Date: 12 March 2020 at 9:11:06 am AEDT
Subject: Daily Links Mar 12
Post of the Day
The planet’s largest ecosystems could collapse faster than we thought
If put under the kind of environmental stress increasingly seen on our planet, large ecosystems —such as the Amazon rainforest or the Caribbean coral reefs—could collapse in just a few decades, according to a study released today in Nature Communications.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Tree Day – North Macedonia
Arbor Day – China and Taiwan
Climate Change
Biggest drop in CO2 emissions in 30 years in 2019 – but it’s not nearly enough
Declining coal generation delivered a 2% fall in global power sector emissions. But we need 11% falls each year to 2030 to have any hope of meeting climate targets.
In denial: The spin machine upending the climate consensus
Climate law rollbacks in the US and Australia have origins in libertarian think tanks that trade in climate denial.
There’s no ‘deadline’ to save the world. Everything we do now has to pass the climate test
Damian Carrington
The climate crisis can’t be averted, it’s here. And with human suffering now a reality, governments can no longer stand idly by.
National
Rooftop solar unstoppable as market breaks “all previous records” in February
Australia’s rooftop solar market has shown no signs of slowing down so far in 2020, despite a start to the year marred by the coronavirus pandemic and an economic downturn that is hitting global energy markets as hard as any other.
Australian researchers smash efficiency record for ‘tandem solar cells’
ANU research team use tandem solar cell technology to achieve a conversion efficiency of 27.7% and are aiming to go above 30% for their next goal.
Australian bushfires emitted the same level of CO2 as annual global air travel
Australia’s severe bushfires released a massive amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equivalent to the annual emissions from commercial air travel worldwide, a new report reveals.
Scientists warn of ‘critical gaps’ in Australia’s climate science capability
Australia needs the expertise to predict changes which have a major impact across the country, a review finds
It’s not always easy being green at the Big Australian
It was less than a year ago that mining giant BHP set aside $US400 million to fight climate change and agreed to take responsibility for its carbon emissions.
Cure for coronavirus-hit economy could be in renewables: Garnaut
Economist Ross Garnaut said the country could not avoid sliding into a recession.
Net zero by 2050 is doable but not by tech alone [$]
Leaders of business, science and policy have declared the target possible and inevitable for Australia but point to huge challenges in getting there.
Plan to let big energy users sell power to grid [$]
Big energy users will be able to directly sell electricity into the wholesale power market for the first time under a proposal that aims to head off blackouts and cut the cost of meeting peak demand.
Coal plants may exit grid sooner than planned: Energy Security Board [$]
Coal plants are likely to exit Australia’s power grid earlier than scheduled, underlining the need for the government to devise a back-up plan for moving workers to new industries, Energy Security Board chair Kerry Schott has warned.
Climate Council Of Australia
This report outlines the first comprehensive overview of the devastating climate impacts Australians experienced this summer. It focuses on New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, because the effects of the bushfires were most severe in these areas. It is acknowledged that the bushfires also affected Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
Governments shift attention away from koala plight
Sue Arnold
While media attention is dwelling on the effects of COVID-19, we still need to remain focused on how to save our endangered koala population.
$212m settlement is a victory for the community and for journalism
SMH editorial
Justice has been served for residents of three Australian towns plagued by toxic pollution after a long legal battle championed by fearless journalists.
ABC ‘factcheckers’ ignore facts to suit climate hysteria [$]
Andrew Bolt
MP Craig Kelly was correct when he said our rainfall levels haven’t dropped but that didn’t stop the ABC “factcheckers” twisting the facts to try to take down a sceptic who told an inconvenient truth.
Christian Downie
The oil deal is a side-show. Australian energy diplomacy instead must grapple with the rapid deployment of renewables.
Victoria
Hazard-reduction burns to go ahead after devastating fire season
Victoria is about to start a program of planned burn-offs as milder autumn weather follows a devastating bushfire season that ravaged about 1.6 million hectares statewide.
MP begs Dan Andrews to not skimp on airport rail [$]
As a decision nears on the design of Melbourne’s long-awaited airport rail link, a Coalition MP has warned the state government that the lower-cost option is not the right solution for Victorians. This is why.
Treasurer calls for clarity on toxic soil solution
Treasurer Tim Pallas says has urged the consortium building the West Gate Tunnel Project to put minds at ease over the toxic soil crisis as he warns the government is losing patience.
1 million rides and counting: on-demand services bring public transport to the suburbs
Benjamin Kaufman
On-demand public transport has now provided over 1 million rides in 36 trials in various Australian cities. Is the problem of poor suburban public transport on the way to being solved?
New South Wales
Regional community solar and storage projects win NSW government grants
NSW government awards seven grants to community solar and storage projects across regional parts of the state.
Regional NSW town to host large-scale hydrogen energy storage project – state’s first
NSW’s first large-scale hydrogen energy storage project to partner with community-owned solar and battery project in states’s north-east.
Rain sees drought weaken in NSW, but the struggle is far from over
Widespread rain has seen parts of New South Wales come out of drought, but farmers are being warned much more is needed to break the dry.
Gwydir wetlands to open to birdwatchers
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is pleased to announce the reopening of the ‘Waterbird Lagoon’ at the Gwydir Wetlands State Conservation Area, near Moree.
Critically endangered snapping turtle program breeds hope for survival
Ninety per cent of Bellinger River snapping turtle adult population was wiped out but Australia’s Taronga Zoo is breeding numbers back up
‘Like a kid at Christmas’: Menindee Lakes finally start to fill again
Residents of far-western NSW are celebrating the arrival of the first major river flows to reach the Menindee Lakes since 2016.
It’s time to win climate wars, Kean says
Outspoken NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean says it’s time to “win the climate wars” and for the political right to show better leadership on the issue.
Public hearing ordered for Narrabri gas project [$]
The State’s Independent Planning Commission has been ordered to reach a final decision on the Narrabri gas project within months and hold a major public hearing as it assesses the scheme.
Queensland
How woodchips could be key to saving Great Barrier Reef
Early findings show a system that uses natural biology to improve water quality could improve farm profitability and Great Barrier Reef health.
South Australia
United communities: bushfire crisis response
In December 2019, three bushfires across the Adelaide Hills and on Kangaroo Island threatened land, homes and lives.
Council rejects move to junk Crows’ park lands push
The Adelaide City Council has knocked back a push to reject a Crows’ bid for a park lands headquarters – claiming that to do so would hurt the council’s reputation.
Lawsuit will seek millions for toxic foam spills [$]
A class action lawsuit will be launched against the Federal Government, alleging toxic foam has contaminated properties around the Edinburgh RAAF base.
Tasmania
What does a ban on single-use plastics actually look like?
Hobart will become the first city in Australia to ban single-use plastics from next year. The question is how will it work?
The City of Launceston expects to begin its annual fuel reduction burn program from Monday, March 16, weather depending.
Western Australia
Meg O’Neill has raised the spectre of government intervention in a veiled threat to the company’s joint venture partners as it battles to realise its long-term vision for its Burrup Peninsula hub.
Sustainability
NIST study uncovers a potential driver of premature solar panel failures
Manufacturers typically guarantee that solar panels will make it past their 25th birthday, however, recent reports indicate that the protective backsheets of many are cracking decades early. The source of their rapid degradation has been unclear but new research from NIST may offer answers that could support the development of longer-lived panels.
NREL research boosts stability of perovskites, helps silicon solar cells
A change in chemical composition enabled scientists to boost the longevity and efficiency of a perovskite solar cell developed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Palm oil must be made more sustainable while replacements are made scalable, Bath engineers warn
Efforts to create synthetic replacements for palm oil are still likely to take several years, so immediate attention should be focused on making the existing production process more sustainable, researchers at the University of Bath’s Centre for Integrated Bioprocessing Research (CIBR) and Centre for Sustainable Circular Technologies (CSCT) have found.
Injection strategies are crucial for geothermal projects
The fear of earthquakes is one of the main reasons for reservations about geothermal energy. A new study from the now points a way that could help to reduce the seismic risk.
How long could the world run on geothermal power?
If everyone went 100 percent geothermal today, Earth’s store of thermal energy would still outlive the sun.
Saudi Arabia and Russia intensify ‘pretty aggressive’ oil price war
Saudi Arabia and Russia threaten to flood the market with hundreds of thousands of extra barrels of oil in the coming weeks and months amid a building price war.
Natural contaminant threat to drinking water from groundwater
Climate change and urbanization are set to threaten groundwater drinking water quality, new research shows.
Community factors influence how long you’ll live, study shows
While lifestyle choices and genetics go a long way toward predicting longevity, a new study shows that certain community characteristics also play important roles. American communities with more fast food restaurants, a larger share of extraction industry-based jobs, or higher population density have shorter life expectancies, according to researchers.
‘Deceptively simple’ process could boost plastics recycling
Plastics are a victim of their own success, so inexpensive, easy to use and versatile that the world is awash in plastic waste. Now researchers have reported a new method of producing polyolefins — made from hydrocarbons and the most common building block of plastics — structured to address one of the biggest stumbling blocks to plastics recycling.
The apartment building of the future is here, and it looks like a giant battery [$]
Apart from the ground floor and a few narrow openings for windows, every inch of the exterior is encased in a sarcophagus of indigo-coloured solar panels.
Tracking enormous locust swarms using a supercomputer
In Kenya, a new supercomputer funded by British aid money is being used to try to map the locusts’ movements, as authorities work to protect vital food crops.
Japan begins solar powered hydrogen production at Fukushima plant
FH2R project completed at former nuclear hub, able to produce “green” hydrogen powered by a 20MW solar farm and some grid power.
Peach Bottom nuclear plant gets 20-year license extension
Peach Bottom nuclear power plant can operate into the middle of this century, federal regulators say.
Nature Conservation
Climate change could threaten sea snails in mid-Atlantic waters
Climate change could threaten the survival and development of common whelk — a type of sea snail — in the mid-Atlantic region, according to a study led by scientists at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
Climate shifts prompt shrubs and trees to take root in open areas
Wild, treeless landscapes are becoming more wooded as climate change leads to warming temperatures and wetter weather, research suggests.
Indonesian indigenous land defenders jailed in fight with pulpwood giant
Activists have deplored the recent jailing of two indigenous community members in Sumatra in a land conflict involving an affiliate of pulp and paper giant Royal Golden Eagle.
Amazon rainforest could be gone within a lifetime
Researchers reveal the speed at which ecosystems of different sizes will disappear, once they have reached a point beyond which they collapse — transforming into an alternative ecosystem.
Two rare white giraffes killed by poachers, Kenyan conservancy says
Only one giraffe with the rare genetic mutation leucism, which causes a partial loss of pigmentation, remains in the world after the skeletons of the last female white giraffe and her calf were found.
‘We used to be leaders’: the collapse of New Zealand’s landmark ocean park
Two decades since its creation the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park is overfished and overrun with sea urchins. Community groups are calling for urgent action to save the once abundant habitat
The planet’s largest ecosystems could collapse faster than we thought
If put under the kind of environmental stress increasingly seen on our planet, large ecosystems —such as the Amazon rainforest or the Caribbean coral reefs—could collapse in just a few decades, according to a study released today in Nature Communications.
Now for something completely different
Genius website pairs coronavirus hand-washing with your favourite lyrics
Now you can wash your hands to your own tune.
Maelor Himbury
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