Post of the Day
Climate change: Where we are in seven charts
As representatives gather in Poland for talks on climate change, we look at how hot the world has got and what can we can all do to tackle global warming.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46384067
Today’s Celebration
Kamolol Day (Thanksgiving) – Marshall Islands
World Wildlife Conservation Day
Climate Change
‘Our greatest threat’: Attenborough’s grim warning on climate
Naturalist David Attenborough has told delegates at a UN conference the world is facing the end of civilisation if it does not unite to tackle climate change.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/our-greatest-threat-attenborough-s-grim-warning-on-climate
Climate change ‘single greatest threat’ says Pacific Island leader
The Tuvalu prime minister called for the UN General Assembly to ensure nations stick to the Paris climate accord or his nation will face “dire” consequences.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/climate-change-single-greatest-threat-says-pacific-island-leader
World Bank to raise $200 billion to fight climate change
The World Bank Group will spearhead a five-year, $200 billion investment to fight climate change.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/world-bank-to-raise-200-billion-to-fight-climate-change
Leaders gather for Poland UN climate talks
Talks aimed at tackling global divisions over how to combat climate change have begun at a UN summit in Katowice, Poland.
Harvard geoengineering study: a first test of a last-ditch option to stall global warming
Harvard researchers want to see what adding calcium carbonate could do to the stratosphere.
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2018/11/30/18117858/geoengineering-harvard-study-solar-particles
Populism makes Paris climate pact look fragile [$]
The rise of populism from Europe to Latin America and Asia has made the Paris climate pact look fragile. And the US proposal to withdraw from the agreement has emboldened others to be more critical.
California wildfires released one year’s worth of power pollution
Forest fires in California this year released carbon emissions equivalent to the amount produced to power the state’s electricity for one year, according to a new analysis from the U.S.
Climate change: Where we are in seven charts
As representatives gather in Poland for talks on climate change, we look at how hot the world has got and what can we can all do to tackle global warming.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46384067
The psychology of climate change: Why people deny the evidence
Despite evidence illustrating the planet is warming at a rate not ever seen in its history, there are still people who deny that it’s occurring or that it’s a result of humans pumping too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/climate-change-psychology-1.4920872
19 of 20 world leaders just pledged to fight climate change. Trump was the lone holdout.
When it comes to climate change, President Donald Trump remained firmly alone in his belief that it is a hoax.
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/12/trump-g20-climate-paris-accord-denial/
Pulses of sinking carbon reaching the deep sea are not captured in global climate models
A new study by MBARI scientists shows that pulses of sinking debris carry large amounts of carbon to the deep seafloor, but are poorly represented in global climate models.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/mbar-pos120318.php
Scientists call for eight steps to increase soil carbon for climate action and food security
Leading scientists call for action to increase global soil carbon, in advance of the annual climate summit of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) and World Soil Day.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181203080313.htm
Climate: Turkey plays poverty card [$]
Graham Lloyd
The tone has been set early for difficult climate negotiations in Poland where money has moved to the top of the agenda.
The ‘climate diaspora’ trying to save the Paris agreement from Trump
Karl Mathiesen
There was an exodus of climate experts from the White House after the 2016 election – but they still turn up to UN talks
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/03/save-paris-climate-agreement-from-trump
Denying climate change is evil
Paul Krugman
Climate denial is rooted in greed, opportunism and ego. Opposing action for those reasons is a sin.
‘Why the Paris Agreement won’t save us from climate change’
Mark Lynas
Despite decades of UN climate change conferences, the fight to save the Earth’s climate from collapse has still barely begun.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/03/opinions/paris-agreement-wont-save-us/index.html
COP24: Who are these UN climate meetings for?
Nick Dowson highlights the issues up for debate, obstacles to negotiations and where all this leaves the majority world.
https://newint.org/features/2018/12/03/cop24-who-are-these-un-climate-meetings
National
Residents of PFAS contamination sites should be compensated, federal inquiry says
A federal parliament inquiry argues no families should be trapped on land contaminated by PFAS chemicals and recommended the Commonwealth offer financial compensation for residents exposed to the substance.
Supermarket ban ‘sees 80pc drop’ in plastic bags nationwide
The ban on single-use plastic bags by Australia’s two largest supermarkets has prevented the introduction of an estimated 1.5 billion bags into the environment, according to the National Retail Association.
Asylum seekers, coal and petrol: Crossbenchers rule roost in parliament’s final week
Labor and government strategists will be kept on their toes when parliament meets for the last sitting week of the year.
Coalition revises energy ‘big stick’ policy following backbench objections
Some MPs have argued breaking up private companies offends core liberal values
Australia’s surprising solar capitals leading the charge to switch
Growing number of people are installing solar power but exactly where they are is at odds with the political discussion about renewables.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/two-million-australian-homes-now-have-solar-789490/
Coalition led inquiry calls to pay out victims of toxic contamination
A parliamentary inquiry has called on the Morrison government to compensate people whose property values have been devastated by firefighting foam contamination, to ban the toxins and to appoint a coordinator-general to take over the handling of the unfolding environmental crisis.
Who owns your waste? Thefts from bins and backyards anger recyclers
When you put waste in the recycle bin and it gets taken to be recycled for money elsewhere, is it crime?
Australia’s climate safeguard mechanism
Parliamentary library (Australia)
This guide explains Australia’s climate safeguard mechanism, which is an important component of Australian’s central climate change policy, the Emissions Reduction Fund.
Coal, coal, coal and soaring emissions – as a Liberal, I have had enough
Oliver Yates
Trust in the Liberals has been destroyed, and no amount of ‘shuffling the deck chairs’ will change the outcome of the next federal election
‘I don’t believe that’: how a 17-year-old student stole the show on Q&A
Neil McMahon
How to make the best of the spectacle of dysfunction known as 2018? Let’s call it The Year Of The Pissed-Off Kids.
Latest proof Greens inhabit a different reality [$]
Peter Gleeson
If ever we needed proof the Greens are on another planet when it comes to economic prosperity, look no further than their latest move against coalmining, writes.
Why coal – and not renewables – is root cause of surging Australia power prices
Giles Parkinson
New analysis from BloombergNEF (BNEF) shows that the rising cost of coal power generation in Australia’s is the primary – yet often overlooked – cause of the recent doubling of power prices on the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Fracking policies are wildly inconsistent across Australia, from gung-ho development to total bans
Hanabeth Luke et al
Last week, the Western Australian Government lifted its state-wide moratorium on hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Unconventional gas industries were given the green light to develop on existing petroleum leases, especially in WA’s vast Kimberley region.
The weirdest right-wing takes on the student climate protest [$]
Australia’s free speech warriors took a righteous stand against children fighting for their future.
https://www.crikey.com.au/2018/12/03/student-climate-protest-takes/
Victoria
Transport disruptions frustrate Victorians
An increasing number of Victorians are complaining about the reliability of public transport, overtaking myki as the biggest gripe-point, a report has revealed.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/transport-disruptions-frustrate-victorians-140016730–spt.html
Unexpected changes to Melbourne train destinations probed by ombudsman
Metro Trains is being probed by the public transport watchdog over complaints about trains changing destinations while commuters are still on board.
Victoria’s Greens did a lot better than we’re given credit for
Ellen Sandell
Even though Labor love to frame the Greens as a passing fad, they certainly love our key policies: solar power for all, more public housing, dying with dignity laws, better rights for renters, a ban on fracking, safe injecting rooms, political donations reform.
Ted Mead’s comments about VicForests and its FSC Controlled Wood audit
Alex Messina
I read with respect Ted Mead’s comments about VicForests and its FSC Controlled Wood audit (27 November). I would clarify, however, that unlike substitute like plastics, metals and cement, or timber sourced from the developing world, the Victorian native timber industry is renewable, with a dramatically better carbon outcome.
New South Wales
Ausgrid’s planned job cuts put power grid safety at risk, union says
Unions claim the energy regulator’s decision to slash poles and wires company Ausgrid’s potential revenues will lead to hundreds of job cuts in the coming year, threatening the safety of Sydney’s power grid. https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/the-economy/ausgrid-s-planned-job-cuts-put-power-grid-safety-at-risk-union-says-20181128-p50iu1.html
‘Scientific fact’: NSW Liberals highlight climate difference from Feds
The Liberal-led NSW government remains committed to cutting carbon emissions regardless of changes of policy by federal counterparts, Energy Minister Don Harwin says.
Stokes accuses federal MPs of ‘wilful ignorance’ on climate
NSW Education Minister Rob Stokes has accused some of his federal counterparts of wilful ignorance over climate change, saying he understood why striking students were frustrated.
‘This plan was contrived in secret’: New cruise terminal’s threat to Sydney bay
Indigenous elders have taught traditional fishing practices at the southern Sydney bay for generations. A proposed cruise ship terminal is placing it under threat.
Scrap it: kerbside compost comes to Sydney in bid to drive down waste
Sydney councils are exploring ways to recycle food scraps in a bid to divert some household waste from landfill, generate compost and help cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Why NSW may have to choose between football stadium and power stations
David Leitch
It was clear at Transgrid’s stakeholder presentation day that despite NSW’s newly announced scheme, it is not doing nearly enough to prepare for the exit of most of its…
Health impacts and murky decision-making feed public distrust of projects like WestConnex
Patrick Harris and Edward Jegasothy
The health concerns that dominate public submissions to the parliamentary inquiry into WestConnex are a reminder that papering over such issues comes back to haunt governments.
ACT
Protecting the bush ‘front and centre’ in new planning strategy
Canberra must contain its urban sprawl or risk losing its status as the bush capital, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has warned.
Don’t forget vulnerable families in rush to green energy
Canberra Times editorial
While the ACT government deserves to be commended on its progress towards 100 per cent renewable electricity there is a limit to what the market will bear.
Queensland
Qld heatwave to continue until mid-week, bushfires keep raging
Two more “watch and act” warnings are issued in central Queensland, as more than 100 bushfires burn across the state.
What does Adani’s latest mine plan mean? – video explainer
Indian mining giant Adani has announced it will scale back its proposed Carmichael mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin, but begin construction ‘imminently’, using its own funds. But the company still faces numerous obstacles including groundwater approval and native title
Rainforest may take ‘hundreds of years’ to recover from Queensland bushfire disaster
While parts of the Eungella National Park subtropical rainforest have been reduced to cinders, the community is determined to not let the fire win.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-04/eungella-rainforest-future-questioned-by-expert/10578802
Huge 800MW wind farm set for construction, with approval for solar and battery
Lacour Energy’s secures environmental approval for 800MW Clarke Creek wind project that plans to integrate large-scale solar and storage.
Adani coal project does not have a social licence – it must be stopped
Oliver Yates
The approvals given to coal projects like Adani’s were based on preposterous assumptions.
Adani’s new mini version of its mega mine still faces some big hurdles
Samantha Hepburn
Indian mining firm Adani has announced scaled-down plans for its planned Queensland coal mine, which it will now fund itself. But there are still many questions hanging over the project.
South Australia
Two possible solutions to mining bill problem [$]
Caleb Bond
Well done to the four Liberal MPs who blocked their party’s mining bill, the legislation doesn’t strike a fair balance between land owners and miners. There are two possible solutions.
Tasmania
Heritage listing could threaten cable car [$]
A push to have the Organ Pipes on kunanyi/Mt Wellington put on the National Heritage List may add further roadblocks to the proposal for a cable car.
Candidate’s bus plan to cut gridlock [$]
Nelson campaign Free public transport would be a cheap and fast solution to road congestion, a candidate for the Upper House seat of Nelson says.
Northern Territory
$160m leg-up for phosphate mine [$]
An ASX-listed minnow could secure $160m in taxpayer money for its proposed phosphate project in the Northern Territory.
Blue Mud Bay fishing decision expected today [$]
It’s D-Day for NT commercial and recreational fishers with the Northern Land Council expected to make a final decision today as to whether to enforce permit restrictions on Aboriginal-owned coastline
Western Australia
WA takes lion’s share of mineral exploration spend
Western Australia is home to more than 60 per cent of the nation’s minerals and petroleum exploration.
Sustainability
Betting on a new way to make concrete that doesn’t pollute
A New Jersey firm is experimenting in a small town in England with a new formula that reduces the carbon dioxide emitted in the making of the building material.
Aluminum nitride to extend life of solar power plants
NUST MISIS scientists together with their colleagues from the Central Metallurgical R&D Institute (Cairo, Egypt) have developed a composite material which will extend the life of solar towers — installations for collecting Solar thermal energy — from 2-3 to 5 years.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/nuos-ant120318.php
Why a curious crustacean could hold secret to making renewable energy from wood
Scientists studying gribble — a curious wood-eating crustacean — have discovered how they are able to digest wood despite being the only known animal to have a sterile digestive system. The discovery may help to develop cheaper and more sustainable tools for converting wood into biofuel in the future.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/uoy-wac113018.php
Utility customers overestimate cost savings with energy-conservation plans
When deciding whether to participate in programs designed to conserve energy during peak hours, consumers appear to rely more on their intuition about how much money they’re saving rather than on proof their bills are smaller, a new study has found.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/osu-uco120318.php
Solving 21st-century problems requires skills that few are trained in, scientists find
From companies trying to resolve data security risks to coastal communities preparing for rising sea levels, solving modern problems requires teamwork that draws on a range of expertise and life experiences. Yet individuals receive little training to develop the skills that are vital to these collaborations.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181203101432.htm
Nature Conservation
Poaching and deforestation is pushing Sumatran tigers to the brink of destruction
Sumatran tiger numbers are dwindling due to rampant poaching, but it’s not just hunters that are pushing them to extinction — their habitats are being destroyed to make way for lucrative plantations like palm oil and rubber.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-03/sumatran-tigers-on-the-brink-of-extinction/10568758
A coal mine is devouring a 12,000-year-old forest
For decades a German utility has been clearing an ancient forest to unearth more coal. With little left to preserve, environmentalists are fighting back.
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2018-hambach-forest/?srnd=climate-changed
Saltier Waterways Are Creating Dangerous ‘Chemical Cocktails’
New research suggests that saltier, more alkaline freshwater can release toxic metals and harmful nitrogen-containing compounds from streambeds and soils in drainage basins
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181203080324.htm
Prescribed burning not as damaging as previously thought
New research has found that prescribed burning, a controversial technique where fires are intentionally used to manage vegetation, is not as damaging to peat growth as previously thought if carried out on a sensible rotation, and can produce several positive outcomes.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/12/181203111615.htm
You can’t save a species if it doesn’t have a name
A newly discovered African plant genus could be wiped out by dams and mining.
https://therevelator.org/save-species-name/
Global warming increases frost damage on trees in Central Europe
Global warming increases frost damage on trees in large areas of Central Europe, according to a new Finnish-Chinese study. Late frost damages are economically important in agriculture and forestry. In certain years, they are known to have caused losses amounting to up to hundreds of millions of euros.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-12/uoef-gwi120318.php
Lake Erie faces dire future, per new climate change report
The new report foresees more severe storms, lake-effect snow and rain, expansion of invasive species, larger “dead zones” in Lake Erie, and worsening of the algal blooms that can close beaches and threaten drinking water.
Why environmentalists and hunters are united in saying the Endangered Species Act is failing and needs to be fixed
No one wants to kill an animal that is near extinction. So how come the popular Endangered Species Act isn’t working? https://www.newsweek.com/2018/12/07/environmentalists-hunters-farmers-endangered-species-act-failing-climate-1239759.html
Scallops gather billions of plastic particles within hours
Marine organisms accumulate billions of tiny plastic particles in their tissues within a few hours of exposure to the pollutant at levels similar to those in the oceans, according to an alarming study by UK scientists.
https://www.ft.com/content/4cfab83e-f4b0-11e8-9623-d7f9881e729f
Hold the soy, save the pollinators
Gary Nabhan
Instead of compensating soybean farmers for losses, we should pay them to plant native perennials to protect bees and butterflies.
https://civileats.com/2018/11/30/hold-the-soy-save-the-pollinators/
The race to dam the Himalayas
Sunil Amrith
Hundreds of big projects are planned for the rivers that plunge from the roof of the world.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/01/opinion/himalayas-mountains-dams.html
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