 15 gigalitres to the Murray-Darling Basin water recovery program.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/act-government-investigating-potential-for-water-trading-20180711-p4zqq7.html

There’s one group of residents keen for a recycling plant at Fyshwick
Plans to send all of the rubbish from Canberra’s kerbside bins to a waste transfer station in the city’s east have been dumped on by hundreds of angry residents – except for those who live close to the current tip.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/act/there-s-one-group-of-residents-keen-for-a-recycling-plant-at-fyshwick-20180713-p4zr98.html

What will Canberra’s new bus network mean for students?
Almost 60 schools will lose all their dedicated buses in the new network but bus trips will also increase in frequency.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/what-will-canberra-s-new-bus-network-mean-for-students-20180720-p4zsl0.html

All aboard the ‘solarcoaster’ as prices go for a ride [$]
Queensland’s boom in large-scale solar is raising concerns about future swings in power prices and how well both coal and renewables plants will cope.
https://www.afr.com/business/energy/solar-energy/solar-power-drives-electricity-prices-below-zero-during-the-middle-of-the-day-20180720-h12xbd

Mass coral bleaching forces review of reef protection plan
The Australian and Queensland governments have on Friday brought forward a report including more urgent impacts from climate change after major coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/mass-coral-bleaching-forces-review-of-reef-protection-plan-20180720-p4zsmu.html

Australian governments concede Great Barrier Reef headed for ‘collapse’
The world’s climate change path means the Great Barrier Reef is headed for “collapse” according to a plan endorsed by state and federal governments that critics say turns a blind eye to Australia’s inadequate effort to cut carbon emissions.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/australian-governments-concede-great-barrier-reef-headed-for-collapse-20180720-p4zsof.html

Hop to it, or it’s hoo-roo [$]
Kimberley, the world’s first virtual reality tree kangaroo, will be hopping into the hearts of southeast Queenslanders to raise awareness about the plight of her species.
https://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/kimberley-the-worlds-first-vr-tree-kangaroo-to-make-an-ekka-debut/news-story/0d3dd9028cb815349911fb8c76f220e9

Why cars are still king of the road in Adelaide [$]
David Penberthy
It comes as no surprise that Adelaide has the highest rate of people driving to work of any mainland capital in Australia. Why wouldn’t you?
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/david-penberthy-why-cars-are-still-king-of-the-road-in-adelaide/news-story/04a2fb5ab6bc3a521c88fa7b82c80083

Perth manufacturer Onya inundated with orders during Plastic Free July
Single-use plastic bag bans have helped spur on Australians to find alternatives to cling wrap, bread bags and cosmetic bottles, businesses say.
https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/perth-manufacturer-onya-inundated-with-orders-during-plastic-free-july-ng-b88903098z

Pollution could be causing acne and ageing: 3 things you can do to protect your skin
Katie Wright asks the experts what we should be doing to counteract the effects of this urban enemy.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/lifestyle/healthandlife/pollution-could-be-causing-acne-and-ageing-3-things-you-can-do-to-protect-your-skin-856589.html

Resistance to genetically modified seeds in Africa
Seeds modified in a lab are often touted as a means to boost agriculture and food security in Africa. There is some resistance on the continent and debate on preserving its traditional seed base instead.
https://www.dw.com/en/resistance-to-genetically-modified-seeds-in-africa/a-44736633

Trump administration proposes dramatic cuts to Endangered Species Act protections
The move comes the same day as a new study that shows overwhelming support for the 45-year-old environmental legislation.
https://therevelator.org/trump-cuts-endangered-species-act/

What Do Wolves Need to Thrive?
Biologist Carter Niemeyer says gray wolves can only survive if we embrace wild spaces and scientific truth, not hatred and fear.
https://therevelator.org/wolves-thrive/

How do forests respond to atmospheric pollution?
How forests respond to elevated nitrogen levels from atmospheric pollution is not always the same.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/analysis/news/how-do-forests-respond-to-atmospheric-pollution-306522

Drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to get fast review
The Interior Department contract for an expedited environmental review allows three months to respond to hundreds of thousands of public comments.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/drilling-in-alaska-national-wildlife-refuge-to-get-fast-review/2018/07/19/f873c11a-8a98-11e8-85ae-511bc1146b0b_story.html?utm_term=.80adb87e49af