Post of the Day
‘Overpopulation’ and the environment: Three ideas on how to discuss it in a sensitive way
Too often, talk of population and sustainability becomes emotionally loaded and conflict ridden.
Today’s Celebration
National Flag Day – Russia
Be An Angel Day – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/be-an-angel-day/
More about Aug 22 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_22
National
Record evaporation rates across eastern Australia exacerbate drought
Evaporation levels are running at record rates, particularly across eastern states, increasing the misery for farmers and raising the threat of bushfires.
How renewable energy affects farm property prices
Wind turbines and solar can boost farm values and bring in a passive income but hobby farms can suffer, according to a rural valuation specialist.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2018-08-21/how-renewable-energy-affects-farm-prices/10133442
Big energy breakup power a ‘catastrophe’
“It’s not just energy any more. They have raised the level of risk for all industries. It’s hard to know what the Liberal party stands for any more,” said Danny Price of Frontier Economics.
https://www.afr.com/news/big-energy-breakup-power-a-catastrophe-says-danny-price-20180821-h14949
Why more investment in the NDIS may not boost employment
Flavio Souza
We don’t actually know how NDIS participants weigh their personal goals and then make choices about achieving them through services, supports, therapies and interventions.
https://theconversation.com/why-more-investment-in-the-ndis-may-not-boost-employment-100177
Turnbull’s new approach to electricity: smoke and mirrors
Alan Moran
These are some of the reasons why the coalition government is 50 per cent in revolt against Malcolm Turnbull.
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=19903
The NEG’s dead – let states and territories lead on energy
Simon Corbell
So the NEG is dead – where to now? It’s time for politics to adopt the renewables model: a decentralised and distributed framework.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/the-negs-dead-let-states-and-territories-lead-on-energy-60073/
We should mourn the latest victim of the ‘political slaughterhouse’
Tony Wood
The death of the NEG will affect prices, reliability and the environment.
Australia has no climate policy: a quick response to a drawn-out farce
Graham Readfearn
Climate change denial is at the root of the half-baked policies and outright wrecking that have blighted the past decade
Our concern about the drought isn’t fair dinkum
Ross Gittins
Most handouts to farmers will be a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Victoria
GM Holden seeks 150 engineers to accelerate electric, autonomous vehicles
GM Holden will hire 150 new engineers at its Port Melbourne plant, to fast-track the development of 20 new EVs by 2023, and an AV by 2019.
Residents fear ‘unbelievable’ size of solar farm that would be bigger than their town
Residents in the Camperdown district in south-west Victoria are concerned about the scale of a solar farm proposed to be built on farmland near the town.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-22/six-square-km-bookaar-solar-farm-plan-worries-locals/10138944
Greens’ credibility on the role of hunting is shot [$]
Jack Wegman
The Greens’ anti-hunting policy will harm regional Victoria.
Queensland
Queensland’s biggest wind farm powers up near Mareebra
Ratch Australia begins electrification of its 180MW Mount Emerald wind farm, says full operation expected to commence in November this year.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/queenslands-biggest-wind-farm-powers-up-near-mareebra-19197/
First turbine installed at world first wind-solar-battery hub
The first wind turbine in what will be world’s first utility-scale, on-grid wind, solar and battery energy storage project has been installed.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/first-turbine-installed-at-world-first-wind-solar-battery-hub-11364/
Warning of ‘substantial rain’
Up to a month’s rain could fall in days as a low pressure system powers into the country’s east bringing severe storms and hail.
Tasmania
TasWater declares zero boil water alerts at last
TasWater declares Tasmania to be boil water alert free, but challenges lie ahead as the company seeks to overhaul its aging infrastructure.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-22/all-boil-water-alerts-lifted-in-tasmania/10149232
Curious Hobart: What happens to our waste?
Should you rinse out that milk bottle before throwing it into the recycle bin? What about that dead torch battery, those old x-rays, the shampoo bottles? Curious Hobart investigates what happens to the city’s waste.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-21/curious-hobart-what-happens-to-hobart-waste/10143584
UTAS students urge a freeze in fossil-fuel shares
Former Liberal leader John Hewson headlines a forum which aims to encourage the University of Tasmania to divest its investments in fossil-fuel polluting companies.
Premier denies cable car favours [$]
Premier Will Hodgman says he supports a cable car to kunanyi/Mt Wellington, but denies claims the State Government has given special treatment to the proponent.
Busloads of protesters spill out of meeting [$]
It was standing room only as hundreds of people filled the Hobart Town Hall for a meeting to protest against the Cambria Green East Coast development.
Sustainability
‘Everything gets destroyed’: The difficult problem of plane passenger waste
There’s been a big focus on the carbon footprint of flying. But airline passengers made 5.7 million tonnes of waste last year, and there’s no solution in sight.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-21/plastic-waste-created-in-plane-cabin-no-easy-solution/10117576
‘Overpopulation’ and the environment: Three ideas on how to discuss it in a sensitive way
Too often, talk of population and sustainability becomes emotionally loaded and conflict ridden.
Why electric scooters are an excellent option for green commuting
Society needs to have a much more nuanced discussion about climate change.
https://blueandgreentomorrow.com/environment/why-electric-scooters-excellent-option-green-commuting/
Microwaving food in plastic can be dangerous
Do you regularly heat up leftovers in plastic food-storage containers? Do you put plastic reusable water bottles in the dishwasher when they need a deep clean?
New York City just took historic step toward cutting its top source of climate pollution
Legislation announced Monday focuses on big buildings, and it could set a new standard for cities around the world.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nyc-carbon-footprint_us_5b7a338ee4b018b93e952f64
It’s easier to breathe in Beijing these days
As China continues to crack down on pollution, Beijing’s residents are breathing easier and seeing bluer skies.
https://www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/stories/beijing-improved-air-quality
Solar farm resilience: it’s not the panels, it’s the other stuff
Rebuilding a storm-damaged solar farm in St. Croix demonstrates that resilience strategies make the difference between days, weeks or months of recovery
Most British people want to install their own solar panels, survey reveals
Findings come as government has cut subsidies for green energy.
Less drain on freshwater supplies with seawater fuel discovery
Researchers have found that seawater can replace freshwater to produce the sustainable fuel Bioethanol, reducing the need to drain precious resources.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/uon-ldo082118.php
Why not wreck the planet? It might get you elected
Tom Chivers
There is a certain mindset in politics, present the world over and across the political spectrum, which distrusts expertise — especially scientific expertise.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/20/opinions/populist-skeptics-science-opinion-intl/index.html
Nature Conservation
Tons of plastic trash enter the Great Lakes every year – where does it go?
Roughly 10,000 tons of plastic enter the Great Lakes every year, and scientists want to know where it ends up. There are some parallels to ocean plastics, but also important differences.
Ecosystems are getting greener in the Arctic
Researchers from Berkeley Lab have developed a new benchmark model that estimates changes in the proportion of the Earth’s surface where plant growth will no longer be limited by cold temperatures over the 21st century.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/dbnl-eag082118.php