Date: 12 July 2023 at 8:44:14 am AEST
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Subject: Daily Links Jul 12
Post of the Day
Douglas Bardsley
New research shows scientists have underestimated the climate risk to agriculture and global food production. Blind spots in climate models meant “high-impact but deeply-uncertain hazards” were ignored. But now that the threat of “synchronised harvest failures” has been revealed, we cannot ignore the prospect of global famine.
On This Day
Climate Change
Record ocean temperatures are just the beginning – podcast
The World Meteorological Organisation is sounding the alarm over ‘unprecedented peaks’ in ocean temperatures. And, with El Nino only just beginning, the UN experts are warning there will likely be more record-breaking temperatures to come.
Climate experts warn over ocean temperatures – video
The World Meteorological Organisation is sounding the alarm over ‘unprecedented peaks’ in ocean temperatures. The past week has seen consecutive climate records shattered. And, with El Nino only just beginning, UN experts are warning there will likely be more record-breaking weather to come.
Global temperature rises in steps – here’s why we can expect a steep climb this year and next
Kevin Trenberth
Global warming took off in the mid-1970s when the rise in global mean surface temperature exceeded natural variability. Every decade after the 1960s has been warmer than the one before and the 2010s were the warmest on record. But there can be a lot of variability from one year to the next.
National
Why has Australia signed up to Germany’s Climate Club and what difference will it make?
Australia has agreed to join the German-led Climate Club. What is the club and will it make any difference to the nation’s climate goals?
Fears Black Summer 2.0 is set to ignite across the country
A former Liberal MP who slammed his own party over the handling of the Black Summer bushfires has warned the government must urgently conduct hazard reduction burns – with fears bushland is “drying off” and becoming a tinderbox.
Could foxes take out kangaroos? [$]
Cunning foxes are creeping closer to suburbia but they pose a much greater threat in the wild. Here’s how AI may outfox them to save species like red kangaroos.
How Aurizon plans to cut 90 per cent of its carbon emissions [$]
Aurizon boss Andrew Harding is seeking to change the way it carts coal, grain, iron ore and other bulk freight around the country.
Bowen: We’re playing catch-up, but 82 pct renewables target can be met
Chris Bowen says climate and renewables targets are ambitious but achievable, as he concedes new temperature records show that climate change is a “lived reality.”
New transmission lines are controversial – batteries and virtual lines may ease the pain
Building new transmission infrastructure is unavoidable. But we can do it cleverly and minimise the impact on communities and landowners.
Why batteries and ‘mini-grids’ might change power lines as we know them
Lasantha Meegahapola
Australia’s power grid was built to transport power from coal-fired power stations to large cities and industrial precincts. But this unsightly, ageing grid isn’t designed to cope with a green future. Are grid-scale battery banks the answer?
Australia is leading a race it doesn’t want to win [$]
Sam Szoke-Burke
Nature lovers are scratching their heads as the Albanese government continues to trip itself up on environmental law reform.
Store solar that sells for cents on power poles near you [$]
Tony Ferguson and Robert Barr
The missing clean energy link is distributed, low voltage storage located by the roadside or on a utility pole right next to rooftop solar generation.
So what does it mean to join the world’s hottest club? – cartoon
Fiona Katauskas
The first rule of Climate Club? Don’t read the fine print
Turning the housing crisis around: how a circular economy can give us affordable, sustainable homes
Ralph Horne et al
Households across Australia are struggling with soaring energy and housing costs and a lack of housing options. Mixed with a climate crisis, economic volatility and social inequality, it’s a potent set of policy problems. Australia needs a circuit-breaker – a bold national project to tackle the climate crisis and support households by shifting to a more sustainable housing industry.
Rachel Withers
Will joining the G7 “Climate Club” mean anything for Australia’s ambition on climate change?
Victoria
Environment Victoria calls for Andrews government to end opposition to commonwealth water purchases in order to save river
Melbourne Victory ponders stadium on toxic wasteland
Brimbank Council has opened public consultation for its 30-year vision to create a $500 million state significant asset at Sunshine Energy Park.
Metro Tunnel track spans both ends of city
There is now nearly 100km of continuous railway running from Sunbury through the Metro Tunnel and out to Melbourne’s southeast after a $1.8bn project wrapped up.
New South Wales
Community outraged as lead, zinc, and silver miner’s exploration plans approved
A mining company is given the green light to explore for more minerals in the Central West of NSW, just months after its plan for a mine in the area was approved despite lead contamination fears.
South32 will pay almost $2.9 million after an investigation found it had been taking two Olympic pools’ worth of water from Sydney’s catchment per day for the last five years.
Start-up offers plastic collection, for a price
Councils are turning to a Sydney-based start-up to handle hard to recycle materials, like soft plastic, after the collapse of collection service REDcycle.
Australia’s “biggest and most complex” standby battery system won’t be cheap
Costs revealed for the network component of the Waratah Super Battery, and one of the world’s biggest and most complex standby battery systems.
Baranga-rue: Minns government will regret approving this ‘theme’ park
Linda Bergin
Barangaroo’s latest proposed harbourside addition would be more fitting at Sydney’s new international airport terminal.
Why is it so hard for Local Aboriginal Land Councils to develop land when the public needs are huge?
Naama Blatman
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are some of the largest private landowners in NSW. Making it easier for them to develop their land will benefit Indigenous communities and the rest of the public.
ACT
ACT considers more suburban chargers as EV numbers hit 5000
Suburban shops might become the electric vehicle charging destinations of choice as the ACT government considers future locations in its charger rollout.
There are two rules frozen in Canberra folklore, and data suggests they’re both wrong
Markus Mannheim
We examined more than 80 years of climate data and found little evidence to back these widely cited rules of Canberra life
Queensland
Queensland to roll out ‘renewable zones’ in clean power push
The Queensland government has earmarked a dozen regions to become “renewable energy zones” as part of a multibillion-dollar plan to strip fossil fuels from the electricity grid.
Is Brisbane about to become the Greenest city in Australia?
Dennis Atkins
Next March the Brisbane City Council elections could be historic both for local government in South-East Queensland and politics nationally. Dennis Atkins has a look and all he can see is the colour green.
South Australia
Rare penguins’ Aussie arrival not a good sign, researcher says
Fiordland penguins rarely make landfall on the Australian continent, so a recent influx has a researcher concerned about tough feeding conditions
Winter rains see River Murray rise again
River Murray water gushing across the state border is again inundating parks along its banks, as towns still mopping up after recent record floods face new rules around rebuilding destroyed homes.
‘High fuel loads’: State bracing for bushfire threat as El Nino looms [$]
The looming arrival of a hot and dry El Nino weather pattern, coupled with high fuel loads across the state, has authorities on bushfire notice.
Tasmania
Consultation on water scheme extension to hydrogen hub opened [$]
The state government has opened up public consultation on a draft bill that will allow water to be supplied to the Tasmanian hydrogen hub at Bell Bay.
Northern Territory
‘It’s time’: NT chief minister says crocodile culling should be considered following attack
Ms Fyles says the reintroduction of crocodile culling should be considered following an attack at a popular tourist swimming spot.
Savanna burning carbon credits transformed how Indigenous rangers care for their country in northern Australia. Could the carbon market help tackle their next big threat — feral buffalo?
Protest calls on Plibersek to halt defence housing project at Binybara
First Nations activists and supporters protested outsideTanya Plibersek’s office to urge her protect Binybara, near Garramilla/Darwin, from being destroyed by Defence Housing Australia.
Should crocodiles be culled again in the NT? Here’s what happened last time
Jack Hislop
The Northern Territory chief minister has reignited the crocodile culling debate following an attack at a popular swimming spot. A professor calls her reaction “knee-jerk”.
Binybara is not just home to the Gouldian finch. It’s part of the Larrakia nation. And it deserves protection
Ben Abbatangelo
Binybara, also known as Lee Point, is sacred. Traditional owners, bird watchers, ecologists, activists and lawyers were standing shoulder to shoulder as bulldozers neared
Western Australia
Chevron’s troubled carbon capture and storage project set to worsen
The world’s biggest attempt to store CO2 to reduce global warming is predicted to perform worse in 2023 than last year, when it operated at just one-third capacity.
Alcoa wants to mine WA’s jarrah forests for another 21 years. But the hurdles are mounting
Peter Milne
Premier Roger Cook may choose not to stop Alcoa extending its lease to 2045, but the US miner has numerous environmental obstacles to continue extracting bauxite from south-west WA.
Sustainability
A small lake near the Canada-US border has been chosen as the site that may define the start of a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene.
Australian seaweed could end the greenhouse gas emissions of cows – podcast
Scientists around the world are continuing to work to find ways to reduce the amount of methane – a greenhouse gas – produced by livestock such as cows.
Terrible truths about nuclear energy exposed
Karl Grossman
A documentary lifting the lid on secrets surrounding the Fukushima nuclear disaster exposes the terrifying dangers of nuclear power.
Michael Knox
The oil price should begin to rise sharply in Q4 2023.
Nature Conservation
These scientists have a novel way of solving the Great Barrier Reef’s coral rubble problem: glue
Scientists have developed an adhesive putty that can glue broken pieces of coral back together, which “has no harmful effects on the marine environment”.
Nature the big loser as scientists face suppression
The suppression of science by governments and corporations is hampering efforts to address the global biodiversity crisis, researchers warn.
Safety concerns for chicks grow as birds build nests with rubbish, study shows
Research shows 176 bird species have been found to build nests with human litter, including items that hurt them and their offspring.
Indonesia is suppressing environmental research it doesn’t like. That poses real risks
Bill Laurance
In recent years, Indonesia has slashed the rate of deforestation. That’s why this new crackdown on researchers is so surprising.
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