Date: 4 October 2019 at 8:44:09 am AEST
Subject: Daily Links Oct 4
Post of the Day
How much are you polluting your office air just by existing?
Could your basic acts of existence be polluting the air in the office room where you work? To find out, a team of engineers has been conducting one of the largest studies of its kind.
Today’s Celebration
Independence Day – Lesotho
Day of Peace and Reconciliation – Mozambique
Education Day – Kiribati
eDay – New Zealand
Assault on Friedrichstadt Day – Denmark
Lee National Denim Day – USA
Children’s Day – Singapore
National Amputee Awareness Week
Climate Change
Climate activists red-faced after plan to hose UK Treasury with fake blood backfires
Extinction Rebellion wanted to spray the British Treasury building with fake blood to protest against the government’s lack of action on the environment, but things quickly got out of control.
Timeline: Greta Thunberg’s rise from lone protester to Nobel favorite
Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg is the favorite to win the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, bookmakers have said, after she rose to lead a millions-strong youth movement demanding action on global warming.
To ignore Greta Thunberg would be childish
Madonna King
On most days, two mini Greta Thunbergs live at my house.
National
The fires of the future are here, but we might not be ready for them
Firefighting experts and senior scientists tell Background Briefing they’re concerned the Federal Government is refusing to guarantee funding for the only national research body for bushfires beyond 2021.
Geoscience Australia to stop printing and selling topographic maps from December
Bushwalkers and map sellers say the decision by Geoscience Australia to stop printing and selling topographic maps will put people’s safety at risk and impact on our understanding of remote Australia.
Peter Dutton demands tougher penalties for climate change protesters
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has called for climate change protesters to be “named and shamed”, jailed and have their welfare payments stopped.
Macquarie refashions its renewables strategy [$]
The Green Investment Group says a shortage of projects is forcing the bank to develop its own.
‘Big stick’ power laws won’t make much difference [$]
The “big stick” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is waving at electricity companies won’t help with prices, independent researchers say.
Australia fossil fuel new car sales slump again, as Tesla Model 3 takes off
Sales of new petrol and diesel cars in Australia slump sharply for 18th month in a row, as electric and hybrid sales continue to surge.
Heatwave conditions sweep across large parts of South-East Australia.
‘This drought has become farmers’ GFC’
The barren landscape of Ben Swan’s farm near Inverell in the north of NSW painted a confronting picture for Coalition politicians of the impact of the region’s worst dry spell on record.
Drought plan must factor in climate change
SMH editorial
There is a case for drought relief but it must encourage farmers to adapt to the changing climate.
Drought of good ideas has drained water policy [$]
Mike Young
Australia’s commitment to excellence in water policy began in 1994 with the decision to include water in national competition policy. States were required to have arrangements allowing unfettered water trading, and a permanent cap was placed on water use in the Murray-Darling Basin. Water reform, it was called.
Australia’s biggest property companies are making net-zero emissions pledges – now we can track them
Amandine Denis
Some of Australia’s biggest property companies are making ambitious emissions-reduction pledges – but how well are they really doing?
Just because both sides support drought relief, doesn’t mean it’s right
Lin Crase
The government’s Future Drought Fund flies in the face of years of work classifying drought as to be expected rather than a disaster.
Time to face facts on immigration [$]
Bernard Salt
Too many capital cities are taking the heat at the head of Australia’s cosmopolitan ‘comet’.
Victoria
Djab Wurrung activists allow highway work to resume as 15 sacred trees saved
Traditional owners continue fight to obtain federal heritage protection for birthing trees
Yackandandah takes another step closer to 100% renewable energy
Victoria town of Yackandandah adds solar and storage to get one step closer to 100% renewables target.
We need Metro 2 and outer rail loop. Both projects should go ahead
Age editorial
We can afford both public transport projects and, properly executed, it is entirely possible to begin building them.
New South Wales
‘The wrong project in the wrong place’: Malcolm Turnbull’s Snowy 2.0 vision comes at a huge cost
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s vision for the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro scheme to power Australia’s renewable energy future looks like coming at a huge cost.
NSW water-sharing plans in disarray
Almost half of the state’s water sharing plans have not been audited according to the government’s own rules, leaving bureaucrats in the dark about how well the arrangements are working.
Illegal hunting the biggest reason for trespassing on farms, inquiry hears
The government’s “right to farm” bill was scrutinised by a NSW parliamentary inquiry on Thursday.
Goodbye garbage: Turning unwanted waste into products we want to have
World-first technology unveiled in an Australian university is turning common waste into components for luxe furniture, solving a pressing problems.
Tapping into a hard and thirsty lesson
Marie Low
A lot of us have been thinking about water more than we ever have before
Why you didn’t catch a snapper on the weekend [$]
Al McGlashan
Political stupidity and cowardice is behind the alarming decline of one of our favourite fish, the mighty snapper.
Reasonable debate on climate will soon become extinct
Andrew Bolt
The climate hysteria is spreading. Now “sustainability trainer” Michael Mobbs is fleeing Sydney, warning it could be destroyed in only three years.
ACT
Students least likely to be jumping on new transport network
New data suggests students have been the least likely cohort to jump on board the new bus and light rail network.
Will Sydney burn its trash? Cleanaway proposes new waste-to-energy project
Massive waste-to-energy proposal for Western Sydney backed by Macquarie Group set to reignite debate over merits of burning trash for energy.
Jane Kotzmann
The new law is largely symbolic so the ACT can boast animal welfare credentials without putting animal-related industries offside. Still, it could create positive change.
Queensland
Insurer AXIS Capital reportedly pulls bid to cover Adani mine’s rail line
AXIS Capital has reportedly pulled its bid to insure the construction of the Adani rail line.
Deadly fungus found in Far North Queensland rainforest near Cairns
The world’s second-deadliest fungus, the poison fire coral, is found in Far North Queensland for the first time, a long way from its usual home in the mountains of Japan and Korea, and can cause a “horrifying array of symptoms”.
Contaminated water from Gold Coast luxury estate adds to wetland ‘catastrophe’
Exclusive: discovery comes as authorities investigate tonnes of sediment choking creek near development site
From Moreton to Mulgumpin: Island set for return to traditional ownership
In November, a native title claim is likely to grant the Quandamooka people native title to 98 per cent of Moreton Island and add an extra 120 hectares of land to the national park area.
Non-lethal shark hooks ‘won’t work in Queensland’
Devices designed to avoid the killing of sharks by catching and releasing them elsewhere would not work along Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef, a report says.
Farmers furious as central Queensland weir becomes political football
Farmers and local politicians voice their objections to plans to reduce the size of a proposed central Queensland weir as state and federal governments argue over how to deal with a cost blowout.
Real reason behind calls for a new coal power station [$]
Steven Wardill
They haven’t been able to explain why a new coal-fired power station is needed in Queensland or the impact it would have on power prices, yet National Party figures have been banging on about one for some time. Now we know the reason why.
If Australians want to eat, farmers need a real climate plan [$]
Kerrie McMartin
For people to keep enjoying the sugar in their coffee and the strawberries in their fruit salad, the government needs to step up and take the harsh realities of science seriously.
Queensland conservatives emerge as voice of reason in nuclear debate. Seriously!
Jim Green
Queensland state LNP breaks with federal counterparts and says renewables and energy efficiency better option than nuclear.
South Australia
Aboriginal elder defends police officer shown stoning wombat in ‘abhorrent’ video
South Australia Police are investigating a video that appears to show an off-duty officer badly injuring or killing a wombat by throwing rocks at it, but an Aboriginal elder says it is a local hunting practice.
Tasmania
New research turns Tasmanian Aboriginal history on its head. The results will help care for the land
Ted Lefroy et al
History has told us Aboriginal people in Tasmania almost exclusively occupied open plains. Revelations to the contrary could transform modern conservation.
Northern Territory
Shocked scientists find 400km of dead and damaged mangroves in Gulf of Carpentaria
Mangrove monitoring trip to remote coast finds shocking impact of two cyclones across hundreds of kilometres
Western Australia
‘Beloved’ wildlife photographer found dead at base of one of WA’s highest cliffs
A WA wildlife photographer whose body was found at the base of one of the state’s highest peaks, where he previously captured one of his most lauded shots has been remembered as a gentle, kind and warm person who had honed his craft over 30 years.
Fremantle trialling weed control alternatives
The City of Fremantle is continuing to trial alternative ways to control weeds and reduce its use of herbicides.
BP warns WA-specific emission guidelines would drive pollution elsewhere
Petroleum giant BP has warned any move by the WA Environmental Protection Authority to implement state-specific pollution guidelines would drive investment away from the state to countries with worse emissions standards.
Trouble brewing over West Australian emission targets [$]
The emission offset targets proposed by Western Australia’s environmental watchdog are again shaping as a headache for the state government after a public consultation reinforced deep divisions between industry and environmental groups.
Polling reveals WA wants MPs out of Roe 8 and 9 talks [$]
Most West Australians believe the McGowan Government should take the politics out of Roe 8 and 9 and refer the projects for independent assessment, new polling reveals.
WA bushfires becoming more intense, lasting longer [$]
WA’s bushfire season now lasts for seven months as the state’s climate becomes increasingly dry, WA’s fire and emergency services commissioner has said.
Horizon first utility to pull down power lines and replace with renewable micro-grids
Horizon Power is to become the first utility in Australia to remove parts of its overhead network and replace it with an off-grid renewable energy power solution.
Sustainability
For mining CEOs, pressure to cut carbon footprint ‘growing every day’
More of the world’s major miners will inevitably begin taking responsibility for the greenhouse emissions produced by their customers including steelmakers and power stations that burn the resources they extract, the latest survey of global mining bosses has found.
New concept may finally give aluminium battery storage the edge over lithium
European researchers have developed a concept for a new aluminium battery which could boasts twice the energy density of previous versions and could be made of abundant materials, resulting in…
Big cities go green to fight against climate change
Major American cities are leading the fight against climate change as the federal government steps back. Here, two experts explain what’s working.
How much are you polluting your office air just by existing?
Could your basic acts of existence be polluting the air in the office room where you work? To find out, a team of engineers has been conducting one of the largest studies of its kind.
Exposure to air pollution increases violent crime rates
Breathing dirty air can make you sick. But according to new research, it can also make you more aggressive. That’s the conclusion from a set of studies recently authored by Colorado State University researchers. The team found strong links between short-term exposure to air pollution and aggressive behavior, in the form of aggravated assaults and other violent crimes across the continental United States.
Pesticides likely caused ‘Havana syndrome’ that affected Cuba-based diplomats
The study details the nature of the injury, specifies the brain regions involved, including the blood-brain barrier and suggests a possible cause in the form of ‘cholinesterase inhibitors,’ with ‘organophosphorus insecticides’ being a likely source. Cholinesterase (ChE) is one of the key enzymes required for the proper functioning of the nervous systems of humans, invertebrates and insects.
Environmental cost of formula milk should be a matter of global concern
‘The production of unnecessary infant and toddler formulas exacerbates environmental damage and should be a matter of increasing global concern,’ argue experts.
The women taking the plastic out of periods
Sanitary products litter Europe’s beaches, and 200,000 tons a year end up in UK landfill. Meet the people fighting for ‘environmenstrual’ alternatives.
Even a small nuclear war could trigger a global apocalypse
Nuclear war doesn’t have to be big to devastate the world, inducing years of famine and climate catastrophe alongside all that death and radiation.
Aspirin may halve air pollution harms
A new study is the first to report evidence that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin may lessen the adverse effects of air pollution exposure on lung function. The researchers found that the use of any NSAID nearly halved of the effect of PM on lung function, with the association consistent across all four weekly air pollution measurements from same-day to 28 days prior to the lung function test.
How to make carbon pricing palatable to air travelers
Travellers are willing to pay a little more for flights if they know the extra money will be used to address carbon emissions, a new study has found.
Global bank urges cities to invest in new infrastructure to adapt to climate change
Elisa Palazzo
A call to make our cities more resilient to climate change could drive one of the largest new infrastructure builds in history.
Space can solve our looming resource crisis – but the space industry itself must be sustainable
Richard Matthews
The opportunities in space are limitless. But without a sustainable approach to the space industry, our ability to exploit them won’t be.
Nature Conservation
Genomes of parasitic mites harming the world’s bees sequenced
Researchers sequenced the genomes of the two Varroa mite species that parasitize the honey bee. They found that each species of mite used its own distinct strategy to survive in its bee host, potentially overwhelming the bees’ defenses. In addition to pointing to how scientists might vanquish these deadly intruders, the findings also shed light on how parasites and hosts evolve in response to one another.
A tool to understand how ecosystems are responding to a changing climate
As climate change accelerates, recording shifts in plant flowering times is critical to understanding how changes in climate will impact ecosystem interactions. To help measure these shifts, researchers have introduced a new quantitative measure of phenological status, called the ‘phenological index,’ that improves scoring of developmental stage in herbarium specimens, and predicts a higher degree of phenological advancement in response to climate change.
Fearing the ‘insect apocalypse’? Renowned entomologist says ‘get rid of your lawn’
The polar bear has become the poster child for climate change, but increasing temperatures impact many forms of life – including insects.
We pump too much groundwater, and rivers are in danger
By 2050, thousands of rivers and streams worldwide could pass a critical ecological threshold, new research shows.
4 levers to build a better global policy to stop the Amazon fires
There is no one way to stop the fires (and the prospect of more), but a combination of foreign and local governments, business interests, investors, and nonprofit organizations could start to mitigate the problem.
We’re just starting to learn how fracking harms wildlife
Mounting evidence proves that natural-gas and oil extraction threatens wildlife and ecosystems — much as it harms human health.
An ancient approach to protecting nature is being revived in hopes of getting natural resources—and the people who depend on them—the protection they’ve always deserved.
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