Date: 2 October 2018 at 09:06:30 AEST
To: Undisclosed recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Oct 2
Post of the Day
New study finds incredibly high carbon pollution costs – especially for the US and India
As a wealthy, warm country, the US would benefit from implementing a carbon tax to slow global warming
Today’s Celebration
Day after the National Day of the People’s Republic of China – Macau
Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday – India
Republic Day – Guinea
Simchat Torah – Judaism
World Farm Animals Day – http://www.wfad.org/
International Day of Non-Violence – http://www.un.org/en/events/nonviolenceday/index.shtml
Mental Health Month NSW – http://www.mentalhealth.asn.au/programs/mental-health-month-nsw
Walktober – http://walktober.com.au/
Dogtober – http://www.dogtober.org.au/
Community Safety Month – http://www.vscn.org.au/community-safety-month/
National Safe Work Month – http://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/sites/swa/media-events/safety-month/pages/nswm
Crime Prevention Month QLD – http://mypolice.qld.gov.au/
Ocsober – http://www.ocsober.com.au/
Lupus Awareness Month – http://www.lupus-sle.org/
Great Cycle Challenge Australia – http://greatcyclechallenge.com.au/
Girls’ Night In – http://www.pinkribbon.com.au/girls-night-in/
Foot Health Month – http://www.apodc.com.au/
Buy Nothing New Month – http://www.buynothingnew.com.au/
Nude Food Day – http://www.nudefoodday.com.au/
Sexual Violence Awareness Month – http://www.stopsexualviolence.com/
International Black Cat Awareness Month – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-black-cat-awareness-month/
Dyslexia Awareness Month – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/dyslexia-awareness-month/
ADHD Awareness Month – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/adhd-awareness-month/
Cyber Security Awareness Month – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/cyber-security-awareness-month/
Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/emotional-intelligence-awareness-month/
Fair Trade Month – https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/fair-trade-month/
More about Oct 2 – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_2
Climate Change
New study finds incredibly high carbon pollution costs – especially for the US and India
As a wealthy, warm country, the US would benefit from implementing a carbon tax to slow global warming
The Gulf of St. Lawrence is losing oxygen faster than anywhere else
Researchers explain how climate change is causing a dramatic oxygen decline in a large region of ocean
https://www.i4u.com/2018/09/129615/gulf-st-lawrence-losing-oxygen-faster-anywhere-else
Climeworks has opened a third plant capturing carbon dioxide from the air
In an upcoming report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is likely to emphasize the need for a slew of techniques to cut emissions and suck carbon dioxide from the air. Climeworks, a Swiss startup, today opened its third such plant.
https://qz.com/1407687/climeworks-has-opened-a-third-plant-capturing-carbon-dioxide-from-the-air/
High CO2 levels cause plants to thicken their leaves, could worsen climate change effects
When levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere rise, most plants do something unusual: They thicken their leaves. Now two University of Washington scientists have shown that this reaction by plants will actually worsen climate change by making the global ‘carbon sink’ contributed by plants was less productive.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/uow-hcl092918.php
Drought losses in China will soar with continuing global warming: Study
Economic losses caused by drought in China may double, if the global temperature rises by 1.5°C to 2.0°C above pre-industrial levels, with increasing drought intensity and areal coverage across China, a new economic assessment study by Chinese scientists found.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/caos-dli092818.php
Less meat, coal key to cool planet [$]
A major new climate report urges an accelerated withdrawal from coal and a dietary shift from meat to limit global temperature rises.
Which cities will sink into the sea first? Maybe not the ones you expect
Mark Miodownik
The Earth isn’t solid – which makes it hard to predict how the submerging of our coastlines will unfold.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/caos-dli092818.php
National
Value of Australian coal exports tipped to decline sharply over next 18 months
Thermal coal prices forecast to drop 25% and metallurgical coal prices 23% as value of iron ore exports also falls
Energy storage ‘a game-changer’
Redback Technologies’ new CEO Patrick Matweew says energy transition is ‘a huge opportunity for consumers and businesses’.
Australia’s emissions data would shame the Coalition, if such a thing were possible
Greg Jericho
The government consistently buries the quarterly figures, and no wonder
A cynical attempt to avoid scrutiny
Martin Rice
As the nation prepared for a weekend of football finals, the federal government quietly released a story that should have been front-page news.
Taking out the trash: government hides shocking emissions figures [$]
Chris Woods
The Department of Environment and Energy quietly released a concerning report while everyone was preoccupied with AFL and NRL. This marks Australia’s 15th quarter of consecutive increased annual emissions.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/10/01/greenhouse-gas-figures-trash/
Expensive new infrastructure is not the only fix for population growth
Marion Terrill
Instead of making “congestion-busting” election pledges, governments should not announce any projects before rigorously establishing their net benefits.
Our fast-growing cities and their people are proving to be remarkably adaptable
Marion Terrill
Brisbane has half the population of Sydney and Melbourne, but all three cities have very similar commute distances and times. https://theconversation.com/our-fast-growing-cities-and-their-people-are-proving-to-be-remarkably-adaptable-103992
Victoria
Airport’s toxic runoff leaves farmers unable to use water they bought
Third-generation Melbourne market gardener David Wallace is one of dozens of landholders who have been told to stop using water from the Maribyrnong River after toxic chemicals from firefighting foam were detected in runoff from Melbourne Airport.
Liberals ‘cave in’ and reject calls for new Great Forest National Park
A new national park in Victoria’s central highlands — home of the state’s animal emblem, the leadbeater’s possum — will not be created if the Coalition win government.
Victoria’s renewable energy boom set to create thousands of jobs
Green Energy Markets predicts more than 6,000 annual jobs will be created but urges federal policy intervention
Melbourne suburbs where the populations are shrinking
The country’s population is booming, but not everywhere is bursting at the seams. In fact, some city suburbs are in decline.
The project blow out that will add to your power bills
A bushfire safety initiative was supposed to cost $151 million. Now, the amount has risen by more than 200 per cent.
Greens promise 300 new trams to transform network
The Victorian Greens say they can put another 300 high capacity trams on Melbourne’s streets in the next 10 years, in an ambitious policy to “transform” the city’s network.
Population has grown, but not your commute, report finds
It might feel like your daily commute is dragging out longer each year, but half of us travel for only half an hour to get to work each way, new research finds.
Rail upgrade west of Geelong rejected by infrastructure advisor
The nation’s infrastructure advisor has found that a plan to duplicate 13 kilometres of railway tracks in Victoria’s west is not value for money, as it would not deliver extra train services to Melbourne.
Powering up foreign interests [$]
Australian editorial
Victorians will pay twice under Daniel Andrews’ scheme.
New South Wales
‘Living laboratory’: National flood study centre opens amid dry times
A year-and-a-half after massive floods inundated Lismore, the northern NSW town is serve as a national “living laboratory” to focus research on identifying flood risks.
Phelps would ban fossil fuel firms’ political donations, oppose Adani
The independent candidate for Wentworth released a six-point climate plan highlighting differences with her Liberal Party rival David Sharma.
Tunnel vision: Plan to revive abandoned Sydney railway
Rail tunnels could be transformed into bars, restaurants or an art gallery under plans to transform the space.
Changes, yes, but Metro will be worth the price [$]
This week we have made the single biggest change on Sydney’s rail network in a century. The temporary closure of the rail line between Epping and Chatswood will impact around 20,000 people, every day for seven months.
Centennial Park gets national heritage listing [$]
Two years in the making, Sydney’s Centennial Park will be added to the national heritage list bestowing a special status on the sprawling oasis in the eastern suburbs that recognises it as one of the most culturally important places in the country.
Queensland
Scott Morrison says $444m Great Barrier Reef grant ‘right financial decision’
PM says he and Mathias Cormann were responsible for awarding the money to foundation in one year
Scott Morrison says surprise $444 million reef grant was a bid to balance the books
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says a desire to balance the federal budget drove a surprise decision to bestow $444 million in Great Barrier Reef funding to a private foundation, as emails emerge showing that department officials expressed relief they were not involved in the controversial grant.
Bushfire threat eases for north Qld town
Properties in the small north Queensland town of Irvinebank are no longer being directly threatened by a large bushfire, firefighters say.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/bushfire-threat-eases-north-qld-town-180341854–spt.html
Peabody admits smoke meant fire
Matthew Stevens
Peabody Energy’s Australian-born boss, Glenn Kellow, needs to get on a plane and head home to eyeball the fire at its North Goonyella coal mine.
https://www.afr.com/business/peabody-admits-smoke-really-did-mean-fire-20181001-h163ha
South Australia
Kangaroo Island seaport plan reaches milestone [$]
Kangaroo Island Plantation Timbers has reached a major milestone in its plans for a new seaport at Smith Bay, lodging documentation that sets out how it aims to protect the local environment and water quality.
Tasmania
Tasmanian power prices plunge as dams overflow
Energy users enjoyed a return to pre-energy crisis prices in the September quarter as the island state generated 100 per cent of its needs for the year from renewable energy.
https://www.afr.com/news/tasmanian-power-prices-plunge-as-hydro-storages-overflow-20181001-h162te
Northern Territory
How much of this rubbish will actually get recycled?
Is your recyclable rubbish being recycled, getting stockpiled or going to landfill? Curious Darwin gathers a bag of one reader’s rubbish and investigates.
Western Australia
WA has driest September since 1939, and forecasts show trend likely to continue
Western Australia experiences its driest September in eight decades, with the state’s rainfall total the third lowest on record for the month.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-01/wa-has-driest-september-on-record-since-1939/10325622
Pilbara mine investment to create hundreds of jobs
About 1200 new Pilbara construction jobs are expected after Rio Tinto and its Robe River joint-venture partners announced a $US1.55 billion ($2.14 billion) investment at two ageing iron ore mines.
Minister to question Carnegie over Albany wave farm project viability
The future of the McGowan Government’s promised Albany wave farm is up in the air, with funding on hold after recent turmoil at leading wave power company Carnegie Clean Energy.
Sustainability
‘We’ve bred them to their limit’: death rates surge for female pigs in the US
With sows producing 23 piglets a year on average, intensive farming is called into question over rise in animals suffering prolapse
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/01/death-rates-surge-female-pigs-us
Higher emissions could create a more centralized—and hence precarious—global food trade network
It’s not just agricultural yields that will decline under rising emissions: if climate change goes unmitigated it will undermine the food trade that is inextricably intertwined with global food security, too.
Stanford students deploy machine learning to aid environmental monitoring
Cash-strapped environmental regulators have a powerful and cheap new weapon. Machine learning methods could more than double the number of violations detected, according to Stanford researchers.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/su-ssd100118.php
Gassy cows are bad for the planet; could seaweed diet help?
The smelly reality is that cows will always pass gas. But if farmers had more access to seaweed, cow flatulence might just stink a little less for the planet.
https://www.kob.com/news/gassy-cows-are-bad-for-the-planet-could-seaweed-diet-help/5090539/?cat=606
Nature Conservation
Grand Canyon uranium mining ban upheld as supreme court declines to hear challenge
Court says extraction ban is among cases it refuses to review, in victory for environmental groups and Native American communities
Short of a judge, US Supreme Court to decide fate of endangered frog
The tiny amphibian will occupy the first order of business for the nation’s top court, which opens its new term during a national debate over the fate of Brett Kavanaugh.
Long-banned pollutants will decimate orcas: study
PCBs persist in the environment and accumulate in killer whales, driving their numbers down.
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/long-banned-pollutants-will-decimate-orcas–study-64876
98% of Egypt’s total area is desert, says minister
Ninety-eight per cent of Egypt’s total area is desert, the country’s Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mohamed Abdel Aty, announced yesterday.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20181001-98-of-egypts-total-area-is-desert-says-minister/
Scientists urge world leaders to scale up ambitions to protect global biodiversity
Research has shown that a sixth mass extinction event is underway and largely driven by human activities.
On wetland regulation, we may define away nature at our own peril
Jessica Kao
Efforts by the Trump administration to rewrite wetlands regulations could undermine natural functions that are crucial to clean drinking water, flood protection and wildlife habitat
6 Florence St Niddrie 3042
93741902
0432406862