Daily Links Jul 22

Top Post
Global Study of World’s Beaches Shows Threat to Protected Areas
A first-of-its-kind survey of the world’s sandy shorelines with satellite data found that they have increased slightly on a global scale over the past three decades but decreased in protected marine areas, where many beaches are eroding.
https://www.enn.com/articles/54964-global-study-of-world-s-beaches-shows-threat-to-protected-areas

Today’s Celebration
Birthday of King Sobhuza II  Swaziland
Liberation Day  Gambia
National Tree Planting Day  Central African Republic
People’s Uprising Day  Slovenia
Parents’ Day – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/parents-day/
More about Jul 22 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_22

National
Pensioners keep power bill cash with Labor
Ahead of five by-elections, Labor has promised to keep the pensioner energy supplement in place.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/pensioners-keep-power-bill-cash-labor-140539931–spt.html

Physios shouldering the burden of overloaded reusable shopping bags
Shoppers are warned not to overload their bags at the checkout after reports of an increase in injuries from people trying to carry crammed reusable bags.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-22/overloaded-reusable-bags-causing-injuries-for-shoppers/10017294

Not even household pets are safe from ecowarriors [$]
Miranda Devine
A standoff between sensible vets in the federal Department of Agriculture and green loons in the Department of the Environment has created strife for an exotic breed of domestic cats imported as a statement pet by fashionistas and high-end breeders.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/rendezview/not-even-household-pets-are-safe-from-ecowarriors/news-story/17f158b67558e1a82f9865fd23d10e84

Victoria
Josh Frydenberg grants Queen Victoria Market national heritage listing
An application made by Melbourne City Council has seen Queen Victoria Market added to the national heritage register by Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/josh-frydenberg-grants-queen-victoria-market-national-heritage-listing-20180720-p4zsq9.html

Regional hubs to win big with airport rail [$]
Key regional centres will get boosted train services thanks to a super-sized Sunshine station as part of the Tullamarine Airport rail line plan, with passengers from regional hubs such as Ballarat and Geelong getting to the airport 30 minutes quicker and could usher in fast rail.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/regional-hubs-will-win-big-with-melbourne-airport-rail-link/news-story/79343a6410fc12fb04cbd119021b3c34

Deadbeat dumpers turning Victoria into a tip [$]
Deadbeat dumpers are costing Victorians $30 million a year to clean up their mess left on the side of the road and other public places.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/deadbeats-turning-victorian-roads-into-a-dumping-ground/news-story/980879a3057223f2ffcee80a063af2f2

Are we rubbish at recycling? [$]
The effort required to sort out the reusable from rubbish means many are tempted to put recycling in the too-hard basket. But waste management crusaders say that attitude is a load of garbage.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/with-aussies-creating-one-tonne-of-plastic-every-minute-we-ask-are-we-rubbish-at-recycling/news-story/5800ed21b325cad9bbd5bdbdb35dba23

New South Wales
Law change gives green light for teenagers to ride on footpaths
As NSW schools return from the mid-year break, teenagers will no longer have to navigate traffic on the roads while riding their bikes to school.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/law-change-gives-green-light-for-teenagers-to-ride-on-footpaths-20180720-p4zsl2.html

One tonne of foil — that’s a lot of scraps
A man launches a personal war on waste targeting foil used by hairdressers, and collects one tonne of metal from six hairdressers after just seven months.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-22/man-wages-personal-war-on-waste-on-hairdressing-foil/10018990

Lifeline pops up at Splendour in the Grass with retro, vintage clothing and a fashion message
Fashion sense at music festivals, for many, is almost as important as the headlining bands.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-21/vintage-clothing-pop-up-by-lifeline-at-splendour-in-the-grass/10017528

ACT
Thousands sign up for green bins ahead of expansion to Belconnen
More than 20,000 Canberrans have signed up for a green waste bin but trash pack operators are feeling the sting.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/thousands-sign-up-for-green-bins-ahead-of-expansion-to-belconnen-20180713-p4zref.html

Net from commercial fishing trawler pulled from Franklin Pond
Patrick Bacon is unfortunately used to pulling illegal nets out of Canberra’s waterways. He’s just not used to them being so big.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/net-from-commercial-fishing-trawler-pulled-from-franklin-pond-20180720-p4zslu.html

Queensland
Locations of Brisbane’s container-refund depots revealed
At least 10 new container-refund depots will be built in south-east Queensland by November, including five in Brisbane, as part of the state’s Container Refund Scheme.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/locations-of-brisbane-s-container-refund-depots-revealed-20180720-p4zsog.html

Popular Brisbane canoeing creek often dangerously polluted with faecal bacteria
While Brisbane City Council testing reveals dangerously high levels of faecal pollution in Cabbage Tree Creek, many people using the waterway say they know nothing about it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-21/faecal-bacteria-dangerously-high-cabbage-tree-creek-qld/10015276

Power of one to kill our bill shock [$]
The promise of deregulation bringing prices down in Queensland’s electricity market has finally been realised with the arrival of one particular player.
https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/competition-from-alinta-energy-is-cutting-the-price-of-power-bills/news-story/3469fde502b6e0759f2bc3d41148f6a3

South Australia
Endangered lizard overhauls green energy giant’s plans [$]
The unexpected discovery of 115 palm-sized endangered pygmy blue-tongue lizards across a proposed wind farm site has seen the company make significant changes.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/wind-farm-developer-vows-to-tip-toe-round-special-pygmy-lizard/news-story/fd11a487b2847e994c0c145916b668e8

Tasmania
New zookeeper calls Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary home
From orphaned wombats to rescued wedge-tailed eagles, the privately-owned park at Mole Creek focuses on conservation, reh
https://www.examiner.com.au/news/local-news/5539426/new-zookeeper-calls-trowunna-wildlife-sanctuary-home/

Labor wants perpetuity clause in Burials and Cremations Act
Existing Tasmanian cemeteries and gravesites must be given a guarantee they can operate forever, according to the Labor Party.
https://www.examiner.com.au/news/local-news/5539370/labor-wants-perpetuity-clause-in-burials-and-cremations-act/

Western Australia
Peacock spider man discovers dazzling new species while searching for the ‘Hokey Pokey’
On a trip trudging through the wet and cold of southern Western Australia last year, Jurgen Otto rediscovered a dancing spider dubbed the Hokey Pokey.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-07-21/new-peacock-spiders-discovered/10007422

Sustainability
From pollutants to human health: Key questions for a better environmental future in Europe
A new study, published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, wants to shape a new guideline –with a more global and coordinated perspective– for several social and economic sectors in the field of chemical products and management of environmental risks in Europe.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/uob-fpt072018.php

Houseplants Could One Day Monitor Home Health
A student from two unrelated disciplines — plant sciences and architectural design — explore the future of houseplants as aesthetically pleasing and functional sirens of ..
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180720112829.htm

Secondhand Smoke Causing Thousands of Still Births in Developing Countries
Exposure to secondhand smoke is causing thousands of still births in developing countries, according to new research carried out by the University of York.
https://www.enn.com/articles/54968-secondhand-smoke-causing-thousands-of-still-births-in-developing-countries

Greening Vacant Lots Reduces Feelings of Depression in City Dwellers
Greening vacant urban land significantly reduces feelings of depression and improves overall mental health for the surrounding residents, researchers show in a new randomized, controlled study.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180720112806.htm

Urgent change needed to regulate the environmental impacts of chemicals
International study has identified the most important questions that researchers must address in order to help protect our planet over the next decade.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/uos-ucn072018.php

New battery could store wind and solar electricity affordably and at room temperature
A new type of flow battery that involves a liquid metal more than doubled the maximum voltage of conventional flow batteries and could lead to affordable storage of renewable power.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/su-nbc071918.php

Wave energy converters are not geared towards the increase in energy over the last century
Wave energy converters are designed to generate the maximum energy possible in their location and take a typical year in the location as a reference. Alongside the Irish Centre for Ocean Energy Research, researchers from various UPV/EHU centres have been exploring how ocean energy in Ireland has evolved during the last century. The results reveal an increase of up to 40%, which directly affects the output of the converters.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/uotb-wec072018.php

Nature Conservation
Nine activists defending the Earth from violent assault
On a planet of billions, nine represent the strong minority battling murder in the global corruption of land rights
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/21/defending-earth-violence-murder-activists-land-corruption

Global Study of World’s Beaches Shows Threat to Protected Areas
A first-of-its-kind survey of the world’s sandy shorelines with satellite data found that they have increased slightly on a global scale over the past three decades but decreased in protected marine areas, where many beaches are eroding.
https://www.enn.com/articles/54964-global-study-of-world-s-beaches-shows-threat-to-protected-areas

Nature can heal itself after an oil spill, it just needs a little help
No matter the safety precautions, spills will sometimes occur. Cleaning the soil afterwards is difficult, expensive and time-consuming.
https://www.enn.com/articles/54961-nature-can-heal-itself-after-an-oil-spill-it-just-needs-a-little-help

Maelor Himbury