Date: 16 October 2018 at 09:02:38 AEDT
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Oct 16
Post of the Day
Mammals cannot evolve fast enough to escape current extinction crisis
A team of researchers from Denmark and Sweden have calculated, that species are dying out so quickly, that nature’s built-in defence mechanism, evolution, cannot keep up. If current conservation efforts are not improved, so many mammal species will become extinct during the next five decades that nature will need 3-5 million years to recover to current biodiversity levels. And that’s a best-case scenario.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/au-mce101118.php
Today’s Celebration
Hurricane Thanksgiving Day (only if no hurricanes occurred) – US Virgin Islands
St. Gallus Day – Switzerland
Anniversary of the Pope’s election – Vatican City State
National Feral Cat Day – United States of America
Climate Change
Trump questions if climate change man made
US President Donald Trump says he does not know if climate change is man made but he’s backed off his claim it is a hoax.
Global warming: How bad can it be?
From our Trump on Earth podcast, we ask whether a reckoning with some of the horrifying possibilities of climate change moves people to action or complacency?
https://www.alleghenyfront.org/global-warming-how-bad-can-it-be/
Most of the Arctic’s permanent ice is gone
Global warming has created a new normal in the Arctic.
https://cosmosmagazine.com/climate/most-of-the-arctic-s-permanent-ice-is-gone
There’s grim news on climate change. Will it lead to mass migration and conflict?
People try to adapt and stay in place — but environmental damage hits some people harder than others.
Climate scientists to world: we have only 20 years before there’s no turning back
So we’d better get it together and do something NOW.
https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/climate-scientists-world-we-have-only-20-years-theres-no-turning-back
How planting trees affects climate change
A growing body of research suggests that models of the warming world have left out a crucial ingredient: vegetation.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/forests-emerge-as-a-major-overlooked-climate-factor-20181009/
UK responds to climate errors [$]
Britain’s Met Office has welcomed an audit from an Australian researcher that claims to have identified serious errors in its key global temperature dataset.
New interactive scenario explorer for 1.5 degrees C pathways
IIASA and the Integrated Assessment Modeling Consortium (IAMC) have made the scenarios underlying last week’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 1.5 degrees C Special Report publicly available, in an interactive online resource. The resource provides scenarios and a suite of visualization and analysis tools, making the assessment more transparent to researchers, policymakers, and the public.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181015113552.htm
Climate change is forcing investors to put a price on carbon
Most leading economists agree that it’s the most effective way to start fighting climate change. Now it’s about getting politicians on board.
https://qz.com/1422126/climate-change-is-forcing-investors-to-put-a-price-on-carbon/
Capturing CO2 from air: To keep global warming under 1.5°c, emissions must go negative, IPCC says
Soil leads the solutions for negative emissions in a new climate change report. Soil carbon sequestration was among the cheapest methods with the greatest potential.
Britain asks experts to advise on net zero emissions climate target
Britain has asked its climate change experts to advise on whether it should set a date to meet a net zero emissions target, the government said on Monday.
Four #lifehacks to prevent the apocalypse
Tom Whyman gives us totally normal, practical ways we can undo the climate meltdown
https://newint.org/features/2018/10/15/four-lifehacks-prevent-apocalypse
Donald dossier – a hostile climate
Daniel Malloy
The United Nations and Exxon Mobil try to wake the president up to the realities of climate change.
https://www.ozy.com/opinion/donald-dossier-a-hostile-climate/89955
Don’t despair: the climate fight is only over if you think it is
Rebecca Solnit
After the panicky IPCC report on climate change, it’s easy for pessimism to set in – but that would be conceding defeat.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/14/climate-change-taking-action-rebecca-solnit
National
If you think the traffic is getting worse near you, here’s the proof
Traffic is slowing in Australia’s major cities as roads become more congested, with speeds in Adelaide the most sluggish and conditions in Melbourne deteriorating quicker than any other capital city, a new report shows.
Craig Kelly says Coalition must kill off renewable energy subsidies
Chairman of Coalition’s backbench energy committee says Morrison government should wind up program
Joyce coal plan powers up critics [$]
Barnaby Joyce’s support for new coal-fired power stations over pumped hydro has re-ignited the coal-versus-renewable debate.
Foreign donation laws at risk over Coalition change that ‘overrides’ state rules
Amendments that could trump state donation bans or restrictions put Labor and Greens offside
What powers up Australia’s electricity?
As the debate over climate change rages on SBS News takes a look at what exactly generates Australia’s power supply.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/what-powers-up-australia-s-electricity
New Aust uranium deal for UK after Brexit
Australia is working on a new deal for selling uranium to the United Kingdom once it leaves the European Union.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/new-aust-uranium-deal-for-uk-after-brexit
Labor renews push for high speed rail link
Labor is pushing for a high speed rail planning authority, to finalise the business case for a rail network on the east coast and seek investor interest.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/labor-renews-push-for-high-speed-rail-link
Coalition’s climate change stance will ‘kill people’, say Greens
The Australian Greens have warned against the Morrison government backing a coal-led energy policy over the Snowy Hydro 2.0 project.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/coalition-s-climate-change-stance-will-kill-people-say-greens
Push for national container deposit scheme
South Australian independent MP Rebekha Sharkie is calling on the federal government to implement a national container deposit scheme before the next election.
Tough conditions for new wind, solar [$]
The Australian Energy Market Operator is imposing tougher conditions on new wind and solar farms connecting to the grid in areas where system stability is suffering from a flood of renewables.
Ex-Admiral says nuclear subs are vital for South China Sea [$]
Australia needs a fleet of stealthy nuclear submarines to deal with potential threats in our region, most notably in the South China Sea, a strategic policy report says.
Cooper Energy’s Sole gas project off Victoria’s coast is due to start commercial deliveries in July 2019. [$]
Cooper Energy managing director David Maxwell says east coast gas buyers are losing hope that prices are going to soften.
Energy CEOs step up on customer commitment [$]
A bid by electricity and gas industry bosses to reverse a plunge in public trust in the sector could see them go public next year on their performance.
Online renewable marketplace aims to help business cut power bills
Australia will look to replicate US success by creating an online marketplace for businesses to buy renewable energy, helping to them to reduce high power bills.
Philanthropy’s Role in Tackling Climate Change
There is an urgent need to rapidly scale up climate change action in Australia and philanthropy’s role in this has never been more important, according to a new report.
https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2018/10/philanthropys-role-tackling-climate-change/
Asian, UK investors may beat Aussie backers for major coal listing
Miner Coronado Coal is seeking backers for the world’s largest mining listing since 2011, but Australian investors may have lost the race to global rivals.
Autonomous vehicle revolution could catch out property investors
Survey finds big property owners have given hardly any thought to how they would repurpose their assets in the event of an autonomous vehicle boom.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/autonomous-vehicle-revolution-could-catch-out-property-investors-88131/
How biomethane can help turn gas into a renewable energy source
Bernadette McCabe
Are there greener pastures ahead for gas?
https://theconversation.com/how-biomethane-can-help-turn-gas-into-a-renewable-energy-source-103912
A government refusing to act on climate change is a government not fit to lead [$]
Bernard Keane
Some political parties are simply unfit to govern. The federal Liberals’ refusal to address climate change disqualifies them from the being serious policymakers.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/10/15/climate-change-liberals-inaction/
Even the greens see nuclear sense [$]
Tony Grey
China, India, Russia and South Korea are showing the way and are leaving us behind.
Why there should be a Don’t Ride to Work Day [$]
Claire Sutherland
This Wednesday is national Ride2Work Day, but a day where everyone left their bikes at home and drove instead might teach a more valuable lesson.
Victoria
Melbourne’s population explosion threatens to create a ‘Bangkok situation’
Melbourne is expanding at breakneck speed, and risks becoming a victim of its own popularity. Its inhabitants now face a choice between two population plans, and experts warn the consequences of getting it wrong will be dire.
Victoria ‘catching up’ in renewable rankings [$]
Victoria is being left in the shade by more renewable states and territories but is banking on wind and solar projects to lift its green credentials, a new report says.
Exxon Mobil sits tight on Bass Strait gas drill [$]
Exxon Mobil has quietly completed the most anticipated Bass Strait oil and gas well in decades but is keeping silent on the results, as industry speculation swirls around whether it has a made a find that could underpin a $4 billion development.
New South Wales
‘Late out of the blocks’: NSW lags Victoria, other states in renewables
NSW trails most of the nation in the addition of new renewable energy, sourcing just 6 per cent of electricity from wind or solar and lacking a target to drive faster penetration.
Plan to increase NSW national parks scuttled by Berejiklian government
A plan to transfer land from 15 “unproductive” state forests into national parks estate was dropped after a shock by-election result and the subsequent rise of Gladys Berejiklian as premier, sources say.
Cost of ditching final stage of WestConnex would reach into ‘billions’
Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore’s demands for the Berejiklian government to ditch the final stage of WestConnex would cost the state billion of dollars, an inquiry has heard.
Wentworth candidates clash on climate change as debate heats up
Liberal candidate for Wentworth Dave Sharma says he “completely accepted the science on climate change” and was appalled by the way his party treated former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.
Our leaders are destroying our future. Wentworth must be a referendum on climate change
Richard Flanagan and Geoff Cousins
In the face of sustained government stupidity, many feel powerless. Voters in Wentworth can lead the way
Yes, a tsunami could hit Sydney – causing flooding and dangerous currents
Kaya Wilson and Hannah Power
Manly’s The Corso pedestrian area could be flooded if a large tsunami arrived at Sydney Harbour.
ACT
Canberra has low rooftop solar penetration rates
While the capital leads the way in the consumption of renewable energy, it has one of the lowest rooftop solar penetration rates in Australia.
Queensland
Hundreds of jobs to go at central Queensland coal mine
Just months after acquiring Hail Creek in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, resources company Glencore announces it intends to cut 430 jobs at the mine.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-15/glencore-coal-mine-cutting-430-jobs-bowen-basin/10378454
Queensland’s week-long rain spell has failed to break the drought
Good soaking rain east of the Great Dividing Range has not impacted drought-declared properties west of Chinchilla, however Charleville could receive a big thunderstorm on Tuesday afternoon.
Reef grant report delayed to December
An inquiry into the Great Barrier Reef Foundation has been granted more time to consider evidence about whether $444 million was properly approved.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/reef-grant-report-delayed-to-december
Where Brisbane’s new park and ride stations will be built from 2019
The locations for more than 2300 new park and ride spaces in south-east Queensland have been confirmed, with Springfield set to be the biggest beneficiary of the state government spend.
Cairns one of the state’s worst for power bill complaints [$]
Cairns has been ranked in the top 10 Queensland regions making complaints about electricity following an increase of issues across the city.
Fast track to tourism boom [$]
A rapid rail network would be a game-changer in boosting tourism for southeast Queensland, new research shows.
South Australia
Vandals tag ‘pristine’ coastline near conservation park
Council workers will try using a biodegradable substance to remove graffiti from a popular section of Adelaide’s coastline that is too inaccessible for high-pressure hose equipment.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-15/adelaide-coastline-vandalised-with-graffiti/10376868
Stormy weather sparks scrub fire and damages homes across SA
Wild weather eases across South Australia but thousands of homes remain without power after wind gusts bring down trees and power lines.
Northern Territory
Gunner’s support for Palmo lake project [$]
Palmerston Council’s recreational lake project has received support from NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner who said he was open to discussions about how it could work
Traditional owners to tell Origin Energy it has not gained consent for fracking on their land
Some of the traditional owners plan to tell Origin Energy shareholders they oppose fracking, and did not give their “free, prior and informed consent” for its planned developments.
Western Australia
Hawthorn Resources fined for breaching mining conditions following dust complaints
Mining company that operates next to Indigenous-owned station that was targeted by racist signs fined $40,000
Solar and storage for “cost of a coffee a day” promised in WA VPP offer
Privately funded VPP project hopes to sign up 1000 homes and businesses in south-west WA to zero up-front cost deal for solar and battery storage.
The “other” big battery that has quietly changed thinking about the grid
There has been a huge amount of interest in, and a huge amount written about – particularly on this website – the success of the Tesla big battery in South Australia.
But another big battery, the Newman battery storage project, installed just over a year ago in a private-only grid in the Pilbara serving mostly mining industry customers in Australia’s north-west, is having just as profound an impact on the way people think about the grid.
Sustainability
UK banks will not be forced to reveal climate change risks they face
Critics demand tougher action as Bank of England stops short of call for mandatory reports
Renewable energy infrastructure can power through hurricanes
As hurricanes tore apart Caribbean islands and crippled their energy infrastructure, renewables consistently outperformed fossil fuels.
Plastic waste and the recycling myth
Germany is hailed worldwide as a recycling champion. But like many European countries, it actually recycles a lot less plastic packaging waste than commonly understood — with dire consequences for the environment.
https://www.dw.com/en/plastic-waste-and-the-recycling-myth/a-45746469
Powerwall 2 price hike to reflect “better value,” says Tesla
Tesla confirms near 20% jump in price of Powerwall 2 battery storage systems, but says more upgrades and improvements coming.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/powerwall-2-price-hike-to-reflect-better-value-says-tesla-20460/
Diversity is key to sustainability for local chicken farming in Africa
Adopting a more local and flexible approach to sustainable development could be key to boosting the productivity of small-scale chicken farms in Africa, a new study reports.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/uol-dik101218.php
Flexible fertilizer regulations could reduce pollution, save billions
To reduce pollution and save billions of dollars in damages, the United States and other national governments should require manufacturers to sell nitrogen fertilizer with compounds designed to increase their efficiency and reduce pollution.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/puww-ffr101218.php
Illegal mining leaves toxic wastelands in Indonesia
Artisanal miners backed by police, military and other vested interests are laying waste to the island of Buru in search of fabled gold.
http://www.atimes.com/article/illegal-mining-leaves-toxic-wastelands-in-indonesia/
Trouble brewing: climate change to cause ‘dramatic’ beer shortages
Extreme weather damage to the global barley crop will mean price spikes and supply problems, according to new research
Great Britain hits record-low share of fossil fuel generation
New report shows Great Britain share of generation from fossil fuels has fallen from 74 per cent in 2010 to 41 per cent in the latest quarter.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/great-britain-hits-record-low-share-of-fossil-fuel-generation-59508/
Nature Conservation
Study looks at how climate change will affect ants
Research teams are investigating how ants may react to a warmer world, and what repercussions changes in their behaviour could have on the greater environment.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-15/study-looks-at-how-climate-change-will-affect-ants/10248642
Humanity is ‘cutting down the tree of life’, warn scientists
More than 300 mammal species have been eradicated by human activities, say researchers
Potential Benefits of Wildlife-Livestock Coexistence in East Africa
A study of 3,588 square kilometers of privately owned land in central Kenya offers evidence that humans and their livestock can, in the right circumstances, share territory
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181015113533.htm
Sea Snail Shells Dissolve in Increasingly Acidified Oceans
Shelled marine creatures living in increasingly acidified oceans face a fight for survival as the impacts of climate change spread, a new study shows
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181015084611.htm
In Pakistan, an ambitious effort to plant 10 billion trees takes root
Officials said they hope the initiative, launched last month, will foster environmental awareness in their impoverished, drought-plagued country, where both greed and necessity have left forests stripped.
Canada’s new Indigenous Protected Area heralds new era of conservation
The 14,000 square kilometres of rugged boreal forest and sprawling wetlands in the Northwest Territories will be protected from resource extraction and stewarded by Indigenous guardians from the Dehcho First Nations.
https://thenarwhal.ca/canadas-new-indigenous-protected-area-heralds-new-era-of-conservation/
Mammals cannot evolve fast enough to escape current extinction crisis
A team of researchers from Denmark and Sweden have calculated, that species are dying out so quickly, that nature’s built-in defence mechanism, evolution, cannot keep up. If current conservation efforts are not improved, so many mammal species will become extinct during the next five decades that nature will need 3-5 million years to recover to current biodiversity levels. And that’s a best-case scenario.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/au-mce101118.php
Two degrees decimated Puerto Rico’s insect populations
While temperatures in the tropical forests of northeastern Puerto Rico have climbed two degrees Celsius since the mid-1970s, the biomass of arthropods – invertebrate animals such as insects, millipedes, and sowbugs – has declined by as much as 60-fold, according to new findings published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/rpi-tdd101118.php
Now for something completely different …
Night owls grumpier and more forgetful than larks
Research from WA sleep experts has revealed that “night owls” — people who go to sleep and wake later — are grumpier and more forgetful than early risers
https://thewest.com.au/news/health/night-owls-grumpier-and-more-forgetful-than-larks-ng-b88990810z
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