Post of the Day
Comic explainer: forest giants house thousands of animals (so why do we keep cutting them down?)
Wes Mountain and Madeleine De Gabriele
Over 300 species of vertebrates in Australia depend on hollows in large old trees.
Today’s Celebration
Constitution Day (or Russian Independence Day) – Russia
Day of Our Lady of Guadelupe – Mexico, El Salvador
Independence Day – Kenya
Jamhuri and Uhuru Day – Kenya
Neutrality Day – Turkmenistan
Poinsettia Day- United States of America
Agou – Arroyo (Manga la mer) – Voudon
Climate Change
New Zealand rules out using ‘Kyoto credits’ for Paris, Australia shtum
New Zealand ruled out using carryover carbon credits to count against its Paris climate target, saying such moves would “make it even harder” for the world to meet the “critical” goal of reducing emissions.
‘Window is narrowing’: scientists urge action at UN climate talks
Gilet jaunes protests cast shadow as concerns raised over backlash against rapid change
US accused of obstructing talks at UN climate change summit
Vanuatu’s foreign minister says worst offenders on global warming are blocking progress
Degrading permafrost puts Arctic infrastructure at risk by mid-century
Seventy percent of the current infrastructure in the Arctic has a high potential to be affected by thawing permafrost in the next 30 years. Even meeting the climate change targets of the Paris Agreement will not substantially reduce those projected impacts, according to a new study.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211113030.htm
London mayor unveils plan to tackle ‘climate emergency’
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, has declared a climate emergency and urged the UK government to do more to avert an ecological breakdown that he says poses an existential threat to future generations.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/11/london-mayor-sadiq-khan-city-climate-emergency
Extreme events ‘virtually impossible’ without warming
Climate change isn’t just exacerbating extreme weather. Some events wouldn’t happen without it, according to a major scientific report released yesterday.
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060109273
Companies’ corporate disclosures underestimate climate change
A new study finds that the private sector is overly optimistic about how much climate change will disrupt business.
https://qz.com/1490034/companies-corporate-disclosures-underestimate-climate-change/
It’s the natural rhythm [$]
Judith Curry
Normal variation is a greater agent of change than human activity.
The will of the people is to halt climate change, what about politicians?
John Vidal
While the world’s leaders fiddle at the UN climate summit, the world outside is giving reason for hope.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/11/climate-change-politicians-un-summit
National
Government using ‘loophole’ to apply future emissions reduction, Climate Council says
Australia will meet its 2030 emissions reduction target of 26 to 28 per cent “in a canter”, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has repeatedly said, but with emissions consistently increasing, it hasn’t always been clear how that will happen.
Explainer: Could Segways in Parliament House save our democracy?
The design of Australia’s Parliament House, it has been said, promotes dysfunction and division. But are Segways the answer? Or should we look to other parliaments around the world for inspiration?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-11/could-segways-in-parliament-house-save-our-democracy/10600142
Energy crisis hits Australia while US shines [$]
Australia’s inadequate domestic gas supply means households on the east coast are paying two to three times more for gas than the average US household.
Australia’s greenhouse emissions fall to lowest levels in 28 years [$]
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions have hit a 28-year low.
AER scotches ‘big stick’ energy [$]
The Australian Energy Regulator finds that abuses of market power by big generators are “transient” and government ownership and flaky policy are barriers to entry.
https://www.afr.com/news/big-obstacle-is-government-aer-scotches-big-stick-energy-20181211-h18zoa
Coalition reveals plan to make lithium batteries ‘in our own backyard’
Australia must not squander the “once-in-a-generation” opportunity presented by the booming demand for lithium-ion batteries and should build a dedicated manufacturing sector instead of sending the nation’s vast amounts of locally mined lithium offshore, federal government ministers have said.
Unresolved error sets up fiery showdown over new environment laws at Labor conference
An awkward administrative error has set up a fiery showdown at Labor’s national conference over environment law, as right-wing leaders try to shut down plans for sweeping reforms backed by nearly 500 branches.
Anger, protests as Australia supports US fossil fuels event at UN climate talks
Australia joins US to promote fossil fuels at UN climate conference – just days after remaining silent as US, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Kuwait refused to acknowledge a key…
Water in dispute [$]
The controversial neutrality test that will underpin decisions on further water efficiency measures in the Murray Darling Basin will be determined at a meeting of state and federal water ministers in Melbourne on Friday.
Planning liveable cities: a place-based approach to sequencing infrastructure and growth
Infrastructure Australia
This paper provides advice to governments, industry, and the community on how to enable best-practice sequencing. It calls for an overhaul of the way new housing and infrastructure in our largest cities is delivered, proposing changes to current planning systems, governance frameworks, and funding arrangements to better manage Australia’s rapid population growth.
The experts told us not to worry – but they were wrong
Ross Gittins
The punters got it right when it came to privatisation.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/the-experts-told-us-not-to-worry-20181211-p50lgs.html
Australia in midst of $20 billion wind and solar investment boom
Giles Parkinson
The Coalition government tried to prevent it and failed, and haven’t stopped complaining about it ever since. And now we can see why: Australia is in the midst of an extraordinary investment boom in large scale wind and solar projects, and battery storage, far beyond what even the industry’s most ardent supporters ever imagined.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-in-midst-of-20-billion-wind-and-solar-investment-boom-15379/
Climate realism, not semantics
Australian editorial
Australia has a stake in fair rules and fossil fuel innovation.
Comic explainer: forest giants house thousands of animals (so why do we keep cutting them down?)
Wes Mountain and Madeleine De Gabriele
Over 300 species of vertebrates in Australia depend on hollows in large old trees.
Victoria
‘Sorry that you’re so sick’: The emails people from around the world are sending to Melbourne’s trees
Read the weird, funny and philosophical emails that people are sending to Melbourne’s trees.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-12/people-are-emailing-trees/10468964
Labor and micro-parties dominate Victorian Upper House results
There are now as many on the crossbench as in Opposition in the Victorian Upper House. But Labor is the big winner in the official calculations released this afternoon.
High alert as bushfire risk reaches Black Saturday levels [$]
The bushfire risk is back to Black Saturday levels in Victoria’s most dangerous and populous zone, stretching from Kilmore to Morwell and covering 59 per cent of the state’s population.
New South Wales
Major coal mine plan suffers setback over water supply fears
A NSW Government department has raised grave fears about plans for a new coal mine south of Sydney, predicting groundwater impacts that are unparalleled in the state.
Concerns for koalas after wall of flames rips through Port Stephens habitat
An entire koala population could be wiped out after a bushfire destroyed large parts of their habitat overnight, with an animal rescue group describing the impact as “devastating”.
O’Farrell-era port privatisation deal is keeping Sydney’s roads clogged, report finds
Sydney’s roads could see 750,000 fewer truck trips in 2050 if an O’Farrell-era cap on shipping traffic through Newcastle is lifted, according to a new report.
NSW premier takes population issue to PM
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will take her frustrations over the state’s population pressures to a COAG meeting in Adelaide.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw-premier-takes-population-issue-pm-163055883–spt.html
NSW government’s Ausgrid sale slammed [$]
The NSW government’s lease of the state’s electricity network has come under renewed fire due to an Auditor-General report that slammed the government’s failure to meet its own conditions for unsolicited proposals.
NSW plans to supercharge pumped hydro
The New South Wales government plans 24 new pumped hydro projects that would provide about half of the state’s demand for electricity on the hottest days and three times the power of Snowy 2.0.
Sydney councils charge up electric vehicle infrastructure
Three councils in Sydney’s eastern suburbs – Waverley, Woollahra and Randwick – join forces to install kerbside EV charging stations.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/sydney-councils-charge-up-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-27072/
Shadow cast on Baird’s privatisation halo
SMH editorial
The rush to privatise in NSW came at a cost.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/shadow-cast-on-baird-s-privatisation-halo-20181211-p50liw.html
ACT
How much will it cost to catch light rail in Canberra?
The 2019 public transport fares have been released and for the first time light rail ticket prices are included.
Greens concerned about building on community land in infill push
An upcoming review of concessionally-leased land across Canberra should not focus on turning community spaces into more housing, Greens crossbencher Caroline Le Couteur has warned.
Queensland
Coal set to fill Qld stockings this Christmas, as retailers cash in on mining recovery
Queensland retailers have got a reason to feel upbeat this year in the countdown to the festive season.
North Stradbroke Island begins to become Minjerribah
After many years of planning, a new Indigenous cultural centre at Dunwich being built on the shore of Adams Beach will be the first tangible sign of the state government’s economic transition for North Stradbroke Island.
Adani met with environment department 40 times in six months
Coalition ‘holding Adani’s hand’ through mine approvals, Greens senator says
Great debate: To zip or not to zip [$]
As debate rages over the controversial zipline planned for Brisbane’s Mt Coot-tha, Margaret Wenham and Des Houghton go head-to-head.
South Australia
PFAS report reveals contamination at RAAF base, while MFS begins investigation at station
Chemical testing is underway on fruit and vegetables grown at a South Australian fire station, as the Department of Defence releases its report into PFAS contamination at the Edinburgh RAAF base.
‘It would be insane’: Greenpeace protests oil drilling in Bight
Greenpeace flagship, Rainbow Warrior, has lead a protest of hundreds of people campaigning against Norweign company Equinor drilling for oil in the Great Australian Bight.
Whyalla goes greener with $145m solar greenhouse, as Gupta effect grows
In a “big reveal” alongside GFG Alliance’s Sanjeev Gupta, Whyalla City Council announces China-backed deal to build 70 hectare solar powered intensive horticulture facility.
Not wiped out. Why Whyalla, of all places, now has a sustainable future
Michael O’Neil
It’s a long way from most places, but it is about to host a bigger battery than the world’s biggest, molten salt solar and pumped hydro generation, and a much bigger steelworks.
Tasmania
Recycled rubbish paving the way for new road surfaces in Tasmania
A road in Tasmania’s south has been made out of hundreds of thousand plastic bags and glass bottles, in a trial which is being closely watched by local governments around the state.
Hobart planners baulk at increasing height limits, despite warnings of ‘concrete block future’
The Hobart City Council Planning Committee narrowly votes to support absolute height limits lower than those recommended by architect Leigh Woolley, in a crowded committee meeting.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-11/hobart-baulks-at-higher-building-heights/10603992
100 metres and growing: Australia’s tallest tree leaves all others in the shade
In a remote pocket of Tasmanian wilderness, the giant tree known as Centurion can now rightfully claim to be 100 metres tall after laser technology confirmed it had grown an extra 80cm.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-12/new-milestone-for-australias-tallest-tree-centurion/10604588
Northern Territory
Darwin underground power plans put on hold [$]
Underground power plans have been delayed yet again by the Gunner Government, which has put off announcing any updates about the project until halfway through the cyclone season
Western Australia
Bushfire in WA’s Pilbara threatens lives
Residents have been told to leave as a bushfire burns out of control in the Ashburton Shire in the Pilbara, threatening lives and homes, the DFES warns.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/bushfire-pilbara-threatens-lives-170520041–spt.html
Local woodchips keep swimmers warm as pool switches to renewable energy
An aquatic centre on WA’s south coast is now heated with a biofuel, created by burning woodchips from local plantations, significantly reducing its reliance on gas.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-12/woodchip-heater-warms-local-swimming-pool/10595978
“Australia first” rooftop solar trading trial kicks off in WA
Western Australia energy minister launches world-leading active, billed, peer-to-peer trading trial allowing 40 households to buy and sell rooftop solar, across the grid.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/australia-first-rooftop-solar-trading-trial-kicks-off-in-wa-97187/
Sustainability
Rome’s rubbish crisis goes up in smoke
Rome’s longstanding garbage problems have turned into an emergency after a huge fire at a waste disposal plant blanketed the Eternal City in smoke.
MIT team gains ground on molten silicon energy storage concept
Massachusetts Institute of Technology team publishes conceptual design for renewable energy storage system using large tanks of white-hot molten silicon that could help “power a small city.”
https://reneweconomy.com.au/mit-team-gains-ground-on-molten-silicon-energy-storage-concept-23077/
Online Game Trains Players How to Sort Waste Correctly
A simple online game can teach people to more accurately sort waste — with lasting results, a new study has found.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211073255.htm
Swedish study finds that living in a house with vinyl floors increases levels of phthalates in pregnant women
A new study out of Sweden concludes that pregnant women who live in homes with vinyl floors in the kitchens or bedrooms have higher levels of phthalates in their urine.
Switching to a home battery won’t help save the world from climate change
At least until utilities charge less for energy coming from renewable power sources
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211080929.htm
Perovskite solar cells: cheaper production and high efficiency
A team of chemists and physicists is offering a novel approach for the selective layer formation in perovskite solar cells. The molecule assembles itself into a monolayer, which can cover a variety of surfaces and can function as a hole transporting material in a perovskite solar cell.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211113020.htm
Possible connection between cardiovascular disease and living near oil and gas wells
Researchers have found a possible connection between the intensity of oil and gas exploration in an area and early indicators of cardiovascular disease among nearby residents.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211112928.htm
Nature Conservation
Use of fish discard exemptions by EU trawlers soars before ban
WWF says exemptions undermine landing obligation taking full effect next month
Hypoxic dead zones found in urban streams, not just at the coast
Erosion reshapes urban stream beds to become a series of hypoxia-prone pools
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211144644.htm
Stronger pesticide regulations likely needed to protect all bee species, say studies
Regulators worldwide currently use honeybees as the sole model species failing to account for potential threats posed by agrochemicals to the full diversity of bee species from bumblebees to solitary bees, which are probably more important for pollination of food crops than managed honeybees. They are potentially more vulnerable to pesticides given they nest in the ground and bumblebee queens have different life cycles that could increase exposure.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211122501.htm
52 million tree stories more accessible to science
Improved international tree ring databank helps ecologists watch climate change over time
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211112958.htm
‘Pest-controlling’ bats could help save rainforests
A new study shows that several species of bats are giving Madagascar’s rice farmers a vital pest control service by feasting on plagues of insects. And this, a zoologist believes, can ease the financial pressure on farmers to turn forest into fields.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181211091926.htm
Illegal mining, ‘worse than at any other time,’ threatens Amazon, study finds
Researchers identified 2,312 illegal mining sites in six nations, and highlighted their toxic effects. Activists fear that Brazil’s new president will encourage even more mining.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/10/world/americas/amazon-illegal-mining.html
Conservation groups sue Trump administration over Atlantic oil testing
Environmental groups opposed to offshore drilling sued the federal government on Tuesday to prevent future seismic tests for oil and gas deposits in Atlantic waters off the U.S. East Coast.
Extinction toll may be far worse than thought
The growth in human numbers, and the exploitation of the planet’s surface for economic growth, has destroyed habitats and disrupted ecosystems on a scale without parallel: global warming and climate change will make things worse.
https://climatenewsnetwork.net/extinction-toll-may-be-far-worse-than-thought/
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