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Date: 25 January 2023 at 9:04:31 am AEDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Jan 25
Post of the Day
Coal states miss out on benefits of cheap wind and solar, pay twice the price of power
States most dependent on fossil fuels hit by surging prices, despite lowest ever coal output, the lowest gas generation for 18 years, and record wind and solar.
On This Day
Saint Dwynwen’s Day – Wales
Climate Change
Scientists unveil least costly carbon capture system to date
Scientists carve a path to profit from carbon capture by creating a system that efficiently captures CO2 and converts it into one of the world’s most widely used chemicals: methanol.
Climate change spurs innovation at ski resorts adapting to a warmer world
Faced with the twin challenges of a long-range climate crisis and short-term weather that leaves bald spots on hills, ski resort owners and operators are struggling to adapt.
Can Extinction Rebellion’s new brand of climate protest win people over? – video
In an attempt to gain popular support, Extinction Rebellion has promised to ‘quit’ public disruption as a primary tactic of its protests, focusing instead on the ‘perpetrators’ of climate destruction.
National
Spot power prices tumble as renewable share of energy mix reaches new highs
Embattled consumers are set for some welcome relief after sky-high wholesale electricity prices fell by more than half in the final three months of 2022, analysis shows.
Oregon plan to ban sale of kangaroo products is ‘emotive misinformation’, says industry
Proposed bill takes aim at ‘unconscionable’ trade mainly in football boots, but Australian producers say culling is needed to manage population
Record levels of renewable energy push demand for electricity to all-time low for December quarter
Increased output from renewables, with a near-zero fuel cost, also nudged more coal and gas out of the generation market
Australian councils told to cut emissions rather than spend millions on overseas carbon offsets
Critics say millions of dollars are being spent by local governments on offsetting when it should be the last resort
Bowen pushed Snowy to show “market leadership” on prices through energy crisis
FOI documents reveal tensions between Bowen’s office and Snowy Hydro, a call to the utility to be a model corporate citizen in midst of market crisis, and a new solar farm proposal.
Small manufacturers scramble for gas from Shell [$]
Small manufacturers are unlikely to source any of Shell’s promised gas supplies, which is likely to go to large-scale commercial users and gas peakers.
The influence of climate litigation on government
Lauren Croft
Amid the ongoing climate crisis, the onus has been placed on governments to make meaningful changes on behalf of their countries and states — as climate litigation continues to trend. Here’s what lawyers have to do with it.
Industrial Revolution-sized reform for our climate [$]
Pradeep Philip
Tax reform hurts, but it’s worse than the alternative. We have been short-changing ourselves for decades.
Victoria
Grass fire fears growing for western Vic [$]
“Astronomical” grass growth in the Wimmera and Mallee has CFA chiefs on high alert for the rest of summer.
Small Victorian project tops performance rankings of Australian wind farms in 2022
The Kiata wind farm in Victoria may be small, but it is perfectly located, and has topped the rankings of best performing wind farms in 2022.
New South Wales
‘Human bug-zapper’: Wildfire fears over giant transmission towers [$]
Rural farmers and firefighters, scarred by bushfires, have raised concerns over large transmission towers as part of a $3bn energy project.
Coal miner accused of ‘overestimating’ economic value of plan to expand NSW mine
The Australia Institute says allowing another 40 million tonnes of coal to be mined in the NSW central west does not stack up economically or environmentally.
ACT
Paterson sounds alarm on gambling risks of club climate refuge scheme [$]
An ACT Labor backbencher will seek to amend a government bill to ban poker machines being used in community clubs when the venues are opened as climate refuges.
Queensland
Money in the bank: Coal companies enter another league as prices surge again
Queensland-based coal companies were predicting the extraordinary price boom to continue in 2023 and have shrugged off the impacts of flooding and the hated hike in royalties.
South Australia
South Australia set to review duck hunting laws as pressure builds from animal rights advocates
After the Victorian government announced it would consider banning duck hunting, South Australia will also look at the future of the practice.
Tasmania
Tristan Derham et al
The emu is iconically Australian, appearing on cans, coins, cricket bats and our national coat of arms, as well as that of the Tasmanian capital, Hobart. However, most people don’t realise emus once also roamed Tasmania but are now extinct there.
Northern Territory
Indigenous culture concerns again hit Santos’ $6.1b Barossa gas project
Santos’ flagship Barossa gas project north of Darwin has hit another serious snag after a regulator intervened to stop construction of an offshore pipeline until concerns there could be Indigenous heritage sites along the route are addressed.
Western Australia
Plan to legislate 2050 net zero target makes WA the state with the most work to do to cut emissions
WA’s environment minister concedes the government has set a high bar with its emissions reduction target, given the state’s heavy reliance on high-emitting industries like mining, resources and agriculture.
Million-dollar fish devices to attract new species to coast [$]
An extra $1.5 million is being injected to set up more popular fishing devices to help recreational fishers along the WA coast this year, including off Jurien Bay.
Sustainability
A small modular nuclear reactor just got US approval — a big milestone
Modular reactor pioneer NuScale finally got one of its designs certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but the company is still years away from a deployment.
What happens if the largest owner of oil and gas wells in the US goes bankrupt?
Diversified Energy’s liabilities exceed its assets, according to a new report, sparking concerns about whether taxpayers will wind up paying to plug its 70,000 wells.
Reducing steel corrosion vital to combating climate change
Every year, the United States spends nearly a trillion dollars fighting metallic corrosion, an electrochemical reaction that occurs when metals oxidize and begin to rust.
Traffic pollution impairs brain function
First-in-the-world study suggests that even brief exposure to air pollution has rapid impacts on the brain
Nuclear deterrence: a dangerous gamble we must not rely on
Marianne Hanson
Nuclear weapons are deadly, indiscriminate, and have the potential to wipe out life on earth. But they are still held by a handful of states who believe that they bring security and who are so wedded to them that they cannot see what is in front of their noses.
“Hard-to-abate” must not become code for delaying steel decarbonisation
Simon Nicholas
Many steel company decarbonisation efforts offer little more than tinkering with existing coal-based technology, and are giving lip service to net zero emissions.
Nature Conservation
Can elephants save the planet?
Researchers discover elephant extinction could have major impact on atmospheric carbon levels
Economics trump environment to save big cats, say ecologists
Our appetite to once again live alongside big cats is increasing
From Japan to Brazil: Reforesting the Amazon with the Miyawaki method
Reforestation using the Miyawaki method seeks to restore nature to its original state with results that can be seen in around six years.
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