Post of the Day
What would a fair energy transition look like?
Franziska Mey and Chris Briggs
Making the transition to a sustainable energy future also means ensuring that affected communities – such as Australia’s coal workers – aren’t left by the wayside.
https://theconversation.com/what-would-a-fair-energy-transition-look-like-107366
Today’s Celebration
Independence Day – Albania, Mauritania, Palau
Independence day (from Spain) – Panama
Republic Day – Burundi, Chad
Separation from Spain – Palau
Ascension of Abdul-Baha – Baha’i
Climate Change
‘I don’t believe it’: Trump rejects his own Government’s report on climate change
The official report claims the effects of climate change will harm human health, damage infrastructure, limit water availability, alter coastlines and increase costs in various industries unless greenhouse gas emissions are curbed.
World must triple efforts or face catastrophic climate change, says UN
Rapid emissions turnaround needed to keep global warming at less than 2C, report suggests
Climate change deniers are blocking progress, UN report suggests
The United Nations’ annual assessment of global progress on climate change delivers familiar bad news this year – the problem is getting worse, not better – with a new twist: For the first time, political ideology is singled out for obstructing changes that would slow global warming.
Countries not living up to climate change commitments
One exception: China.
http://time.com/5463519/climate-change-united-nations-report/
Climate-warming El Niño very likely in 2019, says UN agency
Natural cycle has major influence on global weather, bringing droughts and floods https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/27/climate-warming-el-nino-very-likely-in-2019-says-un-agency
Greenpeace activists climb Europe’s largest coal plant ahead of climate summit
The Greenpeace protesters climbed the 180m high chimney at the Belchatow power plant.
Cold comfort for action [$]
Graham Lloyd
The details of the landmark climate accord are likely to wind up being kicked down the road again.
The depravity of climate-change denial
Paul Krugman
Risking civilization for profit, ideology and ego.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/opinion/climate-change-denial-republican.html
National
Crossbench joins Julie Bishop and Labor in push for energy agreement
The Government abandoned its signature energy policy. Now a growing band of MPs from all sides of Parliament wants action.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-27/bishop-gets-crossbench-support-on-energy/10557446
Chart of the day: You’re probably not afraid of Australia’s deadliest animals
Although Australia has some of the world’s most venomous snakes, biggest sharks and dangerous crocodiles, none of these are our deadliest animals.
Students hit back at PM after ‘less activism in schools’ climate change comment
Hundreds of students are planning to leave school this Friday to protest government inaction on climate change.
Brookfield takes aim at energy policy after $3b sale [$]
Brookfield’s Len Chersky says energy assets need to be cheap to make up for the uncertainty around Australia’s energy policy.
Energy leaders support revival of the NEG [$]
Energy producers reiterate support for the National Energy Guarantee to cross over the political divide after Julie Bishop urged the Government to put the policy back on the table.
Carp kill in doubt [$]
The Federal Government insists it will press ahead with its contentious release of a herpes virus to help eradicate carp despite the resignation of the program’s national co-ordinator.
Electric cars continue push into Australia despite lack of government support
Electric vehicles makers are pushing into Australia despite a lack of government support, as cars begin hitting Australian shores at more accessible price points in order to boost EV uptake.
Australia falling short of Paris targets as UN warns world must increase efforts
The UN’s 2018 Emissions Gap Report sounds yet another dire warning for global policy makers, signalling efforts to combat catastrophic climate change need to be increased significantly.
Shock savings on energy bills as energy giants cave [$]
About 34,000 of the poorest NSW households will save up to $270 a year on their electricity bills and $145 on gas after a second energy giant gave into government demands to slash prices.
Coalition digs in for another carbon tax scare campaign as May poll looms
Taylor promises a reprise of what the hard right does best – a carbon tax scare campaign – as Coalition loses another MP and Morrison flags early budget and…
What would a fair energy transition look like?
Franziska Mey and Chris Briggs
Making the transition to a sustainable energy future also means ensuring that affected communities – such as Australia’s coal workers – aren’t left by the wayside.
https://theconversation.com/what-would-a-fair-energy-transition-look-like-107366
Morrison suffers mental congestion
Mungo McCallum
Scott Morrison’s slogan of the week was congestion busting — he was in favour of it.
A sector-by-sector guide to fixing Australia’s emissions [$]
Chris Woods
With so much emissions reduction talk focused on renewables, are we overlooking other areas for improvement?
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/11/27/emissions-reductions-sectors/
Bishop calls to keep high power bills [$]
Telegraph editorial
There are enormous coal reserves in Australia. Yet our energy is among the world’s costliest. Our politicians have somehow converted that advantage into four-figure quarterly energy bills. Now Julie Bishop is calling for continue high prices in the name of planetary life.
CO2 targets will dice our economy [$]
Ron Boswell
No policy area has been more overlooked than the economic impact of Australia’s 2030 climate targets.
Coalition’s immigration conundrum [$]
Ross Fitzgerald
Business likes a growing population but voters feel the pressure on living standards.
Victoria
Upset over ‘ridiculous’ park rules
Visitors to one Aussie park have to follow a series of old-fashioned rules if they want to enjoy the area, including a ban on sports and orange peels.
Minors to have major say on CFA, firearms [$]
The carve-up of the CFA, a ban on 1080 poison, greater restrictions on kangaroo shooting and greater gun control are set to form the foundations of negotiations between the re-elected Labor Government and a new block of Upper House MPs.
‘Tsunami’ of rail projects to create chronic skills shortage
The crisis risks huge cost blowouts and delays over the next decade, the country’s main rail group has warned.
Stranded whales found in Victorian national park [$]
Nearly 30 stranded whales have been spotted in a remote Victorian national park, with experts fearing there will be no survivors.
Power bills set to fall for pensioners, veterans [$]
Thousands of Victorians will see their power bills drop by an average of $270 a year under a drastic move by electricity giant Energy Australia.
Want to be paid to reduce your power use? [$]
Households in parts of Victoria will be paid to reduce power use by going shopping, visiting friends or changing airconditioner settings on summer’s hottest days to avoid blackouts.
Did population growth affect the state election result? [$]
Rapid population growth was a big issue in the state election campaign, with the Opposition pushing decentralisation policies. So how did people in high growth areas vote?
Is growth in driving really outstripping surging population?
Alan Davies
For the last 14 years car travel in Melbourne grew slower than both population and public transport travel, but it’s still increasing in absolute terms.
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=20047
Power trip: safe seats will soon suffer under Victorian Labor [$]
Guy Rundle
Well of course, after the triumph and the shouting in Victoria comes the hungover dawn, and the realisation — what one already knew — that Labor will be intolerable.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/11/27/power-trip-safe-seats-will-soon-suffer-under-victorian-labor/
New South Wales
Logging proposal called out by 12yo who says it jeopardises his future
An upcoming NSW forestry agreement could intensify logging in an area described as a ‘global treasure’, so a young Coffs Harbour hinterland boy wants industry to come clean about its impacts.
Alinta turns to geothermal for sustainable heating and cooling
Alinta launches “Australia first” geothermal heating and cooling technology – focused on new suburbs and the displacement of energy intensive reverse-cycle air-conditioning.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/alinta-turns-to-geothermal-for-sustainable-heating-and-cooling-55901/
Queensland
This attempt to save the reef is the largest, most complicated coral regeneration project ever
Scientists are undertaking the largest and most complicated coral regeneration attempt ever attempted — here is what it means for the future of the Great Barrier Reef.
‘Horrendous’ Queensland bushfires intensify as heatwave hits the state
Firefighters are battling more than 80 fires across the state in unprecedented conditions
Gigantic blaze may take down residents’ escape route
Firefighters have warned the bridge out of Deepwater may be “impacted”.
Federal government botched scrutiny of plan to bulldoze pristine forest
The Morrison government has conceded it botched scrutiny of a plan to bulldoze 2000 hectares of pristine Queensland forest near the Great Barrier Reef and has been forced back to the drawing board following a legal challenge by conservationists.
Solar woes intensify as RCR collapse blamed on connection delays
Work has stopped on another major solar project affected by the collapse of engineering giant RCR Tomlinson, as it emerged that delays in grid connections and the impact on milestone payments played a major role in the company’s cash flow issues.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/solar-woes-intensify-as-rcr-collapse-blamed-on-connection-delays-89235/
Great Barrier Reef’s wild display starts early [$]
The Great Barrier Reef’s big sex show has undergone a premature release, with Cairns experiencing a rare daytime coral spawning.
South Australia
Liberals cross the floor in SA mining vote
Four Liberal government MPs have voted with the Labor opposition to delay a final vote on mining reforms in South Australia.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/liberals-cross-the-floor-in-sa-mining-vote
Battery maker begins production in SA
Production of home energy storage systems by German company Sonnen has begun in Adelaide.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/battery-maker-begins-production-in-sa
BHP flags new copper find near Olympic Dam
BHP has identified a potential new iron oxide, copper and gold mineralised system near its Olympic Dam operations in South Australia as part of a copper exploration program.
https://indaily.com.au/news/business/2018/11/27/bhp-flags-new-copper-find-near-olympic-dam/
Dredging poses oyster risk in Gulf St Vincent, experts warn
Experts have confirmed that a rabid disease that infects Pacific oysters would be at risk of spreading into the Gulf St Vincent when Outer Harbor is dredged for widening.
Tasmania
PM dodges light rail funding questions [$]
The Prime Minister and the Minister for Cities have both failed to answer questions about whether Hobart’s much-trumpeted city deal will include funding for light rail.
Public meeting urges Lake Malbena project be rejected
More than 400 people have attended a meeting and called for a proposed development at Lake Malbena in the Walls of Jerusalem National Park be refused.
https://www.examiner.com.au/story/5781733/public-meeting-urges-lake-malbena-project-be-rejected/
Proposed Development at Lake Malbena: Hobart Town Hall talk 27 Nov 2018
Greg French
The great majority of people who walk into the Western Lakes are fly fishers. Why is this important?
Northern Territory
$5 billion NT mine moves a step closer [$]
The Northern Territory’s massive $5 billion Mount Peake mine is rapidly moving towards development
Epuron secures new loan facility for Northern Territory solar assets
One of the CEFC’s first large-scale solar loan customers, Epuron, has secured a new finance facility with specialist fund Infradebt, for its portfolio of NT solar assets.
Western Australia
WA fracking ban lifted, but different rules for north and south keep some areas ‘frack free’
The WA Government lifts a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing but says it will maintain a ban in the Perth, Peel and South West regions, with the move dividing conservationists, the mining industry and traditional owners.
Fracking move a blow to Forrest [$]
New fracking rules are a major setback to mining magnate Andrew Forrest’s dreams of a gas industry in WA’s north.
Sustainability
Health effects of diesel ‘cost European taxpayers billions’
Traffic emissions responsible for at least €70bn damage every year, report says
Climate report Trump tried to bury: key findings No 1 – air pollution kills
The Trump administration published a major report on climate change the day after Thanksgiving. We will explore the major findings each day this week
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/26/climate-change-report-trump-air-pollution
France slows move away from nuclear power
France will move more slowly than promised to cap the amount of energy it derives from nuclear energy, President Emmanuel Macron says.
China coal imports set to slump
Signals from Beijing that it will stop clearing coal shipments until next year have prompted traders and utilities to wind back purchases.
WSU researcher creates first model of how plastic waste moves in the environment
A Washington State University researcher for the first time has modeled how microplastic fibers move through the environment. The work could someday help communities better understand and reduce plastics pollution, which is a growing problem around the world.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/wsu-wrc112618.php
A life cycle solution to fossil fuel impacts
Research from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, published recently in Environmental Science & Technology, found that co-treatment of research from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, published recently in Environmental Science & Technology, found that co-treatment of acid mine drainage and produced fracking fluid may not only solve two environmental issues at once, but also reduce the environmental impact of both legacy wastes.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/uop-alc112718.php
Another coal myth busted as developing nations turn to renewables
BloombergNEF study shows new coal-fired capacity additions fell to their lowest level in over a decade, as developing nations led world in take-up of renewables.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/another-coal-myth-busted-as-developing-nations-turn-to-renewables-80661/
Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes released in scheme to get rid of diseases like malaria. It didn’t work
Officials on Grand Cayman were concerned it could put islanders at risk as it was feared the approach could make diseases worse by reducing immunity
Germany unveils 5-point plan to reduce plastic waste
Less plastic-wrapped produce, more recycling, doing away with plastic straws and cutlery: Germany’s Environment Ministry has issued a plan to make the country less of a “throwaway society.”
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-unveils-5-point-plan-to-reduce-plastic-waste/a-46455503
How some wind turbines hog the breeze
Planners can help stop neighbouring sites blocking the wind.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07528-1
Ahead of climate talks, Poles are divided over coal mining
Electronics salesman Leszek Jaworowski says he can’t discuss Poland’s coal mining with his father. They end up at loggerheads, just like many families in the southern mining region of Silesia.
https://www.apnews.com/15b849ca072f47f7b79e220d32b28124
Don’t lose sleep over ‘genetically edited’ babies
Fahad Ali
Gene editing is far too important to surrender to alarmism over unverified reports.
World’s first gene-edited babies? Premature, dangerous and irresponsible
Joyce Harper
A Chinese scientist claims to have edited human DNA to make us more resistant to HIV. Here’s why that’s not good news.
Nature Conservation
The insect apocalypse is here
What does it mean for the rest of life on Earth?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/magazine/insect-apocalypse.html
Persistence of pesticides threatens European soils
A new study finds pesticide residues in the soils of 11 European countries in six different cropping systems.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181126134257.htm
Natural habitats larger than Greece created to offset economic developments
New data has found that natural habitats occupying an area larger than Greece have been created to offset economic developments. This data could eventually provide a basis to help improve our understanding of the benefits of protecting and preserving wild.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181126185419.htm
Big study of fishing communities finds good neighbors are hard to come by
A study of 89 fishing communities in East Africa has found that good neighbors who agree with common proposals to improve shared fisheries management are uncommon, illustrating that the ‘tragedy of the commons’ dilemma is alive for many fisheries facing sustainable use challenges.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181126185429.htm
Newly discovered deep-sea microbes gobble greenhouse gases and perhaps oil spills, too
Scientists have discovered nearly two dozen new types of microbes, many of which use hydrocarbons such as methane and butane as energy sources–meaning they might be helping to limit the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and might one day be useful for cleaning up oil spills.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/uota-ndd112618.php
Dynasties: Lions may disappear without urgent funding for conservation
Niki Rust
The life-or-death drama of the lion pride will captivate viewers, but the show may not go on without funding to conserve these species.
Maelor Himbury
6 Florence St Niddrie 3042
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0432406862