Date: 4 September 2020 at 8:55:55 am AEST
Subject: Daily Links Sep 4
Post of the Day
Basin Authority to be broken up, minister rules out farmer water buybacks
The Federal Government commits not to buy any more water from farmers, as an independent review finds a key part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan will not be delivered on time.
On This Day
Ecological Observance
Nuclear Provision Expert’s Day – Russia
National Wildlife Day – USA
Coronavirus Watch
Confirmed cases: 26,049. Deaths: 678
Climate Change
A Biden loss to Trump would end hopes of US decarbonisation by 2050
Wood Mackenzie report predicts that a Trump victory at the upcoming US election will forfeit four more years in the fight against climate change.
Climate activists glue themselves to street outside British parliament
The activists said the government had done little to reach its own “inadequate targets” to tackle climate change, so they had to take action to ensure politicians took what they cast as the environmental emergency seriously. Police spoke to activists on the ground, making several arrests once they could be safely freed from the pavement.
New mathematical method shows how climate change led to fall of ancient civilization
A researcher developed a mathematical method that shows climate change likely caused the rise and fall of an ancient civilization. A new article outlines the technique he developed and shows how shifting monsoon patterns led to the demise of the Indus Valley Civilization, a Bronze Age civilization contemporary to Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt.
National
Renewables through the roof, as small-scale solar heads to stunning new highs
Australia is on track to add a stunning 6.3GW of new renewable energy capacity in 2020, thanks largely to a rooftop solar market that has defied the odds of the Covid-19 pandemic and is headed to a record total of just under 3GW for the year.
Big battery costs have reached a tipping point – and gas is struggling to compete
Cost deflation will ensure batteries pay a larger role in the power system at the expense of gas in the very short term.
Energy Insiders Podcast: It’s going to be a quick transition, and markets need to change
Hydro Tasmania CEO Stephen Davy steps down this week with a prediction that the clean energy transition can happen faster than people think, but will need new market signals.
Aussies call for tougher environment laws
The equivalent of the national capital’s population has supported a petition calling for stronger environmental protection laws. The petition is the most supported in the Australian Conservation Foundation’s history, with close to 410,000 people signing it.
Basin Authority to be broken up, minister rules out farmer water buybacks
The Federal Government commits not to buy any more water from farmers, as an independent review finds a key part of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan will not be delivered on time.
‘This isn’t North Korea’: Crossbenchers rail against Government for pushing through environment laws
The Federal Government is compared to the North Korean autocracy by crossbench MPs, who were denied a chance to speak on environment laws in Parliament this afternoon.
Australia’s environment minister orders investigation into export of hundreds of endangered parrots
Sussan Ley announces audit after Guardian Australia revealed her department allowed the birds to be exported to Germany
Apple to invest in renewable energy projects in Australia
Global technology giant Apple has revealed plans to invest in renewable energy projects in Australia.
Grid strife threatens Australia’s green power switch, investors say
Clean energy investors warn grid limitations threaten to stunt the next wave of Australia’s wind and solar boom.
Government considers plan to buy gas to lower prices for manufacturers [$]
Victoria’s emergency draw-down of gas from storage in last month’s cold snap has added fresh urgency to calls for government action on east coast gas.
Woodside pockets millions from government to clean up its own mess [$]
Georgia Wilkins And Bernard Keane
Woodside Energy being paid to take care of its own mess is certainly eyebrow raising, but it’s simply a small part of the long and questionable relationship between the company and the Australian government.
I didn’t say Labor should split but we’ve got to find the balance
Joel Fitzgibbon
I recently caused a bit of a fuss by expressing concern about the future of the Australian Labor Party.
Predators, prey and moonlight singing: how phases of the Moon affect native wildlife
Euan Ritchie et al
Three recent studies shed new light, as understanding how the behaviour of Australia’s wildlife changes at night can help scientists better protect them.
Victoria
93% say no to AGL gas import project at Crib Point
A Mornington Peninsula Shire Facebook poll asking residents about their view on the AGL Gas import project at Crib Point has resulted in overwhelming opposition to the project.
AFPA welcomes Victorian Forest Products Association
The newly formed Victorian Forest Products Association (VFPA) has today announced 23 foundation members and elected its Interim Governing Council. The new Association will span Victoria’s forest industry value chain including plantations, native forestry operators, sawmills and pulp and paper making.
Property developers sue Victorian government for $194m over creation of grassland reserve
Dennis family says the value of land it was selling in 2018 was slashed by the establishment of the reserve
Old-growth loss fuels call to save ‘next generation’ of native forests
Repeated bushfires have disturbed ancient ecosystems so much that scientists are urging state government to protect younger forests and even individual trees.
New South Wales
Experts urge federal government to block project that would ‘destroy’ koala habitat in NSW
Experts have urged the federal environment minister to block a project which will destroy 52 hectares of core koala habitat at Port Stephens in NSW.
Zero carbon emission plans for 2050 ‘stuff of dreams’: Premier
Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the public will be more “amenable” to sustainable green policies as a result of disruptions caused by COVID-19 but her green push has come under heavy fire from economists and fellow NSW parliamentarians.
ACT
More money save Namadgi’s future, but some parts to be closed for a while yet
The ACT government is to spend $1.37 million to save the Namadgi National Park from long-term damage caused by the bushfires, which burnt through four-fifths of it over six days in January.
Queensland
Koala populations ignored in regional Queensland, says koala researcher
A leading koala researcher says koala populations in regional Queensland, outside of the south-east, are being largely ignored and need conservation strategies.
Unsustainable fishing worsens threats to Great Barrier Reef
Marine park authority cites excessive and illegal fishing that can hit resilience of reef’s ecosystem
Poles, pipes and power lines take pride of place in Labor’s Future Fund
The Palaszczuk government is quietly re-organising its planned Future Fund ahead of a mini-budget next week.
‘Pregnancy test’ to detect Reef scourge [$]
The notorious crown-of-thorns starfish can be detected on the Great Barrier Reef with a simple “dipstick test” thanks to the work of Queensland scientists.
South Australia
‘Cutest marsupials ever’: Tiny homes to protect vulnerable miniature possums
A family on the Eyre Peninsula has inspired a mini-home building project to help protect a vulnerable species.
Free solar for Housing SA homes
Free rooftop solar panels and Tesla home batteries will be rolled out to 3000 homes in SA, slashing power prices for tenants adopting the world-leading technology.
All of SA ‘should be concerned’: Huge shortfalls in water flows [$]
Independent analysis of Murray-Darling Basin water flows reveals one fifth has gone missing. It’s worse in the Coorong and Murray Mouth. So what is going on?
Tasmania
Suspected forest plan breach at Styx Valley site investigated [$]
A Sustainable Timber Tasmania contractor was alleged to have breached a forest plan for a forestry coupe in the Styx Valley by logging during wet weather, resulting in the plan being altered to allow the activity.
Fleets flagged as future for electric vehicles
Getting fleets to adopt electric vehicles is key to the transformation of the sector, according to the Electric Vehicle Association’s (EVA) Tasmanian branch. And with charging infrastructure being rolled out, they think the state is ready to go electric.
Media release – Guy Barnett, Minister for Primary Industries and Water
A deer management plan will be developed to ensure the Government can continue to balance the impacts of wild deer on agricultural production, conservation areas and forestry, while maintaining deer as a traditional recreational hunting resource.
Northern Territory
Dingo pups raise passions about semantics and safety
Wild pups have been in the spotlight in the Top End following recent encounters, and while there is consensus about their cuteness, their fate is more contentious.
Traditional owners regain control of Jabiru as historic law passes [$]
Historic land rights legislation that will allow the traditional owners of Jabiru to regain control of their township has passed through the Senate
‘Catastrophic’ fire weather conditions in the NT spark fresh calls for gamba grass action
Environmental experts are urging the Government to ramp up its fight against gamba grass following a week of destructive fires through Darwin’s rural area.
Sustainability
Organic solar cell breakthrough could boost efficiency, eliminate toxic materials
Researchers eliminate use of toxic solvents in organic solar cell production, while maintaining high conversion efficiencies, boosting prospects of mass production.
More than $A4 trillion to be invested globally in renewables in “crucial decade”
US research predicts $A4 trillion-plus will be invested in global renewable energy sector over what analysts say will be a “crucial” decade for the industry.
“Don’t trash talk EVs”: Study shows electric cars emit much less than thought
New study from Dutch electric vehicle expert Auke Hoekstra shows electric cars are better at reducing CO2 than thought because old studies used outdated data.
Gene targets to combat microorganisms binding to underwater surfaces
A group of synthetic biologists have identified new genetic targets that could lead to safe, biologically-based approaches to combat marine biofouling – the process of sea-based microorganisms, plants, or algae binding to underwater surfaces.
Anti-government protesters clash with police in Bulgaria
The biggest demonstration so far in nearly two months of anti-government rallies on Wednesday resulted in clashes between police and protesters in the streets around the parliament building in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia.
US gives first-ever OK for small commercial nuclear reactor
U.S. officials have for the first time approved a design for a small commercial nuclear reactor, and a Utah energy cooperative wants to build 12 of them in Idaho.
Natural pest control saving billions
Biological control of insect pests – where ‘natural enemies’ keep pests at bay – is saving farmers in Asia and the Pacific billions of dollars, according to new research. Biological control involved the careful release of an exotic natural enemy from a pest’s native habitat.
New understanding of electrolyte additives will improve dye-sensitized solar cells
Researchers have demonstrated that certain molecules previously viewed as potentially detrimental to copper electrolyte performance are crucial to suppressing recombination losses and maximizing efficiency when harnessed correctly
Burning bush, melting Arctic, a deadly virus: nobody said the end times would be boring
John Birmingham
For one brief shining moment it seemed humanity’s inability to imagine much beyond our lived experience was irrelevant. Covid was coming for us all
Many forests scorched by wildfire won’t bounce back
Climate change leading to slower post-fire recovery, transforming some woods to grasslands
Maelor Himbury
6 Florence St Niddrie 3042
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0432406862
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