Date: 17 October 2018 at 09:15:12 AEDT
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Oct 17
Lots of really important research news today
Post of the Day
The science of sustainability
Can humans drive economic growth, meet rising demand for food, energy and water, and make significant environmental progress? The short answer is ‘yes,’ but it comes with several big ‘ifs.’ New research shows that we can put the world on a path to sustainability if we make significant changes within the next 10 years.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/uoca-tso101618.php
Today’s Celebration
Black Poetry Day – United States of America
Columbus Day – Turks & Caicos Islands
Dessalines Day – Haiti
Family Day – South Africa
Feast of St Margaret Alacoque – St. Lucia
Senor de Luren – Peru
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
Climate Change
Leaders move past Trump to protect world from climate change
Far more must be invested in adapting to warming, says new global commission that aims to rebuild political will after US withdrawal from Paris agreement
We’re just beginning to understand the toll climate change takes on mental health
A new study finds that extreme weather, temperature increases, and hurricanes all worsen mental health conditions.
Land rights, forests, food systems central to limiting global warming: report
Land-based options offer the best solutions to help nations meet their Paris carbon reduction goals and limit warming to 1.5 degrees C, says study in response to new IPCC climate report.
Can forests save us from climate change?
Additional climate benefits through sustainable forest management will be modest and local rather than global. Even if Europe’s forests are managed in such a way that their carbon sequestration is maximized it will not impact the climate significantly.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/au-cfs101618.php
Forest carbon stocks have been overestimated for 50 years
A formula used to calculate basic wood density has recently been corrected. Basic density is widely used to compute carbon storage by trees. Researchers estimate that the error in the initial formula resulted in an overestimation of forest carbon stocks, to the tune of almost 5 percent.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/c-fcs101618.php
Climate models fail to simulate recent air-pressure changes over Greenland
Climatologists may be unable to accurately predict regional climate change over the North Atlantic because computer simulations have failed to include real data from the Greenland region over the last three decades — and it could lead to regional climate predictions for the UK and parts of Europe being inaccurate.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/uol-cmf101518.php
Staying safe from climate risks makes financial sense, says new commission
From irrigating crops with less water to revising building codes to help new infrastructure weather floods and storms, the world needs to invest more in preparing for the accelerating impacts of climate change, experts said on Tuesday.
http://news.trust.org/item/20181016103113-0dcse/
Climate changes require better adaptation to drought
Europe’s future climate will be characterized by more frequent heat waves and more widespread drought. Heat and drought will both challenge crop production, but drought in particular will be a problem — especially for spring sown crops such as maize.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181016131950.htm
For some poor countries, climate science comes too late
The field has a “data gap” problem that won’t be easy to solve.
National
Leaders reveal what led us to massive overcrowding in capital cities
Our leaders have admitted to “painful” mistakes in planning our cities that have led to our capitals grinding to a halt
How the regulators short-circuited our energy markets [$]
Overbearing regulators have stopped the power industry from collectively coming up with a better outcome to today’s electricity problems.
Clean Up Australia founder Ian Kiernan dies
Ian Kiernan, a true Sydney identity who grew to international fame as an environmental campaigner and yachtsman, dies aged 78.
States and territories lead way on renewables, climate
A snapshot of the renewables action happening across Australia shows states and territories blitzing the field, in spite of current federal inaction.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/states-and-territories-lead-way-on-renewables-climate-37934/
Coalition backing “big coal” over climate, says Sachs: “Unbelievably irresponsible”
US economist argues Australia should be exporting solar, not coal, and says Coalition government is backing fossil fuel interests. “What is the matter with these people?”
Powering progress: states renewable energy race
Climate Council of Australia
The renewable energy boom is accelerating in Australia, and across the world. In the absence of meaningful Commonwealth government leadership, state and territory governments are leading Australia’s electricity transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and storage.
Farmers facing drought are on the front line of climate change
Charlie Prell
We need to stop digging holes in the ground and start planting crops, pastures and trees.
Meeting royals a victory for koala diplomacy, but not for survival
Charles Purcell
Our koalas are far more deserving of attention than the latest in a long line of royal visits.
Can pumped hydro grab centre stage from battery storage?
Giles Parkinson
Sometime in the next month or two, the first investment in what will be a significant new stage in the transition to a renewable energy dominated grid in Australia will be made.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/can-pumped-hydro-grab-centre-stage-from-battery-storage-77272/
Will Wentworth force the Morrison Government to act on climate?
Stephen Williams
Australia’s tepid response to the growing disaster of climate change should make every thinking voters mad as hell, writes Stephen Williams.
Australia’s climate policy paralysis is becoming electoral poison
Neneh Darwin
Current polling indicates the Liberal Party could be facing it’s first electoral loss in the the seat in 60 years – and climate change inaction is the number one issue in the minds of voters.
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=19990
Australia can’t afford another decade of climate inaction
Chris Woods
Last week’s IPCC report was uniquely depressing, but it was also a wake-up call. There are many ways Australia can turn this all around.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/10/16/ipcc-report-australia-climate-change/
Victoria
Leaked rail plan shows few extra services for regional commuters
Most of Victoria’s biggest regional cities stand to get just three trains an hour in future, even after upgrades to the state’s rail network have been completed.
Labor weighs plan for airport rail tunnel from CBD to Sunshine
A tunnel between the city and Sunshine could be built as part of the Andrews government’s plan for an airport rail link.
Victoria’s largest solar farm goes ahead after “solving” connection dilemma
The 200MW Kiamal solar farm near Ouyen will be the biggest in Victoria, and the first in Australia to be built with synchronous condensers.
New South Wales
New mining contract to create hundreds of jobs in Hunter Valley
Global mining services provider Thiess signs a $1.2 billion deal at BHP’s Mt Arthur Coal operation in New South Wales, which will expand the project and create hundreds of local jobs.
Premium for quality coal surges: Whitehaven [$]
Whitehaven Coal managing director Paul Flynn says the premiums attached to top quality coal continue to exceed expectations.
National parks claims ‘absurd’: Upton
NSW’s environment minister says claims of a political link between electorates and the expansion of national parks are “incorrect and absurd”.
Healthy Suburbs study: The 10 factors that determine the health of a suburb
What makes a suburb healthy? Here’s a closer look at the 10 place-based factors that help or hinder a healthy lifestyle.
Full list: Sydney’s 569 suburbs rated by health opportunities
When it comes to walkability, open space, fresh food and other promoters of health, not all the city’s suburbs are equal.
Sydney waste problem causing issues in small community of Gundagai
Feel good about recycling your paper? It might actually end up in landfill near the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai — not recycled.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-17/sydney-waste-causing-landfill-issues-gundagai/10368650
Deer war warning [$]
The Victorian Government’s draft deer management plan is weak and unable to fix the growing problems posed by deer, the Invasive Species Council has warned.
ACT
Stowaway cane toads found in central Canberra
Two rogue cane toads, believed to have “hitchhiked” into Canberra late last month, spark warnings about the possible threat they pose to pets and biodiversity.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-16/cane-toads-found-in-canberra-could-pose-risk-to-pets/10382340
Queensland
Illegal asbestos, waste and oil dumpers fined more than $555,000
A Narangba waste disposal company that let cooking oil waste more than 16 times the lethal levels leak into wetlands was one of 12 companies to be fined a total of $555,000 in 2017-18, according to the Queensland Department of Environment and Science’s annual report.
Peabody ponders life without key Qld mine
Matthew Stevens
As Peabody Energy works to contain a fire at its North Goonyella mine, the future of the asset is in real doubt.
https://www.afr.com/business/peabody-pondering-life-after-its-north-goonyella-mine-20181016-h16pr8
South Australia
Back-up power stations to be privatised after report questions usefulness
A report into two back-up power stations built to prevent blackouts in SA is scathing of a decision to buy them outright, prompting the Government to announce it will privatise them.
Tasmania
Tasmanian parks council advised Government to reject luxury Halls Island tourism proposal
Leaked documents show Tasmania’s national parks advisory body argued against a controversial eco-tourism development supported by the State and Federal Governments.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-16/tasmanian-government-ignored-parks-recommendation/10383188
South Australia’s clean energy ranking slips according to new report
After years of claiming to be the nation’s renewable energy leader, South Australia is now sharing the title with Tasmania and the ACT, according to a new scorecard issued by the Climate Council.
Another ugly little local truth behind the tourism façade
Kevin Kiernan
There was a time when it seemed like nearly everyone who lived in the Huon was passionate about the area, and particularly about the Huon River itself.
https://tasmaniantimes.com/2018/10/another-ugly-little-local-truth-behind-the-tourism-facade/
Premier Must Explain Why Advisory Council Advice Was Ignored on Walls of Jerusalem Proposal
Cassy O’Connor
The Greens today tabled a leaked copy of the National Parks and Wildlife Advisory Committee’s (NPWAC) submission to the Federal Government on the proposal to build permanent huts and allow up to 120 helicopter flights and landings at Lake Malbena in the Walls of Jerusalem.*
Northern Territory
Central Australia may have seen the world’s worst rate of mammal extinction — but it could get worse
Australians are spending far more money feeding their pet cats than fighting its faunal extinction crisis, which has already seen the arid heart of the nation undergo “arguably the greatest rate of mammal extinction in the world”.
Western Australia
WA ‘right at the back of the pack’ in renewable energy race
Western Australia is lagging far behind the rest of the country in renewable energy generation and is leaving itself exposed to the ravages of climate change, a Climate Council report finds.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-16/wa-falling-behind-in-generation-of-renewable-energy/10384104
Lives under threat from WA bushfire
A watch and act alert has been issued for an unpredictable and out-of-control bushfire in Western Australia’s north, which was sparked by lightning.
Population cap introduced at world’s largest bulk-handling port amid dust concerns
Hedland population cap image
The WA Government is to tackle dust-related health concerns in Port Hedland by capping the permanent residential population.
Sustainability
‘Blood bricks’: How climate change is trapping Cambodians in modern slavery
As drought and unpredictable rain forces indebted farmers off their land, whole families are paying the price as bonded labourers in the brickmaking industry.
Food wasted by rich nations could end world hunger
On World Food Day, here are some facts about how much food is wasted globally.
http://news.trust.org//item/20181016155933-dihgi/
For next-generation city infrastructure, consider partnerships
Some leading cities in the country are looking to grow new types of infrastructure in areas like fiber networks and micro-electric grids.
Washington DC pushes 100% renewable energy bill
Proposed bill would require Washington D.C. utilities to source 100? of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2032.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/washington-dc-pushes-100-renewable-energy-bill-48151/
Can humanity get out of its latest ‘progress trap’?
A review of ‘The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene.’
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2018/10/12/Humanity-Progress-Trap/
The science of sustainability
Can humans drive economic growth, meet rising demand for food, energy and water, and make significant environmental progress? The short answer is ‘yes,’ but it comes with several big ‘ifs.’ New research shows that we can put the world on a path to sustainability if we make significant changes within the next 10 years.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/uoca-tso101618.php
Renewable energy is common ground for Democrats and Republicans
While conservatives and liberals tend to disagree on many environmental issues, they both view the development of solar power and other forms of renewable energy as financially savvy and a step towards self-sufficiency.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/wsu-rei101618.php
A stabilizing influence enables lithium-sulfur battery evolution
A new approach to making the sulfur cathodes in lithium-sulfur batteries, developed by researchers at Drexel University could preserve their impressive energy density — clearing a significant hurdle that had blocked their widespread use for more than a decade.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/du-asi101218.php
European EV battery to be supercharged by EU billions
As Europeans embrace the shift to electric vehicles, with sales of plug-in vehicles reaching 1 million after soaring by 40 per cent in the first half of 2018, according to figures from EV Volumes, the European Union is looking to ignite its own EV battery industry.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/european-ev-battery-to-be-supercharged-by-eu-billions-21263/
New, durable catalyst for key fuel cell reaction may prove useful in eco-friendly vehicles
A new catalyst exceeds Department of Energy targets for performing the oxygen reduction reaction, a key step in generating an electric current in a hydrogen fuel cell.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181016132035.htm
Nature Conservation
Drug trafficking at sea is devastating island states, ministers say
Ministers of island states call for help in tackling organised crime in the fishing industry, which they say is harming both the environment and human rights
Invasion of the ‘frankenbees’: the danger of building a better bee
Beekeepers are sounding the alarm about the latest developments in genetically modified pollinators.
Canada has some of the world’s last wild places. Are we keeping our promise to protect them?
To meet one of its most critical conservation targets by 2020, Canada must protect a massive amount of land over the next year and a half. So where will this protection occur and can it be done in a way that actually benefits biodiversity?
Nature will need up to five million years to fill the gaps caused by man-made mass extinctions, study finds
‘As we tear apart the web of life, unique animals and plants that have evolved in different ecosystems are disappearing forever’
Can we buy our way out of the sixth extinction?
A new study finds that conservation spending has lessened the environmental impacts of ongoing development around the world.
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/can-we-buy-our-way-out-of-the-sixth-extinction/
Higher temperatures could help protect coral reefs
A new study in the journal Behavioral Ecology suggests that higher water temperature, which increases the aggressiveness of some fish, could lead to better protection of some coral.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/oupu-htc101518.php
How catching malaria gave me a new perspective on saving gorillas
Marissa Parrott
Malaria can be transmitted from humans to gorillas, with devastating effects.
https://theconversation.com/how-catching-malaria-gave-me-a-new-perspective-on-saving-gorillas-103911
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