Leigh Sales: How will you ensure in the future people won’t be devastated by catastrophic climate change?
Post of the Day
Google searches reveal where people are most concerned about climate change
Carla Archibald and Nathalie Butt
Our research, published in the journal Climatic Change, suggests that Google search histories can be used as a “barometer of social awareness” to measure communities’ awareness of climate change, and their ability to adapt to it.
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Google search histories can be used to reveal how much the public knows about climate change in countries all over the world – and how ready they are to take action to guard against its effects.
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Today’s Celebration
National Day – Cape Verde Islands
Ganesh Chaturthi – Hinduism
Muharram – Islam
United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation – http://www.un.org/en/events/southcooperationday/
Quiet Day – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/quiet-day/
More about Sep 12 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_12
Climate Change
Natural mechanism could lower emissions from tropical peatlands
Scientists have long feared that as Earth warms, tropical peatlands — which store up to 10 percent of the planet’s soil carbon — could dry out, decay and release vast pools of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change. A new study led by Duke and Florida State researchers, however, finds theses swamps and marshes have a natural biochemical defense mechanism that helps them resist decay and could reduce or slow their emissions.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-09/du-nmc091118.php
Five ways global warming changed the world since the Paris Accord
The Paris Agreement was struck in 2015 with the hope that nations would come together to prevent climate change from becoming an existential crisis for billions of people worldwide.
https://www.bna.com/five-ways-global-n73014482390/
New research unravels the mysteries of deep soil carbon
Huge amounts of carbon are stored in deep soil. Scientists uncover the conditions that will cause that carbon to stay underground or be emitted into the atmosphere as climate-destabilizing carbon dioxide.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-09/dc-nru090518.php
How climate change is hurting our health
More heart attacks. Worse asthma attacks. Year round allergies. And tropical diseases everywhere. And that’s just to start.
https://folks.pillpack.com/how-climate-change-is-hurting-our-health/
Google searches reveal where people are most concerned about climate change
Carla Archibald and Nathalie Butt
Our research, published in the journal Climatic Change, suggests that Google search histories can be used as a “barometer of social awareness” to measure communities’ awareness of climate change, and their ability to adapt to it.
Dear politicians, get your heads out of the coal pit and into the real world
Peter Holding
As farmers we’re dealing with increasingly extreme weather as a result of global warming. We need meaningful action now.
Want to combat climate change? Take care of our oceans
Meg Caldwell
The oceans are warming and turning more acidic at alarming rates, threatening the physical safety, food security and livelihoods of Californians and people around the world. It is not too late to act, but time is of the essence.
https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-ed/soapbox/article218021975.html
National
Climate poll shows Morrison politically vulnerable as more voters back action
Number of Australians concerned about impact of climate change and wanting coal phased out rises
How much does it cost to power an electric car around Australia? $150
Retired farmer Sylvia Wilson’s husband died before they could do their dream road trip. She decided to go anyway
‘Embarrassing’ NEG failure won’t stop intervention, energy chiefs say
The government’s failure on energy policy won’t stop a royal commission or other market interventions, former EnergyAustralia chiefs say.
Carp control plan hits snag [$]
The bid to rid Australia’s rivers of mud-sucking carp will be delayed, with National Carp Control Plan researchers granted more time to complete their work.
‘Out of step’ on fracking [$]
Five out of six Australian states now have a ban, moratorium or restrictions on fracking, with South Australia the latest to introduce a 10-year block on the practice.
Links mean we’ll always have Paris [$]
Scott Morrison says Australia will stay in the Paris agreement because pulling out would alienate Pacific countries.
AGL quits rooftop solar arm [$]
AGL has announced it will exit its rooftop solar business, incurring a $47m loss in the process.
‘Do our share on emissions’ [$]
The engineers that advised on the Snowy Hydro project say Australia must do its share in reducing carbon emissions.
These are some of Australia’s worst commutes. How does yours compare?
Jackson Gothe-Snape, Andrew Kesper and Georgina Piper
We’ve studied thousands of Australians’ car commutes — they are long, slow and stressful, but in some cases, maybe better than you’d think.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-12/australias-worst-car-commutes-explored/9944484
Reality is the enemy of irrigated agriculture, Matt Cananvan, not ‘greenies’
John Quiggin
The idea that irrigation is the solution to the problems of agriculture in Australia has been thoroughly debunked
Talking about power prices won’t bring them down [$]
AFR View
The NEG was by no means perfect, but it was a policy that had the support of virtually the entire business community and near-bipartisan support.
The new front in the energy wars [$]
Jennifer Hewett
So the National Energy Guarantee is officially pronounced dead on arrival by the Coalition only to be resurrected in some form by a Labor Party that has spent months criticising its failings. Confused? Join the queue.
Victoria
Off-grid and solar-based EV charging trial wins Victorian government grant
Nissan, Delta and CSIRO get grant to pursue off-grid and renewables-based electric vehicle charging systems.
Solar, wind farms planned as Andrews powers on with renewable energy
Victoria is forging ahead with six new renewable energy plants capable of powering 645,000 homes while the federal government has scrapped its policy to reduce power prices and greenhouse emissions.
Acciona to add battery storage to South Mortlake wind farm after VRET win
Acciona to add battery storage to the Mortlake South wind farm that wins Victoria renewables auction, as developers say auction structure was “very smart”.
Plan to save on bills as 100,000 have power disconnected each year
Low-income earners could save hundreds of dollars a year on electricity under a proposed bill trying to make rental properties more energy efficient.
Households win right to fight for sunlight on their solar panels
Homeowners with rooftop solar systems will be protected from neighbouring property developments excessively overshadowing their energy panels.
Energy fight: Premier forges ahead on renewables
This announcement is in contrast to the federal government’s failed attempt to introduce its energy policy.
Back in the Black Saturday zone [$]
Fuel loads in Victoria’s most populous and highest risk bushfire zone have built up to almost the same levels as prior to the catastrophic 2009 Black Saturday fires.
Warning for Victoria power auction [$]
Victoria faces a ‘real challenge’ in managing a large injection of intermittent power into the market, according to a station owner.
Energy sparking protests [$]
Weekly Times editorial
When then premier Steve Bracks cut the ribbon on the Codrington Wind Farm in July 2001, neither Daniel Andrews nor Matthew Guy had a seat in State Parliament.
Energy risk passed to others [$]
Graham Lloyd
Victoria’s renewable energy reverse auction fails to secure all three of the key power priorities.
Victoria chasing SA in wind folly [$]
Australian editorial
Renewable energy drives colossal spending and price rises.
New South Wales
Anger over bus change which makes life ‘difficult and dangerous’ for wealthy residents
IT MAY seem like a first world problem, but some of Australia’s wealthiest residents are furious over this change. And, it could spell trouble for the PM.
Sydney light rail to get high priority over motorists at intersections
Trams will be given high priority over cars and other vehicles at traffic lights when they eventually begin running on Sydney’s troubled $2.1 billion light rail line.
‘There are genuine concerns’: Marine Parks fishing bans could be junked
Nervous Liberal MPs are being assured by cabinet ministers that plans to impose bans on fishing at sites across the NSW coast – including Sydney Harbour – will be quietly shelved.
Flannery pulls Vales Point sale [$]
Billionaire Brian Flannery has pulled the sale of his half-stake in the Vales Point coal-fired power plant in NSW.
Queensland
Leaked Queensland report shows state has no overall strategy to save native species
Conservation staff say 955 species face extinction across the state
Biofuels successfully trialled in flights from Brisbane Airport
Almost 200 flights from Brisbane, which have covered 430,000 kilometres, have been trialled using fuel made from sugar and wood products.
Investigation into claims Adani bores put ‘sensitive one-million-year-old springs’ at risk
The Queensland environment department launches an investigation into a series of groundwater bores drilled by Adani, which conservationists say were sunk without approval, contrary to the miner’s claim it had permission for the works.
Scientists on mission to find rare Cape York rock wallaby [$]
A scientific expedition will take place in Cape York to search for an rare species of wallaby, whose photo has only ever been captured once.
Canavan fumes over ‘dopey’ climate plan [$]
Queenslanders face paying new pollution taxes after a State Government report urged dumping the term “climate change” and introducing policy by “stealth”.
South Australia
SA irrigators gain desal security [$]
The South Australian Government intends to use its $1.83 billion desalination plant to shore up its Murray River irrigators’ water supplies.
Airport will build station if tram goes ahead [$]
The operators of Adelaide Airport have offered to fund a tram station for passengers and staff if the State Government gives the green light to a light rail link to the airport.
Northern Territory
Dams are Top End’s future, Deputy PM writes [$]
Water is the lifeblood which empowers regional communities and Darwin can make a significant contribution to our nation, writes Deputy PM Michael McCormack
Western Australia
Experts warn seemingly clean homes are hiding toxins
From dust mites to mould and wi-fi emissions – experts are warning that many Perth houses are hiding dangerous toxins that could be making us sick.
Sustainability
Volvo 360c concept car is electric, autonomous – and you can sleep in it
Swedish luxury carmaker is billing its new 360c concept, not as an electric car, but as a mobile living and workplace.
Wealthy countries less concerned about energy security, study suggests
New findings highlights the importance of including economic and social factors in energy security policy
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-09/cu-wcl091118.php
A Texas waste storage plan is back. So is the opposition
A proposal to send used nuclear fuel to West Texas is another flashpoint in a long-running debate over nuclear energy and associated waste.
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060096457
Blockchain is revolutionizing environmentally friendly purchasing
This emerging technology is making it easier for consumers to assess the the social and environmental impacts of the products they buy.
https://ensia.com/features/blockchain/
LA is pushing for emissions-free transportation in 10 years
A new plan calls for as many as 45% of private cars and trucks to be electric in 10 years, along with the entire bus fleet. https://www.fastcompany.com/90234541/l-a-is-making-a-massive-push-toward-zero-emissions-transportation
The electronics we throw away are catching fire in trucks and recycling centers when lithium-ion batteries explode
Before you buy that new iPhone, iPad or other device, take a look inside the recycling centers catching fire as they struggle to dispose the lithium-ion batteries in your old stuff.
Global demand for fossil fuels will peak in 2023, says thinktank
Oil and gas firms’ assets at risk from massive growth in wind and solar, says Carbon Tracker.
Devin Nunes claims Russia is financing environmentalism
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) might have found Russian collusion. In the latest episode of his personal podcast, he claimed that Russia is secretly funding the environmental movement to help pressure the closure of nuclear power plants.
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060096459
Macquarie Capital to finance Korea solar-plus-storage project
Macquarie to finance 16MW solar PV project which will be combined with 35MWh of energy storage in Korea.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/macquarie-capital-to-finance-korea-solar-plus-storage-project-73746/
Change your diet to save both water and your health
Shifting to a healthy diet is not only good for us, but it also saves a lot of fresh water, according to a new study by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), published in Nature Sustainability.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-09/ecjr-cyd091018.php
US EPA admits scrapping regulations will put more methane into atmosphere
Obama-era rules targeted climate change gas from oil wells
EPA: move ‘may degrade air quality and adversely affect health’
Barriers and opportunities in renewable biofuels production
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have identified two main challenges for renewable biofuel production from cheap sources. Firstly, lowering the cost of developing microbial cell factories, and secondly, establishing more efficient methods for hydrolysis of biomass to sugars for fermentation. Their study was recently published in the journal Nature Energy.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-09/cuot-bao091118.php
Population growth causes ‘dramatic increase’ in waste production
The emirate’s growing population and over-consumption are blame for it’s growing waste production, according to the Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre.
Support for total farm chemical ban grows in Thailand
The National Health Security Office (NHSO) is throwing its weight behind growing calls for a total ban on three major farm chemicals, saying around 5,000 people have sought treatment from exposure to toxic substances per year.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1537682/support-for-total-farm-chemical-ban-grows
The problem with all the plastic that’s leaching into your food
There’s mounting scientific evidence that plastics are harming our health, from as early as our time in our mother’s womb.
Are we approaching peak stuff?
Fred Pearce
Almost imperceptibly, we are stepping off the consumption treadmill.
http://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2018/09/are-we-approaching-peak-stuff/
EnergySolutions is confused about what constitutes ‘depleted uranium’
George Chapman
The material in the barrels contains many dangerous products that are deadly if ingested.
https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2018/09/09/commentary/
Nature Conservation
Coral bleaching increases disease risk in threatened species
Bleaching events caused by rising water temperatures could increase mortality among a coral species already threatened by disease, says new research by Mote Marine Laboratory and Penn State, US, published in eLife.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-09/e-cbi091118.php
Now for something completely different …
R U OK day is coming up, but what do you do if someone says ‘no’?
Jill Newby and Chien Hoong Gooi
R U OK Day is tomorrow, encouraging all of us to check in with others to see if they’re OK. But what if someone says “no”? What should you say or do? Should you tell someone else? What resources can you point to, and what help is available? Here is a guide.
https://theconversation.com/r-u-ok-day-is-coming-up-but-what-do-you-do-if-someone-says-no-102572
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