Date: 11 October 2022 at 5:36:15 am AWST
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Subject: Daily Links Oct 11
Climate tipping points could lock in devastating changes – how close are they
David Armstrong McKay
A new assessment into parts of the climate system that are sensitive to “tipping” delivers some sobering conclusions.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Arbor Day – Guam
Climate Change
Antarctica’s melting glaciers are no false alarm
Gary Yohe
Just as it seems as though we as a collective society are beginning to take rising sea levels as seriously as we should, we get commentary dismissing the melting of Antarctica’s glaciers.
National
Energy giant warns electricity prices could increase by 35 per cent next year
One of Australia’s biggest energy companies warns that retail electricity prices may increase by more than 35 per cent next year.
Fluoridated water safe for children’s development, new study finds
While numerous studies have assessed the effectiveness of fluoride on dental health, this research on safety is an Australian first.
Dutton issues warning as race to renewables tightens
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton delivered an ominous warning that Australians may have to choose between “heating” and “eating” next year, as he seeks to tie the government’s renewables plan to rising bills.
States plot grid for faster energy change
States aren’t in lock step on energy shocks and carbon emissions, but they’re more certain about progress than ever before.
Legal trends in renewable energy
As renewable energy and environmental, social and governance (ESG) become key issues for boards, lawyers are in a unique position to offer their clients a variety of lessons, said this partner.
Albanese government’s climate plans face hurdle as experts criticise carbon market reforms
The Australia Institute concerned safeguard mechanism changes may create ‘perverse incentive’ for emissions intensive projects
Australia’s biggest carbon credits generator joins calls for overhaul of emissions offsets scheme
GreenCollar makes submission to government review with Prof Andrew Macintosh, who has described the scheme as ‘largely a sham’
We’re gonna need a bigger boat: Hydrogen boom will mean more Aussie export ships
Australia was likely to be a key player as hydrogen takes on a role in the transition to clean energy, according to a report by McKinsey.
AGL board digs in for new battle with Cannon-Brookes
Power giant AGL will stand behind its decision to reject all but one of the candidates for its board put forward by billionaire investor Mike Cannon-Brookes.
Pollies cleared to lease a Tesla but Chris Bowen gets the jump [$]
Six months after Chris Bowen received special approval to lease a taxpayer-funded Tesla, other federal parliamentarians have got the go-ahead to jump into one of Elon Musk’s EVs.
Give farmers renewable subsidy, pay rent to neighbours of projects [$]
Farmers should receive government incentives and subsidies to take up renewable energy, and annual rent for hosting transmission lines, a new report has recommended.
Greens look to revised emissions safeguard [$]
Adam Bandt says his party is open to supporting a revamped emissions safeguard mechanism if coal and gas are treated differently to ‘genuine’ Australian industries.
Technology the key to customers getting behind net zero: AEMC [$]
Australian Energy Market Commission chairwoman Anna Collyer said smart meters would revolutionise the energy sector and help consumers get behind the transition to net zero.
Opposition puts nuclear power on national agenda [$]
The Coalition’s new shadow minister Ted O’Brien has put nuclear power onto the national energy agenda, challenging the new Labor government to broaden its energy mix.
National fundraising conduct requirements could be released as early as this year.
Wave power generators could help to “firm” solar and wind, says report
Report shows adding wave power generation into the renewable energy mix in Australia could alleviate the need for costly battery storage.
Eight key critical minerals projects in Australia’s $10bn pipeline
A closer look at eight value-adding critical mineral refining projects in Australia’s $10 billion pipeline of investment proposals.
Bowen tackles carbon market reform with new look Safeguard Mechanism – but is it enough?
Rachel Williamson
Proposed reforms will swap ACCUs for the new credit, but now they’ll only be granted if the emitter can get under their new baseline emissions level.
Labor must tell a good story on climate [$]
Craig Emerson
The Hawke and Keating governments created a reforming narrative of banana republic turned clever country. Anthony Albanese could do the same with the climate revolution.
We can’t afford to lose our nerve in the race to net zero [$]
Michael Rath and Sandra James
The challenge now for leaders is to resist the temptation to scale back investment in clean energy and rely on cheaper dirtier sources to lower the cost of living.
Controlling Australia’s feral pests means using 1080 baits – or wildlife will suffer
Andrew Cox
Use of toxins must be justified, but the sad reality is a similarly effective alternative to the lethal pesticide doesn’t exist
Opportunity to finance energy transition missed [$]
Ticky Fullerton
Australia has missed the window to finance the nation’s energy transition on cheap terms.
Energy Summit sounds alarm about keeping the lights on [$]
AFR editorial
Optimism about accelerating into a faster transition was undercut by the alarm sounded by energy operators about running out of time to tackle the massive challenge.
Value of renewable energy construction
ABS
This article presents experimental estimates for the level of investment in utility scale renewable energy generating assets from 2016 onwards.
The political divide on energy is just evolving. It’s not dead [$]
Matthew Warren
Energy ministers and regulators are brimming with new ambition. The CEOs at the coal face are more concerned with the staggering size of the task.
Santos chief’s new climate scam: a fossil fuel-driven zero carbon future [$]
Bernard Keane
Fossil fuel company Santos continues to spruik carbon capture and storage. And the technology continues to fail.
Koalas prosper despite, or because of, the latest bushfires
Vic Jurskis
Given that koalas on the north coast increased by about 29% in two years before the fires the logical conclusion is that there was a net increase of more than 15% in koalas despite the fires.
Climate change activists have glued themselves to a Picasso in the National Gallery of Victoria demanding an end to the use of fossil fuels. They’re the latest in a wave of protesters using art to make a point and they probably won’t be the last.
‘Barbaric’ practices still an issue in Victorian prisons, human rights advocates say
Andrews government urged to establish independent watchdog to comply with anti-torture obligations ratified by Australia in 2017
Stop NAB supporting Whitehaven Coal
Move Beyond Coal activists asked National Australia Bank tellers on George Street, Sydney, to tell their colleagues that NAB should not fund Whitehaven Coal.
Picasso gluing a pointless act by potty protesters [$]
Susie O’Brien
It’s a shame police didn’t leave protesters at the gallery attached to the Picasso canvas without food or toilet breaks to teach them a lesson.
Extinction Rebellion does very middle-class protest after years of being too middle class [$]
Charlie Lewis
Extinction Rebellion has long been criticised for being too white, middle class and out of touch. So has the local branch taken that on?
‘Water right across the state’: Floods threatening NSW even as rain subsides
NSW remains on high alert after a weekend drenching as floodwaters threaten lives and people are forced to evacuate with more rain expected midweek. And the BOM’s long-term forecast isn’t any better.
Fight to protect koala corridor from development [$]
A community rally will be held to protect a wildlife corridor – used by koalas – from a subdivision proposed by Sydney Water.
New koala action plan another policy failure
Sue Arnold
A new conservation plan designed to protect koalas is once again failing to save the species from extinction.
Queensland
A funny thing happened while Labor was sharpening its nuclear power punchlines
Energy Minister Chris Bowen recently played Opposition attempts to get nuclear power back on agenda for laughs. But a leading Queensland academic argues we should be exploring all the options
Sunshine State’s woolly energy plan doesn’t hold water [$]
Judith Sloan
Queensland’s energy plan is Pythonesque in its contradictions and wild assumptions.
South Australia
Warning to upstream states as River Murray rises
As a rising River Murray begins to impact SA communities along its banks, Deputy Premier Susan Close says she will fight for the state’s full allocation of environmental water flows at a national meeting later this week.
Top 10 best performing wind farms for September: South Australia cleans up
Latest data from Rystad Energy shows South Australia dominating the list of best performing assets for the month of September.
Tasmania
Tasmania’s absent environmental record [$]
Peter Boyer
The law is plain. Under the State Policies and Projects Act 1991, every five years the Tasmanian Planning Commission must report on the state of the natural environment and how it is being managed.
Northern Territory
Tamboran Resources has fronted a senate inquiry into fracking in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin, after acquiring Origin Energy’s interests in the region last month.
Western Australia
Spring sun and solar panels push WA power system to limit
WA’s solar panels, coupled with recent mild weather, have caused the state’s major power grid demand to drop sharply, putting the system under stress.
Traditional owners still waiting for deadly asbestos waste to be cleaned up at mining town
The land of the Banjima people is still scarred by mountains of asbestos tailings left by historic mines near the ghost town of Wittenoom. They are calling for urgent action
Chart of the Day: Shortages and outages paint dismal picture for WA coal
With the Collie coal plant out for three months, new data from Rystad Energy shows the state’s coal fleet capacity factor is looking pretty miserable.
Sustainability
North Korea confirms simulated use of nukes to ‘hit and wipe out’ enemies
Viewing the US-South Korean naval drills as a military threat, North Korea decides to stage “the simulation of an actual war” to check and improve its war deterrence and send a warning to its enemies.
5 big takeaways on the grassroots clean energy revolution
U.S. communities are taking control of energy decisions and building clean energy projects. Follow Canary’s week of special coverage, Power by the People.
‘Eye of Sauron’: The dazzling solar tower in the Israeli desert
You shouldn’t look at it directly, but that’s easier said than done. It is a piercing light, mounted on an austere grey tower, more than 800 feet high. And it’s visible even from space.
Amid controversy, industry goes all in on plastics pyrolysis
Chemical companies are fully backing this plastic waste recycling process. To prove their detractors wrong, they will need to make it work
Uncovering how my grandfather buried nuclear waste in South Carolina
Henry Horton, a government soil scientist whose top-secret job it was to find safe ways to bury nuclear waste, inspired his granddaughter to write a novel.
Nature Conservation
RSPB ‘not ruling out’ direct action to defend nature from government policy
Beccy Speight says charity coalition plans to step up campaign against changes posing threat to wildlife
US appoints special envoy to champion nature in time for Montreal summit
Monica Medina will be responsible for biodiversity and water resources, announces state department ahead of Cop15
Nitrate pours into Mississippi River and other U.S. waterways, report says
Regulated industries in 2020 released at least 94.5 million pounds of potentially harmful nitrates into the Mississippi River basin. But some releases go untallied.
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