Date: 26 July 2019 at 8:54:09 am AEST
Subject: Daily Links Jul 26
Post of the Day
Extreme weather caused by climate change has damaged 45% of Australia’s coastal habitat
Russ Babcock et al
If you think climate change is only gradually affecting our natural systems, think again.
Today’s Celebration
Day of the National Rebellion – Cuba
Independence Day – Liberia
Independence Day – Maldives
Kargil Victory Day– India
Day of National Significance – Barbados
International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem
Climate Change
Scientists debunk claim that global warming is a natural phenomenon
A series of reports, conducted by teams of scientists from across the globe, have found man-made emissions are causing global warming.
Arctic Circle emitting more CO2 than some countries do in a year
Scientists release satellite images showing enormous wildfires spreading across swathes of the Arctic Circle, with potentially dire consequences for the environment.
Climate records tumble as Europe swelters
Germany, France, Britain and the Netherlands broke temperature records, as Europe sweltered in an unprecedented heatwave that scientists warn is the new normal.
Underwater glacial melting is occurring at higher rates than modeling predicts
Researchers have developed a new method to allow for the first direct measurement of the submarine melt rate of a tidewater glacier, and, in doing so, they concluded that current theoretical models may be underestimating glacial melt by up to two orders of magnitude.
PM Boris Johnson likely means choas for climate policy, but it may not all be bad news
Boris Johnson appoints a pro-fracking environment secretary, and his track record suggesting future climate policy could be as unpredictable as the man himself.
The geoengineering of consent: How conspiracists dominate YouTube climate science content
Using YouTube to learn about climate-change-related topics will expose you to video content that mostly opposes worldwide scientific consensus. That’s the finding of a new study, which also reveals that conspiracy theorists have ‘hijacked’ some scientific terms, such as ‘geoengineering,’ so that searches provide entirely non-scientific content.
Mental toll of climate change hits women 60% more
Men have another advantage over their female counterparts, thanks to a warming planet.
National
Emissions trading scheme would have cut power bills, outgoing public service head says
The outgoing head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet says power prices would be lower now if an emissions trading scheme was implemented over a decade ago.
Greens Senator says it’s ‘reasonable’ to trespass on a farm if it reveals bad animal welfare
The Australian Greens agriculture spokeswoman has defended farm trespass and civil disobedience if it reveals bad practice and illegal operations.
Real cost would come from ignoring emissions standards, and would be paid by Australian drivers
Australia will become the world’s dumping ground for inefficient, high-exhaust, high-running cost vehicles unless fuel efficiency standards are introduced, the Electric Vehicle Council has noted today.
Wind, solar, to reach levels Abbott legislated to prevent
Market forces rather than subsidies said to be driving investment in renewables.
Standards Australia claims “consensus” on strict new home battery rules
Controversial home battery installation rules look set to be adopted in Australia, after a vote on the latest draft of safety guidelines reportedly won “consensus” support.At least, we think…
Blanket-deal billions to fix land claims [$]
Aboriginal land councils have begun exploring blanket deals that could settle potentially billions of dollars in compensation claims
Energy policy, IR changes ‘urgent’ [$]
Business groups are calling for an energy policy and industrial relations overhaul to boost productivity.
Why electricity spot prices are hitting zero [$]
When Snowy Hydro underwrote Tailem Bend solar farm in 2017, it included a safety net allowing the plant to be swtiched off, if prices ever hit below zero. CEO Paul Broad expected to use that four times a year. It’s going to be closer to 100.
Australia out of step over climate change – Greenpeace
While the Australia continues to push its so called Pacific Step-Up, the environmental NGO Greenpeace says if they don’t take action on climate change they should step aside.
Children need trees but in one decade our cities removed enough to cover Brisbane
Amanda Lloyd
Young Australians will be exposed to “nature-deficit disorder” unless we replant the trees removed from our urban areas.
The ill winds of Green hypocrisy [$]
Graham Lloyd
Laws and regulations protecting wildlife are being ignored as the wind farm industry seeks more and more development sites.
Extreme weather caused by climate change has damaged 45% of Australia’s coastal habitat
Russ Babcock et al
If you think climate change is only gradually affecting our natural systems, think again.
Our cities need more trees, but some commonly planted ones won’t survive climate change
Alessandro Ossola et al
We need trees in our lives. This past summer, Adelaide experienced the hottest temperature ever recorded in an Australian state capital, hitting 46.6 degrees on January 24. Trees beautify otherwise grey cities and cool our suburbs during heatwaves. But different species have different levels of tolerance of heat, lack of water and other threats posed by climate change.
Victoria
“We’re hurting” – Solar industry rallies against rooftop rebate in Victoria
Public protest calls on Victorian government to fix or scrap its rooftop solar panel rebate, to prevent further job losses and company failures.
Solar Insiders Podcast: Solar wars in Victoria
As solar industry calls for public protest against Victoria solar plan, we talk to Solar Victoria boss Stan Krpan about the scheme’s design.
Cladding scandal an inferno waiting to happen [$]
Andrew Rule
The construction industry has always attracted outlaw bikies and underworld figures who act as muscle in negotiations. Not all criminals kill with bombs and bullets.
New South Wales
Community supports investment to improve health of local waterways
Landholders and Murray Irrigation have partnered with the NSW Government to improve the health of local creeks in the southern Riverina.
NSW planning commission approves new solar project near Gunnedah
Second large-scale solar project near Gunnedah gets approval, despite objections from local pistol club worried about glare.
ANSTO raises nuclear medicine prices
The nuclear medicine sector has been hit by price rises of up to 9 per cent from the troubled government manufacturer.
ACT
Plan to keep flying foxes – and events – in Commonwealth Park
A management plan for the thousands of grey-headed flying-foxes which roost in Commonwealth Park each year is not about relocating or culling them, as numbers climb, according to the National Capital Authority.
Queensland
Police drop charges against French journalists arrested at Adani protest
Queensland Police have dropped the charges against French journalists they arrested at an anti-Adani protest this week.
No sex in winter: Mysterious batch of endangered turtle’s eggs baffles scientists
Researchers are puzzled by the discovery of a nest of loggerhead turtle eggs in Queensland. The find seems to indicate that the creatures have been unseasonably frisky, which should be impossible.
Labor accused of split after senior MP’s coal comments
The Queensland Resources Council has accused Labor of being divided over the future of coal after a senior spokesman rehashed Labor’s election policy for transitioning workers out of the industry.
The Adani coal mine could be about to collapse before it even begins [$]
Adani’s Australian operations could be on the brink of collapse before its Carmichael coalmine is ever built, a forensic accountant has claimed to the ABC.
South Australia
Researchers take the knife to parasite threatening multi-million-dollar tuna industry
Researchers swap lab coats for waders and wellies in a quest to battle a tiny parasite that threatens the $150 million dollar tuna industry.
Bread tags to bowls: Turning waste into beautiful everyday objects
Recycler Brad Scott is using his Robe studio to convert used plastics into everyday items like bowls, doorknobs and cheeseboards.
States squabble over desal deal [$]
The $1.8 billion Adelaide desalination plant could potentially be used to free water for irrigation and the environment.
New $226m mine to bring 600 jobs [$]
A global mining giant will create a peak workforce of 600 when it opens a new $226m underground mine in central Queensland in coming months.
Nuclear debate will take longer than a political cycle – Scarce
Australia will not have a debate about nuclear energy until it is convinced that fossil fuels are ruining the environment, says the man who ran South Australia’s royal commission.
Tasmania
Why former Greens leader Bob Brown doesn’t support a Tasmanian wind farm
Former leader of the Greens, Bob Brown, has come out swinging against a new wind farm planned for Tasmania, saying it will kill endangered birds. But the company behind the project says it will help provide the renewable energy Australia needs.
Bayley to leave Wilderness Society [$]
Departing The Tasmanian Wilderness Society’s long-serving campaign manager is stepping down after a decade in the role.
Northern Territory
Miner says it will only fund the clean-up of the Ranger mine by issuing new ERA shares.
Rio Tinto moves to own Ranger remediation [$]
Matthew Stevens
ERA pushed to consider rights issue to finance funding gap for closure of the uranium mine clean-up.
Western Australia
30,000 native animals rescued ahead of gas plant construction
In remote north-west WA, 30,000 animals are relocated from termite mounds ahead of the construction of the Chevron gas processing facility.
Gas plant construction makes WA history by moving 30,000 native animals to safety
Other mining companies urged to follow suit after contractors at Chevron’s Wheatstone LNG plant spend seven years relocating fauna
Sustainability
How much plastic is used by an Indonesian family in a day?
With 260 million people, Indonesia is the world’s fourth-most populous country, generating huge amounts of garbage and plastic pollutants in the oceans.
How many humans can Earth sustain?
Humans are consuming Earth’s resources faster than they’re being replaced. When this happens in animals, populations crash. So what does that mean for the planet’s inhabitants today?
A video posted in Blue Cross of India’s Instagram page, a week back, shows doctors clad in white scrubs and blue gloves pulling out a thick wad of browning plastic from a cow’s stomach.
Air pollution increases risk of heart disease and stroke, researcher finds
Breathing in air pollutants such as particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide increase your risk of developing cardiovascular illnesses such as atherosclerosis, a new study suggests.
Companies are considering a way to cut back on emissions by converting plastic into fuel or electricity.
Sharks at increasing risk of becoming fishing bycatch
Researchers call for urgent action to protect large species in international waters
Could wooden buildings be a solution to climate change?
Timber structures would allow us draw carbon from the air and store it in our homes and offices – leading some to believe that wooden buildings are the future of architecture.
Musk says terrawatt hour of batteries needed each year to shift global energy
It might have turned the motor industry upside down and led to to an unstoppable shift to EVs, but Musk says Tesla needs a step change to do the…
Sustainable building materials: This house in Eton, outside London, is built from cork
The striking home outside London is built almost entirely from cork, with solid cork walls and a cork roof.
Britain emissions fall to record low as renewables deliver half of supply
On June 30, British carbon emissions fell to just 97 grams per kWh, as renewables provided more than half of supply for first time.
High-performance flow batteries offer path to grid-level renewable energy storage
A low-cost, high-performance battery chemistry could one day lead to scalable grid-level storage for wind and solar energy that could help electrical utilities reduce their dependency on fossil fuels.
Fracking likely to result in high emissions
A study by the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) has estimated emissions from shale gas production through fracking in Germany and the UK. It shows that CO2-eq. emissions would exceed the estimated current emissions from conventional gas production in Germany. The potential risks make strict adherence to environmental standards vital.
Exposure to common chemicals in plastics linked to childhood obesity
Exposure to common chemicals in plastics and canned foods may play a role in childhood obesity, according to a new study.
Nature Conservation
EU acts to protect future of bird facing extinction in UK
European commission moves to halt loss of habitat for migrating turtle doves
Bacteria enhance coral resilience to climate change effects
Researchers investigated the interplay between corals and bacteria under changing environmental conditions. Their research results were published in the current issue of the journal Nature Communications.
USGS scientists say there’s not yet enough information to tie seabird die-offs to toxins
Scientists say they don’t have enough information yet to determine a definitive link between these specific bird die-offs and toxins created by algal blooms.
Climate change and the end of Ireland’s peat bogs
Looming closures show the trade-offs between acting on global warming and the costs to those left behind
Fewer fish may reach breeding age as climate change skews timing of reproduction, food availability
The long-term effect on fish reproductivity could mean fewer fish available for human consumption, Princeton researchers concluded in a new paper.
Now for something completely different …
The definitive biscuit test: which Arnott’s classic assorted will be eaten last? – video
To determine which biscuit is most and least popular, we left a single tray of Arnott’s classic assorted biscuits exposed in a busy office and recorded the results. What’s your favourite?
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