Daily Links Aug 10

YouTube is fighting back against climate misinformation
The company is trying to combat scientific misinformation on its platform. Wikipedia has been helping the streaming platform describe topics like global warming, the MMR vaccine, and UFOs.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zahrahirji/youtube-climate-change-denial

From greenhouse to hothouse: The language of climate change
Feedback effects could spark irreversible global warming, says scientists. But what does use of the word ‘hothouse’ imply?
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/09/greenhouse-hothouse-verbal-climate-change-irreversible-global-warming-scientists

The message of a scorching 2018: We’re not prepared for global warming
It’s hot. But it may not be the new normal yet. Temperatures are still rising.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/climate/summer-heat-global-warming.html

Geoengineering method found wanting
Proponents of geoengineering as a way to mitigate the effects of global warming have been dealt a blow, with a study in the journal Nature concluding that one of the most favoured methods will do more harm than good.
https://cosmosmagazine.com/climate/geoengineering-method-found-wanting

Global warming could be in reverse by 2050 if we take action now
Chad Frischmann
Project Drawdown’s research director says the paradigm around global warming needs to change into one of possibility and opportunity.
https://horizon-magazine.eu/article/global-warming-could-be-reverse-2050-if-we-take-action-now-chad-frischmann_en.html

We’re all going on a scat hunt: how citizen science can help save echidnas
Ordinary Australians are making a difference for teams that rely on raw data such as the University of Adelaide’s recent project on the monotremes
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/10/were-all-going-on-a-scat-hunt-how-citizen-science-can-help-save-echidnas

States set to resist but not reject the NEG
Labor and Greens ministers will push for changes to the National Energy Guarantee at a key meeting today, as calls grow for the Government to strengthen its targets and release its modelling.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-10/no-guarantee-for-the-governments-national-energy-guarantee/10094920

What does the NEG mean for real cases, real people?
A small Brisbane café, a large sports stadium — both have to deal with massive electricity costs, both are worried, and both want to know: will the NEG help me?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-09/what-does-the-neg-mean-for-real-cases,-real-people/10089046

Frydenberg talks up blackouts as top advisor concedes no forecast power shortages
Labor states including Victoria express grave concerns over the policy and say the deal should not be rushed.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/frydenberg-talks-up-blackouts-as-top-advisor-concedes-no-forecast-power-shortages-20180809-p4zwhz.html

Greens push for energy modelling release
The Greens will move a Senate motion to force the government to release full modelling of the national energy guarantee.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/greens-push-energy-modelling-release-140547636–spt.html

Will the national energy guarantee stall or speed up progress? – Australian politics live podcast
With a make-or-break set of meetings on the Turnbull government’s national energy guarantee kicking off, Katharine Murphy talks to Ken Baldwin, the director of the energy change institute at the Australian National University. Will the Neg halt a transformation into renewables that is already being driven by the global energy market? Or will it set the future foundations for climate and energy policy across Australia?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2018/aug/09/will-the-national-energy-guarantee-stall-or-speed-up-progress-australian-politics-live-podcast

States being asked to approve NEG mechanism that increases emissions
Ric Brazzale
On top of that, the $150 average annual household saving the ESB claims is due to the NEG is illusory, and based on heroic demand assumptions.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/states-asked-approve-neg-mechanism-increases-emissions-83204/

Big little lies: The rotten core that could kill the NEG
Giles Parkinson
Australia is in the midst of a clean energy transition. All the members of the ESB admit that and have said they embrace it. Even Frydenberg has admitted this.
To produce a document that claims to be able to stop this transition in its tracks – and to endorse it without showing a transition can be readily accommodated – beggars belief.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/big-little-lies-the-rotten-core-that-could-kill-the-neg-78826/

The half-baked NEG needs more time in the oven
Simon Holmes à Court
The national energy guarantee, as it currently stands, is not a solution to the problems it purports to address – but there’s time to fix it
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/09/the-half-baked-neg-needs-more-time-in-the-oven

The NEG’s not nirvana but it can’t be allowed to slip away
Mark Coughlin
We’re in danger of more price volatility and significant power outages if the National Energy Guarantee doesn’t get over the line.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/the-economy/the-neg-s-not-nirvana-but-it-can-t-be-allowed-to-slip-away-20180809-p4zwir.html

Small business needs the National Energy Guarantee
Peter Strong
The uncertainty over energy prices and supply is another business pressure that our sector can’t afford.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/small-business/small-business-needs-the-national-energy-guarantee-20180809-p4zwew.html

Promised savings under NEG need closer inspection
Peter Hannam
Remember how Tony Abbott’s promise to scrap the carbon tax was going to save the average Australian household $550 a year? It appears we are stuck in a moment of deja vu.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/climate-change/promised-savings-under-neg-need-closer-inspection-20180808-p4zw8y.html

Meter shock sparks power bill proposal [$]
Victorians would potentially save hundreds of dollars on their power bill under a proposal to allow customers to read their own electricity and gas meters instead of relying on dodgy estimates.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/power-to-the-people-meter-shock-sparks-power-bill-proposal/news-story/13a2790f3b34c4f6b7ae9cfce5f21822

Transport Minister told to fix the trains, not the news [$]
Almost half of Victorians do not catch trains, trams and buses as they are deterred by overcrowding, availability and punctuality problems, a new poll reveals, while the state’s Public Transport Minister wastes time dictating what can be shown on station TVs.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/train-wreck-interview-for-transport-minister/news-story/932b9cb9c366a10bb0b9ed4a0f26d869

Stop throwing gold into the bin [$]
Stan Krpan
Did you know that those broken phones, tablets and computers contain a whole range of precious materials — including gold, silver and copper? We are literally throwing gold into the rubbish bin.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/stan-krpan-where-theres-ewaste-theres-gold/news-story/a234c11a30ea426761feaee819ab74ab

Political upside to power price pain [$]
Matt Johnston
Two days ago I received a $50 cheque in the mail. It was a taxpayer-funded inducement from the State Government, sent after I visited an energy website designed to get me a better power deal.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/matt-johnston-political-upside-to-power-price-pain/news-story/e5c562ea82d9f7a9236b60a0369d4687

NSW backs Turnbull’s national energy plan
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says NSW will support the federal government’s National Energy Guarantee, which she believes will lower power prices.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/nsw-backs-turnbulls-national-energy-plan/news-story/1b106d5c1877407c42f143aa1c88aa30

‘Shifting goalposts’: NSW gives Victoria serve over energy plan block
NSW has accused Victoria of jeopardising the interests of its electricity users by making a last-minute call to delay talks on the Turnbull government’s National Energy Guarantee.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/climate-change/shifting-goalposts-nsw-gives-victoria-serve-over-energy-plan-block-20180809-p4zwhh.html

Smoke from hazard reduction burn blankets Sydney Harbour
It may have alarmed some tourists, but Fire & Rescue NSW says “the whole thing went to plan”.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/smoke-from-hazard-reduction-burn-blankets-sydney-harbour-20180809-p4zwkl.html

Forced to cop $3b green energy rip-off [$]
Sydneysiders have been paying almost $3 billion into a green energy slush fund that funded a solar bonus scheme and a seawall study but has so far cut the country’s emissions by little more than 1 per cent.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/slush-fund-scheme-now-so-useless-that-government-no-longer-publishes-results/news-story/1ac4dde8cea78223fa6f9ff25105bc68

‘We haven’t received NEG details’: Qld
Queensland officials say they are yet to receive the full detail of the Turnbull government’s National Energy Guarantee ahead of a crucial meeting.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/havent-received-neg-details-qld-173443193–spt.html

The information Adani spent a year trying to hide
Documents Adani fought to keep secret appear to show both the company and the Queensland Government knew it was likely to breach its licence before it spilled polluted water into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-10/adani-spent-a-year-trying-to-hide-reef-spill-details/10090632

#Reefgate: GBRF plans to hold onto its $443 million lottery win
Martin Hirst
The Great Barrier Reef Foundation has no intention of returning its $443 million funding deal, writes Dr Martin Hirst
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/reefgate-gbrf-plans-to-hold-onto-its-443-million-lottery-win,11771

‘Never been as bad as this’: The Queensland kids who have never seen rain
Madonna King
A child born in 2011 in some western parts of Queensland is now in year 2 – and they have never seen rain. They’ve never witnessed the skies darken, and the heavens open.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/never-been-as-bad-as-this-horror-drought-deserves-action-from-all-parties-20180808-p4zwc7.html

Outrageous grant to reef foundation threatens vital public research
Kim Carr
By giving this money to a private foundation, the government has sidelined Australia’s publicly funded research agencies.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/outrageous-grant-to-reef-foundation-threatens-vital-public-research-20180809-p4zwgj.html

SA welfare groups urge caution over ‘unfair’ energy guarantee
The South Australian Council of Social Service and Uniting Communities have urged the State Government to consider what they describe as “critical” changes to the National Energy Guarantee to protect the interests of South Australians on low incomes.
https://indaily.com.au/news/2018/08/09/sa-welfare-groups-urge-caution-over-unfair-energy-guarantee/

Mount Wellington cable car project hits council hurdle as backers revealed
As the ABC reveals backers of the Mount Wellington cable car project, the proposal faces an early hurdle from the Hobart City Council.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-10/mount-wellington-cable-car-facing-council-hurdle/10102570

Vision of Tasmanian devil waiting for ‘friend’ shocks researchers
Never-before seen behaviour by Tasmanian devils has been caught on camera, raising questions about the long-held belief that they are solitary creatures.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-09/video-of-tasmanian-devil-waiting-for-friend-shocks-researchers/10093926

Authorities say Borroloola drinking water is safe — but many residents don’t trust them
Indigenous residents living in the Northern Territory mining town of Borroloola said they do not believe assurances from the Health Department that water they were warned not to drink in April is now safe.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-10/indigenous-protest-lead-contamination-water-borroloola/10103122

Ultra-fast EV chargers eliminate the hydrogen “advantage”
One of the last advantages touted for the hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) over the battery electric car (BEV) is the speed of hydrogen refuelling vs battery charging.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/ultra-fast-ev-chargers-eliminate-hydrogen-advantage-17724/

Environmental Regulations Drove Steep Declines in US Factory Pollution
A new study by economists shows that between 1990 and 2008, air pollution levels plummeted.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180809093515.htm

China’s Qinghai province runs on renewables for 216 hours
China’s northwestern Qinghai Province taps internet-of-things to run for seven straight days entirely on renewable energy.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/chinas-qinghai-province-runs-renewables-216-hours-47337/

North American diets require more land than we have, study finds
Researchers found that if the global population followed the United States Department of Agriculture’s dietary guidelines, there would not be enough land to provide the food required.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180809112407.htm

American Beauties
How plastic bags came to rule our lives, and why we can’t quit them. Advice from the 1950s: “If the plastics industry wants to drive sales, it must teach customers how to waste.”
https://www.topic.com/american-beauties

Cities in the face of drought
What can be done to prevent five billion people suffering from water shortages by 2050?
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/cities-in-the-face-of-drought/

US EPA ordered to ban pesticide linked to learning disabilities
A federal court said the agency must prohibit the use of chlorpyrifos after seven states and DC backed the case against it
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/09/epa-pesticide-learning-disabilities-banned-chlorpyrifos

Nagasaki marks 73 years since A-bombing
The UN’s chief has urged world leaders to take concrete steps toward nuclear disarmament as he attended an event marking the bombing of Nagasaki 73 years ago.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/nagasaki-marks-73-years-since-abombing/news-story/3442ce16e49628be195b84e75dbd71ba

Want to fight climate change? Look in your fridge
Karolina Skog
Though few realize it, the contents of your refrigerator can have a greater impact on climate change than the car in your garage or the fuel that heats and powers your home
https://www.newsweek.com/fight-climate-change-look-your-fridge-opinion-1052295

For the first time, scientists are putting extinct mammals on the map
Researchers from Aarhus University and University of Gothenburg have produced the most comprehensive family tree and atlas of mammals to date, connecting all living and recently extinct mammal species (nearly 6,000 in total) and overturning many previous ideas about global patterns of biodiversity
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/au-ftf080818.php

Good news for fishermen: Browning impacts fish less than expected
Water color is getting darker in lakes across the planet. This phenomenon, known as ‘browning,’ was anticipated to cause widespread declines in fish populations. A new study by researchers from Umeå University, Sweden, finds that the number of fish populations impacted by browning is smaller than previously believed.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/uu-gnf080818.php

Surprise! Trees are gaining ground globally
Amid wildfires, climate change, insect outbreaks and deforestation, news about forests can seem like one long-running disaster.
https://www.insidescience.org/news/surprise-trees-are-gaining-ground-globally

How retired engineer plans to remove 40 tonnes of faeces from Everest
In the two months that it takes to ascend the mountain, the average climber will produce 27 kilograms of excrement. Garry Porter has devised a way to get rid of it.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/sustainability/how-retired-engineer-plans-to-remove-40-tonnes-of-faeces-from-everest-20180809-p4zwds.html

NASA Satellites Assist States in Estimating Abundance of Key Wildlife Species
Climate and land-use change are shrinking natural wildlife habitats around the world.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180809093455.htm

Marine mammals have lost a gene that now they may desperately need
Dolphins, manatees, sea lions, elephant seals and other animals no longer produce an enzyme that protects land mammals against harmful chemicals, including some pesticides.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/science/marine-mammals-pesticides.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience