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Date: 13 April 2023 at 9:04:46 am AEST
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Daily Links Apr 13
For a 1.5°C aligned electricity sector we need capital – and for capital, we need policy
Tim Buckley
Australian governments must do all they can to crowd-in private capital at the scale and speed required to deliver on our energy and climate objectives.
On This Day
Maundy Thursday – Eastern Christianity
Pesach/Passover ends – Judaism
Ecological Observance
International Plant Appreciation Day
Climate Change
Climate change threatens large portion of U.S. cropland
Three of every 10 acres of U.S. corn and winter wheat are under increased threat as climate change boosts temperatures and makes rainfall more erratic in the Midwest and Plains, said new report.
Extrapolations co-showrunner: The climate apocalypse is a religious crisis
Extrapolations aims to be a mirror, held up to its viewers — many of them well-off and comfortable, the kind of people who might assume climate change won’t touch them all that much — to show them who they really are.
National
Hotel owner catching hundreds of mice a week as infestations rise across the country’s south-east
Two years after a mouse plague devastated large parts of the country, farmers are reporting an increase in sightings again, but the CSIRO says numbers can be contained with good management.
Local councils push for more affordable electric vehicles in Australia – podcast
More than 100 mayors and local councillors from across Australia have signed a statement calling for a complete overhaul on the federal government’s electric vehicle policies
Rooftop solar keeps bouncing back, as households pile on the panels
Another strong month of rooftop solar installs – and an increase in the average system size – puts the market 20% ahead of where it was this time last year.
Australia still reluctant to respond to climate crisis
Bilal Cleland
Despite the clear warnings and a change of government, Australia is still behind on responding to the global climate emergency.
Australia will need to find its own path on carbon border taxes [$]
Blair Comley
Border adjustment mechanisms could become an important part of global climate co-operation. But following the EU’s lead is not an option for us.
Victoria
Sparks fly as energy experts call plans for transmission projects ‘monumental mistake’
Energy experts call on state and federal governments and AEMO to scrap major projects planned for Victoria, warning they will lead to higher bills and greater blackout and bushfire risks.
Govt to remove controversial bike lanes, for good [$]
Pop-up bike lanes in St Kilda and Port Melbourne will be removed after a long battle between local government and inner-city residents.
New South Wales
Inquiry in the works for Menindee fish kill that suffocated about 20 million
Following the ecological disaster of the Menindee fish kills, an inquiry timeline has been announced. NSW environment minister Penny Sharpe said the investigation could be underway in a matter of weeks.
New Sydney Metro line faces $8 billion cost blowout
A flagship rail project sending driverless trains under Sydney Harbour has blown out by $8 billion since it was originally costed, according to briefings handed to the incoming NSW government.
‘It’s filth, it stinks’: The town where people won’t drink from the tap
Welcome to Walgett, where bottled water can be more expensive than Coke, and Indigenous residents go to bed thirsty.
Knitting Nannas tell Santos to stop its Pilliga fracking plan
Knitting Nannas and Friends gathered outside Santos’ Sydney office to protest, as the company held its annual general meeting in Tarndanya/Adelaide.
Farewell Liddell: what to expect when Australia’s oldest coal plant closes
Joel Gilmore and Tim Nelson
After more than five decades, the last operating units of the Liddell coal-fired power station will close this month. The station’s owner, AGL, is Australia’s largest carbon polluter. Liddell’s closure will reduce the company’s emissions by 17%.
ACT
Canberra is heavily reliant on cars. What would it take to change that?
With some developers no longer allocating parking to apartments and talk of a “car-free day” sometime soon, there are calls to improve public transport and make it easier to get around the national capital.
ACT does ‘innovative’ deal to secure $400m big battery
A global energy storage company will spend up to $400 million building a battery storage facility south of Canberra, in a deal expected to increase the ACT electricity grid’s resilience to blackouts
Queensland
Mystery of dying pastures finally solved — and the culprit is smaller than a five cent piece
For more than a decade, graziers across Queensland and northern New South Wales have been baffled by a mystery murderer in their paddocks, costing billions in lost productivity. But there’s finally been a break in the case.
‘End the line at Toowoomba to save $10bn’ [$]
Ending the Inland Rail line at Toowoomba, instead of Brisbane, would save $9bn – about a third of the project’s cost, proponents say.
Tasmania
Court throws out Bob Brown Foundation challenge to MMG mine lease
An environmental group has lost its latest court battle with a mining company that’s planning to build a controversial new tailings dam in Tasmania’s west.
Northern Territory
Why German company is investing in Territory’s green energy [$]
One of the Territory’s best resource prospects has signed another global supply deal.
Western Australia
It’s 2023 but the lights go out in this semi-rural WA community despite power network upgrades
People living in the once-sleepy estuary community of Dawesville have been impacted by power outages for years due to growing pressure on the system.
WA bracing for a once-in-a-decade storm with Tropical Cyclone Ilsa expected to become a Category 4
Western Australia braces for a once-in-a-decade storm
Regulator finds drinking water ‘threat’ via Facebook
Internal emails have revealed WA’s environmental regulator called an eleventh-hour meeting to flag the risks a Rio Tinto exploration bid posed to drinking water after finding out about it on Facebook.
Miners and conservationists raise concerns over WA’s new greenhouse gas guidelines
The new guidelines are seen by conservation groups as not doing enough to limit global warming, but the resources industry says they could impact the feasibility of new projects and be out of step with federal policy.
Directors must be held to account on climate failures [$]
Brynn O’Brien
Twelve months after the worst result of any company in the world under the Say on Climate initiative, Woodside Energy’s board is still refusing to change course.
Sustainability
Spanish start-up grows hydroponic hops to help ‘save’ climate-threatened beer
In warehouses outside Madrid, hop vines grow under LED lights as one of the key ingredients in beer which is now threatened by climate change.
Solomon Islands has the world’s most expensive electricity and one leader says it’s keeping them “in the Dark Ages”.
How you count birds affects airport design and permitting
When they conducted a network analysis to track bird movement, researchers discovered a better way to evaluate the impacts of big infrastructure projects.
This evolving 3,000-mile-long park is already improving cities along its path
Even before it is finished, the East Coast Greenway, an emerald necklace of car-free paths from Maine to Florida, is revealing surprising benefits.
In pursuit of the climate-proof city
As extreme weather events drive more people from their homes, the idea of moving to “safe” places—even before disaster strikes—has assumed particular urgency.
Europe’s green hydrogen rush in Africa risks energy ‘cannibalisation’
Europe’s green hydrogen plans have set off a race among developing nations, particularly in Africa, to become the bloc’s first suppliers, risking energy needs among their own populations.
Sun, wind power make record 12% of world electricity
Solar and wind energy surged to make a record 12 percent of the world’s electricity in 2022, a climate think tank calculated in a report Wednesday — though coal remained the leading source globally.
What coaxes greener habits: Facts, money, or social signals?
A wide-ranging and comprehensive analysis of over 400 studies set out to find the most effective interventions. Spoiler: It isn’t facts.
Why more and more Americans are painting their lawns
Ted Steinberg
To paint or not to paint? That is the question that many homeowners are facing as their dreams for perfect turf are battered – whether it’s from inflation pushing pricier lawn care options out of reach, or droughts leading to water shortages.
Amin Naeni
The pattern of slow, cautious decision-making in Iran is a critical factor in the Iran nuclear negotiations that has widely been ignored.
Nature Conservation
Migratory birds can partially offset climate change
A new study demonstrates that birds can partially compensate for climate change by delaying the start of spring migration and completing the journey faster. But the strategy comes with a cost — a decline in overall survival.
Seychelles fighting climate change: Entrepreneurs dream of saving the ocean
Overfishing, global warming and plastic pollution are having a devastating impact on the world’s oceans. Researchers warn that marine ecosystems could almost completely collapse within 25 years.
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